mnmlst

It's HARD, and I have my parents here helping all week. My daughter (2) doesn't understand why I can't pick her up, and keeps asking. But I'm also doing what I can without picking her up -- changing clothes and diapers on the floor, feeding her food on the sofa instead of at the table, asking her to climb into her car seat by herself, and if she wants to sit on my lap I have her climb onto the sofa by herself and I put a pillow between her and my stomach before she gets in my lap. It's all about the work-around!

Good luck.

I'm doing pretty well now, thanks! I had a lot of pain the first 36 hours -- A LOT. But now, 4 days post-op I'm doing much better. Have some minor incision site pain and still having major problems getting all my Water in, but basically doing really well.

So glad you're not in pain, @@nikki9 !

3 days post-op and feeling much better!

Still have pain and am taking my meds but this is way better than those first 36 or so hours were. There's still a big adjustment to be had and I am working on it slowly, but oh man, I'm so glad I'm out of the woods, pain-wise.

I still haven't weighed yet -- I want to wait a full week post surgery. For now I am focusing on getting my liquids in and resting so I can heal. And walking, too, but with a 2 year old, I don't have much choice other than to be up and about most of the day.

Jury's still out on whether or not this surgery was the right decision for me yet, but I feel much much better than I did when I originally posted. Whew!

If you have surgery soon or just had it and are in pain, take heart! The pain is not forever (even if you're wondering if maybe it might be).

Yes, I did have a low grade fever, but it's gone now. I called my surgeon and talked to him. Feeling much better now. It's amazing how a few hours can make a difference.

I had sugery yesterday, and I am retching several times a day. Nothing comes out, but it is very painful. I usually have it after taking any kind of medication. My stomach is also doing a lot of spasming in the form of hiccup-like jumps, also painful. Is that normal?

I am also FREEZING COLD. The heat is on and my husband is sweating it out, and I'm wearing several layers and a hat, and shaking.

Did anyone else experience this?

Man, this pain suuuucks.

How long until I start feeling better? Sleeved about 15 hours ago.

and feeling pretty sh!tty, pardon the french.

Everything went well in the surgery, but I am in a lot of pain today. Pain meds only help so much ... they do nothing for the gas, really. I didn't sleep much, was up every hour or so. I did/am doing my walking. It helps, I guess? Gas X really helps but they make me retch. Worth it.

Just waiting now for the pain to stop. People already sleeved, how long can I expect this pain to last?

Today is my day, 3pm.

Good job going through with it! The pain will be temporary. At least that's what I'm telling myself....

Let me know how it went ASAP, @@Crystal88 , @@BlendyWendy , and @@nikki9 !!

This is great! My doc is Finelli at Montgomery Med in Olney, but Brebbia will be there assisting! This makes me feel much better!

I sure could use a surgery buddy!

10/31/14 at 3pm for me...

I was totally calm until I was actually naked on the stretcher with the IV in my arm. I completely freaked out 10 minutes before surgery and left the hospital.

BIG mistake. I immediately regretted it and now I have to wait 2 more weeks to have surgery. That's a lot of liquid diet, a lot of waiting, and a lot of money wasted.

When I think about struggling with my weight for the rest of my life, fighting what might be a losing battle, it gives me courage to do the surgery. Just focus on the positives. Freak outs and nervousness are normal, but everyone who goes through with it seems to be happy with their decision.

I'm in Rockville (so, not at all close to Salisbury, unfortunately) and I'm October 31!

My new surgery date is October 31. I will not bail on this surgery again! Wish me luck and strength. I'm so excited to have a date again!

@@zcortes21 I am doing a liquid diet, 1200 cal or less per day, low carb, low fat. I did that for almost 3 weeks and lost 16 lbs. Since my surgery isn't until the 31st now, I can have a few days of real food (YUSSS!) before going back on all liquids. But I hope I don't gain any of the weight back.

All pre-op diets are different. From what I understand, I got a pretty lenient one.

Got my date! Halloween. Eep!

I am going to ask for anti-anxiety meds this time.

So after running out of the hospital in terror like a crazy person on my surgery date last week, I am here this week desperately trying to reschedule.

The scheduler told me on Monday she could make it for next week and she'd call me Monday afternoon or Tuesday. I heard nothing. I called, left messages. Still nothing today. I feel like I'm being punished for chickening out last week. Or maybe she's just busy, but I am dyin' over here!

I am also on week 3 of 4 on my pre-op diet, since I never stopped doing it in hopes of rescheduling ASAP. Good news is I've lost 3 more lbs since Friday. Bad news is I AM SO HUNGRY NOW. Pre-op diet was easy for the first week and a half or so, but starting to get hard.

Anyone else approved and anxiously awaiting the phone call to schedule? I am going crazy over here!

