pre operation anxieties

[jrhancher 1]

If anyone could give me some wisdom about RNY bariatric surgery I would be very grateful. I have three questions.

1. How bad is the pain after 1 week?

2. What is the earliest that a grown man could go back to work after surgery. The job is physical.

3. Is it true that you lose your hair?

[music1618 879]

<p>If anyone could give me some wisdom about RNY bariatric surgery I would be very grateful. I have three questions.</p> <p>1. How bad is the pain after 1 week? </p> <p>2. What is the earliest that a grown man could go back to work after surgery. The job is physical. </p> <p>3. Is it true that you lose your hair? </p>

First off congrats at looking into RNY. I am 18 months post op.

1. Pain is a hard question to answer. Everyone's pain level is different. Rny was not that bad for me in comparison to my shoulder surgery

2. I started a new job a week post op. We were doing mainly off stuff for about a month. Then we got I to the physical part of my job. Give your self time to heal.

3. Your hair is up to you. If you eat your Protein like you are supposed you will not loose your hair. I did not loose mine at all. Please keep in mind it takes you me hair about 3 months ( I believe ) to catch up. So if you stop eating you Protein today 3 months your hair will start to fall out.

Ask any more questions we are here for you!

[Birthsjourney 146]

I am a month out from Roun Y .. I was surprised at how little the pain was.. Took IV meds on day of surgery.. Then vicodan for the next day.. Then nothing after day 3. ( and I had a belly hernia repaired also)

I am retired but was out doing errands at the end of week one

Best decision I ever made! Good luck to you.....

[Birthsjourney 146]

My surgeon says most will have some thinning even if u take the Biotin vitamin.. Keep up on your Proteins ( I try to drink 2 bottles of Isopure from GNC ( favorite is apple melon ) gives you 40 grams a bottle. .. Will just take u a long time to get it gone lol

[jrhancher 1]

I will make sure to get in my Proteins, thank you for your support! I just felt all alone going in to this, I really do not know anyone who has gone through this and I have no support from my wife. She is one who believes that I should be able to lose weight the natural way. At 325 lbs heaviest I have tried to lose weight since I was a kid. I am 40 with three little boys, I have all the overweight junk that comes with it, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, slight diabetes. I am just ready to start living life and not feeling imprisoned by a body that does not feel like my own. I want to be able to watch my kids grow up. I am sure you all can relate!

About returning to work, some people tell me it is possible to be able to get back to work after a week. I can't see how that is possible. Do you think two weeks would be out of the question? I just don't have the vacation days to support much more than that at work. I would be grateful for some advice. I am not extremely worried about the pain, I guess I am just afraid of all the unknown. If anyone has the time and can give me any helpful information that may help like what to look out for, or what to expect, or what not to do. My doctor has given me some info but I would rather not hear text book answers I would rather hear it from you guys, a community of people that has gone through it.

Thanks for any advice you may have,

J.R.

[music1618 879]

<p>I will make sure to get in my Proteins, thank you for your support! I just felt all alone going in to this, I really do not know anyone who has gone through this and I have no support from my wife. She is one who believes that I should be able to lose weight the natural way. At 325 lbs heaviest I have tried to lose weight since I was a kid. I am 40 with three little boys, I have all the overweight junk that comes with it, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, slight diabetes. I am just ready to start living life and not feeling imprisoned by a body that does not feel like my own. I want to be able to watch my kids grow up. I am sure you all can relate!</p> <p> </p> <p>About returning to work, some people tell me it is possible to be able to get back to work after a week. I can't see how that is possible. Do you think two weeks would be out of the question? I just don't have the vacation days to support much more than that at work. I would be grateful for some advice. I am not extremely worried about the pain, I guess I am just afraid of all the unknown. If anyone has the time and can give me any helpful information that may help like what to look out for, or what to expect, or what not to do. My doctor has given me some info but I would rather not hear text book answers I would rather hear it from you guys, a community of people that has gone through it. </p> <p>Thanks for any advice you may have,</p> <p>J.R.</p>

JR

You are not alone in this. You have a great big family here.

As for your wife I would suggest taking her to your support group meetings and doctor appointments. It can be scary for the spouse as this is such a big surgery. My hubby supported my decision, but was so nervous about the surgery he threw up several times on the day of the surgery.

