sleeve gastrectomy 5 weeks before trip

[k_hase]

I'm not exactly sure where to post this.

One member of our part of 5 (four adults, one child; our family of 3 and our good friends who have never been) is have a sleeve gastrectomy 5 weeks prior to our trip. I'm the primary organizer of the trip, having booked our dining reservations, fastpasses, and ordered our groceries. I just learned this yesterday, our trip is in 57 days. I've taken a generally relaxed approach to touring for this trip.

What should we expect? I understand that she will eat much less but she otherwise has assured me everything will be fine, that she'll be ready for rides and will just share food when we eat. Does anyone have any experience they can share? Things that I can do to make this better for her? Problems we might encounter? Things you tell waiters?

Other things to know:
late 30s female, not so much overweight as other health impaired that led to this as the next steps in long term care, typically has low energy levels due to other medications, but weight loss will reportedly help with that side effect; flying in from California so dealing with jet lag, we are in a DVC 2-bedroom and have a full kitchen

 

[Alan1972]

The only issue is ,if you have any character meals or buffet plans. She will have to pay the full adult price,does not matter she had surgery.

 

[k_hase]

The only issue is ,if you have any character meals or buffet plans. She will have to pay the full adult price,does not matter she had surgery.

No buffets on the plan, and mostly I'm not worried about money, just her enjoyment, requirements, and limitations.

 

[Bjkandma]

If she has low energy, you may want to consider an ecv for her. (Scooter). There is a lot of walking and the average guest can\ will walk 8-12 miles per day. Renting one from an outside vendor will allow her to keep it with her at the resort. Should you rent inside parks, scooter must stay in that park. It is also cheaper to rent from outside vendor. Disney currently charged $50 per day, plus a $20 refundable deposit.

 

[tinkerjo]

As a nurse, I see different post operative plans after gastric sleeve surgery. Chances are 5 weeks post op she may still be on nutritional shakes and puréed food. Her main concern is hydration and she will need to drink water throughout the day and always have it on her. She needs to talk to her dietician and form a vacation plan. She most likely will have to pack her own portion controlled food to take. Most doctors are very strict about the diet but it should be all spelled out in her paperwork that she probably already has

 

[raraavis]

I can give a little perspective as I'm almost 3 months post-op from gastric sleeve surgery. At 5 weeks out, I was still on soft foods, purees, and protein shakes/drinks. I couldn't move to solid foods until week 6, and even that was limited. I agree with the PP; she really needs to ensure she is getting in her fluids (it does not have to be water; I'm a big fan of gatorade zero). I think the biggest concern though will be her energy level, especially since she already has energy issues. I was definitely lacking energy until week 5/6, and I wasn't getting in more than 3000 steps a day. My energy didn't really return to normal until after 2 months post-op when I was getting about 600-700 calories a day. So you need to expect lots of sit down breaks and slow walking. I'm not trying to discourage you; I just want you to have the right expectations.

 

[lisa cameron]

Like the last 2 posters, hydration will be very important and her energy will most likely be affected. Even in February, Florida can be fairly warm. I actually am a registered dietitian and agree that she will only be able to tolerate purée foods and appropriate protein shakes. She will have to eat and drink often. She won’t be able to share food with anyone as most normal foods won’t be appropriate for her yet, so she will likely need to bring her own food. At least that is what I would recommend as an RD.

 

[k_hase]

Okay. So my sense now is that she's not being straight with me about what she's been told (perhaps b/c we've been planning this trip for a year). I'm going to share this thread with her and her wife and see if they have any thoughts. I'd hate for her to not enjoy herself.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Well, sounds like she hasn't had the surgery yet. So she may not realize she is not being straight with you. I had mine over the holidays and remember having turkey broth for Christmas dinner LOL

As mentioned above, every doctor has a different protocol. Well before the procedure she will be given the steps to reintroduce food... I call it learning to eat again. Probably clear liquids, then liquids, then purees, then mushy's, etc. At 5 weeks she will probably still be relying on protein shakes a good deal. Protein is critical for healing.

She may really not understand how slow this process is. Ask her to speak with her doctor so she is clear on his/her requirements and expectations. Good news is that you will have a full kitchen so you can lay in a stock of foods for her... there will be little she can eat in the parks... soups, Greek yogurt maybe? At 5 weeks, I couldn't even eat a scrambled egg or mashed up chili.

Maybe she is just trying to put the best spin on it... but knowledge is power and you want to be able to plan!

