After post op gastric sleeve - my experiences

[Raevor85 24]

Ahhh ok thank you for explaining im not sure if i am off hand. I know theres 3 medications they gave me but i dont pay attention to the names ( i know thats bad) mainly just instructions on usage. I really thought i was a patient person i guess this will really test a persons limit of patience lol. 8 weeks omg no im hoping im healed wayyy before then I cannot imagine being this way for another month and half lol. But I will trek on and keep doing what i need to do.

[Raevor85 24]

Ahhh ok thank you for explaining im not sure if i am off hand. I know theres 3 medications they gave me but i dont pay attention to the names ( i know thats bad) mainly just instructions on usage. I really thought i was a patient person i guess this will really test a persons limit of patience lol. 8 weeks omg no im hoping im healed wayyy before then I cannot imagine being this way for another month and half lol. But I will trek on and keep doing what i need to do.

[Raevor85 24]

So today was day 11 and my symptoms are still that pull and tug or twist? When im drinking Protein Shakes or trying watered down Soup juice ( cream of chicken thinned out with Water then strained ). It feels like something squeezing my insides for a heartbeat then it finishes going down its uncomfortable and makes me NOT want to swallow anything besides water. A few of my incisions are healed up but puffy on the inside ( no pain or anything though ) and a few are painfully hard to ignore when im sitting up a certain way and sometimes when walking. I feel like the weight of my stomach is causing these aches because when i hold my stomach up with my hands pain is gone. Im going to see my surgeon for my 2 week follow up on the 31st so hopefully he can tell me whats wrong if anything. Also i still cannot stop spitting like it has decreased but not gone away completely it is SO annoying you have no idea. And i still get this pain at the roof of my mouth where the bone is right before your throat. Its not as painful as before but it still throbs on and off. I will update when i have news fingers crossed for me.

[ChunkCat 674]

The pull and twist sensation is most likely a stomach spasm. It is one of the rarer side effects of bariatric surgery. I got them too, and mine happened even with water! My surgeon told me they'd go away after a few weeks and sure enough, between weeks 2 and 3 they magically faded out! You have to be veeeeery slow with eating and drinking.

The pain on the inside that feels like your stomach weight is causing it is completely normal. You have a lot of internal sutures and there are anchor stitches to keep things in place, those are often the most painful and take the longest to heal! I couldn't lie on my side for a few weeks without propping up my stomach with a pillow under it because the pulling of my stomach sideways caused intense pain thanks to the anchor stitches. I think it took about a month to 6 weeks for that to fade completely.

Bariatric surgery is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Healing takes time and a generous amount of patience. The more impatient and annoyed you are with your body, the more agitated and anxious you will get. All the things you have described sound fairly normal for 11-12 days out from surgery. I'm sure your surgeon will tell you that at your follow up appointment! Be sure he knows all your concerns. It takes about 3 months for those internal sutures and cut nerves to heal up completely and start sending clearer signals to your brain. But the pain from the incisions and internal stitches should go away within 4-6 weeks. I'm sorry your team didn't explain to you how gradual recovery is and how slow it can feel... You can do this! When you see the scale moving it'll help ease the frustration. LOL

[Raevor85 24]

So i had my 2 week post op appointment today i have lost 23 pounds since my surgery day and i was told thats good. I didnt see my actual surgeon which was a bit annoying, and the doctor that did see me was rushing me out the damn door. Like i honestly could barely answer her questions before her next one. I tried telling her about the pain in my mouth and the constant spitting but she was clueless. I told the intake nurse about my depression up and down moods but this doctor didnt even bring it up. Today felt like i was a cross on a t or a dot on an i. Like ok youre healing good no major complications good ok see ya take care! Thankfully i had the mindset to see my regular pcp to discuss the problems im having and hopefully i get actual attention and help to fix the issues. Very disappointing day honestly.

[Arabesque 6,479]

This is terrible. What sort of aftercare is that. Send an email directly to the surgeon if you can listing the questions you have & didn’t receive answers about or didn’t have a chance to ask because you were pushed out the door.

I had good follow up which is why I’m very surprised & disappointed for you at your after care. I saw my surgeon at week 2, 1 month & then the 3rd month. A colleague then took up my follow up appointments. I saw them every three months until my third year. I still see this doctor every 6 months. I don’t know for how much longer though. I guess my next appointment at my 5 year mark will tell.

Edited February 2 by Arabesque

[NickelChip 686]

Do you have a health care portal? I've found sending a message to my doctor through the portal is a good way to go if I have a question. Usually the nurse will respond within 24 hours, and if needed the doctor will give me a call. It might be better to get your concerns addressed that way. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet with your surgeon.

