Catherine Davis

I am one week post op. liquids hurt on the way down almost all of the time (even sips of water), and I get sudden pains in the centre of my chest going through to my back several times a day. Trying hard not to regret having WLS ???? A week ago I was pain free. "Why did I do this to myself?" I keep asking. Really I had the surgery for my family, so I have more chance of being around while my kids grow up. My one goal in life is to see them safely to adulthood. But my uncle has just been diagnosed with a fairly rare genetic heart disorder, and my mum is being tested for it right now. If she is positive I will need to be tested, as will my kids. I may not live a long life anyway even if the sleeve is a success for me. It makes me question all my decisions. And on the weekend my eldest son's classmate was killed in a car accident (only eleven, and on her way to achieving some great things). It is a sad time here at the moment and makes me worry about everything.????

I'm from Australia so things may be different here but I'm booked for a 5 day stay!

i am in for three nights if all goes well

My surgery is tomorrow - and I've been a basket case for two days. My big fear is of something going wrong and me not being able to care for my kids. I keep reminding myself that they are the reason I am doing this. Logically, the benefits of my diabetes improving and me being around to help them grow up does outweigh the risks of the operation. But my fears of something going wrong are hard to ignore, and my husband is scared of something going wrong too. I've been praying a lot for things to go well. ????

Through my life from about 12 years old I have alternated between obesity and being so underweight my periods stopped twice. The whole of my adult life I had a pretty constant sex drive. But since my last child was born in 2007 it has dropped right off. Most of the time I am fending off my husband; I think I only initiated sex twice since then! It would be very nice (for both of us) if losing weight got me more interesting again, but I honestly would be surprised if it made any difference....

@@Catherine Davis You are a much better person than I! I let my hubs know up front I would NOT be cooking anything for 2 weeks, he was in charge of making sure the kids were feed. I stayed in my room every time they would eat. Guess what?! They survived!! Ha!

Elode, if I didn't cook my kids would starve! As an example, last school holidays my husband was home with the kids for a few days (usually I am home with them, but I didn't have enough leave from work). I got the bus to and from work so my husband could use the car (last bus leaves Yass at 7.15am, returns 6.45pm, and the trip takes an hour each way). I got home about 7pm and the kids were starving- they said " dad didn't give us any lunch!". When I asked Kevin he said it was because they ran out of bread!!! I reminded him he had the car and could have bought some anytime, and he said " I told the kids to put their shoes on. They didn't, so we didn't leave the house". I asked how many times he asked them to put shoes on. The answer: once! Holy sh$t!!!! I was mad.

I'm lucky because I only have liquids for Breakfast and lunch. For supper we get a lean meat and vegetables. Also, for Snacks we can have a piece of fruit, low-fat yogurt or more veggies. I have lost 12 pounds in 10 days on this and it is giving me a lot of confidence that I can do the post-op diet as well. That's been the most important thing, the psychological boost from following the plan and gaining that confidence.

My diet is three shakes a day and two cups of non starchy veggies (although I am probably eating at least four cups of veggies because I have been so hungry). I'm meant to be avoiding caffeine and carbonated drinks but I can't manage that entirely yet and am still drinking diet coke. It was really hard today because I was on canteen duty at my kids' soccer - making bacon and egg rolls, sausage sandwiches, putting lollies in bags ???? and I had to cook roast chicken for my family tonight (my husband refuses to cook, and if I relied on him the kids would starve) 'sigh' ????

I'm on day 3 of the pre-op diet and I just had a hypo ????. I'm using less insulin as directed, but obviously it is still too much. The only thing I had to hand was a nut/muesli bar. I had to eat it to stop myself passing out, but it feels like I cheated ????. What is worse though is that I am at work, an hour from home, and I am supposed to leave in an hour so I am there when my kids get home from school. But I'm not sure I will be able to drive by then ????. Tried ringing my husband, but his team went to a restaurant for lunch and he won't answer his phone. Feeling guilty I ate when I wasn't supposed to, and I don't know how to get home ????

I'm not an over eater I'm a grazer! I graze with carbs that's what's my problem. Plus I gained weight over last 2 years because of traumatic life experiences. I feel like no one (WLS) is bigger than the other! We all are playing with God's plan whether it's a band (God didn't create me with a band) or sleeve and even RNY. Just like those that take insulin shots or pills .. Let's not get into the heart or kidney transplants... But we abuse his temple and I just want to live for him and my kids reap his blessings. It matters if I'm physically and spiritually available .., right now I'm not! Stop trying to make it like what I'm doing is the worst.✌️✌️✌️Rant ????????????

i'm a grazer too - my meal choices are pretty good, but I graze throughout the day.

