Urine Luck! My Surgery Post

Posted by Sherry , Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Tuesday, March 23, 2010




Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Sherry, your newest bandster! Please hold your applause for the end.

The anesthesia fog and gas pain haze have lifted and just when I thought I was entering the dark hole of starvation, I was cleared for non-clear liquids and purees. More on that later.

I'll try to paint you a picture of surgery day but to be honest, a lot of it is kind of foggy so bear with me.

Surgery was scheduled for 8:50 am on Friday the 19th and to my surprise, everything was ON TIME! Every other surgery I've ever had has been beyond late – I'm usually berobed in a hospital gown that is two sizes too small, sitting on a gurney in the hallway trying to make small talk with the orderlies that are on their way to turn over a coma patient, for hours and hours, just waiting patiently for my surgeon to finally get done with some other procedure. Or his 18th hole. Anyway, you get the picture. The sheer fact that my surgery was on time was a step in the right direction for me.

In any case, at about 8:40 I was given a quick-working sedative (think babbling idiot in less than 3 minutes) and wheeled into the operating room. I remember my surgeon saying 'hello' and asking me how I was doing and mumbling something about being “welp, bery excipted”and after that I remember nothing. Just how it is supposed to be!

I woke up in Recovery room I. I was still very sedated and kind of in and out of consciousness for awhile. After it was deemed that I was breathing normally and my vitals were stable, I was moved to Recovery II where my husband was waiting for me.

I was incredibly 'out of it' and recall asking a few stupid questions about the weather but otherwise hours went by before I was in the land of the living and able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time.


I was told the surgery went very routinely (I had the single incision surgery and the incision is in my belly button) and that if I could get up and walk, pee and take a few sips of liquids without regurgitating that I could go home. Sounds easy, right?

Well, apparently I was severely dehydrated and after multiple tries, I just COULD NOT PEE.

According to the head nurse my lack of urination was definitely not because the other nurse walked me into the bathroom, gruffly hoisted up my hospital gown, pushed me down onto the toilet and then stood there staring at me.

Each time I felt a tiny urge to urinate I was escorted into the bathroom where small talk would commence. It was like the hospital water cooler in there. “You watchin' American Idol”? “How about them Blue Devils?”

Alas, my urine is even more modest than I and chose not to appear for hours and hours. I was given, altogether, 7 bags of fluid and threatened, multiple times, with a catheter but my friend urine still eluded me like a wild unicorn in the forest.

In the last few months, when I would think over my lap-band surgery, I would imagine moments of emotion and mourning and fear. I just had no idea that it would be my elimination control that would kick off the trauma.


HOURS went by. I cried, I begged. I pleaded. Finally, I was able to enter the bathroom on my own and lo and behold....liquid gold my friends!

Right after, we left (around 6pm) and went home.

Friday and Saturday I was terribly uncomfortable. Gas had settled in my upper back and, of course, on my back is the only position you can really be in at first, so I didn't sleep well at all. I walked and walked and asked your advice and walked some more and by Sunday morning I felt a ton better.

I can honestly say I'm having no other 'pain' other than slight tenderness at the incision site.

However, I'm tight. I can't seem to get down the 1-2 oz of liquid every 30 minutes without a feeling really full. That worried me so I went to see my surgeon today and they took out the 'priming' from my band. Did you know that most doctors put in some liquid, just for priming it (straightening it, making sure it works, no leaks, etc.)? This was news to me!

I asked the P.A. Who did the fluid removal how much they use to prime and he said it could be anywhere from ½ a cc to 3 ccs depending on the person. WOW. Some of you only have 3 ccs in your band altogether!

Anyway, it was removed and I'm feeling better. I can get down more liquids more frequently so as to avoid dehydration and any more pee-pee incidents.

So all in all the surgery and recovery have gone well. I just have a small incision in my belly button and that's it. Of course ½ inch incisions have nothing on the pregnancy stretch marks that decorate my belly anyway so I wouldn't have minded additional scarring anyway.

Here is something frustrating though. My physicians office really needs to get their shit together.
My original orders were to be on clear liquids for a week, then non-clear for a week and then purees for a week then mushies for a week then regular food.

All of the literature they gave me has this information written down VERY CLEARLY. Yet, today the P.A. Tells me that they are revising everything and that in fact I can move onto purees NOW. This is, of course, great news. But what if I had waited to go in until my original appointment on April 1st? I would have endured all that liquid suffering for nothing! I hate suffering!

Not surprisingly I told the P.A. As much and he admitted that yes, some people were caught in the 'crossfire' of their after-care information changes and it seems I am one of them.

In any case, Carnation Instant Breakfast tastes like a little slice of heaven after 5 days of clear liquids. I seriously didn't think I could handle another day of jello and broth and Ispoure drinks.
Still not sure how I'm going to get in 60 grams of protien a day though. Seems like an awful lot when I'm only able to really get down about ½ a bottle of Isopure a day and a few other things that have limited fiber grams. How do you do it?

I'm sure I've bored you all to tears. This is by far my most boring post, in my opinion. But I blame it on the pee trauma and promise something more interesting to report next time.

I love your support, comments and advice so keep it coming. I truly have learned so much from you, dear readers!

