Hiraeth

Lay flat? I was advised to not lay flat, because that's what keeps the gas trapped. I couldn't even lay at an incline. For two nights, I had to sit up at a 90 degree angle and doze in and out of sleep. If you didn't have gas pain from your gallbladder removal, then you probably won't have any gas pain from your WLS (this is not certain, since each procedure is different). I had my gallbladder removed earlier this year, and the gas pain was awful. It felt as if someone was slowly breaking my arm from my body. I also had bad gas pain from my WLS, and it felt as if someone had hit my shoulder as hard as they could with a hammer. If you do start to feel gas pains, remember to walk. I swear, it helps. I could go from having gas pains on a pain scale of 9, to having them go away almost completely 15 seconds after I started walking. If you are hurting while you're in the hospital, and it's late at night, tell the nurse you want Dilaudid. It won't take the pain away completely, but it will definitely take the edge off enough to help you sleep. The liquid Hydrocodone they gave me couldn't touch the pain I was feeling from the gas pain. The Hydrocodone did help with everything else, though.

I didn't need any help after 3 days. I had a lot of body aches on the 2nd day, but I was fine on the 3rd day. In my opinion, depending on how you feel, you should be fine on your own (unless you have kids). Just make sure you get in your fluids and vitamins. It would be nice if she would come check on you at least every other day.

Gosh, I am so happy right now. I'm so glad I decided to do this, especially now. I'm 25 years old, and I've been overweight since age 17. I was always thin as a kid and a teenager (I even suffered from anxiety that led to anorexia at age 10). Who would have thought that a once anorexic person could be obese? I packed on a whopping 50 pounds in only 3 months during my Senior year of high school because I was put on oral steroids for sinus issues. I went from a size 6 in pants, to a size 12. I was mortified, but I couldn't stop eating. My highest weight was 255, while I was only 125 at age 15. That means I put on 130 pounds in 10 years. I was diagnosed with Pseudotumor cerebri at age 20, even though the symptoms started at age 17; obese women are most at risk of getting it. Pseudotumor cerebri controlled my life. I was having visual obscurations (even though my vision is 20/15), I would get severe migraines that made me vomit, and I basically slept my life away from feeling so fatigued. After losing 60 pounds, I am no longer having visual problems or migraines. It's so much easier to get out of bed in the morning. I used to sleep until 2 p.m. on the weekends. This past weekend, I was up by 9:30 a.m.! I was like, "Is this clock right?!" Ha! I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea earlier this year (I stopped breathing in my sleep over 30 times per hour). I had already decided to get a Sleeve before I found out about the sleep apnea, because I was miserable carrying all this weight on a 5'2'' frame. I recently bought myself a Fitbit after my surgery as a treat to myself, and to keep up with my walking. I noticed it has a sleep feature that records when you're awake, asleep, and restless. I looked through my old sleeping records and matched them with this month, and I can see a HUGE difference. I was only getting maybe 1-2 hours of restful sleep each night. Now, I am getting at least 6 hours of restful sleep. I know it will improve as I lose more weight. This surgery has given me my life back.

Same here. I had the migraines for at least 3 years before I was diagnosed. My mom kept telling me it was just sinus pressure. But my gosh, the migraines were awful. A lot of women on the PTC/IIH Facebook group get so upset when their doctors advise them to lose weight. They feel like they're being attacked and belittled. But I've noticed that 90% of the people on that page are overweight. So, it's obvious that being overweight is a leading factor. Thanks so much! I am feeling so much better. Good luck to you, as well! I live in Alabama. Do you ever have leaky ears? My ears always get so wet with clear liquid. I'm in Philadelphia, PA. Hoping for a surgery date by the end of January 2017.....going on a 7day cruise the last week of April 2017 Sent from my SM-G935P using the BariatricPal App Is this your last month of doctor visits? If so, you may have a good chance of getting a date by then. Good luck!

That's good. If the pain doesn't go away completely, you may want a second opinion. There's no reason you should be dealing with any pain.

