Roxine

Good Morning MGBG ! This morning was the first time I woke up with no pain! I’m 9 days Post-Op, have lost 15 pounds since surgery, can sleep on my side, and am going to drive for the first time today! I am sticking to my Drs plan meticulously. Only 3 meals per day, drinking plenty of water (sipping all day), and slowly introducing soft puréed foods (unsweetened apple sauce, loose oatmeal, loose mashed potatoes - YUM!), and increasing my walking every day. How is everyone doing? Whether you’re pre or post op, if you’re journey begins in March, let’s work together and help each other out! Thanks Roxine

Thanks! Quick question - how do you use the message feature on here? I’ve sent 2 messages - one to you BTW - but I’m not sure I did it correctly. My message to you basically said that your posts were the first ones I found that brought me to this site and I just wanted to thank you for always being honest.

Did insurance cover it? Or did you come out of pocket? If the latter, how much did it cost - ballpark? Thanks

Thanks! Immediately after surgery my pain was the worst - but it was 80% gas pain - AND you get pain meds which really help. That’s why it’s so important to walk, walk, walk as soon as you can. It expedites the gas releases. I stopped taking the pain meds late Tuesday - once I started passing gas I immediately felt much better. Plus I don’t like taking addictive medication. I was released Wednesday morning. The incision pain is more related to guarding - wanting to protect the incision sites - so I felt it more in my back and shoulders from tension. I wasn’t able to sleep on my back for the first 5 days but can now sleep on my side relatively pain free.

Today I got to add mashed potatoes and let me just say - YUMMMM! It’s so nice to have something warm and chewy in my mouth. Of course I only ate about a teaspoon but it was so good! Completely satisfied me.

Hi all - I just had my Gastric Bypass surgery last Monday - March 5, 2018 Dr Fitzer is the best. He doesn’t pull any punches. He tells you exactly what he expects from you and what the consequences of not following the program he laid out for you are. And believe me, you will have a scared straight moment with him in the hospital room Post-Op. And it works! I will NOT pop my pouch! The entire staff at Dr. Fitzer’s office are wonderful. Suzanne called today just to check in and see if I had any questions. I highly recommend Dr. Fitzer. And I’m happy to meet all of you and look forward to sharing this journey with you. If you’re having surgery in March, I stared a March Gastric Bypass group - come join us! Roxine

Thank you for this detailed post. I travel quite a bit for work and often have business dinners I have to attend. There are two ways my NUT and I came up with to hopefully avoid strange looks or uncomfortable questions. 1. When ordering, ask for 1/2 to be presented and 1/2 to be boxed up to go 2. My NUT has a “kids portion” scrip that I can present at any restaurant discretely requesting a kid’s sized meal - or allowing me to order from the kid’s menu.

So sorry to hear of the throat issue. Ice chips can help. Mine wasn’t as sore but ice chips were my very best friend the entire hospital stay. I hope the remainder of your recovery is easier. How is your nausea now!

Great job! Just setting expectations - you will gain “weight” at the hospital - but it is water weight and gas!! You’ll have multiple bags of saline IV and the laparoscopic procedure introduces copious amounts of gas (this is where 80% of your pain comes from - I was so relieved when I finally passed gas!) So this “weight” will quickly disappear - so my advice is don’t get on the scale until 1 week post op. So excited for you!! Roxine

Congratulations! It’s ok to be nervous anytime you’re having surgery. I had my surgery last Monday and am almost feeling back to normal today. Only mild discomfort with my incisions, can sleep on my side now -YAY!, and got to introduce puréed type foods this week. Look forward to taking this journey with you. Please come join our March Gastric Bypass group on here when you’re up to it! Wishing you an uneventful surgery and a speedy recovery. Just remember to sip, sip, sip and walk, walk, walk as soon as you can. Roxine

Calling all March gastric bypass surgery victors! Let’s take this journey together!

Hi and Welcome! I wish you the very best this Friday and a speedy recovery. Please let us know if you have any questions/concerns and let us know how you’re doing once you’re up to it post op.

Hi and welcome! Congratulations and I wish you an uneventful surgery and easy (relative) recovery with no complications. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Hi and welcome! Yes, the swelling is primarily gas and will go down within a week. I made the mistake of weighing myself when I got home and I had gained like 7 pounds from surgery date! But it was all fluids (IV) and GAS! Walk walk walk as much as you can. Make sure to keep up your fluids. And remember to rest and relax during these next 7 days before returning to work. I started back today (7 days Post-Op) bit have the luxury of teleworking this week. I plan on returning to the office next Monday.

