Wrenna

So I was pretty unlucky with the nightmare complications. Two weeks after my bypass, I needed emergency surgery because internal adhesions caused a complete blockage. Two days after that surgery, I was getting my second emergency surgery for the same issue. They also decided to place a g-tube in the bypassed part of my stomach for drainage, and I had to have that for three months. Right after that, I would experience random attacks of intense pain and we finally, finally think we figured out why (sphincter of oddi dysfunction). That being said....

...I would do it all over again in a heart beat. At no point did I have any regrets. Yes, it sucked having to get two "bonus" surgeries, but it was a minor blip in the road. The random pain episodes sucked, but now that we know the issue, there are things I can do to prevent it from happening. Compared to how life was before my bypass, I feel SO MUCH BETTER. My blood pressure is normal, my joints don't hurt constantly, my energy levels are through the roof, I run and kayak and hike regularly... and then there's the 'vanity' aspects too - every store carries my size, I love shopping for clothes because they look good on me now, I'm not hyper-aware of my size constantly... the list goes on. I really did not release how miserable I was being obese until I wasn't.

It's surgery! I don't think it's right for everyone, and I think people should be aware of the potential for complications... but those complications are pretty rare, and it's still the gold standard for long term weight loss.

So I've had three surgeries in three weeks (mini gastric bypass, plus two emergency surgeries for bowel obstructions due to internal adhesions from the gastric bypass...). I'm a stomach sleeper and planned to sleep in a recliner if necessary, but after the first surgery, I was fine propped up with extra pillows for a couple of days, and then within 4 days, I was sleeping on my stomach again. Healing from the last emergency surgery is taking much longer (I don't think I was meant to be cut open THREE TIMES), but I was still able to sleep in bed the first night home (3 days after surgery), as long as I was propped up. It wasn't so much pain, but more that the swelling from the surgery seemed to press more on my stomach when I wasn't flat on my back.

How long did it take everyone to meet their Protein goals? I am 4 days post op and STRUGGLING. I'm hitting my fluids no problem, but I'm getting maybe 20 grams of the recommended 60 and it's starting to stress me out. I have no desire to eat anything, so I'll force myself to choke down a small amount of soup... and then I feel so icky and stuffed that the thought of eating that particular thing again makes me incredibly nauseated. I'm only on liquids for 3 more days after today, and I'm hoping that moving to a wider variety of foods will make it easier to hit my protein because right now, it's yoghurt and protein shakes... which I never want to see again in my life.

Hi! Newbie here!

I've been lurking forever but couldn't bring myself to post because I just KNEW that something would happen somehow and I wouldn't be able to get my surgery, but... I had my final pre-op testing a couple of days ago and everything went great, so here I am! It's very weird to go from "I'm scared to get my hopes up so I won't even think about the surgery" to realizing that my surgery is on Tuesday and I need to start getting ready.

I'm in Norway so my surgery is covered by the national health care system, but there was a whole process I had to go through - visit with an obesity specialist, a nutritionist, mandatory group classes... it seemed impossibly long when I first started, but wow, it has really flown by.

Hi! Newbie here!

I've been lurking forever but couldn't bring myself to post because I just KNEW that something would happen somehow and I wouldn't be able to get my surgery, but... I had my final pre-op testing a couple of days ago and everything went great, so here I am! It's very weird to go from "I'm scared to get my hopes up so I won't even think about the surgery" to realizing that my surgery is on Tuesday and I need to start getting ready.

I'm in Norway so my surgery is covered by the national health care system, but there was a whole process I had to go through - visit with an obesity specialist, a nutritionist, mandatory group classes... it seemed impossibly long when I first started, but wow, it has really flown by.

Hi! Newbie here!

I've been lurking forever but couldn't bring myself to post because I just KNEW that something would happen somehow and I wouldn't be able to get my surgery, but... I had my final pre-op testing a couple of days ago and everything went great, so here I am! It's very weird to go from "I'm scared to get my hopes up so I won't even think about the surgery" to realizing that my surgery is on Tuesday and I need to start getting ready.

I'm in Norway so my surgery is covered by the national health care system, but there was a whole process I had to go through - visit with an obesity specialist, a nutritionist, mandatory group classes... it seemed impossibly long when I first started, but wow, it has really flown by.