What was your recovery like?
Let me start by providing you the Four Mantras of Life Post WLS:
1. Sip, sip, sip. Gotta, gotta get those fluids in.
2. Walk, walk, walk. Reduces the risk of blood clots.
3. Any problems - CALL YOUR DOCTOR!! 'Nuff said.
4. NEVER, and I mean NEVER, trust a fart!!
As to recovery don't try to get back too soon to your routine. You may hurt for a while and postioning for sleep can be uncomfortable for several weeks. Food that taste good pre-op will taste like crap post-op including water but you have to drink it. You can usualy drive after 10-14 days and depending on the nature of the work you do you can get back to work in as little as a week out to several weeks.
Will tell you up front that the ride you are about to embark on is wilder and better than any ride a roller coaster designer can come up with! Strap in and enjoy it!
1. Sip, sip, sip. Gotta, gotta get those fluids in.
2. Walk, walk, walk. Reduces the risk of blood clots.
3. Any problems - CALL YOUR DOCTOR!! 'Nuff said.
4. NEVER, and I mean NEVER, trust a fart!!
As to recovery don't try to get back too soon to your routine. You may hurt for a while and postioning for sleep can be uncomfortable for several weeks. Food that taste good pre-op will taste like crap post-op including water but you have to drink it. You can usualy drive after 10-14 days and depending on the nature of the work you do you can get back to work in as little as a week out to several weeks.
Will tell you up front that the ride you are about to embark on is wilder and better than any ride a roller coaster designer can come up with! Strap in and enjoy it!
Never, and I mean NEVER, trust a fart!! 
Ditto to a lot of what Don said. Lay in your vitamins. Get a good multivitamin. Buy small samples of protein not large qty of anything.
Take the roxicet if they give it to you. Some people sleep better in a recliner. I didn't have one.
i went back to work in 11 days for the 2003 revision. 4 weeks for the 2004 gastrectomy.
Like Don said Hang on and enjoy the ride.
Take the roxicet if they give it to you. Some people sleep better in a recliner. I didn't have one.
i went back to work in 11 days for the 2003 revision. 4 weeks for the 2004 gastrectomy.
Like Don said Hang on and enjoy the ride.
Bodozer,
I can pass along my limited info since I'm only 2 weeks post-op.
First of all, my team had prepped me very well so that when I went in that morning, I knew where to go, whom to see and what would happen. Everything was explained fully and any question I had was addressed right away. I had built up the surgery to be quite a bit more trying than it turned out to be. Once changed and on the table, my anesthesiologist plugged into my IV and asked if I had any other questions and then said "Good night Mr. Wolfe...."
The next thing I remember is waking up in recovery but no pain or discomfort. My doctor keeps patients in recovery for at least 4 hours so that you get constant attention. Then it was off to my room. My wife and daughter were kept well informed and the staff not only checked on me but them as well.
In my room, I was introduced to my nurse and my Nurse's Assistant. They showed me all the controls on the bed and pointed out my drain tube, analgesic drip and my catheter. Still very little pain or discomfort. Slept like a baby the rest of the day.
The stay in the hospital was as comfortable as I could have asked. I was sure that this was going to hurt a lot more than it did. I'd like to think I'm a tough guy but I know I'm really a big sissy when it comes to this kind of stuff.
The staff was as accomodating and professional as you could want and really seemed to care about my comfort. Pain meds were there when scheduled and there were additional pain meds available should it be necessary. It turns out that it wasn't needed. I stopped my pain med injections on the third day.
On the 4th day, my surgeon stopped in and asked if I'd like to go home. He removed my drain tube and the drip medication lines. Kind of a rush there but not too bad.
Weird thing. The staff had been encouraging me to walk the halls as often and as much as I could tolerate and it did seem to help but I still had to go to the door in a wheelchair. Go figure.
Of the whole experience, the worst part for me was the catheter. When it came out, I was a happy dude. Two weeks post-op now and I'll be going back to work (at a desk) Monday. I'm an electrician and don't feel like I want to be working in live panels for another week since I'm still a little shaky on my feet. I've been living on broth and belly fat for two weeks so I'm still weak but I feel great.
Thanx,
Jim
I can pass along my limited info since I'm only 2 weeks post-op.
