i am nearly two weeks out from having surgery and I'm so incredibly unhappy!! I'll be the first to say I was one of the ones who scoffed at the posts where people seemed unhappy....surely this wouldn't happen to me! Surely I would be in the more populus group of those thrilled with surgery. I am on e the smaller side when it comes to bariatric patients so I thought I'd recover easily and would be on my way to skinnyville.....ummmm no... After surgery pain was excruciating...I mean I have dealt with pain in my life....but this is a new level. The pain management people came in time and again asking me on a scale of one to ten and my answer was always the same 10+++++. The pain medication got stronger and even morphine and other drugs couldn't even take the edge off. I was in pain like this for 3 days!! I could barely get a sim of water in and I was dry heaving constantly. It was horrible! Finally the pain subsided from the surgery but now I have this constant pain in my back...upper to righthand side. Feels almost like food is stuck there. Went down wrong hole and I desperately wanna wash that chunk of food down....but guess what? I didn't eat any food and drinking makes that pain worse. Please anyone know what this pain is? Will it ever go away and will I be in pain every time i eat for the rest of my life? Sorry to be so dramatic, but it seriously doesn't feel like it's ever going to go away. I am soooooooooo tired. Exhausted beyond belief....no matter how much protein or vitamins nothing helps...I have a business and I really need some energy. My business is suffering. And to top it all off i lost 20 lbs in 4 days, great right? Well I honestly believe most of this was just water weight and weight dropping off from my last meal or two....I have not dropped a single lb in over a week now. My stomach is swelled and I'm not even eating...only liquids....sugar free high protein liquids. I even gained a lb! I used to eatbso much food, I'm talking 5000 a day and my weight went up a lb a month maybe...now I'm drinking 300 calories a day and nothing!! I'm going crazy!! This is like a nightmare I can't wake from!! I keep hoping I will wake up....have money in my bank account, be able to eat food...cause man the cravings don't go away and they are horrible!! I MAY NOT BE HUNGRY BUT MY MIND WANTS FOOD MORE THAN I HAVE EVER BEFORE....IF YOU USE FOOD FOR PLEASURE AND IT IS MORE OF A MENTAL THING FOR YOU...THIS SURGERY MAY NOT HELP U AT ALL! I just want my body back and I know I never can! It's so weird knowing life will never be the same.

My goodness I am so glad and surprised to get that much helpful comments! Thank u everyone so much! I guess I just needed to talk to people that have been thru it all. I didn't know prilosec came in capsules I will try it. Im not sure if this is a different kind of gas tho...sounds like it might be that surgical gas. I have not pooped yet. I have not eaten anything only still on liquids. A few minutes ago I had my husband put pressure on that one spot in my back and as long as he held his thumb there it didn't hurt....it's weird. I will try walking more...I have to admit I've been depressed and moving a lot hasn't been the number one thing on my mind...but it makes sense. I own my own shop and I've had my husband run it for the last 2 weeks....it's starting to lack a woman's touch if u know what I mean tho...I definitely need to get up and moving despite how I feel.

I just happened to see that you ride and I posted a few weeks ago about how soon would I be able to ride and how long etc...only one response that was not real helpful. So, how soon did you ride and was saddling at all painful? What about your total time of riding and type of riding? 5 weeks from my surgery I have an event I am Chairman of and I might have to be in the saddle for five hours or so....so I am worried. Please give me all of your details of transitioning. The worst part is I am not telling ANYONE, so it's going to be hard to work around.