This sounds a lot like PTC. Sometimes light can trigger it. I remember a few years back, I would walk outside at dawn (while the sky had a very light glow), and even then my eyes would hurt. It's like the dullest light would make my eyes and head ache. I'm glad you're feeling better.

Congrats on no longer having it! And yes, omg... The pain is horrible. I would get so sick and vomit several times. I can't believe I'm saying this, but, vomiting actually helped the pain fade a bit. It's like it was releasing pain endorphins. The surgery has already helped a lot. Thanks so much!

I had never heard of this till 2 weeks ago! By chance my glasses were broken at work so needed to replace them. My prescription was expired so a routine eyes exam ended in emergency lab work and a mri. My dad had just passed away from brain cancer a few weeks earlier so I immediately assumed I was next and had a meltdown in the doctor's office. My primary dr took the time to explain what was happening (my optometrist was vague even after my breakdown in her office) turns out I have a slightly swollen optic nerve. They feel since my surgery was a few weeks away there was no need to worry now. No one else I asked had heard of this! Thanks for sharing your story. Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App Oh gosh, I am so sorry about your father. I'm glad they didn't find a brain tumor with you. I'm almost certain this surgery will help you. My optic nerves were VERY swollen, and I'm already doing better.

Same here. I had the migraines for at least 3 years before I was diagnosed. My mom kept telling me it was just sinus pressure. But my gosh, the migraines were awful. A lot of women on the PTC/IIH Facebook group get so upset when their doctors advise them to lose weight. They feel like they're being attacked and belittled. But I've noticed that 90% of the people on that page are overweight. So, it's obvious that being overweight is a leading factor. Thanks so much! I am feeling so much better. Good luck to you, as well! I live in Alabama. Do you ever have leaky ears? My ears always get so wet with clear liquid.

Gosh, I am so sorry you're going through all of this. I've read up on some of your blood work. High absolute lymphocytes can indicate a viral infection, a bacterial infection, and sometimes leukemia (this does not mean you have it). High monocytes can indicate stress, viral fevers, inflammation and organ necrosis, etc. (but your doctor should read the actual numbers on these results to determine which it could be.) Honestly, if I were you, I'd probably get a 2nd opinion. You should not be having pain only for the tests to come back "normal". It could just be inflammation or scar tissue. I would be most worried about your gastric organs not getting enough oxygen, especially since you recently suffered from hypoxia. If I were you, I'd try to find the best gastro doctor in your area for another opinion.

All of my friends were extremely supportive. My mom and sister weren't very supportive at first, but only because they were worried. I reassured them that this surgery is safer than a gallbladder removal, which I've already had. Then I invited my mom to a support group, and it made her feel much better. Now that I've had my surgery, my mom and sister both want to have it done; especially since I've lost almost 60 pounds in just 4 months. The people who are negative towards you are usually either insecure, unhappy, or worried. I can't think of another reason why anyone would be negative about having a surgery to better your health.

I was diagnosed when I was 20, but I'm sure I've had it since I was 17. When I started high school at age 14, I weighed 115 pounds. As the years went on, I teetered in my weight between 120 and 145. But once I got into my Senior year at age 17, I was put on oral steroids for sinus issues, and I gained 50 pounds in 3 months. After that, I couldn't get my weight off. I noticed I started getting very fatigued and started having horrible migraines. I always assumed the migraines were from sinus trouble. But then at age 20, I start noticing that I had dark spots in my vision. It wasn't like floaters, but more like blind spots; kinda like when you look at the sun for too long, and you see those dark spots that kinda flicker. It's kinda hard to explain, lol. I also noticed that I could no longer ride roller coasters or spinning rides without getting horrible migraines. I was always able ride crazy rides before I put on weight. But now, they make me sick. So, I decided to go to an Optometrist to get my eyes checked. The doctor told me that my optic nerves were swollen, and she referred me to a Nuero-Opthamologist to be tested further. He ordered an MRI and a spinal tap, which ruled out a brain tumor and MS (thank goodness). But the spinal tap confirmed Pseudotumor cerebri. Pseudotumor cerebri is a false brain tumor. It is not malignant or cancerous. It's when excess cerebrospinal Fluid builds up within the skull. There is no cure, and it is more common in overweight women. My doctor said I had some of the most interesting eyes because, even though I have blind spots and very swollen optic nerves, my vision is 20/15. He said that most people, with swollen optic nerves like mine, are legally blind. Symptoms for Pseudotumor cerebri are: - Migraines - Vision problems (double vision, dimmed vision, seeing light flashes, blind spots, etc.) - Tinnitus - Nausea and vomiting brought on by migraines - Fatigue - Dizziness The danger of having Pseudotumor cerebri is permanent blindness. Ever since I had my surgery and have lost a large amount of weight, I have only had one headache (which was probably due to not eating enough). I haven't had anymore visual obscurations or episodes of blindness. I'm so excited about this. I think my condition is going into remission. Does anyone else have Pseudotumor cerebri?

