getting my gastric bypass in 4 days, should i prepar anything for afterwards?

[Nick Edwards 1]

o. I a

[Wayne Hunt 59]

It's hard for anyone here to give anything but a general response, because everyone's hospital and experiences might be different.

I'm 5 days out from surgery and my list might sound scary (and it does represent a huge change for me) but it's really not. It's just a part of all invasive surgery procedures.

What I knew about, but find extremely weird to be confronted with now are;

1. The pain coming out of surgery. I have no idea why, but I just never expected a "few little cuts" to be so gut-wrenchingly ouchy... Apparently bad enough to bring out my inner four-letter curse machine while on meds. (a sincere apology to my very wonderful nursing staff by the way)
   
   That however is usually well-managed in the hospital and by the time I was sent home, it felt like it would after you fell off a skateboard as a kid.. Now in day 5, most of the pain is almost gone to the point I might wish I could return to work early (out of boredom), but don't... Take the time your body needs to adjust because this is a big, big deal.
   
   Just be prepared. Other people might have experienced it differently, but for the first few days, every time I coughed, sneezed, or moved, it felt like my guts were about to burst. They haven't, but I do find it useful to hold a small pillow over my stomach when I cough just to cushion the impact of that action, but it'll be ok..
   
2. Suddenly -- at least for a while -- you REALLY aren't hungry. For my post-surgery liquid phase, I'm supposed to be drinking 64 ounces of Water and at least two Protein shakes. So far, I can manage the two shakes (Breakfast and supper) but I *really* don't want them at all. The rest of the day, I'm forcing myself to sip half-dosed bottles of Crystal Light, which are now actually too sweet and make me extremely gassy, but it's still better than tap water...
   
   So far, all I can do -- and it's VERY difficult -- is two 11-oz Protein Shakes and about 32 oz of Water a day.
   
3. Take a look at what your doctor recommends for an after-diet. Make sure you have those in abundance before leaving for the hospital. In my case, premixed Protein Shakes (Premier), a small variety of broths (I recommend boxed, and the Swanson "flavor infused" make for a nice change), Jello, and so-forth.
   
4. Buy all your post-op meds and Vitamins before-hand.
   {edit:} Originally I was lamenting not buying "gummie" Vitamins, but based on the comments below, I went back and realized that "gummie" = bad... Not allowed by Doctors so... My advice is now this.
   
   For the rest of your life you'll be taking vitamins. It might cost you a buck or two more now, but at first buy small quantities rather than Sam's Club size because honestly, you'll probably find one you like better.
   
   For example, I thought the taste of an orange-flavored chewable sounded awesome. Now, after chewing the giant pills three times a day for 5 days? Not so much...
   
5. Speaking of vitamins, be prepared to devote a good portion of your time getting used to taking them on a set schedule. I now have five different types that I have to spread out in multiple dosing schedules throughout every day.
   
6. Be prepared to sip water or sugar-free Crystal light ALL DAY LONG. In a day, if your doctor is like mine, he'll recommend 64 oz of water a day. Pre-surgery, not a problem when you could drink a 4 oz gulp easily. Not so much any more. Anything more than a sip at a time (at least for me) results in gas and a bloaty stomach... (mild dumping)
   
7. Lovenox shots. Even if you're in a good way, you will probably end up having to subject yourself to two weeks of self-administered shots to your lower (fatty part) belly. Lovenox is a blood thinner, and helps to ensure that you don't end up with blood clots after your surgery. Bright side is, everyone knows how much these suck, so they've generally made the needle so small that it's virtually painless.
   
   For *me* to be able to do it (so far) is one hell of an indication that anyone can do it.
   
8. Gas... Wow.. Ok. For the first few days at least after the surgery, you're going to be an extremely gassy beast. All of us (as I understand it) are because of how the Laparoscopic procedure works, inserting air/gas into your body cavity to shift/move things around. This might be embarrassing, or you might just take a little pride in "letting 'er rip". Either way, it helps you feel better, because half the pain you feel after surgery is that gas. The other half is caused by the incisions and internal cuts themselves.
   
9. Walking helps... If you're like I was, walking will help in getting rid of that gas. Trouble is, on Days 1 and 2, they might have to pull you kicking and cursing from your hospital bed to take those initial few hundred steps. Once you can equate the walking to the Willy Wonka soda-room belching, you'll be far more willing to get in a little activity in exchange for a little relief.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Wayne Hunt

[mi75 1,241]

wayne- great advice! I am sadly still pre-op, preparing for June surgery. however, I have read book after book and watched ALL the episodes of Fat Doctor on youtube so I feel like I am well informed. my surgeon will not allow gummies of any sort, including Viactiv Calcium (BOO!!) so in my case, liquid Vitamins...

the only other thing I can add is to prep some of your 'blended' foods and freeze. I watched a lot of patients do that on Fat Doctor. They made things like a meat sauce (without pasta), Soups, shepards pie, etc and froze them in ice cube trays which worked really well!

[Nick Edwards 1]

Thanks alot guys, great advice.

