After your Surgery

After your surgery and release from the recovery room you will get free from bed and walk a bit. Each day of one's hospital stay, you'll walk only a little further and more often. That is standard procedure with any surgical patient and prevents numerous complications that may come from staying in bed.

You could find some weakness in your knees when you climb stairs but don't be alarmed. The body now isn't getting as much protein because it used to and your muscles are acting accordingly. As your food intake improves, this should go away.

Getting Used to Food Again

In three days you'll manage to go home, but will be reminded not to lift anything over 20 pounds for the initial six weeks if you've had an open procedure. You will have to make sure you follow your nutritionist's instructions when you won't be eating like you used to. In reality, you'll be on a fluid diet for the initial week consisting of diluted juice, broth and sugar-free gelatin. That is to permit your "new" stomach to regulate itself to digestion. Be sure to take your acid reducer, probably Tagamet, each day to guard your stomach from acids. After having a month you'll have the ability to quit taking it.

After the initial week, you'll manage to eat pureed foods and next, soft foods. Finally, whenever your stomach has adjusted to its new size and gotten the hang of digesting, you will be eating normal foods. By now you'll have noticed significant weight reduction! Make sure you keep choosing zero fat and low sugar foods. It's particularly crucial that you learn how to chew carefully and completely, not merely for the sake of your digestion but to take the time to enjoy your food. You will end up eating five small meals each day and eventually exercising around an hour or so each day.

Follow-up Care

You'll see your doctor about ten days after discharge to possess the skin staples removed and to obtain a prescription for a metal and B12 supplement, which you may need the remainder of your life. In another one month you'll return for a check always up and get a prescription for Actigall. This medication prevents gallstones from forming as a result of rapid weight reduction you will end up experiencing. You should have another appointment four weeks later, then four months later and finally your 12 months checkup arrives! Your checkups will soon be yearly from then on, for routine blood work and to refill the prescription for the supplements.

And now you're on your way to a brand new, comfortable and active life! It's no easy out; you'll have to work hard to break bad habits and replace them with good ones but it's a change that's well worth it.

Make an Informed Decision!

Bariatric surgery is not to be studied lightly, however. Do some research and keep in touch with people who have had the task done to make certain that it's right for you. Learn about all four various kinds of surgery and talk to your primary care physician when you make your decision. Should you decide to really have the surgery your physician can probably refer you a number of good surgeons that you can interview before choosing who you want to do your surgery.