[Raevor85 24]

I saw my primary care doctor and he was able to assist me further with some of things i needed. If i have any questions related to the surgery i will definitely be reaching out to the nurse for sure. I wont see my surgeon again until another 3 months. I have this constant itching every now and then on my stomach its so annoying lol. Could be winter itch i dont but i never had that before. Im going to start rubbing cocoa butter on my stomach hopefully that helps.

Edited February 2 by Raevor85

[Arabesque 6,479]

The itching can be your wounds healing. All the little nerve ending refiring feels a bit like crawling ants or itchy. As long as there’s no swelling or redness or pain you’re okay.

[Raevor85 24]

Oh my goodness yes thats EXACTLY what it feels like lol

[Raevor85 24]

So i was itching soooooo bad all night and i mean chest stomach back etc like i had fleas or something. I look at my stomach today some of my stretch marks are red. Like that shouldnt be happening unless im getting MORE of them i dont understand this symptom at all. Im going to try and call a nurse today even though its a saturday. In the meantime i went to dr google and from what i read some people think its a gallbladder issue or majority think its a lack of B12 which is what I'm leaning toward because i havent been taking them like i should. So im getting on that today and hopefully that stops this insane itching. Fingers crossed ill keep you all updated.

[Arabesque 6,479]

Oh no it shouldn’t be like that. You should only have itching around the wound sites. I’m glad you’re getting some medical help.

[Raevor85 24]

So i started taking the B12 complex ( advised by the doctor to switch to complex) and it hasnt completely cured the itching but im not wanting to scratch my skin off now lol hopefully within the next few days it stops altogether. I also have been using cocoa butter to slow it down. Now the other issue im having is eat pureed foods. I have threw up every time i try to eat the recommended foods and measured amount. I tried to puree the food myself but maybe im not doing it right. I called the nurse anyway and was advised to puree it more, take smaller bites ( i mean how small do i need to do really like a baby spoon? ) and if im still having issues in 2 days call back and they will figure out something from there. When i swallow it feels like its stuck in my throat and just sits there and it hits my gag reflex when i drink Water ( after 20 min of eating) so everything is just floating around in my throat and blam its coming back out. I feel the measurements i was advised to eat is still too much for me 1/4 cup i cant eat it. The only thing close to normal i can eat is yogurt and that is technically in the full liquid category. Im getting agitated again because its like man when will i be able to EAT!?? I dont care if its broccoli or carrots at this point i just want to be able to eat food again lol but im stuck at full liquids at this point i dont know how this is going to go but as always ill keep you all posted. Wish me luck.

[ChunkCat 674]

13 hours ago, Raevor85 said:

Now the other issue im having is eat pureed foods. I have threw up every time i try to eat the recommended foods and measured amount. I tried to puree the food myself but maybe im not doing it right. I called the nurse anyway and was advised to puree it more, take smaller bites ( i mean how small do i need to do really like a baby spoon? ) and if im still having issues in 2 days call back and they will figure out something from there. When i swallow it feels like its stuck in my throat and just sits there and it hits my gag reflex when i drink Water ( after 20 min of eating) so everything is just floating around in my throat and blam its coming back out. I feel the measurements i was advised to eat is still too much for me 1/4 cup i cant eat it. The only thing close to normal i can eat is yogurt and that is technically in the full liquid category.

Homemade purees should be completely smooth, like yogurt or pudding. No bits, no lumps, no bumps.

I was advised to take bites no bigger than my thumbnail and yes, use a baby spoon! Most of us use smaller utensils, at least at the beginning. Even with bites that small, and even though it is pureed, you should chew it just to ensure it is smooth before swallowing. Then set down your spoon/fork and give it time to work its way down.

The advice to eat a 1/4 cup is the MAX you should do, NOT the minimum. Most of us could only do a few tablespoons of food to begin with, if that. Don't eat more than your tummy can handle. Give food time to move down your throat and into your stomach before you eat more.

Relax, eating should be slow and deliberate. And it should take a lot of time to eat, like 30 minutes or more. Don't drink within 30 minutes of eating. 20 minutes is too soon. Some have to wait a little longer than 30 minutes, it depends on how long you personally need to give digestion to complete and move the food out of your stomach. In the beginning I needed to wait 45 minutes.

For many of us, yogurt was considered a puree, it is a heavier texture than a liquid. So if you can do yogurt without thinning it down, you are doing good! It is fine that it was in your full liquid stage, but it is still good to have in pureed stage.

Try the above suggestions and see if that helps. It really sounds like you are eating too much too fast. Take the amount of time you think is slow and double it! Take the bite you think is small and half it, at least! Your tummy is very brand new, purees are heavier than shakes, it is normal for them to take longer to make it to your stomach, and longer to digest. ❤️ Good luck!!

Edited February 6 by ChunkCat

[ChunkCat 674]

And yes, by all means, if you continue to have problems after modifying how you are eating, do follow up with the nurse. There are a few things that can prevent you from progressing your diet past liquids, but they are rare, and if you are getting down yogurt it is a good sign!