Weight loss surgery is NOT easy... the things I wished they had warned me about.

[greensleeve 457]

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I think that there is such a wide range of post op experiences and people's surgeons should be educating them about that prior to it. It's sad when they don't.

I knew mostly what to expect. What I didn't expect was the back pain. It didn't occur to me that being strapped to a table with my arms strapped straight out on a hard table would hurt my back. But it hurt so bad the first two days.

They gave me Lortab and it didn't do anything. The first night I was out of bed kneeling on a chair facing the back rocking back and forth because my back hurt so bad. I finally got them to prescribe something different which worked.

I also had high blood pressure and they couldn't figure out why. I could hardly get any Water down because it hurt so bad. I had to stay an extra night because of those two things.

But I think my surgeon's program prepared me well for the unexpected. It sucked but I knew I was taking a risk and I knew that there could be problems. And like you the difficulties are just making me want to work that much harder!

I too have seen some posts on here that are literally unbelievable about people's first day after surgery. I think we might have a troll or two around here.

But some people just are fine with anesthesia. Some people are sick for days because of it.

[wendyt 108]

I have been reading up on the sleeve for almost a year now. And this site had given me a wealth of information! I've read the good stories AND the bad stories; I know full well what could happen during and after surgery. I'd never go into something this major without knowing the goods and the bads; so, while I hope for a good recovery, I also realize it could be not so good, and I'll accept and deal with whichever version I'm given.

I'm so sorry you had such a terrible time; hopefully you will feel back to normal soon...and in a thinner body

[bigjoe59 62]

I had my surgery on February 26... the gastric sleeve. All during my consultations prior to surgery I was never told quite how bad I would feel after surgery. All I heard was that you'd probably not feel a lot of pain after surgery and would be able to get up and walk the same day. What???

I wish someone would have prepared me for what was to follow. I went into this thinking that this would be somewhat of an easy operation. Listen ITS MAJOR SURGERY....... WITH MAJOR SUGICAL RISKS.... DO NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLY. i Think if I had been clear of some of the real life side effects would have been that it wouldn't have been such a shock to me when i woke up after surgery in so much pain.

After I woke up from surgery I had a stabbing pain on my left shoulder and under my breast. The first thing I thought of 'my heart' but the nurses said the pain was from the carbon dioxide that they use in surgery to fill your abdoment with gas to be able to view all the internal organs more clearly. my surgery was done laporoscopic so I didn't have a large wound on my abdomen. The wounds themseves caused me no discomfort due to the long acting anesthesia that the doctor injected into the abdomenal wall by the incisions that lasts for three days. I couldn't understand why i felt so horrible.

Now all my pre op tests indicated that my heart was in GREAT shape.... I had the echocardiogram done and the stress test then a couple EKG's before surgery that were all normal. I had the Pulmonary Function Test, The sleep apnea studies (i do not have sleep apnea) blood tests and the Egd.... yes they did say that i had a small hiatal hernia that would be repaired during this surgery. SO i didn't understand why my Blood pressure skyrocketed after surgery and stayed high during my stay even with blood pressure medicatons. My heart rate was dangerously high. I had severe nausea. I couldn't even drink Water sometimes and the Protein drink made me sick and I vomitted it along with Jello and nasty chicken broth. the only thing that i could half way eat without extreme nausea was the sugar free popsicles and sips of hot tea...(but it had to be hot and not cold) I couldn't even take my liquid medicine without taking two different anti nausea pills beforehand. I gagged when i tried to take it because the taste was so nasty.... Liquid Lortab after surgery...... ughhhh what are they thinking?

I couldn't even fathom walking in the hall the first day. All I wanted to do was to sleep and take my pain meds. I only walked from my bed to the bathroom and back several times a day. I had nurses coming in every two hours around the clock either taking my blood pressure, sticking my finger with a needle to test my blood sugar (standard testing there for WLS ptsl) taking my temp. putting meds in my Iv etc etc......

I did have the test where they took me down to X ray the following day and made me swallow a milky substance (lucky i didn't vommit it up) to allow them to see the fld as it went down into my sleeve to test for leaks..... I had NO leaks thank God.

I felt hot all the time in the hospital but didn't have a fever. My face was flushed. They told me to keep using the spirometer so I wouldn't get Pneumonia. I tried to do it as much as possible. they said i had to be able to drink a lot of Water before they could send me home. I ended up staying in the Hospital for four days.... not one like promised. I felt like a train wreck.... I know everyone is different but I think everyone should be warned of WHAT COULD HAPPEN...... and not go into this lightly thinking it's a piece of cake.

I went home on the forth day still feeling horrible.... still with high blood pressure and now on meds for it (i did not have high blood pressure before surgery) Still in pain.... Now the surgical sight is aching as the long acting med done locally has worn off. Still can't take the lortab liquid without feeling nauseated....... Still sleeping most of the time but now at least I was able to drink more water and maybe a half of a Protein shake.

I felt better after seven days when i went back to the doctor but was still very weak..... still on liquids.

Now I am six weeks out and finally feeling more normal again and happy I went through this.... BUT the hard work is still ahead. This surgery is NOT magic...... you have to follow the guidelines and instructions they give you or you won't be successful....... I am on phase 3 diet and have lost over 20 lbs since surgery...... I t is still Hard..... and had nausea today after eating scrambled eggs.

I am not trying to scare anyone but be prepared, ask questions.... This surgery is NOT easy.... don't ever believe what some people say here..... I just don't go into this thinking it's easy ,cause it's NOT......... I'd still do it again...... No pain, No gain....... well I don't want to gain lbs just good health........

I just had my surgery one week ago on the 26th of march. Luckily I had kaiser who reauired me to take a 12 week course to educate me on all the positives and negatives. Im sorry you went in without adequate info, I hope all is better now. The mind is a powerful tool if you know what to expect it easier to deal with. Good luck.

[biggie2smallie 2]

Thanks for sharing man. I hope that my experience will not be as bad as you had or worse but I am set to go on April 18, 2014 and praying that all goes well.

[moonlitestarbrite 902]

its worth saying that some doctors believe that if you tell people all of the things that could go wrong, they do... meaning when people expect the worst, it happens.

and i believe that for some of us, we want so desperately to have this surgery, we dont hear any of the negatives. or if we do, we are overwhelmed with so much info, we dont process it all. i know it took me a while to wrap my brain around everything.

and frankly, very few of us a healthy when we have this surgery. and so our level of complications is likely much higher. sad, but true.

[Becky78 7]

I too have kaiser and they informed me of all the possible things that could happen that you mentioned. I'm sorry you had to experience them all. I'm on my 5th week no complications and I was up walking around the same day as my surgery. I have some nausea right after eating but other than that the hardest part for me is drinking 64 oz of fluids a day. I'm glad you're doing better.

[Rena's got this 274]

Great post beautiful. People need to know the good and the bad. I am one of those lucky ones that had no complications, but like you say, everyone is different and reactions to surgery are personal. I had a couple of surgeries previously with no problems, so I didn't expect problems with this one either.

Yesterday, I caught a tummy bug and spent the day in the bathroom vomiting, and with a bad case of the runs. I now know what it feels like to vomit with the sleeve. I have a much greater appreciation for what those people went through that were nauseous from the beginning. It ain't fun at all (understatement!).

I'm glad you are doing better. Keep up the good work and the good attitude. I was sleeved a day before you were, and feel like a new era of my life is beginning.