samiaam25

Fair life shakes are also my favorite! I’m still in my pre op two week liquid diet and they are literally giving my life right now. I put some cinnamon in the vanilla shake and it’s SO good.

Fair life shakes are also my favorite! I’m still in my pre op two week liquid diet and they are literally giving my life right now. I put some cinnamon in the vanilla shake and it’s SO good.

Definitely consider yourself lucky. I’m at the end of the first week of my two week all liquid diet and am starving. It’s so hard.

I had a few fears:

1. Dying, as many others mentioned

2. The recovery time/process. For whatever reason the pain and stages of food afterwards really freaked me out.

3. Changing my relationship with food and missing some of my old favorites.

4. Complications like staple line leaks.

I am currently five days out from my surgery so I can’t offer any long term advice or insight, but I can tell you was ecstatic when I woke up and was actually alive. The pain isn’t as bad as I imagined it would be, but it’s there (incision pain and internal stomach pain when sipping)... and one thing that happened that I didn’t initially fear was that my surgeon found a mass on my liver while she was operating so now I have that to worry about once I heal from my sleeve surgery. I’ll have to have an MRI and biopsy in a few weeks. I’ll add that I’m only 35 years old so I’m hoping it turns out to be nothing. 
But, I’m still glad I did this, my long term health is finally a priority for me and I needed this tool to get there.

I am scheduled for October 14th. I’m so excited but also so scared for surgery.

I am scheduled for October 14th. I’m so excited but also so scared for surgery.

They put an abdominal binder on me while I was in the hospital and I came home with it on. It really helped support my incisions. I’m six days post op and took it off at day four. I’d definitely recommend one if your incisions are painful. Check with your doctor first though 😊

This.

I still need to learn how to get out the right portions. Even now, I scoop out the smallest amount I think is reasonable (a fraction of what I used to), and I still can only eat a few bites. My dog has learned to stay by my side when I am eating because it is a good chance she's going to get a nice snack.

My sleeve surgery was yesterday and I’m still in the hospital. When my surgeon stopped by she said while they were operating they found a lesion on my liver. Now I need an MRI so they can classify it as malignant or benign. They said I should heal from sherry before I get the MRI... I’m so worried and waiting will be so hard.

My sleeve surgery was yesterday and I’m still in the hospital. When my surgeon stopped by she said while they were operating they found a lesion on my liver. Now I need an MRI so they can classify it as malignant or benign. They said I should heal from sherry before I get the MRI... I’m so worried and waiting will be so hard.

My presurgery endoscope found a Barrett's polyp that could have turned cancerous. So again, like others, a good thing to find while it is still treatable. BTW, surgery completely resolved my GERD and reversed the Barrett's esophagus. Amazing!

My surgeon found polyps in my stomach when he did the pre-op endoscopy, turned out they were harmless and were in the portion of the stomach that was removed anyway. So same as you, it made me think about ‘what if’ they had been bad? If I hadn’t been having surgery I might never have known till it was too late. But yeah, great that you’ve found it now and can get it sorted out.

I had the same thing found during surgery but he just removed it and it was a benign tumor. Sending positive thoughts and prayers

That is so true and such a great way to look at it. Thank you 😊

My sleeve surgery was yesterday and I’m still in the hospital. When my surgeon stopped by she said while they were operating they found a lesion on my liver. Now I need an MRI so they can classify it as malignant or benign. They said I should heal from sherry before I get the MRI... I’m so worried and waiting will be so hard.

That is so true and such a great way to look at it. Thank you 😊

That is so true and such a great way to look at it. Thank you 😊

Sending you positive thoughts and warm hugs

Congratulations on your surgery.
When I read about them finding an issue with your liver I couldn't help but think how lucky you are. Now, the Docs can evaluate what's going on and take appropriate action.
Hang in there.
Tek

Fair life shakes are also my favorite! I’m still in my pre op two week liquid diet and they are literally giving my life right now. I put some cinnamon in the vanilla shake and it’s SO good.

I'm set to have surgery in November. My mother works in preop at the hospital where I will be having my procedure. She told me that if your nerves are too bad the day of surgery, they can give you something there to help you calm down. And my surgeon has told me that the pain is different for everyone, but one thing that helps most patients is to stay ahead of the pain. Don't wait until you are hurting to take your pain medication. Just anticipate the pain and take the meds!! Best of luck to you

Everyone's post op story will be different, mine was relatively easy, no gas pain, some discomfort around the incision sites and for about two to three weeks sleeping was awkward as was getting in and out of bed, for a day or so when I first took a sip of Fluid my stomach would cramp or tense up (only lasted seconds).
I am nearly 58 and before my VSG I had never had surgery or spent a night in hospital. I was fine, complications are not the norm. In hospital you will be on IV fluids to ensure proper hydration, through the drip they can also put pain or anti cramping meds. Get up as much as you can to walk about. Staff will check your urine output levels to make sure you are properly hydrated as well as checking that you are passing wind.
My surgeon made sure I could cope with fluids even thicker fluids like ensure Protein Drinks before I was allowed to leave the hospital.
We are stronger than we think, we do want we have to to get through, and you will too.
Our mind is a powerful tool, what we think is our perception becomes our belief. If you think its going to be a painful process or a long recovery it may well turn into that, but it doesn't need to be that if your body is not necessarily feeling the pain it should be or you are recovering well. Turn those negative thoughts to positive thoughts, and you may just have a real positive process and recovery.

You’ve worked so hard to get to this moment right now. You can do this and it will be okay!
That said, everyone has different pain tolerances and your doctor is there to help you so doing be afraid to ask for something if you need it.

It was my first surgery too. Don't be scared - it will be fine. You will have pain medicine to help alleviate the pain. In fact, I only used my pain medicine for the first three days after I got home from the hospital. Sure the first few weeks are uncomfortable, but not bad.
Getting the sleeve is one of the best decisions I've made in my life.
You got this! You can do this! 💪