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What is that first post-op week like?



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I am 2 days away from surgery (8/29/16) and I am starting to get nervous. I feel like I am ready. I have plenty of the Protein Drink I like to get me through the time before solid food again. I am curious about that first post-op week. It is what my nerves are focusing on right now.

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@@SamPSUfan

I was very lethargic due to the calorie deficit. My incisions hurt quite a bit, so I couldn't twist or bend very easily. I had mild nausea whenever I overexerted myself (making my bed, showering, carrying groceries up a flight of stairs). Other than that, there were no issues. Recovery was pretty easy.

I'm 3 weeks post-op and still very lethargic. I'm able to work out at the gym for an hour and a half every morning, but I have to take a 2-3 hour nap later in the afternoon.

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Thank you! How long were you in pain and not able to get around, drive, etc? How much have you lost so far?

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Edited by SamPSUfan

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@@SamPSUfan

The incisions were painful for the 1st week and a half, maybe 2 weeks at most.

I live in NYC, so I don't drive. About 5 or 6 days post-op, I walked to BJs to buy Protein shakes. It's a 2 mile walk from my apartment. I made it the 1st mile but had to take the bus the rest of the way due to nausea. While I was walking, I didn't really feel pain, but there was discomfort. The best way I can describe the feeling is that it kind of felt like my insides were moving around every time I took a step.

Weight loss so far:

-Pre-op (not including the 2 week pre-op liquid diet): 9lbs

-During the pre-op liquid diet: 11lbs

-10 days post-op: 10lbs

I'm stalled now, so I haven't lost any weight in the past week and a half.

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I appreciate the information. I'm ready for the surgery. Just worrying about post for some reason. Lol

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UNCOMFORTABLE. I did not take any pain meds at all after leaving the hospital. Only had discomfort in left side of stomach, and it only hurt getting up or down from sitting position. I needed someone to help and it was fine. I was good by day 5-6.

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I was very tired 1st couple days slept a lot. The lf sided pain was not bad I took tylenol every 6 hours for the first 3 days.

Then took once a day for a couple days. The pain was not bad at all did not need narcotics. I was nauseous the first day but zofran took care of it after the 1st day did not need it anymore. My advise is walk as soon as they will let you after surgery. Some people have gas pain after surgery I did not but as soon as they let me walk I did it was 10:30 at night I had my 1st short walk I went into surgery at 1:30 pm. I was a little groogy so I did not walk far the 1st time. But in the morning I got up with my husband and walked as much as I could rested then walked more until they let me go home.

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Im 5 days post op. No pain meds, I get winded pretty quickly even from a little walk. It hurts when I swallow anything ,but it is getting less and less. Not so tired because im really not doing anything,

My only issue is an allergic reaction to something I think it is the Zofran and now I have blistery welts that hurt like a bastard all over me,

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You're going to be recovering from major surgery. Uncomfortable and tired for weeks at best, but each day and week that goes by it gets better. Believe it or not, moving around actually helps. Force yourself to walk around even when you don't feel like it.

Always remember as you're healing the first few weeks: This too shall pass.

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My date is tomorrow as well, I expect discomfort and a bit of minor pain and irritation. I intentionally left small things undone around the house to get me moving, I have some various yard tools to put away (all less than 10 pounds) minor repairs to do, im going to work on Friday to interview a potential employee. If I feel good then my brother in law and I will go fishing this weekend.

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I woke up in recovery feeling like I'd been hit by a bus and I wasn't allowed to drink anything just suck on a wet face cloth and my mouth was so dry! They gave me anti-nausea meds which actually made me throw up, so that was a bit scary right after waking up and it took me 3 goes taking them to realise what was making me sick.

In hospital I really only used my pjs and sports bra, chap stick, pillow, a good book and my iPad. I had 2 morphine injections into the actual stomach when in hospital and was then on oral meds for a week, which were easy to swallow as it was only max 2 at a time.

It took me 2 weeks to be pain free and the hardest part about the first 2 weeks was adjusting to what I could eat and still sitting down with my family when they ate. You don't realise how much of a social activity eating is, until you're at a table and everyone else is eating and you're not. I also couldn't watch TV, too many food adds lol. The incision they used to remove my stomach remnant hurt the most and and I was really aware of it when I twisted, turned and bent over.

