M scheduled for my surgery April 26th and I was curious to see who else would be walking in the shoes of April with me. Tell me how you feeling? What's on your mind? Any worries? Second thoughts?

Hi, everyone! I've had a bit of a hard morning and wanted to run it by you all. I had my first follow-up appointment today, followed by a stomach X-ray to check for leaks. Back in January/February, I had bronchitis, followed swiftly by pneumonia, which left me with post-pneumonia asthma (the first time in my life I had ever had any breathing problems), but to my complete and utter amazement, after the sleeve op, all the symptoms had gone! No more wheezing, no more night-time asthma - and all with no meds! Then last night I kept waking up coughing, then this morning I was wheezing while I had my (cold - water heater broken, brrrr) shower. So not a good start to the day, but that was just the beginning.

When I got to the hospital, I felt really dizzy going up in the lift, but I was excited at the prospect of being weighed for the first time since discharge and seeing how much I had lost. Four days with no food at all, a massive portion of my stomach removed (which must have weighed several kilos, surely?) and six days of nothing other than water, a little apple juice, chicken broth and sugar-free jelly - that had to add up to a satisfyingly solid weight loss, surely? Well, no. The last time I was weighed on the same scales by the same nurse (two weeks ago today) I was 119 kilos and today I was... wait for it ... 120 kilos (264 pounds). How is that possible? I cried, embarrassingly, but I just couldn't stop myself. After all I have put my body through?

I had calmed down a little by the time I saw the surgeon, but as soon as he looked at my weight on the form, it set set me off again. He couldn't believe it, either, to the extent that he got up and went to the nurse's room and weighed himself to check that the scales were working properly! Sadly, they were. He said it could be all sorts of things, but not to worry (easier said than done!) and that by the time I see him again next week there should be a really good loss to see. He said that the fact that my blood glucose levels are at non-diabetic levels (80 yesterday morning, 74 this morning - little short of miraculous!) was not only great in itself, but also a good omen for the weight loss.

I am still having quite a bit of pain in my stomach and the bruising is still spectacular. You know how doctors are trained not to express shock when they examine you, but if you are watching their face, you can see a glimpse of shock just as they start to look? That's what happened. He said that it's intramuscular bleeding, which only occurs in less than 5% of sleeve patients and rarely to this extent. So that explains the bruising and the pain. It's just a case of waiting for it to disperse.

As for the upset stomach which I have had since discharge, he said to stop the sugar-free jelly now, as he suspects that's causing the problem (which I was already pretty sure was the case) and to replace it with ayran (also called laban), a local yoghurt drink which contains a little water and some salt - my first non-clear fluid - hooray!

So all in all a mixed first follow-up visit. The good news is that the X-ray showed no leak from the sleeve. As for the weight, I am trying not to get too upset now that the initial shock and disappointment are past, and will be strong and not weigh myself again until I see the surgeon again next week, by which time I hope I'll be moving my weightloss ticker well and truly to the right!

Hi' date=' everyone! I've had a bit of a hard morning and wanted to run it by you all. I had my first follow-up appointment today, followed by a stomach X-ray to check for leaks. Back in January/February, I had bronchitis, followed swiftly by pneumonia, which left me with post-pneumonia asthma (the first time in my life I had ever had any breathing problems), but to my complete and utter amazement, after the sleeve op, all the symptoms had gone! No more wheezing, no more night-time asthma - and all with no meds! Then last night I kept waking up coughing, then this morning I was wheezing while I had my (cold - water heater broken, brrrr) shower. So not a good start to the day, but that was just the beginning.

When I got to the hospital, I felt really dizzy going up in the lift, but I was excited at the prospect of being weighed for the first time since discharge and seeing how much I had lost. Four days with no food at all, a massive portion of my stomach removed (which must have weighed several kilos, surely?) and six days of nothing other than water, a little apple juice, chicken broth and sugar-free jelly - that had to add up to a satisfyingly solid weight loss, surely? Well, no. The last time I was weighed on the same scales by the same nurse (two weeks ago today) I was 119 kilos and today I was... wait for it ... 120 kilos (264 pounds). How is that possible? I cried, embarrassingly, but I just couldn't stop myself. After all I have put my body through?

