Coming Home
Ok so I have a set of questions...
I see lots of people asking about vits, and diet etc... but what about the other stuff? Is there a good guide for what you need to have / buy after surgery once you get home?
What do I need to expect when I get home from the hospital:
Do I need to sit? Lay flat? Tons of pillows?
I know walking is KING at this point, but did you actually strap up and go outside - or is around the house the most you can muster for a while?
What do I need to have purchased (with the exception of the obvious diet needs) prior to surgery... what helped you?
Anything else?
I will have people there to help after surgery... so that will be a blessing... but I would like to get set up as much as possible before I don't feel up to it.
Thank you!!!!
Solon
I see lots of people asking about vits, and diet etc... but what about the other stuff? Is there a good guide for what you need to have / buy after surgery once you get home?
What do I need to expect when I get home from the hospital:
Do I need to sit? Lay flat? Tons of pillows?
I know walking is KING at this point, but did you actually strap up and go outside - or is around the house the most you can muster for a while?
What do I need to have purchased (with the exception of the obvious diet needs) prior to surgery... what helped you?
Anything else?
I will have people there to help after surgery... so that will be a blessing... but I would like to get set up as much as possible before I don't feel up to it.
Thank you!!!!
Solon
~ Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality. 
I didn't need much.. I stayed in the house in pjs for 2 weeks, I did not walk very much and when I did it was a lap around the house. The only "thing" I used was my vitamix and even that I didn't use too much becaus shakes grossed me out right after surgery. I just made sure I had cottage cheese, broth, yogurt, popsicles, pudding on hand.. I survived on that for 2 weeks! LOTS AND LOTS of popsicles.. I couldnt stand drinking but these went down well. I slept in bed the first night but it was agony.. after that I slept on the sofa for about 1.5 weeks until things were healed enough that laying flat didn't hurt anymore, I used lots of pillows on the sofa and was pretty comfy.
good luck!
good luck!
If you have a recliner, that would probablly work great. I didnt have one. I had a big chair with an ottoman or the couch. Honestly, the couch worked best for me with a couple pillows. Getting up and down wasnt fun, but that is where I was most comfortable.
I had a small tray that I kept next to the couch with my remotes, vits, water, shakes...whatever I needed so I didnt have to get up and down too much. I had a hard recovery from my revision, which I think Im the oddball so yours probably wont be so bad.
One of the best things I had, was a wide, flat, firm teddy bear. I was able to press that against my stomach when I walked or got up/down. A good, stirdy pillow should help.
Once I got home, I did laps around the house to start out. Then I was able to make it up and down our long, gravel driveway.
Oh, and my $10 stick blender is my favorite tool. I did use my ice cream machine alot in the beginning.
GOOD LUCK!!
I had a small tray that I kept next to the couch with my remotes, vits, water, shakes...whatever I needed so I didnt have to get up and down too much. I had a hard recovery from my revision, which I think Im the oddball so yours probably wont be so bad.
One of the best things I had, was a wide, flat, firm teddy bear. I was able to press that against my stomach when I walked or got up/down. A good, stirdy pillow should help.
Once I got home, I did laps around the house to start out. Then I was able to make it up and down our long, gravel driveway.
Oh, and my $10 stick blender is my favorite tool. I did use my ice cream machine alot in the beginning.
GOOD LUCK!!
Banded Feb 23, 2009 / Revision to RNY Aug 25, 2010 
I am just 3 weeks out, and things that I used the most the first week home
1 ounce souffle cups.
5 ounce measuring glass ( for water, I targeted 5 ounces every hour)
I used a recliner the first night home, slept in my bed with a body pillow from the second night on.
Big clothes. You will be pumped full of fluids when you get home, and your stomach will be larger than it was when you went into the hospital. You need stuff that is comfy and won't rub on your incisions.
I did laps around the house and up and down the stairs the first few days, then I ventured out. Sometimes it was walking in the neighborhood and sometimes it was a trip to an outdoor mall. This is going to sound like TMI and I apologize for that, but walking seems to get my bowel moving, so I like being within a reasonable distance of a bathroom when I walked. The out door mall gave me that, and I would have gone bonkers if I hadn't left the house
Lock the scale away, it is not your friend. Wait and be pleasantly surprised at your 1 week follow up appointment.
Flushable wipes were also my friend.
Rest when you need to, but move when you can.
I had a blender bottle for my protein, which was nice, as it didn't whip my protein drinks into as much froth as my other kitchen tools did.
1 ounce souffle cups.
5 ounce measuring glass ( for water, I targeted 5 ounces every hour)
I used a recliner the first night home, slept in my bed with a body pillow from the second night on.
