Melissa89

On 3/9/2024 at 8:31 AM, Aunty Mamo said:

The statistics say that 1% of VSG patients experience a leak and that they usually occur because solid food was consumed too early, or from physical trauma/injury to the area. With that said, I know the anxiety youʻre talking about. I only have this knowledge because I deep dive into things Iʻm afraid of.

I also had this fear. 1% chance is world wide and I’m guessing you had your surgery in a western country and good hospital so chances are closer to 1 in 500 chance. Moreover 70% of the time they happen in the first week. So your odds are very very slim. Just follow food instructions and you will be fine best of luck

I had severe bile reflux from bowel into stomach and oesophagus for 6 months after my surgery. It eventually calmed down and went away. There is a e mediation called cholestyramine that can bind to and neutralise bile. Hopefully you don’t need surgery. Best of luck

On 4/1/2024 at 3:59 AM, mooonlightt said:

I’m 6 days post op i’m feeling fine when it comes to the pain, i was in the hospital for less than two days and have been resting at home.

But the only thing i do is sleep, i don’t wanna eat anything cause my throat just does this gurgling sound, i feel weak, tired, and dizzy especially when i take my medicine i feel super full, this morning i almost vomited because of the medicine (cipro 500mg) i’ve lost 7 kilos by far

Will i ever feel better? Will i ever eat again and actually enjoy the thought of eating food?

You will. I suffered severely for months and got depressed but I eventually healed and can eventually eat a whole cup of delicious food without pain or nausea. You are in the forced starvation phase. It’s painful. But it will be so worthwhile in the end.

On 1/16/2024 at 2:52 PM, wendywitch7 said:

I am a little over 6 months post op, how many calories are you eating now? I am getting about 900-1000 calories, 80g of Protein, 50g of carbs.

Anyone else have a starting weight at 360ish at 5'9", how much did you lose at 6 months?

My surgeon doesn't offer an aftercare support team and the nutritionist (had to get a referral from my primary) that I am seeing doesn't like giving numbers. I also don't feel I can ask him as he will just refer to the paperwork he gave me at the start, which just says under 1200 calories and 60-80g of Protein.

I am very happy with the weight that I have lost so far, 100lbs since surgery, but it has been very slow the last 2 months or so. I still feel that I should be losing at a faster rate than I am which is only about 1-2lbs a week. Is this just an average weight loss when I weigh 263lbs at 5' 9", haven't been down to this weight in over 15 years.

10 months out I average around 1500 calories a day and am still losing slowly (I weigh in the low 60s) hope this helps!

On 4/8/2024 at 2:59 AM, Joshuaj1504 said:

hello im 23 years old and all my life ive been battling my weight it was always fluctuating. Started at 280 and now I’m down to 180 I’m 5’8 and im definitely noticing muscle definition and loose skin is bouncing back. But as of lately ive been feeling super depressed and my recent breakup was what set it off. Just recently started going out with friends and having to eat small portion completely ruins it for me i wish i can cram in just a little more to enjoy food with friends. I feel like its a chore now to make sure im hitting my daily macros and im starting to have regrets. I feel good in my own body but i feel like i could’ve done this without surgery with the love i grew for the gym. I go 3-4 times a week with a split. Is there anyway to combat this depression and regret i have i just wish i can eat a little more to socialize and im scared of losing more weight

10 months post op my sleeve has stretched enough for me to enjoy a meal with friends. You have two options - go back to surgeon ask them to scan your sleeve and make sure it’s not too tight (there is an option to balloon dilate it) or train yourself to eat more - it’s possible trust me.
I went through this depression and not enjoying food severely at the start but now I can eat an amount to be able to enjoy life and social settings. I would be depressed otherwise.

Sounds like you may have one or two collapsed lungs from the anaesthetic and surgery. They thought I had a stomach leak and did an emergency CT scan and saw the collapsed lung.

It’s not uncommon when operating on the abdomen whilst being intubated. I had sharp pains when breathing in. But oxygen of 91 is dangerous. You should be in a hospital setting until it stabilises and starts resolving. Feel better

On 4/11/2024 at 7:13 AM, jparadigm said:

So...

