Incisions

 I had a lap RNY 6 days ago. I still have the tape on the incisions, and am wondering if I'm supposed to take them off, and if so when. The discharge instructions issued by my surgeon only mentioned showering every day to keep the incisions clean; nothing about the tape.

Also, is it unusual that the incisions still hurt? It hurts to get up off the couch, roll over in bed, etc. I went to the store today and had to stop walking because I started to get severe pain from the incisions. 

I'm worried about straining - it's an effort to get myself up off my super-plushy couch. How long before I feel "normal"?

You're putting too much pressure on yourself. The tape (steristrips) will start to come off on their own. Do not take the off before then. You had major surgery. Even if you can't tell by the tiny incisions that you have. They did A LOT of work in there. Pain for everyone is different. But 6 days is certainly reasonable to still have some. It is probably not a good idea to get on that couch just yet. You don't want to strain yourself. My husband put a board under the cushions so that I could get up easier.  Although, you do need to get up and get around, you wanna make sure you don't do too much. Listen to your body. If it hurts, STOP doing it. Everybody makes it through this surgery at different paces. I know people who had no pain and were up and about as soon as they got home. While I was confined to my house for a full 6 weeks because I would get so exhausted whenever I tried to do anything more. I remember going to the store 2 weeks out and was absolutely exhausted after walking from the parking lot to the front doors of the store. I was so pitiful that some elderly lady in the motorized cart was going faster than me.  Take your time and recover at your own pace. It will get better, but you cannot ru****

What gigi said:  the strips will fall off in due time so don't pull them off.  You did just have major surgery so of course you're going to be hurting for a while.  I came home with a Jackson-Pratt drainage tube hanging out of my right side.  When it was full the pain was horrid.  Even after emptying it, if it twisted the wrong way the pain was slightly less horrid.  That was a very long wee****il I got it pulled.  I still had a little pain, yet it was manageable and did get better every day.  You will feel better on your body's schedule.

The tape will come off on its own.  Please do not pull it off.
You have undergone major surgery and should take it easy and give yourself time to heal.
In a couple weeks or so you should begin to feel better, but do not overexert yourself. Drink water, and your protein drinks. Take your vitamins and read and journal this experience.
Keep your mind occupied on healing. You will feel great, especially when you start seeing the weight disappearing!
Don't push yourself too hard.

I had 5 incisions and the steri strips came off all of them but one. The one that kept the strip healed much better than the others, so make sure to wash around them and keep them on as long as possible. My hubby says my other 4 look like stab wounds!

 Thanks ladies.  Yeah, I am pushing myself too hard. I feel antsy. I want to do, do, do!  Sitting around kind of gets depressing... or maybe it's just because I feel guilty doing so.  

I see you had your surgery on April 4 i had mine on April 6 and i have 10 incisions... i went from the Lapband to the Rny... so i know excactly what your going thru... im a person that cant sit for too long and always on a go so to sit here and do nothing its not me... i do get up and do a couple of things around the house go for a walk but as soon as i start feeling tired i do sit down... i figured my health is a little more important... i even told my husband to bring the laundry downstairs to the basement for me to do and he said know that he was going to do it..So yay for me... do not pull the strips out they will come off on their own. If they don't fall off that means the incisions are not healled yet...

Definitely stay away from doing laundry...I had my surgery March 22nd and I was doing laundry Saturday and I guess I pulled a muscle and my side is killing me now. I called my surgeons office and he doesn't seem concerned. I just wi**** would go away. It feels like I am being stabbed..lol

Tracy