Back in Band - lots of TMI Please advise on LIQUIDS PHASE

Hi y'all.

Thanks so much for all your well wishes...things went pretty well, and I'm here to do a little write up. I ended up having a small hiatal hernia that surgeon repaired.

Monday finished off with a total of two protein shakes, an onion and zucchini, and 1.5 cucumbers. That was the day...I think except maybe the first few days of pre-op, I never hit 1000 calories. I drank some extra water around 11.30, because I was allowed nothing by mouth from midnight on.

Insurance stuff. I had a weird feeling, so I called my insurance company to double check everything was on...the surgery was approved, but they didn't have a referral from my PCP to the surgeon, so there was a chance they wouldn't have paid for anything! I called my PCP, got them to put the electronic referral in (asked them for follow-ups as well), then called the insurance company back to make sure it was in the system. Goodness gracious...if I wasn't a paranoid lawyer, would I have remembered to make sure of this? Anyway, my co-pay was $75.00. I might get more of a bill from the surgeon or the anesthesiologist, but as of now that is my total out of pocket cost!

NYU stuff...You find out your surgery time around 6.00 pm. They call you from the hospital when they finalize their operating room schedule. They told me to be there at 7.30, so I set three alarms, spent a relaxing evening with BF, and woke up an hour early, which gave me a chance for an extra shower. I had this idea this would help fight infection, but I'm sure I was being silly.

We arrived at the hospital, checked in, and my mom showed up. We were brought back into a little room, where the nurse's aide, or rather Patient Care Tech, PCT, took my vitals. My weight, according to their scale, in my pjs, was 264.something... The nice nurse came in, we went over all my info, etc., the surgeon stopped in, I met the anesthesiologist, everyone was lovely. Then the operating room nurse came in and walked me into the Operating Room. Unlike other hospitals, where I understand they will set up your IV first and give you some meds to calm you before you get taken in to the OR, at NYU you walk in cold sober under your own steam, which is a little weird. You are invited to lie down on the operating bed, which is shaped like a cross, and they put on the inflatable booties, start the IV, etc...that was the tough part for me. I almost started crying, but then the medicine started hitting, I was breathing oxygen, and Dr. Kurian held my hand until I went under...

I woke up in recovery. I was breathing a little slowly, so they gave me some oxygen. I had a lot of pain, which I later understood was mostly gas. My mom came in to see my and rubbed my shoulders, which both hurt...I think it was a combination of the referred gas pain and just being stiff. They only let her stay a few minutes, then BF came in, and spent a little time with me. I got some anti-inflammatory meds to help with the gas, but it was pretty bad. I spent about 1.5 hours in there, with my own nurse monitoring me, then got transferred up to a floor.

It was kind of a weird floor, because they are doing some construction it was mixed with a few other bariatric patients and a bunch of others. I was surprised because NYU seemed to be a big deal for WLS, but maybe it being a few days before surgery made a difference. The staff was nice but rather unattentive. I had to remind them that I could have liquids at 4, that I needed pain medication, that I needed one of the breathing things, that I had voided my bladder and they needed to measure it (the gave me a thing you put in the toilet to catch your urine),

I was up walking pretty soon. The gas pains were really bad, so I kept walking to try and help pass it, without a lot of success. Morphine helped with the incision pain, but not the gas. I got some more anti-inflammatory for the gas pain, but it didn't help much. I help walking, drank some sips of Propel, two little cups of broth, half a cup of tea...the gas was bad. Two residents that were both younger than me stopped by and told me I could stay overnight or go home, so I chose to go home, as I thought I would be more comfortable. The nurse gave me two crushed up Percocets which helped more than anything else had and discharged me...

Small sips
Clear liquids for the first day or two
Take off my top bandages two days later, leave the steri-strips to fall off or be removed by the Dr.
Liquids for 10 days
Mushy foods for 10 days
Then real food by day 21!

Esophogram and post-op consult with the surgeon in seven days - made my appointments today for next Monday the 28th.

BF drove me and mom back to my parents house, where we will be staying for the next few days. It's just more spacious and my mom will be working from  home today, and my daddy tomorrow so they can take care of me! I got home, had a Popsicle, still had a lot of gas pain that I was unable to pass, so I took my Lortab, which is liquid  Vicodin, and went to bed...

I slept very comfortably, woke up a few times but went back to sleep. Got up this morning, had another Popsicle, some tea, and two half cups of mama's chicken soup, the best! Been walking around the house and taking deep breaths. My through it a bit sore from the anesthesia tube, the gas is still bothering me, although it is getting better, and my incisions hurt when the meds wear off...I've been taking the Lortab, but in smaller doses. Not a lot of peeing, so I definitely need to drink more, and no pooping at all yet - but I haven't eaten food in days, what am I supposed to be pooping?

So, this long entry, then back to the couch for light reading and vapid tv viewing! Will not be weighing myself will I get home or back to the dr, as it will serve no purpose!

ADVICE PLEASE!
I am on liquids. So boring! And I am actually hungry! I have Propel, G2, chicken soup...what else? I move past clear liquids tomorrow, so very thin soups, protein shakes (Myoplex light), and I was debating getting some light ice-cream and making a thin milkshake with skim milk...?