Three days post-surgery, the journey so far

[sonkat5355 70]

I'll try to be as detailed as I can to help others about to go through this.

My surgery was scheduled for this past Wednesday 12/21, I was told to go to the hospital at 7:30 AM. My wife had to take the kids to school so my mother brought me. No waiting, immediately they took me into the back to start getting ready, and my mom was able to come. They filled out some forms, put the IV in, gave me a shot of Heparin (blood-thinner) in my stomach (didn't hurt) and told me I'd get an additional shot every 8 hours until I got discharged.

They gave me a few pills and some horrifically nasty stuff to drink (everything I had to drink in the hospital was terrible). Some of the nurses came by to introduce themselves, the anesthesiologist came by to chat. I had been concerned because I had been coming down with a cold but all I had left was a slight cough so it was fine. My doctor came by to let me know I would be going in soon. He had a busy day, at least 6 surgeries! I think I was number 3.

So about 9:45 or so they wheeled me in. My mom was given a tracking number, and there was a monitor in the waiting room where you could find a patient's tracking number, and it would light up green when they were in surgery, and blue when they were in recovery. They said they'd call when I was out of surgery (they didn't).

I went into the room and laid down on a very narrow table and got strapped in. My doctor wasn't in there yet, but they needed to prep me anyway. They put a mask on face and told me to breath deeply, and bam I was out. My next recollection was waking up in recovery with an oxygen mask (they give everyone oxygen via mask for two hours post-surgery) feeling very woozy and nauseous . I told them I was feeling sick and they gave me something that helped. Soon after, they brought my mom and wife back to spend some time with me, but I was really in and out.

Shortly after, they had me stand up and walk around a bit, and then they sat me in a lazy-boy type chair for a while, then I walked around a little more. Walking felt OK, felt some tightness in my stomach around the incisions but it wasn't unbearable. Then they put me in a wheelchair and brought me to my room which I was sharing with another guy who got the same surgery from the same doctor that day (he arrived later).

They put me in the bed and asked me a bunch of questions to get me admitted. After that it was mostly just sleeping as much as I could. Every two hours I had to get up and walk for several minutes. They got all the bariatric patients up together so every two hours it was like the world's worst conga line and we shambled down the hospital hallway. I made sure to go to the bathroom after every single walk so I wouldn't have to get up unnecessarily. They let me have ice chips and thank god for that. I didn't have a sore throat from the surgery although I'd heard some do.

It was a long night, people kept coming in to check blood pressure, give me heparin shots, take blood once I think, maybe twice. The next morning some folks from the hospital came in to give me and my roommate a holiday gift of a poinsettia which was nice but I would have rather kept sleeping.

In the morning they brought me down for a GI check. I had to drink some absolutely foul liquid four times while they took x-rays of my stomach (standing) to check for leaks. No leaks! So I was cleared for Breakfast. Breakfast was some Water, some orange Jello, and some Protein things to drink, they tasted completely disgusting and I couldn't finish them. When they saw I tolerated it well, they brought lunch, which was scrambled eggs, Powerade zero, and more horrible Protein drinks including one marked Prostat that I think I was supposed to drink but it was so awful I couldn't take more than a sip.

I had noticed over the night that was having pains in my back and shoulder, I was told it was gas pains and they would go away, I just needed to keep walking. The surgeon stopped in at some point to check in, told me my surgery lasted just 26 minutes, amazing. He said I did a good job with the liver shrinking diet.

About 2:30 or so I was discharged. I was able to dress myself which was nice. I had an appendectomy and umbilical hernia repair last December, and felt much worse after that, and couldn't dress myself when I left the hospital.

The drive home was uneventful, when I got back I took a little nap, but I got up to walk every hour or so. For the first day or two I noticed some ankle and calf pain when I got up but that went away and today it's almost all gone.

For dinner my wife made me some pureed tuna with low-fat mayo. I ate two ounces and could barely finish it. I drank about 2/3 of a bottle of protein shake (the Premier Protein, same thing I drank on my two week liver shrinking diet), took me a looong time to drink it. Then drank some Water, not that much, I was being very cautious. When I swallowed it felt very weird, like I could feel it settling into my stomach. Didn't hurt, but just weird. I didn't have any real unbearable pain. When I stood up it hurt where my incisions were. If I coughed it hurt a lot but that went away.

Spent that day (thursday) just relaxing and walking and trying to get down some fluids.

Sleeping was uneventful, I took some of the percoset they prescribed and that helped. I slept on my back the entire night which is rare for me. Friday I felt a little better. Ankles still hurt, and my neck was killing me, I assumed it was the gas pain. Breakfast was two scrambled eggs which took over an hour to eat but I finished almost all of them. I finished the Protein Drink and tried some Powerade zero which was delicious. lunch was the rest of the tuna (3.4 oz, ate the whole thing), and dinner was egg salad with low fat mayo, and a little bit or paprika and mustard for taste. I ate 3 oz and it went down pretty quick. At some point during the day I took a shower which was great. No problem at all standing for several minutes.

