Adding to the List of Things to Bring for Surgery!

[slightlysilly]

I just got out of the hospital last night. I had an ileocolectomy. I was obsessed with what to bring beforehand and now I bring you my list of things that made me happy!

1. Pajamas! I brought two pairs of button down flannel pajamas. When I woke up on day two a nurse came in with a pail of water and soap. She undid my catheter and asked me if I wanted to wash up. I asked her (key... I had to ask her) if she could undo my iv for a second so I could put on my pajamas. She was glad to do so. I was able to wash the top part of my body and put on my pajamas. (They were from LL Bean. I had a pink pair and a blue pair).

2. Slippers! I splurged and bought a pair of Ugg slippers prior to the surgery. I learned (from this board) that they would make we walk. So I bought the most comfy slippers I could find. And with my flannel pajamas, I was looking good with my iv and my morphine pump stand walking up and down the corridors...

3. Ipad, Kindle Fire, Iphone, etc. Yes bring it but if you are hooked up to morphine.. you might be a little :ybatty: the whole time. It took me forever to update my facebook page and there is a text back and forth between me and a friend that I have no recollection making. Any hospital worth their salt has a decent wifi connection, and there is nothing but crap on tv during the day (or ever really) so surfing the web is probably your best bet.

Tips and tricks:

1. Breathe into that thing they give you. It helps unhook the gunk in your lungs and they squeal like little girls when you get to the mark you are supposed to get to.

2. DO NOT do anything strenuous or really anything at all your first night home until you know how your pain level is going to be... I was a dummy and went straight to my son's soccer practice (which involved getting out of the car and walking a bit and standing still for a bit more) and by that time I was screaming for my morphine pump, but alas, it was gone.

3. Press the morphine pump as many times as you can. Stay ahead of the pain. But don't press it enough to make yourself sick. I know I did and felt like I was going to throw up. I just hit the button one too many times. But that was after they were telling me to hit it more often. In other words, you shouldn't have a pain level of 8 but you shouldn't have a pain level of 2 either.

4. I was NOT sent home after passing gas or having a bowel movement. Although the doctors were obsessed with this when I first got out of recovery. By Thursday morning it was somehow decided that since I was able to walk around (with my awesome jammies, fabulous slippers and morphine pump) so much, that I was just pokey slow with my bowels. So they sent me home. My first morning home, I passed gas and had a bowel movement.

5. I had an ileocolectomy (terminal ileum, cecum, and appendix) no ostomy. The surgeon said my inflamation was very local and was very defined. I have had pain in that area for years, so probably to your average chronie it was a very simple surgery.

Any questions, please ask me, I didn't tell the whole story, because I didn't know what people wanted to know...

Cheers!

 

[Crohnsmomof3]

I am so glad it went well for you! Thanks for the updated list as well. Your surgery sounds a lot like mine coming up. It's my terminal ileum/cecum and appendix as well. I hope you have an easy couple of weeks to recover.

 

[UnXmas]

I hope you're recovering well. I'm still recovering from my last surgery a month ago.

1. Pajamas! I brought two pairs of button down flannel pajamas. When I woke up on day two a nurse came in with a pail of water and soap. She undid my catheter and asked me if I wanted to wash up. I asked her (key... I had to ask her) if she could undo my iv for a second so I could put on my pajamas. She was glad to do so. I was able to wash the top part of my body and put on my pajamas. (They were from LL Bean. I had a pink pair and a blue pair).

I'd be careful about bringing any nice or new pyjamas, or any nice, new clothes. Chances are you will have incisions that bleed, have accidents with bladder or bowel (depending on what surgery you're having), and things just generally get messy. I had a tube draining bile out of my stomach through my nose into a bag. One night the bag burst on me. Those pyjamas got thrown out, and I stuck with the nighties the hospital provided me with after that.

3. Press the morphine pump as many times as you can. Stay ahead of the pain. But don't press it enough to make yourself sick. I know I did and felt like I was going to throw up. I just hit the button one too many times. But that was after they were telling me to hit it more often. In other words, you shouldn't have a pain level of 8 but you shouldn't have a pain level of 2 either.

You were lucky to get morphine! I've had morphine, but ironically only after my more minor, less painful surgeries. After all my major bowel surgeries, they wouldn't let me have any opiates because they slow the bowel down and can be a factor in causing blockages (which is a risk after bowel surgery).

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Great tips. Glad you are recuperating.

My morphine pump always has a timer on it and I can only press every 10 or 15 minutes. My nurses always bothered me to press and I was like "why it doesn't help".

