tiffanylovesthebeach

I am so sorry...I love hearing when people have no issues...they are the most of us. Like you I have dealt with complications for over a year now.....
Don't get discouraged okay and don't think ahead of what is happening now to you. If you do it will be very discouraging and painful for your mind to handle...
One day at a time, one step at a time. This will get resolved. And you are in the best place right now ( the hospital )...K
Thinking of you .....

The stories on here is not intended to scare you more then it is to inform you that if you do not know that the possibility of complications are there. Then you cannot make a completely informed decision. We have survived our ordeals and working on getting our health back and our goals met....
Complications are a very small percent of the over all numbers. Death is too. But for me if I had known as much as I do now..I would still do it....i am so happy with my precious sleeve and how it has changed my life...I just wish I had more knowledge then I did going in.....
That is why we put these experiences here for you to read...k

Hang in there. I had a NJ tube for 32 days until I was strong enough for surgery for the J tube/It sucks. I had a NG tube but pulled it out in the hospital ( bad patient as nurses tend to be)! I am so sorry that you have to go through this but it does get better. I got so tired of people telling me that, but it is true. It seems that you have everything under control regarding getting things done. I hope tests, etc show minimal issues. Heal rest breathe! Remember how strong and awesome you are!!!!!! please update us
Trish
Trish

I do have a NJ tube feeding into my jejunum. The PICC is for the IV abx.
I have had several upper GI's and CT's.
I am scheduled for repeat imaging on Feb 6th, so we'll see what comes of it.
Praying it heals soon.
Thanks for your feedback. I am sending warm thoughts and well wishes your way. It sounds like both of you have had very lengthy journeys. Thanks for your encouraging words.

hello there
I have been with complications since 8-2012. BUT most people do great. As far as your home treatment, instead of a PICC line, what about a feeding tube placed directly into your jejunum (intestine). leak or not, you need nutrients. A PICCl line is not the best for treatment t home. Do you have a home health nurse? That should be addressed. A stent is for strictures how many upper GI tests have you had? CTs? please ask questions... advocate for yourself. you always have an ombudsman on site who is specifically for mediating choices between patients and doctors and they generally have a lot to offer. Please post so we know how you are doing. hang in there. I have been there and still have a feeding tube although I am eating some food now. again --post please!!

It is very much the norm....I too had a leak and ended up in the hospital for 5 months with complications due to it....they first try to glue it and they will not let you take in any kind of food because it can infect the cleaned area..Has he got you on some antibiotics...
The stent is painful...I had 1 for 6 weeks and it did not work and then they added another one on top of that one and I waited 6 more weeks and that did not work...
Then they decided to use a clamp and see if they could close it that way...Nope they could not get the clamp down far enough to grab the leak...
Eventually they gave me a combo by pass and sleeve where they sewed my intestine to my hole so that it would not leak anymore.....
My situation was extreme..Most people heal easily with the stent....They will give you pain killers...It feels like you are full all the time and having indigestion pain all the time...It hurts....But they can give you nausea meds and pain killers to help you a long....just go with it...don't fight it...It needs to be fixed...k

Hello Everybody! I would like to join the December 2013 sleevers group.
My name is Tiffany. I am 32 years old, a wife, and a mother of a beautiful little girl.
I am scheduled to be sleeved on 12/10/2013 and I am super nervous. I have been debating the surgery for over 3 years. I have finally come to the realization that I cannot lose the weight on my own... I went through all of the insurance requirements to be approved for the sleeve, then backed out... Now, I am here to finally follow through with the surgery.
I work as a clinical quality/risk manager in a hospital, so I am super duper freaked out about being that one-in-a-million where something goes horribly wrong. I am getting better and better each day though. My family is being SO AWESOME in their support of me.
I look forward to going on this journey with each of you.
Tiffany

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement! I am scheduled for 12/10 and am that CRAZY person who is consumed by the one-in-a-million negative outcome possibility. Hearing everyone's positive stories really helps to move me along. I have been comtemplating WLS for 3 years or more and have backed out once. I guess it is now or never...

Hello Everybody! I would like to join the December 2013 sleevers group.
My name is Tiffany. I am 32 years old, a wife, and a mother of a beautiful little girl.
I am scheduled to be sleeved on 12/10/2013 and I am super nervous. I have been debating the surgery for over 3 years. I have finally come to the realization that I cannot lose the weight on my own... I went through all of the insurance requirements to be approved for the sleeve, then backed out... Now, I am here to finally follow through with the surgery.
I work as a clinical quality/risk manager in a hospital, so I am super duper freaked out about being that one-in-a-million where something goes horribly wrong. I am getting better and better each day though. My family is being SO AWESOME in their support of me.
I look forward to going on this journey with each of you.
Tiffany

Hello Everybody! I would like to join the December 2013 sleevers group.
My name is Tiffany. I am 32 years old, a wife, and a mother of a beautiful little girl.
I am scheduled to be sleeved on 12/10/2013 and I am super nervous. I have been debating the surgery for over 3 years. I have finally come to the realization that I cannot lose the weight on my own... I went through all of the insurance requirements to be approved for the sleeve, then backed out... Now, I am here to finally follow through with the surgery.
I work as a clinical quality/risk manager in a hospital, so I am super duper freaked out about being that one-in-a-million where something goes horribly wrong. I am getting better and better each day though. My family is being SO AWESOME in their support of me.
I look forward to going on this journey with each of you.
Tiffany

I am scheduled for December 10th too!!! Super nervous, but excited too.

