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Surgery tomorrow 8/20/15, what to expect afterwards?



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Tomorrow is the big day! Gastric bypass at 7:30 AM. My surgeon says that if all goes well I'll be discharged Saturday morning. How did you feel when you went home? Were you uncomfortable? Did you need pain meds? Did you have an appetite? How was your energy level? Were your able to eliminate comfortably? Was it painful to walk around? How long was it before you could drive and go shopping etc.? I guess I'll be on Protein shakes for a couple of weeks then move to purees. Thank you very much!

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When you get home uourr tired O did not have alot of energy until a week and a half .You will mostly hurt most on the left hand side wher your biggest scar olis .You can drive when your off the pain meds around 2 weeks .Make sure to ask for a binder to kepp your stomach from moving around to much ..Hope that helps..

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First, good luck and best wishes for a successful surgery tomorrow. I had my rny June 24th. a Wednesday and came home Friday evening. Worst of pain was the first night. It was well managed with pain meds. I wasn't hungry at all. All focus was on sipping Water and didn't even finish the broth and Jello they gave me at meals. I had catheter through the first night. They took it out the next day. The nurse helped get me to the bathroom. It wasn't so bad. Just moved slow. I really did feel a lot better the next day and got up and walked. You got to move.. It helps with the gas discomfort. Every day gets a little better. It wasn't easy but it's bearable. First days home I really had to force the fluids. Really liked sugar free popcicles. I'm a wuss when it comes to pain so I was not ashamed to take my liquid pain medication. That helped a lot. I didn't have a regular bowel movement before I came home and was quite relieved when that finally kicked in. I still have to take something to keep me regular

You will be surprised how quickly those first days go by. Congratulations on your new beginning! Let us know how you are doing!

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@@zackly the pain is not bad at all you will be fine. They give u plenty of meds and also I won't have an appetite. I had my surgery yesterday and I feel so much better jus gassy but it's not painful

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@@zackly, I just had my RNY on monday, three days ago. I got home today around 4 pm. They sent me home with oxycodone for pain, a nausea med, an antacid, a stool softener (which I truly do not need but I will follow orders and take it anyway), and a chewable Multivitamin to be taken twice a day. The first day was honestly terrible, but I spent most of it sleeping and on some heavy duty pain medication, so I barely remember it. The second day wasn't fun, but immensely better than the first. I had a bit of a problem with my drainage tube touching a nerve that was causing a fair amount of pain, but other than that, no complications. Today, the third day since surgery, I feel great. I'm sore, and walking is still a slow and mildly painful endeavor, but I can sit and stand by myself, take in fluids rather easily, take my medication with no issues, and I am generally feeling a LOT better. My advice to you would be don't push yourself too hard, it's not a race, but definitely try to walk, even if it's just a few feet from your bed to the bathroom, as often as your body allows. They say the gas pains dissipate the more you walk and I found that to be completely true. Every day has been and probably will continue to be much, much better than the last. You've got this. :) If you need someone to talk to, feel free to message me any time. Take care or yourself and allow the nurses and doctors to help you every step of the way. Soon, you'll be healed up and ready to start your new, awesome life. Congrats!

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@@zackly I think I had a smooth recovery time! I was almost sent home the day after surgery, but asked to stay due to going home alone (I'm a nervous nelly). The gas pain was the worst for me, and made it challenging to drink much. The left incision hurt the most, but I tried to use my arms to boost me around in the hospital bed. I was on morphine via IV, and then liquid oxycodone. I weaned off that and only used a little liquid tylenol for the 3rd day after. Good luck with your surgery!!

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My surgery was also on Monday. And I experienced about the same. Each day was much better than the one before. I am so excited to be on this side of things! I'm no longer taking anything for pain but I'm using an ice pack on my largest incision and drain site if they get to stinging too bad. It really works well. Is anyone else extremely bloated to where it is uncomfortable to have clothes on. I've been in comfy PJs since I got home. These gas pains are no fun, but very doable.

I love that we can share our journey together like this. So helpful. Stay strong guys. We are going to do this!

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I'm rather gassy and bloated too. Walking helps but i also found that using gas-x strips that melt on your tongue do the trick for tummy and intestinal gas. It works almost instantly too so it's pretty great.

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Tomorrow is the big day! Gastric bypass at 7:30 AM. My surgeon says that if all goes well I'll be discharged Saturday morning. How did you feel when you went home? Were you uncomfortable? Did you need pain meds? Did you have an appetite? How was your energy level? Were your able to eliminate comfortably? Was it painful to walk around? How long was it before you could drive and go shopping etc.? I guess I'll be on Protein shakes for a couple of weeks then move to purees. Thank you very much!

I hope all went well today with surgery!

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I had the gastric bypass august 18th I'm home now I'm gassy and bloated it hard to sleep and the bloat makes it hard to drink liquids. It hurts to lay on my bed even if I try to lay on my side :/

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I had the gastric bypass august 18th I'm home now I'm gassy and bloated it hard to sleep and the bloat makes it hard to drink liquids. It hurts to lay on my bed even if I try to lay on my side :/

I would highly recommend sleeping on a recliner or propped up on a couch. The very idea of laying flat makes me hurt/uncomfortable right now, and I had surgery one day before you. I've been sleeping in a recliner, mostly reclined, but having my abdomen not laying flat really, really helps. also it's much better support for your back right now, and that helps too.

One more thing, about the gas - my boyfriend went out and got me Gas-X Thin Strips, they're less than $5 a box and one or two dissolved on the tongue reduces or eliminates my tummy gas almost instantly, and makes it a thousand times easier to drink liquids. It's been a huge comfort. Hope this helps!

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Hope your surgery went well. As you can tell, everyone has a different experience. Yours will probably be different as well. As for me....Mine was easy peasy. My only complaint was that I was tired. I was working from home (4 hours) after day three and went back to work full time on day 10. I had a little discomfort, but I wasn't miserable. I'm 23 days out and back to walking four miles a day and feeling great.

Five more days and you will find me out on the golf course. I'm ready!

Edited by Cheri_j

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    • 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.
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