After your Surgery

After your surgery and release from the recovery room you'll escape bed and walk a bit. Each day of one's hospital stay, you'll walk a little further and more often. This really is standard procedure with any surgical patient and prevents several complications that can come from staying in bed.

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

Getting Used to Food Again

In about three days you'll be able to go home, but is likely to be reminded to not lift anything over 20 pounds for the initial six weeks if you've had an open procedure. You'll have to make sure you follow your nutritionist's instructions because you won't be eating as if you used to. In reality, you'll be on a fluid diet for the very first week consisting of diluted juice, broth and sugar-free gelatin. This is to permit your "new" stomach to modify itself to digestion. Make sure to take your acid reducer, probably Tagamet, every day to safeguard your stomach from acids. After having a month you'll be able to quit taking it.

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

Follow-up Care

You'll see your doctor about ten days after discharge to have the skin staples removed and to get a prescription for an iron and B12 supplement, which you may need the rest 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 loss you will be experiencing. You'll have another appointment four weeks later, then four months later and finally your 12 months checkup arrives! Your checkups is likely to be yearly from then on, for routine blood work and to refill the prescription for your supplements.

And now you're on the way to a fresh, comfortable and active life! It's not an easy out; you'll have to work hard to break bad habits and replace them with good ones but it is a change that's really worth it.

Make an Informed Decision!

Bariatric surgery is not to be used lightly, however. Do some research and communicate with people who have had the process done to be sure that it's right for you. Discover about all different types of surgery and talk to your primary care physician before you make your decision. Should you decide to have the surgery your physician often will refer you to several good surgeons as you are able to interview before choosing who you intend to do your surgery.