I am living with a cranky alien
This is my seventh day post op and it has been hard but I finally feel a little better. I got really nauseated in the hospital and threw up all night the second night after surgery. The pain meds made me sick so I had to quit using even tylenol. I have had no pain meds since 6 am the third day. Even after the vomiting ceased I still felt nauseated. Then the evening of day 4 I started dealing with black tarry diarrhea (digested blood) and dealt with that even into last night. My surgeon had me get a CBC which looked good. Everything I planned to eat, am supposed to eat makes me feel like throwing up and makes my stomach hurt. I have made a tentative conclusion based on observation that the artificial proteins in tings like nectars and protein drinks make me sick so I had to ditch them for now. I have always gotten nauseated from sloshy things like broth--made me throw up when I was pregnant and makes me sick now too. Milk products--oh my goodness the pudding made me sick. I was left with jello. Even popsicles tasted horrible. In desperation yesterday I asked for a saltine--a little better. Then my husband made some bison chili for himself and believe it or not it soumded good. He blenderized an ounce and I got it down and felt a little better.
Today I just decided feeling better has to be priority one so I went with my instincts. Crystal Light sipped constantly, a moist scrambled egg for one meal, and an ounce of tuna mixed with ranch for another. They aren't on my diet for another few days but they tasted good and went down ok.
I am feeling like my pouch is this capricious, cranky litttle alien being inhabiting my body. I have to listen to what it wants and give it to him. Yes, it's a him.
I hope I'm not jumping the gun or anything but I think my pouch prefers real food and also prefers more solid food than liquid.
I am thinking an ounce of mashed potato with low-fat beef gravy for dinner. I'm finally feeling like walking around, talking to people, and typing on OH.
Oh, one other thing--I broke out w shingles yesterday which is how my body deals with extreme stress. I think it was brought on by the truly abysmal care I got in the hospital. They were not only lacking in competence but in human compassion as well, refusing to come when I asked for help to the bathroom, not changing dressings or gowns when my drain malfunctioned and got me wet, telling me not to throw up but offering no help how to keep from it. They left me with the bed on "turn" so I had to hold on to the side to keep from rolling. When I complained the nurse impatiently told me the rail would keep me from falling on the floor, but the stress it put on my stitches was horribly painful. And there was no reason--he hit the turn button by accident. I had the feeling he felt little sympathy for bariatric patients and the nurses were always telling stories in a bunch at the nurse's station outside my door. Hard to hear them laughing when you can't get out of bed and are about to pee on yourself. I will do whatever I have to to stay out of that hospital again. It was my first time there and has a bad reputation. I hope I get to fill out a survey.
But I hope now I have hell week behind me and things will improve so I can start enjoying the benefits of this journey.
Debbie
Today I just decided feeling better has to be priority one so I went with my instincts. Crystal Light sipped constantly, a moist scrambled egg for one meal, and an ounce of tuna mixed with ranch for another. They aren't on my diet for another few days but they tasted good and went down ok.
I am feeling like my pouch is this capricious, cranky litttle alien being inhabiting my body. I have to listen to what it wants and give it to him. Yes, it's a him.
I hope I'm not jumping the gun or anything but I think my pouch prefers real food and also prefers more solid food than liquid.
I am thinking an ounce of mashed potato with low-fat beef gravy for dinner. I'm finally feeling like walking around, talking to people, and typing on OH.
Oh, one other thing--I broke out w shingles yesterday which is how my body deals with extreme stress. I think it was brought on by the truly abysmal care I got in the hospital. They were not only lacking in competence but in human compassion as well, refusing to come when I asked for help to the bathroom, not changing dressings or gowns when my drain malfunctioned and got me wet, telling me not to throw up but offering no help how to keep from it. They left me with the bed on "turn" so I had to hold on to the side to keep from rolling. When I complained the nurse impatiently told me the rail would keep me from falling on the floor, but the stress it put on my stitches was horribly painful. And there was no reason--he hit the turn button by accident. I had the feeling he felt little sympathy for bariatric patients and the nurses were always telling stories in a bunch at the nurse's station outside my door. Hard to hear them laughing when you can't get out of bed and are about to pee on yourself. I will do whatever I have to to stay out of that hospital again. It was my first time there and has a bad reputation. I hope I get to fill out a survey.
