Question:
My husband is interested, me too, in knowing what to expect post op?

Hello all! My husband has a good question...what should he expect the first few weeks post op? I, too, am wondering. My question is how will I feel, nauseated, tired, exhausted, cranky, moody. Will I feel too ill to get up? I do have the diet that my surgeon prescribes. How much sleep is normal postop, the first week, second week, third week, fourth week, fifth week and sixth week. I am having open rny. I do currently exercise daily, walk on a treadmill from about 10 mins. to 30 mins. I am having surgery May 9. Thank you for any advice and/or suggestions. Have a GREAT weekend. Mary    — Mary B. (posted on March 31, 2001)

March 31, 2001
I also had open rny. The first three weeks or so you will not feel well at all. The first two weeks you're drugged to the gills. You have alot of muscle pain & incisional pain. You're very weak. Once you come off the narcotics, you feel better. You will sleep alot. As long as I was on the narcotics, I could barely keep my eyes open and slept most of the time. I had to sleep upright in a recliner for almost a month. I am 3 months post op and just recently began exercsing although I could have much sooner - it's been very cold. Best of luck to you.
   — Lisa B.

March 31, 2001
Here are the things I wish I had known before open RNY surgery 6/23/00: 1) Once home and out of the hospital bed the most difficult thing I had to do was sit up and lay down. I really recommend a wedge pillow to elevate your upper body to make it easier to get up and down. Some people recommend sleeping in a lay-z-boy for the first week or so. (I had open RNY so it may not be as necessary for you.) 2) I stocked up on tons of applesauce, sugar-free Jell-O/pudding and Gatorade but really wasn't interested in eating very much. To this day I hope to never have to eat another Jell-O! I enjoyed the sugar free popsicles from the get-go. 3) Week one I had clear soups (chicken won-ton, chicken noodle, beef and chicken broth, beef with veggies and broccoli (strained first)) and week two I was allowed creamy soups (cream of chicken, split pea with ham/bacon, cream of potato and onion) and the like. After week two I was totally tired of every kind of soup Campbell's makes so I branched out to local delis and their soups du jour! Just a hint that for me after week three the Olive Gardens pasta fagioli (sp?) was the BEST and a take-out cup lasted three meals! **Don't be discouraged if you try to eat something and it doesn't agree, it may be fine next week. I practiced the new baby method of eating. One or two bites of a new food, wait 10 mins to see how I tolerate. Only one new food at a time so I know what to avoid. ***If you have a bad reaction to something DO NOT try to wash it down with water, it will make the pain in your chest worse! Just try and belch. It may take a while but that really is all you can do, twice instead of belching I spit up but it was not awful like normal throwing up (no acid taste, just spit) and the pain stopped immediately. I am not trying to scare you but I really wish I had known this before it happened to me the first time. I am VERY happy to report that it has not happened again since about week four! 4) I don't know if your doctor makes you get up and walk every two hours after surgery but mine did and it really helps. I did not have even one complication and I am convinced that it is because I got up every two hours for the first few days and walked around. My dr. says that the walking prevents blood clots and makes you breath deeper preventing pneumonia. 5) You don't really have to worry about losing your hair until a few months after surgery. The protein shake I use is from GNC and is called the "shake of life". It is a little pricey but when you see the high vitamins and protein and very low sugar content, I think it's worth it. I do not follow the directions because it tastes terrible to me if you mix it the way they say to. The official directions are to mix two scoops with 8-10oz of water - yuck- but if you mix one scoop with 8oz of Gatorade it tastes pretty good, I do this in the am and pm so that I get my two scoops a day. So far I have not had any hair loss or vitamin deficiency. Update: Ultra Pure-Pro is a protein drink that supposedly tastes like Kool-aid, I have ordered from www.vitalady.com and will let you know! Another UPDATE: Shake of life comes in pill form and now that I am over 6 month post-op I am taking the pill instead of the shake. 6) Vitamins. Every morning (first thing on an empty stomach) I take a chewable pre-natal vitamin (Dr. gave prescription - they are called Natachews) and during the day (one of each when I get to work and again when I leave work) I take two calciums (calcium citrate)and two vitamin C's. I know it seems like a lot but I am healthy and feel really great! I am even growing fingernails! 7) Pooping. Well let's just say it, the first couple of weeks it is liquid-in and liquid-out. I swear that I was pooping Gatorade for a while there. I know it sounds gross but it was not uncomfortable like diarrhea. I would feel like I needed to poop and out would come Gatorade. Whatever! I am now 9 weeks post and the pooping is perfectly normal. 8) DO NOT get on a scale except at Dr. appointments. At first I was on the scale all the time, I threw the thing away. No matter what the scale said it was either too much or too little, I see the Dr every 3-5 weeks and that is plenty! (I do go in and weigh at his office the day before support group meetings so I can accurately report my loss since surgery. 9) Water-water-water and walk-walk-walk, that is what is helping me now! You probably think I'm a nut but I promise that my surgery was totally worth it!
   — Andrea P.

