Questions about surgery

[excitedforweightloss 40]

My date isn't nailed down yet but we are looking at the second week of May. I've been reading on here and now I have some questions.

Is my long thick beautiful hair going to fall out?

People have mentioned drainage tubes? Is this standard?

Vomiting and severe gas pain?

I'm starting to feel VERY nervous.

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[Margie122 845]

My date isn't nailed down yet but we are looking at the second week of May. I've been reading on here and now I have some questions.

Is my long thick beautiful hair going to fall out?

People have mentioned drainage tubes? Is this standard?

Vomiting and severe gas pain?

I'm starting to feel VERY nervous.

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hair - depending upon surgery YES you may have Hair loss. More hair loss with gastric bypass, less with the sleeve. I lost some hair, but it's regrowing and I never had a bald spot. I had the sleeve.

I did not have drainage tubes. I don't think most people do...but ask the surgeon.

I had some dry heaves and nausea post-surgery but I think mine was an adverse reaction to the type of anesthesia they used. I was fine after a few days.

As for gas pain - there is some gas left in your body after you have the surgery and walking around and moving gets it out. You can burp and/or fart (sorry if TMI!) but it will make you feel better to MOVE MOVE MOVE.

The benefits of the surgery far outweigh a little hair loss, the possible inconvenience of drains, or gas.

Ask questions of your surgical team! What surgery are you having? GOOD LUCK!

[excitedforweightloss 40]

I'm having the gastric sleeve. My surgeon only requires a one night stay in the hospital so that's a relief. I work at the facility I'm having it at. It has helped expidite the process. I only had my first appointment 2 weeks ago. I had already complied with the insurance requirement of 6 months of supervised weight loss in the past 2 years. I have an appointment on April the 7th. They will answer any questions I have at that time. Even tho I'm very nervous I am also very excited. I feel like a kid at Christmas lol.

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[JamieLogical 8,708]

It's likely you'll lose some hair. How much is dependent on a lot of factors, most out of your control. What you can control is your Protein intake, making sure you take your Vitamins, and making sure you get your Water in. After that, it's in the hands of fate. The good news is, permanent Hair loss seems to be INCREDIBLY rare. Mine started growing back in immediately and I never lost so much that anyone besides myself and my husband would notice in the first place. The regrowth was actually more noticeable than the loss, because I had little baby hairs sticking up all over.

Not all surgeons insert drains. You'd have to ask yours if they use drains or not.

Gas pain is pretty standard. Some people experience nausea and vomiting, others don't I never vomited, though I did have two bouts of dry heaving the day after surgery. Keep in mind that many people experience nausea just from anesthesia with ANY kind of surgery. So add onto that the fact that this surgery is actually on your stomach, and yes there is a good chance of nausea. If it's a problem for you, your surgeon should be able to provide you with meds to control it.

It's very common to feel nervous at this stage. Just hang in there and it will all be over soon.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I lost hair, it came back as soon as it stopped. It is hard to just blame it on surgery since my hair sheds a lot in the winter anyway. It stopped and it is growing back now super fast. It is noticeable to me, not other people. The great thing about curly hair is it masks so many hair "flaws".

I didn't vomit after surgery, the only nausea I had was in the hospital on morphine. I still never vomited.

My gas pain was aching in my shoulder and my hip. So it wasn't pain as much as it was a deep ache.

No drainage tubes. That depends on the Dr really. There is a Dr at the practice I go to and he always does drains, my Dr doesn't.

Don't overthink it or stress about it too much. Stress causes problems and solves none. One of the benefits of my moving through the surgery process so fast was, I didn't have time to worry about surgery. I had to spend all my time prepping my home and my business for after surgery and that occupied most of my thoughts.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

Is my long thick beautiful hair going to fall out?

Probably some of it, but only enough that you notice, not anyone else.

People have mentioned drainage tubes? Is this standard?

I would guess it's maybe 50/50? I had a drainage tube for one day post-op, it wasn't a big deal.

Vomiting and severe gas pain?

I don't think vomiting is standard. I haven't thrown up once since my surgery almost three years ago. I wouldn't call the gas pain severe, more like moderate. Walking and moving helps get rid of it. Mine was gone within a couple of days.

I'm starting to feel VERY nervous.

Morbid obesity should make you a lot more nervous than this extremely safe surgery to help you put obesity into remission.

No surgery is a walk in the park -- but as surgeries go, this one is very safe and the recovery is pretty easy for most folks.

[excitedforweightloss 40]

Thanks so much for the information. It's great to have so many people it one place to rely on for information and support

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[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

My date isn't nailed down yet but we are looking at the second week of May. I've been reading on here and now I have some questions.

Is my long thick beautiful hair going to fall out?

People have mentioned drainage tubes? Is this standard?

Vomiting and severe gas pain?

I'm starting to feel VERY nervous.

Sent from my SM-N900V using the BariatricPal App

Welcome!

To answer your question about hair. I had long, beautiful hair and cut it short (donated it) soon after surgery, so now I have short, thick beautiful hair. I haven't noticed any significant Hair loss since surgery and I am almost one year post-op. I get in all of my Protein, take all my Vitamins, and don't limit good fats. I don't know if that makes a difference or if I'm just lucky. Some people do experience temporary hair loss.

I didn't have a drain.

I didn't experience vomiting or nausea. They did put an anti-nausea patch behind my ear while I was in the hospital.

Best of luck with your surgery.

