1 week out today. 1 week post-op appt today. & Question about boredom
I had my one week post-op appt today and boy does it feel good to have the staples and drain out!! I was freaked out this whole time that I was going to accidently pull that drain out and come to find out, it went in my right side and all the way across my abdomen to my left side. That was the weirdest feeling when he pulled it out. Now my stomach is itching oh so bad and also very very sore (from throwing up so much maybe?) The doc was surprised by how bruised I am on my stomach, but he said its not abnormal, just rare. He gave me some more pain medication and said I am likely still pretty sore and tender because of the bruising. But right now, I think the throwing up so much this morning definitely did a number on my stomach muscles too.
Week 2 means I can start soft "fork mashable" foods. Well, I tried a few bites of scrambled egg last night because I was just dying for something that wasn't liquid. I did great with it. No probs. So, this morning I thought I'd eat some more scrambled egg, but added a pinch of cheese. Not sure if it was the cheese or what, but I spent most of the morning throwing up more times than I can count. It was like my body just couldn't get rid of every last little piece of egg. It was horrible. But I've had some cottage cheese today too and did good with that.
I'm officially down 12 pounds! yay!
My question about boredom... what do you do when you're bored? I used to be one of those people who sometimes ate out of boredom and late at night out of habit from working 2nd shift. Now, I can't do those things (which is good) but I need something to fill that space, if that makes sense. I love to read, but I just can't really get interested in books right now. I read enough for school. 
I just need something to do. I think this is part of the reason I started smoking again a few days after I got home from the hospital. (Gotta work on breaking the habit for good, I know). I think once I find something to fill this space, it'll help with that.
For me, when i get bored I read, watch tv, go workout, paint my nails, play on pinterest, drink water or powerade zero or just chat with friends. Once you break the habit it gets much easier to not snack out of boredom.
As far as the eggs, those can be hard for everyone. Sometimes they sit fin for me other times not so much. Now I do love me some hard boiled eggs with a little sea salt. I find that sometimes the cheese when melted is to oily for me.
Well first off, you are not being honest with yourself or your surgeon that you started smoking. Do you have any idea what smoking after surgery can do???? I am sure you didn't tell your surgeon and if he knew, he would be all over you. You won't get much support on this one and if you are continuing with smoking, then you may be fooling yourself about justifying eating off program and making weight loss and maintaining down the road very well make or break of ever keeping the weight off.
Talk to your surgeon about Chantix, patches, or any other item, but DO NOTdo anything until you talk to your surgeon. Please let him know because this slows down healing let alone throwing a clot into your system. You can think I mean, rude or whatever as I and many others want success, not failure for you. Jane
I'm not sure if it's for all of us, or if it just happened to me, but chantix almost burned a hole in my stomach. Nicotine destroys vitamin C, be aware that you will require more than usual to supplement this, wish I could help more but I'm still at a pack a day. It's very addicting, and it will be harder for the next few months for you because it's stored in fat cells depending on your habit. Try to control it and don't let it control you. Photoshop is very entertaining when your bored
Edit: sorry Jane, didn't mean to reply to your post directly other than chantix, I'm not sure if it would affect others like it did me, but it seems dangerous for us, hopefully a study will be done soon for this
True victory comes at the very end, when you can say, " I lived, and will gladly do it again." View "failure" as a setback, and meet each accomplishment with a larger goal.
Oh gosh, Jacob you didn't have to apologize. I realized I misspelled Chantix. My husband is also a smoker and the doctor put him on it and he had to go off of it because it was causing all kinds of problems mentally for him and we run a business and he told the doctor he could not function right on it. I use to smoke and quit 15 years ago. I so understand smoking, but the OP just had surgery and that just about put me over the edge. I don't chastise other people for smoking because my husband smokes and he is a grown up and has to make his own decisions. That is why I told the original poster not to take anything until she talked to the doctor. He may agree that using anything right now may not be an option. Yes, Chantix comes with alot of side effects. Thank you Jacob, for posting to to let us know what happened to you. Jane 
Ya, smoking after surgery is a bad deal (surgical pneumonia, blood clots, the list goes on for a while). I know I need to quit, my doctor almost killed me when I started again. It's hard to find the willpower, but I will find it, hopefully before it's to late. Hopefully your husband will find it also. Congrats on 15 years, that's a major accomplishment. Good luck to you and your husband, I know how hard this must be for both of you. As a person who battled the addiction, and probably battles it every day still, you are more then welcome to chastise and encourage the rest of us.
True victory comes at the very end, when you can say, " I lived, and will gladly do it again." View "failure" as a setback, and meet each accomplishment with a larger goal.
Oh gosh, Jacob you didn't have to apologize. I realized I misspelled Chantix. My husband is also a smoker and the doctor put him on it and he had to go off of it because it was causing all kinds of problems mentally for him and we run a business and he told the doctor he could not function right on it. I use to smoke and quit 15 years ago. I so understand smoking, but the OP just had surgery and that just about put me over the edge. I don't chastise other people for smoking because my husband smokes and he is a grown up and has to make his own decisions. That is why I told the original poster not to take anything until she talked to the doctor. He may agree that using anything right now may not be an option. Yes, Chantix comes with alot of side effects. Thank you Jacob, for posting to to let us know what happened to you. Jane
Congrats on being cigarette free for 15 years! It is such a hard habit and it does take a lot of willpower to quit and not start again. I know I can quit - I've quit several times. The problem is, I always start again. It doesn't help that hubby smokes and that makes it harder to quit, which I'm sure you can understand.
I tried Chantix once before and I had horrible side effects from it although I did manage to quit for a little while, while I was on it. Once my doc took me off of it because of the side effects, I ended up starting again. (This was a few years ago)
Now, because of the current meds I am on for bipolar and my history with chantix before, my doc will not put me on it again. I was so desperate for help to quit smoking before surgery, that I practically begged her, and she wouldn't.
Well first off, you are not being honest with yourself or your surgeon that you started smoking. Do you have any idea what smoking after surgery can do???? I am sure you didn't tell your surgeon and if he knew, he would be all over you. You won't get much support on this one and if you are continuing with smoking, then you may be fooling yourself about justifying eating off program and making weight loss and maintaining down the road very well make or break of ever keeping the weight off.
Talk to your surgeon about Chantis, patches, or any other item, but DO NOTdo anything until you talk to your surgeon. Please let him know because this slows down healing let alone throwing a clot into your system. You can think I mean, rude or whatever as I and many others want success, not failure for you. Jane
Actually FYI, he knew I was still smoking a few cigarettes a day pre-surgery, he knows I didn't smoke the day of surgery (obviously) or for several days thereafter. And when he asked me at my appt yday, I DID tell him that I was smoking a few a day again. He didn't lecture me, he just straight up told me the facts of why it can be so detrimental, esp now post-surgery. The chances of ulcers, stricture starting around about week 4, and so forth. So please don't make assumptions about something you don't know.. ASK!
I can't take chantix because of medication I take for bipolar. Patches gives me horrible headaches. Trust me.
I don't think you're being rude, but you shouldn't assume things you don't know...
