Chicken Lady

My first month after surgery I had 2 heavy periods in 4 weeks (while still on blood thinners- NOT FUN), but at 6 1/2 weeks out (fingers crossed) it seems to be back to normal...
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I started the process exactly 1 year ago. I thought "well, I'll go through the process & learn as much about weight loss as I can- I can always back out at the last minute..."
I learned bout obesity, the tool I now have ... And I also learned through testing that I had h pylori that caused a peptic ulcer in my past (how did I not feel an ulcer?!?) and that I had gall bladder problems too (again, how did I not know this??) AND ineffective esophageal motility...
I credit the experience with saving my life. Had I not treated the h pylori, I would have had more ulcers in the future - and likely stomach cancer.
Oh, and at 6weeks out, I'm at my high school weight already...
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I started the process exactly 1 year ago. I thought "well, I'll go through the process & learn as much about weight loss as I can- I can always back out at the last minute..."
I learned bout obesity, the tool I now have ... And I also learned through testing that I had h pylori that caused a peptic ulcer in my past (how did I not feel an ulcer?!?) and that I had gall bladder problems too (again, how did I not know this??) AND ineffective esophageal motility...
I credit the experience with saving my life. Had I not treated the h pylori, I would have had more ulcers in the future - and likely stomach cancer.
Oh, and at 6weeks out, I'm at my high school weight already...
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I started the process exactly 1 year ago. I thought "well, I'll go through the process & learn as much about weight loss as I can- I can always back out at the last minute..."
I learned bout obesity, the tool I now have ... And I also learned through testing that I had h pylori that caused a peptic ulcer in my past (how did I not feel an ulcer?!?) and that I had gall bladder problems too (again, how did I not know this??) AND ineffective esophageal motility...
I credit the experience with saving my life. Had I not treated the h pylori, I would have had more ulcers in the future - and likely stomach cancer.
Oh, and at 6weeks out, I'm at my high school weight already...
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I started the process exactly 1 year ago. I thought "well, I'll go through the process & learn as much about weight loss as I can- I can always back out at the last minute..."
I learned bout obesity, the tool I now have ... And I also learned through testing that I had h pylori that caused a peptic ulcer in my past (how did I not feel an ulcer?!?) and that I had gall bladder problems too (again, how did I not know this??) AND ineffective esophageal motility...
I credit the experience with saving my life. Had I not treated the h pylori, I would have had more ulcers in the future - and likely stomach cancer.
Oh, and at 6weeks out, I'm at my high school weight already...
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I started the process exactly 1 year ago. I thought "well, I'll go through the process & learn as much about weight loss as I can- I can always back out at the last minute..."
I learned bout obesity, the tool I now have ... And I also learned through testing that I had h pylori that caused a peptic ulcer in my past (how did I not feel an ulcer?!?) and that I had gall bladder problems too (again, how did I not know this??) AND ineffective esophageal motility...
I credit the experience with saving my life. Had I not treated the h pylori, I would have had more ulcers in the future - and likely stomach cancer.
Oh, and at 6weeks out, I'm at my high school weight already...
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I started the process exactly 1 year ago. I thought "well, I'll go through the process & learn as much about weight loss as I can- I can always back out at the last minute..."
I learned bout obesity, the tool I now have ... And I also learned through testing that I had h pylori that caused a peptic ulcer in my past (how did I not feel an ulcer?!?) and that I had gall bladder problems too (again, how did I not know this??) AND ineffective esophageal motility...
I credit the experience with saving my life. Had I not treated the h pylori, I would have had more ulcers in the future - and likely stomach cancer.
Oh, and at 6weeks out, I'm at my high school weight already...
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I started the process exactly 1 year ago. I thought "well, I'll go through the process & learn as much about weight loss as I can- I can always back out at the last minute..."
I learned bout obesity, the tool I now have ... And I also learned through testing that I had h pylori that caused a peptic ulcer in my past (how did I not feel an ulcer?!?) and that I had gall bladder problems too (again, how did I not know this??) AND ineffective esophageal motility...
I credit the experience with saving my life. Had I not treated the h pylori, I would have had more ulcers in the future - and likely stomach cancer.
Oh, and at 6weeks out, I'm at my high school weight already...
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Sitting here in pre op - waiting for anesthesia. Everyone has been great so far. I'm not as nervous yet as I expected.
Hugs & prayers for all of us getting our sleeves today!
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I'm sure you will be fine- after all the only thing you have to do is show up & have a good nap. The surgeon has to do the hard part!
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Doing great. Every day gets easier. And I'm down about 21# since surgery (5weeks tomorrow) I still struggle with my new tastebuds. Didn't expect my taste to change so much.
How are you doing?? Did your surgery date change? I thought you were supposed to be a few weeks ago?
Don't be nervous. Be excited! Your new life starts tomorrow!!
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I'm sure you will be fine- after all the only thing you have to do is show up & have a good nap. The surgeon has to do the hard part!
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Sitting here in pre op - waiting for anesthesia. Everyone has been great so far. I'm not as nervous yet as I expected.
Hugs & prayers for all of us getting our sleeves today!
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I have been following this thread for a long time and never said anything, honestly I was hoping that people would stop responding to Gina's obvious desire for attention and stop posting but daily I keep coming back and seeing this ridiculous thread on the board.
Gina is clearly very mentally ill and clearly needs some help to address her issues as she obviously has a strong desire for negative attention.
The bottom line is both Gina and SilverWhiteMoon character show two very important things, a lack of knowledge prior to the surgery which in spite of not being told by their doctors they could have easily learned all their misgivings in one single Internet search so I'm not really buying the whole I researched the surgery line. And 2) they are both still very early post op and therefore not qualified to say much about the quality of life forever postoperative VSG
Furthermore as far as Gina just wanting to get the word out about what could happen and wanting people to rethink the surgery I actually think in your mentally ill way you are harming people and possibly deterring people from having a life saving procedure. The complications that you suffered are so very rare that they barely warrant a side note and we have Already established that things may not be from the surgery but more from an incompetent staff that performed your surgery. The fact of the matter is your situation is just to rare to warrant this much attention it certainly shouldn't take up twenty some odd pages on this message board, it's gone too far. You have taken it to far now. Stop now. Stop deterring people from this procedure based I. Your unfortunate choice in a Bariatric team.
And people is she doesn't stop, then for the love of god just stop posting on this thread, let it die and stop giving this mentally ill woman attention.