For whatever reason, I was expecting the worse (death...lol) and so even though I was pretty miserable the first 3-4 weeks I felt happy about it. Your level of pain sounds really high, but everything else you describe sounds pretty familiar. I was dog tired until probably 5-6 weeks post op. It was kind of depressing to be that tired. I felt strange combinations of not wanting to eat, being hungry, being worried about being hungry, everything tasting funny and just generally feeling weird and totally not myself. I went back to work after 3 weeks and even though I have a desk job, I was so fatigued I couldn't work a full day. All I can say is that things even out. Stalls come and go, but, all in all, the weight just keeps coming off and I don't get stressed over the little ups and downs. BTW, it seems impossible since you are eating so little, but nearly everyone hits a big ole stall 2-3 weeks out from surgery. It made me question what the heck I had done, but it passed and weight loss continues. Here is an easy to read explanation of it: http://www.dsfacts.c...or-plateau.html My doc also had me taking prosilec from the beginning. He prescribed the capsule, which I opened and had the little pellets inside on apple sauce or somethign liquidy like. He views that as a good preventive measure and I think you may want to look to getting on an acid med sooner then later. The only words of encouragement I can give you is that now that I am months out from surgery, this is my experience: -losing weight and clothing sizes so fast that I can barely keep up -working out at the gym 3-4 days a week, feel like I am finally back to strength -riding my horse, working around my yard and property with full energy -no big hunger problems. sometimes I do "want" to eat, but I am getting better at distinguishing the mental desire to eat from the physical hunger. -my tastes are still "off" but it is getting better. I most regret that my favorite beverage - Water - still tastes funky to me but that seems a small price to pay for the weight loss -the thing I hate the most - all the Vitamins I have to take. I know it is for my LONG TERM health, so I am doing it, but I hate it. I feel like this surgery has "freed" me from that near constant hunger. People (well therapists anyway) always seem to say that food drive is in your head but my experience is that it is a physical drive to eat. That overwhelming drive is just gone - and I hope stays away! You do make a great point that surgery doesn't eliminate the emotional comfort people get from food. It doesn't really solve anything in life except help you to eat less.

Okay, so my circumstances were perhaps a little different because I had band removal surgery in late sept and then sleeve done 12/12. Doctors orders was to wait 6 weeks before riding after the sleeve. This was because of heavy lifting (saddle) and perhaps more importantly risk of injury from a fall. To be honest, i didn't feel much like riding until I was probably 4 weeks out anyway. I was so tired! Even at 6 weeks, I feel like I had lost strength and was tired after an hour in the arena - doing some posting etc.

Before the surgeries I rode usually 4-5 days a week, a typical ride was maybe 2 hours, but I would haul out for much longer rides on the weekend. I took alot of time off from riding between the two surgeries so it maybe took me longer to build back up. Also, I am 47, so I am thinking a younger person is going to bounce back a little faster. And finally, I had gained so much weight in 2011 and all - I was feeling in much worse shape then normal.

I personally would feel like it would have been too much for me to spend 5 hours in the saddle, chairing a show just 5 weeks post op. I don't think you would be risking your health because things are pretty well healed up 3-4 weeks post op, but you should see what your surgeon says. Dr Aceves is very experienced and I would trust his judgement on this.

I just happened to see that you ride and I posted a few weeks ago about how soon would I be able to ride and how long etc...only one response that was not real helpful. So, how soon did you ride and was saddling at all painful? What about your total time of riding and type of riding? 5 weeks from my surgery I have an event I am Chairman of and I might have to be in the saddle for five hours or so....so I am worried. Please give me all of your details of transitioning. The worst part is I am not telling ANYONE, so it's going to be hard to work around.

Thanks a lot...well, I am 46 years old, so I am right there with ya as far as age goes! I think your advice is wise and right on. I am going to have to get someone though to ride my horse for the five weeks I am NOT riding or else I could have trouble in the saddle once I step on! Thanks for sharing!

Okay, so my circumstances were perhaps a little different because I had band removal surgery in late sept and then sleeve done 12/12. Doctors orders was to wait 6 weeks before riding after the sleeve. This was because of heavy lifting (saddle) and perhaps more importantly risk of injury from a fall. To be honest, i didn't feel much like riding until I was probably 4 weeks out anyway. I was so tired! Even at 6 weeks, I feel like I had lost strength and was tired after an hour in the arena - doing some posting etc.

Before the surgeries I rode usually 4-5 days a week, a typical ride was maybe 2 hours, but I would haul out for much longer rides on the weekend. I took alot of time off from riding between the two surgeries so it maybe took me longer to build back up. Also, I am 47, so I am thinking a younger person is going to bounce back a little faster. And finally, I had gained so much weight in 2011 and all - I was feeling in much worse shape then normal.

I personally would feel like it would have been too much for me to spend 5 hours in the saddle, chairing a show just 5 weeks post op. I don't think you would be risking your health because things are pretty well healed up 3-4 weeks post op, but you should see what your surgeon says. Dr Aceves is very experienced and I would trust his judgement on this.

Might be time to step back and remember why you chose this journey. For me it was the diabetes which was taking over my life. I have not had to take meds. since I left the hospital. I am 3 1/2 mo. out. The weight loss is a bonus! I was started on Previced 40mg. daily when I left the hospital I also had much pain on my right shoulder and back the nurse told me to get gas-x she said patients tried this and it helped I took it after meals. She also said to walk as much as I could as this would help get the gas out. If your pain lower on the right side and you still have the gallbladder might be something to consider. With all that constant pain probably should contact Dr. In another 2 weeks you will be amazed how much better you feel!! You are not alone.

