Hello peeps..

Relatively new to these forums.

More than two years ago I had a Gastric Sleeve & have lost close to 65 kilos. I live in the Netherlands but was born in Canada.

In 1 1/2 weeks time I'll be getting a Fleur de Lis TT -- and I'm a little nervous. Not sure why specifically really. Nerves combined with excited impatience too. :-/ Confusing.

I was wondering what some of your experiences have been. I know the surgery is heavy-duty. My surgeon told me it would be 3 months before I felt like my old self, but I am curious how others have felt. How long before you could walk a block or two? Climb stairs? I am hoping to SLOWLY (couple hours a day at first) return to work after about a month, but I'm not sure if this is realistic.

Anyone have any tips or suggestions? I'm all ears..

Robynne

@ Jacileggs - that's great news! Do you have a date?

Things here are going great! I feel great, but still find myself not able to do what I feel I can do. The wound is healing slowly. There are 3 small spots that need extra care, but progress is visible. Once everything is a bit more settled, I'll post another pic...

@@Robynne Hazebroek-Buzanko Did you surgeon warn you about spit stitches? Those can be a little disconcerting. But, don't worry, they won't affect your overall healing.

@@JamieLogical My surgeon didn't warn me about much more than how important it was to take it easy and to expect a low-energy level. Hahaha! The three spots look indeed like places where, once the stitches were removed, the skin wasn't quite healed enough and they've split slightly. I'm not really worried about these spots - I know they'll heal. My impatience is the problem - they aren't healing quick enough for me! Hihihi.. Two small spots in either side, near the front of my hips - and the biggest in the middle where all 3 pieces of my inverted T come together. They explained that - considering the amount removed - it wasn't at all strange. The wound from diaphragm (including my navel) down looks great and is already hardly visible. Just a bit of dry skin around the joins (nothing major). I go back for a check up Tuesday..

Edited April 8, 201511 yr by Robynne Hazebroek-Buzanko

A "spit stitch" is when the internal, disolvable stiches pop out through the skin, instead of fully disolving internally, like they are supposed to. It can look kind of like a pimple until the stitch breaks through the skin completely, at which point it looks like you have a little bit of fishing line poking out of you. If you grab that end with a pair of tweezers, you can pull it out as far as you can under tension, then cut it very close to the skin with a pair of nail scissors. Once you let go with the tweezers, the end will retract back down under the skin and eventually dissolve like it should. A couple of times I had spit stitches that just pulled right out when I grabbed them with the tweezers, because the other end of them was already full dissolved.

Ooohhhhhh..!!! I haven't had any trouble with that (yet), but now I'll know what it is & what to do if it does happen... Thanks...