Did anyone NOT have a miserable recovery?

[Essence46 493]

OMG! Reading some of your stories makes me thankful and blessed. I didn't really have any complications. The first few days there was an issue with my blood pressure being sky high then dropping too low. After a couple of days and 3 different medications, we were finally able to control it. Eventually was taken off all meds. Yay!! Didn't really have any pain. Just horrible Constipation. Good luck to you.

[reducer623 137]

I'm a month out and I had a smooth recovery. Everyone is different so you can't compare apples to oranges you know? It depends on your health going in & also your level of pain tolerance.

I was sluggish after surgery due to the drugs. That evening however I was up & walking. The nurse encouraged me to walk about 50-100 ft & to rest when needed. I walked the entire of one side of the hallway. By the next day I covered both sides three times (in two different sessions).

W/ the medication, the pain was bearable. The best I can explain it... It felt like I completed 500-1000 crunches. After about 4 days of being home, I didn't need the pain meds at all.

No complications so far.

Good luck!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[kelliev2015 136]

My surgery was two days ago on 8/8. I just got home yesterday. I'm feeling pretty lousy but nothing traumatic. Just really sore and it's hard to get in and out of bed. I'm tired and my stomach hurts when I swallow anything so hard to get in my Protein and liquids. However, it's only been two days so not expecting much more. I hadn't been nauseous at all and definitely haven't thrown up. I think this pain will be easily forgotten in the coming months.

[CLN.BK 165]

Hi folks!

This is my first post ever. I've been researching VGS on and off for about a year and I think I may be ready to bite the bullet. My insurance will not cover the procedure since my BMI is slightly below 40 and with what I have you need two co morbid conditions as well so I'll be self paying.

I have been a decade long yo-yo dieter. I gain and lose the same 35 to 75 lbs every year. I lose fast, then I regain even faster. I have fairly severe anxiety and the extra weight makes it so much worse. After much research I feel like this is a tool that could finally move me forward.

Now that I'm getting more serious about it I've been going from general information to reading people's actual experiences. It seems like every single story I read and every video I see is someone relaying an AWFUL and miserable recovery that lasted months on end. Is this just how it is? I don't know if I'm uninformed or if people are more likely to share a more extreme story.

I had a DCR 3 years ago and a full laparoscopic hysterectomy about 2 years ago and I understand that this will be my biggest surgery ever.

It's kind of scaring me though! I'm not expecting a pleasant time and I can handle post surgical pain but some of these stories make it sound like a year long horror show. Just looking for input. Thanks!

I only had gas pains the first night. I still have gas (5 days post-op), but it's not painful whatsoever.

I had difficulty sleeping on the 1st night due to pain and gas, but since then, I sleep like a baby.

I've had no problems drinking Water or other liquids. The 1st few days I was actually able to gulp (not chug) the Water which surprised me. Now I am at a sipping stage where I can't gulp it anymore, but I still am not having any issues with getting in my liquids.

I had a minor headache on nights 2 and 3. There's no way it was due to hydration; I can assure you that I was getting in my water. I'm guessing it was due to changes in my body. No more headaches since then.

After reading all the horror stories on here, I was dreading the recovery portion. From my perspective, however, it is over-hyped.

[pewpewpewpew 83]

my recovery was awesome!

the first 2 or 3 days after -i slept a lot

but after that i kept moving more and more and as long as i drank enough Water i felt fine.

was ready to go back to work after a week..but took my original 2 weeks off!

[Clementine Sky 707]

The only misery I experienced was immediately following surgery when I had severe cramps due to my period starting that day, and was also dry heaving. That persisted for a few hours, and then the medication alleviated most of it. By that evening I was able to move so comfortably I was told that I was walking too fast while doing my laps through the hallway. When I wasn't doing my laps, I was snoozing contentedly. By the time I checked out of the hospital and was no longer on the full throttle pain meds, I was only moderately tired. I had surgery in Mexico because my BMI was too low for my insurance to cover it and the costs in LA were astronomical, and drove down there with my family (about two hours). I felt well enough to go shopping at the outlet mall right over the border, and to make several sightseeing stops on the way back home. As a precaution I didn't drive the first couple of weeks post-surgery, but that was mainly because my husband and parents were worried. I felt capable. I'm a professor and had the surgery in August when we were still out of the summer, so I had the luxury of being able to take it easy for the first two weeks. I honestly enjoyed the time and felt like it was a good excuse to laze around, read, and binge watch TV shows and movies. I really could have been more active if needed, though. By September when the fall quarter began I was fully recovered and not only able to handle standing up for a substantial part of the day teaching, but riding my bike to campus instead of driving.

I never had any serious pain or discomfort beyond those first few hours. I was aggravated by itchiness and tiny welts caused by the tape over the wounds, but it wasn't agonizing by any means. When I started eating solid foods my stomach was a bit upset, but only temporarily. I learned to be careful to not gulp Water. I took a PPI for the six weeks, and then didn't need it anymore. I haven't had any other negative experiences, either. I've lost weight slowly and stalled out quite a bit, but still reached my goal. I haven't been miserable with eating, either. I've been able to eat in a sensible way so that I'm being nourished and am satisfied without feeling deprived. In the year since having the VSG I've gone from a BMI in the low 30s to one in the low 20s, and am wearing a size small / 6. My blood work is excellent, and some of my problems due to PCOS have improved. I'd been on a medication for PCOS that also lowers your blood pressure since I was 21 (nearly a decade), but actually have a better BP now than when I was on it. It's consistently excellent. I have no loose skin. I lost a small amount of hair, but it wasn't enough for anyone else to notice. None of the things that I feared would happen pre-surgery have happened to me. I'm so grateful.

