SqueakyWheel&Ethyl

My doctor closed her practice about 2 years ago. My current doctor only had the past 15 months on me. Insurance accepted it. No problem.

Other than the anesthesia keeping me fuzzy feeling, I've done great by the surgery (Apr 17th). I've lost 20 lbs as of today, too!

Yes! For me, it was strongly recommended by the transplant team of doctors at Baylor (all 7 of them I saw in my last appointment). They told me if I don't get the fat out of my liver quickly, I would be on a fast track to a liver transplant. I have the blessings of all of my doctors and my husband. That was all I needed. A very few close friends know I had a sleeve, and every one of them were fearful and hesitant ("Have you thought this through?" no, duh), but TOTALLY supportive when they found out Baylor suggested it. They want to see me live, too. I might open up more in the future. I hate treating this like its something to be ashamed of. I'm really quite proud of it! I just don't want to listen to the ignorant-laden comments of nay-sayers... Not right now. Let me at least heal first.

Love the rock/backpack analogy. Thanks! JShaw, she also deals with transplants and that can be discouraging, too. And, I can relate to familial pessimism. I'm one of six kids and I've only told one of them about the sleeve. The others think I had surgery to help my liver, which is also true. There is a stigma that is present in our culture, and criticism seems easier within a family. When we don't need that negative energy around us while we heal, it's a good idea to not share everything, IMHO. At least, it works for me. Good luck!

My liver doesn't process toxins well, so the anesthesia is still haunting me (Day 10). Just letting it ride it's course. This, too, shall pass.

I don't want ANY metal left inside. Titanium? Seriously? Ew.

Air used in surgery is trapped in your abdominal cavity. The more you move around, the faster it will absorb into your gut, allowing you to "release" it. And, it feels sooooo good!

Revenge? How about Inspiration? If your experience has minimal, or no complications, and the weight GRACEFULLY melts off, you will be inspiring her. It sounds like she is under a lot of pressure to be in that department with weight issues of her own. Feel compassion for her. you'd be taking the high road. I doesn't MATTER if she is critical. That's her issues. You don't have to embrace or internalize any of it. Don't waste energy on this. Focus on YOUR good health, including your good mental health.

1. Sleep when you feel like it. Bodies do most of their healing in Stage 4 sleep. 2. Take your pain meds on a regular schedule, as needed the first few days. Don't be a hero. 3. Get up and walk across the house, from one end to the next a few times a day. 4. On Day 3, get outside, even if only to walk to the end of the driveway and back. 5. Don't obsess about getting ALL your fluid in daily. Sleep when you can and start over on fluid intake each time you wake up. Sip something every five minutes, as tolerated. Log your intake. I recommend MyFitnessPal App. 6. The more you move around, the more the trapped air in your abdominal cavity will be absorbed into your gut. THEN, you can "release" it. It took me about 4-5 days before I stopped noticing the gas spasms. 7. Realize that as long as you continue the pain meds, you WILL be drowsy. And, do NOT operate moving vehicles until it is TOTALLY out of your system. Part of your drowsiness could be residual anesthesia, too. 8. When in doubt, that's what WE are here for.

Staples? What staples? I just have steristrips.

In a few days you'll feel a lot better and more energetic, but pace yourself. Don't overdo it or you'll be in bed all day the next day.

I had a nasty headache, too. I don't know if it was caffeine withdrawal or residual anesthesia. Either way, it will pass. The puffiness, though, that could be Water retention. Check with your doctor, to feel better.

Ethyl was born after my surgery. She's the voice in my head that says, " You're gonna be sorry you just did that."

Before you make the decision to undergo the Roux-en-Y, PLEASE discuss the following with your Doctor. This procedure makes it (my surgeon's words) impossible to give the patient a liver transplant in the future. You may think, 'So what? My liver is fine.' I was like you! Then, found out I have a rare auto-immune disease and will probably face a transplant in a few years. So, my surgeon excluded me as a candidate for the Roux-en-Y. I told him EVERYONE should be excluded then, because somewhere in there future, something could happen ... An injury or illness... And they've lost their chance to survive! He said this is a balancing act decision made based on how high risk the patient is ... If they could die without the Roux-en-Y. So, talk to your surgeon AND your PCP about the impact it will have on any future liver transplant need BEFORE you move forward with it. This is information that SHOULD be shared PRE-OP, and I don't know that it is. Everyone I know that has had a sleeve (I had it earlier this month) was not aware of this very important piece of information.

