Jeanniebug

Yes, it's miserable, at first. But, it will get better. I had diarrhea - bad - at first, too. Once you start eating more solid foods, your poop will firm up. Don't push it by trying to eat. There's a reason why you're on a liquid diet. This too shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it WILL pass. Hang in there.

Congratulations!!!

Yay!!!

I am so sorry that you've gone through so much difficulty. But, it will get better, in time. My only suggestion would be to maybe see about speaking with a therapist. I have one and he has helped me a lot.

The way to combat the scary stories, is to also read the fixes. Are you scared of strictures? How do they fix them? Are you scared of bowel blockages? How do they fix them? Pretty much all the complications can be treated, if caught in time. Every scary complication I read about, I also read about the treatment. That calmed me down. I also asked myself: If my doctor were to tell me that I would definitely have x, x, and x complications, would I still go through with it? The answer was always, "yes". I think that's where you need to get. If you were told that you would definitely have ___(insert scary complication and its associated treatment)___, would you still have the surgery?

Ask for the name of the person who has denied your claim. Chances are, it wasn't a doctor who reviewed it. Insist that a doctor review your claim.

My "3-week stall" started at week 2 and lasted a month. Just keep doing what you're doing and trust the process. This is the first of MANY stalls that you will have. If the scale drives you crazy, you're on it too much.

Being nervous and scared is normal. This surgery is a big deal. Whenever I heard about a scary complication, I researched the treatment for it. There's really no complication that can't be treated, if caught in time. Also, quit torturing yourself. Stay off the sites that are causing you grief.

If you're asymptomatic, there's no such thing as too low of a blood pressure. So, as long as you feel good, the lower the better!

Congratulations!!! Yes, it all sounds normal, to me. Edited to add: if you still haven't passed gas or had a bowel movement in a couple more days, call the doctor.

Welcome!

Dr. V says that the surgery will make good relationships better and bad relationships worse. If your husband really has been diagnosed with narcissism (and you're not just using the fun catch phrase lots of people use these days), then I would suggest that you get away while you still can. All of those things that you don't like about him - now - are only going to be amplified. And if he is a narcissist, how do you think his behavior will change when he becomes insecure about you and the changes in your appearance? It's likely going to get real ugly - possibly dangerous for you.

HALLELUYAH!!!

I would suggest therapy. I started seeing a therapist before my surgery and it's helping.

I can't help with the insurance snafu, but I can sympathize. I had a 9-month delay in my process. But, it was a blessing in disguise. It allowed me more time to think, more time to plan, more time to research life after surgery, more time to establish a relationship with a therapist, and more time to be convinced that I really needed the surgery. Things tend to happen when they're supposed to. There's a reason for your delay. You may not be able to see why, but life will be easier if you can trust the process.

I think I had to be there at 1pm and my surgery was at 3pm.

Have you ever been under anesthesia? If not, it's hard to say what your experience will be. Everyone reacts differently. Typically, you'll be very groggy and sleepy. You'll probably be going in and out of consciousness. You abdomen will be sore, you'll probably be thirsty, and your throat might hurt. You'll have an IV and probably some special pressure devices on your legs. If you're prone to nausea, make sure you tell your team - they'll put a patch behind your ear. Vomiting after abdominal surgery is the last thing you want to do. Your nurses will be trying to make you drink water, as soon as you're alert enough. This was no problem for me, but for some people drinking hurts.

I wasn't put on a diet plan. I just had to have 6 monthly visits with the nutritionist. My surgeon wanted me to lose 10-12 pounds before surgery, but my insurance didn't. However, I was not allowed to gain weight.

I have a desk job and I work from home. I took 3 weeks off, but I wish I would have taken longer. I had (still have) quite a bit of diaphragm pain and discomfort. It was a couple of months before I could comfortably sit up straight for any length of time. But, I'm diabetic and a slow healer. All the nerves and muscles are just taking their sweet time to heal. I also have a small hiatal hernia that they didn't see during my EGD or surgery - so this seems to be a new development. I think that may be causing my pain, but I'm not sure.

It sounds like different psychiatrists use different tests. Kind of like how different surgeons have different diets.

She sent me a form. It was one of those things like a personality test. It had a range of responses 1 = agree and 5 = disagree, type things. There may have been some yes/no questions and perhaps a few that required an explanation. But, most of them had the ranges.

Hugs! Perhaps eating a measured amount of food would work better than just eating until you're full..? Take your 1/2 cup of food (or whatever your measurement is) and sit there and slowly eat that. Wait 30 seconds after you've swallowed, before you take the next bite - use a timer. If you feel full before you've finished your measured amount, then stop eating. If you don't feel full after you're done, stop eating. Are you tracking your food? Tracking can help, because you can see where you might be eating some unnecessary calories. Remember, we still have to diet and exercise. The surgery helps us, but it's not the cure. A therapist might also be helpful, if your issues are mental/behavioral.

Yay! Great job!

I have fibro. I haven't had a flare (that I'm aware of), since my surgery. I know that correlation doesn't equal causation, so it's hard to say if they're related.