I am one week post-op and have not had any nausea nor have I vomited. Vomiting is not normal.

Today is my first day posting so forgive me if I don’t get the lexicon right the first time. Surgery Date: March 5, 2018 Starting Weight: 261 Surgery Day Weight: 250 Today’s Weight (Week 1): 241 I had a 90 day program working with a dietician and completing all of the pre-operative testing culminating in a 3 day liquid diet prior to surgery. The first day of the liquid diet was hard, but the excitement of my upcoming surgery made the other two days fairly easy. I arrived at the hospital last Monday morning at 5:45 am and was wheeled into surgery at 7:45 am. I don’t remember much of that first day but I was up and walking that afternoon and evening. I was sore and there was pain but it was managed with Roxycodone every 3-4 hours (as long as my blood pressure didn’t drop too low - overnight, I had to wait 6 hours between doses as my BP had dropped below 100 systolic. Day 2 at the hospital was filled with trying to get my fluids in and trying to get the gas out! The pain I was experiencing was mostly related to my abdomen being bloated with gas as a result of the laparoscopic procedure. I was successful on the former (sip, sip, sip!) but woefully unsuccessful on the latter. (In retrospect, I wish I would have walked more that second day.) I was released by noon on day 3 and recovered the rest of the week at home. Below are just a few things that I’ve learned. Please share some of the things you’ve learned as well wherever you are in your journey and let’s help set expectations and share great ideas! 1. When you begin your protein shakes, your bowels will start moving again! I called my Drs office panicked because I pooped! (A bit scary after not pooping for almost a week!) 2. For me, I was unable to lay on my side until Day 6 comfortably. I used a comfy recliner most nights which prevented me from trying to toss and turn from side to side (I’m a side sleeper) 3. Sugar free popsicles are great! 4. I don’t know if this will last, but my taste for broth has changed. Pre-surgery - and for my whole life - I have loved beef and chicken broth. But now, I can’t stand it. 5. You will get bored on the all liquid diet post op. Look for things you can combine. On my plan, I was allowed coffee. The protein shakes I found to be quite chalky in my mouth. On Day 5 I combined the two, using my flavored protein shake as a “creamer” to my coffee. It was warm and delicious and now the only way I get in my protein shake. 6. Listen to your pouch. The one thing you don’t want to do is pop the pouch. The staples need at least 3 weeks to fully heal so follow your surgeon/dietician’s program exactly. No cheating! Two tips my surgeon gave me - if you hiccup, you’ve overfilled - and if you want to clear your pouch sooner, stand up very straight for a few minutes to help facilitate drainage through the small intestine. 7. You will get tired easily - so push yourself but don’t overdo it. I started out walking throughout my house the first few days, up and down the stairs, went outside on Saturday and walked up and down the driveway, and finally went out to a few stores with my husband yesterday. I did okay at the grocery store until we went to check out. All of a sudden I was super tired. When we went to Home Depot to pick out a barn door, I found a chair to sit in while my husband picked up a few things before meeting me in the door section. I was ok walking back to the car but was tired the rest of the evening. Take it slow. Today starts Week 2 and I get to add applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes and oatmeal. It’s nice to have something warm and chewy in my mouth again. I will continue to post updates and invite all other March surgery dates to join. Thanks, Roxine

Good Morning! Thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread - your willingness to be vulnerable serves as both inspiration and motivation to me. Now to my stats... Surgery date: March 5, 2018. Starting weight: 261 Day of surgery: 250 Week 1 (Today): 241 Brief Bio: Conquering my weight is the last step in a very long journey. I have always been a curvy girl; size 10 - 12 in my 20s, 14-16 through my 30s, 16-18 in my 40s, topping out at a size 20 at my highest weight this last year. Other than carrying the extra weight, I have been fortunate to be pretty healthy. However this past year I began experiencing pain in my knees and hips that started restricting my mobility. I have lost 50 pounds each decade through starvation (20s), exercise (30s), and diet (40s), only to regain 50+ each time. I know why I carry the weight. It’s a shield that protects me from unwanted attention. It allows me to control who I allow in. Each time the weight would start coming off and people (men) would start to comment, i felt that loss of control. And I would revert back to my comfort zone. But no more... I turned 50 this past Saturday and as a birthday present to myself made the decision to have gastric bypass. I am prepared to face my fears and conquer them one by one. There’s no turning back now! I am all-in! As I am only a week in, I am still at home recovering and am therefore posting from my cell phone. Once I return to work, I will post before and after pictures as my journey unfolds. For now, I leave you with an intro photo (from my Facebook page). Thanks Roxine