Good luck! You'll do great! It's easier than you think.

Oh I absolutely have encountered this kind of negativity. I work with a woman who has always treated me a certain way. Some days she can be nice, and other days she can be spiteful and bitter. When she found out I was having this surgery, she kept saying things like, "You'll just gain it right back. I know people who had it and gained it all back." "I've known people who have died from it!" "You can just diet, because if you really wanted to change, you would change without this surgery." What's so funny about this is, she is overweight and even more so than me! She's close to 350 pounds. I kept trying to tell her that it's not just about cravings; it's also about hunger. Our stomachs are stretched out from constant overeating. We can't diet because we are never filling the empty void that our stomachs have caused. So, the point of this surgery is to help make dieting a lot easier. But this woman didn't want to listen. She's so stubborn and negative. She has been on so many diets and she always fails within 1 week. Many people have told me that she's jealous and insecure, and that's why she says these things. I dealt with it by telling her I'd rather not discuss it anymore. When I said that to her, she called her relative and gossiped about me. So that definitely proves that she is extremely insecure.

Oh I see. Yeah, the hospital bed at the hospital I stayed at was awful, too. I'm sorry you're going through that. But I'm glad you're not having any surgery related pain.

Do you think the horrible pain was increased because of the surgery? Or has it always been this bad? If it's gotten worse after the surgery, then it's most likely because of trapped CO2 gas from where they pumped you full of gas to be able to perform the surgery. That kind of pain is also positional. I was unable to even recline when I was in pain from the trapped gas. I had to either walk, or be given Dilaudid. I'm glad everything else is ok!

Congrats! I lost 21 pounds in my first 2 weeks after surgery. The first 20-30 pounds come off very quickly because it's mostly water. It'll slow down a bit after that, but you'll still lose at a good pace.

You'll do great!

Hey there! How are you doing? I would love to meet up with you after a support group! When do you plan on going to the next one? I think the next group is probably on the 17th of December. I'm not certain, though.I am looking to go to the one in January, so I can get some personal time built back up at work. How was your Thanksgiving? Sent from my XT1585 using the BariatricPal App My Thanksgiving was pretty good! How was yours?

@@awillaweigh328 Girl, same. It's so hard, lol! It's easier if I incorporate meat into my meal, but these shakes are getting old...

80 oz?! Why that much? My doctor only told me to get in 64 oz.

I can't do solids 100% I usually steam everything till its supper soft but I have tried lactose milk unfortunately I learned the hard way it does still contain lactose unreal lol my nutritionist said it does indeed still contain lactose just a very small amount so If I do drink "milk" it's almond milk it's hard to get used to after loving regular 1% milk most my life. Really?! I had no idea. Wow, that sucks. I'm so sorry...

This is normal. I barely got in enough liquids the first 2 weeks after my surgery. It hurt to drink anything because my stomach was so swollen, and so is yours. This is normal. I probably only drank about a cup or 2 for the first few days because it was so hard to drink anything. Just keep trying and take very small, slow sips.

Good luck! You'll do great!

I haven't noticed. But I've heard of many people with this issue, as well as lactose and soy intolerance. I guess I got lucky? One thing I can't eat without feeling sick is anything fried. I'm glad though, because I don't want to like it, lol!