Omg nothing Is ever your fault.. of course you didn't become obese because of your food choices!! Lol. Why would anyone ever think that could be the case?
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A thousand times THIS!! People who offer kind, supportive and encouraging words should definitely be taken out back and shot.
Shame on them!!!

Well, now. Isn't that interesting? If one was already 95% bed ridden and in such shoddy health, why would one bla... Oh. Never mind.

I believe in a pre-op post you indicated you were 90% incapacitated and homebound because of your illnesses. You also said you knew the risks but it was worth it. You were also encouraged to go to the hospital right after surgery when you were experiencing complications and you didn't feel like waiting there all day. You didn't follow up with problems you were having but now blame the care you received and the infection control at the hospital. I honestly can't believe this thread is still active. We all know you regret surgery and are miserable but please stop blaming your surgeon, NHS or suggesting those of us who have surgery could have lost weight on our own.

Waaaaait a minute!!!!
So now you are FULLY admitting that your issues were caused by your team's lack of information, nonhygenic practices, staffing issues, inattentive behavior, etc. yet I, along with everyone else who had great success with our WLS procedures really should have just "worked harder"?
You know my weight loss history better than I do? You know my exercise routines, dietary choices made, battles won and lost pre surgery?
You get to judge all of us because your weight fell off through unfortunate circumstances making it "easy" to get to your goal through "starvation"?
I've said it again and again. I'm sorry you've suffered and if I had a magic wand to put you back where you were, I'd all but beat you with it to make it work, but you have no right to say the rest of us should have simply "worked harder" to lose the weight.
I worked da^m hard to get where I am and I've worked harder over the last three years to maintain it. That remark was blatantly offensive, judgemental and unwarranted.
WLS is no walk in the park for most people, complications or no. It's definitely not the " easy way out", even for those of us who have not had your same issues.

