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

On 04/13/2019 at 20:13, TheFlinstones said:

@TxStar09



My 5 incision sites are covered in steri strips. But they look like Water can soak through them.



I know at hospital they wanted me to have a shower but I just sponged there too as I had the IV still in my hand. Seemed all too much to juggle.



I don’t mean to sound too worried or negative. Just curious and not wanting any infection.



I hope everyone is doing super well.

Love & hugs to all.

Hi @Flintstones I’ve had incisions in the past covered with steristrips. You can shower in them, just don’t pick at them or scrub them, they will fall off in a couple weeks on their own. When they’d start to fall off, I would just trim the edges off that had released.

On 04/14/2019 at 11:12, girlaccountant said:

I second this, I was told I could shower, just not scrub the incisions. Pat dry, I’ve showered each day since Wednesday and haven’t had any issues so far. I just keep my back to the Water stream and let the water just kinda run down my front. I just soap above and below and let it rinse off. My incisions are stitched internally and glued. Hope that helps!

Thank you. And yes I believe my incision sites have stitches and glue.

I’m so excited to get to a few more weeks down the track. And to see how everyone else is going at the same time.

It’s such a comfort having this group of people all doing the same thing. ?

Especially can’t wait to do some single serve cooking of savoury muffins and have them in the freezer. I’ve never been much of a cook. But I’m really wanting to be prepared and to really enjoy the food I do eat from now on. (Whereas before there was a lot of guilt and worrying about having enough or too much)

There are so many wonderful success stories, I can’t believe I’m about to go through the same. Until it happens I can’t believe it’s real.

@Newbeginnings57 wishing you all the best! You’ll do great. Look forward to hearing how you’re doing.

28 minutes ago, TheFlinstones said:

@TxStar09

My 5 incision sites are covered in steri strips. But they look like Water can soak through them.

I know at hospital they wanted me to have a shower but I just sponged there too as I had the IV still in my hand. Seemed all too much to juggle.

I don’t mean to sound too worried or negative. Just curious and not wanting any infection.

I hope everyone is doing super well.
Love & hugs to all.

Did they use glue or give you stitches? I took a shower the next day as well even with the ON-V pump. I also was glued lol

So my before weight at its highest was:

310.2 Highest weight - Jan, 19.
293.3 Morning of Surgery - 10/4/19

294.4 4 days after surgery - 14/4/19

So I’m up a little since the morning of surgery.

Can’t wait to see it going down! So inspired by people on here and the steps they are taking. Also inspired by a few Instagram wls people and following some who have achieved their goals and others who are closer in surgery date like we all are.

I’m clearly having a very happy and excited day for us all! I’ve been hiding at home and not living and feel relieved at the prospect of being more confident, social and who I really am again. The last four years have been my hardest and taken a massive toll on me and it feels so amazing to finally see a big light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll keep the feeling of this day to remember when it gets tougher later on or things are slow or there’s disappointment.

Thanks for bearing with me while I’m sharing my feelings.

On 4/11/2019 at 5:19 PM, beautifuldaymonster said:

It's so inspiring reading all the April Babies' reports getting ready for, undergoing and coming out of surgery. My surgery was April 1st, and now I am leaving this wonderful forum, but I want to leave you all some encouragement. WLS is a huge step. It's intimidating at first. There are so many tasks, so many changes, there is so much to do. It all seems "too much" some times ("too little!" at others). You may or might not be supported. But please let me let you know something: if you do what your surgeon and NUT ask, and trust your body, this. works.

I'll leave it at this: only 10 days ago exactly to the hour I was flat on my back on an operating table under bright lights. My surgeon was bent over me with tools. So were her assistants and residents. I went under excited but worried a RNY gastric bypass might not work, that it might never stop me from eating and being so hungry. I was scared to be fat forever. I woke up in lots of pain and "retching", vomiting as my surgeon jokes with me. (She thought it was funny and keeps poking me about that, "You were really retching, throwing up in there! I saw you!") I went home. It was so hard following the pre-op diet. It's been hard following the post-op diet. But guess what.

I have lost 12 pounds since April 1, and most of all, today, this afternoon, I had my first experience with a very eerie sensation. One I have not felt since I was a little kid.

I am not. hungry. AT ALL.

My stomach is there, I can tell it is. My body exists. It feels almost "weightless". I am still me. My life is the same (although I find I don't spend as much time indoors at my computer, I want to be outdoors in the sunshine every day, to not waste a drop of sunshine - !! - and I crave movement, activity, exercise, that alone is weird and I wonder where it is coming from, this has been gone since I was a kid!) and everything, everyone around me is the same. But my underwear is almost slipping off me, my pants are real loose with lots of new wrinkles, and most of all, I am just that. Simply not hungry. There is no. hunger. AT ALL. I can't imagine eating. If I was to try to, my stomach and my body responds, "Why?"