Me three! In the surgical waiting room.

Prayers for you folks having surgery as we speak!

Me too!!! I'm back in a room waiting on the nurse to interrogate me then get my IV. Good Luck!!!

At the hospital now waiting to be admitted for surgery!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Looking forward to ex husband seeing what he doesnt have any more.

So I've been sleeved 3 years and I honestly feel like the way I eat now is how everyone *should* be able to eat. Small portions (my dense Protein rarely goes over 4oz, usually 3 is about all I can manage) so a regular "meal" for me is 3 oz of meat... and then a little bit of something else. Today for lunch I had 3 oz of shredded chicken topped with a little cheese, sour cream, and salsa. I dipped about 5 tortilla chips in there and that was it. Easy peasy. Full, satisfied and it's been 2.5 hours since I last ate and I'm still full and basically NOT THINKING ABOUT food...or when my next meal will be (well except that I just typed about food...lol.) Tonight will be some type of meat and either salad (reall small, 1 cup total of lettuce topped with a few bits of other veggies) or some other type of veggie. I would have NEVER before been happy or satisfied with eating such small portions of food pre-sleeve. It truly has changed my whole entire relationship with food.
LOVE THAT FEELING!
Also even though it's been a while since I was sleeved I remember feeling almost *normal* about 10 days post-op. It was kind of a lightbulb moment where I went "wow, I really just had surgery 10 days ago..." it already felt like a lifetime ago. So everyone is different with recovery and my personal feeling is that if you are at least somewhat active before surgery you will have a better/easier time of recovery but there just are no guarantees.
I also have battled a little bit of a weight regain, but am working it back off. I wrote about it here if you want some more info about the sleeved life for the past 3 years.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/285050-3-years-ago-today-i-had-the-vsg/
Anyway, I agree this was the best decision I've ever made in regards to my own health!

Best. Decision. Ever.

Hi there. I'll tell you my story quick. I'm a 39 y/o guy with a pretty stressful office job. I was sleeved 14 days ago and I came back to work this past monday (4 days ago?). I had no surgical pain at all. They took me off the pain meds the second day since i wasn't pressing the button (except when i saw a big needle coming - then they laughed at me and took my button away). I haven't taken a pill for pain since leaving hospital on the third day.
The full liquid stage is manageable at a desk job, and the soft food stage is too. The only issue for me is energy levels. I feel kind of run down after lunch but i tough guy it. Me and another guy do some power laps around the building to wake up and shoot the bull most days around 3pm.
That's my story. You could have some bruising around your incisions, or be sent home with a drain in. It's surgery. Things go different for different people. Pick a great doctor on a great team in a great hospital and you will very likely have similar results.

Recovery sucked for me and was a breeze for my best friend. Everyone is different. I can assure you, a lifetime of health far outweighs the maybe 3 weeks of hell. My friend and I grew up together and have always struggled with our weight. We both agree this is the best thing we've ever done for ourselves! I'm a year out now, down 106 pounds, down 10 sizes, from a 47 inch waist to a 36. I can exercise, I have energy, and I can for once in my life wear cute clothes! Every aspect of my life has improved. The greatest change is my confidence. For the first time ever, I feel worthy to live the life I deserve.

Wisdom... Hmmmm... Just do it! No that's not right.. Let's see wisdom.... Today is my year anniversary of the sleeve. I am happy healthy and have hope for a future. I was close to death last year I felt it every time I climbed the stairs at my home. I called my pcp made an appointment and told her I need real help. She referred me to a great surgeon. From there I looked at all the surgeries and learned the sleeve was the right choice for me. And I haven't looked back.
Its work, trust me you don't just sit back and let the weight drop off but it's a real solution to morbid obesity

My pre-op diet started yesterday....i was planning on not cheating but i went on a date and had a cup of cold stones i felt really bad but this morning when i got up i weighed myself agin and went from 245 to 240.0 which is insane i had to step on it 2 and 3 times could i have lost 5lbs iin a day??? Oh and btw im dec14..

I just did my leak test they said it looked beautiful!!! I feel much better than I thought I would about 6 hours after surgery I was up and walking. And by 12... I was getting in and out of my bed taking walks all by myself.... Well myself and morphine LOL
I get to go home tomorrow
I was given a great tip from one of the nurses that had a sleeve ... She said an easy way to double your Protein ...is to use flavored Protein packs (I love unjury brand....instead if mixing one scoop use two ... And since you can only drink two ounces at a time you won't have to drink a lot of it at once even if the taste is too much on you....BUT if you can tolerate 2 ounces at a time then when you get to 8 ounces you will have consumed about 40-44 grams! I believe Unjury vanilla has 22grams in each scoop:)
Good luck to my sleeve buddies!