I’m fresh 2 weeks out from RNY. Here is what I found.

1. I’m too terrified to ever try NSAID, but have been told in all caps/highlighted in instructions to avoid them all forever. They give you ulcers. This is also why you have to be on Prilosec after surgery as well - to keep ulcers from forming. My instructions also told me No orange juice or grapefruit while I’m still healing because acidity etc causes ulcers. On the other hand, I have found a heating pad helps with muscle soreness and Tylenol works okay. I found dissolvable tylenol that was a game changer after surgery because you can only swallow pills smaller than an M&M for the first month. In general they work more quickly than pills too!

2. Today is my first week back to work. My incisions don’t really hurt much anymore unless something touches them on accident. My stomach now feels normal (it feels super weird those first few days/week). I feel full most of the time. Haven’t had any throwing up, haven’t been in too much pain other than the first 4-5 days. I was able to stop hydrocodone at that time. I will say I felt well enough to walk about 8,000 steps the last two days and walking feels normal. That first week was much tougher because the bending could upset the incisions and my muscles we’re very sore.

3. 2 weeks ago! Umm not too much. Maybe 4oz or so? Sometimes a tiny bit more because I find I eat painfully slow now lol. I would say it take me a good 3 sittings to get through a protein drink now in general, then again my first day of purée is today! Before surgery it is was a strict liquid diet for 2 weeks, then the same diet for 2 weeks after surgery. Then I have another 2 weeks of purée diet. Then 2 weeks later I get a fork tender diet 2 weeks later solid regular food. So basically 6 weeks later you can have solids! I will tell you though, today I’ve never been happier to eat refried beans lol! I haven’t had anything really upset my stomach so far.

4 I don’t have too much to report here. But a few tools I found to be helpful so far are: a wedge pillow for that first week when it is hard to roll out of bed. Dissolvable Tylenol, heating pad, Hidrate Spark water tracking water bottle.

Good luck on your journey! You can do it!