anonymouschikorita

I had the VSG on June 29th. So far my experience has been pretty rotten. I passed out on 6/30 while sitting on the side of the bed. The nurse caught me and called for a rapid response. My BP dropped to the 70/40 range. I became tachycardic with a HR of 180. The response team put a pad on my chest to shock it into rhythm but thankfully it was just rapid not out of sync Later that day they did an upper GI with barium swallow that showed I was leak free. The next morning on 7/1 my blood tests showed I had internal bleeding as my hemoglobin was 7.9 The surgeon did the wait and see game and started me on IV fluids at a bolus rate. The next day on 7/2 my hemoglobin was at 8.1. On 7/3 my hemoglobin was at 8.2. The surgeon said that the bleeding had stopped and that I was able to go home. While preparing to go home I was moving around a lot more and noticed that my right calf hurt. I asked the nurse about it and she offered me a heating pad. I also asked if there was anything the doc could give me for the cramps in my right thigh. She didn't seem to be concerned about any of the questions I was asking so I dismissed my symptoms as sore muscles. I was at home from the evening of 7/3 till the morning of 7/7. On 7/7 I woke up at 5 am with pain in my right chest area and a fever of 101. I knew something was wrong and had someone take me to the ER. They ran through a series of tests starting with an x-ray, a CAT scan, and an ultrasound of my legs. I was eventually diagnosed with a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in my right leg, multiple Pulmonary Embolisms in my right lung, and a Pleural Effusion in my right chest cavity. They started me on blood thinners and pain medicine. I will only briefly tell you about the pain of the PEs. I have never experienced so much pain before in my life. I was screaming for help as loud as I could and clutching my chest with both hands. I called for a priest and was prayed over because I thought I was on my way out. I spent the next day 7/8 getting drugged up with Dilaudid every 3 hours to keep the pain in check. On 7/9 I had a Thoracentesis to drain 600ml of red colored Fluid from my chest cavity. It is now 7/10 and I've been up all night dealing with pain and insomnia. I am supposed to go home today on blood thinners and pain management. My plan is to apply for 2 weeks of FMLA and short term disability to go with the 2 weeks of vacation I've already taken. I plan to take the additional time to recuperate because my body is a wreck.. I walked into this a pretty healthy 41 year old male 5' 11" at 295 lbs who exercised every day for 45 minutes but just had a monster appetite. I will be leaving the hospital today feeling like a weakened old man traumatized from the whole experience. I am not ready to make a judgement call on whether it was worth it or not. It is way to soon. I realize I'm in the early stages of the process and have many positive milestones to look forward too. I have hope that in a year, the memories of pain and trauma will fade and I will look back and judge that it has been with it.

A shame you can’t adapt your garbage takes and personality

Trust in the fact that i don't have to congratulate myself on anything.... and yes i know about the articles on Covid... AS MY HUSBAND HAD IT!!!
You are welcome to draw any conclusion you want... that's what his website is for. I'm allowed to have my questions just like you are allowed to have yours.
Seems like you like attacking people that don't agree with the way you do... cool. But so am I.... This is why when i disagree with you are anyone... i agree to disagree.....

Are is it to just nod and agree?
No, which is exactly why I commented
What does the fact that i'm a two-time WLS patient have to do with my question
As I wrote in my first post, most WLS patients have a long history of being asked questions similar to the ones in your original post. "Why don't you just eat better? Why don't you just exercise more?" I would think as a two time WLS patient you would know that those comments are condescending and offensive.
Weight gain and reasons are a legitimate question
They are. But you didn't pose this as a legitimate question. You posted it in the Rants and Raves section and you said "Trust that i know i will get flack for this...."
I am left to draw one of two conclusions:
You are completely unaware of the thousands of articles that have been written about pandemic related lifestyle changes and its effects. You are also oblivious to the common sense impact of gyms/parks/trails closures, poverty's effect on one's diet, mental health consequences of social isolation etc..
The option I find easier to believe is this was not a sincere question. Instead it's an opportunity for you to congratulate yourself for having more fortitude than all these weak willed people who when faced with a life altering pandemic and economic shut down and didn't plant a garden, meal plan or pick up milk jugs filled with sand.

But it was to point fingers ....
What's stopping people from either... growing there on veggies or buying them and having more time to food prep. Also, why aren't people taking the time to exercise more.... walking, running, yoga, stretching..... repurposing those milk jugs and filling them with water/sand. Grab those resistance bands and use them or the exercise equipment you are using as a clothes hanger
I find it disingenuous that a two time WLS patient would question why anyone would gain weight. I still can only see the reason for your post as to not so humble brag and to smugly look down your nose at others.

Also just a quick search on Scholar and found numerous research articles on the role of stress in weight gain
Here's just one ( I chose this one because it was free to access and had an impressive reference section)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0306453094E00417
Endocrine_and_psychological_evaluation_o.pdf

Jezus. Have you not learned anything at all from your last disastrous “Stop Making Excuses” thread?
I get you have limited experience in social situations, but damn, brother, take the effing time to gain some and learn from it.
I’m sorry, honestly, because I really do live to give people the benefit of the doubt, but with you, I oscillate between feeling terribly sorry for you and wanting to barf.
Please, try and do better.

Perhaps people working from home are busier than ever, time that would have been spent travelling to and from work is now more time working from home, they may have children they need to care for, to home school, other loved ones that need caring for, people volunteering to help others, making masks, etc.
It is indeed a disappointing original post, and no doubt you will have some people support the opinion, but to me it clearly lacks empathy.

As a two time weight loss surgery patient, you truly don't understand why people gain weight?
Everything you just posted could have been said about you or any of us. Didn't we all hear "Just eat healthier. Just exercise more."? How did it feel when you encountered that type of attitude pre WLS? Was it helpful or motivating in any way?
Even in Rants and Raves, what is the reason behind this post? The only point I can see is to feel superior to others. Reminds me the the post from earlier this month, "STOP MAKING EXCUSES." It's the same myopic point of view and lack of empathy towards others who may be struggling.