Family help after surgery?
- Thread starter NMEast
- Start date
dancinbr
Member
You basically need to rest. You cannot drive for a week as a result of the anesthesia. You can not lift anything heavy. So if you were doing household chores, you will need someone to help you with them for about a month. You must allow yourself to heal.
You should be able to get around. Walk as much as you can. Do not strain yourself in any way.
No heavy labor/chores.
No driving.
Take your pain meds as you need them. No need to suffer. The pain, which is minimal really does go away in about a week. I found I needed an occasional pain med for the first week; especially at night when I wanted to sleep.
Other than that a positive support environment by family/spouse/friends is always good.
Ralph
Family Help after surgery
So, after a week, I don't have to have someone in the house with me? Assuming, I am not repainting rooms, or cleaning carpets or something like that? We are trying to decide who needs to take time off from work. If I don't have to have anyone after the first week, it will make life easier, but, if I do, then, I need to make arrangements now. I am figuring that I will be off for 3 weeks (first week - surgery; second week - rest, third week - go back to work 1/2 day). Is this plan realistic?
So, after a week, I don't have to have someone in the house with me? Assuming, I am not repainting rooms, or cleaning carpets or something like that? We are trying to decide who needs to take time off from work. If I don't have to have anyone after the first week, it will make life easier, but, if I do, then, I need to make arrangements now. I am figuring that I will be off for 3 weeks (first week - surgery; second week - rest, third week - go back to work 1/2 day). Is this plan realistic?
Cheyenne
Active Member
It all depends how young you are, how was your health before the bariatric surgery? How are you feeling now? Some people feel great in a couple weeks, some people take a month and others like myself take 3 months to recover completely. I had health issues before surgery so it took me longer to get my strength back although I had no pain but just weakness but I wasn't very strong before the surgery.
dancinbr
Member
Yes it all depends. If you were generally healthy and feeling OK before surgery, I would say by the second week you do NOT need any further help. Again, don't do any tasks that require lifting, strain or whatever. It does take a good month for you incisions to heal pretty well. Even after that month be careful.
During the first week I rested at home. I didn't feel like going out at all. I was using pain meds at times during the day and definitely in the evening to let me sleep. By the second week, I was off pain meds completely. I did use and occasional Tylenol but that was that. I went out with my wife who did most of the driving, but I also did some driving. Pain was basically gone. Yes, I was aware of my incision areas. They were all pretty tender. We agreed not to touch them and they didn't bother me!
I was able to make my own little meals. My wife did shop to get me friendly foods such as eggs, whole wheat bread ( which I didn't consume at all until week 4) , shakes, vitamins, etc.
The biggest thing you will have to learn is to eat small amounts and chew chew chew. This is after you progress through week 1 and 2. Week 1 is clear liquids. Week2 is full liquids. Week3 is puree stuff and finally for me week 4 was soft foods.
You will have to notice what full means and understand it early. If you overeat ever so slightly you will feel lousy for at least an 1/2 hour to a full hour. I stick to 1/3 cup for a meal right now. I found that 1/2 cup of food was right at the limit so I stayed away from that.
I remember my first meal 2 scrambled eggs. I felt awful!!! Well, I was supposed to have no more than one egg preferably hard boiled. I have learned. For me there is too much air in the scrambled eggs.
Oh yes, learn about belching and farting real early. Eat in small bites. Make sure you burp just like a baby halfway through your meal. Stop, rest. Then resume. We all belch like crazy.
Get a sippy cup to help minimize air intake with liquid consumption.
OK, enough.
I hope I have helped.
Ralph
During the first week I rested at home. I didn't feel like going out at all. I was using pain meds at times during the day and definitely in the evening to let me sleep. By the second week, I was off pain meds completely. I did use and occasional Tylenol but that was that. I went out with my wife who did most of the driving, but I also did some driving. Pain was basically gone. Yes, I was aware of my incision areas. They were all pretty tender. We agreed not to touch them and they didn't bother me!
I was able to make my own little meals. My wife did shop to get me friendly foods such as eggs, whole wheat bread ( which I didn't consume at all until week 4) , shakes, vitamins, etc.
The biggest thing you will have to learn is to eat small amounts and chew chew chew. This is after you progress through week 1 and 2. Week 1 is clear liquids. Week2 is full liquids. Week3 is puree stuff and finally for me week 4 was soft foods.
You will have to notice what full means and understand it early. If you overeat ever so slightly you will feel lousy for at least an 1/2 hour to a full hour. I stick to 1/3 cup for a meal right now. I found that 1/2 cup of food was right at the limit so I stayed away from that.
I remember my first meal 2 scrambled eggs. I felt awful!!! Well, I was supposed to have no more than one egg preferably hard boiled. I have learned. For me there is too much air in the scrambled eggs.
Oh yes, learn about belching and farting real early. Eat in small bites. Make sure you burp just like a baby halfway through your meal. Stop, rest. Then resume. We all belch like crazy.
Get a sippy cup to help minimize air intake with liquid consumption.
OK, enough.
I hope I have helped.
Ralph
Family help aftersurgery?
This is all really good information. I will make sure that someone else will take over feeding the horses, as I am pretty sure hefting a 40lb bag of food each day is out of the question. Same with feeding the chickens. I guess it's better to just wait until it actually happens before deciding exactly when to go back to work.
This is all really good information. I will make sure that someone else will take over feeding the horses, as I am pretty sure hefting a 40lb bag of food each day is out of the question. Same with feeding the chickens.
I guess it's better to just wait until it actually happens before deciding exactly when to go back to work.
StinkerBelle
Member
NMEast... My husband took 9 days off from work + the weekend..
He handled all of the home stuff such as taking the garbage out, walking our 20 pound Pug, reaching up in cabinets for me ( I am short anyway), he was there to make sure I was alright when I showered, he did laundry, vacuumed, mopped and such, other than that I was very mobile. I was walking our 13 pound very well behaved Boston terrier / pug mix several times a day, I'd go to the grocery (hubby drove), I was doing some scrapbooking, fixing my milkshakes, working on getting my liquids in and pretty much just doing my thing.
I was very happy to have the emotional support and just knowing I had someone with me..
He handled all of the home stuff such as taking the garbage out, walking our 20 pound Pug, reaching up in cabinets for me ( I am short anyway), he was there to make sure I was alright when I showered, he did laundry, vacuumed, mopped and such, other than that I was very mobile. I was walking our 13 pound very well behaved Boston terrier / pug mix several times a day, I'd go to the grocery (hubby drove), I was doing some scrapbooking, fixing my milkshakes, working on getting my liquids in and pretty much just doing my thing.
I was very happy to have the emotional support and just knowing I had someone with me..
fkrebs
Member
For me, I had the RNY and spent 3 days in the hospital. When I came home, my wife left an hour later to go to work. My daughter spent the first night with me, because I had no idea what to expect. After that I was on my own. I did not do any heavy lifting, but I was able to take care of myself and get my exercise in. Just be sure that whatever you do at first, you start slowly, make sure you can handle it and you'll be fine.
Frank
Frank
I live alone so didn't have any regular help. I just didn't do anything strenuous and saved the heavy stuff (like lifting the 60 lb dog food bag or carrying laundry up and down 2 flights to my son and daughter-in-law when they came over. Keep your cell phone handy and you'll do fine on your own.