Surgery
is over, now the challenging part begins. Once you
are moved from the operating room to your patient room,
you may have a little discomfort. Remember to use your
Patient Controlled Analgesic (PCA) pump. You also may
have nausea, gas pain, or shoulder pain. Ask your nurse
for medication as you need it. You will have a medical
team that has been trained to work with Bariatric patients,
so relax and allow them to take care of you. It is
important that you do three things: get out of bed,
walk and eat ice or sugar-free popsicles.
The
morning after surgery you will go down to radiology
for a swallow study. The
study checks the abdomen for any possible leaks around
the pouch. When your test is cleared, you will be taken
back to your room and given your first liquid meal. The
meal will consist of a protein drink, sugar-free Jello,
chicken broth, and a sugar-free popsicle. Take your time
consuming your meal. You will get full quickly and may
not be able to consume the entire meal. You will probably
feel the liquids streaming down. This may feel a little
funny in the beginning; but trust me, you will adjust.
What's important: get out of bed and walk.
You
will have pain/discomfort for several days following
surgery. The pain is generally mild to moderate. Abdominal
discomfort, associated with gas or a bloated feeling,
is very common and is easily relieved with Gas-X or some
other anit-gas medication that you can purchase over
the counter.
You will be released from the hospital one day after
surgery.
Your new life begins. When you return home, you should
be able to resume normal activities of daily living.
You can shower or tub bath, and you can walk up stairs.
You can not drive for 7 days and should not lift anything
heavy. You must remember to consume 60-80 grams of protein
per day. This allows your body to heal; and consuming
the proper amounts of protein will allow your body to
burn the stored fat, which results in weight loss.
Drink your protein, take your supplements, drink plenty
of water, and walk. This formula is your key to success.
Your follow-up appointment with Dr. Fullum will be in
one week.
Call if you have any questions or problems.
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