Greetings to all who read this post. I am just 4 days after surgery and I am home after a 3 day Stay. I had to stay 2 extra days due to my heart rate being elevated. I believe it was partially due to the fact that I came in with severe back pain. I'm noticing that with each day, I feel a little better. I'm taking it really slow. I have 2 weeks off work which is beneficial to a good recovery. I am experiencing a lot of soreness in my 5 incision areas. They are not gross or ugly so I'm sure they'll heal nicely. Sometimes I hear voices in my head saying how stupid I was to permanently shrink the size of my stomach. I know it's just Satan trying to discourage me. I believe that I saved my life. I started gaining a lot of weight after my parents and sister passed over recent years. With greiving, I ate a lot without thinking about it. Being 44, a mother, working and taking care of home it cuts a lot of time for a lot of other things (depending I one's situations in life).I gained a lot of weight along with several health problems and physical pain. My PCP suggested the surgery and I diligently resarched it.

Last year I made the decision to have the VGS done. First my husband was against it. It literally took a while year to massage his mind to the idea. I had first started with my now bariatric surgeon. I went through all the preliminaries and then was told the insurance that I had wouldn't cover it. I changed jobs and the insurance was different so I found out that they'd cover it . I went through the 2 week all liquid diet and finally made it to my surgery date.everything was done very professionally. I was told to walk a lot as much as I can stand.

I know that my introduction is long. I just wanted everyone to get the whole picture. I wanted to introduce myself and my story along this journey. I feel I made a great decision for myself. Can anyone out there share suggestions or comments for additional support? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance.

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First of all, welcome to BariatricPal and welcome to the losers' bench! You are right that you have made a great decision for yourself and your future. I think most of us have those nagging voices in the first few days saying "what have I done?" and "will I ever feel normal again?" But hang in there. It does get better every single day in the beginning. You will not regret this decision in the long run and while you may never feel the same "normal" you did pre-op, you will find your new "normal".

Are there any local bariatric support groups you can join? I haven't felt the need for any since I got SO MUCH support through this web site and the people I have met here. But having some real life interaction with fellow bariatric patients might also prove beneficial to you if you have access.

Welcome...i am 4 days post op as well and i hear the voices none stop...but everyone!!! Is happy now so i know i will be too...we did this for our life, our loved ones! Im struggling too!