The best thing you can do is sit down and have a long talk with your wife. Communication is the key. Get ready to answer the tough questions, and be ready to ask the tough questions. Be open and honest with her. The big question my husband wanted to know was why now. My answer was that I was done being fat. This is a life changing decision for the entire family. food becomes fuel and is no longer your crutch. Again this is where communication is key. Although my hubby can not understand my feeling of being overweight he listens to me and has supported me.

If you ever have any questions we are all here for you. Please don't hesitate to send me a message! Good luck.

[DLCoggin 1,788]

It isn't uncommon for folks to go back to work after a week but - my surgeon advised me to limit lifting to 10 pounds or less for six weeks following surgery. You don't want to over stress those new suture lines and possibly develop a leak. Walking, sitting, and even bending are all fine as long as you're not experiencing any pain.

I have to second what others have said - I was shocked at how little pain there was following surgery. They had me on a morphine pump the day of the surgery and for a while the following morning. I never used it. The afternoon of the day after the surgery I had a little pain. They gave me Tylenol with codeine twice, four hours apart, and that was the last med I took for pain. It worked like a charm and what little pain I experienced subsided very quickly.

I was up and walking two hours after the surgery and it helps a lot to not only reduce the pain but also to reduce the gas from the surgery. Walk, walk, walk and sip, sip, sip are great ideas!

Congratulations on your decision! You're gonna love the new you!!

[jrhancher 1]

Thank you all for your kindness and advice.

It does not feel like I am alone so much anymore I am glad I found this forum you are great group of encouraging people.

Do any of you experience "dumping" after eating? if so, what is that like? I want to find out as much as I can about this whole process. I am not a big fan of surprises, but I am sure there will be a few!

Thanks again for the help.

J.R.

[knt4ever 137]

At 325 lbs heaviest I have tried to lose weight since I was a kid. I am 40 with three little boys, I have all the overweight junk that comes with it, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, slight diabetes. I am just ready to start living life and not feeling imprisoned by a body that does not feel like my own. I want to be able to watch my kids grow up. I am sure you all can relate!

I am with you 100% on the getting RNY to help your health and live longer for your kids!! It isn't just the pounds coming I am looking forward to, it is all the other bad things that come with the pounds.

I am 40 also and have twin 8 yr old girls who I not only want to watch grow up but also be active with them in the lives!

There are studies that show your mortality is increased a lot of years from this surgery.

It isn't an easy life after but at least you will be ALIVE. You do it for you and your kids and we will be here for support!

[jrhancher 1]

Thanks again for the encouragement, today was a particularly bad day! I have one more weigh in for my insurance through my PCP in one week and it was my kids birthday today, work Christmas party Monday not to mention all the food distractions this time of year! Wow and I have to manage a 2lb loss which is very easy but going through this pre-op journey really showed me what a real "food addiction I really have! I am tired of living in this shell and I am ready to shed it and get on with the next chapter. I have read a lot of posts from different people and they say after being obese for so many years that when they met their goal weight that they still mentally felt like the same obese person.

I guess there will be a lot of psychological as well as physical stuff to get through.

It has been a long journey to get here for me to get to where I am today. I was scheduled for surgery February 13, 2013 and I had a work related injury that caused me to have surgery on my hand and several month therapy which made me cancel my bariatric surgery. When I got well again I was excited to pursue the bariatric surgery again. To my dismay the insurance company made me jump through all the same hoops that I jumped through for my previously scheduled surgery. So here I am again ready for surgery in late February early March 2014. It has been a roller coaster ride. I wish I would have found this site a lot sooner you all are a very helpful tight knit group. I have soooooo many more questions for all of you. Such as, is skin removal after lots of weight loss considered cosmetic under most insurance programs?

Thanks,

J.R.

[terry1118 1,274]

If anyone could give me some wisdom about RNY bariatric surgery I would be very grateful. I have three questions.

1. How bad is the pain after 1 week?

2. What is the earliest that a grown man could go back to work after surgery. The job is physical.

3. Is it true that you lose your hair?

1. I, too, was quite surprised at how little pain was involved. After one week I felt completely normal and was mowing my grass. I only had 'pain' for a couple days. It actually felt more like muscle aches than actual pain. I threw out my mostly unused pain meds. I had my gallbladder out two weeks ago and was expecting it to be a piece of cake after my experience with RNY but it was actually a way more painful experience - I used every bit of my percosets.