Big clothes. You will be pumped full of fluids when you get home, and your stomach will be larger than it was when you went into the hospital. You need stuff that is comfy and won't rub on your incisions.
I did laps around the house and up and down the stairs the first few days, then I ventured out. Sometimes it was walking in the neighborhood and sometimes it was a trip to an outdoor mall. This is going to sound like TMI and I apologize for that, but walking seems to get my bowel moving, so I like being within a reasonable distance of a bathroom when I walked. The out door mall gave me that, and I would have gone bonkers if I hadn't left the house
Lock the scale away, it is not your friend. Wait and be pleasantly surprised at your 1 week follow up appointment.
Flushable wipes were also my friend.
Rest when you need to, but move when you can.
I had a blender bottle for my protein, which was nice, as it didn't whip my protein drinks into as much froth as my other kitchen tools did.
Hello! I am only 8 days out, but i havent had much trouble! I slept in my bed the first night, i still can only sleep on my back or right side (left side is to tender), and my first day home i was walking around my apartment complex, i now walk the entire length (pretty big) 2 times a day, but i started on day one. I just had plenty of broth, jello and SF popsicles on hand. Good luck! Remember everyone recovers differently 
I was able to sleep in my bed from day one. Lots of pillows, of course, but it was pretty comfy. I didn't get dressed at all for a few days due to my stomach being so swollen - couldn't stand anything restricting & pushing on it. Sugar Free popsicles were my friend, LOL! I could eat those all the time! Plenty of water, cottage cheese, chicken soup broth (not just chicken broth - not enough flavor), greek yogurt, cottage cheese, unflavored protien powder to put in the soup broth (only way I could get my protein in). By the time they let you move on the stage 3, you will be soooo ready!! If I had to eat one more spoon of cottage cheese when I really wanted some beans, I think I would have had to hurt someone, LOL!
Good luck to you....you will do fine!
RNY 05/25/11 HW 256 SW 235 CW 221.6 GW 140
The biggest thing I needed was someone to help me out of bed in the mornings. My wife was real good at that. Aside from needing help to get up (only from a fully reclined position), I was good to go. The hospital gave us some 1oz cups and instructed me to sip water from those during the day, as well as anything else I drank.
Aside from that, I kept a steady stock of popsicles for the first week. I couldn't do broth or anything at all the first week, so I lived off popsicles and diet fruit juices.
As far as walking, I was walking around the house the day after surgery. The second day after surgery I ventured outside and walked about a half mile and just gradually increased from there. I'm 3 weeks post-op and walking between a mile and a mile and a half a day.
The day after was the worst for me. Lots of pain, gas, and discomfort. But I felt like a new man on the second post-op day.
I sat up in a chair most of the days after surgery with an ottoman for my feet and was comfortable. I was able to sleep in my bed the first night. But couldn't sleep on my sides for about 5 nights.
Good luck!
Aside from that, I kept a steady stock of popsicles for the first week. I couldn't do broth or anything at all the first week, so I lived off popsicles and diet fruit juices.
As far as walking, I was walking around the house the day after surgery. The second day after surgery I ventured outside and walked about a half mile and just gradually increased from there. I'm 3 weeks post-op and walking between a mile and a mile and a half a day.
The day after was the worst for me. Lots of pain, gas, and discomfort. But I felt like a new man on the second post-op day.
I sat up in a chair most of the days after surgery with an ottoman for my feet and was comfortable. I was able to sleep in my bed the first night. But couldn't sleep on my sides for about 5 nights.
Good luck!
I am also 3 weeks post-op and have to agree with most of these ppl. I slept in my bed with about 8 pillows surrounding me. I made like my own comfy recliner in bed... Also I lived off of SF popsicles and used a 1oz cup to sip from. It was the easiest thing to remind me to sip rather than gulp. Becuz I was SOOOOO thirsty all I wanted to do was chug down like a ton of water. My doctor also was big on the walk.. walk.. walk. They scared me with the issues of blood clots. And I was not getting something life threatening that was preventable. So during the day I made sure I was up like everyother commercial just for a few mins walking around. At night I would set my alarm for every 2 hrs and get up and walk the house for 5-10 mins. Long enuf for me to suck down half a popsicle. I did this for 12 days post surgery. Wasn't a big deal becuz I would nap during the day also and catch up on sleep. And my doctor encouraged me all the way to keep the walking up. Usually 12 days past surgery u are pretty much safe from the bloodclots. But I would def still remain active also. Good luck!! And congrats on finally getting there!
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