What do you wish someone had told you, or made more clear to you, before surgery?

Thanks!

I think the biggest thing for me post op was the fatigue. I never heard anyone mention this and even asked lots of people post about their energy and everyone said they could build a sky scraper the next day!! LOL Well not exactly but you get the idea.

My first four months I was knocked on my butt tired and it was really hard for me to get anything done. I felt like I was in a fog all the time.

However, today that is all gone and I now DO have more energy than I ever had in my life. So, they weren't being dishonest - I guess I was just didn't get responses from others who experienced what I did.

Good luck!!

For me it was the fatigue too. I had a little guy in diapers. We'd just sit on the floor to change him. I remember multiple times getting him ready for bed and just changing him and getting him into his jammies wiped me out so much that my hubby had to take him to bed and tuck him in, then my daughters tuck in, then come back down the stairs to help me get up and help me up the stairs to get to bed, because I couldn't do it. Had he not been there, I think I wouldn't slept on the floor at the bottom of the stairs!!!! lol!!!

Now though, i have 100x the energy I had before ; )

I think every body is different and we all experience similar things but not at the same time. I wish someone was there to tell me more the first few weeks but this forum has helped TREMENDOUSLY It was hard the first 3-4 days. The first week is rough in general because of lack of food but mentally starving and not feeling hungry LOL. I'll be two weeks on Weds. and I walk everyday- almost half a mile or less and I feel tired. I don't know how others can work out right away, more power to them! I don't like car rides- I feel every bump, can't wait to heal. Little things like that I would have liked to hear. Overall, yes it would of helped but if I had any questions I know I can ask our family here

How emotionally engaging, draining, tumultuous and all those other words that describe an emotional rollercoaster... this journey can be!!! That's been my biggest surprise.. BUT, I don't regret a thing!!!

How much work I had to do after surgery to learn new eating habits. Sleeve FORCES you to have good habits.

Also I should not to expected to be "normal" soon after surgery. I consider myself to be tough bird. Ignorantly compared VSG to shoulder surgery where I thought in six weeks, I might be back to semi "normal." Reality was it took me six months to learn habits and feel normal.

Never said I was smart. I love my sleeve and have no regrets. But, it was a journey to goal.

For me it had to be the mood swings! I had never been much of a girlie girl but after the surgery I noticed I was the cliché defenition of a girl! I think I even used the phrase "It's not what you said, it's how you said it!!!" LOL!!

On one of my follow up doctors app I was informed that women store hormones in fat cells and when we begin to lose weight they are released!! Thanks for the heads up Doc!! :twitch:

I wish someone had told me I was going to wake up with a tube down my throat. I was totally not prepared for that one and as a matter of fact my 1st words when I woke up was why are yall trying to choke and kill me? They started laughing but I did not see anything funny. They finally explained this is what they do for the sleeve. Up until this point I had done an extensive research on the lapband and had decided on the sleeve at the last minute. So if someone would have mentioned that then I would have been mentally prepared.

That your first time of the month kicks your behind! I was so tired and crampy for 4-5 days.

I wish someone had told me I was going to wake up with a tube down my throat. I was totally not prepared for that one and as a matter of fact my 1st words when I woke up was why are yall trying to choke and kill me? They started laughing but I did not see anything funny. They finally explained this is what they do for the sleeve. Up until this point I had done an extensive research on the lapband and had decided on the sleeve at the last minute. So if someone would have mentioned that then I would have been mentally prepared.

???!!!!!! WHAT, I have never heard this, I will wake up with a tube in my throat??!! Is that standard for every doctor???

at going on 3 years out, i think back and wish i would have known the following things; the fatigue, the weakness, the severe hairloss, malabsorption, and the occasional swelling where you can't fit anything in all day except liquids. But you know what, I'd much rather have all those complications and be thin and happy, then be fat and unhappy. Now just to come off track a bit, i heard yesterday on the radio that more and more men are becoming "chubby chasers" That made me even happier because i now know that maybe there won't be the chance of getting "hit on" as much. . . I realllyyyy , realllllyyyyy hate that!

???!!!!!! WHAT, I have never heard this, I will wake up with a tube in my throat??!! Is that standard for every doctor???

I didn't have a tube, mine was taken out while I was still under.

Spiritstalkergoddess,

I don't know if this is standard for all doctors but it was sure a standard for mine and I was not aware of that. I was acting like a 2 year old with that thing down my throat. I was like I promise I'll be good if you take this out. I was crying like a baby. Whew thank God that was my only complaint. I did not have much pain at all and everything else went smooth. I was going to post a pic but can't figure out how on this tread.

100% Sleeved,

Oh if I wake up with a tube down my throat I will be bawling like a baby too! I am glad the rest of your recovery went smoothly...

I wish someone had told me that no matter the very slim chance of a complication, just how bad and life altering they can be. Go in to this praying you are a lucky one with no complication and that the initial time off and recoverey for the sleeve is all you have to go through. But also know if you have a leak you could be hospitalized again for additional time (1 month for me), that you may end up NPO (feeding tube for me but also TPN possibly), be prepared that you could be off work for several more months (4 for me), know that you may have a stent placed (jasleeve) and that is very uncomfortable and makes eating and drinking bad. I wasn't prepared for the possibility of complications - after all it is 1% right? Be prepared. I doubt it makes it any easier but just know it can happen and it is very serious if it does. One person explained it well by saying it is 1% until it is YOU then it is 100% you.

Oh yeah, and before I forget, the constent sliming that still to this day goes on if I even have 1 bite too many.