[kranky813 477]

@@excitedforweightloss

So what I am going to tell you is what everyone else has said so far

I have VERY long thick beautiful hair. I have always loved my hair, it's one of my best features. I am 6 months out from surgery and have been losing a lot of it. Honestly I am really the only one who has noticed it. It still looks thick and it's still very long. It just doesn't take as long to style or dry My hairdresser noticed that it is thinning out a bit but it still took 2 hours to color it the other day.

I never had a drainage tube. My doctor said he doesn't think they are needed. Every surgeon is different.

I didn't vomit but I was nauseated for about a week after surgery. They put this little sticker thing behind my ear during surgery and told me to take it off 72 hours after surgery. Once I took that little bad boy off I got really nauseated. They had to put me on stronger drugs to help because it was pretty bad. Honestly, once I hit day 9 post op everything started to get a lot better and today I am so in love with my surgery I wish I would have done it 10 years ago.

I will also say that I was in your shoes, I think we all were. Nervous, not sure what to expect. It will be fine. Just ask your questions and know that we are all here for you.

@@excitedforweightloss

So what I am going to tell you is what everyone else has said so far

I have VERY long thick beautiful hair. I have always loved my hair, it's one of my best features. I am 6 months out from surgery and have been losing a lot of it. Honestly I am really the only one who has noticed it. It still looks thick and it's still very long. It just doesn't take as long to style or dry My hairdresser noticed that it is thinning out a bit but it still took 2 hours to color it the other day.

I never had a drainage tube. My doctor said he doesn't think they are needed. Every surgeon is different.

I didn't vomit but I was nauseated for about a week after surgery. They put this little sticker thing behind my ear during surgery and told me to take it off 72 hours after surgery. Once I took that little bad boy off I got really nauseated. They had to put me on stronger drugs to help because it was pretty bad. Honestly, once I hit day 9 post op everything started to get a lot better and today I am so in love with my surgery I wish I would have done it 10 years ago.

I will also say that I was in your shoes, I think we all were. Nervous, not sure what to expect. It will be fine. Just ask your questions and know that we are all here for you.

[jane13 2,256]

Like others I lost some hair, mines curly too, and I think I notice it more than others because I see it all over the sink in the bathroom. I have cut mine shorter. I still take all of my Vitamins and 10k of Biotin.

No drainage tube for me, but I did have a catheter :/ as soon as I told them I wanted to physically "go" they removed it

No vomiting or severe gas pain for me, ever. I also had the little patch behind the ear.

I hadn't had any surgery like this before and I was apprehensive too. I made sure I was the first patient for the OR. I didn't want to wait in pre-op and think about it. I was wheeled in, greeted by everyone, mask placed over my face and was told to take a deep breath and relax and that they would take good care of me ~

Best decision. NO REGRETS!

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I forgot to mention the gas. I did have gas pain, mostly in my shoulder, but I wouldn't describe it as severe..

[steph_anie 49]

My hair didn't start falling out heavy until 3 months post surgery. I had the sleeve, I've lost about 63lbs since surgery. 117 altogether. Count on hair to fall out, but be READY. Take your Vitamins religiously, keep up with Protein and water!

I had one drainage tube, it didn't bother me until the day it had to be removed (1 week post op), hurt like hell. But I don't even think about it now, one moment of pain to be healthier? Hell yes.

I think i threw up once maybe twice within first few days of being home from hospital. Drank my liquids slower and it stopped. Gas pain... I honestly don't remember it, I burped alot in the beginning, not so much passing gas. But going to restroom and passed gas when I expected to do so much worse lol but it relieved so much tension in abdomen area so I wouldn't be afraid of it.

I got nervous, but if you put your mind to it, you can get through this and be a few months out and giving advice of how your experience went. I found so much solace in posts here just before my surgery. God bless!

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[steph_anie 49]

And YES the more you walk the easier it gets. I walked probably every 3 hours at the hospital and it made things so much easier!

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[excitedforweightloss 40]

Thanks so much for your responses. I spend hours reading what everyone on here has to say. It is helping with my anxiety.

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[Samara1974 116]

My date isn't nailed down yet but we are looking at the second week of May. I've been reading on here and now I have some questions.

Is my long thick beautiful hair going to fall out?

People have mentioned drainage tubes? Is this standard?

Vomiting and severe gas pain?

I'm starting to feel VERY nervous.

Sent from my SM-N900V using the BariatricPal App

I have very long and thick hair, I have started to thin a bit but it is not noticeable. I agree with a previous poster it is actually making my life easier because it now takes less time to do.The research I did said it is usually only noticeable if the person already has very fine and thin hair to begin with.

Drainage tubes are truly a surgeon's preference. My surgeon chose a drain with me I believe because an incision was in a fat fold. It was removed the day I was discharged, a few seconds of pain when they snipped the stitch and then a weird feeling and I was done. That incision actually has healed the quickest and looks the best.

I have only vomited once and it was because I ate too fast. I did not have any gas pain after surgery but that is because I followed other posters advice and snuck in gas-x strips and took it the first thing I could. I also walked a lot. I do have gas pain now if I eat too quickly or drink too fast. It stops me in my tracks and reminds me to SLOW DOWN and then I take a gas-x strip wait 30-40 minutes and finish my meal.

Just remember everyone's experience is different for the good and for the bad. Try to gather information and then go for what happens to the majority of people. If you look for and only read the bad you are going to be a wreck.