Recovering from Weight Loss Surgery

Written by Jane Long

You have taken the monumental step of bariatric surgery to get to a healthy weight and improve your quality of life. However, your journey toward better health is just beginning. Recovering from weight loss surgery will be a slow process. You will need patience, perseverance, and the desire for a successful outcome.

Follow Medical Advice

You have just undergone major surgery to have your food consumption and digestive ability altered drastically. You may start to feel good in a couple of weeks, if you are lucky and have a high tolerance for pain or discomfort. The pain killers you have been prescribed may work great in masking your still delicate condition.
But, it is important not to rush the weight loss surgery recovery. Even if you feel unexpectedly wonderful, you still need to follow the doctor’s advice. Until he/she releases you to resume normal activities, or to include certain foods in your diet, do not deviate from the instructions you have been given prior to surgery or release from the hospital.

Mixed Feelings

Although you know deep down inside that you have done the right thing for your health, you can expect to go home and experience mixed feelings. Intellectually understanding what your body has been through, how you eating and exercise habits much change, and how you must take care of yourself, and putting it into practice is two different things.

In fact, you may second guess your decision to have weight loss surgery. You may experience emotional ups and downs. However, do not be discouraged. What you are feeling is quite common. Recognize that you are perfectly normal and not going nuts.

Depression is quite common after major surgery. Especially when your body is undergoing major changes quickly, you body chemistry gets all messed up. If you become sad and the feeling will not go away, consult your doctor. If you would rather sleep or have insomnia, it is also another sign that your emotions are getting out of control. Make sure you know all the signs of depression, so you can recognize them for what they are, and get help.

Pay Attention

You are no longer under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. Essentially, your security blanket is gone. Now, you will have to be responsible for paying attention to your body and recognizing any signs of trouble. For example, if you start having difficulty eating or drinking, you will need to call your surgeon. If you develop a persistent fever, you will also need to pick up the phone.

Before you leave the hospital, the doctor will give you a list of restrictions and symptoms of trouble during the healing process, and even beyond. Now, it is not enough to exist. You are going to have to mindful of your health and pay attention to how your body works for the rest of your life. Especially in the beginning, if you show signs of health problems, you need to keep the surgeon’s number handy.

You will Need Help

When you come home from the hospital, after weight loss surgery, you are going to need help. In fact, you should have a support system in place, before going to the hospital. Have a plan of action to adopt when you get home.

For example, if you live by yourself, it will not be a good idea to be alone for the first few days, just in case something goes wrong. So, you will want to plan for someone to come stay with you, stay with a friend, and have a home health care provider come in and check on you.

You will also have restrictions regarding the activities you can resume. For example, you will probably be told not to vacuum or drive for a specific length of time. You will also have weight lifting limits. So, it is a good idea to have your home in tip-top shape before you have bariatric surgery. Then, it is a very good idea to have someone come in to take care of housekeeping chores, until the doctor says it is okay to resume normal activities.

Unfortunately, if you have small children, they will have a difficult time understanding why you cannot pick them up, need to rest a lot, or will not take them out to play. You might need to call in reinforcements to help you with the forbidden activities.

Medications

Especially in the beginning, your body will change rapidly. By the time you leave the hospital, you may already be off of some of the medications used to control health issues. For the ones you are still taking, you will have to be very careful. As your weight changes rapidly, your dosage amounts might also have to be adjusted. You will need to have your physician monitor your health and weight, to make any necessary changes to your meds.

In short, your recovery process is as important as the surgery itself. You will need to follow medical advice to the letter, and get help, until you can resume normal activities.
Be sure to cut yourself some slack and realize that this period is only temporary. Soon you will have a better quality of life than you can remember.