EmzBee

Walk, walk, walk for the gas pains. I did really well after surgery & went on my first shuffle around the ward within an hour of arriving from recovery. Day of surgery I built up to 2-3x around the ward (which was only about 150 steps per lap). Slept 1-1.5hrs at a stretch the first night and was up inbetweentimes walking loops. Was up to about 5 loops come morning. My tummy felt (and looked!) really tight and bloated, but I never experienced the shoulder pain some do. I think it helped losing so much weight pre-surgery as the swelling/gas had plenty of room in there!

You're doing well, Marine! It was probably 6pm or so before I started feeling in control of myself again--less dopey and out of it. If you're typing, that's a great sign =) Hope you start to feel better soon. Sending you positive thoughts! Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks to everyone who commented about how they're tracking post-surgery! Inspired by Idawn, here's a pic of what I've come up with to track drugs/liquids/food/exercise/mental stress prevention. I daresay I'll relax back on this as I become more familiar with the routine of meals, etc., but so far it's helping my stress levels to be so pedantic! In future, I think I'll add a column for tracking/adding up protein, so that's easier to track day to day, too. Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Best of luck, Marine, Sleeveless & 2B! Look after yourselves! You'll do great! ❤️

That sounds so, so, so normal, 2B smaller! Whenever those feelings came up for me, I'd remind myself not only of the very good reasons I have to want surgery, but of the concept of homeostasis. Homeostasis is basically the overwhelming need for things to stay the same. It's why it's so hard to make new habits/life changes... because self-preservation tends to tell us that if it ain't truly, absolutely, completely broke, we shouldn't be fixing it! I don't know about you but I'd really like to go on a horse trek with my husband one day. I'd really like to feel comfortable enough to go on holiday with him to the Auzzie gold coast theme parks. I'd like to tramp the Tongariro crossing and the other Great NZ Walks. I'd love to bring a child into this world. So that stinky old homeostasis can get stuffed [emoji6] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Best of luck, Marine! We'll be thinking of you! =) Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Thought I'd post a vulnerable photo of my one day post-op battle scars. I'd lost quite a bit of weight before surgery, so my tummy was quite slack and floppy, but here it's a big, round, tight, uncomfortable gas ball. Having some trouble with nausea this morning--all I can smell is the pureed chicken I ate last night! But got some nausea meds so hopefully that settles in a bit. Sending good thoughts your ways! Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

That's awesome, tcowen! Remind me... have you had your surgery yet, or are you still in the waiting room? Recidivist, you have to go at your own pace. Look after what's right for YOU. I know you might feel a little intimidated through comparing yourself to others, but as an idea--I'm 29. No health probs except mild asthma and eczema and mildly high cholesterol (not medicated). Pre-surgery I could walk 15K steps in a day without much trouble at all. I've never broken a bone, let alone had any surgery. Comparison may well be the theif of your own joy in this process, my friend. Please look after you and do your best. I'll be rooting for you!! (Only calling you out because I consider you a friend! [emoji4] ) Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm first day post op and I've been walking around fine. Even went outside to glimpse the racehorses over the road with hubby (in my nightgown, hehe!) I expect if you built up slowly you'd be fine--a walk to the letterbox turns into 15mins, 20mins, etc. (At least, that was my physio's advice this morning). Just so long as you don't have to carry any of the second graders and you're free of complications you'll be awesome =) Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Good luck with the liquid diet, Marine! You'll be great [emoji4] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Gosh I hope so, too... would they ever not cover that if you really needed it? The whole US insurance situation freaks me out. Lol. Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

First up is definitely the way to go! Your surgical team's fresh, and you knock it out of the way early. I also found that having the daytime nursing staff around straight aftet was helpful as they're more likely to come and ask if you need anything than the night nurses. One of my nurses reheated a heating pack for my gassy, swollen belly about three times. Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

The acid pill was just, I think, to settle stomach acid while I wasn't eating anything. Managed about 50ml or so of pureed chicken this evening, so they've taken me off the acid pill--whatever it was. Yeah... water on that first day/evening was rough. I struggled through 500ml. Then I realised I was going to get really dehydrated if I didn't make a real effort because after the first bag of fluids that was it. Today was easier. I've almost met my 1.5L water goal. Still takes me about 45mins to get three tablets down (and I start feeling sore in that last couple hours before my next panadol) but all in all I'm really surprised by how good everything's been =) Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

