Cervidae

You'll do great! Good luck, keep us posted.

It gets better! I'm 10 days post op and I got my staples and drain out today, and I'm moving on to pureed food. I feel like a million bucks! Well, a pooped out million bucks. XD congrats!

Got my drain and staples out today... SO MUCH BETTER! it did actually hurt but that's because that whole area was raw from an allergic reaction to the tape. Not fun. But the doctor said everything looks perfect! Moving on to pureed foods now... O.o

My surgeon did not require any kind of preop diet other than two days of Clear liquids before surgery. I put myself on about a week of a Protein shake diet, with a small high protein meal twice during that time.

I'm doing great. Still pretty tired but I'm told that's normal. Yesterday was my one week post surgery. Besides the damn drain, which is hopefully coming out tomorrow, I'm feeling just fine. Getting extremely sick of the protein shakes though. :/

It will get much better every day. Just take it easyz and take care of yourself. The worst is behind you. keep us updated.

I have my first follow up on Wednesday after my RNY last Monday and I am majorly hoping they take my drain and staples out. Especially the drain - it is driving me insane! Plus, the tape I have to keep it covered is producing an allergic reaction over most of the left side of my abdomen... it's not fun at all and I can't wait to be past it. The drain and the incision it is coming out of are honestly the only things that are even hurting me anymore. Keep us updated!

Welcome! You are in the right place. i just had my RNY last Monday. I'm in the states, but I imagine there are a lot of similarities. If you guys need anything, feel free to send me a message.

I don't have kids, so I can't imagine the nerves you are feeling about them. But, think of it this way: everything you are doing, all that you are working towards is for them as much as it is for you. You will live longer, be healthier and happier, and that is all really great and important for their health and happiness. Everything's going to be great, and you're going to do great. Sending good vibes your way! Good luck to you!

Whatever you choose to do and whatever happens as a consequence of that choice, the people here, myself included, support you and care about you. Everything will be great in the end.

Oh yes, Gas-X is enormously helpful! I would highly recommend!

Great ideas, thank you for sharing!

This sounds delish! Thank you.

If you think you may have trouble taking small sips/bites then those things would be very useful for you. Personally, I thought taking tiny sips was going to be way harder than it is. It helps if you really pay attention to your body. You'll know pretty much instantly if you swallow a sip that is too big, and you'll adjust accordingly. But again, there's nothing wrong with feeling like you might need that little extra help, if you feel you need it go ahead and use it if it will give yo usome peace of mind.

Hello! I just had my RNY on Monday and basically since day 1 I've had this same sensation. The nurses in the hospital told me it's pretty common and sometimes lasts forever in RNY patients. It's just your new digestive system getting rid of air, or little air bubbles that are caught in the process of digestion. They said that the only time you should worry at all or call a doctor is if it hurts for a long period of time (like more than a couple hours and it doesn't resolve) or if you are unable to keep food down. Otherwise, it's just your normal digestive process. So if you have no pain and no nausea I totally would not worry about it. If you had a leak or something there would be a LOT of symptoms, and pain and nausea would be the first ones to show up. Hope this helps.