I had calmed down a little by the time I saw the surgeon, but as soon as he looked at my weight on the form, it set set me off again. He couldn't believe it, either, to the extent that he got up and went to the nurse's room and weighed himself to check that the scales were working properly! Sadly, they were. He said it could be all sorts of things, but not to worry (easier said than done!) and that by the time I see him again next week there should be a really good loss to see. He said that the fact that my blood glucose levels are at non-diabetic levels (80 yesterday morning, 74 this morning - little short of miraculous!) was not only great in itself, but also a good omen for the weight loss.

I am still having quite a bit of pain in my stomach and the bruising is still spectacular. You know how doctors are trained not to express shock when they examine you, but if you are watching their face, you can see a glimpse of shock just as they start to look? That's what happened. He said that it's intramuscular bleeding, which only occurs in less than 5% of sleeve patients and rarely to this extent. So that explains the bruising and the pain. It's just a case of waiting for it to disperse.

As for the upset stomach which I have had since discharge, he said to stop the sugar-free jelly now, as he suspects that's causing the problem (which I was already pretty sure was the case) and to replace it with ayran (also called laban), a local yoghurt drink which contains a little water and some salt - my first non-clear fluid - hooray!

So all in all a mixed first follow-up visit. The good news is that the X-ray showed no leak from the sleeve. As for the weight, I am trying not to get too upset now that the initial shock and disappointment are past, and will be strong and not weigh myself again until I see the surgeon again next week, by which time I hope I'll be moving my weightloss ticker well and truly to the right![/quote']

I am so sorry!!!!! While you were in the hospital I am sure they pumped you full of fluids right? The excess bleeding probably didn't help either. Focus on the positive! You blood sugar numbers were great! That is fantastic! That is worth celebrating! Numbers on the scale will follow. Be patient. It will happen! It's a race for distance not a sprint! Hang in there!

Amy

Today is my Day !!! going in at 10 am for 1pm surgery. not nervous or scared , just ready!! LETS GO 26th Day Sleevers!!!

I am so sorry!!!!! While you were in the hospital I am sure they pumped you full of fluids right? The excess bleeding probably didn't help either. Focus on the positive! You blood sugar numbers were great! That is fantastic! That is worth celebrating! Numbers on the scale will follow. Be patient. It will happen! It's a race for distance not a sprint! Hang in there!

Amy

Thanks, Amy! I know I need to keep it in perspective and that you are absolutely right - it is a race for distance and not a sprint, and the blood sugar numbers are amazing - but when your body has been through the wringer and you don't feel particularly well on a particular day, it's difficult not to be bitterly disappointed and upset. I'll bounce back, though! Thanks again for your kind words and encouragement.

To Janetf, just a bump in the road. But very normal to have those emotions! Keep on keeping on! God is an awesome God, and did not bring you through surgery to yet disappoint you. After all is said and done, your report was really good this morning. Keep your head up and remember anything that's good takes time!

To all that's being sleeved today, I pray for God to send guardian angels to surround you in the operating room and then follow you to a speedy and prosperous recovery! Be blessed!

Janet... I had a 6 pound weight gain after surgery. Don't fret. It took me almost 6 days to see a drop on the scale at home. If your bowels are not moving, that can have an impact. Also all those fluids in the hospital really did a number on me.

As soon as I was able to drink more water and get in some proper nutrition, things really improved. I was 314 day of surgery. Two days post op on hospital scale I was 320!!! Today, I am 307. Take heart, it will get better. I am living proof. I thought what the heck...only I can go for WLS and GAIN weight!!!!

Hang in there. You will do fine and sorry about the bruising. I still hurt too and bending over really gives me pain. We are going to make it. I know we will. Cyber hug to you.

I go in next Monday (30'th) at 6:30 and on the table at 8:00. I'm having moments of fear but I keep thinking as good as I feel with having lost 10 lbs on the pre-op diet' date=' how good will I feel when I loose some real weight. being on of the last ones to go under, I hope you guys will stick around a while and help me through the post-op stuff.[/quote']

We will be around, don't worry about that and those that have been sleeved so far in April will be able to cheer you and the rest of our final group on and share our seeds of wisdom we have learned so far. All my best to you and our remaining pre-op April sleeve buddies.

