What Were Your Restrictions After Surgery

[suzcomptime 17]

I haven't thought to ask about other restrictions after surgery. I concentrated on learning what I can eat but didn't think to ask the following. Probably at pre-op or after surgery I'll have all the answers but what were your restrictions?

How long before driving?

How long before being able to swim in a pool or a lake or the ocean?

What are the lifting restrictions and for how long?

Any others?

Thanks

[BridalMama 2]

Driving; I was told 1 week and must be off any pain meds

Swimming: 2 weeks

Lifting: My surgeon said anything under 20 lbs was fine (I was cleared to pick up my 22lb 1 year old), but not do anything strenuous. Anything over 20 lbs, 4 weeks.

All surgeons are different and I've heard many different answers to these questions!

[LTARLTON 7]

I haven't thought to ask about other restrictions after surgery. I concentrated on learning what I can eat but didn't think to ask the following. Probably at pre-op or after surgery I'll have all the answers but what were your restrictions?

How long before driving?

How long before being able to swim in a pool or a lake or the ocean?

What are the lifting restrictions and for how long?

Any others?

Thanks

Hey suzcomptime! I wad able to drive as soon as I no longer took pain meds. I had my surgery on a Tues and Wed was the last day I had pain meds. I was driving Friday.

Not sure about the swimming.

No pushing pulling or lifting 20 + lbs for 4 weeks after surgery.

Hope this helps!

[massindex 346]

Everyone pretty much it on the head here. Swimming is something I would watch if you're thinking of doing lap swimming until about a month out. However, just light recreational swimming in the pool after 2 weeks should be good.

[jerseyjandj 105]

No swimming until 5 Weeks,I drove my car 2days po I didn't take any pain meds.no lifting yet my babies don't like this lol

[Mews 37]

How long before driving? As soon as I was off the pain meds I was allowed to drive. However, I felt very foggy the first few weeks of surgery so my husband drove me everywhere.

How long before being able to swim in a pool or a lake or the ocean? Six weeks is what my surgeon required. Same for a bath where I would submerge myself. Supposedly as the incision is still soft it is prone to infection.

What are the lifting restrictions and for how long? Nothing heavier than 20 lbs for the first six weeks. He said that this was to prevent a hernia from erupting at the incision site.

Any others? Besides the food restrictions, nothing that I can think of.

[ValerieSJackson 35]

2 questions;

1) is it preferred to sleep in a recliner or the bed post op?

2) did anyone have improved bladder issues?

[Wheetsin 714]

I haven't thought to ask about other restrictions after surgery. I concentrated on learning what I can eat but didn't think to ask the following. Probably at pre-op or after surgery I'll have all the answers but what were your restrictions?

How long before driving? Had to be driven home the day of release (day after surgery). After that it was no driving until off pain meds (1 day for me). I waited until I could comfortably turn to see over my shoulder. That left incision was a ******. I think it ended up being about 2 weeks before I drove myself somewhere. Maybe a little less.

How long before being able to swim in a pool or a lake or the ocean? No ocean here. Pool was "until incisions healed" which they defined as 6 - 8 weeks. I'm just about 6 weeks out and used my jacuzzi tub about 2 weeks ago.

What are the lifting restrictions and for how long? I had nothing over 15 lbs for 4 weeks.

HTH. You'll find answers vary by surgeon.

Thanks

[Wheetsin 714]

2 questions;

1) is it preferred to sleep in a recliner or the bed post op? I personally use a recliner. I have for every lap procedure I've had (sleeve was my 4th). It takes me a while to lay down comfortably, being somewhat upright is so much nicer. And we have a very high/tall bed. There's no way I could have climbed into it at first. WIth the sleeve I used a recliner for about 5 nights, which is a little longer than normal. The first few nights in bed I use a lot of pillows to recreate the recliner's "propped up" positioning. Getting up from anything resembling a flat position was killer on that right side incision I mentioned earlier (the one that causes most of the pain for most people.)

2) did anyone have improved bladder issues? Mine came out in 2007. But I can tell you that GBs don't really improve or get better. Once they're going downhill, they keep going downhill. So if you're having issues, depending on what the issues are, you're probably going to keep having issues. It's not uncommon for surgeons to take wonky GBs out during the WLS procedure, because going south is just one of those things that tends to happen to GBs after WLS.

HTH

[ValerieSJackson 35]

Urinary bladder?

[Mews 37]

1) is it preferred to sleep in a recliner or the bed post op? I slept in bed with no problems but I didn't really have any discomfort I know some people prefer sleeping in recliners because they cannot get comfortable in bed.

2) did anyone have improved bladder issues? I definitely don't pee nearly as much, maybe two or three times a day. What is nice is that I no longer have any accidents from things like sneezing or heavy coughing any more.