I'm told I have to wait a minimum of 6 months to reengage in drinking fun...Which I was totally OK with in the beginning and still am, I just want to know about others out there who have drank alcohol PO and their experiences. I'm no daily drinker but I am a weekend warrior lol. I honestly can't wait for summer to be able to have a drink with the fam. I am absolutely aware of drinking being a conflict with my journey but it's something I've discussed with my care team and I'm not ready to fully give up on alcohol yet. I'm also aware of the "addiction" that can develop by drinking and I am NOT at all worried for that lol. Forgive me if this is triggering to some.

Hi! Happy to answer this. I am 10 months post op. Had my first glass of champagne 6 weeks out. Sipped it for hours. You will get hit by the alcohol quickly. Alcohol will get you twice as drunk for the same amount due to starvation / not drinking for ages.
i am a social weekend drinker and attend lots of events. I can say since then I will have a drink or two every weekend. Without shame or issue. I simply count my alcohol calories. I have lost 30% of my body weight and weigh in the low 60s now. You have to live your life - I’m not into banning foods and rules. This is the beginning of the rest of your life. You have to have fun and enjoy it. Say you drink a bit and it takes you an extra month to reach your target? Who cares. At least it’s sustainable. Don’t feel ashamed for having a drink or two if that’s what you want to do. Just remember you will barely drink anything and feel the full effects. Lol. Best of luck!

I stall all the time dont stress. Then other times lose rapidly. It’s just the body trying to hold onto fat as it knows you’re losing weight. Trust me just keep at a calorie deficit and I promise it will come off.

My nausea has finally settled (5 months in)!! Wow that was a long and rough recovery. Recently did a CT scan which showed my stomach volume was only 100ml. Absolutely nuts!

1 hour ago, MissyMissfire said:

Yeah... the nausea has actually gotten worse lately for me. I'm on strictly soft foods still (scrambled eggs, cream of rice, etc) or really crunchy foods that grind up in my mouth like these almond flour cheese crackers (they've got a decent amount of Protein for a "carb-like" snack) or ultra dry toast with some sugar free jam, or the baby/toddler animal crackers from Gerber.

I made the "mistake" of eating a hard boiled egg this morning and even though I chewed it well, it did NOT sit well at all. Deli meats do the same thing. Anything with texture or density to it makes me feel like it needs to come back out. And plain Water still comes right back out IMMEDIATELY. But if there's sugar substitute and some color and flavor, my body accepts it. I've been drinking freshen up energy because it's sugar free and is a clean energy without all the bad stuff in it. Just the equivalent of a single cup of coffee and some B Vitamins. And I like the way it tastes so I definitely am doing better at meeting my fluid goals, which was a struggle before.

Struggling to get my Multivitamins in as taking pills sucks. And I've been getting heartburn here and there if I forget to take the pantoprazole I was prescribed. But I found some GOOD Calcium "chews" at the natural food store - it's literally chocolates instead of the tootsie roll like chews most end up being. I got the dark chocolate because for some reason milk chocolate tastes like poison to me.

Wow… so I’m not alone. Same here, nausea seems to be worse lately. Yeh I can only really eat dry biscuits without nausea, maybe some baked beans… but 90% of things cause me nausea. I don’t see how I’ll ever make my daily Protein goals. Just seems impossible.
Water makes me puke too!
i really hope it won’t be like this forever? I am 3 months post op exactly. Shouldn’t we be ‘Healed’?!?!

On 9/2/2023 at 11:49 PM, Jessica19922 said:

I’m 41 days out. I still can’t eat more than a couple of bites of anything. It’s really frustrating. I knew I would be restricted, but I didn’t realize how much. I wanted this surgery to help create a healthy relationship with food. One where I can be satisfied with normal portions. I also wanted to have a healthy diet full of vegetables so I could nourish my body like I feel God intended. Not with Protein Shakes that make me nauseous . I’m really feeling like this wasn’t the right choice for me because I’m feeling so distressed.

Hi Jessica

I am 3 months out and feel the same. Some days I can only handle a couple of bites of anything I’ve the day. It’s really distressing to me.

Hi everyone

how are we all doing? I still get pretty bad nausea most days after eating and drinking. Some days I can barely eat. It’s so weird. I get scared and panic I will never be able to eat a normal meal again and this makes me so distressed.

Hi guys, anyone else getting nausea from eating and drinking a lot of the time? Maybe 50% of the time. Especially first sips of drinks. I also feel nauseous especially in the morning when food or drink hits stomach. Also, often feel lock half an hour after eating, for 1/2 hour to an hour. Anyone else or just me?