Hi guys. After reading a post on "the gastric sleeve surgery was the worst mistake I ever made" I am feeling quite unsettled. I have researched and read threads about possible complications, and I already was aware that things don't go well for everyone, but I am kind of having second thoughts a little....does anyone else feel the same?

Just finishing day two. Had a massive Migraine today - perhaps because of no caffeine? It was hard cooking dinner for my husband and kids and not being able to eat any ???? but apart from that I went okay. Twelve days to go ...

Made it through day one of the pre-op diet-woohoo!!!

What about a naked photo of my husband instead? (No reason why...) ????

Does this include non-oral medications, such as Voltaran gel?

I start my pre-op diet tomorrow. I've been trying not to have too many food funerals, and I feel pretty positive about tomorrow ????

Good luck my surgery. Date is August 18 my diet starts the 4th

me too!

I've been too sleepy and in pain to update so far, but here's what happening. Surgery was yesterday morning (7.27.15) at 8am. Got back to my hospital room around 1:30. Took my first lap at 6pm. Hurt really bad getting up and I was quite nauseous. Been urinatung pretty well with the catheter, urine is finally clear. Went on my second and third laps at 10pm then just now around 2:30. A little hard sleeping at first with the compression boots but I've been so tired due to pain medication that its no longer a problem. They had to stick me with needles 4 times and failed all for an IV until IV the came in and got it on the next try. Woke up with a second IV and its been fine until about an hour or two ago which is when it started swelling and itching. Nurses said it will be fine. Pain level currently is probably 6/10. The staff here is super nice and I'm as comfortable as I can be. Only slight drainage from a few incisions which is normal so I'm doing pretty well. I finally started ice chips around 10 last night. Things are pretty good.

Congrats darl! You're in my prayers ????

I have been through a lot with my surgery. I've suffered complications and I haven't been able to eat a meal without pain in almost eight months.

It's been an ordeal and its cost me time and money and pain upon pain and my family strife and embarrassment and you name it.

But you know what? I would do it all again. Because I LOVE my body and I do feel ever so much better.

So if your on the fence just know that even in my shoes, I would do this again. It's given me my life back.

Oh you poor thing! ???? I'm really glad you feel it was definitely worth it though. One of my big worries is how I will cope with looking after my kids and being at work if I have any complications or long term pain issues-my husband is not entirely supportive of me having the surgery, and when I had my gallbladder removed last month I was back doing all the housework after a couple of days because he wouldn't lift a finger to help me ???? Still I am sure I've made the right decision and I can't wait to get started ????

Happy birthday darl! Best wishes with the surgery, and I hope you are feeling better soon ????

I finally did it !! Thursday 23/07/15 at 5pm, I headed down to surgery, nervous and anxious but the staff were fantastic and kept me laughing by cracking jokes and chatting about holidays etc. I can't thank them enough for that as I had told the anesthetist how nervous I would be in the pre op room and she'd obviously told the team. "Have a couple of deep breaths and", next thing I know, I wake up in recovery. Well I say wake up, I tried hard but was very sleepy so stayed in there a while and couldn't have morphine for 24 hours because of it

I felt really dreadful for the first few hours but managed 2 walks and some fluids, a trip to the loo and finally some sleep. I came home yesterday, so stayed in hospital 3 nights and could have stayed longer if I had wanted but I missed the family and my animals and wanted to be in my own bed. I had two visitors in hospital (previously I had asked the few who knew not to visit apart from the two who did), other than my husband and was so glad of that, as I even found chatting tiring. I am still really tired, I know it's my body healing and I am glad for it but last night a good friend visited and after an hour I had to go back to bed lol.

So today is the start of day 4, the sun is shining, I can hear my 17 year old son snoring in bed in the next bedroom and the dog is snoring right by my bed on a rug (he's very happy as he is never usually let upstairs in the house but he won't leave my side without crying). Life is good, Might have been a tough first 48 hours but it gets easier every hour and I am soooooooooo looking forward to the future.

Keep smiling folks and apologies to those who wanted me to contact them earlier... I was sleeping

Hugs

Kate

view.jpg View from my hospital room... So lovely!

I'm feeling really inspired after reading this...still a little afraid but also hopeful. Thanks for posting it ????

There are lots of us being done on the 18th! ????

I live in Silicon Valley (Mountain View, CA), and the cost of 1 night at the hospital was over $80,000. The cool part is they had actual robots roaming the halls and in the elevators delivering meds and supplies across the hospital. I had no complications (pre-surgery BMI was around 35). I am in good health otherwise but blessed to have a great insurance plan provided by my employer (also in Silicon Valley). Attached is the Hospital Bill only and I have zero due since I have met my deductible. The Dr. billed the insurance separately around $8,000. I'm about 7 days out so wish me luck!

Good grief! How can it cost that much??? ????

