How much time to recover? main thread

[bellabloom 2,467]

A lot of members have been posting about how much time they will need to recover and /or take off work.

I think a thread on this is a good idea. Share your experience on how much time you needed to take off work, how long you were in the hospital, how long until you felt healed.

I myself want to say this : this is MAJOR surgery.

Depending on your state of health and age to begin with, everyone's experience is different. So if someone says hey, I was ice skating two days later!! Well, maybe she was. But maybe she was 25, in good shape, and a low BMI without major health conditions.

So what applies to her may not apply to you.

This surgery for me was very intense. I spent three days in the hospital due to gas pain and regurgitating blood foam etc. your stomach and intestines are rerouted and your body can be quite shocked by this. I went home on the fourth day and felt okay, but I needed painkillers for several days because my stomach hurt quite a bit.

Now, a week later, I could probably return to a desk job but I am still very tired. Lack of food, lack of Water, mental emotional feelings. All this takes time to process.

I feel taking a week is a minimum requirement, two weeks very good, three ideal with any complications.

I have five incisions in my belly and bruising all over my legs and arms from needle sticks. Here are some photos for you too see.

The incisions were not nearly that painful, not anywhere close to a c-section. But the gas pain was much much more painful than a c-section.

This is major life changing surgery and afterwards basically a fasting diet for a week or so. It is not a trip to get a cavity filled. It's a non reversal body altering major surgical procedure.

Hope this helps!

  

[bellabloom 2,467]

Also I am 34, in good health, BMI 38, with moderate back pain as a Comorbid.

[bigsky 1]

I have been out of surgery since 11/17 and haven't hone back to work since.....I had the main surgery at that time and had complications by the middle of that week and ended un having another surgery at the end of the week for the complications and was there for another week. I plan on trying to go back sometime this week for a couple hours a day but it all depends on how I feel for how long I stay at work.

[lovebugg2013 34]

33 sw 272 back to work in 2.5 weeks as a ER nurse with the exception of no lifting greater than 10lbs. 12hr shifts are so exhausting.

[wcdaniels 48]

I'm 39, and my BMI started at 42.5. I ended up staying an extra day in the hospital, because my stoma was swollen shut the day after surgery. I ended up going back to work 2 weeks later, and I really couldn't have done it any earlier. I'm a high school teacher, and I told my principal that I would be teaching from my desk for a while. Those first two weeks back were exhausting, and I didn't stop napping after work until I hit the 4 week mark, and I finally felt normal at the 6 week mark. If I were running around with kindergarteners, or had a more physically demanding job, I would've needed more than the 2 weeks.

[JTS 10]

I am 72, 5 weeks post op and just drove alone for 2866 miles. No problems, just had to take a shot in the stomach each morning to prevent blood clots.

Problems remain in difficulty getting enough Protein and Water. Energy still not back to normal, but I walk 2 miles a day and yesterday went back to hour long ballroom dance class.

Best Wishes to all during the holiday season!

[Baconville 578]

Hi - I am a 49 year old female - 48 at the time of my RNY surgery on 6/25/13. I am 5' 2" and I weighed 292 pounds at surgery, putting my BMI in the severely morbidly obese category. I did try to prepare myself for surgery by exercising as much as possible, losing nearly 40 pounds in the three months leading up to surgery. My core morbidities included high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea, severe knee, back and neck joint pain. I had no problems with surgery. I entered the hospital on June 25th at 5:00 AM and was at home on June 26th at 2:30 PM. I have a desk job (secretary) and returned to work after two weeks. I probably could have returned to work earlier, I felt that good. I followed the doctors plan very carefully and was as active as my body would allow me to be - and I pushed myself to slowly increase the activity.

Today (nearly 18 months post-op) I weigh 120 pounds - having lost a total of 210 pounds. My BMI is in the "normal" range. I have no sleep apnea, am joint pain free, and have normal blood pressure. I take no prescription medications. Everybody's journey will be different and there are many bumps in the road, but the results on the other side are so worth it! The original poster is correct - this is major surgery and should not be taken lightly, but it can also be life saving. It saved mine!

Best of luck to all of you!

Carol

[bellabloom 2,467]

I love all these incredible stories!!

