i am 11 months post op, and frequently get asked what i wished i had known pre op. here are 4 things:

I wish i would've known that i would still get hungry.- i was told my hunger would be gone.

I wish i would've known that the 1st 5 days of recovery could be difficult- i was told i would just be a "little sore"

I wish i would've known that my weight loss would be slow- i compare myself to others

I wish i would've known how yucky the Protein shakes would get to be--they suck now.

Please chime in! What do you wish you would've known pre op? Our honesty could help those who are still pre op.

Dont be scared-- im not complaining. i love my sleeve and the results i have gotten so far.

I wish I would have known I'd be 36 hours without even a sip of water post op. I knew it would be awhile after waking up... But almost two days was just torture.

I wish I would have known I'd be become a neurotic hypochondriac... Every little thing that changes is an emergency!

I also wish I would have known that becoming a neurotic hypochondriac is a normal response. I felt a little crazy.

I wish I would have known that I'd prefer pain to delauded. That stuff did nothing for my pain, it just made me sleepy. And being all wired up, I couldn't get comfortable to sleep. I was miserable on that stuff.

I wish I would have known that the first 24 hours was the hardest and it gets easier each day after.

I wish I could have had it done at 40 instead of 57!

I wish I didn't have wrinkles but man, I love wearing size 4/6!

I wish I could get some of my other friends to consider it for health reasons.

Thanks everyone for sharing! I appreciate the honesty. I am scheduled for January 20th and am starting to freak out. I worry about the obvious things like pain ... or death .. but I'm most worried about being a burden during recovery. For those that have been sleeved already ... did you need much help from others during recovery?

Thanks everyone for sharing! I appreciate the honesty. I am scheduled for January 20th and am starting to freak out. I worry about the obvious things like pain ... or death .. but I'm most worried about being a burden during recovery. For those that have been sleeved already ... did you need much help from others during recovery?

I am scheduled foe the 20th too!

Thanks everyone for sharing! I appreciate the honesty. I am scheduled for January 20th and am starting to freak out. I worry about the obvious things like pain ... or death .. but I'm most worried about being a burden during recovery. For those that have been sleeved already ... did you need much help from others during recovery?

To be honest, I did not have much NEED for help. I was in hospital 2 nights, came home with little/no pain per se, felt out of it and very weak for few days but went back to work a week later half day for three days and the. Full days next week. It wasn't a big deal other than learning how to deal with tiredness and weakness at first

Thanks everyone for sharing! I appreciate the honesty. I am scheduled for January 20th and am starting to freak out. I worry about the obvious things like pain ... or death .. but I'm most worried about being a burden during recovery. For those that have been sleeved already ... did you need much help from others during recovery?

Most people have a very easy recovery. Check this thread out: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/218686-anyone-have-a-relatively-easy-recovery-story/

I'm starting my 2 week pre-op diet tomorrow and really appreciate all the helpful honesty. I think I'm ready.

Thanks everyone for sharing! I appreciate the honesty. I am scheduled for January 20th and am starting to freak out. I worry about the obvious things like pain ... or death .. but I'm most worried about being a burden during recovery. For those that have been sleeved already ... did you need much help from others during recovery?

I'm day 4 post op. I don't NEED a lot of help. But I do need some. For one, I'm supposed to do stuff for myself to stay active, but I'm also not supposed to over do it or lift anything over 10lbs. So, I NEED my hubby to carry the laundry to and from the laundry room, but I do the rest myself. I have this awesome litter box that you just roll on its side and it automatically sifts all of the litter, then you just pull out the drawer and dump it. The litter box is to heavy to roll myself and the drawer can sometimes be to heavy... But I'll sweep around it myself. But I take care of him, my cousin, and her kid most of the time. If I lean a little heavy on them during my recovery, I will NOT feel guilty about it. I've got enough to worry about trending to my recovery needs without compounding needless anxieties. Lean on your loved ones as much as you need to... you do need a support system. It helps.

I'm day 4 post op. I don't NEED a lot of help. But I do need some. For one, I'm supposed to do stuff for myself to stay active, but I'm also not supposed to over do it or lift anything over 10lbs. So, I NEED my hubby to carry the laundry to and from the laundry room, but I do the rest myself. I have this awesome litter box that you just roll on its side and it automatically sifts all of the litter, then you just pull out the drawer and dump it. The litter box is to heavy to roll myself and the drawer can sometimes be to heavy... But I'll sweep around it myself. But I take care of him, my cousin, and her kid most of the time. If I lean a little heavy on them during my recovery, I will NOT feel guilty about it. I've got enough to worry about trending to my recovery needs without compounding needless anxieties. Lean on your loved ones as much as you need to... you do need a support system. It helps.