17 Response to "Urine Luck! My Surgery Post"

Theresa Says:

Well, it sounds like you've done great. I'm having surgery on Thursday. I'll be having day surgery as well, so I'm glad to know things went okay for you, except the pee. Can't wait to here more about the progress.

workinprogress Says:

Yikes - I'd want to go to the toilet by myself too!!!

Glad you are on the mend :-)

Marie Says:

Congrats Sherrie! We were banded on the same day. Check out my blog. Many of the same issues (except the peeing!) I am feeling much better today though and seem to be able to drink a lot more water without having pain or being really full. Drinking the recommended protein probably won't happen for another few days for me until the swelling goes down some more but doing best I can!

Sandy Says:

Applause! Applause! Applause! See I waited. Welcome to the bandster world. Funny about the peeing. I remember standing outside the bathroom as a nurse and listening to see if the patient was actually peeing. Men were the funniest. They actually loved having us in the room with them. Pigs.

Don't worry about getting in all the protein the first week. Just make sure you are drinking lots of water (tea, coffee count too to stay hydrated. I had 3cc of fluid in me too at surgery and after my first fill had to have an unfill as it was too much. You might be fine with just a little fluid.

Hoping you are feeling good in the next few days. Yah! that you can have pureed-I pureed and watered down all sorts of things the first two weeks because I hated the shakes-Too thick. You're doing great.

Joey Says:

YAAY!

So glad you're feeling better. Each day you'll feel more like yourself.

TJ Says:

Congrats!!! I have never had them actually come in the bathroom with me even when after my gallbladder surgery it took 4-6 hours to urinate. I think it was b/c I got a little too much sedation though since I slept most of the time (16-18 hrs for about 2 days straight)

One way to get your protein is to 1) get unflavored protein and add it to your carnation or 2) use powered milk in addition to the regular milk.

I used both and honestly I don't even like powered milk, but I didn't even notice it. You can easily add it to your milk shakes or milky soups. I made a killer hot chocolate with it that was wonderful!

My doc also doesn't do any fill at surgery even to prime. He said that he sees too many problems with it and that it just isn't worth it since the consequences for people are awful.

Amanda Kiska Says:

I just found your blog and wanted to say welcome to Bandland! I had my surgery 2/12 and have lost 24.4 lbs. so far. I am so glad I did it. I agree that you don't need to worry about the protein right now. Your appetite will return (sigh!) and you can work on it then.

Debi Says:

So glad to hear that your Surgery went well!! Sorry to hear about the dehydration and urinary problems.

Welcome to the "Sisterhood/Brotherhood of the Bandster's"!!

Anonymous Says:

I am so glad your surgery went well! I had to stay overnight so didn't have the pee pee police. That does not sound like fun at all! I am so jealous of your 1 incision, I have 5! My surgeon did the "we are changing our protocol" on me too..luckily it was on the day of my first fill that I found out and it meant I got a 4cc fill instead of 1cc...I recommend Unjury unflavored protein, it adds protein to everything. You just can't put it in hot liquids (it was gross in coffee) but when you get to mushies it can go in pudding, applesauce and oatmeal. Welcome to the sisterhood!

Bonnie Says:

Your post wasn't boring at all. I'm living vicariously through everybody and hearing about your surgery experience was very interesting. Thanks for sharing and glad all went relatively well. I'm hoping to be banded in July.

CC Says:

I'm so happy that everything went well for you! Aside from the urine issue LOL

Girl Bandit Says:

Oh imagine the indignity of not being able to pee by yourself???? No wonder you couldn't go. I used to make up big pots of soup and puree them and make sure they had loads of vegies and protein like chicken or legumes in them. Just concentrate on recoverying ....

THE DASH! Says:

WHOOO! You're in bandland. SO GLAD it all went well - and whats with these people? You can't even pee in private? Take it easy for the next week - you sure wont feel like much.

Andrew Says:

Well comer to the other side fellow bandster :-)

Roo Says:

Glad things went ok for you....apart from the pee trauma it sounds like everything went normal and smooth. I had to have my primer out because I had my band slip before I was out of the first surgery, so the next day had it redone (and doc took the primer out so I wouldn't have anymore problems)...fastforward 7 months and now having problems with to much restriction!
As for protein, I was eating blended chicken and vegie soup, pasta sauce with beef etc blended up (this was devine!), etc to get some protein in. Milky teas and I also had vegemite (US has no equivalent to this yeast spread) mixed with hot water to give me a boost!
Don't focus on getting the full protein amount in just yet, let your body recover and heal....
Welcome to the sisterhood!

Jess Says:

No offense to previous posters but you really should make a good effort to get your protein in. You'll feel like shit if you don't and your body needs it to heal.

And as far a surgery day stories, this was not boring at all. =)

Gen Says:

NOT boring! Exciting! Congratulations Sister!

My doc put in nothing to prime the band. But, I got a full 4 ccs at my first fill!

Your post-op eating plan sounds exactly right. I was on full liquids for a week, then purees. I got to skip the clear liquids which was AWESOME after the 3 day pre-op clear liquid diet!

Get some of those super mega protein shakes for more protein. I think Muscle Milk (the regular kind) has a ton of protein in it - like 25 grams or something crazy. And there are some other brands with lots of protein. But don't worry, you will feel better each day and will have an easier time getting the protein and fluids in.

Congratulations!

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