To Janetf, just a bump in the road. But very normal to have those emotions! Keep on keeping on! God is an awesome God, and did not bring you through surgery to yet disappoint you. After all is said and done, your report was really good this morning. Keep your head up and remember anything that's good takes time!

Thank you for that, Fanny. I will keep on keeping on, as you say - after all, there's not a lot of choice in the matter and, as you also said, anything that's good takes time! Hopefully not too much more, though!

Janet... I had a 6 pound weight gain after surgery. Don't fret. It took me almost 6 days to see a drop on the scale at home. If your bowels are not moving, that can have an impact. Also all those fluids in the hospital really did a number on me.

As soon as I was able to drink more water and get in some proper nutrition, things really improved. I was 314 day of surgery. Two days post op on hospital scale I was 320!!! Today, I am 307. Take heart, it will get better. I am living proof. I thought what the heck...only I can go for WLS and GAIN weight!!!!

Hang in there. You will do fine and sorry about the bruising. I still hurt too and bending over really gives me pain. We are going to make it. I know we will. Cyber hug to you.

Thank you for your support, WillowsKnot. It's been an up and down day, but at least it's ended more happily than it started. It sounds as if you know the disappointment of the scales just as well as I do, but congratulations on your loss! You do give me hope.

Incidentally (and slightly unpleasantly - apologies!) my bowels have hardly stopped moving since day 2. I'm hoping that they will calm down a little now. Like you, the surgeon thought that the IV fluids could have had something to do with the lack of weight loss, although I only had the IV in for two and a half days until my arm started to swell with phlebitis and they couldn't find another suitable vein in the other arm or my leg.

On the bright side, at least I have had no problems in keeping my liquids down. I had my first little bottle of ayran/laban this evening and it wasn't too bad, so I think having some of that each day will help my nutrition. I'm looking forward to Monday, though, when I can officially move onto full liquids. Tomorrow I am going home at last, having been staying with a friend and her family since I was discharged on Sunday. Another little milestone!

Thanks again for your support and encouragement. I know we will make it. A cyber hug back to you!

had my surgery april 20th! went well, but the drainage tube caused me a LOT of pain, especially in my left shoulder. as soon as the drainage tube was out, i felt much better! 6 days post op and i have "hunger". that's been tough, but sticking to my clear liquids. good luck, everyone!

Janet. Dang phone.....send that request again!!!! My phone screen is small and it selected the wrong thing Sorry about that. Thank you.

A little late to the game, but here none-the-less, I was sleeved on April 18.

Janet. Dang phone.....send that request again!!!! My phone screen is small and it selected the wrong thing Sorry about that. Thank you.

Done! Phone screens can be so fiddly, can't they? I've been reading the VST forums on my iPad and for some unknown reason, the message box starts off the screen to the left and apart from the fact that I just have to hope that the beginning of the messge I have typed is properly spelled, I've no idea if there is a 'post' or 'send' button to hit, so perhaps the few messages I hoped I had sent haven't actually gone!

Hello all! I was sleeved 4/24. Almost 72 hrs out now. I had serious nausea the day of surgery right out of recovery. Doc said it was from anesthesia. At 24 hrs having some pretty bad acid reflux but they fixed that with some meds. They kept me an extra day because I didn't get in the fluids they wanted between the nausea and acid reflux. 48 hrs and all is well. No nausea no gas no acid reflux. I came home today and still feel great. I didn't get in my fluids today so I hope that's not gonna cause dehydration. I gotta work harder at that tomorrow but it should be easier since I'm home. I do feel really good though, aside from a little soreness. I have a high tolerance for pain so that's helpful! I am having to remind myself to take it easy because I just feel like I could do anything! I am so so thankful for all of the prayers and well wishes. I have absolutely felt every last one of them. I wouldn't be doing this good if God didn't have my back! And I didn't have the support from all of y'all! Love to all of you!