Sleeping was again uneventful. Today I woke up late, so no breakfast. I had more egg salad for lunch and it went down fairly quickly with no adverse effect. Drank a Protein Shake (11 oz) and 16 oz of powerade zero, no problem at all going down. Before the surgery, the doctor said it should easier and less painful day after day, week after week, and that's been true so far.

I had read about "sleever's remorse" and yes I've felt it too, starting with when I first woke up in the hospital, and it comes back several times a day. I think once I reach the point where there's no pain, and I can eat solid foods again, and get back into my regular routine and see the effects of the surgery it will go away. I know that this was the right thing for me to do, and even though maybe right this second I feel like I wouldn't do it again if given another chance, I'm pretty confident that I'll be happy with my decision in the coming weeks, months, years, etc.

So that's the journey so far. I'l be happy to answer any questions anyone has, and good luck to anyone who is still pending surgery!

Thank you for the detailed info. I am afraid to start the liquid diet this coming Tuesday Jan 17. I think this may be the hardest part. I bought the Premier shakes, Bariatric Soups, Jello, tea, pudding, low sodium broth, etc. Some have told me they cheated a bit in that two week phase. I've had many surgeries, c sections, Tummy Tuck, breast lift and the pain of the children sections were the greatest pain. I don't know why but I'm more afraid of this surgery coming up on Jan. 31 then all of those. I'm sure there will be a bit of remorse but I'd rather be healthy and it will be quicker this way. I'm 61 and have arthritis, 5ft 5in and 275 lbs. I've lost before and kept it off for awhile but now being older it's hard to diet for 3 years to lose 75 or more pounds. I don't have time to do that like when I was younger.

One thing I'm afraid of is they told me they keep you intabated when you wake up to make sure you can breath on your own. I've never had that and hate that thought. Others I've spoken to got pain pumps but my Dr says he gives shots for the pain in the hospital. I do have may questions. Thank you,

????sonkat5355????

[sonkat5355 70]

So you were able to eat puréed food the day after surgery?

Yeah I was surprised. I always thought it was liquid diet the first week, but a friend of mine who had the same surgery with the same practice (different doctor) told me they gave him scrambled eggs the next day, and same thing for me, I guess every doctor is different. They gave me a diet plan for next few months. The first month is just pureed meats. Second month I can add veggies. Third month I think is fruits.

Really, every Dr is different. Mine will be liquids for several days post op. I have heard some don't have to even do pure liquid diet pre op.

????sonkat5355????

[Tufflaw 465]

Thank you for the detailed info. I am afraid to start the liquid diet this coming Tuesday Jan 17. I think this may be the hardest part. I bought the Premier shakes, Bariatric Soups, Jello, tea, pudding, low sodium broth, etc. Some have told me they cheated a bit in that two week phase. I've had many surgeries, c sections, Tummy Tuck, breast lift and the pain of the children sections were the greatest pain. I don't know why but I'm more afraid of this surgery coming up on Jan. 31 then all of those. I'm sure there will be a bit of remorse but I'd rather be healthy and it will be quicker this way. I'm 61 and have arthritis, 5ft 5in and 275 lbs. I've lost before and kept it off for awhile but now being older it's hard to diet for 3 years to lose 75 or more pounds. I don't have time to do that like when I was younger.

One thing I'm afraid of is they told me they keep you intabated when you wake up to make sure you can breath on your own. I've never had that and hate that thought. Others I've spoken to got pain pumps but my Dr says he gives shots for the pain in the hospital. I do have may questions. Thank you,

sonkat5355

Well the liquid diet was no fun, but actually in retrospect (and while I was doing it) not as bad as I thought it would be. I was actually fine during the day, it was the evenings that were tough. Dropping 25 lbs in 2 weeks was pretty nice too!

I can't speak to the other surgeries, but I did have an appendectomy and umbilical hernia repair a year before I got sleeved and the recovery was tougher for that and more painful, for what it's worth.

Can't speak for your doctor, but I wasn't intubated when I woke up, they had an oxygen mask on but they do that for everyone.

Good luck, don't let your nerves talk you out of saving your life!

[sonkat5355 70]

Thank you for the detailed info. I am afraid to start the liquid diet this coming Tuesday Jan 17. I think this may be the hardest part. I bought the Premier shakes, Bariatric Soups, Jello, tea, pudding, low sodium broth, etc. Some have told me they cheated a bit in that two week phase. I've had many surgeries, c sections, Tummy Tuck, breast lift and the pain of the children sections were the greatest pain. I don't know why but I'm more afraid of this surgery coming up on Jan. 31 then all of those. I'm sure there will be a bit of remorse but I'd rather be healthy and it will be quicker this way. I'm 61 and have arthritis, 5ft 5in and 275 lbs. I've lost before and kept it off for awhile but now being older it's hard to diet for 3 years to lose 75 or more pounds. I don't have time to do that like when I was younger.

