Ina,
I went into the surgery excited, was wondering what the hell was taking them so long to get me into the surgery room LOL
When I finally woke up afterward and they were making me do the lung exercises, OMG...it hurt so bad! They had me up and walking within a few hours and I won't lie..it hurt! They told me though not to walk any further than I thought I could, but to try and walk a little further each time. They left a wheelchair outside my room so I could use it for help if I needed. They were always right there to help as well. I just felt so wiped out from the anestetic (spelling?) though I probably didn't walk as much as I should have. I did walk around my room quite a bit though.
When I got home, I was still so sleepy! But when I was awake I would walk back and forth through the living room and dining room (I got out of the hospital on new years eve and it was really freaking cold! I wasn't walking outside LOL) I bought a recliner because I had alot of trouble sleeping in the bed. My doc told me no vacuuming for 6 weeks, to get someone else to do it. I would say probably no laundry either. I got lucky and my hubby was there to help.
My experience was pretty bad though because the day after I got out of the hospital, I got broncitis and ended up in the ER a couple weeks later because they thought I had a blood clot in my lungs. Then a week after that, still being sick, I coughed so hard I tore a broncil tube and ended up having to be flown by helicopter to my sugery hospital and put in a medical coma for three days so they could get all the crap outta my lungs.
Hopefully this does not happen to you!!!!
I'm sure you will do great, and I don't mean to scare you, just sharing my experience.
Just remember to walk as much as you feel up to and sip, sip, sip, even though you don't feel like it!
Good luck
Nicole

Wow, Nicole! I've heard a lot of after surgery "OMGosh stories" on here; yours is new and different!
I'm not much help in giving you my after surgery story because I had open instead of laparoscopic.
I think it is good to ask others what they went through, what we could expect and such like that. Part of the apprehension is the not knowing of what to expect. We are given "the list" from our surgeons, but it's good to "hear" it from people who have actually experienced it.

G'luck to you and sooooo glad you are at peace. You will be so thankful you are going into the New Year with a new you!

Hugs,
Peggy

Hello,
I just had my laproscopic surgery Nov. 11th. I got sick from the anastetic (spelling also). The nurses had me up walking about 5 hours after my surgery. I was dizzy, not in that much pain but was on moraphene. By the 2nd day I was telling my husband that if I had known how much this was going to hurt I would never have done it. I met two other ladies in the hospital and heard them saying the same thing. I know other people come home from the hospital and look after their kids and take care of the house. I can honestly say that I just took care of myself for the first week. For the first week all I kept thinking was what have I done. I thought the first week was really hard. I am almost at 3 weeks now and feel completely different. I do not hurt at all now and am feeling much better about my choice to have surgery. I have walked everyday since the 11th. I started out by only being able to walk maybe 15 houses away but in that short time I now walk 20 minutes 3 times a day. Good luck on your journey and remember that the beginning is absolutely the worst and it only gets better from there.

Pain - extremely intense, especially during recovery. I was suppose to stay in recovery 1 hour, but because the could not get my pain under control, I was in recover a little over 3 hours. For the first 24 hours after that, I was on PCA (i.e. morphine pump) was literally hitting the button every 5 minutes. If I went too long without pressing, it took around 10 presses (i.e 1 hour) to bring pain under control. I went through 4 vials of morphine in the 24 hours I was on the pump.

Then switched to dilaudid + hydrocodone. This kept me mostly pain free. Required pain meds for around 9 days.

Going home - I was released to go home after 36 hours. I had to keep water down and pass urine befor ethey would let me go.

Definitely DO NOT vacuum right away. Take it easy. I was on a 10-lbs weight limit for 1 month - I pushed this slightly but not radically.

They were able to complete my RNYGB laproscopically.

After 2 days, you should be able to do most things yourself - but it will not necessarily be fun. As for energy returning to 'normal', well that takes a bit longer (3-4 weeks). But you will be able to take care of yourself for the most part during the interim.