[GinaCampbell 434]

Hi folks!

This is my first post ever. I've been researching VGS on and off for about a year and I think I may be ready to bite the bullet. My insurance will not cover the procedure since my BMI is slightly below 40 and with what I have you need two co morbid conditions as well so I'll be self paying.

I have been a decade long yo-yo dieter. I gain and lose the same 35 to 75 lbs every year. I lose fast, then I regain even faster. I have fairly severe anxiety and the extra weight makes it so much worse. After much research I feel like this is a tool that could finally move me forward.

Now that I'm getting more serious about it I've been going from general information to reading people's actual experiences. It seems like every single story I read and every video I see is someone relaying an AWFUL and miserable recovery that lasted months on end. Is this just how it is? I don't know if I'm uninformed or if people are more likely to share a more extreme story.

I had a DCR 3 years ago and a full laparoscopic hysterectomy about 2 years ago and I understand that this will be my biggest surgery ever.

It's kind of scaring me though! I'm not expecting a pleasant time and I can handle post surgical pain but some of these stories make it sound like a year long horror show. Just looking for input. Thanks!

I only had gas pains the first night. I still have gas (5 days post-op), but it's not painful whatsoever.

I had difficulty sleeping on the 1st night due to pain and gas, but since then, I sleep like a baby.

I've had no problems drinking Water or other liquids. The 1st few days I was actually able to gulp (not chug) the Water which surprised me. Now I am at a sipping stage where I can't gulp it anymore, but I still am not having any issues with getting in my liquids.

I had a minor headache on nights 2 and 3. There's no way it was due to hydration; I can assure you that I was getting in my water. I'm guessing it was due to changes in my body. No more headaches since then.

After reading all the horror stories on here, I was dreading the recovery portion. From my perspective, however, it is over-hyped.

It's not "over hyped" if you have actually had severe complications.

Hard to comprehend if you haven't been through it.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[CLN.BK 165]

@@GinaCampbell

Hence the reason my statement begins with "From my perspective".

[GinaCampbell 434]

Why do you feel that it is "over hyped" if you have no experience in the matter?

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[CLN.BK 165]

@@GinaCampbell

You're taking my statement personally. I'm not directing it towards you. Go pick a fight with someone else.

However, allow me to summarize my initial post:

-No complications, easy recovery (to answer your question, that is my "experience in the matter")

-Therefore, from my perspective (i.e. "experience in the matter") the horrible recoveries that are discussed over and over and over on this board were over-hyped. As another poster mentioned, people with easy recoveries do not post since there is no story to tell.

I've read your story in another post. It sounds horrible. I'm sorry for the pain that you've gone through. But my experience was different from yours, thus my perspective is also different from yours. My experience, my perspective, and my post do not diminish or take away from your experience or your perspective.

So once again, stop taking my statement personally. Pick a fight with someone else.

Best.

[ShelterDog64 2,364]

Why do you feel that it is "over hyped" if you have no experience in the matter?

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

She has exactly the same experience in 'the matter' as you do, because 'the matter' is recovery from bariatric surgery, not BAD experiences with bariatric surgery. I've read your story as well and have a great deal of sympathy for what you're going through, but you walked into a post titled 'Did anyone NOT have a miserable recovery' and are picking arguments with people who are just relating their personal feelings and experiences. I don't understand why you're doing this.

[ella37 455]

@@GinaCampbell

Hence the reason my statement begins with "From my perspective".

I think you're just saying that most people don't have a negative experience, we just hear about them a lot because those are the people speaking up. I understood.

[CLN.BK 165]

You're absolutely correct @julia37

Thank you!

[GinaCampbell 434]

@@GinaCampbell

You're taking my statement personally. I'm not directing it towards you. Go pick a fight with someone else.

However, allow me to summarize my initial post:

-No complications, easy recovery (to answer your question, that is my "experience in the matter")

-Therefore, from my perspective (i.e. "experience in the matter") the horrible recoveries that are discussed over and over and over on this board were over-hyped. As another poster mentioned, people with easy recoveries do not post since there is no story to tell.

I've read your story in another post. It sounds horrible. I'm sorry for the pain that you've gone through. But my experience was different from yours, thus my perspective is also different from yours. My experience, my perspective, and my post do not diminish or take away from your experience or your perspective.

So once again, stop taking my statement personally. Pick a fight with someone else.

Best.

I have clearly touched a nerve.

I asked a simple question. I did not get personal and I do not give internet forums the power to upset me in any way.

So no, I deal with all of this very rationally, nothing to take personally.

And there shouldn't be such contention when I only asked why you feel that complications are "over hyped".

Being asked for clarification of a statement is not a challenge to a fight, this isn't Game of Thrones for goodness sake!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[ella37 455]

I have clearly touched a nerve.

I asked a simple question. I did not get personal and I do not give internet forums the power to upset me in any way.

So no, I deal with all of this very rationally, nothing to take personally.

And there shouldn't be such contention when I only asked why you feel that complications are "over hyped".

Being asked for clarification of a statement is not a challenge to a fight, this isn't Game of Thrones for goodness sake!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have only been on this forum for a number of days and already it seems like you're challenging everyone to a fight. I'm really sorry that you had such an awful experience, but there's no need to be so rude. You didn't "only ask" why she thought they were over-hyped, you said, "Why do you feel that it is "over hyped" if you have no experience in the matter?", which is clearly meant to ridicule. Maybe you have a problem with conveying tone via text but it comes off very nasty. After talking to you on your thread yesterday I can't even IMAGINE why you'd post on a thread about positive experiences.