First of all, my team had prepped me very well so that when I went in that morning, I knew where to go, whom to see and what would happen. Everything was explained fully and any question I had was addressed right away. I had built up the surgery to be quite a bit more trying than it turned out to be. Once changed and on the table, my anesthesiologist plugged into my IV and asked if I had any other questions and then said "Good night Mr. Wolfe...."
The next thing I remember is waking up in recovery but no pain or discomfort. My doctor keeps patients in recovery for at least 4 hours so that you get constant attention. Then it was off to my room. My wife and daughter were kept well informed and the staff not only checked on me but them as well.
In my room, I was introduced to my nurse and my Nurse's Assistant. They showed me all the controls on the bed and pointed out my drain tube, analgesic drip and my catheter. Still very little pain or discomfort. Slept like a baby the rest of the day.
The stay in the hospital was as comfortable as I could have asked. I was sure that this was going to hurt a lot more than it did. I'd like to think I'm a tough guy but I know I'm really a big sissy when it comes to this kind of stuff.
The staff was as accomodating and professional as you could want and really seemed to care about my comfort. Pain meds were there when scheduled and there were additional pain meds available should it be necessary. It turns out that it wasn't needed. I stopped my pain med injections on the third day.
On the 4th day, my surgeon stopped in and asked if I'd like to go home. He removed my drain tube and the drip medication lines. Kind of a rush there but not too bad.
Weird thing. The staff had been encouraging me to walk the halls as often and as much as I could tolerate and it did seem to help but I still had to go to the door in a wheelchair. Go figure.
Of the whole experience, the worst part for me was the catheter. When it came out, I was a happy dude. Two weeks post-op now and I'll be going back to work (at a desk) Monday. I'm an electrician and don't feel like I want to be working in live panels for another week since I'm still a little shaky on my feet. I've been living on broth and belly fat for two weeks so I'm still weak but I feel great.
Thanx,
Jim
Growing older is mandatory,Growing up is entirely optional.
Remember, It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
Remember, It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
Hey soon to be loser. I had my RNY on Aug. 27, so I am 3 weeks post op. The first 4 days were just mild discomfort, then it was all good. I went back to work after just 12 days out. I don't think that is the norm, and thinking now, I should of stayed out on disablity for longer, but I am fine to work.
Ditto to everything everyone else said. And I have forgotten about not trusting a fart. That's a big one. Move as much as you can. Also keep a check with your thoughts and how you treat other people. You are going to have alot of people saying stuff like ( you are drinking to much, are you sure you should eat that and stuff along those lines). And I found out early after surgery that I lost some of my patience with people and in turn bit their head off. Just remember everything about life as you know it will change in some way. 98 % for the better and that in just a few short weeks what pain you have is gone. And your outlook on life will be much clearer. Ken
The pain from the surgery itself was waay less than expected. No problem. The pain from the gas related to surgery was a bear. A really ticked off bear, too. The disgusting incision infections for over 5 weeks were not that easy and kept me from much work. The anemia still saps energy 12 weeks out. All in all, not THAT bad. You can do it.
My advice? Be strict about the pre-op diet. Shrink that liver.
My advice? Be strict about the pre-op diet. Shrink that liver.
Thanks for all the input guys. It is greatly appreciated. I really don't expect it to be too bad as far as the surgery and recovery. Just wanted an idea of what others had gone through. I had an open hernia operation 10 years ago and it was on a Friday and was back at work on Monday. I am a systems analyst so I just sit on my duff all day anyways. But I will probably work from home the first few weeks just so the bathroom is close just in case. ;UD
Ditto Dan and the others! I was very fortunate in that the surgery and recovery went extremely well. Being pulled off the table on April 15 and rescheduled to April 28 was a bummer
, but I really believe it helped me in the long run. The hospital had not done all the cardio tests the Doctor required, so thankfully my surgery team said "No surgery til they had all the tests". That caused me to have to go through the liquid diet twice, which increased my pre-op weight loss, which helped make my surgery easier for the Doc.
Recovery was not all that bad for me, but as has been said - SIP,SIP, SIP & WALK,WALK, WALK!! There was some discomfort for a few days, but nothing bad. I did sleep in my Lazy Boy recliner for the first 9 or 10 days because it was uncomfortable lying flat in bed. The incline was much much more comfortable and made it easier to get up and go to the bathroom, walk, etc.
Don't rush to return to activity and don;t overdo it. Take it nice and easy and the benefits will be great!
