Hello!

This is my first post, but I have been reading this board for months as I prepare for surgery (hopefully in Sept. or Oct.). I want to be as prepared for all the the best-case and worst-case scenarios, so I don't get too freaked out after I come out of surgery. It helps me to know that the first 4-6 weeks will be rough but that it gets better. It also helps me to read stories of folks that had quick recoveries as well as tough recoveries.

So my question is: for anyone that's had a c-section (sorry gentlemen) how did the recovery from that surgery compare with the recovery from VSG? I had one of those crazy pregnancies where I was vomiting for 9 months and had a rough time with recovery after the c-section, so I'm hoping that if I got through that, I can get through this!

Don't be afraid to tell me the ugly truth. I am not going to change my mind about having the surgery, I just want to mentally prepare myself.

Also - did anyone go on any kind of anti-depressent or anti-anxiety medication after the surgery? If so (and if you want to share) how did that work out for you?

Thank you in advance for anyone who answers - you all are amazing sources of motivation, support and information and I am already so grateful to all of you who post here!

Sarah in Miami

I had three c-sections and the recovery for VSG was much easier. I could walk without any discomfort at all after the sleeve. That was not the case with a c-section. People could tell I was walking funny.

It is very interesting to compare the two events. I went into the WLS with the same excitement I did when I was having a baby.

I had a very quick recovery. I feel back to normal 100% except I am eating way less! I was sleeved 8/9/11 and went back to work as a nurse in a busy clinic on 8/15/2011. I will tell you the day of surgery and the 2 days after that were pure hell though! I was so misreable in the hospital. I didnt have a lot of pain just horrible gas feeling trapped in my abdomen and I couldn't get comfortable in bed. Once I got home I started feeling better and better!

I would say the recovery itself as far as being another stomach surgery - yes the VSG is much easier - no large incision to baby. I will say I have a pain in my lower left side below my largest incision that even at 2 1/2 weeks that is still giving me fits if I lean or squat wrong. Now, mentally??? C-section was sooo much easier! You could eat just about whatever you wanted so you had energy and you had a cute little baby too. I have been suffering exhaustion from lack of calories - just finally got 465 calories in yesterday, before that I was averaging 100 - very hard to function physically and mentally on that!!! I would take sleep deprivation from a baby over how I have felt the last few weeks! LOL

My last of four children was born via c-section. Thank the Lord because had any of the earlier ones ended that way, she wouldn't been conceived. I thought that was really a painful recovery and I consider myself pretty tough. VSG recovery was much much better/easier. I stopped for my meds on the way home from the hospital and was walking around thinking that I just had surgery 2 days prior. I am also a stomach sleeper. I think after a week I was back on my stomach. Shifting in bed probably was the most noticeable with pain. I used one pain pill on the day I got home and that was it. Granted don't over do when you get home, but you aren't an invilid either. I can't believe after the first two weeks how back to normal I felt.

i did not have a c-section, however i did have a tubaligation, where the doc had to cut my stomach the size of a c-section due to my obisity. i was in more pain from that then this surgery. i had my surgery on the 16th and as far as physically i feel 100%. i laid on my tummy at the park on grass yesterday drawling with chalk on the sidewalk in front of us with my daughter and i had no pain whatsoever. the only thing thats different is now i have restriction in my stomach when i eat. loven this so much! i wish that i had done it after my last baby. i feel like i have waisted 8 years of my life being fat. good luck to you for a safe and easy recovery!

Hi,

I had a tough pregnancy and a c-section, so I think I can relate.

Surgery-wise, no contest - VSG is much easier. I was completely off pain meds of any type within 4 days. The only residual discomfort was from where the drain was. It was a weird ache in the morning when I got out of bed and lasted a few minutes. The duration got shorter and shorter. Gas pains suck, but I lived with my heating pad on me 24 hours a day and it absolutely made a difference. It felt so comforting - I slept with that heating pad for weeks :-)

The hard part is the fact that you can't eat anything. I had really bad exhaustion (not everyone has this) for almost 8 weeks. So bad that I could barely hold my head up at work - seriously. Your tummy will sound like it is fighting with you when you drink Water. You may or may not like the taste of your liquid nutrition. This makes it mentally tough, but not painful like a C-section.

Even though you do not have pain like a c-section, it is important to remember that your insides have significant incisions that are healing. Pay attention to the post-op diet and if something you eat makes you feel bad, stop eating it and try it again in a week or so.

Good luck--

I had 2 -sections and the recovery of the surgery from them was much worse than the sleeve. After my c-sections I needed to take my pain medicine and had a hard time walking and getting around. When I came home after having the sleeve, I did not take pain medicine. My stomach was sore but I could deal with it. The day after I returned home, I took a 4 block walk and felt fine. Before a full week post op I was walking a mile with no problem. Recovery from the sleeve was much much easier for me.

I had 27 hours of unmedicated hard labor and 2 c-sections. VSG surgery was WAY more painful and difficult for the first week (esp. while in the hospital). I have also had my gall bladder removed. The "external" pain (i.e., muscular) was no big deal and over faster that the c-sections because less muscle is cut if surgery is laproscopic. But the internal pain is still with me 4 weeks out..that is the gas pain or stomach pain when trying to eat mushy food. It;s really 6 of one and half dozen of the other comparing the various surgeries because of the nature of the procedures and different parts of the body effected.

2 C-sections... Both times, I threw-up for 4 days and wasn't allowed to eat because no bowel tones. Couldn't do stairs, wasn't supposed to lift over 10 pounds...yeah, not an easy feat when your babies weigh 11 lbs 5.5 oz. Anyway, NO COMPARISON.

VSG is laproscopic and even whipped my gallbladder surgery!

Not gonna lie, the first 12 hours are INTENSE...like labor through the chest for me. After that, it would be exponentially easier by the day. Day 3 I was off of all meds and walking about 1/2 mile at a time. I was doing so good, I honestly would not believe I'd had "major" surgery if I hadn't been there! lol

I recovered really well from both my c-section and my VSG, but I agree with the others - the laparascopy of VSG is much easier than the open c-section.

Thank you to everyone who responded. It's been really interesting to read how you compared the two surgeries. I do realize that they are totally different surgeries, and recovery from each is going to be very different, but it's helpful to get me into the "if I got through the c-section, I can get through this!" mentality. I'm also going to do a lot of work getting myself ready mentally for the change in lifestyle, which I think it going to be the toughest thing for me, long term. Thank you all again, I appreciate your input!

Sarah

I had twins almost 10 years ago. The first twin born came so quickly that they were unable to administer any pain meds, so she was born naturally. The second twin was coming quickly enough so they put me to sleep, and she was born via c-section. The pain from the vsg was MUCH worse for me than the c-section. After 5 days, however, I was feeling great with only lingering incision pain from my largest incision. That went away completely at 3 1/2 weeks post op, and I felt completely back to normal from that point on. I really wasn't prepared for the post op pain from vsg, but every day got better.