pcindy

I'm now 2 1/2 weeks out, and the gas is MUCH better! Walking and having my back pounded occasionally still does help, but mostly, I'm getting used to how much I can swallow in one moment. I don't force anything if I can help it. I know I'm still swollen and healing and it's getting better all the time. Hang in there, fellow gas-bags! PS- the doc said that Gas-X won't really help because so much of the gas is from swallowing air- not intestinal gas that is being produced. Until we are fully healed, our stomachs and esophaguses are positive-pressure systems. I think the only thing that helps is walking, and time.

MAZEL TOV!!! What a fantastic accomplishment! You deserve it. Enjoy enjoy enjoy! A big hug to you from California! :thumbup1:

WOW Christie! My huz and I just looked at your VSG decision video side-by-side with your 3 month post-op video. AMAZING! Huz is very impressed and I am very inspired. Mazel Tov and congrats on your hard work and success. Enjoy every moment!

Started passing flatus a couple of days after, then was worried about not having a BM (I am a regular as rain morning girl- get up, drink a glass of Water, go do the deed). I had a GREAT sushi dinner the night before surgery (low fat!) and was concerned about where it was! Your intestines are not going to die, don't worry! A lot of surgical patients have a very sluggish GI tract after anesthesia- takes a while for it to all wake up. Walking definately helps. "Bottom" line, I had a really normal BM about 1 week after surgery. I recommend taking Colace (comes in a liquid form- your doc should prescribe it) as a stool softener, and as soon as you can tolerate it, SPLIT PEA SOUP! You'll be right as rain! :thumbup1: Good luck!

Hi Sweetie! I TOTALLY hear you. My (abreviated) story is that I've been overweight all my life, with it steadily getting worse. I did Atkins diet several time, Optifast (before Oprah!), Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, etc... The most success I ever had was with Overeaters Anonymous. I went to OA faithully for about 3 years and lost 85lbs. I worked out at the gym heavily during this time and had a strong support system through OA. They truly loved me until I could love myself and helped me work through the emotional issues I had around eating that traditional therapy just couldn't touch. I can't say enough good things about OA. However, once I got within 15lbs of my goal weight (I was then in my early 30's), I blossomed so much, dating, flying airplanes, diving with sharks, dating, sailing, dating- having a LIFE in other words, that I stopped going to meetings and thought I was 'cured.' I told myself that I'd never regain the weight. That lack of humility (or understanding of the massive complexity of the disease of obesity and compulsive eating) was the first step in my relapse. I subsequently regained all of the 85lbs, plus another 9 over the course of 5 years. I didn't lose the progress I made in OA- I never went back to binging on remotely the same level as before, and my head remained screwed on straight enough to meet and marry an extremely healthy wonderful man. The weight issue has just NEVER gone away. I felt very conflicted about getting this VSG. I also buckled down and got a trainer and started getting into much better shape before the surgery. I asked my husband if I really needed to get the VSG after all. His response was that, after seeing me attempt 10's of well-meaning false starts to go back to OA and the gym, it just wasn't happening. Also, at age 40, my cholesterol had finally come back high, and my A1C was also elevated for the first time (predictor of diabetes). My joints are always sore, and we want to have children. He refuses to let me get pregnant while overweight for health reasons, and frankly, I agree. I asked my husband if he thought I had failed by needing the VSG. He said that all evidence shows that while some can lose significant amounts of weight and keep it off through diet and exercise, most can't. I did what I needed to do (he's built like an underwear model by the way, eats well, goes to the gym almost everyday, so even having HIM as a support system wasn't enough!) So hence my decision. We felt like the VSG was our last chance. I felt that I had tried everything else and was worn out from the fruitless exhausting effort. I liken it to an insulin pump or a liver transplant. I have a serious disease. There is help. I took it. Having said all of that, I still mean to go back to OA for support do deal with all of the myriad issues that are related to this disease. That is where I know I can find a fellowship of people who understand me, accept me, and are making a concerted effort to lead emotionally spiritually and physically self-accountable lives. I don't know how old you are, or what your life situation is, but I'd recommend going to OA for 3 meetings. Then, whatever you choose to do, you'll have a group of people to support you. That's my two cents. Take care!