 

[SL6827]

I can give a little perspective as I'm almost 3 months post-op from gastric sleeve surgery. At 5 weeks out, I was still on soft foods, purees, and protein shakes/drinks. I couldn't move to solid foods until week 6, and even that was limited. I agree with the PP; she really needs to ensure she is getting in her fluids (it does not have to be water; I'm a big fan of gatorade zero). I think the biggest concern though will be her energy level, especially since she already has energy issues. I was definitely lacking energy until week 5/6, and I wasn't getting in more than 3000 steps a day. My energy didn't really return to normal until after 2 months post-op when I was getting about 600-700 calories a day. So you need to expect lots of sit down breaks and slow walking. I'm not trying to discourage you; I just want you to have the right expectations.

I am going to have this done in March of next year in Mexico.

 

[RogueX]

When we went, my sister was about 9 months out from when she had that done and even following doctors orders on food, hydration, etc., she made it a point to return to the hotel to rest when she felt her energy level dropping. It made it a lot more possible for her to enjoy Disney.

 

[k_hase]

Well, sounds like she hasn't had the surgery yet. So she may not realize she is not being straight with you. I had mine over the holidays and remember having turkey broth for Christmas dinner LOL

As mentioned above, every doctor has a different protocol. Well before the procedure she will be given the steps to reintroduce food... I call it learning to eat again. Probably clear liquids, then liquids, then purees, then mushy's, etc. At 5 weeks she will probably still be relying on protein shakes a good deal. Protein is critical for healing.

She may really not understand how slow this process is. Ask her to speak with her doctor so she is clear on his/her requirements and expectations. Good news is that you will have a full kitchen so you can lay in a stock of foods for her... there will be little she can eat in the parks... soups, Greek yogurt maybe? At 5 weeks, I couldn't even eat a scrambled egg or mashed up chili.

Maybe she is just trying to put the best spin on it... but knowledge is power and you want to be able to plan!

Thank you for this reply. We talked more today and she says her doctor is aware and has a plan for her and she's still willing to do all this. You are right, a kitchen will be helpful, and I'm hoping what ever she might need can be purchased in publix!!

I think I need to just let go, she'll do what she can and that will be that!

 

[tinkerjo]

Thank you for this reply. We talked more today and she says her doctor is aware and has a plan for her and she's still willing to do all this. You are right, a kitchen will be helpful, and I'm hoping what ever she might need can be purchased in publix!!

I think I need to just let go, she'll do what she can and that will be that!

I know it’s hard when you are the planner of the group. Last visit to Disney was with an 18 year old friend with a peanut/tree nut allergy. I was very stressed about it but finally just let her handle it all. She can still accompany you to the restaurants and enjoy the atmosphere. I’m sure she’s is happy just going. Good luck and I’m sure you will still all have a great time!!!!

 

[nikkislaght]

as someone who has had the sleeve, its not your responsibility, its up to her to sort all that stuff out , just as I would expect others to sort themselves out.. yes have conversations about what as a group you would like to do, but ultimately its up to each person to be responsible for themselves .

 

[k_hase]

Follow up, three days post op: It has not gone smoothly. Her surgery was Thursday morning, with an expected release of Friday afternoon or Saturday AM. However, she has been unable since coming out surgery to keep any liquids down, everything is regurgitated. The doctors seem unconcerned but also decided to keep her admitted until at least Monday, saying her case was unusual. One additional challenge is the number of other medications she takes--these have been ground up and put in water, but she hasn't ingested any of them.

Here I am selfishly considering my options. As a DVC member, taking this trip on points/borrowed points, I have until Wednesday to rebook the whole trip, cancel their portion of our trip, or decided to take my chances that she will have a dramatically better recovery than it currently looks like she will have and hope my points are not used on a empty room. I feel terrible thinking about this but am also trying to be realistic and how to best handle this situation.

I've sitting tight for now, to see if Monday brings better news. Then I think I need to discuss with her wife the options at hand.

 

[lanejudy]

@k_hase sorry to hear her recovery is starting out difficult. I don’t know the typical post-op time but a lady at our church had a similar procedure several years ago and if I recall she had a very slow recovery. I hope your friend is feeling better and gets home to recuperate soon.

