As it seems to be the topic of a few videos I've watched during my research, I thought I'd ask if there was anything you've learned since the operation you chose to have, that you wish you'd been told about before hand and weren't? Good or bad

I think most people these days take advantage of the internet and educate themselves. There are so many different resources from YouTube to forums like this, if you come out of surgery misinformed, you probably rushed into it and didn't research enough. I watched people journal their experience on YouTube both good and bad. One lady smoked right after surgery and was crying the blues when she was back in the hospital with ulcers blaming it on her bad choice to have WLS. I had 6 months to binge watch the thousands of YouTube videos on the subject of WLS and that alone prepared me for almost any scenario I might encounter.

I wish I was told that you may have loose skin even if you don't lose over 100 pounds and no insurance will pay to have it removed because it won't cause rashes. Yuck!!!

2 minutes ago, Chelle777 said:

I wish I was told that you may have loose skin even if you don't lose over 100 pounds and no insurance will pay to have it removed because it won't cause rashes. Yuck!!!

I'm alreasy anticipating that. I'm in the UK so we don't get anything through insurance. We have the NHS and it's fantastic for emergencies , but anything remotely cosmetic or bariatric isn't covered by them unless you're practically dead...and even then you need to wait up to 5 years.

I will have to go abroad for surgery because a sleeve operation here costs £10,000, twice the price it is in European cup tried like Latvia or Lithuania and it's not down to the quality being any better, it comes down to wages and infrastructure and tax etc, it's crazy.

And it's the same price for a tummy truck...which I'm pretty sure I could do with now, so I'll DEFINITELY need one if I drop 80+ lbs! Better get saving ?

I only had skin on my thighs and hangy breast. My stomach looked great. Be careful and research your surgeon. I don't want you on that show Botched. LOL

I watched a couple episodes of botched last week and it's like nothing I've seen. Unbelievable stories. I am hoping not to have have to much loose skin. I've always wear body shapers so I will continue to wear them to smooth things out.

I think you’re asking a broader question but I’m going to answer in terms of what I’ve experienced in the first week post op. I should’ve had a more realistic picture of what the first week would look like post surgery. The diet they gave me advanced too quickly for me. If it weren’t for these items I would not have made it through week one as comfortably! When I couldn’t get the vitamins down I had the patches. When I couldn’t get the minimum water AND protein shakes down I had the protein water. When the only “food” I could possibly consume was broth, these K-cups were quick, easy and helped me get in a little extra protein. (And the Genepro is probably just good to have all around. You can add it to the cream soups when you’re ready for extra protein.)

Most people probably knew this stuff beforehand but I learned all this the hard way.

In the hospital a few things and I really appreciated bringing were my extension cord, my heated blanket, robe and a change of pajamas. I actually brought full blown make up bag with eyeshadow palettes and everything which I didn’t even touch. The only cosmetic or toiletries I used was my toothbrush and toothpaste!

Comparatively I feel like I’ve had a more difficult first seven days than others but I have had zero regrets and no regrets phase. I went in after doing a lot of self education and knew it would be challenging. I’m excited for the prospect of looking and feeling better and things are improving daily! I think you will find the same is true for you.

Edited February 27, 20197 yr by Everythinganna

I wish I had

1. Taken more before pictures.
2. Gotten off of caffeine earlier. I had a horrible headache for the first couple days. It might have been the anesthesia but I don't think I was completely off caffeine until after surgery.
3. Been more proactive about heading off constipation. I knew from reading I would likely have it but never imagined being so uncomfortable from it.

3 hours ago, FLHappyGirl said:

I wish I had

1. Taken more before pictures.
2. Gotten off of caffeine earlier. I had a horrible headache for the first couple days. It might have been the anesthesia but I don't think I was completely off caffeine until after surgery.
3. Been more proactive about heading off constipation. I knew from reading I would likely have it but never imagined being so uncomfortable from it.

Thanks i’M not a huge coffee addict, I don’t mind decaf so this is worth knowing

@Everythinganna that’s great. I’m really not a fan of shakes at all, I hate the consistency of them so knowing there’s a clear water option is a winner (especially if it’s flavoured because I’m rubbish at drinking water too!)

I second the comment about constipation. I mean, doc told me that I could get constipated, but I'd never had that happen to me, so I just thought it meant having a little trouble going. TMI ALERT: I didn't realize that I'd ultimately end up for over an hour and a half on the toilet, exhausted, crying, and bleeding, and still unable to get the poop that was part way out all the way out. This happened twice. And I didn't learn until later that my doc would have liked me to go to the hospital when that happened. Nor did I realize that "getting it under control" still means that it takes me at least 20 mn to go.

I also wish I’d known how bad my mouth would taste - no matter how much I brush my teeth/use the water pic/use mouthwash. It’s revolting. And I can’t imagine how my breath smells. :(

I wish I'd grasped how damn sore wind pain would be. I had pain in my left shoulder that radiated down by back and round to my chest at an intensity that made me pant to cope. Harder drugs were on offer, so was my own silly fault for not taking them. Part of the reticence was that I had scared the wotsits of my fella by being back an hour late from surgery. Aparently I was "very sleepy"

Wowsers, 1.5hrs! I wouldn’t be able to feel my legs by then! I liken trapped wind pain to labour pains. When I was in labour, that’s the only way I could describe it, like having the WORST trapped wind. But it’s all for the greater good ?

Wowsers, 1.5hrs! I wouldn’t be able to feel my legs by then! I liken trapped wind pain to labour pains. When I was in labour, that’s the only way I could describe it, like having the WORST trapped wind. But it’s all for the greater good [emoji53]

Ditto ref labour pain, that's probably why my go to place was panting. Walking helped control it and moved on the process of shifting it, but both getting up and sitting/laying back down caused an acute spike in pain. That made me have to screw up courage to go for the walk for first 48hrs. At about 72 hours the shoulder pain just disappeared...pouff. Was bliss. Not sure if I never felt incision pain, or if the wind pain, then the magical relief of it disappearing distracted me [emoji23]. Went home with pain meds I never needed.

I wish I'd been told that if you get a leak in your stomach (which I did), that you'd most likely be in hospital for an extended time. That really hit me hard and I had no plans in place if that did happen. Disaster! I felt that the surgery really skipped over the topic... it was there, mentioned in the paperwork, but the reality of it is something else. Everyone, even though the chances of you getting a leak are very small, please make sure you do have a plan if it happens to you. I had to fly my mum out from the UK to take care of my kid (who has autism) for 3 months.

Also, I didn't quite realise first time round that there is a honeymoon period with these surgeries. Make the most of them!

Edit: Also, if you are self pay... make sure you know what the costs will be if you do end up in hospital with a leak. I WAS going to do self pay over here in the States and god only knows what that would have ended up costing. I don't know if my insurance would have covered it... I doubt it. When all was said and done, my Gastric Sleeve surgery with complications cost just under a million dollars. Had I been self pay, most likely our family would be bankrupt by now.

Edited March 1, 20197 yr by froufrou