One thing I'm afraid of is they told me they keep you intabated when you wake up to make sure you can breath on your own. I've never had that and hate that thought. Others I've spoken to got pain pumps but my Dr says he gives shots for the pain in the hospital. I do have may questions. Thank you,

sonkat5355

Well the liquid diet was no fun, but actually in retrospect (and while I was doing it) not as bad as I thought it would be. I was actually fine during the day, it was the evenings that were tough. Dropping 25 lbs in 2 weeks was pretty nice too!

I can't speak to the other surgeries, but I did have an appendectomy and umbilical hernia repair a year before I got sleeved and the recovery was tougher for that and more painful, for what it's worth.

Can't speak for your doctor, but I wasn't intubated when I woke up, they had an oxygen mask on but they do that for everyone.

Good luck, don't let your nerves talk you out of saving your life!

Yes, sometimes thinking about the liquid diet might not be as bad as doing it!!!????

????sonkat5355????

[caddygirl 208]

Thank you so much for sharing! Keep us update on your progress ! Hopefully one day soon I can share my story !

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[Tufflaw 465]

Thank you so much for sharing! Keep us update on your progress ! Hopefully one day soon I can share my story !

My pleasure! It was helpful to me reading other people's stories, and also just for myself this is a nice way to keep a record of what's going on.

My one month doctor's appt is this Thursday, and the PA told me to eat chicken thigh the night before without grinding it up first to see how I tolerate it, and if all goes well I'll be cleared for REAL food and also to start exercising, so that's great. I asked why not chicken breast and she said it's too dry, without being able to drink Water it might be tough to get down. Now I have to go buy a chicken thigh.

[caddygirl 208]

All my dieting life I was always told to eat chicken breast! Thighs is really a first lol

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[Tufflaw 465]

Yeah I don't think it's for health reasons, just easier to get down without Water. Although I do like dark meat better anyway.

[caddygirl 208]

So do I

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[TieHillATL 28]

I'm hella jealous. I can't have a scrambled egg until my 1 week post op visit in 2 days. I tried a ptotein shake or cream of chicken Soup and my stomach flipped knots. I'm back to Jello, Water, and Popsicles. I said the heck with food. Maybe I can add mor Water to the Protein powders

Tie Hill Samsung S6+

[LIA-70 136]

@@Tufflaw im going to roll with you n give the scrambled eggs a try tomm. My doc also said ok to mushy food stage 2 on day 2. I was shocked they gv me mash potatoes at hospital but my body just couldnt do it. Everything hurt n was yucky to me so i kept the broth stage for 7 days with docs approval. Im finally stage2 on mushy food as my body started wanting it. I made some Soup with chicken thigh meat, was great n per Señor Google 30g of Protein... yay 1 less Protein shake.

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[Tufflaw 465]

That's awesome, good luck with the scrambled eggs! I make them similar to the way Gordon Ramsey makes scrambled eggs (but without the creme freche, if that's how you spell it). I put a little splash of skim milk and an ounce of shredded cheese, put the pan between low and medium, wait about a minute, pour in the eggs, shortly after start scrambling, then take them OFF the heat and scramble for a minute, then back on the heat for a bit, then off, and that's it. As soon as they're solid I'm done. Eggs are creamy, fluffy, delicious. I used to like that a little al dente and with the crispy edges but this is SO much better and easier to eat too. Here's the video that inspired me -

Also, lucky you with the mashed potatoes! I was told I wasn't allowed to eat them because of the starch

[Tufflaw 465]

Big day today! I have my one month followup tomorrow so they told me to eat REAL food tonight, they recommended chicken thighs because chicken breast is too dry considering we can't drink for 30 minutes after eating.

So I got some chicken thighs, put a piece (a little over 4.5 ounces) in a baking pan, put on a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and that's it! Baked in the oven for 20 minutes at 425, then covered it and let it sit for 10 minutes, and it was delicious! No problems at all getting it down, feeling great, this is awesome.

I only wish I could make a whole batch for the week and just nuke it every day but the PA said not to do that, that microwaving changes it somehow I'll definitely be having this again, looking forward to some real food going forward. Think I'll try sausages tomorrow (or maybe just one link).

[JConforti 91]

@Tufflaw reading this thread as been very helpful and informative. Thank you and good luck today. Looking forward to reading your next post.

I'm just beginning the journey after a consultation with my surgeon so I have a lot to do yet. Reading your story is very inspiring to me and helps keep my focus so, again, thank you

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Edited January 19, 2017 by JConforti

[Tufflaw 465]

Glad I could help, feel free to drop me a line with any questions, and good luck!