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I'm 51, in so so health and a really high BMI. However I have been exercising regularly for the past 3 years. I did really well in the hospital; walking on recovery, no pain, no gas. They kept me in the hospital 2 days but I was asking to go home after 1. I was bored silly after 1 week at home. Felt fine, no pain meds or Constipation. I resumed Water aerobics at 3 weeks and was doing light workouts at 2 weeks. I've just had a really easy time of it.

[jasminebsn3 119]

I am a Registered Nurse. I was back to work in 2 weeks with a restriction of not lifting anything above 15 lbs, I was on that restriction for 3 weeks.

[chrystine 42]

My experience was very difficult. Keep an open mind.

Edited December 18, 2014 by chrystine

[bellabloom 2,467]

I hate reading these posts even though they are important I had to stay off this page after surgery because my experience was so much worse. I am a 47 year old woman, reasonably good health (no diabetes, nor pre-diabetes, no high blood pressure, etc.) but almost crippling plantar fasciitis. Despite this, I did walk and use the elliptical prior to surgery. I started with a BMI of 42, 40 BMI at surgery

First off, I did not go to some quickie clinic out of the country - I went to a surgical center of excellence and spent a year going to classes, and lost actually too much weight (dropped below BMI 40, had to gain 8 lbs. for insurance to approve me.) The surgery itself went great, but I had severe reactions to both pain meds; the first made me intolerably itchy so I had a ton of Benadryl and could barely function. Changed to Morphine and that made me so nauseated I couldn't stand it. I was in the hospital three days and almost didn’t get released the afternoon of the third. I asked to go home because I couldn’t sleep there. At home, I could barely tolerate Protein shakes and it was all I could do to consume 60 g of Protein a day as well as the 64 oz. of Water. Gas, pain, nausea, trouble sleeping - just miserable. And, the mood swings, crying all the time.

The first two weeks were hell. I went back to work at four weeks post op and could have honestly used another week. I still have terrible Constipation, nausea and trouble sleeping. Even the little bit of semi-solid food I can eat is unappealing. I have lost 22lbs, that is the only positive so far. I know it will get better but it’s a rough road.

Well, I'm sorry you "hate" that other people have had a good experience. That's kind of strange isn't it? I'm sorry you have been uncomfortable. Maybe if you feel happy for others, it will make you feel a little happier too.

Pain meds are really hard for some people. Morphine had me puking blood all night the first night, it was scary. The next nurse pushed it slower and that helped.

Sounds like you have some really intense emotional attachments to food that have shook you up. Have you considered seeing a therapist to help you find other coping mechanisms?

My doctor prescribed Miralax for constipation as well are milk of magnesia. They really helped.

The point of the surgery is to stop you from eating. So the unappealing food is a plus side. I would really put some thought into finding other things to fill your time that bring you pleasure.

[chrystine 42]

Perhaps you need to actually read what I wrote and not infer what you wanted to read since you are a bit of a bully. I said "I hate READING these posts even though they are important..." It is not because I am jealous of other's peoples' easy time, it is because I had such a difficult time and it makes me feel worse.

Read what I wrote, don't put your own spin on it.

The severe mood swings are due mostly in part (due to my medical teams info, not an webexpert) by the excess stores of estrogen leaving my body with the large amounts of fat and Water. How dare you assume I'm that emotionally hung up on food? I'm not even interested in food, as stated.

I have been taking Miralax (he said no Milk of Magnesia) since I left the hospital; guess you're surprised a board certified surgeon would have heard of that, huh?

You're really ignorant, and borderline bully.

Well, I'm sorry you "hate" that other people have had a good experience. That's kind of strange isn't it? I'm sorry you have been uncomfortable. Maybe if you feel happy for others, it will make you feel a little happier too.

Pain meds are really hard for some people. Morphine had me puking blood all night the first night, it was scary. The next nurse pushed it slower and that helped.

Sounds like you have some really intense emotional attachments to food that have shook you up. Have you considered seeing a therapist to help you find other coping mechanisms?

My doctor prescribed miralax for Constipation as well are milk of magnesia. They really helped.

The point of the surgery is to stop you from eating. So the unappealing food is a plus side. I would really put some thought into finding other things to fill your time that bring you pleasure.

[catdaddy 232]

I agree we should all be careful on what and how we say things. It's already to easy to miscommunicate our thoughts into written words.

[bellabloom 2,467]

Hmmm

Edited December 19, 2014 by bellabloom