I'm glad you have a conscientious doctor here in your town who is taking your follow-up seriously and helping you to get the care you need. You will need to work VERY hard on deep-breathing exercises (NOTHING is more important to reinflate and strengthen your lungs) and I'm sure they have you on stong antibiotics. Use that incentive spirometer! I agree with Stacie about getting a repeat barium swallow. Also, ask your doc about getting an EGD (endoscopy). You definately want to be referred to a GI doctor for your follow-up care, as well as a pulmonologist. Continue to trust your intuition and go to the ER IMMEDIATELY if you have a new or increased fever, worsening in the discharge from the sites that is either increased, purulent (pus), smelly. Also if you see an increase in swelling or redness, or an increase in pain. Ditto for being unable to keep down fluids, vomiting, new-onset of pain, etc... Also, if you just feel like something is worse or wrong, but you can't quite put your finger on it- go to the ER. Be very vigilent. Complications happen and people get through them. Just be an assertive advocate for yourself and try to have someone you trust keep a close eye on you too. Best of luck and hang in there.

For some reason, thick stuff goes down better than thin. I loved drinking 1/2 Arizona green iced tea (diet) with 1/2 Water, but couldn't get it down comfortably. Doc said it might be too acidic and causing my sphincter to spasm. But protien shakes and pureed soup (love the butternut squash organic soup they sell at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods) goes down WAY easier. I can drink a mug of soup, but not vitaminwater. I agree- totally sick of the heavily artifically sweetened stuff, but I'm putting up with it for now. In your case, hydration is a big issue. I'd get anything liquid down that you can. Don't torture yourself with water if it doesn't agree with you. Get as much soup or juice or popsicles as you can. Pedialyte popsicles might help. Keep your doctor posted tell the practice if you feel like you need to come in sooner than your appointment. Good luck.

I'm hungry too. My good friend who was sleeved 3 years ago told me that it was the same with her, and got much better after the 3rd week.

I have had severe skin problems in the 2 weeks since my surgery. The first was a severe allergic reaction to the Lovenox injection, the second might be a reaction to the hydrocodone. The thing I have done that I'm not reading in your post, is that I WENT TO THE DOCTOR. I didn't try to treat myself, and I am a nurse. Go to the doctor. Good luck.

I'm in the same boat, Fleur, although at age 40 (closer to 41) I don't want to wait the recommended 12-18 months, but am thinking about 8 months. Luckily, my surgeon gave me a 34 bougie sleeve (per request) and at 2 weeks post-op, I'm tolerating "mushies" very easily (depending on what it is). I hear you. I really haven't heard yet about anyone who had a successful pregnancy post- VSG, but there a tons of post-bypass women who have done well. We'll see!

I wouldn't worry at all about the weight right now- but I would focus on your HEALTH. You need to get protein and fluids in, and you shouldn't be throwing up. It's high time to call your surgeon and the nutritionist and address these issues. Good luck.

Howdy folks, For all of you who have been so supportive during my lengthy sagas, both pre and post-op, I thought I'd give an update: So, pain-wise, most of it is gone. A little occasional epigastric pressure, but no real pain. I still am burping, but I'm getting better at knowing the signs that I need to take a pause in my intake (I feel it right at the back of my upper esophagus). I started on full liquids and purees early. Believe it or not, the thicker liquids just seem to go down easier. Hot or cold doesn't seem to matter too much, but thickness helps. I don't know why. Calorie-wise, I started eating ice cream. Yes, ice cream. Hagen Das chocolate Peanut Butter, no less. Reason? The scale was going down WAY too quickly. I really don't want to lose more than 3lbs/week. I want to keep my daily calorie intake between 1000-1400. I was doing everything I could and could barely crack 600. This has helped. It's self-limiting, since I can only ingest so much at a time, and also, it is so fatty, I don't really want too much at a time. I have nevertheless lost 11lbs since my surgery 14 days ago. Rash-wise: I had a terrible eczematic reaction to the Lovenox injection. That has been resolving really well with the big-gun steroid they gave me. The blisters are gone and hopefully, the scars will fade in time (otherwise, they'll be gone with the abdominoplasty!!). NOW, however, I have a big-ass rash all over my torso, back, thighs, and starting on my arms!!! We don't know why that's happening. My primary doc thinks it might be a reaction to the Lortab (hydrocodone) syrup. I started taking it again, because with all of the immobility, my lower back went into a monumental spasm. Husband had to come home the other day from work- I couldn't even go to the bathroom by myself! Anyway, the huz is out getting me Benadryl and prednisone for that, and I'm using the steroid cream again. Jesus, was actually looking forward to starting back to work tomorrow on light duty! I'm SO bored, isolated... But Benadryl makes me a zombie, so here I go... Luckily, I have a great boss. So, I'm itchy as all hell (again!), but without the blisters (thank god!). The back is slowly improving, and I'm actually thinking I did the right thing with this surgery! To everyone who is pre-op and scared and newly post-op and scared/in pain/depressed etc... it HAS gotten better. Stomach-wise, I feel MUCH more normal. I think I had a more difficult recovery than most with all of the allergic reactions and the back spasm (caused partly or mostly by the fact that I couldn't get dressed and walk like I needed to, with the rashes). I really REALLY appreciate the support I received from the members of this site. You REALLY helped me through those dark dark days and nights when it seemed like it would NEVER get better and that I had made a huge mistake. Thank you SO very much.

