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How can you care for yourself at home?
Activity
- Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover.
- Try to walk each day. Start out by walking a little more than you did the day before. Bit by bit, increase the amount you walk. Walking boosts blood flow and helps prevent pneumonia and constipation.
- Avoid lifting objects heavier than about 10 pounds for at least 2 weeks or until your doctor says it is okay. This may include heavy grocery bags and milk containers, a heavy briefcase or backpack, cat litter or dog food bags, a vacuum cleaner, or a child.
- Do not do sit-ups or any exercise or activity that uses your belly muscles.
- You can be active and do things around your home as you can tolerate it. Do not take part in any activity where you could be hit in the belly. This could be sports or playing with children.
- You may shower 24 to 48 hours after surgery if your doctor says it is okay. Pat the cut (incision) dry. Do not take a bath for the first 2 weeks or until your doctor tells you it is okay.
- Ask your doctor when you can drive again.
- Ask your doctor when it is okay for you to have sex.
Diet
- For the first week, stay on a liquid or soft diet. This includes broths, soups, milk shakes, puddings, and mashed potatoes. When you can eat these without difficulty, try eating foods that are easy to swallow, such as ground meat, shredded chicken, fish, pasta, and soft vegetables.
- Have 5 or 6 small meals each day instead of 2 or 3 large meals.
- Chew each bite of food very well. Eat slowly. You may need to take 20 to 30 minutes to eat a meal.
- Avoid crusty breads, bagels, tough meats, raw vegetables, nuts and seeds (including crackers and breads that have nuts and seeds), and other foods that are hard to digest.
- If you feel full quickly, try to drink fluids between meals instead of with meals.
- Avoid fizzy drinks, such as soda pop.
- Avoid drinking with straws. This may help you swallow less air when you drink.
- Gradually return to your normal foods. This usually takes 4 to 6 weeks.
- You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. Take a fiber supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative.
Medicines
- Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. The doctor will also give you instructions about taking any new medicines.
- If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
- Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
- If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
- If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
- If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
- Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor tells you not to).
- Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.
- If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
- Continue to take your acid-reducing medicine for 1 month after surgery or as your doctor tells you.
Incision care
- If you have strips of tape on the cuts the doctor made (incisions), leave the tape on until it falls off.
- Gently wash the area daily with warm, soapy water and pat it dry. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the area with a gauze bandage if it oozes or rubs against clothing.
- Change the bandage every day or if it gets wet or dirty.
- Keep the area clean and dry.
When should you call for help?
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
- You are short of breath.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You are sick to your stomach and cannot keep fluids down.
- You have pain that does not get better after you take pain medicine.
- You have signs of infection, such as:
- Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Red streaks leading from the incision.
- Pus draining from the incision.
- A fever.
- Bright red blood has soaked through the bandage.
- You have loose stitches, or your incision comes open.
- You have signs of a blood clot in your leg (called a deep vein thrombosis), such as:
- Pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
- Redness and swelling in your leg or groin.
- You cannot pass stools or gas.
Watch closely for any changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if you have any problems.
Current as of: July 31, 2024
Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
