4ALongerLife

You look amazing! Congrats!

I'm worried now on losing my hair as I'm on a clear liquid diet now for 4 weeks (due to complicaitons and issues from my original surgery on 3/5). I can't quite get the Protein bullets down (they are disgusting) and prior to surgery, I've taken Biotin for a long time. I'll have to go back to it (as I've slacked) and check out the mcgs. Thanks for all of your inputs on this subject and I have to say to "The *Coasting* Super Moderator, holy cow your before and after pix. Wow. Good luck to you all on this journey and thank you for your input!

All of your jitters are perfectly normal. I know I couldn't even think straight before mine. I didn't want to tell anyone what I was doing - I was honestly ashamed that my weight was as bad as it was and felt ashamed that I couldn't "get it in control" by my own efforts. I've lost and gained 60 to 80 lbs many times before in my life, but as I get older, it's harder (esply with this lovely hypothyroid). With all of that being said, I had complications after my surgery (no you won't have these! you will be ok) but I have since told people what my surgery was for and I am rather shocked at the way that it is accepted. With so many commercials and billboards in today's society about this as a way to battle the obesity that is plaguing our country, I guess it's being more accepted? Just stand firm in your decision. This is for YOUR health. Be proud of yourselves. This is not an easy decision, it's not the "easy way out" and you CAN use it as the tool it's supposed to be, just follow what your dr. says. Please do your breathing exercises, advance your diet as instructed in the ounces suggested... and stay positive! Use this opportunity as a way to regain energy and live life to the fullest. For your daughter, tell her all will be ok, this is for you to be around much longer for her. Best of luck wished to you all.

Thank you NiseeG! Are they clear liquids? I am not advanced to full liquids (i.e. milk yet). So if these are clear and ok to swallow then woo hoo, prayers answered. Those protein bullets are 42g to 50+ depending on the type you buy and I was doing what I could so I wouldn't lose my hair but omg last night I couldn't do two a day (they are so syrupy and thick tasting to me). And now choking down vit water with protein powder... ugh. C'mon milk stage! lol... ty for the tip! I have to end this note with... thank God though that I'm better than I was and thank you for your help, concern, support and prayers!

Thanks all for the prayers (for certain) and for the healing, positive thoughts. I went to my dr. yesterday and he took my PICC line out of my arm (the line that went into my arterial vein/in my heart) and my JP drain in my belly. I STILL have the accordian/piggyback drain in my diaphragmn but he wants to watch that for one more week to see if I'm having anything come out of it. So far, it's nothing and has been for the last 2 days (which my first thought is yeah! that means the abscess is clear? idk but i'm hoping). I'm on Clear liquids still this week and need to increase my Protein in my clear liquids. If you have tips on this, please let me know. First, omg those protein bullets are NASTY. My dr. said try to do 2 a day. I can usually suffer through one in the early morning whenever my tummy's making all kinds of sounds, but I tried an acai berry bullet last night (from Vitamin Shoppe) and I was SICK ... I did one ounce from it and thought I was gonna hurl. This morning I took some vitamin Water zero and mixed it with my procel powder (a Protein Powder my dr. gave me that he liked). It's only 5 g protein a scoop, which I mixed in 14 oz. liquid, but I'm trying to think how else to get more protein into my clear fluids.... as well as get more clear fluids into me. Dr. said 4 oz an hour, but I have to be diligent or I lose time and can't make it up. (I'm trying not to be dehydrated.) But that's my update............ and truly, I thank you all for all of your support and positivity. Truly, thank you!

Good luck to you! Stay positive!

congratulations! wish you success on the road ahead!

Thank you all that replied .... for the support, for the prayers, for the concern. My mom died in 2008, my father in 2009, so the only way that this "dream" was possible for me was receiving some life insurance money to pay for this. After my parents deaths, at the way that my siblings acted, I no longer have family. I DO have one wonderful husband and a gorgeous son. Thank God this experience has proven that I am blessed with them, again and again. I do feel better today. Sorry my post was originally written whenever I was feeling a bit down. This surgery was supposed to be a 3 day experience. IDK how I'm going to pay the hospital and dr's bills, but it will all work out I guess. Funny how God does that ..... isn't it? My dr. was Dr. Harry Meyers and I honestly think he is a great dr. He's had one other leak, back in 2009, but nothing to this extent. I just think I was the 1 out of 100 odd cases that occur. (I swear "murphy's law" sometimes rules my life, lol) Thank you all again for your support. I go to the dr. this afternoon and I'm hoping that he sees progress is going well.