March 31, 2001
I had a lap RNY on a Thursday and by Saturday I was feeling great....I know that open is different but it also depends on how you feel now and how fast you recover. I also had a C-section and recovered from that in a couple of days. If you have a postive outlook then you will have a positive result. Good Luck...
   — [Anonymous]

March 31, 2001
The most important thing to understand is that everyone is different. I think that because you have been exercising you may have a little easier time recovering than those who don't. In the hospital you are encouraged to walk -- don't stop when you get home! You will be tired and will need to rest a lot, but it is important to get up and at least walk around the house every hour or so. I had to do most of my walking in the house because I live in Phoenix and my surgery was during the summer! I did walk outside in the early morning and late evening with my husband and found I could go a little farther each time. Many people feel depressed after this surgery - after all you've been through a major procedure, feel like crap and on top of that you've lost your best friend - food. This is normal so don't let it scare you. Spend time in the chat room here or talking with others who have had the surgery. They can help you if you're having a rough time. One of the key things to learn is to listen to your body. If you're tired then you need to rest, if you are starting to feel full then you need to stop eating. My surgery was 7 months ago and I almost can't remember what the post-op stage was like. Open RNY 8-31-00 and -102 lbs.
   — georgiacarol

March 31, 2001
Mary, it sounds like you already have a wonderful support partner already. That is so wonderful. First off for your hubby, Your wifes eating habits will change drastricly forever. in the beginning she will eat small bites/portions, and chew chew chew/ her meals will need to stretch over a 30-45 mins period. and her portions will be very small. So dont panic and overeat thinking you are helping her. Believe me she will only eat what she needs and be so full so fast. I wanted to share that Sam had a difficult time at first because he felt sorry for me having to eat like a baby which i did, I had a baby spoon, and I cut my meat in to tiny tiny pieces, and I mashed my green beans, peas, baked pototoes, and took small bites. He would finish his dinner and I am still eating, He and I never really relise how fast i used to eat, or rather how fast all PEOPLE eat until we have this surgery. Now I speak up and say "Forks down " and everyone puts down there fork and we chat for a few minutes and than go back to eating. We kinda do it as a game now and it helps me to slow down and not eat fast. Believe me the pain and getting sick is awful if I eat to fast, or to much. Also sometimes it will help if he rubs my back and burpes me, this help with the air and food mixture in my stomach, to releieve some pressure. My spouse is very supportive and when we go out to dinner he will make sure I am satified with everything and he will wisper in my ear to me to "Eat slow" as he kisses me. I need this reminder because after 39 years of racing to see who can finish first or eat the most is the hardest habit to change. My first week home Sam had to help me in the shower because I couldnt bend to wash down below or dry off, than I couldnt put my under clothes on so he was a big help for me with this one. when I droped something I couldnt pick it up and he would get mad if i even attemped to do so. He crushed my pain meds, and mixed up my protein mix and got me my vitamins. sometimes when you are on pain meds you tend to sleep alot and will forget when you last took meds so was helpful too. In my first 3 weeks I felt like doing nothing and did nothing other than get up shower, dress myself and chill out. I couldnt go shopping, or do any chorse, I did sleep alot. On my good days I did walk outside some, but not really until after my 6 weeks, It took me a little longer to get my strenght back and up to par. Everyone is different here. Some people bounce back in a couple of days -2 weeks, some took a little longer. Sam never forced me into anything that I was not able to handle or do. After 2 weeks we were able to have Sex again only took our time and he was very gentle. He wanted me to heal 100%. Even though the Doctor said no bowling for 2 months Sam wanted me to take off the rest of the season which I did. I will start back the middle of May. You will do wonderful it is good to know that your hubby is there to support you for you will need him. He will need to go to the grocery store and get a few things, and do the laundry if you dont have anyone else available to help out. you cant do any lifting at all........Hang in there and I pray you have a success surgery DREAMS DO COME TRUE FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVES Jay Biller
   — jay B.