Question:
Post-op, Can You Help?

Hi, this is for post-ops. I am concern about a couple of things regarding my post-op. First is walking. Right now I can hardly walk from my desk to the bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen which all are very short distances, without my back hurting with this unbelievable excruciating pain. Not only that, but I can't breath, and am constantly trying to catch my breath when I walk even a short distance. I don't go anywhere anymore because of this, and when I do have to go shopping for food, I go to Wal-Mart and use their little golf carts. I am really concerned with walking after surgery. I don't want blood clots, but if I can't hardly walk now, how am I going to be able to walk after surgery. My second question is chewing food. I have been really trying hard to focus on chewing my food longer when I eat to prepare myself for after surgery. But I constantly am catching myself swallowing way before I should. Out of habit I guess. But I am afraid that I will do the same thing after surgery. Anyone else faced this problem, and how did you solve it? Thanks you, Edie [email protected] Open RNY Surgery Date: July 27, 1999 Dr. Baker/Little Rock, Arkansas Benefit Administrators/First Source $176 Month/Family Plan "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched...but are felt in the heart." Helen Keller    — Edie L. (posted on June 26, 1999)

June 26, 1999
Dear Edie: Hi, my name is Paula, and I hope to answer a couple of your questions. You mentioned that you have a hard time walking and that you are worried about walking after surgery. I am in a wheelchair for life, and I was never able to walk after surgery, not even a step. I realize that you are concerned, but most people the day after surgery, are out of bed. This is so important. Getting out of bed and just walking to the bathroom helps move the gas in your system. If you don't get out of bed and move, believe me, you will have major gas pain (my only problem). If you can get out of bed and walk to the bathroom, that is a start. Try really hard to get out of bed every couple of hours. The next trip out of bed, try to walk out in the hall in the hospital. Yes, you will be sore, but remember, if you can walk, this will help get rid of the gas, and you will get to go home sooner. The more you walk, the faster you will get to go home and heal. Your doctor will also give you medication to help you from getting blood clots, and you will be wearing special socks for this as well. A good surgeon knows all the tricks to prevent blood clots. As you lose the weight, it will become easier to walk. I have know several other people that have had this surgery, and could hardly walk because of their weight. They have lost 50 to 100 pounds now, and they are walking everywhere, and you can no longer hear them trying to catch their breath. Be patient with yourself. Just do a little at a time, it will come. As far as chewing, that also takes practice. Your doctor will tell you what kind of a diet he will have you on after surgery. Many doctors do a liquid diet for a time because your inside of your tummy is new, and it needs time to heal. Do what your doctor tells you to! Here are some tips on eating. Never be in a hurry when you eat. Don't try new food away from home. (trust me on this one) Buy a baby spoon and fork and use them, they are small, and you can't fit much on them. Do not drink any fluid thirty minutes before a meal, you must have room for your food. Don't drink during a meal, you need room for your meal. Don't drink twenty minutes after a meal, you need your food to stay in your pouch for as long as it can. CHEW CHEW CHEW!!! This is the big secret. Don't eat steak for a long time, (Hard to disgest) Between bites, put your spoon or fork down and chew. Don't be in a hurry! I hope this helps you. If you have other questions, please feel free to write. Sincerely, Paula in St.Pete [email protected] Paula Diviney, St. Pete, FL [email protected] Dr. Robert Marema - Holy Cross Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale Surgery date: April 24th, Silastic Ring Vertical Banded RNY Weight 334, Goal: Healthy 143 , Success via Walter Lindstrom
   — Paula D.

June 26, 1999
Edie.. First..the walking..I was on Oxygen 100% of the time pre op..I couldn't MOVE without being short of breath..even WITH the oxygen..my movement was VERY limited. I didn't get out of bed for 2 weeks after the surgery..because i couldn't..Fist off, i got pnemonia on the operating table (I aspirated) ..so i was in ICU ...the point I'm trying to make, is that that my doctor compensated..because he knew about the problems I had pre op..and he dealt with them. bigger doses of anti clotting stuff i would suppose...whatever it was..I honestly did NOT get up to walk till at least 2 weeks out...and, i had NO type of exercise until i had lost almost 100 pounds...I had Heart complications and wasnt released to do any exercise ...your doc can work around your dissabilities...don't let that hold you back. Now..the swallowing..it's gonna HURT if you swallow too big of bites and the negative re-enforcement of that makes you stop it REAL FAST!! Don't worry, unless you're into self torture..you'll get over that hurdle without even realizing it..e mail me is you have any other [email protected] De
   — Deanna D.

June 26, 1999
Hi Edie. I lived in Clinton, Arkansas from 1992 to 1997. I considered surgery by Dr. Baker, but I chickened out and waited another 5 years. Boy am I sorry now that I know what I know postop. As far as walking preop and postop, I too had a lot of trouble getting started walking but one day I just started, just a short distance. I was exhausted after 1/10 mile. The next day I did 1/10 mile and two steps. I kept this up and before you know it I was doing 3 miles FAST. You will be amazed how fast your leg muscles respond to walking and how much energy it gives you. (When you come back from the walk you are totally exhausted, but somehow, later in the day you notice energy where you never used to have it. The best way to walk I found out (after having wasted 3 weeks of walking) is to use ankle weights. 2 1/2 pound ankle weights on each leg will multiply your walk by 10!!! Seriously, there is something in the dynamics of lifting your leg with an extra 2 pounds at the end of it, that causes your upper thighs to get a workout 10 times more than just walking. By strengthening these muscles the most (as well as abdominals), you get instant results from your walk. I will not walk now without ankle weights. After one week of weights I felt like I could run and jump!!! It is truly amazing how fast you respond to them. Good luck. I encourage you to start with even the smallest distance you can muster. I walked vigorously 2 years before my surgery and had some muscle tone left from that experience, but as I was trying to get out of bed postop, I sat there cursing myself for not walking for the month before surgery, knowing full well what I was getting into.
   — Deborah L.

June 26, 1999
I am one week post op and am walking a mile a day so far. My doc wants me up to 3 mi per day after six weeks. I know what I have to do, so I am doing it. My back does not hurt as bad as it used to, and I have only lost about 10 pounds at this point. I find that when I am walking if I put my hands on my hips, my back does not hurt so much. About the food chewing. You will get used to it. Basically, if you don't chew the food well enough you will feel like crap, so that will MAKE you chew your food. It really is not that hard to chew food well. Just take small bites. I hope this helps a little. Lauri
   — Lauri B.

June 26, 1999
Trust me ... you'll walk! In the hospital you'll be on pain meds, and the nurses or other staff will probably come and get you and make you walk!! Even if you're in pain and short of breath you MUST take it slowly and walk ... even if it's only tiny distances at a time. I was in the same boat at 516 lbs pre op .. and I did it. You will too! As for chewing not well enough... well you will be on liquids, then pureed, then semi solids, and then real food ... if you're not chewing well enough once you hit semi-solids, you'll likely bringing things back up, because you're eating too fast, unless you enjoy throwing up, you'll learn in a pavlovian way to slow down and chew WELL!!! :) Might not be pleasant, but you will learn one way or another that you can no longer snarff down food. GOOD LUCK!!! :) You'll be fine as long as you concentrate on YOUR well being!!
   — Sherrie G.

June 26, 1999
The walking will happen, a little bit at a time, and you'll find it will get easier day to day. One day you'll realize you are walking everywhere with no more pain. For about four weeks after surgery grocery shopping totally wiped me out. I would come home exhausted. As for the chewing, this too will come. Don't worry too much about it. It is something you just become aware of somewhere in the back of your mind.
   — dboat