Bypass experience

skatardrummer

This is something somewhat unpleasant, but I've always wanted to ask other bypass patients. What were the first 2 weeks like after your surgery?

I had the most invasive, RNY. They said everyone will have different experiences, but my first two weeks were awful with pain. I've had a 9mm kidney stone and multiple large ones, and this pretty much equaled in pain. I had to push myself out of bed with a cane or I couldn't sit up and the first night home, I had to be lifted into bed as I cried. For two months I vomited almost everything up.

I wouldn't change anything because of my results, but did anyone else experience anything so severe?

Laura8603

Nope. My pain never got above a 3 and that was only the first 3 days. I did take my pain meds on schedule to prevent pain the first week. Week 2 I took Tylenol. I'm 4 years out and have had no problems along the way, eiher.

BARBY1956

I had a RNY in May 1999 and my experience sounds pretty much like Laura's. I had little pain, used only Tylenol and I have never had any vomiting. After 14 years I am still doing well and have been able to maintain my goal weight until this past December when I had foot surgery and wasn't able to walk or exercise for several months. I gained about 25 lbs over my goal weight and now have lost all but 8 lbs of that.

I am sorry to hear what a terrible time you are having. I work with a gentleman that had this same surgery a few years after me and he also had a bad experience however in the past several years he has gotten so much better and looks great and he says he feels good too. Just hang in there, it will get better. I think its like that with any type of surgery people have. People have different reactions and problems to the same type of surgeries.

Devi_Diva

I had other surgeries before RNY and typically have a very high tolerance to pain, or so my nurses told me. But post op RNY I had unreal pain for the first 8 - 10 days. It was absolutely wicked. Like I was questioning myself “what have I done?". Once I got over the first two weeks it was all gravy. 9 months out now and of course I don't regret my decision. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. This procedure quite literally saved my life.

skatardrummer

At least I'm not the only one! That sounds about how mine was. Pretty excruciating for about 8 days. By the 10th day, although painfully, I sat through a 4 hour teaching certification test on a hard old-school high school chair. The severe pain went away, but eating anything was difficult still.

Onaughmae

I will admit...I hurt for a few weeks after my surgery. It was difficult to even stand up straight. I couldnt even sleep flat in my bed until 3 weeks after surgery. The incision on my left side was the one that hurt. It made a sharp, pulling, burning pain every time I moved. My surgeon told me that when that internal suture dissolved the pain would go away. He was right. One morning I woke up and there was no pain. I am around 4 months out now and dont really have many issues with nausea anymore. I occasionally get the "foamies" but only when I eat something too fast, too greasy, or I didnt chew it well enough.

win4ecu

Sorry to hear about the troubles you had after surgery, but glad to know you are doing well now. Everyone is different. I consider myself lucky b/c I had hardly any pain (did take my meds on the clock though), but stopped all pain meds about 4 days after surgery. No vomitting at all, only the "foamies" and nausea once or twice b/c I ate too fast. I am 4 months out and this is the best thing I ever did for myself. I only wish I had done it sooner in life Good luck to you and everyone in their journey!

maylene1853

my first 2 weeks werent too too bad that i recall (im almost 3 years out). i did end up getting prescribed more pain meds cuz i did feel quite a bit of pain and my stronger pills ran out! and the backup ones for home were crap! i think i had meds for 2 weeks. i had no appetite at all..... the worst thing for me was im a tummy sleeper, so sleeping at night was rough, i mostly slept reclining in front of the tv.

skatardrummer

i did end up getting prescribed more pain meds cuz i did feel quite a bit of pain and my stronger pills ran out! and the backup ones for home were crap!

That's funny. I had the same problem. They used Morphine on my and it didn't touch the pain. Just made me groggy. They sent me home with liquid Vicodin and that didn't do a dang thnig either. They had to prescribe dilauded. Never been on anything that hardcore even for when i get kidney stones.

That's rough about the tummy sleeping >.< I can't imagine having to make that kind of adjustment for sleeping. Although, I did have to stay in my parent's guestbed. That was awkward. I couldn't get in and out of my bed for about 2 weeks because it was too low to the ground. The whole experience I guess made me thankful all over again for the things God gave me and the health I have while I'm young. There was a whole mess of other embarassing things I experienced the two weeks after surgery that I can't imagine admitting to anyone.

pjmcinnis

I'm sorry to hear that you had such a difficult time. From everything I have heard of other's experiences, I had an absolutely perfect, textbook surgery and recovery. The only thing I had difficulty with was the paid meds they had me on. They gave me killer headaches and it did little for my pain. Lesson learned, I am now going to have dilautin put on my medic alert bracelet as an allergy. And yet, when I had demerol years ago, we got along fine!

cp1333

I am four weeks out and I had a pretty easy time since surgery. I am sorry that you had a rough start. I hope that you will quickly slide into a good place for your journey. Thanks for sharing.

Elizabeth360

I just made it to 2 weeks today! My experience has been amazing and nearly painless. I had surgery on a Monday and was up and walking about an hour after recovery. I went home that Wednesday. I took one dose of the pain meds they sent with me and two doses of liquid Tylenol. At worst, the pain for me was only as bad as cramps or soreness from working your abs too hard. For the first 4 days, it was a bit painful to swallow, but the swelling has gone down I've managed to get my water in. The only problem I've encountered so far (besides boredom) is that I'm not tolerating milk protein very well. I get a gurgling feeling in my stomach and gas. However, I've switched to protein powders with less lactose or soy and that has been working very well. In the first week, I would also get a winded feeling if I went out on walks for more than 10 minutes, but that has passed now. I'm relieved and thankful everything went well for me. Now I can't wait to try new things as my diet progresses (Just started on full liquids).

I'm sorry you had a hard time of it. My friend who I met through support group had her surgery the day after I did in the same hospital. She was in surgery for about 6 hours, then recovery for another 2. She had a bad reaction to the medication so they couldn't wake her up. When she did wake, she was in excruciating pain. She couldn't walk around until the next day after her surgery. When she did get out, she kept throwing up and had to return to the hospital because she was dehydrated. Poor girl

I think I wrote a lot about my experiences here, but anyone is welcome to message me with questions or friend me.

Mrbusterb

My first two weeks were fine,I was a little dehydrated but otherwise that everything was ok