I just hope that the recovery from my complete body lift next year is easier! :confused1:

So, I'm post-op day 6. The gas has been exhausting. The lack of regular sleep has me exhausted. I can't get more than an hour or 2 in any given position, and cannot lie down fully, because of the gas bubbles. Ditto the sudden sternal pain. Yes, I'm taking Gas X. My husband has pointed out that my tongue is green. I occasionally (when lying on my left side) get a ripping burning pain to the left of my belly button that makes me need to get up right away. I am like a miserable zombie. I have lost 5 lbs since the surgery, but it feels like 10 lbs of life-force. I don't want my calorie count to get any lower. I'm taking some Omega 3-6-9 oil and today I ate 5 olives (pureed) and loved every second of them. They went down great and felt like life itself. They were also the first non-sweet/ non-fake-sweet thing I've ingested in a week. I'm definately adding a couple of olives to my daily regimen. That aside, It's a battle to get down the Protein shakes and Fluid I need. I feel like I'm getting the minimum in, but the effort it takes is demoralizing. It was literally easier getting the olives down (and less painful) than just some Water. I had some definate "buyer's remorse" yesterday, and couldn't even give in to crying, because it's too hard to get liquid in to let it go in tears and snot. My husband has been very supportive, but he's worn out with not having enough time to decompress himself (encouraged him to go to the movies this morning, and he's at the gym now). I went to the ER yesterday, because I have a gradually spreading patch of redness on my belly that is unassociated with the incisions. It started like a weird bee sting post-op and is red, puffy, and itchy as all hell. They gave me hydrocortisone cream and a heavy antibiotic (that is really fun to swallow crushed, twice a day, and is supposed to be taken with a lot of fluids- HA!). The red patch is just getting gradually bigger. Great. So, I see my doc tomorrow and am counting the minutes. I'm wondering if I need to go back in-patient to receive IV antibiotics and hydration so I can beat this infection/reaction I'm having. Being a nurse is both a help, and a hinderance. Meanwhile all I can do is outline it in permanent marker and date the lines, so I can chart it's growth. That's what they'd do in the hospital. Bottom line, I'm bummed. Isolated. Hurting. I know that most of this is 'normal,' but I still feel like I've irreversably mutilated myself because I'm too weak-willed to get my ass to the gym and eat better. Whether or not this is or isn't true, it's how I feel. I feel pretty depressed. I'd rather be healthy and fat, than malnurished and miserable. Granted, I wasn't healthy or getting any healthier, but so far, this just sucks. Sorry if I'm too pooped to shake my pom-pons right now. This is the reality for me right now. Hopefully I'll be posting a more up-beat reality this time next week. Thanks for listening.

Wwwwwow... whatta LOSER! Unfortunately, we can't control the extent to which some people are socially retarded. I probably would have asked him if he had a history of anabolic steroid usage, based on his bad skin, testicular atrophy, and gynecomastia... :confused1: Move on, sister- this guy is his own WORST enemy. He'll get his, BELIEVE me. He probably puts his foot in his mouth 20 times a day with perfect oblivousness. He has no social filters and probably hasn't given it a thought since. Time for you to do the same. Don't let an idiot rent space in your head. He is an inconsequential moron. Move forward.

I have some Omega 3-6-9 oil (3 different omegas) from Whole Foods. It is a little nutty tasting- not bad, blends nicely into a few oz of pureed soup. I recommend it. It's called "Udu's Oil." Good luck.

I hear you totally. Don't force it- it can only go down so fast. The staple line goes right to the esophagus which may be irritated. The sphincters need time to adjust. Your gastric motility (the wave-like muscle contractions that move boluses through the GI tract) may be sluggish right now. Yes, the other day, I would have KILLED to just slug down a big glass of mint-green iced tea. Felt SO dehydrated, and the sipping was maddening. I wimpered in frustration to my huz yesterday that I had been working on the same 20oz bottle of Vitaminwater Zero for about 3 hours and was only about 1/2-way down! Truth is though, they recommend 30 oz per hour, so I was really on track, but psychologically, it messed with me. Today is better though. I've had 2 11oz Protein drinks (my priority) in 2 separate sittings (30gms each- the max you can absorb at one time), One full 20oz Vitaminwater, and am now starting on my second (it's 5pm). I've also had a total of 8oz of pureed Soup and a sugarfree fugsicle. I'm on day 8. Mostly, I'm battling to get in as many calories, carbs and nutrition as possible. I hate being below 1000 calories a day, and right now, it's a full time job to crack 600. Yes, it's exhausting (and tedious) that drinking is a full-time endeavor that involves every single waking moment's attention, but today, it started getting better, and it will for you too. Hang in.

