Calling all Sleeve LW's.......

Amy (Blueskyday) just had VSG surgery and since I had RNY, I don't know much about what she will experience in her recovery.  I was hoping you might help Amy out by posting any helpful tips that will make this first week go smoothly for her.
Thank you!
Kathy

I think a lot of the first few weeks are very similar to RNY from what I"ve read... the usual sip sip sip walk walk walk, use a pillow to brace ab when getting up/down in/out of bed, take it EASY b/c you will feel good (if not the next day, then in a few days..) for just having major surgery and not realize half an organ is missing and your body is trying to heal..

And don't overdo things!! I kept hearing about people going shopping etc... 3 days post op so thought nothing of doing a buttload of laundry and going to Costco 5 days post-op, and paid for it dearly!! I pissed off my largest incision for a WHOLE WEEK with stinging pain on the skin surface (so i knew it wasn't internal that I upset), and had to go back on pain meds. Just because you 'feel good' doesn't mean everything's good, kwim?

Today marks 3wks for me and already it feels like a distant memory. You will come along great... just post if you have any questions! :)

Good luck!

Ouch! Thanks for the cautionary tale. Takeaway message:  TAKE IT EASY!
Glad you are doing well now.

 My biggest surprise was nausea. I wore a seasickness patch for almost four weeks and figured I was done. After 24 hours without it, I was miserable with nausea, so I refilled the prescription and am still wearing a patch. The nurse at my surgeon's office says VSG can cause nausea for 4-6 weeks. Hoping I am in the clear after 6 weeks.

Otherwise, sip, sip, sip, get in protein drinks. Be gentle. I took a daily nap for the first two weeks. Then one day I realized I had gone the whole day without one. Baby steps, but on a happy journey.

In addition to what the others said, she may like to have GasX strips. They helped me a lot. Also warm/room temp liquids seem to go down better than cold for many. I'm 9 days post-op, so this is pretty fresh for me. Water probably won't sit well. My surgeon's office told me that adding some lemon/lime juice to water can help it sit better. Otherwise, just staying with warm/hot herbal teas, broths, etc. can help her get the fluids in. Oh, and tell her not to worry about the protein right after surgery! Her stomach will be swollen, and she may not be able to get the full 60-80g protein, but that's ok. Fluids are more important. Oh, and something that happened to me that may or may not happen to her: I developed a lot of phlegm and mucus deep in my chest and lost my voice for a couple days. Chest colds were going around, so I thought that was what it was. The surgeon's office told me that the excess acid in the stomach can cause this (it takes a while for the stomach to realize it doesn't have to make acid for the big, old stomach), so I changed my PPI to twice a day and it's gotten better. My voice is back, too.

Give her my regards for a speedy and uneventful recovery! :) 

Abby

Thank you for the great advice and welcome to the loser's bench yourself! I must have missed you in the holiday hustle and bustle. I am assuming Amy will be reading these posts herself from her hospital bed!  I know she will appreciate this advice.
Kathy

Thank you! :) It's my pleasure to offer my experience in hopes it will help someone else. :) I've had some ups and downs post-op, mostly of the, "WHAT DID I JUST DO?!!!" variety. It gets easier every day.

BTW, I'm in MN, too! 

Abby

Where in MN?  I'm just west of Minneapolis.

I'm in St. Paul!

Heather (IR8dateu) is pretty close by and a couple of others too. We have been discussing getting together, but you joining is the clincher.  We just HAVE TO now!  How exciting!