Gastric Bypass Surgery Support Group
Gastric bypass (GBP) is any of a group of similar operative procedures used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which arises from severe accumulation of excess weight in the form of fatty tissue, and the health problems ("co-morbidities") which result. If you are considering gastric bypass or have had it, join the community where we share our experiences and find support.
Hello~ My name is Melissa. If all goes well I should have my gastric bypass surgery the end of September. I would love if you guys would share with me what to expect. I have a whole list of questions and concerns.
1. How long is the hospital stay?
2 what should I expect when I wake up from the surgery? Will I have any drains or tubes?
3. Is the pain from the incision or does the stomache actually hurt?
4 How long were you off work?
5 will it hurt to drink water after?
I'm a nervous wreck so if you can answer any questions I'd be so thankful
Waiting on Insurance approval then I'm good to go.
Thanks,
Melissa
1. How long is the hospital stay?
2 what should I expect when I wake up from the surgery? Will I have any drains or tubes?
3. Is the pain from the incision or does the stomache actually hurt?
4 How long were you off work?
5 will it hurt to drink water after?
I'm a nervous wreck so if you can answer any questions I'd be so thankful
Waiting on Insurance approval then I'm good to go.
Thanks,
Melissa
I had gastric sleeve back in January of 2011, have gone from 285 lbs, down to 125 lbs. at 5' 7 1/2". I stayed two days the day of surgery, the next day then discharged.
I had a lot of pain, felt like I was run down by a truck, but, they had me on the wrong meds. once that was straightened out, things went smoothly. I was out of work 2 weeks. it did not hurt to drink what they gave me in the hospital, though I admit, I don't drink as much fluid as I should these days, because it fills me quickly. I had problems with food and protein shakes after the surgery so someone else would be best to give advice on that. I just couldn't get the protein shakes down, foods, I had to work very hard on, and for me still do. Everyone is different, but, I feel great and I am glad for that. Good luck to you.
It is VERY NORMAL to be concerned! Please make sure you take your questions to your surgeon as well as things and processes are different depending upon who your surgeon is.... But I can tell you how it was for me :)
1. How long is the hospital stay?
I had gastric bypass on July 24th... I spent 2 nights in the hospital.
2 what should I expect when I wake up from the surgery? Will I have any drains or tubes?
I had a drain tube. It came out before I was sent home. Yes, some pain, but nothing pain meds would not take care of!
3. Is the pain from the incision or does the stomache actually hurt?
Yes, and not so much.... but, when I swallowed it felt weird for awhile and hurt a bit, but more of a discomfort than real hurting. The worse pain was the gas pain. Walking walking walking helped with that the most!
4 How long were you off work?
I am a student and have off till end of Sept. but I believe my surgeon says 2 weeks off work, but no lifting over 15 lbs for 6 weeks, so it depends upon your job.
5 will it hurt to drink water after?
As I said above.... it feels weird and maybe hurt a bit when I swallowed, but nothing bad. I have been able to get in all my protein, fluids and vitamins since my first full day at home.
Is this the first surgery you've ever had? For me, I have had many and this was a total walk in the park in comparison....
Also, feel free to go read my journal... Like I said I had surgery the 24th of July, and I have posted many journal entries about my experience since then.
The MUCH bigger thing is the head work that goes with this surgery. The surgery itself is the easy part... the surgeon does all the work... If we want to be successful we MUST figure out what got us here... why we used food to cope, and learn how to cope in healthy ways without food.
Wish you the best on your journey!!
I had gastric bypass on July 30th and I have been doing nicely.
I have always had a big fear of getting knocked out due in part because you always wake up somewhere else, but they can give you something to calm you if you have that fear.
I was in the hospital 2 nights, but because my knees are so bad we had arranged to have a lift assist to get me back into my house.
I came home with a drain that was removed one week after the surgery, and that was no big deal.
After the third day home I no longer needed any heavy duty pain meds except at night and then only needed them for about 2 more nights. The pain I had was internal and felt nothing with the incisions. Nine days after surgery I was able to get in and out of bed without help.
As long as I remember to sip and not gulp I have no problem with liquids. I made that mistake the day after surgery, and have not repeated it since.
My only problem I had was feeling sick in my gut because I was getting quite a bit of lactose from a source I didn't realize had it in it.
I actually came to site and got the help I needed to uncover what was happening to me. I now consume only egg protein shakes, and have been having no other major problems.
I had lost 55lbs in a year prior to surgery, and have now lost another 30lbs since surgery.
Find and identify a protein shake that you like, and that your body will tolerate before surgery to make the transition easier.
Everybody here is so helpful and kind. This is my only source of support group since I can't walk very far without help. They will talk to you about absolutely ANYTHING, even the gross stuff, so feel free to post any and everything. Someone out here will have had a similar experience and will reach out to help.
