Surgery Date

Well, after starting the whole process in October 2014, I finally have a surgery date for gastric bypass. APRIL 22! The day after my husband's birthday. I go in on April 14th for several pre-op, pre-admission appointments. I plan to take off from wor****il May 11th. That's about 2 1/2 weeks. I have a desk job, so it shouldn't be too bad. I'm not scared for the surgery but a little concerned about how much pain is involved after the surgery. Especially after I go home. Any information on that would be most appreciated.

I personally didn't have any 'real' pain until my second week. The first week was smooth sailing as long as you do as your told. With me the second week I was having pretty sever pain, I immediately called my nurse and was told that one of my internal stitches may have broke and was sitting on a nerve. She basically told me to lay low and that in a few days it would pass and it did.

Please remember all patients are different, this simply was my experience!!

Best of Luck!!

Thanks for the reply!

Congrats on the date! honestly I never had any surgery pain to speak of. I did do round the clock meds to ward off any potential :)

That being said, the gas pains... uggh... make sure you have gas X strips at home. They were literally a life saver.  I walked and walked but they help take the edge off.  

I have a desk job too and 2 1/2 weeks was good for me.  Just take it slow and be sure to bring your vitamins, and water with you. 

Thanks for the info. How about advice for the bowel movement before discharge. Since I probably won't have eaten in several days, how does that get accomplished?

It doesn't.  You'll have to do the leak test before you can have anything at all. If that is ok then you'll get a few ounces to drink... Literally.   When you get home, I had loose almost diarrhea for the next few days.  Be sure to stock miralax and gas X cause you'll probably need it.   

I started all my process in Sept and have surgery 3/10 my doctor already gave me scripts to get filled and a list of a couple other things to get before I have my surgery....so that I already have them at home. He gave me a script for Zofran, an Prilosec, Oxycodone liquid and had me pick up liquid Tylenol and Colace. Told me to go ahead and start taking the Colace now. He said I should have a BM within 5 days after surgery and going ahead and starting it now would not hurt anything. ....I think it was really to help with this two week diet. LOL

you are lucky you got the Zofran.  My MD wouldn't give that to me even though I had morning sickness for 5 weeks. he said meds could mask any real symptoms so I had to suffer :(

Best of luck to you guys.  The first few weeks are a little rough just trying to figure out what you can and cannot eat and healing.  I slept probably the first 3 days, I had to be in the lazy boy cause crawling up into bed wasn't happening.  Sleep with a pillow over your tummy, it will help keep you relaxed and "protected" so to speak.

Thanks for the advice for sleeping with a pillow.

you are welcome.  Actually take a pillow for the ride home as well.