Anyone else having surgery in April? Maybe we can find surgery twins here. I thought I could start it off by asking a few questions.

When is your surgery? April 4th
What kind of surgery? Revision from sleeve to Mini Gastric Bypass
Height? 5’8”
Starting weight? 285
Goal weight? 175

Well, as of today I am official POST OP!

I had a 10 day liquid diet and lost 12 lbs. Not the best it could have been but not bad. I have impressed about how they don’t wait around waist if time here. I get like I arrived here and the next thing I knew I was in recovery. I got up a little earlier and walked around. I honestly feel fine. A little pain and discomfort at the drain site and mid abdomen but other wise, fine.

I haven’t had anything to “eat” in 2 days but I can tell you now I don’t even care. I have no appetite at all. I’m tired after all the traveling and the surgery of course.

Honestly the worst part of the whole surgery process was right after surgery while I was in recovery. The nausea and falling in and out of sleep coupled with the normal pain sucked but again...manageable. I am so ready to get home and get my new life started.

Kate,

I am 6 hours out, as well. I haven’t had the first gas pain. They did give me a chewable medicine for gas though. Hopes yours gets better!

15 hours ago, I Am Groot said:

On my way to the surgery center!

OK, let's hear from anyone else who is a April 4 surgery! Here is my report:

I am at BariatricPal Hospital MX in Tijuana. Surgery appears to have gone well - I only have 4 holes in my belly and not 5 like I expected. Coming out of anesthesia was hard, but it always has been for me in prior surgeries, including my bilateral knee surgeries a couple of years ago.

One thing I will tell you is they will warn you about the gas pain and bloating, but it is hard to believe until you experience it. It isn't really pain, but more like a hard uncomfortable feeling. But I have had a barium enema before and the pain wasn't any worse than that.

My biggest problem was back pain and apparently hypertension (because they keep wanting to treat it). They do a leak test again in the AM, so nothing is going down tonight, so taking ibuprofen sublingually really sucks. But I soldiered through it and got to the other side. I can sleep on my right side now, but not my left. The last bit of discomfort is in my left upper abdomen around one of the holes. Not pain, just discomfort.

Took my first walkabout on the floor and sat out in the little foyer here at the hospital. No problems with the walkabout and I am generally feeling pretty OK. If I am felling better tomorrow, all is going to be great, I feel!

@KateBruin I hope the gas pain goes really soon!!! I’m not till Wednesday 10th.

To Kate above and everyone else, when you are having clear fluids after surgery, are you mixing in a no-taste protein powder in the broths, jelly and juices??

I have packed some protein water to take with me to hospital.

Wishing everyone well.

I’m going shopping for pj bottoms to wear in hospital on the weekend. And any other things I need.

I’ve stocked up already at home with broths, V8 juice, sugar free cranberry juice and water protein powder. So I hope I’m all ready.

Nervous/doubly excited!

Also, does everyone have a drain in one of the surgical sites after the operation? Just wondering what it is like. I realise maybe not all surgeons do this.

Thank you.

On 04/04/2019 at 21:08, Marc M. said:

OK, let's hear from anyone else who is a April 4 surgery! Here is my report:

I am at BariatricPal Hospital MX in Tijuana. Surgery appears to have gone well - I only have 4 holes in my belly and not 5 like I expected. Coming out of anesthesia was hard, but it always has been for me in prior surgeries, including my bilateral knee surgeries a couple of years ago.

One thing I will tell you is they will warn you about the gas pain and bloating, but it is hard to believe until you experience it. It isn't really pain, but more like a hard uncomfortable feeling. But I have had a barium enema before and the pain wasn't any worse than that.

My biggest problem was back pain and apparently hypertension (because they keep wanting to treat it). They do a leak test again in the AM, so nothing is going down tonight, so taking ibuprofen sublingually really sucks. But I soldiered through it and got to the other side. I can sleep on my right side now, but not my left. The last bit of discomfort is in my left upper abdomen around one of the holes. Not pain, just discomfort.

Took my first walkabout on the floor and sat out in the little foyer here at the hospital. No problems with the walkabout and I am generally feeling pretty OK. If I am felling better tomorrow, all is going to be great, I feel!

I got out of surgery at 4 and by 4:30 was walking the corridors. I begged my Dr. to PLEASE try to expel as much gas as possible before closing me up. I told him I experienced horrible gas pain in a past surgery and it really delayed the healing process so I guess he listened. I did vomit twice, which I usually don’t do, so they gave me some nausea medication and I feel great now almost no pain at all. Sipping water is no problem but the broth tasted like chicken bones and the popsicle and jello tasted so sweet I couldn’t eat them. I also swallowed my pills with no problem which I thought would hurt for some reason. Good luck on your healing my friends. I’ll be thinking about you every day and am excited to hear about your progress!

