Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Sleeve op during Covid times? Go ahead or wait??



Recommended Posts

Hi, my sleeve was going to happen 6 days ago but I had to reschedule as I was unsure if going under the knife during Covid was a good decision. I have postponed it to 21 Jan. However I am still in two minds.

Any advice? I would love to hear from someone who has had it recently.

The reason for my hesitation is when I spoke to the nurse for pre op, I asked her if this is good time(considering the pandemic), she said and I quote " after general anaesthesia, the body and organs will not work full on for a little while, and if I was to catch Covid on the ward (its a secure hospital but still there is a chance ) that my lungs won't be able to fight it as it would usually.

Any ideas? Please advise. Im thinking to leave it until the summer but frankly I don't want to.

Merry Xmas.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, Sophie2015 said:

Hi, my sleeve was going to happen 6 days ago but I had to reschedule as I was unsure if going under the knife during Covid was a good decision. I have postponed it to 21 Jan. However I am still in two minds.

Any advice? I would love to hear from someone who has had it recently.

The reason for my hesitation is when I spoke to the nurse for pre op, I asked her if this is good time(considering the pandemic), she said and I quote " after general anaesthesia, the body and organs will not work full on for a little while, and if I was to catch Covid on the ward (its a secure hospital but still there is a chance ) that my lungs won't be able to fight it as it would usually.

Any ideas? Please advise. Im thinking to leave it until the summer but frankly I don't want to.

Merry Xmas.

It is such a personal decision. For myself, I decided it was still an okay time to do it. However, my surgery was at an outpatient surgery center. This made me feel more comfortable than being in the hospital near covid patients. Though at least at the local hospital they are keeping covid separate from other patients so you may not even encounter a covid positive person.

As someone in healthcare, I can understand that after any surgery you are in a weakened state, but it wouldn’t mean your heart or lung health wouldn’t fight for you. You may be more susceptible to acquiring covid, but it doesn’t mean you would have the worst case scenario if you did. Hope this helps a bit!

it definitely is a very personal decision. But know whatever you decide for yourself will be the right one!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. I was just browsing the forums of people who have done it in the past few months and Thankfully, they are still with us sharing with us about their experience.

My surgery will take place in a private hospital which doesn't treat or admit Covid patients, so I am going to go ahead with it. Enough waiting.

As you have been through it yourself, would you (or anyone else ) be able to shed a bit of light on what I can what expect right after the surgery? Do you feel the stomach is sliced? Pain wise? I was terrified when the surgeon mentioned stitches and leaking......

Thank you so much and Merry Christmas.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Sophie2015 said:

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. I was just browsing the forums of people who have done it in the past few months and Thankfully, they are still with us sharing with us about their experience.

My surgery will take place in a private hospital which doesn't treat or admit Covid patients, so I am going to go ahead with it. Enough waiting.

As you have been through it yourself, would you (or anyone else ) be able to shed a bit of light on what I can what expect right after the surgery? Do you feel the stomach is sliced? Pain wise? I was terrified when the surgeon mentioned stitches and leaking......

Thank you so much and Merry Christmas.

I have not experienced any bleeding or leaking from my sites. Which they did say was normal if it happened. Pain wise the first couple days were rough. More from the constant nausea and vomiting I couldn’t control. Which just made the belly hurt! I had several different nausea meds I was taking and they added in a one time dose of a strong nausea pill and it made all the difference! It didn’t take long and I was feeling better!

My surgery was on 12/22, today 3 days out I sat in the floor with the kids while they opened gifts, fed my daughter Breakfast, and have been up on the couch sipping slowly today. Today feels like I’ve turned over a new leaf! I still am taking my pain medications every 6 hours which is helping. I skipped one overnight and was super sensitive this morning but otherwise doing good!

Everyone has a different pain tolerance. I’ve always had a high pain tolerance, but not tolerant at throwing up. I’m a weakling when it comes to vomiting. Whiney too, lol. Overall, it hasn’t been a bad experience and I have no buyers remorse as of yet!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you RTL for sharing your post experience with me. Hearing this makes all the difference, literally inspiring and encouraging me to g ahead with the sleeve.

Any tips re pre op? my dietician has put me on a milk diet (semi skimmed milk for 1 week before op, Water and tea unlimited) no solids.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, Sophie2015 said:

Thank you RTL for sharing your post experience with me. Hearing this makes all the difference, literally inspiring and encouraging me to g ahead with the sleeve.

Any tips re pre op? my dietician has put me on a milk diet (semi skimmed milk for 1 week before op, Water and tea unlimited) no solids.

You just gotta white knuckle it. It sucked. Bad. But after the 3 rd day it got better for me! I had some semi solid (hard boiled eggs) and some lean Protein once a day so that helped a lot keep me feeling “normal”. It was still very low calorie and basically no carb. Once you get into ketosis though it gets better. The cravings and pangs aren’t that bad. Just be strong and you got this!

I found so much encouragement in this board. I used the search function and searched for every fear, or anxiety I had knowing there was a ton of people before me feeling the same way. I read posts from 2008-2010, ten years ago and felt the same way as many of them. It’s been very helpful!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Staying the same weight you are now puts you at a higher risk of dying from COVID.

I would argue this time is as good as a time as ever.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Very few things could have stopped me. Covid wouldn't even be a consideration for me.

Edited by bufbills

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had mine Nov 30th along with hiatal hernia repair and all went well. No hesitation as I had to try again after an attempt on Oct 21, 2019. Surgeon had a very difficult time taking out my Gastric Band and port due to extensive scar tissue.

Sent from my [smartphone] using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had mine Nov 10. I wasn’t that concerned. At this point unfortunately Covid is everywhere. Take your precautions, but I wouldn’t let this stop you from taking this step.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I just had my surgery Thursday. I was on a “clean wing” - no COVID patients. I think the dangers of Covid and obesity outweighed the fear of catching in the hospital. I would have been more concerned had I had to go to the ER - but I went straight to the surgical section and then to my clean floor after recovery.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had mine in August of 2020. Surgeon warned me to quarantine for one month post op for the same reasons, that our bodies just went under so much stress that Covid would be a bad outcome. If you are able to quarantine (and have those in your household follow the rules and mask when they work etc.) you should be ok. Here’s the deal- being morbidly obese and getting COVID is a bad thing. You need to improve your chances and losing weight will greatly improve your health. Pre-op I was a 36 -37 BMI. My weight in January of 2020 was 252. My preop weight was 236 and I’m now 180 and feel amazing! I would definitely do it again

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×