Approved for surgery OCT 8, 2020, and have post op questions

Hello, my soon-to-be fellow DSers. I've been working toward the surgery since November and insurance finally approved it last week. 10 days until surgery and I wanted to reach out about your experiences.

My first question is the pain after surgery. I had my gallbladder removal 9 years ago and made it thru with Tylenol afterwards. The prescribed opioid made me dizzy and, therefore, quite nauseous then.

My first question is, how painful is the recovery period and for about how many days is it severe?

My second question is, how long before you felt ready to go back to work full-time?

Thank you and I am glad I made the decision for the DS surgery. Just want to know from others who have actually gone through the procedure.

--Wendy916

the pain shouldn't be any worse than what you had with the gallbladder surgery.

Hi Wendy. My DS was done laparoscopic. Honestly there wasn't any pain (that I recall). I don't think I took the pain meds prescribed for more than a day or 2 (I hate pain meds). I actually had to remind myself I had just had MAJOR surgery.

I took a month off work. By week 3, I was feeling pretty good. Went back part time for a couple of weeks. You don't realize how exhausting it is to get up, shower, get dressed and ready for work, commute, etc. I have a desk job and the part time really helped ease back in.

To be honest, the hardest part is just learning everything new. Eating, drinking, taking vitamins, tracking what you're eating, etc. IMHO this is critical and why you shouldn't be in a rush to get on with your life.

Until you do it, you can't wrap your brain around eating 1 or 2 ounces of food and being full. Just eating or drinking takes effort and concentration.

One milestone that might help - I had my surgery in February and in May the doctor gave me the approval to start exercising - lightly at first and then ultimately lifting weights and more strenuous workouts. Walk as soon as you can - even if it's just around your house, neighborhood, grocery store, mall. Best exercise for healing.

Remember that the DS is a marathon, not a sprint.

I had very little pain after surgery. I was on the pain pump for one day, but up and walking most of the time. I had surgery on a Tuesday, went home on Thursday, and was driving and doing light housework by the weekend.

i went back to work at a desk job on Monday. I had taken six weeks of paid sick leave, but felt fine and bored not working. I have had dental work that was worse than weight loss surgery.

Of course everyone is different. The biggest nuisance for me was staying hydrated. I had to sip about one ounce every 15 minutes. I got dehydrated while sleeping so kep****er next to the bed and kept getting up and sipping during the night for a few days.

Remember to sip, sip, sip, and to get up and move at least once every half hour to keep your system from forming a blood clot.