2. I work in a bank, which I would classify as a light duty job. I went back to work after two weeks but could've after only one. My surgeon recommends 1-2 weeks for light duty work (with a twenty pound lifting restriction), and up to four weeks for a more physical job (not sure what the lifting restriction is as it didn't affect me).

3. Hair loss is inevitable but varies greatly from person to person. Some barely notice it and others may see more obvious signs. It is caused buy the initial stress to you body of having surgery, followed by drastic weight loss. Any physical stress can cause hair loss. After the stress occurs it takes 3-6 months for your hair to begin falling out. It will continue for another 3-6 months before stabilizing and new Hair growth starts. Getting Protein and taking Biotin won't have much effect on hair loss but will ensure new hair growth will be healthy. Avoiding harsh hair procedures like coloring, straightening, or perming, and using gentle hair products can help keep the hair you have healthy. Changing your hair style can help disguise the hair loss if it becomes noticeable.

[jrhancher 1]

Very helpful information, I was under the assumption that if I took the Biotin and ate the necessary Proteins that the hair would not fall out. Please do not get the impression that I am worried about vanity. I am just trying to get as much good information as I can. every reply has been easing my nervousness about the surgery. You hear your doctor and get great advice, for me it is better to hear the everyday trials and tribulations from people who experience this first hand. I will definitely pay it forward to a newcomer after my surgery experience is all over. Thanks again for all the great advice!

[terry1118 1,274]

Very helpful information, I was under the assumption that if I took the Biotin and ate the necessary Proteins that the hair would not fall out. Please do not get the impression that I am worried about vanity. I am just trying to get as much good information as I can. every reply has been easing my nervousness about the surgery. You hear your doctor and get great advice, for me it is better to hear the everyday trials and tribulations from people who experience this first hand. I will definitely pay it forward to a newcomer after my surgery experience is all over. Thanks again for all the great advice!

Google 'weight loss surgery and hair loss' for a more detailed explanation of the why's of Hair loss. That's how I found the info. I was very curious after reading about hair loss concerns in this forum. I decided to research it myself. It's my understanding that getting enough Protein can help prevent ADDITIONAL hair loss due to poor diet but will not prevent hair loss caused by surgery/weight loss stress.

I was curious but not overly concerned. I would have gladly gone completely bald if it meant feeling better and being healthy. :-)

[jrhancher 1]

I completely agree about going bald. If it means good health it will be worth it. I have definitely been looking into a lot more overall research of the process in its entirety. I feel confident and my anxieties are starting to calm. It seems that most of the horror stories I am hearing are from people who had this surgery over ten years ago. Medicine must have advanced substantially because 90% or more of the people I notice have not had many set-backs due to the surgery that was not created by things that were due to surgery alone and not their own neglect.

Also have you experienced any "dumping" symptoms? What was it like and what caused it for you?

[jrhancher 1]

Thanks for the sound advice, Having talked it over with my wife did no good she seems to think I should get the lap band If I should have to do this at all! She says it is less invasive and should be better. I know what is right for me after a long evaluation of my circumstances and education about both procedures. I can only hope that I can gain her support because this is something I believe I have to do for myself. It is not as though I am breaking the cardinal rule of marriage and cheating on her. I just want this for me to be around longer for my family and live a healthy productive life.

I think she is scared of me getting it because of all of the small "risks" involved. I just pray she is on board before surgery day. Thanks again for the encouragement.

JR
You are not alone in this. You have a great big family here.
As for your wife I would suggest taking her to your support group meetings and doctor appointments. It can be scary for the spouse as this is such a big surgery. My hubby supported my decision, but was so nervous about the surgery he threw up several times on the day of the surgery.
The best thing you can do is sit down and have a long talk with your wife. Communication is the key. Get ready to answer the tough questions, and be ready to ask the tough questions. Be open and honest with her. The big question my husband wanted to know was why now. My answer was that I was done being fat. This is a life changing decision for the entire family. food becomes fuel and is no longer your crutch. Again this is where communication is key. Although my hubby can not understand my feeling of being overweight he listens to me and has supported me.
If you ever have any questions we are all here for you. Please don't hesitate to send me a message! Good luck.