On 04/04/2019 at 20:55, KateBruin said:

I had a panic attack last night and almost rescheduled. But, I’m about 8 hours out and *knocks on wood* doing amazing except the gas pain. Holy cow is it bad. Much worse than the sleeve’s gas. Working on a suuuuper yummy dinner of diet sorbet, tea, diet cranberry juice, orange Jello (WHY?!) and broth that tastes like heaven. They’re not giving me enough pain medication but I expected it at Cedars Sinai. Hopefully I go home tomorrow.



To anyone who is my surgery twin, how are you? If you can’t sleep, feel free to PM me!

I had a panic attack too Kate! I was crying last night and told my husband that I could just call them and tell them I’m canceling. I know I would have regretted it though. I equate the feeling to when I had to put my beloved dog to sleep. While there I kept thinking I could save his life right now and just pick him up and take him home even though he was really suffering. It’s like a helpless feeling but you know you have no choice but to make the decision to go through it. I hope you’re feeling good and have a speedy recovery.

Congratulations guys, you did it!!

1 hour ago, TheFlinstones said:

Also, does everyone have a drain in one of the surgical sites after the operation? Just wondering what it is like. I realise maybe not all surgeons do this.

Thank you.

Edited April 5, 20197 yr by justmetj
I didn't get a drain inserted.

I was sleeved on 4/3. It was horrific. I had severe gas pain and nauseau. My PIcc line failed too. Hoping i can soon drink without dry heaving. Anyone else experiencing these side effects

2 hours ago, justmetj said:

I had a panic attack too Kate! I was crying last night and told my husband that I could just call them and tell them I’m canceling. I know I would have regretted it though. I equate the feeling to when I had to put my beloved dog to sleep. While there, I kept thinking I could save his life right now and just pick him up and take him home even though he was really suffering. It’s like a helpless feeling but you know you have no choice but to make the decision to go through it. I hope you’re feeling good and have a speedy recovery.

55 minutes ago, juliah14 said:

I was sleeved on 4/3. It was horrific. I had severe gas pain and nauseau. My PIcc line failed too. Hoping i can soon drink without dry heaving. Anyone else experiencing these side effects

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I hope they are giving you some strong anti-nausea medication to alleviate your nausea. Dry heaving after surgery is so painful. Good luck and get well soon?

On 04/04/2019 at 21:21, TheFlinstones said:

Also, does everyone have a drain in one of the surgical sites after the operation? Just wondering what it is like. I realise maybe not all surgeons do this.



Thank you.

My surgeon has to put a drain in in about 50% of his patients. No drain was needed for my sleeve but I have a drain from bypass. I can’t feel it at all and I’m a little worried to sleep but I can’t seem to sleep anyway. It did leak twice from the skin insertion site. They loaded it up with padding and I can see it’s starting to bleed through. The heparin has caused a boatload if bruising from every incision, plus the spot I dropped a glass jar on the other day and part of my leg that I had waxed Wednesday.

TL:DR I have a drain and it’s weird but no biggie except potentially sleeping and it’s leaked.

On 04/04/2019 at 21:15, TheFlinstones said:

@KateBruin I hope the gas pain goes really soon!!! I’m not till Wednesday 10th.



To Kate above and everyone else, when you are having clear fluids after surgery, are you mixing in a no-taste Protein Powder in the broths, jelly and juices??



I have packed some Protein Water to take with me to hospital.



Wishing everyone well.



I’m going shopping for pj bottoms to wear in hospital on the weekend. And any other things I need.



I’ve stocked up already at home with broths, V8 juice, sugar free cranberry juice and water protein powder. So I hope I’m all ready.



Nervous/doubly excited!

I brought protein water powder but they add protein shakes to my clear liquids diet maybe tomorrow?Protein powder adds a thickness that I can’t stand in anything unless it’s hot or something like yogurt.

I hope you didn’t buy too much of all that stuff. It’s really weird how tastes change after surgery. After my sleeve I started loving very high cacao dark chocolate and started to hate foods and drinks I loved. It’s extremely common.

Which water protein powder do you use? I got two from vitamin shoppe the other day but haven’t tried them yet. She said the brand dissolves well except the chocolate and vanilla. I got basically fruity pebbles and strawberry-banana

8 minutes ago, KateBruin said:

I brought protein water powder but they add Protein Shakes to my Clear Liquids diet maybe tomorrow?Protein powder adds a thickness that I can’t stand in anything unless it’s hot or something like yogurt.

I hope you didn’t buy too much of all that stuff. It’s really weird how tastes change after surgery. After my sleeve I started loving very high cacao dark chocolate and started to hate foods and drinks I loved. It’s extremely common.

Which water Protein Powder do you use? I got two from Vitamin Shoppe the other day but haven’t tried them yet. She said the brand dissolves well except the chocolate and vanilla. I got basically fruity pebbles and strawberry-banana

Thank you for your information.

I have tried the Bodiez Protein water in the Orange and Berry flavours and liked it. I also bought their unflavoured one to put in soup, or mix in other flavoured diet cordial with ice and water (like a frozen slushie), yoghurt and to make jelly with, I also make gummy bears with it too using collagen gelatine. (It’s a NZ brand that is organic and look after their cows) It’s great.

I hope you’re feeling ok and can sleep.

Thank you again.