OMG, I love you guys and all of your comments! I actually slept in this morning. Woke up a million times overnight, but finally felt like I caught up on a little sleep (anyone else experiencing night sweats- I've had one every night since the surgery- but no fever). Feel much better today, and able to get more in. I have been taking in some small amounts of pureed Soups, and like some have posted, it's great. Goes down very well. The epigastric pain is letting up too, as well as some of the gas. The Rash-From-Hell: The puffy area is still puffy, but the redness has come out of it largely, except for the center blistery part, which is still nasty. The cream is obviously working. I have zero doubt that it was a reaction to Lovenox (the article said that heparin/lovenox- made no difference). I only got that one shot (in response to the earlier question). I absolutely cannot STAND to have anything come into contact with it so (my poor poor huz) I can't wear anything but underwear and sit here with the fan on me (is that a great visual or WHAT???). Me, in my undies, towel across my chest, big ol scarred, bruised, swollen, fat, blistering belly hanging out. My husband really should be bronzed. God in heaven, it ITCHES. I've lost 8lbs since the surgery (19 total) and couldn't care LESS. I know the weight will come off- right now, I just want to be healthy. So, bottom line, corner turned. 1st sign of hope. Thank you, guys!

Jane, I don't know what it is, your warm nurturing tone, or your sweet face, but you are like the gentle British mum every Yankee should have in her corner. (I have NO idea what that means- I am SO sleep-deprived, but your posts give me a warm-fuzzy. Don't know why!)

My husband eats refried Beans for Protein. Comes in a can, has almost no fat, and is packed with protein. It's a very thick puree consistancy. I hate it, but maybe it can help. I'm drinking Premier Protein shakes from costco. 11 Fl. ounces has 30gms of protein, which is the max for one sitting. They taste pretty much like regular chocolate milk, which is fine with me. If you like fish, but are worried about mercury, try shrimp, canned salmon, crab, surimi etc... Or get some fresh fish, cook it up in some olive oil, mush it up and voila. Probably a lot softer than canned tuna. As far as I'm concerned, I LOVE king crab legs, and if I can only eat a few ounces at a time, then it's damned affordable and worth it to treat myself well. Granted, I'm not there yet, at a week out (and completely miserable), but I am going to eat whatever the hell I love that is good for me, when the time comes. I am getting about 2 of these Premier shakes down per day with slow sips. I worry about someone only getting in <20gms/day. It isn't enough. My thought is that you may have to get protein bullets, treat it like medicine, and get your doc to order you some liquid Zofran or Compazine so that you get through the nausea. At this point, you may have such a strong psychological association between protein and misery, you may need a little pharmaceutical help to get past it. I wish you the very best of luck.

I asked my doc this morning about Gas X. He said not to bother. He said that it works for people who are producing too much gas, but that in our case, it's due to the normal swallowing of air with drinking, talking and just breathing. It's a bummer, because it makes just one more element beyond our control, but hey he also said, that if I feel like it helps, it's not going to hurt. Oh well... That's another thing- I can't talk a whole lot for long. It's just to uncomfortable. Anyone else?

Well, I just got back from my doc's. The rash (which has spread, even since this morning) is hideous-looking. He felt sure it was not an abcess and that I have no leak. He thought it looked like a Brown Recluse spider bite (which it sort of does), but had a dermatologist come in, who said with complete certainty that it is (get ready...) "severe eczema." I asked him if he was sh*tting me, and was he sure that he wanted that to be his final answer, and he said he is sure. Never saw anything like it, but now that I'm looking at Google images of severe cases (lovely red angry blister-covered ones), I'm seeing it. I'm also seeing articles on eczema plaques related to Heparin injection sites (it's EXACTLY where I had my Lovenox [a low molecular weight version of Heparin] shot)! He also told me to quit trying to drink iced-tea. Said it's too acidic and with the caffeine can make my esophagus spasm. Ditto to the poster about sleeping on the couch to be side-propped. I'm doing that, too. Thank you guys for your continued support. I'm still in pain, mad-itchy, sleep-deprived, gassy, and scared for the immediate future, but I'm glad that this forum exists and for your encouragement and hugs!

Thanks for the cyber-hugs, girls. They do help.

I've done a fair amount of walking up until today when the exhaustion and malaise took over. You're right though; I do need to take a walk this evening. Thanks for the reminder. I feel like an alien is trying to force it's way out of my sternum and go skittering across the room.