Hey everyone! So, I got sleeved on 09/13/2022! I usually bounce back quickly from anything, however I am so nervous something will go wrong or that I am doing something wrong! So, if anyone could help me with some of these questions it would help ease my mind some what…

On the left side, where they pull the stomach through is it normal to feel a little hard, very very sore and a little bulge? If so, how long does this tend to last? I have had this since the day of surgery. Was anyone else sore just getting out of the bed? Did it feel like you would pull something doing so?! Did anyone else resume Vyvanse days after surgery? It seems to me that most people returned to normalcy immediately and that is not exactly happening to me.

If you use shakes like Atkins, Ensure Max, Premier Protein can you mix them with a whey protein powder to get you closer to recommended amount of protein per day?

Are sugar free popsicles the easiest way to stay hydrated? How many are ok in a day? Can I do low impact indoor cycling at a slow pace? Did you start walking for at least 30 mins immediately upon discharge home?

And how long did you let your family stay after? While they are a HUGE help and I truly appreciate that I have each one of them…They are driving me literally nuts with what I shouldn’t do. (I shouldn’t do anything except stay in my bed and go to the bathroom.) (My mom thinks I shouldn’t even go outside to walk??‍♀️) because I could get sick from being open and having a major surgery. ??‍♀️ Not one of them have ever been overweight or had any bariatric surgery! They all smoke which is their choice I did too previously, but I don’t allow it my apartment, so they are in and out every 10-15 mins, especially on the nights they drink wine ?… My sister is also here with her out of control, talking back to her seven year old?. Any pointers or helpful thoughts are welcomed!!!

SW219 CW206.7 GS09.13.22

Edited September 18, 20223 yr by jdardenhill2
Correction

Ok, breath. You just had a pretty major surgery. You’re going through a lot of physical, psychological & emotional changes & it takes time to sort them all out & work out what you’re doing. So feeling a little anxious is quite common.

Yes, you can add additional protein powder to your shakes. You can add it to soups & broths too.

Walking is the best exercise to begin as it doesn’t strain or overly tax your healing & recovering body. Remember you should limit your lifting, pulling, & reaching fir a few weeks while healing. Plus it helps with avoiding clots & with getting rid of any lingering surgical gas. Some activity is good but listen to your body as to how much you can do. Start with around your house inside &/or out a few times a day. Yes, you can go outside. (Funny they think fresh air is bad but they wander around your house with cigarette smoke over their clothes, in their hair & on their skin.) You don’t have any open wounds. The wounds are quite small usually each less than inch long & they’re covered anyway. Yes, bruising, swelling, tenderness, etc. around the wound sites is common. If it persists or gets worse contact your surgeon.

Some people do have more discomfort after surgery & have trouble getting up & down to begin. Think of all the abdominal muscles that got poked, prodded & stretched (the gas alone stretches your tummy out) during the surgery. Some say sleeping in a recliner or propped up in bed helps. Others say binders help support the abdominal region.

Sugar free popsicles contain artificial sweeteners which continue to feed your desire for sweet plus some can cause side effects like bloating, diarrhoea, etc. Water, shakes, soups/broths, herbal or green teas, milk, yoghurt drinks, etc. all contribute to your fluid intake. Mix it up for variety.

Does your family really need to be there? I live alone & looked after myself without any issues after my both my sleeve & gall removal surgeries. Maybe it’s time to say thank you but I can manage okay alone now but I’ll call if I need help with anything.

Thank you SO much! I have been overwhelmed and always overthinking! And I am telling them tomorrow morning that I have it from here. It’s added on the stress while I continue to change and adapt fully to this new lifestyle. And you are 100% about the smoke being on them while telling me not to leave the house!!!? Thank you so much! Everything you said makes sense!!!

As usually I couldn’t have said it any better than arabesque. Glad you decided to tell your family that they have helped you through the worst of it and you can take it from here. This entire process is just a learning curve just take it one day at a time and you’ve got this.

re: adding protein powder to protein shakes: keep in mind that you can only absorb somewhere in the 20-30 gram range at one time. If your protein shake already has 25 grams and you add another 25 grams in powder, you're not going to absorb all of it - UNLESS you sip it over the course of a couple hours (or more).

I was going to comment about not being able to absorb more than 25 - 35 grams of protein at one time, but catwoman beat me to it.

I would say the best thing now is for you to rest a lot so you can heal. Try to ease your anxiety and just relax and allow your body to heal. Walk when you can, inside and/or outside, but also rest and just track your protein and water. The first two weeks, I drove to a lot of places and just walked. Like Costco, the mall, etc. I live in an extremely hot environment and sweating when I'm trying to get every drop of fluid in is counterproductive, imo. Then after two weeks I went back to the gym for cardio only, then at six weeks I was okayed for resistance training.

I recovered alone. I did fine. Family would stop by or come help when I asked them to, but they didn't hover at all. I used a binder for about ten days to minimize discomfort when I got up, walked or slept. Learn the log roll technique to help get out of bed, so you don't need assistance. If your family is driving you crazy, send them home. You need a calm environment to recover in. Call them for help if you do need them but let them know when you want to be alone again.

Just follow your teams recommendations and take your families advice with a grain of salt. Your team specializes in bariatrics for good reason. As you said, your family have never been obese, or had bariatric surgery, so what do they know? :x

Thanks everyone for your help! I feel so much support from this site alone! Everyone is SO supportive of everyone! I hope to be as supportive as you all are for others. This site is my go to for things they don’t prepare you for after surgery.