And hang on - this is a WILD RIDE!!
Best of luck to ya!!!
, but I really believe it helped me in the long run. The hospital had not done all the cardio tests the Doctor required, so thankfully my surgery team said "No surgery til they had all the tests". That caused me to have to go through the liquid diet twice, which increased my pre-op weight loss, which helped make my surgery easier for the Doc. Recovery was not all that bad for me, but as has been said - SIP,SIP, SIP & WALK,WALK, WALK!! There was some discomfort for a few days, but nothing bad. I did sleep in my Lazy Boy recliner for the first 9 or 10 days because it was uncomfortable lying flat in bed. The incline was much much more comfortable and made it easier to get up and go to the bathroom, walk, etc.
Don't rush to return to activity and don;t overdo it. Take it nice and easy and the benefits will be great!
And hang on - this is a WILD RIDE!!
Best of luck to ya!!!BamaBob54 
ROLL TIDE!!!
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ROLL TIDE!!! [IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/BamaVulcan04/2661045004_3d63fb2244.jpg[/IMG]
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I am so happy for your great news.
Pre Op sugguestions
1. Start exercising now, walk as much as possible, it will allow the walking to feel easier after surgery. It will also help with loosing the pre-op weight. The more that comes off now, the less you have to loose post op.
2. Educate yourself as much as possible about what to expect for the first few weeks post op. Such as diet (every doc seems to have a different idea of what you can eat so just follow your doc's instructions), supplements etc. so you can have everything ready before you go in for surgery.
3. Follow the pre-op diet, it will prepare you for life after surgery as well as shrinking your liver and making the surgery easier for you doc.
Post Op
1. Plan on having a significant amount of pain, then if you don't have much it seems like a breeze. I like to plan for the worst. Pain perception is different for everyone.
2. Drink enough, stay hydrated. I had a dietician review what I should be doing for foods at home prior to discharge.
3. Follow you post op instructions to the letter, your doc has had success with these instructions.
4. I was out of work for 5 weeks (I had the time to get paid and my wife had her surgery 3 weeks after mine, so I had two weeks to take care of her. If I had know how well we would recover I would have considered having surgery within a couple of days of each other. I had my surgery on a Thursday afternoon, was home on Saturday and my wife went to work monday and my boys were off school for the week and I watched them). The PA at my Doc's office would not clear me to lift over 10 pounds until the 5 week period, so my employeer would not let me return to work anyway, although I felt good enough to do alot. Take as much time as you can, it will give you a chance to get into the eating and exercise routine, before you need to worry about a work life.
If you have any questions at all, make sure to post it here, nothing is off limits. At least one person will have had personal experience and will be able to share their experience.
Good Luck
Jim
Pre Op sugguestions
1. Start exercising now, walk as much as possible, it will allow the walking to feel easier after surgery. It will also help with loosing the pre-op weight. The more that comes off now, the less you have to loose post op.
2. Educate yourself as much as possible about what to expect for the first few weeks post op. Such as diet (every doc seems to have a different idea of what you can eat so just follow your doc's instructions), supplements etc. so you can have everything ready before you go in for surgery.
3. Follow the pre-op diet, it will prepare you for life after surgery as well as shrinking your liver and making the surgery easier for you doc.
Post Op
1. Plan on having a significant amount of pain, then if you don't have much it seems like a breeze. I like to plan for the worst. Pain perception is different for everyone.
2. Drink enough, stay hydrated. I had a dietician review what I should be doing for foods at home prior to discharge.
3. Follow you post op instructions to the letter, your doc has had success with these instructions.
4. I was out of work for 5 weeks (I had the time to get paid and my wife had her surgery 3 weeks after mine, so I had two weeks to take care of her. If I had know how well we would recover I would have considered having surgery within a couple of days of each other. I had my surgery on a Thursday afternoon, was home on Saturday and my wife went to work monday and my boys were off school for the week and I watched them). The PA at my Doc's office would not clear me to lift over 10 pounds until the 5 week period, so my employeer would not let me return to work anyway, although I felt good enough to do alot. Take as much time as you can, it will give you a chance to get into the eating and exercise routine, before you need to worry about a work life.
If you have any questions at all, make sure to post it here, nothing is off limits. At least one person will have had personal experience and will be able to share their experience.
Good Luck
Jim
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