Approved for RNY but have questions.

There is a wide range of experiences.some have more pain, some less. Some tolerate pain better than others. Some have bad nausea, some don't. Some drink like normal, others have a hard time.

Anyway, you can see where I'm going.

Most likely, you'll feel like poo for a couple of days. It's major surgery! But every day you'll feel better, and before you know it, it will be a distant memory.

The risks are about the same as other common surgeries, like gallbladder removal or an appendectomy.

What you MUST do after surgery, particularly yhe first few weeks? Walk. They'll start you walking on day one. One complication from ANY surgery is blood clots, and the best thing you can do for yhat is walk. Every hour or two, get up and walk a little.

And DRINK. Not drinking makes everything worse. You'll be more tired, more nauseous, more overall crappy. Dehydration is the number one cause for readmittance to the hospital. It's completely avoidable. As I said, some people can drink normally right away. For most it takes 2 or 3 weeks. Just sip all day if you need to. Find a way. It's really important.

Good luck. Really, you'll be fine.

All of the advice you have been given is correct.

I worried about everything. When I woke up from surgery I realized it had been a lot of needless worry. I really did not feel any different than before surgery. I had a pain pump for a day. I did as much walking as I could and the rest of the time I slept.

I had surgery on Tuesday, went home on Thursday and back to work on the following Monday. I told the people at work I had gallbladder surgery. Then I wondered what I would say if I had to actually get gallbladder surgery.

I have sometimes been good about vitamins but sometimes get non-compliant. I had no deficiencies for six years. I used to eat a lot of meat and stopped about two or three years ago. As a result my iron levels went down. I now take iron capsules, which I did not take when I ate a lot of meat.

I have never missed yearly labs. One year I did not insurance to cover them and I paid over $1000 out of my pocket to be sure everything was good.

It is totally normal to have these concerns and feelings!!

For myself, I have had discomfort, not much pain. I only take my Tylenol #3 at night before bed to help with sleep.

I had my surgery this Monday and was home on Tuesday afternoon, and I had a revision from band to bypass:-)

WALK....WALK....WALK!!! I was up within an hour after surgery walking and it helps! I use a pillow to support my tummy with coughing and deep breathing....it's a must:)

As far as risks, there are risks with every surgery or procedure. Pray and Trust in God.

Good luck, you can do this!!!

this has really become a routine surgery - it's been around a long time, techniques have improved over the years, and many, many are performed every day. My surgeon said it was no more risky than having your gall bladder out. And it's safer than having a hip replacement. The mortality rate, according to my surgeon, is 0.3%. That means 99.7% of people pull through just fine. You have excellent odds!

I really had no pain at all other than sore abs that made it a bit hard to get out of bed the first few days. I never took the pain killer I was sent home with. But like others have said, that varies widely.

From what I've read, vitamin deficiency is rare if you keep on top of your vitamins (it can happen, but it's not common). Most people who have trouble with deficiencies aren't very compliant. So just keep on top of it....

Sora, everyone is different when it comes to their surgery experience. First off, I had open RNY 14 years ago and the pain was well controlled by my epidural that was used during my hospital stay and then vicodin after I was discharged. I would just suggest that you stay on top of your pain meds during the first few weeks and wean off as you can. Everyday, you will see improvement daily in both your pain and your ability to walk and move around.

As for vitamin deficiency......I have a major deficiency, all vitamins are deficient. That being said, I have to state that during the last few years, I slacked on my vitamins and that was the result. It was my fault for not being totally compliant. There are some great choices in vitamins now, so you don't have to worry about taking so many vitamins and feeling too full to eat like I did during the first few years post op. Don't think that you will be able to gain full nutrients from food with this surgery, you will need to take your vitamins, regularly. If you do, you won't have to worry about deficiency at all.

As for mortality rates, over all I think that the rate is less than 1%. Anxiety can play a huge factor in how we react to things prior to and just after surgery, but rest assured you will be fine. Get up and walk as soon as you can after surgery and keep walking!!! Follow your surgeons post op diet and stick with your support network here on OH and attend support groups. Exercise is just as important post op to assist in weight loss. That is one thing I did not do as much as I would have liked and is the only thing I would change about my WLS experience!

Best wishes,

Nik