Congrats! It's a great feeling when stuff finally starts falling into place. It can be a bit overwhelming but soon you'll be more excited and impatient than scared or worried. I had my RNY this past Monday the 17th. I'll try to answer your questions the best I can. 1 - I'm less than a week out from surgery and I'm already doing a LOT better than I anticipated. And on top of that, I know I'm definitely recovering slower than a lot of people. Some people were up and walking like a mile two days after surgery (WHAT! XD Crazy) and by the end of the week were generally feeling great. Personally, I get tired easily, like walking from my living room to my kitchen and back can make me a little tired, but in terms of pain, there's just not a lot of it if I'm careful about how hard I push myself and how I twist/move. I'm betting two weeks will be enough time for you, easily, especially since you have a desk job and won't need to push push yourself super hard. Also, taking really good care of yourself and allowing yourself to rest and sleep as much as you can in those two weeks will go a long way toward your recovery. So I wouldn't sweat it. 2 - That seems awfully fast to be on soft foods, as most people leave the hospital 2 days after surgery. I had surgery on monday and got home wednesday afternoon. I'm on liquids, like Protein shakes, low fat milk, strained cream Soup, sugar free pudding, etc until at least this wednesday coming up, when I go to my follow up appointment. However, every surgeon is different. And while it's very important to follow the doctor's orders, especially right after surgery during recovery, if your body can't handle soft foods your doctors aren't going to yell at you if you need to go back to liquids. Your body will be talking and you will certainly have to listen. 3 - I'm not exactly up to doing household chores yet, and certainly not things like lifting laundry baskets, bending a lot to do laundry or clean the toilets or floors or anything. We're not supposed to be lifting anything heavier than ten pounds for at least a few weeks. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to strain yourself, rip open stitches or staples, or worse. And you just don't want to do that while you're recovering so nicely. That being said, if I need to wash a few cups and spoons in the sink and it's only going to take a couple minutes, that's not impossible. So you will need to take it easy but you won't be helpless. 4 - I'm kind of weird in that I have a high pain tolerance but I can be a HUGE baby about certain types of pain. Broken bones, torn muscles? No problem. Cuts and bruises? Easy. The gas pain and the stupid drainage tube I still have in me rubbing up against the inside of my body? Not so fun. Though I can confidently tell you that 6 days out from surgery I really only feel pain when i bend over, walk too long, twist my abdomen in a bad way, press on my incision sites, etc (things only an idiot like me would do anyway, haha). The first day was pretty awful, but I was so drugged up and so out of it that it flew by and I barely remember it, and every day since has been surprisingly far, far better than the last. Everything hurts much less and I feel much stronger every time I go to sleep and wake up, basically. I had my gall bladder out last year... now THAT really sucked. I can honestly say this was less painful that getting my gallbladder out, which is kind of funny because this was 5 incisions and some major gut rearranging and my gallbladder was three incisions and not a whole lot of trauma. It's a bit odd but there's no denying that this was way easier. Go figure! 5 - I have ADD but I am not currently medicated (can you tell? XD) but from what I have been told and experienced, meds are absorbed by our new digestive system very differently than before. For example, I take oxycodone for pain (not much anymore but especially around bedtime) and I can seriously feel it kicking in within minutes. So as for your dose upping or lowering, that's gonna have to be something your doctor figures out, but I'm guessing it would lower or switch to a fast release before being raised. There's no telling exactly how your body will react to these things until you find out by experiencing, unfortunately. 6 - I've been on a birth control called Orsythia for almost two years, and it has slight levels of estrogen, as I have PCOS and this is one of the ways I can try to manage it. I stopped taking the birth control about three weeks before surgery at the surgeon's order and had to take a blood thinner for a week before and a week after surgery, because estrogen, even in small amounts, can raise the risk for blood clots. Hopefully tomorrow will be my last day of the blood thinner... I HATE NEEDLES and injecting it into my tummy or thigh twice a day has been absolutely no fun (or rather I made my poor boyfriend do it. he's been such a good sport about all of this XD) Annnnnyway, when I was discharged from the hospital two days after surgery, the doctors instructed me to stop taking most of my meds but told me I can start taking my birth control again. So I'm betting it's not a problem, but again, it's all going to depend on your particular doctor, your particular body, and your particular birth control. I have a TON of tips and things I would highly recommend getting before surgery, things that have been a godsend for me this past week. Here's a list I just wrote for someone else asking for tips on things to get pre-surgery: - Gas-X Thin Strips. They dissolve on the tongue and almost instantly relieve tummy gas that can be downright painful. Heaven sent! - A 64 oz. Water jug from Wal-Mart, with measurements on the side. This is a super easy way to monitor how much water you are getting throughout your day, and 64 oz. is the recommended minimum. Very helpful. - Baby or aloe wipes. These are very important! In the first couple of days after surgery in the hospital, you are going to feel pretty gross. Just the simple act of wiping down your face, neck, arms, etc. with a refreshing wipe can make you feel infinitely better. After you come home, showering may still be a bit difficult, so you can hold it off a little longer by keeping yourself clean with these. - A body pillow. I'm sure you can guess why this helps a lot. I had a ton of pain on my left side from the gas pumped into me and the fact that most of the work during surgery is done on the left. A body pillow helps sooo much, whether sitting or trying to sleep. - I would highly recommend you sleep in a recliner or propped up on a couch with your feet up. Some people are able to lay in their beds a few days after surgery but I certainly can't, and I know a lot of others who couldn't either. It's just very uncomfortable and can be painful if you twist around too much. I sleep on my recliner with a couple pillows propping up my legs to take any pressure off my lower back. Super comfy. - A small Blender Bottle or shaker cup that has a top and measurements on the side. I use this multiple times a day for my shakes and to mix cream soup with low fat milk prior to straining it. Sometimes a spoon just doesn't cut it. - A loofa or sponge on a stick! Again, moving around in the shower is gonna be a bit difficult for a while. A nice, easy wash of the back and harder-to-reach places can be heavenly. If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to message me! I always like to help. Sorry about the book I wrote you, and I hope this helped you even a little bit. Congrats again, good luck, and take care of yourself! Abby

