I didn't drive at all for the first week, and slowly started to again during the second. I'm a SAHM, and did the surgery 2 hours from home in my parent's hometown so I could have a week to rest before going home to my kids. I went home after a week, but was still easily tired and needed a nap every day for that second week. I was very glad I had my MIL through my second week as I wasn't anywhere close to normal yet. By the start of the 3rd week, I was bouncing back, so I think 2 weeks is probably a good bet to take off of work.

I wouldn't buy a ton of shakes before your surgery- have a few, but what I bought and could tolerate before my surgery made me sick afterwards because it was too sweet. You don't know what your body will (and won't) tolerate after your surgery, so I'd have a few different brands/samples to try, and then buy what works for you. I did lots of Sugar free Carnation instant breakfast powder in protein enhanced skim milk the first couple of weeks.

You will want a good, non straw water bottle to sip out of 24/7 postop. Comfy pants are another big thing, 3 of the 5 incisions will sit right on/around your waistband, so soft banded pants are needed for a few weeks. I think I was a month or more out before jeans were comfortable again. My feet swelled to epic proportions for about a week postop from all the fluids they push, so looser shoes are another thing to be sure to have.

Well... once you wake up you will definitely be groggy... maybe in a little pain or discomfort. This will subside. As you become more alert, you may want to lay in bed and not move, but DO NOT do that. If your nurses are not insisting on you moving, ASK them if you can get up. The sooner you are up moving around, the BETTER you will feel... I promise. This will also help alleviate any gas pains you may have from any lingering gases they filled your stomach cavity with during surgery.

Once you're up and alert and have moved around, they'll start giving you trays of liquids like broth, jello, and water. You will be hesitant to eat / drink any of it, but make sure you do. Sip slowly.

Also, they will give you that contraption that you put in your mouth and take deep breaths... make sure to do that as often as possible. It will help prevent any infection from settling in your lungs, which can be common after surgery. I personally know someone who did not do this and got pneumonia... definitely not something you want to contend with fresh out of surgery.

In between all that sipping and breathing machine, continue to walk, walk, walk. If you feel tired, rest. Then get back to it. You don't want your muscles to get sore and stiff on you.

When your doctor discharges you (for me it was 2 days later), make sure you have a comfortable place to sleep at home. For me, my bed did not work for the first two weeks. I sat sleeping up in a recliner since it was easier for me to get in and out of.

I got home from the hospital on a Thursday and believe it or not, I drove on Friday (only because I had no choice). I was fine, and because I wasn't in too much pain, I wasn't taking too much pain medication. I would recommend waiting at least a full week though.

The two weeks off work sounds about right. I took two weeks and was feeling great when I went back. I did experience pain in my one incision for a total of 5 weeks. It was the larger incision that my stomach was removed through. It worried me at first, but eventually went away. Doc said it was totally normal.

Sinderstorm above is absolutely correct about the protein shakes. Your tastes will change seemingly right when you wake up from surgery. So definitely have a variety of shakes on hand to try.

One BIG thing I will tell you to do (if you didn't know this already) is to take Miralax powder with your drinks when you get home from surgery. I personally was not told to do this and I wound up in a VERY painful situation as my bowels had remained paralyzed from the surgery. Therefore I developed a blockage because I could not go to the bathroom. Ended up back in the hospital for this very reason. Had I been told I needed to take a mild laxative to stimulate my bowels, it would have prevented this. I know... TMI... but if it can save someone else some discomfort...

I will leave you with one final thought... protein is hard to get in right away. DO NOT get discouraged. It will come with time. DO NOT be too eager to jump back in to solid foods; I would recommend staying on the shakes for as long as possible. Your hunger WILL return and you will eventually be able to eat more solid foods. There will always be time for this food, so take advantage of the first year! I personally stayed on Shakes for 9-10 months after surgery (typically 1-2 per day depending) and got the rest of my protein from lean meats. I have lost nearly 150 lbs and contribute a lot of my results to that. I know several individuals who were eager to get back into eating solid foods and their weight loss has been below average.

I am 2 years and 3 months post-op / Starting weight ~ 311 lbs / Current weight ~ 160-170 lbs (I fluctuate throughout the month).

Any questions, feel free to add me or message me. I'm always happy to help out a fellow VSG'er.

I was off work 1-1/2 weeks after my surgery. I have a desk job. I felt ok by then but still tired easily. Needless to say after 8 hours of work, I needed a nap. lol This continued for about the first month or so following surgery.
Take loose fitting clothing to wear and flip flops or slides.
Stock up on SF popsicles and protein shakes.
Every surgeon is different in what they have you do, but my surgeon only allowed clear liquids for the first week then I moved to full liquids to include protein shakes to meet the 60 grams of protein minimum a day. He only wanted me to use shakes to supplement my protein intake after I was to the pureed stage and totally wanted me off of them by 2 months post-op. He wanted me to get my protein from food not liquids. I personally don't like protein shakes so I had no problem with doing away with them that early on.
I only had pain meds in the hospital. I didn't need them at home. I hurt a bit, but was more nauseated than anything. Do get some gas meds though as the gas pains from the surgery can be horrible.
I didn't drive for a week, but but I really didn't even leave my house from the time I got home from the hospital until I had to go to my one week followup appt.
I only had one incision (about 2 inches directly through my belly button). Recovery from that wasn't bad at all.
For the first week or so concentrate more on getting your fluids in and walking a bit. Even if all you can do is get up and walk around the house for a few minutes every hour or so.