That for me is enough. You want this surgery. You need this surgery. Believe in this surgery. It works. Thank you to my beautiful surgeon and her entire team You all saved my life. Beautiful Day Monster is free.

....... Free

Edited to correct spelling

That was truly perfectly said and actually made me tear up. Ty for describing it and saying what I know is my biggest fear as well. Praying this will be what works for GOOD! I know it’s a tool/gift we will have to use wisely for the rest of our lives... but just maybe it will make our brains and stomach be on the same page a little easier! Congrats to you and your continuing weight loss journey!

On 04/13/2019 at 21:43, Alwzla8 said:

Did they use glue or give you stitches? I took a shower the next day as well even with the ON-V pump. I also was glued lol

I was glued. I thought about showering at the hospital and then decided to wait until I got home. It felt so good!

How’s the soreness? Mines not to bad anymore. Coughing and sneezing isn’t a walk in the park, but other than that not to bad.

1 hour ago, Whosthatgirl?! said:

KimB7811 we are having surgery the same day!

Yay! Congrats and we’ll have to check in!

11 minutes ago, TxStar09 said:

I was glued. I thought about showering at the hospital and then decided to wait until I got home. It felt so good!

How’s the soreness? Mines not to bad anymore. Coughing and sneezing isn’t a walk in the park, but other than that not to bad.

Mine isn’t as bad, not sure if my pain was from the unexpected hernia repair:( My ON-Q pump runs out tomorrow so it will be nice to have all the tape and bandages off my stomach!! I definitely have learned take small sips:)

@Alwzla8

Luckily I have very little pain left, just if I move wrong. My biggest issue is some blurred vision when looking at something up close. 98% it is a side effect of the scopolamine patch. I am hoping it will resolve soon.

On 04/13/2019 at 22:58, TxStar09 said:

@Alwzla8



Luckily I have very little pain left, just if I move wrong. My biggest issue is some blurred vision when looking at something up close. 98% it is a side effect of the scopolamine patch. I am hoping it will resolve soon.

Maybe my pump is like your patch, I’m still taking it slow on the bending and moving but the top of my stomach to right above my belly button is all taped up because of the tubes to the pump going in under the skin.. it is supposed to be done and empty tomorrow and I can un tape and pull this thing out!! I don’t have an vision issues I do hope that goes away soon for you!

Sorry I haven’t updated, I have had a rough couple of days since my surgery.
I had my bypass on Thursday morning. My incision pain has been minimal.
My problem has definitely been nausea. I was supposed to go home Friday, but I was so nauseous and in pain, they kept me yesterday. Yesterday was the worst day. I probably threw up 14-16 times. It was scary because it looked like blood when I threw up. They tried at least 4 types of anti-nausea medicines. But I still couldn’t even keep water down. They kept me last night so they could give me IV hydration.
So now it is Sunday morning. I am SO hoping that I will go home tomorrow. I haven’t thrown up since about 8:00 last night. I have been able to take tiny sips of water.
I have always had trouble with nausea after surgeries, but this has definitely been the worst.
I am trying to think of long term results of this surgery.

Finally lost a little fluid but I am still retaining. It’s a no pants party in my house cause pants make my sensitive skin feel worse and my incisions still hurt. I’m usually healed by now so I’m guessing it’s autoimmune related.

Weighed myself...I actually forget what I was at surgery (205ish) but I’m officially out of the 200s and at 199. I got the surgery for GERD so my doctor didn’t expect me to lose much but I do need to get down to about 150-160. Dying for some real food. I’ve snuck a slice of cheese here and there.

I take all my meds as small pills or capsules. Lots of googling told me capsules dissolve with just water so they don’t need a ton of stomach acid. I tried opening them into apple sauce and basically wanted to die. So I just take 12 capsules and a pill or two over the course of about an hour. I coughed up some of the capsule today and it was disgusting but otherwise it’s a success.

GERD is essentially gone. I hiccup quite a bit and that’s a mild symptom but no real acid except some of one of my pills earlier.

On 04/13/2019 at 19:58, TxStar09 said:

@Alwzla8



Luckily I have very little pain left, just if I move wrong. My biggest issue is some blurred vision when looking at something up close. 98% it is a side effect of the scopolamine patch. I am hoping it will resolve soon.

I had no vision problems on the patch but once I removed it I went through “withdrawal” and had to steal my mom’s reading glasses! I kept feeling earthquakes too. So weird as I’ve had the patch several other times and never had this rebound effect.

I’m still in the hospital. ? The vomiting has stopped, but now I am expelling all the old blood out the other end.
I feel SO much better, though. My stomach pain and nausea are completely gone. They did a blood test this morning to make sure I didn’t lose too much blood. They will be repeating the blood test in about an hour. If that looks good, I get to go home today.
The doctor said I had so much blood because of the scar tissue left behind from other abdominal surgeries.
Today, I am not having any trouble drinking my water and protein shakes. I’m just ready to get home.