I would think that your dr can only make a recommendation as to what they think is best. It's your body, you decide. Besides, if it's only "mild reflux" it may not be a problem or it may be treatable. If you get the sleeve and it's just unbearable, they can convert it to the bypass to cure it.
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I would think that your dr can only make a recommendation as to what they think is best. It's your body, you decide. Besides, if it's only "mild reflux" it may not be a problem or it may be treatable. If you get the sleeve and it's just unbearable, they can convert it to the bypass to cure it.
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I quit my RLS meds the night before surgery. After surgery, thanks to the Oxy, I slept like a rock ! I didn't know sleep could be that peaceful! I'm only 3 weeks out (and off the Oxy for 2 1/2 weeks) ... Just starting to get the restlessness back now. I've been off all meds since surgery. I used Mirapex & Vistaril before.
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Look I am very sorry that you are dealing with all that you are. I think everyone who has posted in this thread has said something to that effect....at least in their first posts, before they were attacked for offering words of encouragement.
This is a support forum. Typically, when people post about their complications others are there to encourage them and let them know that it does in fact, get better. That's the very nature of a support forum such as this. Your inability to take those words as encouragement is what's baffling here.
Not only do you accuse those people of "attacking" you, but you've made it abundantly clear that you don't want support or words of encouragement if those words include anything about it POSSIBLY GETTING BETTER. This is clearly evident in your responses and immediate defensiveness to anyone who dares trying to help you.
You said "we don't know you" and you're right. I don't know you. The only way to get an impression of you is through your words posted on this forum. So my analysis based on that has me scratching my head wondering what it is you exactly hope to achieve here? You claim you want to educate. What is it exactly you want to offer by way of education? You've shared your experience. People telling you that it may get better shouldn't be taken as a threat to the message you're trying to send, yet you're clearly taking it that way. Why?
Anyone who does even a day (as opposed to 2 years) of research can clearly see the complication possibilities, both short and long-term, as well as the percentages to which they are possible. It's great that you've shared your experience here, and some of the responsibility certainly seems to reside with the medical team that was involved, but you are not open to suggestions or the possibility that it could (and for most of us, does) get better!?!?!?!
So to me, reading this thread from start to finish, I would see that your "method" of education includes telling people about the negative possibilities of this procedure (which is good, as I said), but then you go further and this is where you lose me (and probably everyone else), you go above and beyond to try it make it perfectly clear that not only is it bad, but in your infinite wisdom (of 10 weeks), you can clearly say that beyond a shadow of a doubt it absolutely will never get better, and damn anyone for even suggesting that it might. This is not a good message to send to those researching the surgery, because it's simply not true and you do not have enough post-op time in to make any long-term claims.
You have to realize how small of a percentage you are in with any complications, and you are CERTAINLY NOT far enough along to make the determination that you have long-term complications, and making that claim now only damages your credibility with anyone here who is, I'm sure. Not only that you could possibly be preventing people from getting a potentially life-saving procedure because they read this and see comments like "it will never get better", which is a comment that you just simply aren't far enough along to make, which makes it unfair to those people.
If you want to offer your experiences (on a support forum), then you should absolutely, unequivocally be open to those wishing to help by offering encouragement and suggestions. Otherwise, you are not trying to educate, you are trying to dictate.
I truly do hope things get better for you, and I also hope that one day you will re-read this thread and see why the overwhelming majority takes issue with the way you are projecting your story onto others. Nobody is challenging the fact that you are having a bad experience, but to make absolute comments like "it will never get better" is just misleading and again, a comment that you are not far enough along to make, yet you're making it over and over. That could be damaging to people who adopt that mindset without first qualifying that the source of it has the experience to make it. 10 weeks is not long-term....not by a long-shot, so making that claim is not only misinformation, it's downright dangerous to others who are still in their research phase.
Best of luck!

When I woke up in recovery, it was a little uncomfortable from the gas, but not too bad. I had a Dilaudid pain pump and every time I hit the button I would fall asleep for 15 minutes. Then wake up remember I was supposed to hit the button, Hit the button and fall back asleep for 15 minutes. It was my first experience with anesthesia and I was pretty sleepy more than anything else. I got up to my room in the early evening so they just encouraged me to rest and sleep it off. The next day I was much more awake, it hurt a little bit when I would swallow things too fast. Even now if I swallow too fast or gulp air it is painful behind my sternum until the air bubble comes up. I'm just learning to not swallow air or swallow too fast.
I did not have any drains or catheter. I was thankful for that. Although they did to keep scanning my bladder in the recovery room to make sure it wasn't too full. When I finally got up to my room I did ask if I could go to the bathroom so they would not give me a catheter. Looking back now, it was kind of funny because I was still so sleepy from the pain meds and anesthesia that I willingly sat on a bedside commode and kept falling asleep sitting up. I'd wake up and remember oh yeah, I'm here to P and start to doze off again. Fortunately I've worked in the medical field for a long time so I wasn't embarrassed- just determined to not get a catheter!
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My hospital is a center of excellence, and they recently started a new protocol. They have you drink apple juice about 2 1/2 hours before surgery. Supposedly it helps you have a better recovery after surgery. I didn't get the info in time so missed drinking my apple juice. I don't know if it would have changed how recovery went. Other than the gas pains and being groggy, I feel like it was really OK.
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