But I hope now I have hell week behind me and things will improve so I can start enjoying the benefits of this journey.
Debbie
Please don't wait to see if they might send you a survey. Write a letter to the director. That is terrible care and should be addressed.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
I'm sorry you're having a rough time of it but you sound really determined to make your recovery a priority! I would not accept that level of care - maybe consider speaking to the unit supervisor/ nurse manager? Or see if there is a complaint department?
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
My doctor had me on pureed foods immediately out of the hospital;
just make sure that the pieces are smaller than an eraser. If you are only eating an ounce or two at a time, it shouldn't be
too much of a problem for your cranky alien. Do your best to get
in your protein, but absolutely make sure you stay hydrated.
Best wishes,
just make sure that the pieces are smaller than an eraser. If you are only eating an ounce or two at a time, it shouldn't be
too much of a problem for your cranky alien. Do your best to get
in your protein, but absolutely make sure you stay hydrated.
Best wishes,
OMG! that is terrible care for a hospital! I would definately complain about that! I was so fortunate to have wonderful care at the hosp I was in. So its just unexceptable for anything less.
sorry you are having such a hard time. I think if what you are doing works for your body, then thats what you should do. Jus****ch calories and surger, carb counts on the foods you are eating. Keep drinking! I love crystal light its been my savior for liquid!
Good luck! It will get better!!!!
sorry you are having such a hard time. I think if what you are doing works for your body, then thats what you should do. Jus****ch calories and surger, carb counts on the foods you are eating. Keep drinking! I love crystal light its been my savior for liquid!
Good luck! It will get better!!!!
I also came home on soft foods and did just fine.
I am sorry that they treated you like that! That's unacceptable!!! You need to call and talk to someone about it. The head of the Bariatric Department, maybe?
When my daughter got treated badly when she was in PICU, I talked to someone and a nurse actually got fired. (It wasn't my intent to get her FIRED, but she was AWFUL to those kids!).
I hope you have a speedy recovery now that you seem to have worked out what works for you and what doesn't. =]
Good luck!
I am sorry that they treated you like that! That's unacceptable!!! You need to call and talk to someone about it. The head of the Bariatric Department, maybe?
When my daughter got treated badly when she was in PICU, I talked to someone and a nurse actually got fired. (It wasn't my intent to get her FIRED, but she was AWFUL to those kids!).
I hope you have a speedy recovery now that you seem to have worked out what works for you and what doesn't. =]
Good luck!
Sorry about your cranky alien. But I am more sorry about the LACK of care you received. You did not go in there expecting that kind of treatment and that kind of treatment is totally uncalled for. Time to lodge a complaint. Lodge several if you have to. I am so glad that the hospital I was at turely took the time to care for me. I had NO issue other than one nurse who got a little snippy but wasnt really her fault to be honest, another patient had slammed her hand in the door ON PURPOSE because the nurse wanted to check his dressings. So make complaints hunny, NO ONE should be treated the way you were. I truely hope NONE of them have to go the that same hospital for anything and if they do I hope they get treated with the same ****ty treatment you were.
As a single person we make but a whisper, as a crowd we make a roar. A friend.
"I never claimed to be an expert at such matters, but I am an expert at giving my opinion."- My dad
I'm learning that this journey is all about "Getting to Know Your Personal Pouch" and at least at this point it's not a relationship I would ever put up with from a human being! The foods you describe are gentle and you are eating them in the amounts appropriate for your length of time out. Isn't it funny how soothing chili is?? You wouldn't think it by the ingredients.
From the sounds of it you certainly were subjected to abysmal "care" and I agree with everyone else who said to write a letter. I would direct it to a person (or persons) of authority in the hospital and copy it to my surgeon, putting names with incidents, if you know them, and if not, identifying the dates and shifts on which the most troubling things occurred. Your bariatric staff needs to know how their patients are being (mis)treated.
Wishing you perseverance and lots of relief.
Rachel
From the sounds of it you certainly were subjected to abysmal "care" and I agree with everyone else who said to write a letter. I would direct it to a person (or persons) of authority in the hospital and copy it to my surgeon, putting names with incidents, if you know them, and if not, identifying the dates and shifts on which the most troubling things occurred. Your bariatric staff needs to know how their patients are being (mis)treated.
Wishing you perseverance and lots of relief.
Rachel
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