A few questions for the RNY vets...
My surgery date is this Wednesday. I'm a little bit anxious and a little bit scared since this is the first operation I've ever had. Other than being morbidly obese my pre-op test showed me to be in near perfect health. My blood pressure was 120/80, oxygen level was 88 and as far as I know I don't have any diagnosed comorbilities. I've been told I snore so I guess I may have sleep apnea but it hasn't been diagnosed. I realize that this pseudo-health won't be the case at my weight in 2, 3 or 5 years. So, after 8 months of research, I've opted to have gastric bypass surgery. I'm just so tired of being fat and so ready for a major change in my life.
Now... Questions... Any words of wisdom from the post-op vets would be greatly appreciated.
First, I'm a wimp when it comes to pain. What kinda pain did you guys experience the first few day to week post-op? The doctors & nurses are telling me that it can range but they will have me on lots of painkillers to ease it. My problem is that I don't have a good track record with most painkillers. Hydrocodine always makes me break out in a cold sweaty fever and I get nausious. I dunno about morphine and from what I understand the anesthesia isn't very pleasant either when you are waking up.
For those of you that did experience physical pain was it from the incision sites or from the actual rerouting of the intestines and the stomach pouch? I seem to remember hearing that the internal organs didn't really have many nerve endings or something. If you had to describe it did it feel like you just got punched in the gut or something?
What's the word on nausea? Is that something that's constant for everyone? Will it eventually go away if I follow the diet guidelines perfectly?
I love to drink water. All the doctors, nurses, dieticians, etc. have stressed the SIP SIP SIP for all liquids. One woman I spoke with that had the surgery told me that drinking was the most difficult thing she had to adjust to. I figured that liquids would quickly empty from the baby stomach and enter the digestive tract. When everyone is saying "sip, sip, sip" exactly how big are these sips. Can anyone give me a description of this?
Everyone in the support groups that I've talked to tell me that the surgery was the easy part. Adjusting to your new baby stomach was going to be the difficult part.
Just the butterflies in my soon to be dormant "big" stomach talking I guess. Thanks for taking the time to read.
Hi Chad,
I am not much os a veteran since I only had surgery last Monday. Go to my profile and read my surgery experience 3/13 entry.
To sum it up I have a son named Chad that is 35 so I am a good bit older than you. I had one bad day the day of surgery that was yuck! But, the amazing part is by The next afternoon I felt great just tired and wanted to get home to sleep--that just doesn't happen in the hospital. I have no real pain just alittle gas pain and gas-x has helped that. I have not had to take the pain meds the doctor gave me. I took tylenol twice but I had that backache for months. (sever arthritis) I have never been in the least bit neauseated and have had no trouble drinkng all the fluid and onec I added proten powders to my wated that went down fine. I have even had two normal bowel movements this week. Tood much info I know but you need to be prepared.
I am driving, grocery shopping, walking, and have to hold myself back.
I may not be average but I wish you the same recovery as me. Feel free to email me any question you have?
Be positive and strong--bj
Hello Chad...If you went thru military stuff, you can do this!! I too have my surgery on Wednesday..i hear that gas pain is a booger..just get up and walk and 'let 'er rip'..I thought me and my co-patients could play a toon while cruising the hallways..ha! Make it easy on yourself and just pray for Gods hands to be embracing you ..he'll carry you thru, have Faith.
My sister had surgery w/Dr. Hargroder in Oct.2004..She has done remarkably well..He is a very reputable physician and you picked a good one..I have chosen Dr. Michael Thomas w/The Surgical Specialist group in Covington..They have been coming to Alexandria (home) for a while now with information on their group..I researched and found Dr. Lavin to be a national proctor for bariatric surgery and after much time decided this is the best way for me to go..(plus, ins. problems,etc..) I'm a cash pay patient too..Chad, you will be fine, hey, let's deal, you pray for me and I'll pray for you!!!! Blessings to you, Deb
Chad,
Congrats on your surgery, you have made it through the hard part. Making the decision is a very difficult task.
I am 14 weeks out today, and I must say the past 14 weeks have been great. I had lap RNY and had no problems what so ever. The surgery was really a piece of cake, the recovery was the icing on the cake and my results so far are the decorations on my cake.
My advice to you.....
First, stay positive a positive attitude will bring you very far. If you have faith, pray that the Lord will guide you, if you don't I will say a little prayer for you...I am a firm believer and yes, I prayed every step of the way that this would be Gods will.
Second, do what you are told to do, even if you don't understand why...walk as much as possible. Yes, in the beginning this may be uncomfortable but the sooner you walk the sooner you will gain your strength back. It is so important for the gas pains. That was the only discomfort that I really had. I took very little pain meds in the hospital. Actually the nurses thought something was wrong with my pain pump because I was not using it. I only took one dose of meds when I came home and that was the first night. I took it just incase, I didn't want to play catch up with the meds. If you are in discomfort when you get home, take your pain meds. It is better to take them and keep your pain undercontrol versus trying to play catch up. I did have a lot of spells of nausea in the hospital but Reglan helped with that. Any time I am put to sleep I get real sick, so this was not a surprise for me. The nurses knew it and was able to help me keep it under control.
As far as sipping, you will start off with the little medicine cups this will help you limit your water intake therefore you will take little sips. It seems this just came natural to me. I was a big drinker prior to surgery, I always had a water bottle and I would say I gulped big time. I learned early out to sip from those little cups. I had to remind myself to drink. I would set the microwave every 30 minutes so I would remember to drink.
