Help me, I'm a newbie!

Hi everyone, I am still in the beginning of my WLS journey, I have my appointments all lined up for the month and am working on losing my 10% EBW. What I am wondering about that I don't see many posts on, is the discomfort of the procedure. Are you in a great deal of pain afterwards? I am not a wimp, I have had two kids but what is the pain like? How long until I can go back to work waitressing, or pick up my kids? I am sure this is all stuff my surgeon will let me know but I don't meet with him for close to a month. And as far as the off limits beverages, I know carbonated beverages aren't allowed but is that a permanant thing? I drink Caffeine free diet coke. How bad could that be?

Hi Heidi, welcome to this amazing journey. I had lap RNY in March - almost 8 months ago - and have lost 104 pounds. I am 55 years old. I had the surgery on Monday afternoon around 4:00 p.m. and went home around 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. They give you a morphine pump after surgery, but I used very little of it - in fact when I left the nurse said she had never seen anyone use so little of it! They disconnected the morphine on Tuesday morning. I was up walking around 10:00 Monday night after surgery. The more you walk, the sooner you get better I do believe! I never had any pain medicine once I got home...yes I got the prescription filled, but never used it. I went back to work 2 weeks after I had the surgery. The pain is very minimul - as I think most people would tell you. You do have some gas pains a few days after surgery - but then everybody does after any type of surgery. If I remember correctly they don't want you to lift anything over 15 pounds for about a month. After about a week I was getting stir crazy at home and was ready to get on with the daily things. Some people get back faster than others. But at 55 - I think I recovered very quickly and you are obviously younger so you should do good. As for carbonated drinks, most programs disapprove of it - the carbonation is not good for your pouch. I was a diet drink junkie before surgery and haven't had a carbonated drink since last January. There have been a few times I think I miss it, but for the most part I do not. You can do without it when you reinforce your thought processes with the fact you are going to be so much smaller and healthier. If you had to swap diet cokes for a new small body - that isn't a bad trade!!! Anyway, good luck to you and once you find your surgery date, there is a forum on here for the month of your surgery. Check out the March 2006 forum sometime and you can see how our daily postings go. We have all formed a neat friendship based on our taking the journey the same time! Go to all the support group meetings you can - they give you lots of information. Barbara

wow,you had a great recovery!!!welcome heidi,good luck with you appointment!i on the other hand had lots of pain!i taped down my button on the pain pump!!and after my pain meds ran out at home,i got a refill!!getting out of bed for me the first couple of times hurt so bad,i cannot describe it.i have had csections,and this is far worse in my opinion!i fooled myself for sure thikning it was going to be a breeze.portsmouth hospital was so wonderful,dr.looser and dr.gens were the best!even though i had a tough recovery and spent seven days in the hospital due to a lung infection,looking back it all passed by so fast and i would do it again in a minute!i have little ones at home too,and barely any help.i just managed somehow.they tell you not to lift things until 6 weeks post-op,but i know my limits,plus i had to take care of my kids,so i often lifted my son the best i could,but only if i absoloutly had to!i wish you the best recovery possible!!just remember everyone is different!jennifer

Hi Heidi - congratulations on beginning your WLS journey. My experience was much like Barbara's....relatively pain-free. My surgery was on Tuesday, April 4, 2006, and I went home on Thursday, April 6. I did not use the pain medication pump in the hospital and although I did fill my prescription for pain meds when I got home, I didn't take any. I went back to work for 4-5 hours a day two weeks after surgery and three weeks after surgery I was back fulltime. No lifting for at least 6 weeks!!! I'm 50 years old and thought I recovered very quickly. I have lost 91 pounds and am now just 15 pounds from my goal of 140. Of course, every surgery is different and your experience may be very different. I wish you the best!! Warm regards, Bonnie