Complications: After 5 days my hemaglobin was very low and I had to go get 2 units of blood. Inconvient but not painful. As a part of the surgery they also tested me for H. Pylori - and I tested positive. The treatment for that has been a real bitch (see thread "Clarithromycin & Nausea")

In spite of all this, I'm so flippin happy I did this - it's making a huge difference.

Go into this with your eyes wide open and prepared to face some difficult issues. Who knows, many here had relatively few issues and you may count yourself among them. But even if there are complications, this was the right thing to do. At 9 weeks out, I'm absolutely convinced.

Good luck and please, let us know how you are doing once you are able. There's practically no issue associated with GBS that someone here hasn't faced and this is a tremendous resource.

I was the same way, happy, excited scared and then just plain READY to be done. I was apprehensive about the pain level because I had heard it was bad. All I can say is that even before they wheeled me into the OR, I was OUT...I didn't remember a thing until I was in my room and the nurse said "push this button for pain". Most of that afternoon I spent pushing the button every ten minutes (morphine--what a wonderful drug). By evening, they sat me in a chair for about 10 minutes and then I said I wanted to get back into bed. I pushed the button at 6:30 p.m. that first night for the last time. After that I would just ask for pain med in my IV every 6 hours or so. I was up walking the halls the next day (6 times) and the next day I just about jumped out of bed when the Dr. came in to beg her to release me so I could go home...which she did. They even let me WALK out of the hospital on my own (no wheelchair--my hubby was shocked). So obviously for me I was thrilled to NOT be in much pain at all (I expected way more). The thing that hurt the most was my sides (I couldn't lay on them), I had to lay flat on my back (very annoying). Dr. said NO lifting, pulling or pushing more than 5 pounds(that means no laundry, no vacuuming, no housework) for at least a month. I literally felt well enough to go back to work the following Monday (7 days post op) but decided to take off my 3 weeks originally scheduled. I probably did too much during those 3 weeks but I just felt so good and was enjoying having time off work (I've worked 25 years at the same place and have never taken more than 2 weeks off at a time). I did have a few days where I KNEW I over did it but like my daughter, the RN said, "too late now"....so then I'd just rest a bit more the next day. I do believe the day after surgery I told someone if I had to do it again, I would in a heart beat...remember, sometimes what we fear most is the unknown.

Okay......first off congrats on your surgery and your new life.
Then I have to say we all have different experiences.
I myself have a degenerative neuro-muscular disease, it affects my muscles and my nerves. So with that said.....I had a much different healing time.
In the hospital they didn't have me up to walk until late that first night...it was only about 50 steps, 25 forward and 25 back to bed. The next day they only had me walk twice, and twice the following day, and I went home that day also.
At home, I would get up and walk around the house.....of course when I walked, I used my walker in the hospital and home. As far as the pain goes.........I wasn't hitting the morphine pump to much at all.........maybe two or three times an hour. When I moved was when I would need it more. I did spend the second day at the hospital sitting up or leaning back in the recliner chair they have. Getting in and out of bed for me was difficult, since I have a very bad left leg, that doesn't move on it's own.......so trying to move that and maintain balance, keep stomach from turning and twisting was very difficult for me. They had a bar over the top of the bed that I had to lift on..........it hurt like hell.
At home I was very, very, very weak and then of course your stomach is so bloated from fluids and gas.........I had a difficult time with strentgh.
I had surgery on Wednesday, came home on Friday......and wanted to shower so bad, cause you don't in the hospital. My hubby helped me shower for the first 5 days home. I couldn't bend or move good enough to wash my back, legs and feet.
According to my surgeon my disease affecting the muscles and nerves only added to my pain level.........and if I would have taken the pain meds more, I probably would have been more comfortable, but when I got home, I only took them at night to help me sleep.
So take your pain meds.........I didn't like that they knocked me out, so I suffered through.
Then without knowing it, cause I've never had one, I was wondering why I was having so much trouble healing. Come to find out at just under 8 weeks post-op, I had a UTI, that had gone on for almost 2 months so the infection was into my kidneys.......if only I had had one before I would have known right away what it was. So once I took 5 days of antibiotics, I was a new woman...... then of course one dose didn't do the trick, so then they put me on another 10 days of antibiotics............Life is so much better now.
My recommendation to you is take your meds........rest, rest, and then rest some more.
Don't worry about doing the laundry, dishes, vacumming, dusting or any of it.........if someone comes over, let them do something, even if you have to ask them to. Take the time to heal, sip your liquids........and heal.

