2 weeks post op

[JPreiss]

When I was preparing for surgery and combing through all the old posts in the DS forum I always stopped to read any post about "x days" or "x months" after surgery to get an idea of what life would be like, so here's mine....

I feel pretty damn good! Not gonna lie, first week was very rough, but each and every day I felt leaps and bounds better than the day before until I almost feel normal again. I was prepared to feel like death warmed over for at least a month so I am pleasantly surprised. I am only a tiny bit sore, just where the drain was. The incisions are healing up. I am meeting my hydration and protein goals (30g) every day. Being on full liquids instead of clear liquids is SO MUCH BETTER. I look forward to soft/pureed foods starting next weekend. I have had diarrhea that no amount of immodium seems to help but I'm hoping shifting to solid food and once I get on calcium that will get slightly better. I just started my vitamins with my multis for the past 3 days, am adding in vitamin D tomorrow since I was already low before surgery. One annoying thing is that I am not sleeping well. Keep waking up in middle of night unable to go back to sleep for many hours. Thank goodness it's summer vacation for the kids and I'm not working.

And, I'm down 12 pounds from my surgery weight! I want to lose 100 so that's more than 10% of the way there, ha. Seeing as it took a minor miracle to lose 3 pounds on every diet I've tried over the past few years and that I secretly feared even the DS wouldn't work for me, I am very happy and hopeful.

 

[Ever Changing]

It was nice meeting you in the hospital, albeit briefly. So glad to hear you are doing well.

Being just a few days behind you, I'm doing remarkable well too. I have no pain. I haven't taken a narcotic since leaving the hospital.

Since my sleeve was not touched and I didn't have a variety of other organs removed (like you!), I moved myself faster to full liquids and now to soft food. As of a couple days ago, I'm now taking all of my supplements.

Sorry you're not sleeping. That's the worst. I've always had trouble sleeping and take a sleeping pill (have for many years). That was the first thing that I added back into my routine.

Congrats on the weight loss!

 

[DianaCox]

Voice of experience:

• Don't let your current feeling of well-being sucker you into overdoing - you're still a recent post-op, and don't want a set-back at this time.
• Don't push potentially problematic food too fast - barfing while you're healing (or to be honest, EVER) is no fun. Neither is shitting your pants - at home or elsewhere.
• Be cautious about lifting restrictions - not just your guts are still healing, your abdominal wall is too. 10+ years post-op I developed an incisional hernia from a lap port - the muscles never heal 100, and you want them to heal as best as they can early out.
• Sounds like you're doing the 30:60:90 plan on protein - good. We see so many people make themselves miserable and develop food aversions with trying to get 90-100 g/day fresh out, and there's NO need for it.

Good on both of you!

 

[JPreiss]

It was nice meeting you in the hospital, albeit briefly. So glad to hear you are doing well.

Being just a few days behind you, I'm doing remarkable well too. I have no pain. I haven't taken a narcotic since leaving the hospital.

Since my sleeve was not touched and I didn't have a variety of other organs removed (like you!), I moved myself faster to full liquids and now to soft food. As of a couple days ago, I'm now taking all of my supplements.

Sorry you're not sleeping. That's the worst. I've always had trouble sleeping and take a sleeping pill (have for many years). That was the first thing that I added back into my routine.

Congrats on the weight loss!

glad you are doing well , although not surprised given that you were doing work later that night after your surgery, you seem quite resilient ha ha. Yeah I'm going slow and abiding by the post op diet given that I am a virgin DS and had gallbladder out. Taking no chances!

 

[JPreiss]

Voice of experience:

• Don't let your current feeling of well-being sucker you into overdoing - you're still a recent post-op, and don't want a set-back at this time.
• Don't push potentially problematic food too fast - barfing while you're healing (or to be honest, EVER) is no fun. Neither is shitting your pants - at home or elsewhere.
• Be cautious about lifting restrictions - not just your guts are still healing, your abdominal wall is too. 10+ years post-op I developed an incisional hernia from a lap port - the muscles never heal 100, and you want them to heal as best as they can early out.
• Sounds like you're doing the 30:60:90 plan on protein - good. We see so many people make themselves miserable and develop food aversions with trying to get 90-100 g/day fresh out, and there's NO need for it.

Good on both of you!

Thanks, good words of wisdom. I'm definitely still taking it easy, only walking a slow 20 minutes a day right now. And taking the lifting thing seriously -- a good excuse to make my kids step up and be responsible and do more around the house!

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

I'm so glad you're both doing so well and had a good experience in Mexico.

 

[countryham]

Voice of experience:

• Don't let your current feeling of well-being sucker you into overdoing - you're still a recent post-op, and don't want a set-back at this time.
• Don't push potentially problematic food too fast - barfing while you're healing (or to be honest, EVER) is no fun. Neither is shitting your pants - at home or elsewhere.
• Be cautious about lifting restrictions - not just your guts are still healing, your abdominal wall is too. 10+ years post-op I developed an incisional hernia from a lap port - the muscles never heal 100, and you want them to heal as best as they can early out.
• Sounds like you're doing the 30:60:90 plan on protein - good. We see so many people make themselves miserable and develop food aversions with trying to get 90-100 g/day fresh out, and there's NO need for it.

Good on both of you!

I second the part about Shitting your pants!!!lol...

 

[writegirl]

Glad you're feeling so good. I felt very much the same way you do at 2 weeks. It's been a great recovery. Take the advice of the veterans here and take your time in recovery.

 

[hilary1617]

@JPreiss and @Ever Changing , congratulations on your successful procedures. Definitely take it easy and stay hydrated! All the best!