What do I need to know/expect Post OP?

[IGDiva 0]

Ok so I am now 90% convinced this is the surgery for me. What can I expect to eat, do, feel, look out for, etc. The minutes/hours/days after surgery?

Thanks so much for your help!

[OrchidFan 0]

Ok so I am now 90% convinced this is the surgery for me. What can I expect to eat, do, feel, look out for, etc. The minutes/hours/days after surgery?

Thanks so much for your help!

Well, if you wait a few days you'll have a ton of first hand info. :thumbup: There's quite a crowd of us heading down on the 28th

Ivy

[thinoneday 445]

Let me know if there is "dumping" syndrome with this surgery too! Thanks!

[OrchidFan 0]

Let me know if there is "dumping" syndrome with this surgery too! Thanks!

Well, there shouldn't be classic dumping, as we keep the pylorus valve. I believe there's someone on OH whose vsg stomach empties too fast, making her feel icky if she eats a lot at once, she takes medication for it.

hope that helps a bit,

Ivy

[DownInSocal 12]

Ok so I am now 90% convinced this is the surgery for me. What can I expect to eat, do, feel, look out for, etc. The minutes/hours/days after surgery?

Thanks so much for your help!

After you have healed, and according to my doctor's program, you will be eating normal foods 6 months out. You will however be eating a lot less.

I was on clears liquids for several weeks, then "full liquids" where everything was pureed and Water down, and now mushies (very soft foods that are blended). Next I will start eating more solid foods. I am no hurry.

As far as "feel". Everyone is different. I know that is a frusterating answer. For me I couldn't really tell what was going on with my stomach right out of surgery. I knew something had happened there though. I think the feelings were more where they go through your stomach muscles. I began to slowly get "feeling" back in my stomach over weeks of recovery. Early on it was hard to tell when my stomach had enough of fluids. Now I can catch it earlier so I am not hurting by over doing it.

Look out for not getting enough fluids after surgery. You must sip and sip more. I am 5 weeks out and have a water bottle with about a 3rd packet crystal light in it where ever I go. I drink all day. I also live in a hot climate so that makes it harder to keep hyrdated. You will think you can never stay hydrated right out of surgery but it gets better with time.

Look out for yourself out of surgery unless you have someone with you that you trust with your life. I have not shared this before on this board but the evening after my surgery the hosptial almost overdosed me on Morphine. It was caught in the knick and I mean knick of time. It was a medical error that I am not upset about just happy I was not ....... well I am glad to be here posting. Sh*t happens. Ask what is going in your IV line. Know your pain medication dosages and ask when they come to give it to you. You are not being a bad patient, you are being a patient who is interested in your care.

[cajun 46]

Down in Social,

Right you are! Anything can happen, even in the best hospitals, anywhere!!! I agree with you, have a friend who is a nurse with you if at all possible. If you are in a foreign country, be sure they (or you) know the language or have access to an interpreter if there is not clarity in any situation.! Glad you caught that error! How scarey!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

they don't necessarily call it dumping, but you can feel really lousy if you eat too much sugar or too much fat all at once. I ate a piece of wedding cake once and got quite ill. I was nauseous, had rapid heart rate, and eventually massive diarrhea.

[gms1972 0]

In the hours after surgery, you're on moraphine in and out of consciousness...the day after you're feeling a bit less tired, but your stomach muscles will hurt. I never actually felt my stomach (the organ) but the muscles they cut through to complete the surgery.

In the week after surgery, I felt a gurgling (and heard it to) after/during drinking. I pictured it as a funnel, and the liquid trying to go into a smaller opening...it makes you feel like you want to burp - sometimes you can (a little) but mostly I coud not.

The second week after surgery, I was just concerned about getting my scars healed. In retrospect, I should have asked for sutures (stitches). The glue didn't hold up very well on me and I had to go back to my PCP to get my main incision taped closed. It was pretty gross. It healed fine, but stitches would be my preference if I had to do it all over again.

A lot of people on this board had a hard time getting all their Protein in the first weeks after surgery. I never had that problem...I made it simple with one supplement being 30 grams Protein and two at 15 throughout the day. You have to take very small sips those first few weeks.