It sounds to me like your doctor is trying to scare you a little bit with some possible realities of WLS b/c he or she doesn't think you need it. At 215 and 5'7", I kind of agree with him/her. I know for my insurance, I had to be over 240 lbs at 5'5" to even ask for it. It's a very drastic and completely irreversible solution. Your diabetes and apnea are serious, don't get me wrong, but at your size I'd recommend other methods of weight loss first and this as a very last resort.

However, I will say that what your doctor told you are just POSSIBLE realities. It sounds like they're talking about dumping syndrome, vis-a-vis the diarrhea, which doesn't really happen with the sleeve.

Most people lose weight and gain some back after surgery. Very few people gain it all back, but it is possible, even with the sleeve.

The average amount of weight lost is around 55% of your excess body weight. So, assuming that at 5'7", 155 lbs is the upper end of a healthy weight for you, you are 60 lbs overweight, and you'd probably lose between 30 and 40 lbs with the sleeve (based on averages). Could be more, could be less.

I'm having surgery nightmares at night.

I had a op date of 10/10, but totally bailed at the hospital, due to panic. Now I have to reschedule the whole damn thing (I KNOW, logically, it's what I want to do) and go through ANOTHER 2 weeks of liquid diet (for a total of 4 weeks) so I can do it next week rather than eat some regular food and start over from scratch.

It's totally normal to be nervous. Don't bail unless your 1000% sure this isn't what you want. To redo everything is a DRAG.

Wow, thank you all! You can't imagine how important it is to me to know that others freaked out, too (even if you didn't run out of the hospital like a chicken). I wish I had known how normal it is beforehand. I probably would have done the surgery. I won't back out again! Rescheduling for next week.

Thanks for thinking of me, @@crystalsleeve ! Physically I'm fine. No surgery, so I'm feeling fine on that front.

Emotionally a bit of a mess. But I'm trying to reschedule. Should be sometime next week, either Tuesday or Friday. Still waiting to hear from the scheduler with a firm date. I won't freak out and run this time, for sure. But now I'll be almost 4 weeks on the liquid diet, which it TOUGH. I really hope they can make it for Tuesday. Either way, it will be good to have a firm date settled to plan for.

So my surgery was scheduled for last Friday.

I panicked, freaked out, cried, and then bailed on the whole thing. I am now rescheduling for sometime next week (21st or 24th, TBD). I made the decision to have the surgery based on a lot of calm, logical thought and research, over almost two years, and I made the decision to run screaming from the hospital based on 5 minutes of totally irrational panic.

Anectdotally, it seems that freaking out before surgery isn't super uncommon (tho most ppl still go through with it).

My question to you is, did you freak out before you had your surgery? To what extent? Or were you cool as a cucumber ready to roll?

Thanks!

Definitely talk to your surgeon or their support staff. Every pre-op diet is different. I could have 4 shakes per day plus yogurt, sugar-free popsicles, etc. I had about 1100 calories per day and I didn't feel hungry most days. But I wouldn't do anything without checking with your doctor's office first.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm going to try again. I made the decision to do this calmly and rationally, and let panicked fears take over today. Next time I'll be prepared.

A lot of people have said that they felt scared and panicked before surgery but didn't regret it after it was done. One of my best friends had a bypass several years ago, and she said she was bawling and hyperventilating when it was time to go in. Also says it was the best thing she ever did.

I guess I didn't realize how totally normal it was to freak out while waiting for surgery at the hospital. If I reschedule (thinking about it over the weekend), I'll be sure to do it right next time!

Sure, @@crystalsleeve . I was thinking about all the cutting and the pain, and my daughter and what could happen to me and how she could grow up without a mom. But what stopped me most of all was the finality of everything. Once this is done, there is no going back. It is forever, forever, and if you don't like post-sleeve life, you're out of luck. I just was overwhelmed with a feeling of not wanting them to touch my whole, happy stomach and cut it to ribbons. I was worried about never enjoying food again. I was worried about barfing up Water and eating 3 bites for dinner forever and never being normal again. I panicked.

Then everyone (my dad, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist) kept saying, you don't have to do this. You don't have to do this. If you're not sure, you shouldn't do this. They kind of talked me out of it.

It was the exact wrong mindset to go in with. I should have gone in thinking about how relatively easy the pre-op diet was, and how sleeved life would be even easier, since I wouldn't have hunger, at least initially. I should have thought about how I won't be teaching my daughter how to gorge herself on junk. I should have thought about avoiding diabetes and hypertension and heart surgery from plaque.

If I go back, I will also have my husband with me instead of my dad. He was the wrong person to take. I didn't think it would matter who sat with me before they wheeled me in, but it did. Choose wisely.

I'm feeling right now like I will reschedule on Monday and hope I don't have to re-do the whole liquid diet. But I'm going to talk to my husband about it tonight. He is not thrilled with me right now. My mom is totally thrilled. She was scared about the surgery, and she is now trying to keep me from rescheduling.

OK gotta go get my daughter some crayons. Hope my experience helps others!