 

[slightlysilly]

I am so glad it went well for you! Thanks for the updated list as well. Your surgery sounds a lot like mine coming up. It's my terminal ileum/cecum and appendix as well. I hope you have an easy couple of weeks to recover.

Let me know if you have any questions or need anything. It went well for me, but I had THE BEST GUY I COULD FIND to do it. I know that doesn't mean anything with everyone being so different, but I was in a great hospital with great nurses and doctors. I even called the other day because my incisions looked funky, and I got to talk to the doctor right away. I worried about my kid a lot but once he came to see me, he decided that I wasn't going to die and was much better for it.

Cheers!

 

[slightlysilly]

I hope you're recovering well. I'm still recovering from my last surgery a month ago.



I'd be careful about bringing any nice or new pyjamas, or any nice, new clothes. Chances are you will have incisions that bleed, have accidents with bladder or bowel (depending on what surgery you're having), and things just generally get messy. I had a tube draining bile out of my stomach through my nose into a bag. One night the bag burst on me. Those pyjamas got thrown out, and I stuck with the nighties the hospital provided me with after that.



You were lucky to get morphine! I've had morphine, but ironically only after my more minor, less painful surgeries. After all my major bowel surgeries, they wouldn't let me have any opiates because they slow the bowel down and can be a factor in causing blockages (which is a risk after bowel surgery).

Good points! I was absolutely positively empty for three solid days after surgery... there was NOTHING coming out of me whatsoever. (Other than urine) I guess my surgery wasn't one where blockages were a factor (or less of a factor) because I had the morphine pump going every 6 minutes.

And, call me vain, but I was thrilled thrilled thrilled to have my jammies with me. I was walking up and down that corridor ALOT... and of course, I did see lots of people with nasalgastric tubes and tubes in their chests, etc. I get that they can't wear regular pajamas. Although, I did look at one lady and thought she could fit that tube through the buttons of regular pajamas.. maybe my calling in life is to mentally bling up the people walking up and down the corridors of Hershey Medical Center.

 

[slightlysilly]

Great tips. Glad you are recuperating.

My morphine pump always has a timer on it and I can only press every 10 or 15 minutes. My nurses always bothered me to press and I was like "why it doesn't help".

I didn't hit it enough, and my pain level was high, and then I hit it too much and I became nauseous. so there's a happy medium, but I didn't actually find it while I was in the hospital.

 

[dfish3]

Thank you for sharing these tips! I just had an ileocolectomy almost 3 weeks ago and definitely enjoyed having my own pajamas and slippers. I still wore the regular hospital gown, but at least felt more comfortable with my own things. I can't imagine only staying in the hospital for 3 days though, the minimum for me was going to be 5 days, but I had a slight blockage, so ending up having the NG tube put in which was horribly unpleasant. Even once I was having bowel movements, they wanted to be sure I could work my way up to soft foods before releasing me. By then I was feeling much better, which a few days earlier I didn't think would ever be possible again.

I also had trouble with pushing the morphine button too much or not enough. After 9 days of it, I still never found that equilibrium.

Today I have been home exactly 1 week and things have been going quite well. My wife is still helping me sit up and get out of bed, but otherwise I'm doing most things on my own. Unfortunately with the snowstorm here the past week I haven't been able to get outside and walk, so hoping to do that this weekend and get my muscles working again.

I do have one question regarding bowel movements since I got out. They've been all over the place, from completely watery diarrhea, to mushy pellets, to very soft like a thick liquid, and now soft, but forming up a lot more. However, since they've had more form, my anus has been stinging/burning every time I've had a bm. I know there will be a period of time for my bowels to relearn how to process with an important piece missing (cecum), but wasn't exactly sure what that was going to mean. I have a follow up with my surgeon on Monday, so will definitely bring it up then, but wasn't sure if you or anyone else on here have had similar issues.

Thanks again for sharing your story and your tips for surviving in the hospital!

 

[Absentminded]

I'm nearly five weeks on from having my third surgery and I'm still having quite erratic bowel movements. I think it can take up to two months to go back to "normal."
For the burning I use loads of Sudocrem (nappy rash cream) it really soothes the pain.


Sounds like you're getting on well, I hope it continues

 

[hawkeye]

Tips and tricks:

1. Breathe into that thing they give you. It helps unhook the gunk in your lungs and they squeal like little girls when you get to the mark you are supposed to get to.


3. Press the morphine pump as many times as you can. Stay ahead of the pain. But don't press it enough to make yourself sick. I know I did and felt like I was going to throw up. I just hit the button one too many times. But that was after they were telling me to hit it more often. In other words, you shouldn't have a pain level of 8 but you shouldn't have a pain level of 2 either.

Just had surgery a couple of weeks ago - can't emphasize these points enough