Hi guys, anyone else getting nausea from eating and drinking a lot of the time? Maybe 50% of the time. Especially first sips of drinks. I also feel nauseous especially in the morning when food or drink hits stomach. Also, often feel lock half an hour after eating, for 1/2 hour to an hour. Anyone else or just me?

On 8/6/2023 at 1:36 PM, hannah grace said:

Hi all,

Per my last post, I have been having really bad nausea and vomiting 6 weeks out (dr says I'm part of the "lucky" 10-15% who experience this).

I attempted to take my stomach acid pill along with Zoloft prescribed by my psychiatrist. About 30 minutes later, I threw this up. I am now having SEVERE burning pain in my stomach and I don't know what to do. I used to have GERD before the surgery and this doesn't feel like that.. The burning is *mainly* in my stomach, not my chest or esophagus like how it was for GERD (in my experience). I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to combat this? I am afraid to take TUMS or any other anti acids as I usually throw those up as well and I am afraid more vomiting will make it even worse. SOS, I am in so much pain.

On 8/6/2023 at 1:36 PM, hannah grace said:

Hi all,

Per my last post, I have been having really bad nausea and vomiting 6 weeks out (dr says I'm part of the "lucky" 10-15% who experience this).

I attempted to take my stomach acid pill along with Zoloft prescribed by my psychiatrist. About 30 minutes later, I threw this up. I am now having SEVERE burning pain in my stomach and I don't know what to do. I used to have GERD before the surgery and this doesn't feel like that.. The burning is *mainly* in my stomach, not my chest or esophagus like how it was for GERD (in my experience). I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to combat this? I am afraid to take TUMS or any other anti acids as I usually throw those up as well and I am afraid more vomiting will make it even worse. SOS, I am in so much pain.

On 8/6/2023 at 1:36 PM, hannah grace said:

Hi all,

Per my last post, I have been having really bad nausea and vomiting 6 weeks out (dr says I'm part of the "lucky" 10-15% who experience this).

I attempted to take my stomach acid pill along with Zoloft prescribed by my psychiatrist. About 30 minutes later, I threw this up. I am now having SEVERE burning pain in my stomach and I don't know what to do. I used to have GERD before the surgery and this doesn't feel like that.. The burning is *mainly* in my stomach, not my chest or esophagus like how it was for GERD (in my experience). I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to combat this? I am afraid to take TUMS or any other anti acids as I usually throw those up as well and I am afraid more vomiting will make it even worse. SOS, I am in so much pain.

On 8/6/2023 at 1:36 PM, hannah grace said:

Hi all,

Per my last post, I have been having really bad nausea and vomiting 6 weeks out (dr says I'm part of the "lucky" 10-15% who experience this).

I attempted to take my stomach acid pill along with Zoloft prescribed by my psychiatrist. About 30 minutes later, I threw this up. I am now having SEVERE burning pain in my stomach and I don't know what to do. I used to have GERD before the surgery and this doesn't feel like that.. The burning is *mainly* in my stomach, not my chest or esophagus like how it was for GERD (in my experience). I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to combat this? I am afraid to take TUMS or any other anti acids as I usually throw those up as well and I am afraid more vomiting will make it even worse. SOS, I am in so much pain.

I’m sorry to hear this. If the burning is in the stomach region (not the oesophagus) this sounds like exactly what I had. Here is my long story:

I was sleeved June 19 and I had this!! I had 2 ER visits and was re admitted to hospital. I referred myself to a gastroenterologist in the end. That is what you need. My pain was only at night too! Here is my long story and I hope it helps you. Please know I am feeling better now. You’ve had complications but there is hope. Here is what I posted last night in another thread.

On 7/16/2023 at 5:26 AM, SacB said:

I can't contribute to the list of suggestions, but I came here to ask if you would please, please come back to this forum after you've solved the problem, and let the rest of us know what was the cause, how you fixed it, and how you're doing then.

Best wishes, and big hugs.

Please check my other replies, I had the exact thing and have just come through it!! Good luck!

On 7/13/2023 at 12:15 PM, jocemp said:

Its really hard not to be in full regret mode at night. Im 2 weeks out and during the day I'm fine no pain or anything. However, when I go to bed I get about 2 hours sleep and then wake up in excruciating pain under left ribs that goes around to my back. I have been to the ER and they checked my heart and lungs, they checked my sleeve for leaks, they checked me for clots, and nothing. This pain is really unbearable. All I'm eating is thinned out greek yogurt, drinking Protein Drinks, Jello, drinking gatorade zero, Water, and gatorlyte zero, and broth. I'm taking a ppi, gasx, stool softener, and laxative. I dont have a gallbladder, Im sleeping sitting up. I don't know what Im doing wrong. I am really trying to stay positive but this pain is making it hard and making me feeling like I ruined my life. Really praying someone on here has some experience with this and can give me some insight.

