Derp

hi joes, I just added you as a friend so I can watch what you're up to! I was sleeved Monday 3/7 by Dr. Kim too. I ended up staying an extra day in the hospital, i think because of a reaction to the anesthesia - I wasn't able to get anything down until wednesday morning, so they kept me in the hospital on an IV. It's slow going at home, but it's getting a little easier every day, so i'm hopeful. I'm looking forward to following your progress, since we're sleeve buddies. <3

hi there, thank you for sharing this - i'm in the same boat you are. I had to stay in the hospital an extra day because I wasn't able to get anything down, but now that i'm home, i'm getting about 30-40 oz of fluid and have dropped about the same amount since getting sleeved.

You might just be a little behind schedule - your body in particular may not be ready for the pasta/rice. I'm a total noob, but i've noticed that my body is going slower than "scheduled". I spoke to my dietitian earlier this week and she said not to force myself to hold to the schedule or force it, but to do what my body says is right. I'm just now able to get the basic Clear Liquids down, and i'm several days post-op. I have a feeling my healing schedule will be a lot slower than what's considered normal.

mjb123, your post mirrors what i'm going through EXACTLY.

Eureka, thank you for the suggestion - the bari-essentials drink made me completely miserable this morning, i don't think i'll be trying that again for a while. i'm finding it kind of hard to find a lot of info on the immediate post-op phase, like the days just after coming home, and what to expect. This forum has been incredibly helpful though. What i'm learning is - Soreness and sharp gas pains from top to bottom are NORMAL, and that it's ok if you can't get all of the Vitamins and Protein in the first few days. just focus on hydration, and when it hurts less, getting the essentials becomes easier. So I've been home for 2 days now, and I just discovered some positions that feel good. I like sitting straight up, and even sitting on my bed with my legs spread and leaning slightly forward (i have to manipulate my belly a little to get into this position). Leaning forward helps a lot with moving the gas around my stomach and helping with productive burps. I have never burped as much as i have in the last 3 days. More updates as events warrant!

I'm home and feeling better! I went in early Monday for surgery with Dr. Kim at the Forest Park surgery center in Dallas. Surgery went well, he found a hiatal hernia while he was in there and went ahead and fixed it. I woke up in recovery and slept all through the rest of the day and through to the next morning. Tuesday morning, i walked a bunch in the halls, and they brought a round of Water and crystal light. For whatever reason i wasn't able to get any liquids down that day - they thought i might have a leak, so they sent me for a CT scan at some point, but it came back clear. No leak. So I stayed an extra day in the hospital so they could keep me on IV fluids. I woke up on Wednesday morning feelng much better. I walked a ton, and when the water and crystal light came, i was able to sip it with no problems. I had some broth and some whey Protein, and finally convinced them i was ok to come home, so they pulled my IV and i got to go home. I live VERY close to the surgery center so travel was no problem, even though i was incredibly sore. Once I got home, i slept a lot, and then kept walking. Wednesday night i couldnt sleep, I probably only got a couple of hours. Throughout this whole post-op recovery phase, i've been incredibly sore, and have had sharp gas-like pains in my stomach. I'm having a hard time getting the fluids i need. I talked to the dietitian today and she said to focus more on the fluids than the protein/vitamins etc. which is what i'm trying to do. I've been walking my butt off, because that's when i feel the best. I've walked about 5 times today, either 5 or 10 minute intervals. So that's my story so far - i'm going to go to bed now. Please chime in here if you have had the same kind of post op pains! Thanks guys

I added both of you ladies to my friend list - I'm glad to hear your stories too. I can't blame my weight gain on anything but myself - I started a company about 5 years ago which kept me sitting at a computer for so many hours a day, I ended up eating every meal at my desk. I also drank a lot too. It's part of the culture of my work environment... we are all really big drinkers. It's hard to break out of. Luckily, i kind of "grew out of it", in that i'm 31 now, and that lifestyle just isn't feasible for me anymore. Two of the things that have been bothering me the most since I reached this weight are: 1) The almost constant fatigue. I feel like I have mono all the time. All I want to do is sleep when i'm not working. I can't get motivated to do the things in my life i need to do, like running errands, or even fixing up my new apartment. I don't have a husband or kids to force me to do stuff, but honestly, i'm pretty glad because if i did, I'd be a pretty sad sack of crap. 2) Aches and pains. My hips and knees hurt all the time. Like I'm sore from exertion, but I haven't exerted myself. That puts me further down the black hole of inactivity. UGH, it's embarrassing to even type. As it gets closer to time for my surgery, i find myself trying to be more active, because I want to make the surgery go as smoothly as possible, and i figure i'll be stuck in bed long enough after i get home. Since i've been feeling bad like this 100% of the time for the last few years, it's made me really excited about the surgery. I feel like it's the exact life changing event that i need to pull me out of it. One of the guys I work with had VSG a couple of years ago, and said that very soon after, his energy level doubled, and it jump-started his life. He really enjoys working out now, and it really shows - he looks fantastic. Because I can see him with my own 2 eyes, he's been my best motivator, and ultimately *the thing* that helped me make this decision. <3

