Need help from anyone who has had WLS

How did you feel for the first week after surgery? I will try not to drag this out but here is why I need to know.

I am going to my schedule for the beginning of June. (works best for the kids school and my work) I am traveling 3 hours away from my home in Arizona to San Diego California for my surgery. Since I am traveling from so far away I have to stay in the San Diego area for a week after surgery. My mom is flying in from Indianapolis to stay with the kids while I have the surgery and the two days I am in the hospital afterwards.  My surgeon said a lot of people who travel turn the week stay into a little vacation. I would love to take the kids to the zoo and do things with my mom for her two week visit but I am wondering if I would feel ok to do stuff like that.

How did you feel for the first week? Did you need lots of naps or were you ok? Thanks in advance for the help.

I had surgery three hours away from my home. I didn't stay in the town where I had surgery, though.  I stayed in the hospital one night and then went home.

I would not have felt like going to the zoo the first week after surgery.  About one week post op, I did go to the mall to walk for about 20 minutes, because it was too cold to walk outside.  I didn't need lots of naps, but I probably napped every day.  I rested a lot.  I also felt nauseous a lot.

Have you been to the San Diego Zoo?  That sucker is huge, with a ton of hills.  In fact, I am not sure they actually have any flat areas in the whole park.  And it could be dead hot when you are here.  Or, it could be completely overcast and rainy - San Diego weather is weird.

I felt great after surgery, and even walked 2 miles in the hospital on day (over 5 different "outings").  But there is no way I could do the Zoo.  Maybe if you were to get a wheelchair, or a motorized cart, then you could walk a bit, and ride a bit.  But you will be dead tired.  I went to work 7 days after surgery, but I still wouldn't be able to do the Zoo.  I don't think I could have done the Zoo until about 2+ weeks after surgery.  Lots of other things, yes, but not the Zoo.  There is Balboa Park, the beach, downtown, Coronado, etc. - they all have a lot of walking though.  If you can take it slow, and sit down often, and have your snacks, protein, water with you , you can do some stuff.  But you will be really, really tired.

By the way, who is your doctor?

RI'm going to Dr. Ellner. Her and the staff are wonderful!

I developed pneumonia right after surgery so I spent my first week postop in the hospital(slept for most of it). Even though I walked around I was not in the mood for more than that. I couldn't even handle babysitting(part-time job) the first few weeks postop after being discharged. I would not recommend the zoo or any long-term activity for the first few weeks. There is a good chance you'll exhaust yourself quickly. You probably won't be able to keep up with your kids because you won't have much energy. And yes I napped a lot the first month, probably every day. I hate to say it, but unless you're Super Woman you won't be doing much but resting, drinking water, and recovering.

Probably not.  Even with laparoscopic surgery with just a few small incisions, it is MAJOR internal surgery and you will be trying to heal while you are taking in almost NO nutrition the first couple of weeks. 

Even those who don't have much pain usually still don't feel up to doing vacation things like a zoo (even a regular one, let alone the SD zoo which, as someone else mentioned, is VERY hilly and a LOT of walking).  Do not expect to have a normal energy level.  Laying by the pool perhaps, but not the zoo, Sea World, etc..

Lora

No way u will b n pain sorry reallty check u need at least a wk to rest

I had my surgery done laparoscopic and I recall walking around hunched over a bit plus I dealt with back pain from the air they blow in during surgery.  I would be leery of doing anything to strenuous and long so soon after surgery.

Giselle

I am a little over a month out from surgery. I didn't have pain but I had no energy. I would fall asleep alot. So I don't think you will have the energy to do a lot of walking around. I did good just to do a little walking aroung my house.

I was tired alot and 2 weeks after surgery, I performed my sisters wedding. I was wiped out for the time I was at the wedding. I couldn't do hills (the ground was uneven and I had my pain medicine before the wedding and went home and took the medicine)