You will need to discuss your post-op plan with your surgeon. Not everyone's is the same. Mine was totally different from KC82.

When I woke up in my room after surgery they waited until I was able to stand before having me start walking the halls. My surgeon requires 2 nights in the hospital. I was not allowed to have anything at all for the first day. No water, no ice, no nothing. I had one dose of pain meds. I had a drain in my stomach and I had to wear these wraps on my legs that massaged my legs all the time. They came in every 4 hours to check vitals, draw blood and give me a heparin shot. I had 6 small incisions from 1/4" to 3" and a 1/2" where the drain was. I was not allowed to put on my own clothes but they did let me put on underwear. I had to wear the hospital gown otherwise. I was allowed to wash up in the sink but not shower.

Day 2 I had the swallow leak test. I got the first swallow down and they took the picture but then I got totally nauseated and they couldn't finish the test. So I wasn't allowed to have anything until my surgeon came in around 4:00 p.m. Then I got 2 oz of ice chips or water every 4 hours.

The morning of Day 3 I got to start on a protein shake. I had to be able to drink 4 oz and keep it down before I could go home.

I didn't have any pain meds once I got home - I didn't need them. I was totally, totally, totally wiped out exhausted for the first week. I couldn't have driven if I wanted to. I would have passed out at the wheel. I had no problems with constipation and didn't take anything for that. And I had to use a straw to drink or otherwise it wasn't happening.

I took the first week off from work. I work from home full time so the second week I worked from 10 am to around 3 pm and then I was wiped out and had to take a nap. It wasn't until week four that I felt more back to normal.

I was on protein shakes, broth, jello, and other liquids for 5 days, then soft foods for 5 days and then full solid foot on day 10. That's my surgeon's plan and they are all different. I was eating chicken, steak, pork loin and zucchini and yellow squash at day 10. My surgeon does not allow his patients to stay on the protein shakes for very long. He wants people eating real food and getting used to that as quickly as possible.

So every surgeon will give you a different plan - follow whatever yours gives you and you should be fine.

Adding a few more things for you: Agreeing with pawoodhull, don't overpack for the hospital. The only things I needed was yoga pants, clean underwear, clean socks, slippers, basic toiletries, and my own pillow. I didn't fully put on my own clothes until day 3 when they unhooked my IV, until then I wore a hospital gown and yoga pants. I never once pulled out my laptop or my kindle while I was there. I was sipping, sleeping, or walking all the time.

If you don't have one, consider investing in a decent quality stick immersion blender with a removable blade. You're going to be mixing and pureeing a ton during the first couple of weeks, and it is worth having a good one that is easy to clean and can be run through the dishwasher.

Everybody covered things very well. However, I do have a few things to add. Before VGS, I had never had surgery before in my entire life, not even a tonsillectomy. Every odd pain or sensation I felt made me terrified that I had torn my stitches. I was alright, just anxious. Just follow your surgeon's orders and you'll be alright.

Also, the drain they put in you is one of the weirdest gadgets ever. It really doesn't hurt too bad when they remove it, but be mindful not to bump it while it's in you. That's rather uncomfortable.

Excellent advice from everyone! My surgery is in 15 days, and my biggest concern is work. My friend and I are both having surgery the same day. We did this for the support and because we're both self-pay with Dr. Ariel Ortiz in Mexico. I've read so many positives about that whole situation I have no concerns with this piece of things. The problem for us is we are partners in a business and do record review and coding for home health agencies as self-employed contractors. I could be fine giving up the income for a few days, but unfortunately if we don't do the work, the agencies can't submit their bills and they need to keep cash flowing. There isn't anyone to cover for us, so I'll be in the hospital the first night and then need to get back to work that next day. Hopefully, we'll both have one of the smoother experiences without nausea. Otherwise, we'll be drugged up and sending them some really interesting, spacey reviews! It's so interesting how different physicians use such different pre/post-op diets. My doctor is one of those with the slow transition to food. I spoke with a vegan dietitian who gave me excellent ideas about using my Nutribullet to mix tofu or seitan with various things like bullion ahead of time and then freeze in ice cube trays that hold one ounce in each cube. Then I'll be able to reach into a bag and pull out a different variety of things ready to go. I think the more options I have ready for me and planned out the more likely I'll be able to keep to the diet and get the correct nutrients in. I'm really looking forward to getting this done and starting my new healthy life! Thanks again to all of you for being so supportive and willing to share all of your knowledge/experience!

I had a very "easy" surgery and recovery. I never did have problems getting my liquids or protein shakes down. But... because of that, I may have overdone it. About week 3, I started feeling hungry all the time. Starving. Even after I had just eaten. I finally called the doctor on week 5 and said that I didn't think it was normal. I had gastritis - an inflammation in the lining of my stomach. I went on antibiotics for a couple of weeks, and it got much better.

Everyone else has summed up things pretty well. Just know that if you are experiencing "hunger" in those first few weeks, it is not likely real hunger, and get it checked out!