Hi Ina,
I'll repeat what everyone else has said: the experience is different for each person. Having said that, I seemed to have had the most discomfort from the gas they give you to blow you up for laparascopic surgery. My pain was coming from that more than the surgery itself. The pain was the worst in recovery; I'm not gonna lie, it was hell but fortunately, it doesn't last too awfully long.
Early the next morning I requested to be taken off the morphine because I was having to get up almost every hour to pee from the I.V. and the morphine made my head crazy and made me feel nauseated. They replaced it with something much less strong and I felt like a new person.
I walked up and down and around the halls a LOT because it loosened everything up that got sore from lying down (back, sides, shoulders). Walking really helps relieve that.
One more word of advice on something that is VERY important: It hurts, but use that breathing thing they give you. It is key to not getting an upper respiratory infection. At first, you don't think you can do it, but it will get easier. The gas pain is what makes it hurt so much at the beginning. The second day I had a fever and I could feel my chest getting congested. I got serious about that little breathing thing and sucked on it through the pain and I was good to go home the third day.
Hope this helps. My surgery was Oct 7th and I'm down 37 pounds and weigh 213. The first couple of weeks I definitely had times where I felt like I had done something crazy, but it passed and I feel better now than I've felt in years. Best thing I ever did for myself!

First of all, congratulations! I had my laproscopic RNY 6 days ago, and I'm doing really well so far. I was using that morpheine button that they give you in the first 12 hours fairly regularly at the first sign of any twinge because I was afraid of feeling pain. Then they switched me to a liquid oxycodone, which made me nauseus & sweaty, so the last time I took that was the morning after surgery. They said I could take Tylenol,but I haven't needed it. I'm sore & stiff, and it hurts to cough, sneeze, yawn or laugh, but otherwise I feel fine. I was expecting a lot more pain but lucked out. I think it also depends on your general pain tolerance level. Mine tends to be fairly high.

I wouldn't plan on doing much of anything when you get home except walking, sipping, and using the spirometer. Let those dust bunnies fly! I also think you should have someone at least checking in on you several times a day for about a week if you can. If everything goes perfectly, you probably won't need it, but just in case.

Also, things tend to wipe you out very quickly. For instance, taking a shower can be pretty tiring, as can walking around the block slowly. You also won't have the strength you normally do - I need help opening some tough pill bottles. At 6 days out, I'm getting little stir crazy and am dying to do some Christmas shopping, but I really don't think I have the stamina yet.

You'll do great - I'll be sending lots of good vibes and thoughts your way! Let us know how things went as soon as you can, and good luck!

- Megan

Megan, go cybershopping! That'll take care of your shopping desires - lol - and today is the best day to do it, CYBERMONDAY.

Ina, best advice I can give you is to not forget to bring your pillow! You can use it while in the hospital but you are REALLY gonna need it for the ride home to place over that sore tummy! I was very fortunate in that I truly didn't have much pain from the surgery at all. That being said, I have fibromayalgia and the pain from that was horrible so I guess if I did have any pain from the surgery it was masked by that! I was in the hospital for only one night and couldn't wait to go home. Don't expect to get ANY sleep in the hospital, because if they weren't in checking on my vitals, it was bringing me more meds, pricking my fingers, or getting me up to walk! Alright already, I'm just tired and want to sleep! I was up and walking about 5 hours after surgery and I did very well and actually liked walking as it seemed to relieve the gas. I too have a high tolerance for pain and the nurses were surprised at how little I used the button. Just remember to sip sip sip and walk walk walk!

