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Hi everyone! My name is Angie I'm from Alabama, and I had my sleeve surgery done in September 2015. I had a couple of severe reactions during and after surgery. While in surgery my Surgeon was repairing a hernia before my sleeve, after he finished that he went to start the sleeve and realized I was bleeding internally bad. He had another Surgeon to come in because out of the 400+ surgery's he had never experienced anything like this

So they ended up opening me from my bellybutton to the bottom of my breast. They found an artery on my spleen that had been cutt, and my surgeon was very honest and forthcoming with me about it and my husband, they actually came out during surgery to let him know, because I was in there a lot longer than I was supposed to be. Well I ended getting 2 pints of blood, and in the hospital for a week.

My GP reffered me to our local Beriatric Clinic, I kept her up to date with everything along with my psychiatrist. I was taking several meds. for high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, degeneration disc disease, osteoarthritis, bone spurs, chronic headaches, bipolar, anxiety disorder, adult add, and insomnia. All the doctors nurses and staff knew of all the meds I was on and and the doses I was on. My weight before surgery was 287 lbs. and I had been on high doses of meds for about 10yrs.

During all of the classes and meetings I went to I kept hearing that your tastbuds would change, you would not feel hungry, you could only eat very small amounts of food, Vitamins to take, high protien intake, and so on. I was so excited because I was finally going to loose weight and keep it off. Well, after I made it home I continued my liquid diet, but suffered from severe nausea. I couldn't take in much liquids at all. I started to notice my taste buds had changed from slight to severe. Everything I put in my mouth I gagged onmalnourished1q, I could only drink Water. My husband spent hundreds of dollars trying to find something I could say or drink, I can't describe the taste that food had that was so bad to me, or how some drinks tasted like cologne to me. I had dropped 65 lbs in less than 2 months, and I loved it. But I was still taking the same amount of meds that I was when I was 65 lbs heavier. I had not eaten any food in 2-2.5 wks, and only drinking water. I started noticing that my hands were shaking so bad I couldn't write, I forgot how to spell, and I couldn't form words. My husband and mother started talking about my changes and started contacting my doctors. My husband was working out of town so I had to stay with my mother because I couldn't take care of myself. I was becoming malnourished ( I wasn't aware of) and I had a psychotic break (because of the amounts of medication) I saw people who were'nt there, I heard people talking, I saw light orbs, I couldn't remember people's names. I don't remember a lot of things, and I was like this for about three weeks, with nothing going into my body but water. The thing is, my personal doctors, the surgeon, nurses, and Beriatric staff knew about my meds and the amounts, but Not One of them ever said, when you start loosing the weight you need to have your medications adjusted. If it had not been for my husband and mother realizing what was going on, I would be dead. My body was shutting down due to the lack of any foods or nutrients, and my mind had turned against me. I want everyone to be aware, if you are taking meds (which most are) go to your doctor after you loose that big amount in the begining and have your meds adjusted. I would not want anyone to have to suffer like I did. After my precious mother prayed over me many times, the Lord restored my taste buds and my mind completely. I had lost 75 lbs, and when I was able to put food in my mouth ( very small amounts) I gained back some of my weight, which put me in a panic, but I finally realized that I need to gain a few lbs to be healthy again. I don't regret my surgery at all, but I want other people to be aware of what could happen if you don't stay on top of things. But like me, I had no clue that my body and mind would turn against me like that. Take care of yourself, You Are Worth It!!!!!

Sent from my SM-S820L using the BariatricPal App

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Oh wow angie, that is quite a journey so far!

I am glad to hear that things have improved for you... i wish you all the best with your health and journey...

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Oh wow angie, that is quite a journey so far!

I am glad to hear that things have improved for you... i wish you all the best with your health and journey...

Thank you!

Anghela

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    • Doughgurl

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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