WELCOME MELISSA
I had RNY surgery on June 7th of this year. I stayed in the hospital for 4 nights only because I had a fever. As for pain, I didn't have a lot of pain at all, infact only used a little pain killer not hardly enough to register. I did have a drain tube that was removed before I went home.
I didn't have problems swallowing and as others said it doesn't really hurt, just feels a little weird for awhile. I didn't seem to have a lot of pain with gas either, though I know others have.
At almost 3 months out, I wouldn't change a thing, I feel better, I'm losing weight, and much healthier already. I agree with the head games, you have to work on getting a handle on that.
Remember, this is a tool that will work for you for the rest of your life, you have to realize it's not a quick fix and you have to dedicate your self to healthy eating habits forever. Oh, and can't forget the exercise, you must commit to exercise!
Glad you are here, you will get lots of information from everyone and everyone is very supportive without any judgement =)
Had mine nearly 8 months ago and have nevern looked back. I'm about 15lbs from goal at this point.
1. Was in the hospital two nights. Walked 2 miles around the nurses station when I was in there.
2. I had no catheter and no drain tubes, only IV's for pain meds and fluids. I wasn't allowed to drink water until the day after surgery so my mouth got really dry.
3. There's very little pain from the incisions (I had laproscopic so only 4 inch long incisions) - it's more pain from the gas built up inside you which is why getting up and walking as soon as possible is important. You will be given pain meds, so don't let that put you off.
4. I went back to work in 6 days, though I work part time in administration. If your job involves lifting, you'll need longer.
5. It doesn't hurt to drink water. As Becca said - it's a bit of a weird feeling at first. At this point I can drink an 8 ounce glass in a few minutes.
You've found the right site for support. I live too far away from a support group and these guys were my lifeline during the process.
Good luck
Diana
Welcome! I had RNY on May 28th so I am 3 month post op. I stayed in the hospital one night. They would have preferred that I stayed another night but I was exhausted and just wanted to go home to sleep in my own bed. My wakeup from surgery was simple - moved me into a room after recovery and I had no pain although I was getting pain meds through my IV. The worst part of the surgery and something I was not prepared for was how emotional I was. I cried for no reason and nothing - no protein drink, soup, water - tasted good or was worth the effort. The only reason I believe I drank was because I wanted to go home and not come back due to dehydration. I took 4 weeks off work but could have gone back about week 3 when my emotions finally became a bit more balanced. I never really hurt after I left the hospital. - Drinking and eating were never painful. It is simply that you don't care to. But you must sip water all day, try and get in your protein and walk. After 2 or 3 weeks you will feel so much better. Best of luck!
1. My surgeon required a 3 night stay. I being such a model patient asked to leave after the 2nd night stay. I'm also a nurse so not the best patient. That was tongue in cheek
2. I think most folks have some type of drain. Mine was pulled before discharge. One of the ickiest experiences, I thought as then you are left with about a 2 inch wound that needs to be dressed and heals from the inside out.
3. I didn't really have incisional pain. My biggest complaint was nausea which was well controlled with Zofran.
4. I went back to work after 4 week for half shifts. I had a 20 pound weight lift restriction.
5. It didn't hurt to drink water. I just didn't like the new sensation going down into my new pouch and small intestine.
Good luck and keep researching. Kim
My stay for RNY was 2 nights , my revision was one night ....I begged to go home lol
I had no drains just the IV when I woke from both surgery's
I actually had some pain mostly when I first woke up...did not take pain meds after that . except on discharge the doc ordered me pain meds due to me having a 3 hr ride home. I'm glad he did. For my revision I didn't take pain meds at all. (revision was basically the gastric bypass all over again)
they started me on 1 oz of fluid every 15 min about 6 hours after surgery for my RNY. my revision they had it on the tray waiting. It was hard but make sure you really push the fluid they want you to have.
I also want to add the gas pain was horrible for me it always goes into my left chest and shoulder. My first RNY they had us walk it off didn't work for me............my revision the doc had gas x for all his patients on order. you may want to ask about that . with out that pain I got moving much faster.
if you weren't afraid then there would be something to worry about you will do just fine
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Gastric_Bypass_Surgery/forum/13157871-newbies-need-know/lastpage
Like everyone is saying, every program is different. For me, I had 2 nights in hospital, no catheter or drains and no complications, thankfully. I have been able to drink fine since. I had no real pain and on the day after surgery was only on regular tylenol for the discomfort. The incisions were the worst part for me. I also had a hematoma, but that went down fairly quickly. I had my A1C checked at 8 weeks and it was down to 5.5!! It is definitely worth it for me. Research it thoroughly so you are prepared as best as you can. Good Luck!!