Things I didn't expect my first month post-op

[BamaNurse 16]

You should really go in depth with your doc and let him know what's going on.

[Mari1972 1]

I will call him tomorrow. Thank you

[perk4756 259]

Retrogirl I'm almost as bad abt the scales since a cpl months before surgery. Losing great but seriously thinking of putting them away and only using once a week. Or I'm gonna drive myself silly. Lol

[anna9/15 93]

I didnt expect anxiety and depression...i didnt even read anything with people experiencing mental issues..geesh this is a roller coaster

[Rhea540 2]

Tomorrow will be one week post-op. I have just started to realize dehydration. I feel like I could eat a giant plate of spaghetti and a walk up and down the steps is exhausting!

[mtraverse 326]

I didnt expect anxiety and depression...i didnt even read anything with people experiencing mental issues..geesh this is a roller coaster

Roller coaster is right but it gets better, hang in there!

[JellyBellyNoMore 58]

1. The itching! No one warned me about the incision itching! (BTW - icepack brings great relief for this)

2. The lack of energy for 2 weeks. Just taking a shower would put me to bed for hours.

3. How difficult it would be to get in all my fluids for the day.

[BCs 1000 364]

I used to stand at the sink and drink three cups of Water in one go. I never thought drinking water could be so difficult! I am constantly reminding myself to always have a drink in my hand.

[bewell 222]

@@Jeaninew

I also am a lap-band to sleeve conversion.

I had a lot of problems with the lapland. Even had to have it replaced early on. Terrible. Not everyone has so many problems with a lapband, but I did. It hurt all the time which just made me feel off every minute of the day. It was after all a foreign object in my body.

My DOC said that initially sleeve complications are a bit higher than a lap-band but long-term the lap-band has much higher complication rates than any other bariatric surgery. Slips, erosions, fill/unfill..... For me the sleeve is so much better. And it is working. I've now lost 10 pounds more than i ever did with the band. At this point I feel confident I will be able to keep the weight off. I just can't eat very much with a tiny tummy. I still have to watch what I eat and be careful but for me, it is a much better solution. The lap-band was constant torture.

Edited November 12, 2015 by bewell

[bewell 222]

@@anna9/15

I definitely had emotional issue. In retrospect....of course. I had over-eaten over everything. Happy, sad, whatever and I no longer could do that. So I had to face the emotions. And of course the surgery does effect the hormone big time. Anyway, I started seeing a therapist cuz I just don't want to play around with food like I;ve done so many time and gain the weight back. I know early on as newbies we think our loss of hunger will never come back. But it does and I wanted to be ready with support. The therapist asks me the hard questions when I start with just a little bite of this or that.

[Radar 204]

I used to stand at the sink and drink three cups of Water in one go. I never thought drinking Water could be so difficult! I am constantly reminding myself to always have a drink in my hand.

AMEN!!!

[goingtoskinny soon 9]

I'm two weeks post LVS and have only lost 10lbs, should I be concerned?

[bewell 222]

@@goingtoskinny soon

Just my thoughts but no you shouldn't be concerned. Everyone loses at a different rate. People over 300 lbs lose a lot faster. In 8 months your journey will be your own, at your own pace.

I know it's hard but try not to compare yourself with others. How fast they lose weight or what they start eating after WLS. Follow the docs orders, eat what they say, when they say to and not before. I was slow to start soft foods, and eventually real food. I had to stop reading what others were eating because I just got confused and upset. I also stopped comparing myself with others weight loss. Everyone is different.

[Dajones 46]

I'm 13 months post op and I can now look back and laugh at myself. I too was surprised by the gas pain but I am a true believer (now) that walking immediately afterwards helps tremendously. I've always been deathly afraid of needles (injections) and almost passed out when my post-op home care instructions involved giving myself Coumadin injections twice a day in the stomach. I did it though. I was disappointed that my surgeon installed two stomach drains that I had to keep for two weeks post-op at home. Trying to sleep with two tubes with bulbs attached coming out of your stomach was rough, but I did it! (hint: tape them to your stomach so they move with you)

I've exceeded my weight-loss goal and I'm now trying to maintain. I weight myself weekly and decide to increase or decrease my bad carbs. Truthfully, I no longer enjoy eating. I eat to live. Previously, I lived to eat. Nothing tastes as good as I look and feel now and I wouldn't trade my sleeve for anything!

[tmac1502 8]

I was surprised that

I had no gas pain

That I had no pain except where the IV was in my wrist (just had ab soreness like way too many crunches.

That I was up walking with a few hours of surgery...before nursing or anyone asked me to.

That sipping Water would be so hard the first week. It didn't hurt but was very uncomfortable.

That I wouldn't be hungry or have cravings

That I didn't have any BM issues (dr put me on Full liquids/purees Sat when surgery was Thurs so I added extra Water to ff refried Beans and ff cheese & pureed into Soup. Have Beans every day now and now they aren't pureed & no gas issues).

That I'd be so tired.

That I would hate sleeping in the recliner & miss sleeping on my side soo much.

That my dr did fix my umbilical hernia at the same time.

That my mom would be soo supportive & my dad dense.

That it would be so much work to get in enough Protein & fluids (dad said if it's same amt of work do you wish you didn't do surgery...I said no because with this work I'm actually losing).

That my dog would be soo clingy.

That I didn't have a moments regret.

That I had to tell my surgeon again that I'm on lasix for water retention not HBP when they wanted to catheter me from not peeing 24 hrs from surgery. He finally listened & scans showed nothing in my bladder. 20 minutes after IV lasix boom!

That my parents would have me out shopping within hours of discharged because they were bored in the trailer (my surgery was 4 hrs away & dr required me to stay in the area for 2 days after discharge & we stayed in my parents camper in a KOA Kampground).

That I would miss my independence so much when my dr doesn't let you drive till your 2 week follow up.

That everyone says let me know if you need anything & when you do no one is available.

How glad I am that I did this!

VSG 10/22/15

HW 437

SW 337

CW 318