Now for the after surgery and all. It has been remarkable. I would have to say I was (always will be) a food addict. But, I don't have the problems I had prior to surgery. I would eat 2-3 maybe more Little Debbies every night, now it just is not an option, nor is it important to me. I no longer miss the food, not to say that I won't in the future. I can go out to eat and I do just fine. We have gone numerous times and it is so funny cuz the waiters think something is wrong with my food. I just have no desire to eat like I did, nor can I.
I am having a lot of WOW moments and they are great. This whole journey has just been incrediable. I applaud you for taking the step to a healthy you.
Remember, stay positive!!!!!!
Let us know how you do.
Jodi
hi Chad, well i'll give u my two cents,,,,, first, you stated your oxygen level was 88? i hope that wasn't right , it should be 98, surgery is scary for anyone , whether you had it never,once or 50times, i cried when i had to have my gallbladder out(and im a nurse) . i just don't like the feeling of groogy after surgery... The gastric bypass was a breeze for me, I didn't have much pain at all.. I had a localized pump at the incision site, that cut alot of the pain... walking after surgery is so important.... prevents clots formation, gets rid of gas, prevents pneumonia also... Prayer is the answer, and a good surgeon also... good luck,, rhonda
I'm about 3 1/2 months out.
I'm concerned for your sleep apnea. Because I do have sleep apnea and if it hasn't been diagnosed you may have trouble in the hospital. I'm not trying to be an alarmist, but there is a forum for sleep apnea and to be honest reading some posts on there made me use my machine.
At first in the hospital I was fighting them on my machine because it wasn't working properly. They put me on oxygen and I had a wonderful resp tech who fixed it and put me on my machine.
As far as the pain goes I had more trouble with nausea from the anesthesia.
I also chug water and I did sip at first. In my case I found a straw worked wonders for teaching me to sip. Now I tend to chug again. So far I've had no problems with that.
Congratulations on your surgery on Wednesday you will do great. Your blood pressure sounds wonderful. I tend to have a great blood pressure too even though I was almost 500 lbs.
Hi....welcome and good luck on your surgery!
I'm sure you will do fine!
I'm pretty pain tolerate so I don't think the surgery hurt much at all! Execpt day of surgery. MY MY MY i thought I'd been hit with a big mack truck. And the gas pain in my left shoulder hurt the worst! I threw up constantly the first day all of the blood in my tummy and that hurt. Otherwise, I don't think it was bad.
You can read my profile, I have details on there about the surgery. At this point I'm not really wanting to eat or drink much. I do like my water and juice, but protein, I'M TIRED OF IT!!!
I'm sure you will be great!
Keep your head up....stay positive and strong and let us know how you do!!!
Take Care
Christie
340/290/170
well chad,,
I am a lil late responding and definitly not a vet of the surgery but I can tell you my experience,, I did have a slight complication that was my issue , had nothing to do with the doc,
Now as far as pain, I am with you a big wimp, although the funny thing is I seem to have a VERY high tolerence for it,, I was on the demerol pump but since I was confused about how often I could use it , I ended up not using it much,, Demoral didn't seem to work for me as much as torrodal did,, As far as the feeling ,, the way I explained it to people is,,, you know when you skid you knee and it gets a scab and then when you bend the scab it hurts the first few times and then your fine,, thats how it was for me,, it hurt the first time getting up,, it was like I was stiff as hell,, but after that and a lil moving I was fine and the nurses were amazed I was the same person, Just remember to walk walk, I agree with the others,, also if you start feeling even a lil pain, ask for something, the more it builds up the harder it is to control,,
As far as nausea,,, I didn't have any in the hospital,, in fact I didn't have any the first 2 weeks and I thought something was wrong with me,, Although immed. after coming out of surgery I did ask that they give me phenergen just in case and that obviously helped ,,
As far as the sipping,, I didn't used to love water in fact I HATED IT,, I was a huge Dr. Pepper fan,, people joked I had that running through my veins instead of blood,, I am on alot of meds and ALWAYS thirsty so I would always be drinking,, and after you do have to learn to sip, which I agree with diane , try a straw,, or what I did is brought home some of the med cups they gave me and learned to drink from those,, its not that big of a sip anyway,, It sucks at first b/c I was sooo thirsty but in no time I was able to gulp , which again surprised me,,, and I now LOVE water,,
I do have to say the surgery was the easy part for me, the learning to get used to this new baby stomach is tough,, or it was the first 2 weeks,, but now I am getting used to it, and know what I can and can't do,, also I know when my body is saying "Ashleigh , you fat azz stop or you'll be sorry" lol ,, at first I tested it and of course failed!!!!! But you live and learn
I actually did wonderfully the first 2 weeks , it wasn't until my 2-3 week that I started having prob's and that was b/c of some scar tissue,, I am now on the road to doing good again,,
I beleive the surgery is different for everyone,, Since all I did before the surgery was eat and eat, I didnt work or anything, the emontional part was the hardest for me the first 2 weeks,, But don't forget you can come on here anytime and also make sure you have a great support system!!
Chad,
I am almost a year out and I had not had any prior surgeries. I was scared at first but once they knock you out you don't care anymore. LOL.
Avoid baby food. It does not have enough pro. I made a hard boiled egg with a little MS. Dash and put it into the food processor with 2 tsp. of mayo. Worked wonders.
At first make your sips small until you learn to judge your pouch. It took me awhile to do that.
As far as when you get solid food back, be careful. I got sick a lot. If it was too dry, or too big a tiny bite it all came back up and it took me almost 4 hours to get to eat again.
HARDEST THING: balancing your eating and your drinking. Time managment is all I got to say.
If you need contact me.
Sarah