[Wayne Hunt 59]

I stand absolutely corrected about the Vitamins. I just re-read the documents I got and it does specifically say "no gummies". Guess I'm going to have to hobble back down to Walmart for new B Complex...

[MrsGloMartin 198]

Thanks Wayne for this very detailed discussion of your surgery from pre to post op. I'm relieved to see that while there will be discomfort after surgery it's all that is expected after major surgery. I wish you much success on your journey. My date is the 21st and I feel much better now. I began my pre-op fast today the broth is yucky but I'll supplement it with the other liquids I'm allowed to have. God bless you for sharing this with me.

[*Misty*Raine* 192]

It's hard for anyone here to give anything but a general response, because everyone's hospital and experiences might be different.

I'm 5 days out from surgery and my list might sound scary (and it does represent a huge change for me) but it's really not. It's just a part of all invasive surgery procedures.

What I knew about, but find extremely weird to be confronted with now are;

The pain coming out of surgery. I have no idea why, but I just never expected a "few little cuts" to be so gut-wrenchingly ouchy... Apparently bad enough to bring out my inner four-letter curse machine while on meds. (a sincere apology to my very wonderful nursing staff by the way)

That however is usually well-managed in the hospital and by the time I was sent home, it felt like it would after you fell off a skateboard as a kid.. Now in day 5, most of the pain is almost gone to the point I might wish I could return to work early (out of boredom), but don't... Take the time your body needs to adjust because this is a big, big deal.

Just be prepared. Other people might have experienced it differently, but for the first few days, every time I coughed, sneezed, or moved, it felt like my guts were about to burst. They haven't, but I do find it useful to hold a small pillow over my stomach when I cough just to cushion the impact of that action, but it'll be ok..

Suddenly -- at least for a while -- you REALLY aren't hungry. For my post-surgery liquid phase, I'm supposed to be drinking 64 ounces of Water and at least two Protein shakes. So far, I can manage the two shakes (breakfast and supper) but I *really* don't want them at all. The rest of the day, I'm forcing myself to sip half-dosed bottles of Crystal Light, which are now actually too sweet and make me extremely gassy, but it's still better than tap water...

So far, all I can do -- and it's VERY difficult -- is two 11-oz Protein Shakes and about 32 oz of Water a day.

Take a look at what your doctor recommends for an after-diet. Make sure you have those in abundance before leaving for the hospital. In my case, premixed Protein shakes (Premier), a small variety of broths (I recommend boxed, and the Swanson "flavor infused" make for a nice change), Jello, and so-forth.

Buy all your post-op meds and Vitamins before-hand.

{edit:} Originally I was lamenting not buying "gummie" Vitamins, but based on the comments below, I went back and realized that "gummie" = bad... Not allowed by Doctors so... My advice is now this.

For the rest of your life you'll be taking vitamins. It might cost you a buck or two more now, but at first buy small quantities rather than Sam's Club size because honestly, you'll probably find one you like better.

For example, I thought the taste of an orange-flavored chewable sounded awesome. Now, after chewing the giant pills three times a day for 5 days? Not so much...

Speaking of vitamins, be prepared to devote a good portion of your time getting used to taking them on a set schedule. I now have five different types that I have to spread out in multiple dosing schedules throughout every day.

Be prepared to sip water or sugar-free Crystal light ALL DAY LONG. In a day, if your doctor is like mine, he'll recommend 64 oz of water a day. Pre-surgery, not a problem when you could drink a 4 oz gulp easily. Not so much any more. Anything more than a sip at a time (at least for me) results in gas and a bloaty stomach... (mild dumping)

Lovenox shots. Even if you're in a good way, you will probably end up having to subject yourself to two weeks of self-administered shots to your lower (fatty part) belly. Lovenox is a blood thinner, and helps to ensure that you don't end up with blood clots after your surgery. Bright side is, everyone knows how much these suck, so they've generally made the needle so small that it's virtually painless.

For *me* to be able to do it (so far) is one hell of an indication that anyone can do it.

Gas... Wow.. Ok. For the first few days at least after the surgery, you're going to be an extremely gassy beast. All of us (as I understand it) are because of how the Laparoscopic procedure works, inserting air/gas into your body cavity to shift/move things around. This might be embarrassing, or you might just take a little pride in "letting 'er rip". Either way, it helps you feel better, because half the pain you feel after surgery is that gas. The other half is caused by the incisions and internal cuts themselves.

Walking helps... If you're like I was, walking will help in getting rid of that gas. Trouble is, on Days 1 and 2, they might have to pull you kicking and cursing from your hospital bed to take those initial few hundred steps. Once you can equate the walking to the Willy Wonka soda-room belching, you'll be far more willing to get in a little activity in exchange for a little relief.

Love love love all the info! Ty so much!!! You have no idea how much we appreciate all the great advice. We are so thankful anytime someone shares their experience!

Side note... my dr said have a ton of gas-x strips on hand. He said they work and help emensly with the post op gas. food for thought.

[Ginger Snaps 1,323]

What great advice! Thanks for sharing your experience.

Ginger