Living Donors Online Message Board
Living Donation Discussion and News => Living Donation Forum => Topic started by: jennybebopper on March 04, 2012, 04:16:58 PM
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Hello all,
I am post-op day #5 from a laparascopic donation. While I am VERY appreciative of all the advice on this forum (I arrived at the hospital armed with my prunes!) I don't think I was fully prepared for the trauma to the GI system. Despite frequent walking, good hydration, and minimal narcotic use it has taken this long for me to feel a bit more comfortable, still not "normal" in the way everything moves throughout. Much more painful than any surgical pain itself!
I don't say it to complain - my body is starting to settle itself out again - but for the many people, like me, who turn to this board for pre-op anecdotes.
Also, when they say bring sweatpants, bring BIG sweatpants. My surgeon didn't tell me until one-day pre-op that he expects his patients to gain 10 kg (22 lbs) with all the fluid/swelling. I indeed gained somewhere between 10-15 lbs and while it is almost gone, I didn't fit in any of the sweats I had brought with me.
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Funny, that sounds exactly like my experience with surgery. Pain wasn't bad, but the bloating and bowel nuking was horrible.
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The bloating wasn't as much an issue for me as the bowel problems. The pain related to the surgery was almost nothing compared to the bowel issues and the related discomfort. It was a good two weeks before I felt anywhere close to normal, and even approaching a month after surgery, I can't say I'm still 100% back to normal. Have other people experienced this so long after surgery?
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I didn't have significant bowel problems much beyond the first week or so, but a donor I spoke to prior to my donation said it took her about 2 months to feel regular again. I still had some gas pains etc beyond the first week but nothing that was remarkable.
I didn't feel very bloated either, but having really big pajama pants was very nice to avoid pressure on the incisions. Luckily, I lost about 7 lbs from the surgery so my pants weren't too tight when I started wearing normal clothes again. I would agree with the OP, make sure your comfy pants for after surgery are a couple sizes too big!
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Some donors have found that adding some yogurt to the diet helps. Or, they also sell in capsule form the helpful bacteria found in yogurt. It appears that sometimes the anti-biotics administered to avoid post-op infection also kill off some of the helpful bacteria that naturarrly aid digestion in the intestines, and natural yogurt may help replace them.
best wishes,
Fr. Pat
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My bowel issues subsided around day 5-7. Hope you have a similar experience.