For those who are still pre-surgery (or just post) if you have google play music or potentially spotify, have a look for 'Bellaruth Naparstek--she has guided imagery and affirmations which have been proven to improve surgery outcomes. Also has a series on pain management, too. That coupled with regular, daily meditiation has made all the difference for me, I think =) Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Over here we spend 2 nights in hospital minimum for the RNY before we're allowed home. First day post-op for me today and I'll be having a little puree for lunch and dinner. Have to drink 1.5L of water today to be allowed home tomorrow. Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Post surgery selfie!! Hehe [emoji16] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi all! So I'm on the other side! Surgery went great -- it was short and sweet, and I've had very little pain. I'm not a fan of how the morphine feels (so dopey and put of it that walking around the ward was difficult), so I've only used 2 clicks out of 100. Other than that, I've been taking whole pills for nausea/acid and liquid panadol. My lovely husband has been with me all day. I've walked around the ward half a dozen or so times... only thing I'm struggling with a little is water. Currently playing some upbeat music and taking a sip every song or so... seems to be doing the trick [emoji4] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Also, for our surgery graduates -- how are you tracking your food/water consumption? I've kept a food diary pre-op (as best I can) but I'm looking for an easy way to track exactly how much I'm eating/drinking post-op... I'm fairly bad at writing down liquids at the moment. How are you keeping track of fluids, etc?

Bloods were fine, bar higher signs of inflammation and uric acid. Back's feeling better. So tomorrow I'm having surgery. Phew! 17 hours and we'll be leaving for the hospital... 18kgs (almost 40 pounds) down pre-surgery. Still can't quite believe it! Hope our 13th quads are all doing well! I love checking in here and seeing how everyone's going 😃

So... looks like my surgery will be postponed. Still having crazy back pain, and surgeon wants bloods done to eliminate gallstones/pancreitis/etc. I'm in for a two-hour wait to see my GP, then blood tests. Urgh. Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Nooooo! Recidivist! Well I hope you enjoy your second hooray to food =D And think... you'll be enjoying a last last steak when most of us are still eating baby food [emoji23] My vote is to retain you as an honorary February member, for sure! Maybe now you can be a February baby, and a March wise old owl =D Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Agreed, Recidivist. =( I'm hoping a physio can give me more information on what's going on... then I'll email my surgeon. Fingers crossed it's just a pulled muscle or something. I feel like my 'proportions' have done a lot of shifting (why is it always the boobs are first to go?! Lol!) so maybe just my frame being unused to how to carry my weight... Whatever it is, I'm very grumpy right now! Hope your liquid's are going down okay, Recidivist =) Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey all! So, I'll definitely reply to other stuff soon but I've got myself into a bit of a situation... I got 2 days 'till surgery and my back is freaking killing me. It started, I think, when I was lying funny in bed... and it's gotten worse over the past day or two. I'm nervous because I've experienced back pain before (sciatic nerve pain is a... well, you get the idea) but this is entirely different. It's more to the side, middle of my back (so, like, shooting pains whenever I roll over and tenderness right under where my stomach is) and of course my catastrophising lil brain is like "probably not musculature--you got pancreitis, or whatever that thing's called when your pancreas craps out). I mean, I've been on optifast for, like, a month, and the last week or so I've been really bad with the veges... either I won't eat them, or I'll eat them raw with soy sauce (no oil--which is supposed to help the pancreas). I really don't wanna go into surgery with a bad back, because It's gonna really complicate the feelings in that area... I'm not going to know what's back pain, what's stomach pain, what I should worry about, what I shouldn't... Gah!!! Anyway. So I have a physio appointment in about 4 hours. Hopefully they magically fit me and I've done all this worrying for nothing. Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

So... perhaps a weird question, but does anyone else think that inevitably they are going to be the one who ends up with complications? Because I've just had a feeling that it's inevitably going to be me, and I have no idea whether it's me being neurotic, or a general concern that most people have before major surgery... I'd love to know how you felt/feel about the likelihood of complications! Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Urgh, yes I totally feel your pain on cooking. No way am I cooking if I can't eat it. Lol! Yes, even if you're not on the actual "keto" diet, if you're doing low to no carbs, your body will likely be going into ketosis (burning fat rather than carbs). If you look up "keto flu" you'll likely see your symptoms are completely normal [emoji4] Look up "The Big Ward" if you want some inspo on Netflix! I loved the second season... it's a shoe about bariatric patients on the public NZ system [emoji4] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app