Lots of questions

Rainbow83
on 9/25/16 4:53 am
RNY on 10/02/16

Hi everyone,

I've just completed my first week of the pre-surgery diet and I have lost 8lbs! I have my surgery a week today, I'm nervous excited. I can't wait to be on my journey.

I have a few questions that you might be able to help with...

What should I take to hospital with me?

When can you drive post operatively?

Are you catheterised?

What are the protein drinks you talk about?

How much weight did people lose in the first month?

Thank you in advance

Jayney 

selhard
on 9/25/16 5:13 am - MN
RNY on 11/26/12

1. I took clothes/shoes on my back, pillow, cell phone, hairbrush, makeup, purse, husband, and peace 2. instructed not to drive for 7 days because of pain meds & fatigue 3. catheter one day 4. ready-made protein drinks founds in retail stores that require careful label-reading or home-made drinks using protein powder in the ingredients 5. not sure the first month but 80# pre-WLS and another 130# post-WLS

Deanna798
on 9/25/16 5:29 am
RNY on 08/04/15

I think I was glad I took a pair of my own hard soled slippers, chapstick, and some reading material.

As long as you're not taking narcotics, you may be able to drive.  The first time I drove was to my 1 week post op appointment.

I was cathed for the first day and rejoiced when they took it out.  Uncomfortable.

I use/used Quest protein powder mixed with almond milk (I have lactose intolerance, so milk is a no go)

I lost about 20lbs my first month and it dropped to about 15lbs a month after that for a few months. but this is really going to depend on how much we weighed when you had surgery and how much you lost before surgery.  

Good luck!

Age: 44 | Height: 5' 3" | Starting January 2015: 291 | RNY 8/4/15 with Dr. Arthur Carlin| Goal: 150

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. ~Proverbs 19:20

CathyV
on 9/25/16 5:49 am

I am a month post op tomorrow. I am around 38 pounds lost, that includes my pre-op week though. You need very little in the hospital. A pair of pajama pants to wear under your gown is nice, and a pair of slippers or slip on shoes. The pain meds kicked my butt. When I wasn't walking or drinking I was sleeping. I use premier protein shakes now, but my surgeon insists on unjury or celebrate during the immediate pre and post op period. I was not catheterized. And I was not to drive for a week out and of the pain meds (which I was by then).

HW- 375

SW- 358

GW- 175

(deactivated member)
on 9/25/16 5:50 am

I took clothes, chapstick, phone, kindle, toiletries and my DH.

I think I drove in about a week. 

I was cathed.  i got up and walked in the hall and it was removed right after.

There are many protein drinks. Ready-to-drink shakes were easier for me at first.  But you really have to read the labels.

I lost 16 pounds the first month.

Wishing you a speedy recovery after surgery and much success on your journey!

amitydo
on 9/25/16 6:47 am

A lot of this depends on your doc and the program that they have developed based on their experience with patients.  Some of it may have to do with your BMI, general state of health, or other factors.  

I took all sorts of stuff to the hospital with me, from Gas-X to mouthwash, based on the suggestions of other patients and wound up NOT USING ANY OF IT because the hospital provided me with what I needed.  For the first day I was too lazy to go rummaging through my luggage anyway, and on the second day I was discharged!  If you will be doing a lot of entertaining while in the hospital then you will want to bring clothes to change into to look good, makeup if so inclined, things to fix your hair, etc.  I didn't want visitors and so I did not tell anyone I was getting the surgery, not even my Mom!  (didn't want to worry her ....)  I slept most of the time until I was ready to go home and only doctors and people from my bariatric surgeon's office came by to visit.  

People say take Gas-X or something for gas.  The gas they are talking about is the gas they pump into your abdomen to give the surgeon room to work in there!  Gas-X is NOT going to help this because it is NOT in your intestines.  It does cause little sharp sensations in your shoulders and under your rib cage.  Walking and moving around is the only thing that will help it, it isn't that bad, and in a few days all that gas is re-absorbed anyway.  

Your doc is going to provide you their "rules" including when to drive, what you might want to drink, etc, but this is what my surgeon said:

No driving until you have been off all pain meds for 24 hours.  

I am sure they catheterized me as soon as I was under anesthesia, even before the surgery started.  It was removed absolutely painlessly the next day.  I also had a Jackson-Pratt surgical drain (aka "JP drain") which I kept until the second day after surgery when it was removed right before discharge, and although I was amazed at how far it seemed to go inside me, it was not especially painful to remove.  

Basically for protein drinks you are looking for one with lots of good quality whey protein and very few carbs.  Atkins, Premier, or others will work, just look at label and make sure you are getting at least 15 grams of protein and not more than 2 grams or so of carbs per serving.  I got one called Unjury that is specifically tailored to those who are healing (rather than weight loss formulas or body building formulas) and I loved it.  It is a bit more expensive than others.  You get really tired of these shakes in fairly short order, and yet you are supposed to eat up to 90 grams of protein to start with (that's a LOT, but again your doc is going to tell you how much he wants YOU to get per day) and so I found the Isopure Carb Free drinks to be a lifesaver.  They are not terribly sweet, go down easy, like water, without making me nauseous, and pack a whopping 40 grams of protein each.  Kind of expensive, but so worth the investment.  Bodybuilding.com has them the cheapest I was able to find.  

I had a BMI of just under 40 by the time of my surgery and lost 20 pounds my first month.  I am disabled so can't exercise as much as I wish I could, and that is probably slowing me down a bit.  

Good luck, and I must say that when I met with my surgeon to get his final approval for surgery I had a million questions, but he told me someone would call me.  Someone did, and by the day of surgery I had literally not a question left, they answered everything.  And just to be sure, their post-surgical coordinator showed up at the hospital before I was discharged to talk about what exactly I had bought for vitamins, protein, etc.  Right now you may feel like a trapeze artist without a net, but I bet your surgeon's office is there for you and WILL get in touch.  

Rainbow83
on 9/25/16 10:41 am
RNY on 10/02/16

Well I am yet again incredibly grateful for all the replies. I'm going to have to look around to see what protein shakes there are in the UK, I'm sure there are some.

Sounds like all the buying of clothes etc I have done for the hospital was unnecessary! Just want loungy comfortable things. And ChapStick.

Looking forward to driving as I need to be back to work and driving is essential for my job.

I'm hoping I have good weight loss for the first 3 months, it'll really boost me on.

Thanks again

Jayney

amitydo
on 9/25/16 4:59 pm

YES, I totally forgot Chapstick, but right, something like that is a necessity.  Your mouth does get dry if you have to wait overnight to get your barium study done looking for leaks.  I don't know if you have access to any bariatric support groups there, I mean the in-person kind, but the one that meets at the hospital where I had surgery has a clothes swap!  Everyone can add whatever clothes no longer fit to the pile, and after the group meeting we all go over to the tables and see what now fits while we chat.  It is a brilliant idea.  

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