I am ready...my preop diet is a bit different...I have a 14 day high protein/low-carb diet....I start on 7/29/15.

This sounds the same as the one I will be following-when you get started on it would you mind letting me know how you find it please? I will be starting mine on 4th August. ????

Will do????

Thanks ????

I am ready...my preop diet is a bit different...I have a 14 day high protein/low-carb diet....I start on 7/29/15.

This sounds the same as the one I will be following-when you get started on it would you mind letting me know how you find it please? I will be starting mine on 4th August. ????

Before I had kids I went to the gym for aerobics 4 plus times a week, jogged the other days, and did belly dancing a few times a week. Since I had kids walking down the street is a major achievement ????. I haven't got strategies for exercising sorted out yet, and I really need to work out what to do. Since I got fat I am very self conscious exercising in public (especially since I had d$ckheads in a car abuse me and laugh at me). I feel kind of embarrassed out walking since that happened. We can't afford for me to go to the gym. I would love to get a treadmill at home to walk on, but we can't afford one and we don't really have the space. I tried home fitness DVDs, but for some reason my kids hate me doing them, and my husband won't look after the kids while I exercise. Also since I broke my kneecap in 2012 aerobics makes the knee really sore. I'm hoping weight loss will help with the joint pain. ????

I swear you just quoted my life from the cruel people making fun of you all the way to can't afford a treadmill or gym and kids won't let me do my dvd's and hubs won't watch the kids so I can. In all fairness his idea of watching the kids has always be to let them run loose and listen for blood curdling screams or the sound of broken glass before doing anything, but it's so frustrating! The one exercise we can do together is Dance Dance Revolution. We have the big floor mat and play it on the Wii and take turns. I'm mom so I get 2 songs and they each get a song of their own to dance to while I'm gasping and puffing between rounds. LOL

It is great to find someone who understands my situation so well ????. When I ask my husband to look after the kids for half an hour so I can exercise, either a) he takes them out into the yard, and after 5 minutes they want to go back in the house. He just lets them run back in - and his child minding is over! The kids lie down on the floor in front of me, or run around me while I try and follow the routine, and complain complain complain until I give in and turn the DVD off ???? ; or I decide to go for a walk on my own. The kids are so pitiful, begging to come too, so I give in and let them come. Then they want to stop to look at every interesting bug, flower, cat, dog and school friend we go past, and it takes half an hour to walk one block. Drives. Me. Nuts!!! I like your idea about the dance game - somewhere we have something similar for the Wii. I will find it and give it a try! Good luck and God bless ????

taking my butt and kids around block on a walk

@@Sajijoma

glad it didn't "kill you"

if it had, i'd be writing to myself

walking a block is a good start

next you'll be walking 2, 3 blocks etc

eventually running them too!!

phone ALWAYS rings when your sitting, resting, recuperating

back when, i would "run" for the phone, answer it - i would also be out of breathe

mom, or daughter would say"where are you running from"?

would always say something like "i was upstairs, had to runall the way to phone"

truth is i would/could be in next room, just exhausted

breathing hard to get to the phone

good luck with surgery

healthy, speedy recovery

kathy

>

>physical duress is putting my shoes on

>

@@The Candidate

ROFLMAO

i'm not laughing at you, well actually.............

i'm laughing with you

having problems putting your shoes on???

those days are gone for me

but i remember them well

you are still pre-op

this "physical chore" will be gone for you too

really

would i lie to you ??

kathy

Oh it's definitely open for a good laugh! It was hilarious in review kind of like watching a bad comedy.

I was pretty upset at how fat I've slipped down, because I used to be able to run the block 5x even at 300lbs and be all cool afterwards and just energized and here I am trudging and gasping like a fish after a fought for walk around once. Oh well though, It's a start! I mean, 2 days ago the farthest I had walked prior to that was to the van at the bottom of the driveway to go grocery shopping or the length of Super Target and back and that was my upper most tolerance, so I AM improving, even if it isn't as much as I'd like.

Before I had kids I went to the gym for aerobics 4 plus times a week, jogged the other days, and did belly dancing a few times a week. Since I had kids walking down the street is a major achievement ????. I haven't got strategies for exercising sorted out yet, and I really need to work out what to do. Since I got fat I am very self conscious exercising in public (especially since I had d$ckheads in a car abuse me and laugh at me). I feel kind of embarrassed out walking since that happened. We can't afford for me to go to the gym. I would love to get a treadmill at home to walk on, but we can't afford one and we don't really have the space. I tried home fitness DVDs, but for some reason my kids hate me doing them, and my husband won't look after the kids while I exercise. Also since I broke my kneecap in 2012 aerobics makes the knee really sore. I'm hoping weight loss will help with the joint pain. ????