Congrats! I had my RNY last monday. Here's a short list of the things that have been enormously helpful to me in this past week of recovery: - Gas-X Thin Strips. They dissolve on the tongue and almost instantly relieve tummy gas that can be downright painful. Heaven sent! - A 64 oz. Water jug from Wal-Mart, with measurements on the side. This is a super easy way to monitor how much water you are getting throughout your day, and 64 oz. is the recommended minimum. Very helpful. - Baby or aloe wipes. These are very important! In the first couple of days after surgery in the hospital, you are going to feel pretty gross. Just the simple act of wiping down your face, neck, arms, etc. with a refreshing wipe can make you feel infinitely better. After you come home, showering may still be a bit difficult, so you can hold it off a little longer by keeping yourself clean with these. - A body pillow. I'm sure you can guess why this helps a lot. I had a ton of pain on my left side from the gas pumped into me and the fact that most of the work during surgery is done on the left. A body pillow helps sooo much, whether sitting or trying to sleep. - I would highly recommend you sleep in a recliner or propped up on a couch with your feet up. Some people are able to lay in their beds a few days after surgery but I certainly can't, and I know a lot of others who couldn't either. It's just very uncomfortable and can be painful if you twist around too much. I sleep on my recliner with a couple pillows propping up my legs to take any pressure off my lower back. Super comfy. - A small Blender Bottle or shaker cup that has a top and measurements on the side. I use this multiple times a day for my shakes and to mix cream Soup with low fat milk prior to straining it. Sometimes a spoon just doesn't cut it. - A loofa or sponge on a stick! Again, moving around in the shower is gonna be a bit difficult for a while. A nice, easy wash of the back and harder-to-reach places can be heavenly. If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to message me! I always like to help.

This journey is not an easy one, as I'm sure you know, and the more support you can get, the better. If you think your father would be supportive and a help to you during this time, then i would say, just tell him. Perhaps try to talk to him on his own, and then you two can discuss if it's worth telling his wife. I told very few people in my life for this same reason; I did not want to judgement from people who have no idea what they are talking about, or pity, or ridicule. People can be downright cruel, especially when they think they know everything but in reality know nothing about your situation or your perspective. But don't let one.. ahem... busybody prevent you from connecting to someone who loves you and cares about you and could be a big help for you during this long and difficult journey. You deserve far better than that. That's just my opinion though. whatever you choose, good luck to you. At the very least you have the caring and support of all of us here.

@@axlr8n everyone else I asked was saying they didn't have to go home with a drain. o.O I did, and I freaking HATE IT. It's seriously the only part of my abdomen that hurts anymore! And if freaks me out because I'm worried I'll get it stuck in something or snag it, or my cat will attack it, or I'll get an infection, etc... I just want it out of me right now >.< I have to wait until wednesday. I just want it out of me now.

That's so amazing, congratulations! I'm so so happy for you! <3

Ah what the hell, here's my number for anyone here who wants to be friends/ keep in touch. We're all in this together anyway: 585-919-4548

My surgery was Monday as well. I'm doing a lot better and feeling a lot better, though it's still pretty easy to tire me out. I just went into the kitchen to mix and strain some cream of chicken soup and just that act was a bit much for me. As for your gas and uncomfortable body responses to the protein shakes, make sure the shakes you're drinking are low sugar. If they are, then most likely your discomfort is your digestive system getting used to a completely new diet. After a while of no or low sugar protein preop, my head felt clearer, my sense of smell and taste were suddenly so much stronger, and my stomach adjusted to it. Some of the crap we put into our bodies before the preop and post op diets can really screw us up. Think of it like withdrawal symptoms, because that's essentially what your discomfort is. Ylluz's suggestion of gas-x strips is a fantastic one. They work wonders pretty much as soon as they dissolve. I've been using them religiously. Feel free to message me anytime if you want to talk. Or text me, I can give your my number in a pm. Good luck, take care of yourself. This will all be over soon and then your new, healthy and happy life will begin.

That is definitely a really good start, because the tool of surgery is a huge and helpful one but it doesn't erase a lifetime of bad habits and crappy coping skills, which I know all of us here have or had at one point. When you start this whole process, the nutritionist is going to have you doing essentially what you're doing now, only they are going to document it to show themselves, your insurance, and you just how important these new habits. are. Healthy new coping skills and ways of life PLUS the surgery are what set you up for long term success. You can do it. Also be aware that most insurances require a certain amount of time seeing a nutritionist as well as a certain number of years of documented obesity. So all this preparation you've been doing is going to serve you very well in the upcoming months. Be patient, do your best, and prepare yourself for a lifetime of working to be healthy and achieving your goals. It's all worth it!

Mine was Monday! I have a few questions for you. Did you have for a few days after surgery or have to go home with a drain? How much walking are you able to get in? How often are you taking your pain meds? Have you experienced the "full" feeling yet, and what does it feel like (I can't tell if I have or if I'm just gassy...) How tired are you? I feel the need for a nap pretty much every day so far. >.<

It's probably a combination of a bunch of things; the hospital bed, the gas they had to pump into you, intestinal gas, and overcompensation of your lower back muscles trying to support your abdomen which has been greatly weakened by the surgery. Heating pad and sleeping in a recliner has helped me immensely.