SURGERY TOMORROW!!!

Ok fellas, I am new but I plan on being fairly active on OH. I will be having RNY tomorrow! If there is ANYTHING you guys can tell me that will help me to prepare for the upcoming changes I AM ALL EARS!!! Hope to hear from you guys soon!

I am 33 my current weight is 375( as of 11/21/13)

Ok, first couple of things to note:

Ask for pain meds EARLY and OFTEN!!  Don't get behind the curve, I let mine get out of control and it was a LONG miserable 30 minutes for the next round to kick in and help me out.  If they will give you meds every 4 hours, then watch the clock and start asking at 3:45 so they are waiting on you.

WALK... we do laps around the unit at my surgery place, it really helps work out the gas they pump in you during surgery.  This allows it to move up and out...

Bring a pillow to hold against your tummy on the ride home...helps "brace" everything and yet you will still feel every bump....

Prepare yourself, you will GAIN 10 pounds or so possibly in the hospital!!  Those bags / IV are about 5 pounds each and they give you about 3-4 per day... you will not pee that much back out.  I lost that 10 pounds over the next week or so and then more...

Sip sip sip....get your fluids in as much as you can the first week or two.  Those are the hardest times, same for protein, takes a while before I hit the numbers I was supposed to...

AND finally...

Welcome to the losers bench... I started within 20 pounds of where you are now.  I am wearing size 34 jeans, medium shirts, and just ran a full 26.2 mile marathon 3 weeks ago.. buck up son (or ICE UP, SON as Smitty says) the ride is gonna be out of this world

Sam

Thanks Sam!!! I'm ready for it all, the ups, downs, highs and lows!!! I look forward to getting all the advice you guys will give. I am sure it will help!

Hi Glenncerise-I agree with all that Sam said. I would also folllow the staff and doctors orders, they are the most knowldegable of what you need to do.

I started at 346, now am at 200, went from 46 pants to 34, XXXL  shirts to Large, exercise to include running 5ks, 10ks, 5 milers, and even 1 1/2 marathon.

Best of Luck!!

Thanks Bill. I was wondering at about what rate should I expect to lose weight? Were there things that you guys did to speed up the process?

Hey Glenn!

Glad to see you found us!

Get ready for ONE HELL OF A RIDE!  That is no joke.  You going to ride highs that would raise the Titanic and you're going to hit valleys that make the Grand Canyon look like a smile line on your face.  Men ain't used to having PMS type symptoms from the hormones going bat **** crazy.  Cry at the drop of a hat and want to beat the crap out of somebody over something trivial.  The highs from doing things you never have done before because of your size are incredible!  When was the last time you bought blue jeans off the rack at Wal-Mart?  Flew without a seatbelt extender?  Not bust your knees on the toilet paper dispenser?  Fit in a booth at a restaurant?  Riding amusement park rides?  Reach down between the car seat and the door to pick up something and not have your hand get stuck?  Having your sig other or kids get their arms around you?  Taking a leak and being able to find your junk to pee without sitting down!  You see where I'm going with all this?  All of us have gone through MAJOR life changes because of the WLS journey.  52-54 pants to 34-36's depending on the cut.  XL or XXL shirts to mediums.  I have maintained a 160 pound loss, 331 to 170, for over FIVE YEARS!  Doing things never done before and enjoying the hell out of it!  Sam ran his first Marathon a few weeks ago.  Others do 5 and 10K races.  I went zipling in Alaska a few months ago.  There is a lot of things that are common on the journey for both sexes but this is a Men's Board where we can be honest and open about how we are affected.  Long as you come with a prostate you are welcome.  We don't go into how surgery affects our periods, birth control and our boobs getting saggy. 

I'll get off the soapbox and give you my five best pieces of advise:

1.  Chew, chew, chew.

2.  Sip, sip, sip. 

3.  Walk, walk, walk.

4.  Any problems - CALL YOUR DOCTOR!!

and numero cinco ............

Man I am truly greatful for all the support!!! You guys rock! #realtalk

Love what Don said...it is the most amazing journey you could imagine...Life as you know it will def change, little by slow!

Concerning weightloss...Men and younger women loose the weight the fastest.  Men have a larger muscle structure.  We can move more (generate more energy).  Younger women, take the same woman at 30 vs 50...She can move better at 30 (in general).  A few things in general in no special order.  Read the RNY Forum too.  We have knowledge, but you can find quick answers there also.  You won't be able to get in all your fluid and protein.  We know it, your doctor knows it.  Just try and do your best and you should be fine.  The incision near your belly button will hurt the most.  That is where they put the camera.  You will be climbing the walls (boredom) for the first few weeks....It gets better over time.  During your time off read about the signs of dehydration.  Dehydration is the # 1 reason RNY patients reenter the hospital...So remember the signs.  When you get to the puree stage look for egg, tuna, and chicken salad.  Ask in a few weeks what are good ideas for food here and at RNY Forum.  Sleep when and where you can; bed, floor, recliner, couch.  Use pillows in creative ways for that.  When allowed, milk can count for both protein and fluid.  It will be hard to find a good protein shake (whey protein isolate).  Check around and see what other people are using and taste their's first before you spend a bundle on something you don't like.  

You will probably go into ketosis.  Your urine will be dark yellow and very smelly.  Your mouth will taste like lighter fluid...It's normal...Not good, but common with rapid weight loss.  Ask and we'll try to help when we can.  Try and make it to your local support group for the first year or so...Great source of info there.  Later, Brian

Hey!  Welcome aboard!

Get ready to lose some serious weight.  I weighed 404 lbs on the day of surgery, October 28, 2010.  Over the next 9 months, I lost 175 lbs just sitting on my arse doing nothing at all.  Finished off the next 25 lbs mountain climbing in the White Mountains of NH over the next 4 months.  At three years out, I am still mountaineering, and still down under 200 lbs (195 or so, depending on the day).

You can expect the weight to drop off as you really won't be eating much.  Undoubtedly you will be eating few carbohydrates in the  first months after surgery, so you will likely enter a state of ketosis and really burn fat at an accelerated rate.  Your initial weight loss will slow  as your body mass drops and as you eat more when your gut heals.  This is by design.  You will eventually find equilibrium and your weight will stabilize.

Don't believe the trash-talk you hear about regain and the "end of the malabsorbtion".  Your surgery is permanent.  Your body will obey the laws of physics.  Just assume you absorb 100% of the calories you eat.  Then only eat what you need; let the scale be your guide.  If you gain, cut back.  You will find it much, much easier to do post-op.  Your metabolism will be reset by RNY.  This is as much brain surgery as it is gastric.  Your brain will never be the same afterward.

If you really want to accelerate things, find some sport you really love to do and do it with all your strength.  That way you will enjoy exercise and want to do it.

So how did things go?  Are you home?