Thank you both for the support, I truly do appreciate it. I will keep you guys updated. I am supposed to go to see my dr. Monday afternoon.

I had the gastric sleeve surgery on 03/05/12. On my pre-admissions form for the VSG, there was a question about anesthesia - whenever I had my son in 2004 I had to have more than the norm as my body didn't 'go to sleep' equally on the left and the right. Based on this response, the anesthesiologists gave me more than usual for the VSG. After the VSG surgery I was passed out, very lethargic, slept alot. I would try to do my IS (breathing exercises) and couldn't barely do them. Then I'd pass out to sleep again. I had a slight temp in the hospital so they kept me an extra day. I was d/c'd 3/7/12. On 3/9/12, I went back to the hospital. I was spiking a temp and my pulse was rising. Slowly, I couldn't do my I.S. (breathing exercises) as well as I had been doing them. I went back to the ER and they admitted me for aspiration pneumonia. I stayed in the hospital 6 days, on I.V. antibiotics. I was d/c'd 3/14/12, taking levaquin by mouth. I followed my diet, did my breathing exercises, moved as much as I could .... but my temp would spike now and again. I went to the ER that weekend twice, as my temp at home would be 101-102, but once I got to the ER it went to 99 or normal. The ER said that getting out in the 'nite air' sometimes does that (no idea why but ok). Then that Sunday, 3/19/12, about 330 in the morning, I could no longer sleep in the bed. I felt short of breath (very shallow breathing, couldn't inhale deeply) and I had a pain in my left shoulder and mid back. I tried to wait until the dr's office opened at 9 that Monday morning, however by 845 I couldn't take it anymore, the pain was excruciating. They told me to go back to the ER. I did and they did xrays and cat scans, I had a leak in my stomach and an abscess in my diaphragm. So hospital readmission 3/19 to 3/29. They wanted to rush me to revision surgery that night. I went into a slight shock I think, teeth chattering, scared, wishing I had never done this..... but the electricity kept kicking in and out all day at the hospital (first someone hit a pole and caused the electricity issues that day, but that night severe storms developed and the lights flickered quite a few times). My dr. said let's not take any further chances, we'll do your revision first thing in the morning. I had revision surgery 3/20, early. The dr. found the leak and saw where part of my stomach line was necroting so he cleaned that all out, restitched and reglued the line and cleaned out as much as he could. Then they did XRays to see how it looked, more barium swallows and then a cat scan .... they wanted to see the abscess and if I had any other leaks, which I do, now in a different part of my tummy. The radiologist placed what is called a piggyback drain (it looks like a long bag with an "accordian" at the top) into my left flank (right under your bra line/where the diaphragm is located). I have a JP drain in my stomach (it's right above my spleen per the dr.) . I got worried about the cost of my stay and spoke with my dr. on this as he was thinking that I could go home on home TPN (total proper nutrition - it's a bag of nutrition that they mix up especially for each patient, based on the blood draw, which tells them what you are missing in your system. It's high in amino acids, which encourages quicker healing of leaks). I didn't have this coverage in my stinky insurance plan (I work as a contractor, which means great pay/lousy insurance.... well according to the option I chose). Dr. did an endoscopy on 3/27 to see where any leaks were and how big .... there's still one about the size of a pencil eraser. Social work/case mgmt became involved, trying then to put me in a nursing home (hello, i'm 38 years young) or on home iv antibiotics/tpn. That's where things got really bad - social work consulted me mid walking activity and told me of the nursing home option. Next time I saw them as I was doing laps in the hall, she told me maybe my dr. could do a feeding tube and send me home. Either way, I thought that was inappropriate and it brought me to tears. My dr. came in and said we can do a dobhoff tube (in your nose) and you can do Protein shakes at home through that OR we can not put a tube in and see how you progress. I have been IV'd so much (each time they gave me vancomyocin, I would swell up and hurt at the IV site and they'd have to move it), they put in a PICC line (iv that goes into your arterial vein/a more 'direct' route). Tired of being a pin cushion and hooked up to so much, I opted for the no tube. But I am worried. The dr. said this will deplete some of your muscle mass, but I was very active in the gym before and used to weight lift so I have more muscle mass than most. But I am worried on healing, worried on paying the dr's bills and trying to figure how I'm going to pay the lessor rate that the hospital has generously given to me (payment plan probably for 36 months). I started out 254 originally in my dr's office. I am 215 right now. Do I regret the surgery? At this time I do... yes, I do. I am worried and scared and I am praying so much that God has to be pestered by me. But I came here to see what experiences or thoughts perhaps anyone can share..... please no negativity... I can't take it. Thanks for your time reading my long diatribe of a story.