Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

What to expect right after surgery?



Recommended Posts

As the title says, what do I expect immediately after waking up after surgery? What will I feel in my abdomen? What will it feel like to drink liquids when I wake up? What should I expect? I'm less than a week out now..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

From what I've read on here, it varies drastically from person to person. I have a pretty high tolerance for anesthesia and tend to come out of it quickly. I remember some pain while in the recovery room, but the nurses were diligent about adjusting things to try and make it more comfortable. I was then taken up to a room where things improved. I think your body is in shock and so I don't remember feeling super connected and even though I definitely had pain it was manageable. My recommendation is to be polite but persistent about pain medicine. That being said, many people don't even remember a lot of the things that I did and found the pain medication more than sufficient for that first day. I hope that helps!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My first waking thought was immense pain. My lungs were heavy, my throat hurt, the oxygen mask made me feel claustrophobic and my entire body was in pain. Because no one around me spoke English I just kept saying "PAIN" over and over and ripping my oxygen mask off until they gave me something that knocked me out again. My husband said they brought me back to the room and told me I needed to stand up and move to my bed and I simply said, "No." Eventually I complied with some coaxing. I don't recall anything until the next morning when I felt no pain, just soreness, but I could tell my lungs had a lot of mucous in them so I walked every chance I got. When I had my leak test the day after surgery I had to drink some liquid and I was so nervous to drink anything but surprisingly there was no pain or issue at all. However, drinking became a little more difficult the next few days because of gas. Every sip felt like it was sitting behind my breastbone. So I sipped as well as I could. The gas pains were somewhat painful but were completely gone by day 7. After that the anesthesia completely wore off and I felt how sore my incisions truly were but it wasn't so bad it limited me from doing anything.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There is pain with any surgery. Just know it is temporary. What this surgery will do for you is amazing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1st conscious thought was pain and nausea, but it was over for me in 45 minutes. Then, I rested and was up and walking a few hours later...slowly, but what a victory. And believe your doctors and nurses, walking is magic. You absolutely WILL feel better after every walk, even if you don't wanna. My very best to you!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

When I first woke up, I don't remember any pain... No significant thirst or hunger (I was getting IV fluids at a pretty good rate, and my doc premedicated for pain and nausea). I got ice chips the day after surgery, I think - and those were delicious. I got tea and broth the third day. I didn't really hurt until about day 5 - when my sublingual toradol ran out. Day 5 and 6 sucked horribly. I laid on the couch and my husband thought I was dying. Day 7 was like magic. I felt like a new human being. I went back to work that night, and other than being tired, I was good.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In post op when I woke up there was pain in my stomach. They kept giving me medicine every few minutes and I would drift back off to lala land. I was moved to my room about 2 hours later. The worst for me was the dry mouth and not being able to drink anything at all. They did give me mouth swabs- and they helped a little. Started walking a couple hours later- amazing help!!! The morphine every 2 hours was my friend and it kept me walking! Discharged home early day 2 and other then not being able to sit straight up or lay flat- felt good. 6 days post op went to family Christmas. 11 days post op I was wearing jeans and heals for Ny eve!! Best of luck to you!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

11 days post op I was wearing jeans and heals for Ny eve!! Best of luck to you!

Cant keep a gal form her heels huh? LOL... Yall got me half scared shitless and half confident it wont be a big deal. I have had knee surgery,bicep surgery, a vasectomy and most recent shoulder surgery...The worst of them being the most recent which was the shoulder surgery. Not the pain level, that was totally tolerable, as I opted for the nerve block. However the nausea and vomiting til 3:30 in the morning bothered me the most.

My main concern is not the pain but the bad reaction to the anesthesia causing vomiting and hurting myself..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I frankly didnt need any medication after surgery. According to my nurse, that is the norm.Your stomach will not hurt. There are no nerves in the portion they remove. If they do more than your stomache it could hurt. You should be on anti nausia and pain meds coming out of surgery. Sure your 5 little incisions where the instruments went in will be sore a little for about 3 weeks. This surgery is very easy. I rate it less pain than getting a tooth pulled. Want pain get your shoulder rebuilt or get masive butt surgery. That hurts.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I frankly didnt need any medication after surgery. According to my nurse, that is the norm.Your stomach will not hurt. There are no nerves in the portion they remove. If they do more than your stomache it could hurt. You should be on anti nausia and pain meds coming out of surgery. Sure your 5 little incisions where the instruments went in will be sore a little for about 3 weeks. This surgery is very easy. I rate it less pain than getting a tooth pulled. Want pain get your shoulder rebuilt or get masive butt surgery. That hurts.

Well i had the shoulder surgery, but what exactly is massive butt surgery?? hahahah...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've been out of surgery 3 1/2 hours and my whole abdomen is painful, just hope I can use the toilet as I can hardly move at the min

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've been out of surgery 3 1/2 hours and my whole abdomen is painful, just hope I can use the toilet as I can hardly move at the min

keep us posted how it goes..Gas pains?? Or sore from someone poking tools into your guts and cutting out 80% of your stomach?

Edited by JerseyJules

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I frankly didnt need any medication after surgery. According to my nurse, that is the norm.Your stomach will not hurt. There are no nerves in the portion they remove. If they do more than your stomache it could hurt. You should be on anti nausia and pain meds coming out of surgery. Sure your 5 little incisions where the instruments went in will be sore a little for about 3 weeks. This surgery is very easy. I rate it less pain than getting a tooth pulled. Want pain get your shoulder rebuilt or get masive butt surgery. That hurts.

I was like this. I woke up with no pain. My first conscious thought was I had to go pee. I was able to get out of the bed unassisted and into a wheelchair cause I was NOT going in a bed pan. When they wheeled me to the bathroom I practically ran to the toilet. I've hurt worse after my first attempt at pilates.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Like the first poster said, it varies person-to-person HUGELY.

I was in terrible pain for the first 36 hours, and each sip of Water brought me even more pain. I retched a lot, but didn't vomit. Walking was harder than I imagined it would be at first, but I did ok.

After the first day and a half, I was pretty golden. But there's no way to know how it will be for you. Everybody's different.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I tend to recover from surgeries rather quickly. I had shoulder surgery and after vomiting till 3:30 am I was up and out and about the next day with almost no pain using my pain meds....I hope this surgery is the same cause I am really really scared..Im afraid Im gonna hate my life afterwards or Im going to regret doing it afterwards..But I know deep down inside I NEED it, cause Im not going to loose weight on my own and know I have an addiction to food..Im also going to a therapist for my food desires and why I turn to food for comfort..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×