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After Surgery
When you get home, you have two main jobs: drink plenty of fluids and keep moving. You should drink at least 2 quarts (or 2 liters) of fluid each day. Fat turns into ketones, which are chemicals that can build up in your body and make you nauseated and your breath and urine smell funny. It is necessary to flush these out by drinking a lot of water. It is important to keep active to prevent blood clots from forming in you legs. This means don't sit for a long period of time (>2 hours). If you will be taking any long car or airplane rides, get up and walk around every couple of hours.
You will be tired for the first few weeks, but it does get better. You can get back to normal activities as you feel like it. You can drive after you are off of the pain medicine. People typically go back to work 10 days to 2 weeks after surgery, but some people go back sooner. It is also important to stay on clear liquids for a full 2 weeks after your surgery. Rushing things doesn't help; it actually can hurt you. Complete dietary instructions for after surgery are listed below. The most important thing is to call us, not your primary care physician, if you are having any problems, or even if you simply have any questions. We can't read your mind. You need to call us!
You will need to come in for a post-op visit 2-3 weeks after surgery. At this time, we will see how you are doing and check your incisions. We will also see if you have started your vitamins and if you have started exercising. At that time, we will let you know when we want to see you next, but the schedule is typically at months 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12, then yearly after that. It is very important that you don't skip any follow-up appointments. If you need to reschedule, that is fine, but please don't simply skip any appointments. We need to monitor your weight loss closely and catch any problems as they are beginning, not months later, when it will take a lot more to correct the problem.
People typically lose an average of a pound a day for the first month, then the rate decreases from then out. As weight loss slows down, people tend to lose weight in a step-wise fashion. You may plateau for a week or so, then drop a few pounds all at once. This is normal. Try not to get discouraged. One thing to do is to measure yourself now, then about once a month. Seeing the decreasing inches may be just the motivation that you need. It is important that you follow the dietary guidelines that we recommend. It is also important to develop some sort of exercise plan. This not only helps to keep your metabolism up, but it prevents muscle loss. If you don't use your muscles while losing weight, your body will use them for energy. People that exercise do better with weight loss than those that do not exercise. Another important task is taking vitamins regularly. This means a multivitamin, calcium, B12, and iron, daily.
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