Are you feeling any better?

You need to walk, walk, walk. When I had my gall bladder surgery I was never told to walk and I was still in my hospital gown 2 weeks after surgery! I thought I was a slow healer. After being sleeved I started walking immediately and I have had virtually no pain after a few days. It really made such a HUGE difference in my recovery. Hope you are feeling better

Your original post was at the beginning of April. Are you still feeling terrible?

Walk as much as you can, and put a heating pad on wherever it hurts. Take gas x and call your surgeon and describe this pain.

Do not let yourself get dehydrated, because that causes a whole host of additional problems. Are you sipping on fluids?

You might want to take a stool softener as well.

I so love Dr. Aceves' He is definately the most competent surgeon I have to say! He uses common sence which I think is lacking in alot of today surgeons....I would reccommend listening and following anything Dr. Aceves' says....The office staff Nina and Gabby are awesome to respond with ANY questions you have. I found by week 4 I was strong ALL my incisions had healed and I was only off work a total of 5 days....

This is the most wonderful thing I have done for myself in 20+ years!

Hi! Thanks for checking up on me! I am actually feeling much much better! OMG I was feeling so incredibly depressed for awhile, but eventually it wore off and I started losing weight again and the pain went away. I can now drink completely normal as long as I'm not eating. I can eat, but still have pain after I eat and I have been on prilosec for a long time now and it doesnt seem to help. However I don't always make the best choices I will be honest. Chips don't make my stomach hurt at all and neither does candy or sweets? Which I have never been a sweet eater, but sometimes you just wanna eat without pain, so those are things I go towards..Bad I know! I eat way less than I used to, so I am still losing no matter what I eat though.

I am sorry to hear that you are having trouble. I hope that you will improve over time. I feel so much better and I am weaning off the last of my meds that I think the trade offs that I had for surgery were more than worth it. Good Luck!

Hi! Thanks for checking up on me! I am actually feeling much much better! OMG I was feeling so incredibly depressed for awhile, but eventually it wore off and I started losing weight again and the pain went away. I can now drink completely normal as long as I'm not eating. I can eat, but still have pain after I eat and I have been on prilosec for a long time now and it doesnt seem to help. However I don't always make the best choices I will be honest. chips don't make my stomach hurt at all and neither does candy or sweets? Which I have never been a sweet eater, but sometimes you just wanna eat without pain, so those are things I go towards..Bad I know! I eat way less than I used to, so I am still losing no matter what I eat though.

I'm very glad to hear you're feeling better!

I did however want to point out that you should be careful with eating chips and sweets, as they could be your "slider" foods and they will sabotage your weight loss and success. At this point in your recovery and lifestyle change, you must focus on eating Protein first, veggies second and carbs last (only if you have room left!). If you're not eating protein, then your body will break down your muscles (easier to "process" than fat!). And your weight loss will be mostly muscle mass!

Who wants to become a big flabby bag of skin? You NEED those muscles, so work hard on keeping them!

I found early on that my stomach hurt after eating too, and I quickly realized it was because I was eating too much! So funny to say that, when you look at the plate and there are only a few bites on there. How can that be too much?

For me, after quite a bit of experimentation, I realized that I can eat 2 1/2 - 3 oz (in total) in one meal. So in order to make sure I didn't eat more than that (and have stomach pain and nausea), I measure EVERYTHING.

As my stomach has been healing, my capacity is growing too. So I'll have to keep checking "in" to see if my 2 1/2 - 3 oz is growing, and adjust accordingly. Also, I'm getting to be a pretty good judge of the volume of most foods now, so I don't always have to measure (which can be difficult when you're not home and have no scale!).

Please please please, focus on eating protein first! Measure your food and learn what volume/weight works for you. Cut out the chips and sweets, you'll be happy you did, believe me!

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Ii am going to try harder to eat more protein! yeah I def dont want tolose all my muscle mass and that makes sense. I really need to make my healthy eating a priority. i have always been a fast eater and nthingis harder for me than to eat so little, so slow, but perhaps I am eating too much. i guess I just need to eat a it or two and wait and see how that feels. Thanks for the tips!

It sounds like you really were not very informed at all on your surgery....WOW!!