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Post Op Questions ....

robergnm

robergnm

Member
I'm having roux en y 06/06/12 and naturally have beaucoup questions.

Will your stomach ever become bigger than what they tell us it's initially made to be surgically?

If so, does it stretch naturally or does it hurt?

Do they check to see about size increase at follow up appts?

It just seems like it would have to get a little bit bigger to be able to eat the diet provided.

Any tips or hints on how to minimize skin sagging; abdominal work, weights, etc in addition to cardio?

Will I ever be able to drink a little water instead of little sips for the rest of my life?


Thanks - Mary, Milwaukee WI
 
Will your stomach ever become bigger than what they tell us it's initially made to be surgically?
Yes it can and usually does get bigger. Farther out from surgery if you overeat on a regular basis it will get bigger than what is considered "normal" stretching

If so, does it stretch naturally or does it hurt?
It will stretch naturally and shouldn't hurt if you stick to the quantity of foods recommended by your meal plan. If you purposely overeat it's going to hurt just like it did when you overate before surgery, for example during Thanksgiving dinner.

Do they check to see about size increase at follow up appts?
No, they do not check on the size during your follow up visits. That's not to say they never check on the size though. If there is reason to believe that you have stretched it out due to overeating on a regular basis they can check the size. In some instances some people have had to have another surgery to reduce the stomach size again but you're talking way down the road long after your post-surgical follow up visits are over.

It just seems like it would have to get a little bit bigger to be able to eat the diet provided.
It does get a little bigger. The key word is LITTLE, unless you overeat all the time then it gets too big.


Any tips or hints on how to minimize skin sagging; abdominal work, weights, etc in addition to cardio?
Some skin sagging is to be expected but exercise will help somewhat. You will never be a "hard body" but if you have cosmetic surgery then your sagging skin can be reduced drasticallly. It's not for everyone but is popular.


Will I ever be able to drink a little water instead of little sips for the rest of my life?
You should eventually be able to drink 3 or 4 ounces of water on an empty stomach.
 
Pre op meals are usually a high protien low carb with some calorie limit then the closer you get to your surgery day they usually start you on a liquid diet to help shrink the liver, that is at least 7 days pre op. Post op is a meal plan consisting of liqids and soft foods like yogurt, cottage cheese, soups and protien drinks then a progresive meal plan incorporating different foods after three weeks. Not everyone has the same meal plan but most are simmilar however there is one person who's surgical team says no protien shakes, they want her to switch to pureed foods instead of protien shakes. When you see your nutritionist they will give you sample meal plans and foods you can a cant eat and before you leave the hospital post op they should meet with you one more time to make sure you understand everything and are ok to prep your own meals. Hope that helped a little. :cool: Tom
 
Thank You. It's getting clear that I should already be low carb, low fat dieting. I've been finding myself saying goodbye to favorite foods and that is not a good thing. I'm ready for this mentally and I greatly appreciate the help.
 
I have a question regarding skin and nail changes. I have lost 30# at 5 wks postop and notice that my skin is very dry. I have about 80 ounces of fluids a day, so not sure why my skin is so dry. My finger nails....they are growing like crazy and are strong and beautiful. I have started painting them :) Anyone else experienced this? Is this temporary?
 
Ladybicknase-My nails are also growing faster and stronger than ever before. I think it's because I'm eating more protein than I ever have before in my life. I also take an OTC supplement called Hair Skin and Nails because my hair strated thinning out 5 weeks after surgery. My skin is also dryer than usual but not extremely so. The more fluids I drink the less dry it is plus I am using extra lotion. I only use lotion for sensitive skin and I think that helps.
 
Hi Ladybicknase and Pat, The nail growth is from the extra supplaments we take and protien we are getting and if you are also taking something extra for your hair that will also help, I think I need to trim my nails at least once a week, that is more than I ever remember pre op and I am two years out so it hasn't stopped yet so enjoy painting your nails and I will just keep clipping away, my toe nails are the worst because if I don't keep them trimmed my toes are in pain when I hike in my work boots:mad: ouch. I am not sure why the dry skin but I did get that for a while but not a long time, my hair thinning also stopped after about 3 months. :cool: Tom
 
Tom-I had to laugh when you mentioned toenails because of my situation. I have needed a hip replacement for several years and anyone who has hip issues can relate to this. I have a hard time cutting the toenails on my right foot because of my bad hip on the same side. I can't bring my right foot close enough to reach my toenails and bringing my foot onto my left knee is totally out of the question because of the pain from my hip. Since my nails are growing so fast since surgery it's been a nightmare trying to keep up with the toenail trimming. Sometimes I just trim the left nails and leave the right side until I can't stand it anymore. I ended up buying a pair of long handles toenail scissors which helps but it's still difficult. I think I may end up going to a podiatrist every 2 or 3 weeks. I know some hair salons offer pedicure service but I'm afraid of picking up a fungus or infection.
 
Thanks guys, I will try slathering on some lotion. Hmmmm, Bath and Body just popped into my head! I think a shopping trip is in order! And Tom-try painting them there nails! :rolleyes::p
 
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