first days home questions.

ok..here is the question. The wife is a bit put off by my scheduling the surgery at the first opertunity, rather than checking her schedule first! How bad were the first days home from surgery? Pain can be an issue, etc...what about needing help, getting up, walking, getting a drink, etc...can you do it alone, is the help needed round the clock??? Thanks pals, Ken...one week to go!! SOON TO BE SKINNY KENNY

I am 4 weeks out.  The first few days were not too bad.  I needed most help with getting up from a flat laying position.  and tying my shoes.   It was not constant help needed.  But everybody is different.  

Of course there is a range of possibilities, but for me, LAP RNY, I was pretty pathetic for about a day and a half, in the hospital, partly from the incisions but mostly from the drugs.  Needed help unless I was standing upright, didn't even care if my privates hung out getting out of bed for my whole family to see, just wanted to get to the bathroom, pee, get back in bed, etc.  But two days after surgery I was home and pretty much didn't need anyone for anything.  My parents stayed with me for three more days but they mostly just sat in my living room and read books.  Mom may have cooked some food and cleaned a bit, and Dad went on my walks around the neighborhood with me, but I don't recall either of them physically helping _me_ do anything.

I was pretty bad off on surgery day, because they made me lay there with the G-suit boots kicking in every 15 seconds for 24 hours. I wanted to get up and walk.

Went back to work after four days (deskwork only). Really depends on your sensitivity level (mine is low) and how "macho "you are (I worked out 10 hours a week while MO pre-op). Also depends on your doc. Mine said I was perfectly fine to jog and swim after 7 days and life weights after 14.

Dave

 

I must be part of te rare 1%. My surgery was at 7AM, by 6 PM that night I was standing on my feet ( was helped up by the nurse) and was walking back and fourth in my room. Over the next 36 hours in the hospital I was up a total of 10 times walking the halls. The last 6 times I was getting out of bed on my own. I was released Sat morning, my operation was Thursday morning. My GF drove home, well not home as we went to Wally world and Target and shopped for well over 2 hours. By Sunday I was driving. At night time I took 2 tablespoons of the Hydrocodone, but only for the first 2 days. 6 days later I had my drains out and the very next day I mowed my lawn with my push mower which took about 60 minutes. I even shopped and bought my 50" 1080P while I had my drains in. A friend helped me carry it in the house and put it on a stand. Now, granted this was Monday after my surgery so Tuesday I was a little soar on the side where the did most of the work, but it was gone in 24 hours.  If it wasn't for the 2 drains I would have went back to work on Tuesday or Wedneday (desk job). But becuase the drains semi restrict what you do I opted to play my PS3 on my new 50" plasma for the week. 2 days after my drains were pulled I had sushi with wasabi (4 peices of ahi), over the weekend I went to Red Lobster and another fish joint. I had my surgery on 8/30/07, I am now walking EVERY day for 30 minutes at a very fast past with half my walk going striaght up a 1/8 mile hill. My sleep Dr. already has turned my Cpap down from a 15 to 10 and wants me in when I hit the 10 pound mark to evaluate if I even need it anymore, chances are I won't. Now that the pressure has been turned down, I am sleeping so much better, the last week with it at 15 it was troublesome in the middle of the night. In just 20 days I know have on a pair of pants I haven't worn in nearly 6 years (thank god I didn't throw out my clothes from my 70 pound loss 7 years ago), I have to go buy new belts at lunch today, cause the belt I am wearing that I never wore before because it was too small is now just too big... This journey.... Rather my new life.... is a blast!!! Enjoy the ride...  Real quick funny... I took 1.5 weeks of vacation time off (but could have come back if it wasn't for the drains on Tues.) looked at me when I got back and said the changes already are drastic. The second looks I am getting and the "whats different about him look" are really cool. Get to the other side as fast as you can. I stalled my surgery date for 2 months due to 3 trips I had planned. I regret doing that, I could be approaching my 3 month window, not my 1 month window... She is your wife, she will deal with it. Enjoy!

My wife stayed home with me one day. I really didn't need her though. I let her bring me things and such, so she didn't feel like she stayed home for nothing. I think a lot of it would depend on how much you are able to do now.  I was a little sore after surgery and slept a few days in the recliner because it was easier to get out of. I could have went back to work after one week, but took two because it was in Dec. and if I didn't take it they were going to pay me for it at the end of the year any way.  In the hospital I was up and walking in about two hours after getting in my room and I tried to get up and walk about ever hour or so. Don't be afraid to use the pain meds, I thinki that was another thing that helped me to be able to get up and moving. I was told by the staff that I was going to wear a path in the floor, each trip I tried to go alittle farther. I really think it made my recovery a lot easier.  It was good having my wife aroud in the hospital. She was a big help in the first few hours, with IV's and the pole they hang on it would been a little more difficult for me to manage every thing on my own. She helped me get up and down and put on some PJ's and out of the gown and just helped with the little things that aren't so little just after surgery.  As Dx would say your milage may vary. pan head

Panhead, you brought up a good point there, that I didn't think to ask my doc. Was your hospital pretty good about letting you get back in your own clothes? Since mine is going to be open RNY, they're planning 4 days total for me to be in.  I don't want to be in that friggin nightgown.. LOL.  I'm hoping they'll let me get in my own undies, and at least some shorts or a long nightshirt or something. Dale

Kenny, its a bit winded but here goes:  I had Lap Band surgery last Friday and due to some complications, I was held overnight. Since I was under an additional hour, I was pretty "gassed" when I woke up. Dr said they restrained me as I was pretty combative. My wife stayed the night in the room with me, however I was feeling like garbage and they were telling me to get up and walk and I was refusing. I was still deep in anestesia heaven I guess. I finally managed a short walk when a nurse and my wife helped me. The next day was a bit better but I was still groggy. (how much of that stuff did they give me?) I went home that afternoon feeling a bit better but the gas pains came later on that night. My wife helped as much as she was able and I arrainged my stuff in my bedroom for easy access. I slept in a big comfy chair with plenty of pillows propped behind me and slept fitfully, even with the hydrocodone.  Sunday was the worst, between the gas pain, nausea, more gas, I didnt feel like drinking the required amount of fluids so I just sipped some. I wouldnt eat any jello either. About midway through the day I let one rip and almost immediately after that I began to feel better. All through the night I was walking and the bloat was really painful then I dosed on Hydrocodone, laid down and slept about 5 hours. When I woke up on Monday I felt great. I had caught up with some real sleep and passed much gas. After that It was night and day. Tuesday I went back to work, in an office capacity and now all I feel are the normal aches related to surgery.  Bottom line, each of us will react differently to pain. It was really helpful to have some willing to act as a gopher, rather than getting up and down every time. My wife was wonderful.  I would have to say that the gas pain was the worst of it.  Hope your surgery goes well and believe me, once you get through the first few days, its a great feeling.........Good Luck...Jeff