I would track the estimated percentage that stayed down. Just guesstimate.

I do, too! It disturbs me that a decision as huge as WLS is made every day by people unaware of this IMPORTANT piece of info. I understand this applies to the Roux-en-Y procedure. I hope there are other bypass choices that don't endanger the opportunity for a liver transplant.

You can exercise right now. Even resting, sitting on the sofa watching TV, lift weights (I use 4 lb hand weights) doing arm curls, etc. Google to get exact arm exercises to be done in a sitting position. You can march in place while sitting in a chair. Raise both feet off the floor with legs extended and hold for 15 seconds between rests. Walk from one end of the house to the other. Cut yourself some slack. You are weak. You are on pain meds. Don't push too hard. This is the recuperation period, not time to prepare for a prize fight. The more active you are, the less gas you'll have and the more you can work the drugs out of your system. And, movement really does reduce overall pain. Good luck!

I am telling EVERYONE to only consider bypass as a last resort. It should be reserved for those who are so overweight, they will die within months if something drastic doesn't happen. When I met with my surgeon, he asked me why I wanted the sleeve over the band or bypass. I said I didn't want a foreign object inside me long-term (nix the band), and I didn't think bypass was necessary because I could get the results I want with sleeve (-118 lbs). Plus, Dumping Syndrome is a real concern with bypass and it is pretty much non-existent with the sleeve. He agreed. Then, as we discussed my medical history, he said I wasn't a candidate for bypass anyway, because of my liver disease. Why, I asked? Because part of what is removed during bypass surgery is NEEDED tissue to complete a liver transplant. And, since we already know that it is likely I will need a transplant within the next ten years, I am excluded from bypass. I argued that, if this is true, NO-ONE should chose bypass EVER! They would be giving up their chance to survive, if they needed a liver transplant later in their lives. What if they suffered an accident or an illness? He said they consider all that when they decide on bypass, and that it is reserved for those that they deem WILL DIE without it. So, if you have an OPTION, don't chose bypass. You never know what the future holds.

20 lbs in 2 days?!? Wow! I was told to rest whenever I felt like it and just start over with getting the fluids in when you wake up. Don't fret over not getting enough because of sleep. Just steady sip, as tolerated while awake. It took a couple of days for the gas cramps to stop. All the trapped air has to absorb from your abdominal cavity through your bowels before it can be "released." The more you walk and stretch, the faster it will go away. As for the sore stomach, I only had one incision that was tender the first few days. My whole stomach didn't feel beat up at all. Just rest and if you are hurting, take a pain pill. "Don't be a hero." That's what I was told by the nurse specialist who coached me.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Wow. Really?

My surgery was at 2 pm. I walked to the at BATHROOM (not "groom" as this darn spell-checker would like you to think) at 3 am. It gets easier and better every day.

That's what God made those awesome wigs for! I plan on cutting most of mine off when I get to my goal weight anyway. A whole new look. And, with wigs, I can have fun with lots of alter-egos. I bet my husband will like that, too!

I cheated today. Puréed is still a week away. But I wanted to feel texture in my mouth. Scrambled eggs are on my puréed list. I mixed an egg with a little of my double milk, whipped it, then scrambled it, until it was fully cooked, but not dry. I ate tiny bites... Mincing it up good. Within 30 minutes, I ate 1/2 of that egg! Yeah, it felt funky going down, but I swallowed a tiny sip of water with each bite, and it seemed to work. AND, I satisfied my urge to chew something. And, since it was only 1/2 of an egg, I don't feel ashamed.

Send in the suggestion to the webmaster. Great idea!

There is! Your main profile page! A place for one BEFORE and one AFTER photo.