I'm so glad to hear you're doing well. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It's getting close to crunch time for me, and i'm just a bundle of nerves. Keep taking it easy <3 Laura

Several years ago, I was a lot thinner than I am today, and all of the boys loved me. Over the last few years, i've slowly built up to 240lbs, and it has done a horrible number on my self esteem. I don't go to the same social events i used to, because i hate being the fat chick. Every girl i work with is incredibly thin and beautiful, which makes me feel even worse. Boys don't think of me as cute anymore - I'm just the friend who's fun to party with. I have a great personality and i'm well liked by most people, but it does me no good when i hate my appearance. It's always on the forefront of my mind when i'm out in public, and i just make myself sick about it. I did meet a boy a few months ago who is just absolutely head over heels in love with me, and we started dating. it is incredibly hard for me to admit this, but if I was more confident in myself, I would not have started seeing him. He and I are from different worlds completely, and I have had to compromise a lot of myself in order to make it work. I know I should feel lucky to have a boyfriend, and I do like him very much, but I wouldn't be with him if I had better self esteem. My poor self esteem led to depression, which led to stress eating, and it seemed to be a viscous cycle. Dating my boyfriend has helped pull me out of a lot of it, because he makes me feel pretty - prettier than I actually am, even... The thing that led me to my decision to have WLS is the potential health issues i'm starting to face as I get older - high blood pressure, and the threat of diabetes. The mental stresses and low self esteem, coupled with some of the testimonials of *real life* people i know helped seal the deal. It feels good to have typed this all out - perhaps I just felt like I needed to vent. Any other ladies out there in the same boat? <3

Thinking about you! Glad surgery went well. Just take it easy <3 Wish I had more advice - i'm going in for surgery here in a couple of days.

The pre-op diet is killing me too, and i don't even have anyone around me to eat and make me jealous! Looks like we both have just 6 more days to go before surgery I friended you so that I can monitor you closely.

I'm so glad! congratulations, and keep us posted!

I'm not sure if this is the same thing or not, but the back of my right thigh feels tight, like it's sore from a strain. Could this be the same thing? I'm just starting week 2 of my pre-op liquid diet.

THANK you for sharing!

OP, thanks for sharing. I'm a week away from my surgery and the freakout is creeping up on me. This was a little nerve-wracking to read, but nothing I can't handle <3 Laura

Update: I went in for my bloodwork and started my liquid diet last week. I'm having a little trouble, just because all the acceptable foods are either sweet (i don't like sweets at all), or, i'm drinking the low-sodium broth to help with my salty food cravings (and... gross). The Bari-Essential powder they gave me is good, but i've had trouble getting all 4 shakes per day in, just because they are sooo sweet. Tomorrow I go to "pre-surgery class", which i assume will be a what-to-expect session with a Q&A. I feel a little light headed and a tad weak today, so i'm going to make sure i take those shakes, since i'm sure it's just that i'm not getting the nutrients i need today. My mom is coming into town on Friday, and will stay with me over the weekend and through my first week. She's a nurse, so I feel like I'll be in good hands

Kim, I'll definitely be watching you and will keep in touch. Good luck, and lots of love. Laura

congrats!

Hello everyone! My surgery is coming up on March 7, so i'm reading everything I can get my hands on to try and stave off the nervous feelings. That's how I came across this forum I'm excited, and nervous, and that seems to be the norm around here. I am loving reading everyone's stories. I'm a self-pay, 30 years old, and live in Dallas. I've not had much experience with surgery, i think i've only been put under twice in my life, the last time was when i was 20. I've never been skinny, but my weight started piling on a few years ago when i started a company and working 80 hours a week, sitting at a desk. I'm now up to 240lbs, with a 39 BMI. I have high blood pressure. As a social drinker, i'm really nervous about what the surgery is going to do to my social life afterwards. To be honest, this is actually a huge concern for me, since it is so important to my lifestyle. I'm not an alcoholic, but I drink pretty consistently about 2-3 times per week. I smoke when I drink too. Obviously, i'm going to want to limit that behavior in the long term, (I don't think I will have a problem treating myself right during the healing process), but I don't want for the social drinking part of my life to be over yet. So this is my experience so far - I'm planning on updating as events warrant. I go in for my pre-admission bloodwork tomorrow morning, and just started on my pre-surgery liquid diet. Thank you to all of the participants on this board. It's making me feel better by the minute. Laura <3

Dallas, TX - just joined today

March 7 with Dr. Kim in Dallas!

Hi there! My surgery date is 3/7, so I'm going to be keeping an eye on your posts to see how we do together *friended* Good luck!

Inspiring post, thank you! I'm a few days away from my surgery and stumbled across this board, and have had many of my fears eased. <3

Will the staples interfere with an MRI, should you need one later in life?