Thank you all for your comments. I appreciate your honesty. Most people I've talked to say it was the best thing they have done, but no one talked about the pain and such. I know this is major surgery, so I'm glad that I have a much better idea what to expect. I read one womans story that she woke up with 5 bandaids and feeling great. I wasn't buying that. I want to know what really to expect and I feel better now with all of your stories and comments. It's like a couple of you said, it's the unknown that scares you. I can at least now psych myself up for the pain.
Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life.

1. I did have some pain. But it was mostly achy and dull not sharp or stabbing. And only when I moved around or coughed. I've had two c-sections and if I had to compare GBS to that, this is way easier. Less pain and less time to recovery. They do have you walk around your room the first day. Then the second day, I could take it slow around the hospital floor. They don't really put you on a schedule to walk, but encourage it as much as you are able to do. It helps in working out the trapped gas from the surgery and overall healing.

2. When I got home, I had to go back to being a mom. At the time my kids were 3, 4, and 5. So I took care of them and me immediately. Cooking, dishes and such. Laundry did wear me out, and bending down to pick things up made me sore, but not impossible. I moved slowly for the first 2 weeks, and the pain meds really help enable you to do that. Vaccumming is just fine too. Although I was sore and achy I was able to keep up on my house with no problems. I was out shopping for groceries just a few days after surgery.
3. My energy started coming back at about three weeks out and felt like I was able to get out and be a lot more active. You'll be able to do what you need to do after those two days you mentioned. I wish I would've had some help, LOL, but I did just fine.
4. I've been very fortuante. Absolutely no complications at all. And I'm 9 months out now!

I don't think its a negative post at all. We all have had the exact same questions, so just know you are not alone sweety!

Praying for you! Keep us updated when you get home!!!!

Hi there..
I had the laproscopic procedure on 2/18/09 and it was a snap.. I had no pain whatsoever. My surgeon used the On-Q Pain buster pump that I wore for 5 days that dripped pain meds around the surgery sites the whole time.. it was AMAZING! To see more about this check this link.. http://www.askyoursurgeon.com/

I had no pain whatsoever and was up and walking around about 30 minutes after surgery and was home the next morning. I had someone with me toe first day or so but was fine on my own after I got home. You may feel well enough to do things but take it easy.. this is MAJOR surgery and you need to lay on the couch and watch movies for a minimum of 2 weeks!!.. hehe! Make sure you have lots of sf popscicles and bring home some of those tiny plastic 2 oz med cups from the hospital to drink out of for the first week to be sure you aren't drinking too much. You pouch will be swollen for about a week.. maybe longer so don't get discouraged trying to get things in like water and protein.. you have to work your way up to that!.. Good Luck!

I had the same experience as Callie, I am only 2 weeks out tomorrow but still pretty sore to bend down and lift my son but my mom has him for a while though so its not as bad. I don't exercise like I should be doing but I do clean and walk a bit and have lost 12lbs in 2 weeks so far so good.. wasn't in that much pain from surgery I should say but my back was killing me from where I was on it for so long. Also hurt like heck to do the breathing exercise but please do it!! Had me walking within a few hours of waking up as well.

Congrats and see you soon on the loser's bench

Amanda
GBS 11/17/09

glad to see all the responses. my surgery is on the 9th..my sister had it done 3 years ago and told me i would be so excited it would be a breeze! glad callie said it was not as bad as a c section.i have had 2 of those...i do have those danged broken bones in my foot to deal with.but they will have to put the boot on me and away ill go! good luck on your surgery.

UpNorthGuy, Never heard of On-Q before. Sounds very interesting - the last 2 times I've had surgery, I've had a terrible time with pain. This On-Q looks like it might be an alternative. Thanks for posting this - I'll at least ask about it to see if it might be an option for me - should I need surgery in the future (hopefully not but...)