 

[tinkerjo]

It’s still early, give it some time. I have seen varying outcomes with this surgery. I hear this a lot. She may bounce back and be fine in a few weeks. I was really slow recovering from gall bladder surgery, first 2 weeks were awful, which isn’t typical, but 5 weeks after I was doing well and could have done Disney. Just be prepared for all outcomes. Good luck and I hope she feels better quickly

 

[raraavis]

Sorry to hear she's having complications; I hope she's doing well enough to be discharged today. I belong to a support group online, and I heard so many have similar experiences. It's really hard to judge how she will be at 5 weeks out based solely on days after her surgery. I don't think you're being selfish at all! You've got to be practical. If your friend ends up not being able to go, would her wife go without her? Probably not I'm guessing. In my opinion, I would try to convince her wife to cancel their portion of the trip and go when she is completely recovered. Even if she is back on track by time your vacation arrives, Disney will just be too difficult 5 weeks post op. I personally wouldn't want to go on a strenuous vacation 5 weeks after surgery. I went to Philly for 4 days about 5 weeks after my surgery, and we did a ton of walking and sight seeing but nothing compared to what I'd do in Disney! I was exhausted. Disney is expensive, and I wouldn't want to go on my vacation when I'm not 100%. My Disney trip has been planned for about a year, and I gave myself a deadline of having surgery by October for my February trip. If I didn't have the surgery by October, then the surgery would wait until after my Disney trip. I wanted to give myself 6 months to recover and adjust to my new life style, but I settled for 4.5 months. I am finally feeling comfortable with eating; I know what foods I can tolerate and which ones cause me trouble; I know I can easily do 10,000 steps a day. These are important things to know to be able to enjoy my vacation and not put a damper on my family's vacation.

 

[k_hase]

Sorry to hear she's having complications; I hope she's doing well enough to be discharged today. I belong to a support group online, and I heard so many have similar experiences. It's really hard to judge how she will be at 5 weeks out based solely on days after her surgery. I don't think you're being selfish at all! You've got to be practical. If your friend ends up not being able to go, would her wife go without her? Probably not I'm guessing. In my opinion, I would try to convince her wife to cancel their portion of the trip and go when she is completely recovered. Even if she is back on track by time your vacation arrives, Disney will just be too difficult 5 weeks post op. I personally wouldn't want to go on a strenuous vacation 5 weeks after surgery. I went to Philly for 4 days about 5 weeks after my surgery, and we did a ton of walking and sight seeing but nothing compared to what I'd do in Disney! I was exhausted. Disney is expensive, and I wouldn't want to go on my vacation when I'm not 100%. My Disney trip has been planned for about a year, and I gave myself a deadline of having surgery by October for my February trip. If I didn't have the surgery by October, then the surgery would wait until after my Disney trip. I wanted to give myself 6 months to recover and adjust to my new life style, but I settled for 4.5 months. I am finally feeling comfortable with eating; I know what foods I can tolerate and which ones cause me trouble; I know I can easily do 10,000 steps a day. These are important things to know to be able to enjoy my vacation and not put a damper on my family's vacation.

Yes, they would not separate for the trip. And this was what I'd tried to convince them of back when she first told me, but they were insistent that February is the only time, so I decided to wash my hands of it, plan, and plan to let them do what they needed while at Disney. Now we're standing on the deadline to change a DVC room and I've unwashed my hands!!

As of this AM she had been able to keep down a bit of liquid but not the 64 ounces they are requiring to let her go home. I'm nervous about so many things right now---my friends' health and well being, their decision making processes, our long planned vacation, and my points. My husband is much better at saying "done is done" and living with what ever happens in February. I, on the other hand, am convinced I fix it, make it better, or accommodate everyone.

 

[raraavis]

Yes, they would not separate for the trip. And this was what I'd tried to convince them of back when she first told me, but they were insistent that February is the only time, so I decided to wash my hands of it, plan, and plan to let them do what they needed while at Disney. Now we're standing on the deadline to change a DVC room and I've unwashed my hands!!

As of this AM she had been able to keep down a bit of liquid but not the 64 ounces they are requiring to let her go home. I'm nervous about so many things right now---my friends' health and well being, their decision making processes, our long planned vacation, and my points. My husband is much better at saying "done is done" and living with what ever happens in February. I, on the other hand, am convinced I fix it, make it better, or accommodate everyone.

I'm sorry you're in this situation. I'm confused why you are financially responsible for their portion of the trip. I understand that you may need to use your points, but they should be paying you back right? I just think it's a bit selfish of them to pu their needs above yours. I really hope your friend recovers well though. Best of luck!