Here come the dumb questions and there are many more where these came from!

[Splenda 257]

On 10/14/2021 at 5:48 PM, Maroux said:

Hello!

I'm back, now 4.5 days since learning I was en route for the gastric sleeve journey, end of next year.

At first, I was delighted, then freaked out, and now I'm at the stage where I have 100's of random questions...

So I'll label them with letters to make it easy to reply, if you want to just quote the letters . Here we go...

A - Meds

1- If you're on meds for depression, can you still take them after the operation or do they go through your system?

2- Still on meds : when you have a headache, can you still take tablets? (I'm pretty sure half the stomach is taken, but I can keep the brain)

B - Living alone

1. After I get discharged from the hospital, can I go down a couple of steps (to get home)

2. My bed is elevated. Right now, it's a national sport to get on and off it because of my weight. Is it possible to manoeuvre getting in and out of bed without help shortly after the op?

3. Now the embarrassing one: Erm. What about bathroom breaks? Can you wipe?

4. How long after the op can you take a shower?

C - Work

1. I know everyone is different, but how long after the op are you sufficiently pain-free and physically able to work a full day and concentrate on your tasks?

2. When the office is open again (not fully open in Ireland yet), I usually go to work on a bicycle: how long after the op would you say it is possible to get on a bike and cycle?

So, these are my questions after only 4.5 days. Brace yourself for more in the next year! Luckily there are only so many letters in the alphabet!

Thank you in advance for your replies!

Maroux

My answers:
A1 -- Yes, you'll be fine and the meds will work.
A2 -- Buy some liquid Tylenol prior to surgery to keep around for a few weeks until you feel OK taking tablets.
B1 -- Yes, but you may want to invest in a good, sturdy cane. Also helps when going from seated to standing (like the toilet).
B2 -- That is going to be tough. If you have a recliner, you may want to sleep in it for a few days.
B3 -- In the hospital, I could not wipe. It wasn't until later in the first week that I could do that on my own.
B4 -- I had surgery on a Monday and I think I showered on Thursday or Friday. Don't scrub your belly/scars. Doc's office told me to soap up my chest and let the water/soap run down the belly.
C1 -- I have a desk job and by the end of week 2, I was fully back, both physically and mentally.
C2 -- I probably would not have tried biking until at least a month out. And I would have been terrified of falling off my bike and landing on my stomach.