I'm having my Sleeve Gastrectomy in 11 days and getting extremely nervous. I know this has to be normal for everyone, but I am kind of freaking out. You just hear of all the things that can go wrong, and well you know. Anyway I'm going through with it anyway buy I have to admit it's kind of gone fast and I don't know how prepared I am. Anyone who has had the surgery already, what should I expect in the days immediately following the surgery? I know everyone is different but a general idea would be great.

Thanks in advance!!!

The anxiety is normal. This is major, life-changing surgery...if you weren't nervous, then you should panic!!

This part of the process was undoubtedly the most difficult for me. However, it is all a distant memory now!

I was sleeved May 8, 2013 and my wife July 8, 2013. While my surgery and recovery were textbook, hers was a bit more challenging. She had two hernias repaired and it took about 3-4 weeks for her to quit complaining...uh-hm, I mean start to feel better!

Now, that period of time is a distant memory! She can tolerate just about everything, albeit in moderation. I can eat almost everything, but for some weird reason, still have a tough time with canned tuna fish!? I can eat steak, chicken, fresh tuna steaks, roast, crawfish, ribs, etc., etc....but canned tuna just doesn't sit well w/me. No worries, I can live without it!

I am down 117 lbs. and hit my original goal around 4 months ago.

My wife is down 80 lbs. and hit her goal about 3 months ago (She looks fantastic, but she's on a mission to lose more...I told her not to get carried away, I don't want to feel like I'm hugging a sack of hammer handles!).

You are in for an awesome transformation! Just follow your doc's orders to the letter, allow your body time to heal, don't (DO NOT!) let the number on the scale dictate your feeling of success or failure (If you feel better and your pants are baggy, to hell with what the number is! LOL), move around (walk...exercise when you're ready) and I promise, the weight will melt off!

You're in for one heck of a journey...Godspeed for a quick recovery!

Thank you for sharing yours and your wife's journey with me. I have to admit it makes the excitement out weigh the anxiety. I know it's what i need to do and i am so excited to finally have the opportunity to do this. I was literally on the surgery table about 10 yrs ago ready to have gastric bypass surgery when the nurse came in and stopped it all with a blood test showing that I was pregnant. It turned out that I had an ectopic pregnancy so I didn't get to have the surgery or the baby. I decided for years that it just wasn't "meant" to be for me to have the surgery. But I guess now that it's all been approved it must be the right time for me. Getting excited now!!! 11 Days until my journey begins. Can't wait to feel comfortable in my own skin!!!

Hi cwalker,

Three years ago, I started out at close to your weight (252) and am now right at what your goal is (140). Yes, what you are feeling is TOTALLY normal. Surgery is scary. Try to keep in mind that for any "bad" stuff you've heard that can "go wrong," there are thousands of procedures performed every single day that are totally successful, awesome, and life-changing. And YOU will be one of those. Of course, all surgical facilities are different, and everyone's experiences are different and you cannot compare yourself to others. I have gone to many support groups and listened to many patients' stories of their experiences right after the operation. Over all, most people are so happy they did the surgery and would do it over again in a heartbeat. That subject comes up at every meeting. People experience huge life-changes with this surgery!

1) Some experience no pain while recovering in the hospital (that was me--I did not use the self-administer pain pump I was given) while others need to use it and are in moderate pain.

2) Most surgeons want you to be up and walking around the surgical unit within 4-6 hours after you are back in your hospital room.

3) Hospitals vary on what/when you drink in hospital and how long you stay.

4) I just laugh sometimes when some of the members of support group talk about how much they loved being in the hospital and it felt like a vacation because they got away from all their family obligations!

You know the what the rules are and the lifestyle and eating changes you need to make. You will take it one step at a time. Yes, you have a lot to learn and you might feel overwhelmed and frustrated. You do the best you can and none of us are "perfect." You might hate the taste of Protein drinks. You might not be able to drink as much Water as you "think" you should be drinking. You might "think" you should be losing more weight (think getting healthy as your top priority--not number on scale). You might feel drained of all your energy for awhile (couple weeks, couple months, or not at all). Hopefully your family is also prepared for the changes in the eating routine--that can cause some stress when you first get home. Just keep open communication. Some people get so overwhelmed that they say "what did I do to myself and why did I do this"--This is ALL totally normal and it will pass and you will be sooo happy you had the courage to do this.

In the next 11 days before your surgery, if you can, find a post-surgery support group and ask if you can sit in and just listen. This online support is fantastic and, of course, spend as much time as you can reading as many posts as you can--there is amazing information on here from people who have been right exactly where you are today. But it also helps a lot to sit face-to-face with people at this point if you can.

Best wishes, relax, take lots of deep breaths, stay positive, and remember WHY you chose to make this decision. We'll be waiting to hear from you from the "other side" of your surgery!