Me again. I had extensive bloods, CT scan and other tests at the best hospital in melbourne and was Re admitted for 5 days! It took an experienced gastroenterologist to order the right tests. He finally checked my pancreatic markers and inflammatory markers which were through the roof. If your original doctor can’t help you, it’s time to spread the love. You do NOT have to go on feeling like this. It’s not normal. I wish someone told me sooner. Best of luck.

On 7/16/2023 at 5:26 AM, SacB said:

I can't contribute to the list of suggestions, but I came here to ask if you would please, please come back to this forum after you've solved the problem, and let the rest of us know what was the cause, how you fixed it, and how you're doing then.

Best wishes, and big hugs.

Please read my reply. I also ended up seeing a second surgeon who has done thousands of sleeves and said bile reflux and severe gastritis which causes severe sharp pain / burning pain is possible and he has seen it. Basically everything is inflamed and unhappy and this can also cause pancreatitis pain.

how he helped me and I finally started getting better 2 weeks after surgery was medication to stop the bile called cholestyramine, as well as upping the PPis to twice a day plus adding on a drug called famotidine at night with physically reduced the volume of stomach acid you produce (ppis just neutralise it). Plus I had to take metaclopramide as it pushes things down instead of up, including bile, 3 times a day. I am finally better now 5 weeks out. I was desperate and hopeless and felt like my original surgeon could not help me / did not believe it. And yes, the severe pain was only at night time when I was meant to sleep! You need to see a gastroenterologist stat. Good luck.

On 7/13/2023 at 12:15 PM, jocemp said:

Its really hard not to be in full regret mode at night. Im 2 weeks out and during the day I'm fine no pain or anything. However, when I go to bed I get about 2 hours sleep and then wake up in excruciating pain under left ribs that goes around to my back. I have been to the ER and they checked my heart and lungs, they checked my sleeve for leaks, they checked me for clots, and nothing. This pain is really unbearable. All I'm eating is thinned out greek yogurt, drinking Protein Drinks, Jello, drinking gatorade zero, Water, and gatorlyte zero, and broth. I'm taking a ppi, gasx, stool softener, and laxative. I dont have a gallbladder, Im sleeping sitting up. I don't know what Im doing wrong. I am really trying to stay positive but this pain is making it hard and making me feeling like I ruined my life. Really praying someone on here has some experience with this and can give me some insight.

Hi there, I was sleeved June 19 and I had this!! I had 2 ER visits and was re admitted to hospital. I referred myself to a gastroenterologist in the end. That is what you need. My pain was only at night too! Here is my long story and I hope it helps you. Please know I am feeling better now. You’ve had complications but there is hope. Here is what I posted last night in another thread.

Hi everyone! I was sleeved on 19/6 (Australian date format lol). My experience was no smooth sailing and I developed severe complications despite seeing the best surgeon at the best hospital. I’ve felt really scared, alone and isolated so I am delighted to find this forum.
my weight was only 92 pre op and I guess I was considered a healthy young woman.
5 days post op I developed a severe burning pain deep inside my stomach. After numerous emergency visits and tests, it was determine I did not have a gastric leak. I had to be re admitted to hospital to manage the most severe pain of my life, for another 5 days and they still didn’t know what was wrong. Long story short, I had to self refer myself to a gastroenterologist who immediately knew what was wrong. I had developed bile reflux from my bowel into my freshly cut stomach which was causing the searing pain, severe inflammatory gastritis of my stomach lining, which then caused pancreatitis and severe spasms of my actual stomach. Because of all of this I could not even get Water down and my throat was burning and mouth dried up from bile damage. He put me on a bunch of new intense meds and nearly 6 weeks post op now I am starting to feel normal. It’s been a really scary rough ride and emotional and I haven’t known if I’ve made the right decision. I can eat about 1/4 cup soft foods now which I am grateful for. Anyway I wanted to share my story in case you ever come across someone with these symptoms and doctors don’t believe them / don’t know what is wrong. Great to meet you all! Thanks for sharing your journeys!