During the first 2.5 weeks, I had a 1.5-2 hour nap everyday, it's normal to feel crappy in the first 3 weeks, you're body is recovering from major surgery and then adjusting to your new stomach.

However all that aside, I'm now almost 3 months out, down 70lbs and everything was definitely worth it and then some! Would do it again in a heartbeat At 3 months out I can eat anything I want just in much smaller quantities, which is good. This surgery has completely and drastically transformed my relationship with food for the better.

I know it's scary but just try to take your recovery 1 day at a time, each day it gets a little easier

Edited by Jobey

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I woke up in recovery feeling like I'd been hit by a bus and I wasn't allowed to drink anything just suck on a wet face cloth and my mouth was so dry! They gave me anti-nausea meds which actually made me throw up, so that was a bit scary right after waking up and it took me 3 goes taking them to realise what was making me sick.

In hospital I really only used my pjs and sports bra, chap stick, pillow, a good book and my iPad. I had 2 morphine injections into the actual stomach when in hospital and was then on oral meds for a week, which were easy to swallow as it was only max 2 at a time.

It took me 2 weeks to be pain free and the hardest part about the first 2 weeks was adjusting to what I could eat and still sitting down with my family when they ate. You don't realise how much of a social activity eating is, until you're at a table and everyone else is eating and you're not. I also couldn't watch TV, too many food adds lol. The incision they used to remove my stomach remnant hurt the most and and I was really aware of it when I twisted, turned and bent over.

During the first 2.5 weeks, I had a 1.5-2 hour nap everyday, it's normal to feel crappy in the first 3 weeks, you're body is recovering from major surgery and then adjusting to your new stomach.

However all that aside, I'm now almost 3 months out, down 70lbs and everything was definitely worth it and then some! Would do it again in a heartbeat At 3 months out I can eat anything I want just in much smaller quantities, which is good. This surgery has completely and drastically transformed my relationship with food for the better.

I know it's scary but just try to take your recovery 1 day at a time, each day it gets a little easier

Jobey, I can definitely relate to feeling hit by a bus. Sheesh. They hit me, did a u-turn and ran me down a second time. The first night was pretty rough but the pain meds helped. I'm home now and figuring out a routine.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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My first few days after leaving the hospital were really rough. I couldn't eat or drink, I kept throwing up. It was bad. By day 4 or 5 everything was good. I was taking in plenty of fluids and all my Protein. good luck. Today I'm 1 month post op and I have no regrets. :D

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I woke up in recovery feeling like I'd been hit by a bus and I wasn't allowed to drink anything just suck on a wet face cloth and my mouth was so dry! They gave me anti-nausea meds which actually made me throw up, so that was a bit scary right after waking up and it took me 3 goes taking them to realise what was making me sick.

In hospital I really only used my pjs and sports bra, chap stick, pillow, a good book and my iPad. I had 2 morphine injections into the actual stomach when in hospital and was then on oral meds for a week, which were easy to swallow as it was only max 2 at a time.

It took me 2 weeks to be pain free and the hardest part about the first 2 weeks was adjusting to what I could eat and still sitting down with my family when they ate. You don't realise how much of a social activity eating is, until you're at a table and everyone else is eating and you're not. I also couldn't watch TV, too many food adds lol. The incision they used to remove my stomach remnant hurt the most and and I was really aware of it when I twisted, turned and bent over.

During the first 2.5 weeks, I had a 1.5-2 hour nap everyday, it's normal to feel crappy in the first 3 weeks, you're body is recovering from major surgery and then adjusting to your new stomach.

However all that aside, I'm now almost 3 months out, down 70lbs and everything was definitely worth it and then some! Would do it again in a heartbeat At 3 months out I can eat anything I want just in much smaller quantities, which is good. This surgery has completely and drastically transformed my relationship with food for the better.

I know it's scary but just try to take your recovery 1 day at a time, each day it gets a little easier

Jobey, I can definitely relate to feeling hit by a bus. Sheesh. They hit me, did a u-turn and ran me down a second time. The first night was pretty rough but the pain meds helped. I'm home now and figuring out a routine.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I promise it gets better Focus on Water and Protein shakes atm. Now at 3 months I reckon I can eat or well consume 3 times more than I could week 1 post op. Don't be a hero, take the pain drugs if it hurts. That's why you have them. Are you out of hospital yet?

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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