Sounds like you have a plan! Take it easy on yourself and go easy. You have a great life ahead with the sleeve as your partner!!!

<p>I love my sleeve, too, but I wish I had known how awful the first month would be, I would have been better prepared for it.</p>

question is what would you have done for that month to be better prepared? I have mine on march 4th

I wish I knew that I would have diarrhea for the whole time since surgery because my gall bladder was dysfunctional and that I would still have it even after gall bladder removal .. Still dealing with this but would have done it anyway. I wish I knew that I have a deformity that makes my hiatus hernia impossible to repair 100% and that I will be on the lowest dose of nexium forever .. But I would have done it anyway. I wish I knew how much better I would look and feel just 7 months out because I would have done it sooner. I wish I knew how awesome running and riding my bike would be after losing this weight, I would have done it sooner. I researched the hell out of this surgery and went into it with my eyes wide open and I don't regret a thing. I haven't had any deal breakers. If I didn't lose any more weight in my life I would still be over the moon.

I wondered about the gall bladder thing. I had mine removed in '08 and have had horrible dumping syndrome since. I was told it could clear up, but it looks like it could stay the same as well.

Not to pry, but do you take Metformin?

<p>I love my sleeve, too, but I wish I had known how awful the first month would be, I would have been better prepared for it.</p>

Better prepared how?

I had done a lot of research online and read a lot of books, so I felt I was prepared. But they didn't tell me I couldn't have even a sip of Water until the next day AFTER an upper GI to check for leaks in my sleeve. And the stuff they make you drink for that test tastes like old mop water!!! But it goes fast and then they gave me some apple juice and Jello.

I'm one month out from gastric sleeve, 35 lbs. gone, lost 5 inches in my hips, and 4 inches in my waist and boobage area. So don't forget to take your measurements. Clothes are finally beginning to feel pretty loose.

Another thing I recommend is to go through your closet and find all your smaller clothes and put them in size order, so the one day when your clothes are way too big you have access to what is the next lower size.

And for anyone preparing for surgery, the very best thing you can do for yourself is to get up and walk down the hall after surgery. They pump you full of a gas, and some of that is still in your body and will cause a pain in your left shoulder or as mine was, in the back left side of my shoulder blade. Pain meds do not help this, but walking will help those gas bubbles pop as your increase your circulation. I made 4 trips that afternoon and evening down the hall and by the time I went to bed that night, the pain was gone.

I will also say I had very little pain from my sleeve. I took pain meds while in the hospital, and then 2 the day I got home, the next day only 1 at bedtime, and that was all.

Some of us get a trigger that tells us when we are full. For me the first thing was kind of losing interest in what I was eating and the next thing was a hiccup. When you get a hiccup, put the spoon down and don't take another bite...it means you are full.

Another suggestion is to buy some baby spoons. They help you take smaller bites. I take only about 1/2 of a baby spoon with each bite.

Good luck everyone.

Hey thank you, that was very insightful

thank you all for posting this. I am tentatively scheduled for surgery the first week of may, and while I am not an emotional eater, I do wonder if I will *miss* any of my favorite foods. from all the sleevers in my family, they assure me I won't miss anything, because eventually I will be able to eat as I eat now...just in a more normal pattern, and I will get full off of smaller portions. I am praying this will be true for me. I am very close to two ladies who have been sleeved, and both eat very "normally". they get hungry, eat healthy, and stop when they are full. one good tip I have gotten is, "don't think the food is going away. it will still be there when you get hungry again. you don't have to eat it all. eat a little. when you get hungry again, eat a little more. don't worry--it wont disappear." I think that will help me out a lot, as I have always been taught to "always eat everything on your plate" growing up...a habit that has stuck with me WELL into adulthood!

I will definitely take in these suggestions. I have also decided to invest in these small spoons my local grocery sells. they are a bit smaller than the standard teaspoon (I think its a production defect hence them being so cheap). I can't imagine myself eating from a baby spoon while out...but these are actually small enough to leave me with way less food in my mouth but large enough to look "normal".

it's also great to hear everyones individual reaction to being full, pain, and the emotional and mental changes to surgery. keep them coming...this is an awesome post.