I am at week 3 now, and on 'mushies' - cottage cheese is kinda hard to get down - yogurt works (fat free, sugar free), and I have been eating a bunch of Soups...split pea, nothing chunky. I'll be glad when the mushies are over, as your options are still kinda limited. while in the mushie phase, I still take 60 gr of protein via supplements becuase there's no way I could stuff down 70-grams of protein via food. The most I can eat of cottage cheese right now is about 3 oz.

I do miss eating, I'm not going to lie. The fact that I will never be able to take a bite out of a big sandwich or a bagel kinda sucks...but losing 18 pounds in 22 days gets me over that pretty fast

Good luck, I hope this helps.

G

[cajun 46]

"The fact that I will never be able to take a bite out of a big sandwich or a bagel kinda sucks...but losing 18 pounds in 22 days gets me over that pretty fast ;-)"

dheer up! You WILL be able to take some (small) bites out of a big sandwich, eventually. You will be able to eat maybe 1/2 of a sandwich and will feel very satisfied. Just gotta be patient and take good care of that sleeve while it is healing!

[Malaika 50]

You will be able to eat a bagel again, too -- maybe not the entire bagel, but at least 1/4 or 1/2 of one ... I've had a bagel - toasted works better than not for sure - with a bit of cream cheese or PB or lite laughing cow for Protein. So hang in there - remember -you have a fully functioning stomach; however it's just smaller now.

[dange25 57]

minutes..... hours.... mainly a blur except for a bit of chest pain from gas being stuck in my abdomen.... days.....

the first time your have a drink it feels like theres an air bubble trapped and it moves back a fwds a little... it doesnt feel real brilliant but its bearable. *laughs* in hospital they were brining me some jelly and juice.... i could hardly touch it!!! but you know what...... someone said here awhile ago that every day does get better... im now about 2 months out and have gone through many mental battles which i think is harder than the physical side. i dont look at shopping centres the same anymore, as they are a nightmare for ppl who are trying to control their weight!!!

anyway back to the question. if you can keep focused on each stage knowing that every day is another day closer to being well, you can get through it... i mean you have to anyway. weighing in once a week is a great indication of where your at (not every day in my opinion) and every time you move up the food chain you will be filled with some joy/acheivement. Never in your dreams will eating healthy mushie food be such a pleasure/treat!!! who would of ever of thought!!! lol

2 months out i have to watch out for drinking too fast and cold meats... if you can heat them up its better as im told the small amounts of fat in the food melts down and becomes easier to swallow. after being on a low carb/calorie diet for so long, my once forceful addiction to choc is now gone!!! ****BELEIVE IT**** anything sweet is shocking really!! feels like a brick in your stomach and i was litterally sick all day after a small choc. cheese cake also had a hold on me but now, with the density of the cake 1 mouthful is often enough to satisfy the craving..... weird cause i would happily eat 2 or 3 slices!!!

this is the best thing i have ever done... at the moment i am filling out food diarys and learning to use food rather than mindlessly abuse food which i never thought would happen to me from the depths of my wildest dreams!!! im starting to have control.... 3 months ago i was out of control. go figure!!! i guess im saying that the surgury is only part of the battle, and yes its a bit of a discomfort and learning your limits can sometimes be hard (not always tho) but for the benifits like control and somehow falling into this autopiolot behaiviour, is totally mind blowing and worth every second of discomfort!

i think about 90% of the battle is in your head when you cant eat anything preop as this is the hard yakka transition/no mans land of taking the first punishing steps into a new lifestyle... i think i have likened it to rehab once before. It is tough.... no lies but again.... at 2 months out im feeling like i have more control over my life than i have EVER which means 2 months is bugger all in the bigger scheme of things! 2 months of mental upside down is a small price to pay for the empowerment that comes with the eating control, not to mention the amazing weight loss!!!!!

sorry if i rambled

ange.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I wish my addiction to sweets would go away. Everyone else says things taste too sweet to them, but not to me. I would love it if sweet things didn't taste good anymore!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

I wish my addiction to sweets would go away. Everyone else says things taste too sweet to them, but not to me. I would love it if sweet things didn't taste good anymore!

LOL Me too! Now, why can't they make a WLS where nothing tastes good to eat. Like cardboard or something. I would lose weight quick!

[OrchidFan 0]

If you had a drain, don't get a mirror and take a close look at where it was. Wow, I'm not usually squeamish but ew.

lol,vain

Ivy