Question for VSG vets

How long did it take for your external abdominal swelling to go down? I have a huge amount and I'm hoping to be able to put on my jeans Monday morning for school. I am not looking forward to wearing yoga pants as they are not warm and it is a long walk from my car to my first class! I know everyone heals at a different rate. I am just trying to get a general idea of a time frame. I might have to go buy some warm sweats before Monday.

I am only 4 days out at this point and it almost seems that the swelling has increased. Also, TMI, but I haven't had a BM since Tuesday morning before my surgery. That might be contributing to the bloat and swelling as well.

Oh and I forgot to mention that I am getting in my minimum of 64oz water and then some. Also getting in my goal of at least 60 protein, so I'm doing fine in that regard.

I didn't even consider jeans for the first month unless I had no other choice in clothing. I only wore things that were tight on my stomach when I had no other choice. I found that the day would start out fine, but after a couple of hours the pants would start feeling pretty painful on my stomach. 

You might be fine. Who knows. But, I would have a plan B available - just in case. 

My plan B might be to just go buy a few things. I hate to do it, but I only have one pair of thin yoga pants and one sweatshirt. Ughhh...didn't want to have to spend money on clothes that will be useless to me in a month or so. I might just buy men's sweats and give them to my husband when I'm done.

goodwill and thrift stores are your friends...

I bought men's sweats at Walmart. At my highest weight, 5' 4"  274, I was in a men's xl..now at 216 I'm in a men's large and they are getting pretty loose. I think they cost like $6 a pair.

your brave going to school within a week of surgery most people get diarria from all the liquid diet

don't be surprised if your whole belly turns purplr and yellow , bruisiung from the surgery takes about a week to come to the surface

go to good will and get a pair of warm sweats

 be careful driving  and don't drive on pain meds , the anasisia  can effect you for more than a week 

 email your teachers and tell them you just had surgery and may have to run to the bathroom in the middle of class

it is normal not to have a bm in a week or more ,  your probly took a laxative before surgery to empty yourself out and have only beem drinking liquids

I can leave class at any time to use the restroom. I was thinking about going back yesterday but since I had all of my work done, I decided to just stay home and rest. My hubby is a full time student too so he can drive me to and from.

I didn't take a stool softener pre op. I had a BM that morning. I'm praying since I took the M.O.M. that I will go in the morning. I have the craziest rumblings and loud noises coming from my guts! I'm sure it will be embarrassing if it goes off like that in class, lol.

I don't have abdominal bruising yet. Thanks for the heads up. I do have bruises all up and down my arms and on the top of my hands. It took the nurses 7 tries before they gave up and finally had the anesthesiologist put the IV in. That was the worst part of my surgery experience thus far.

Sorry to say it, but it took almost 5 weeks to be able to get back into the work clothes I was wearing pre-surgery.  Don't get me wrong, the water retention went away, and my scale numbers were gratifying, but I was so swollen.  I was really lucky and had a friend who had some loose things I could borrow for a few weeks. 

Swelling lasted around 6 weeks for me, but the weight loss didn't take too long to offset that in size of clothing-