steph025

Hi guys...I wanted to post my experience. I found it so helpful to read what everyone else had to say and went into the surgery feeling pretty well prepared from reading everyone else's stories. Just wanted to share...(and document it for myself...to remember years from now lol). Day 0 - I got to the hospital around 7:30 and checked in and was brought back to change into my gown and get my IV. Lets just say I made that whole experience much more traumatizing than it had to be. I think it was the mix of my anxiety and fears all coming out, and I definitely started to cry when it came time for the IV. The nurses were absolutely amazing and the nurse decided to call over the "expert" and not attempt to get the IV in since she didn't see any veins in my hands. She put the numbing cream on..AND I asked for the numbing shot..and rubbed my back and wiped my tears as the expert IV guy got it on the first try. After that, I was feeling really relieved until I got the heparin shot. Let me just say..that stuff feels like liquid fire being pushed into your veins lol It was bearable and isn't something to fear for those of you that haven't had them yet...they just don't feel good for the five seconds it takes to do it, and the ten seconds after. Around 9:45 the anesthesiologist came by for the second time to see how I was doing and asked if I wanted a sedative. Man oh man..as soon as he pumped that stuff into my IV I was all laid back and carefree lol my friend was sitting next to me and said that I went from being nervous and speaking in full sentences to looking like I was perfectly drunk and enjoying life. Around 10am they wheeled me back into the OR. I think they may have asked me to move onto the OR table..or maybe they slid me over? I'm not sure..and didn't have a care in the world at that point. I remember the anesthesiologist, or nurse, or someone joking around with me and putting those leg things on and heart monitor stickers. I always imagined that it would be like greys anatomy and the last thing I would hear was "count to five..." and the first thing I'd hear was "you're in recovery..you did great!" All of that could have happened but I don't remember it. I woke up in recovery around 1? The first noise and sound that came out resembled "oooouuuuuuuccccchhhhh" lol the discomfort felt more like heart burn than anything else but didn't hurt. The nurse kept telling me that I was sleeping and had to wake up so I could go back to my room. I was in and out of it the first day...I would wake up for maybe five or ten mins when the nurses would come in and take vitals and then would knock out again until it was vitals time again. The nurses were supposed to come in every hour, but my friend who stayed by my side the entire time told me that they were coming in about every 20 mins. The nurses came in and tried to get me to sit up..go to the bathroom..and walk. Everytime I sat up..I would start to get dizzy and salivate like I was going to throw up, so right back down I went. Around 7pm, they called the on call bariatric surgeon to come look at me since I hadn't peed or been able to move. He said that they would have to put a catheter in unless I could pee soon, and he wanted to run some tests to make sure that there wasn't a leak (SCARY!). Someone came in to draw my blood every few hours after that, but I was so tired I just remember putting my arm out for them to stick me and waking when it was vitals time again. The doctor pumped me full of liquids, I could feel all of the liquid going through my hand. He called it a "bullet" and put an entire bag of that stuff into me every few hours. I peed three times, and on the fourth time I realized my pee was bright green. The nurse was like "don't worry about it..it's just dye." I must have been really out of it to not notice it the first three times. Day 1 - I don't remember much about this day, but I do know I went to do that leak test. That stuff does not taste very good, especially since I hadn't had any type of liquid in my mouth for over 24 hours. I was gagging the entire way there, during the test, and after. They had to stop a few times and wait for me to stop convulsing lol I think a lot of this was just because I've always been sensitive to motion. Even when I was feeling my worst, it wasn't that bad. A few friends stopped by but I can not remember too much about it. I do know that I had to pee about every 20 mins. By the time the nurse recorded the amount of pee, rehooked my IV thing, put the leg squeezers back on, propped me up in bed and got me comfortable...I was just about ready to pee again. The nurses were amazing, they were super friendly and helpful. A few hours after the test I was allowed to drink Water. Oh my goodness..water has never been so refreshing! With my water..came broth, Jello, tea, and something else I think. Every sip I took somehow released all this gas inside of me that made so much noise. My friend said she could hear it from across the room while I was sleeping. Oh, I guess I should mention that I had zero gas pain. Before surgery they asked me what a reasonable pain level was post surgery, and I said a two. So I was able to keep the morphine flowing, but wasn't that uncomfortable at all. Getting up to go to the bathroom was pretty inconvenient though. Day 2 - Woke up feeling better. Those nurses are in and out all night though. One would come in to take my vitals, then fifteen minutes later another one would come in to draw blood, and ten mins after that they would fiddle around with all the machines in the room. They gave me a heparin shot every 12 hours, which was the worst part of the whole surgery lol it wasn't even that bad, I think the anticipation of the shot is what got to me. I had Clear Liquids for Breakfast, which consisted of a small taste of jello, taste of broth, and a very very loud stomach. Everytime I sat or stood I would get really nauseous and vomit, so I hadn't even been up to walk at this point. The doctor came in to check the incisions and see how I was going..and followed up with last night's doctor regarding the possible leak/dehydration thing. I spent the day sleeping, peeing, and pressing my lovely morphine button. I wasn't cleared to go onto the full liquids (which is typically the day after surgery) until dinner time so unfortunately I wasn't going to be released. I ended up having a low grade fever with some nausea so they kept me another night. Oh..and my doctor allowed me to shower. It made me feel so much more human. I went into this whole experience feeling really modest and worrying about walking around in a gown and having all my body parts looked at. I couldn't have cared less once I was in the hospital...I couldn't make it to the bathroom so I just peed in one of those portable bucket chairs next to the bed and the nurses would just stand there right next to me with the wipes...staring lol I was getting up to go to the bathroom with the gown just barely covering the ta ta's in front. My friend helped me shower, which meant that she held the shower head soaped me up and hosed me off lol I couldn't bend down at all so I could only wash and dry my arms and stomach, and she patted down the rest of me. We laughed the whole time and talked about how our friendship clearly has no boundaries. