New-Bee looking for advice

[cntrygalsc]

Hi all, I am new to this sight and I am considering the sleeve procedure. I looked into this about a year ago and decided it was way too expensive, bariatric surgery is specifically excluded from my insurance coverage. A year has gone by and every time I go to my primary care doctor I have gained more weight even though in my mind I have cut down on what I have been eating. I am 56, 5' 6", and currently weigh about 275 pounds. I am single, have no family near me and really don't have any friends, so basically don’t have anyone to help support me through this. I do work but don't want to tell anyone at work about the surgery because I don't want to hear their opinions. I think I have decided to go ahead with the surgery but I keep trying to talk myself out of it because of the big financial burden it will place on me, the risks of the surgery, and because it flat out scares me.

I am currently very healthy despite my weight and the only thing I have is high cholesterol. I had a total knee replacement 3 years ago and the weight has just been piling on since then. I have been trying to do a lot of research and gather as much information as possible before I make this decision. I have spoken with a surgery center here where I live and have scheduled the initial doctor's visit for next Friday; the 13th as it turns out...maybe that should be a sign. I won't have to go through the normal problems that most people face with insurance so I could be looking at a surgery date in June sometime.

So here are some of the questions that I am looking for answers too:

The surgical center that I am going to says only one night in hospital. Will I be able to take care of myself when I come home to an empty house? I have three small dogs and a parrot, but they are all very well behaved.

How do you feel after surgery, are you really sore, can you get around without help? When I had knee replacement I was in the hospital for 3 days and then went to rehab for 5 days before returning home. I did it but I have to say it wasn't that easy for me to do on my own so I'm thinking that this type of surgery would be much easier?

How long before you were able to drive and go get groceries?

My job is all done on computers. I am able to login from home and work...how much time do I need to take off from work? Remember that I will be sitting at home alone with nothing to do so I'm thinking that working would at least take my mind off of it?

How long before you can exercise...not that I exercise right now but that is part of the life change right? I have looked into taking aqua aerobics classes? I also currently take my dogs to the dog park once a week and we walk for an hour.

Why are there so many people that seem to have problems drinking enough water? Is it because it makes them sick, because they are too full, does it hurt, or what? I would like to understand this better. I don’t drink an excessive amount of water unless I am really hot or outside working in the yard. I probably get in at least 32oz a day. However, plain water does upset my stomach. I currently drink flavored Propel water with vitamins and Nestle Pure Life Splash water; will I still be able to drink both of them in lieu of regular water? Both say they have 0 sugar and 0 calories.

I just missed the monthly group support meeting that the surgery center has by one day when I called to get an appointment so now I have to wait until June for another meeting. This is why I am trying to gather as much information as possible from other sources. I’m sure I can ask a lot of these questions when I go in for my initial consultation, but I would like to get answers from real people that have went through the surgery in lieu of people that are selling a surgery.

Any information you can give me on your experiences from the surgery would be greatly appreciated.

Best of luck to all of you.

[CAREN]

Welcome to the site!!

I'm considering having surgery as well. I've been reading through the posts and have found some good suggestions that may have answers to all your questions.

My best friend had surgery 3 months ago and she had minimal pain and was back to work in 3 days. It's kinda hard to say how long to take off work since you have to deal with your body's response to the surgery as well as the restricted diet. I'm a huge cry baby and don't like to work uncomfortable so I'm planning to take 30 days.

Again welcome and happy reading (the people on this site are wonderful)!

[sraebaer]

Welcome! While support is nice, it shouldn't be too much of a problem doing it alone if you prepare ahead of time. I was in the hospital one night. Way easier than knee replacement. I wasn't in too much pain, just tired, so you'll spend time sleeping. Shop for what your nutritionist says you need for the first two weeks at least. (For me that was just protein drinks.) If you have a recliner, move it in front of the TV and put a little table next to it for your water/protein drink. For a while my bed was too high and I slept better in my recliner. Walk, start just around the house. Then down the block. Then around the block. Baby steps! I am a total advocate for walking as exercise, all you need is a good pair of shoes.

I could drive as soon as I was off the pain meds, which was maybe 2 days after I got home. I never had any problem getting in my required fluids/protein. I'm a teacher and took 2 weeks off, it was perfect for me. If you work from home, you can probably nap if you get really tired.

Good luck! You will be amazed! Enjoy the journey!

[Aydensmomma]

Hi! This surgery is going to be easier then a knee replacement. It will be uncomfortable to bend at the waist for a while so get slip on shoes, comfy pants. Squat down carefully to feed your dogs.
I was driving 6 days after surgery. I was sore, bumps in the road weren't fun. I would say whenever you feel alert and comfortable then you can go back to work. To be safe I would plan for 2 weeks out of the office.
Exercise- walking is going to one of the best things to do after surgery because it will help to expel the gas you will have from surgery. It's the only exercise I was allowed to do until about 3 weeks or 4 weeks when I was cleared to try my elliptical for just a few minutes, at my own pace.
The 0 sugar drinks are fine. Ice pops will be great after surgery. It can be painful if you drink too much, too fast, swallow air etc... your tummy will be so much smaller then before, and also swollen
That's gets easier.
Please feel free to message me with any questions

[zoey101]

Hello and welcome to the site. You have already received some good information in regards to your questions and if you keep reading and searching on here you should be able to find an answer to any question you have. One night in the Hospital is normal and if they don't think you are ready they will most likely keep you another night.

I had a lot of pain but I am a very rare case with a "0" tolerance for pain along with chronic pain from other issues so I am not a person that can really answer for you. Most people are just fine and a little sore and that's it "I wish I was them" lol. With that said I have had at least 15 major surgeries from back, jaw, knees and few other lovely things and this was NOTHING compared to them.

You will know when your ready to drive, I waited about 2 weeks but that was because I didn't need to go anywhere.

I too can work from home on my computer but I did still take an entire week off. I found it difficult to sit up and type for long periods of time but after a week you can probably get in a couple hours here and there, just take a lot of breaks and get up and walk as often as you can.

You should be fine at home alone, I had my Husband and Son but with work and school they were rarely ever around so I was pretty much on my own and I was just fine. Just take it slow when you get up to make sure you don't get dizzy and you are stable on your feet.

You should definitely go to the store and get everything you need to last you for 2 weeks to be on the safe side. Get PLENTY of sugar free ice pops, I must of downed a minimum of 5 of them a day in the beginning. Get cases of whatever water you like and lots of broth and protein drinks, you might want to test out a couple before you buy a ton of them but the down side is your taste may change after surgery so that's a tough one. I LOVE Unjury protein powder the "Classic Chocolate". Their "Chicken Soup" is amazing but it's not clear so you will have to wait until your Dr. approves that, probably a week or two.

Water has proven to be an issue for several people in the beginning. You will need to train yourself to take tiny sips all day and night long. If you gulp it you will have pain and possibly get sick. Keep a water bottle next to your bed and in the living room where you sit this way it's always there and it will remind you to drink. Also sip your protein drink all day long, if it gets warm just toss it back in the fridge for a bit.

With exercise start with walking in the beginning several times a day even if it's just around your house. You can start really working out after your incisions have healed around 6-8 weeks out, some take longer.

I hope all of this helps and good luck with everything, keep us posted!

[Stephanie11]

Hi there!
I am new to this too...2 weeks post-op. So, I will share my experience and hope that it will give you some hope! (There are many others on this site that know way more that me, but I will share my experience.)
I spent one night in the hospital after surgery, which seems to be standard practice. While in the hospital, they kept me on pain meds as needed, so there was absolutely no pain. The worst part on the day of surgery was having absolutely NOTHING to eat or drink. So, to pass the time, I either slept or walked around the hospital floor. Since you are encouraged to walk after surgery, I must have walked 2 miles over the 2 days in the hospital.
After being released, I planned to go to work the following day. There was no pain, so I didn't have to take any of the prescribed pain medication nor the nausea medication. Despite that, I just didn't feel like going to work the next day, so I gave it one more day. I was able to drive 2 days after surgery, and return to work without any problems. Because I was swollen, I couldn't really fit in any of my clothes, so I had to use the rubber band method to hold my pants closed! (You won't have that issue if working from home. ).

I have always been pretty active, so getting back to exercise has not been a problem. I can't say that I'm quite as active as I was, but am able to handle some low-impact exercise without any issues...my doctor said to wait 2 weeks, so I just started the exercise yesterday. The only problem with water aerobics will be the initial wait time until your incisions heal. That too is probably only a couple of weeks before you can be submerged in water. I would ask your doctor.

Getting around the house was not a problem at all. I can't imagine that you will have any difficulty being alone and getting around. I know that everyone is different, but beyond gas and hunger, I didn't experience any real issues. Two-weeks later, I still have not experienced nausea, and have no trouble getting the water in, but I add Crystal Light to my water bottles. Otherwise, I just don't care to drink so much water. Yes, you should be able to drink flavored water. That seems to be on most of the doctors' "clear liquid" list.

So, I can't say that there is any pain with this experience, but there is definitely hunger! I have read that some people don't feel like eating the first week, but that was not the case for me. I still look forward to my first bite of solid food. Right now, I'm starting purée and even that is exciting compared to just liquid!

Good luck with your journey! This is an exciting time! Keep posing about your progress!!

[Pam G]

Here's your best advice ever: Watch Dr Mathew Wieners videos on youtube....any question you could possible have, he will answer for you!

Start with this one and go from there: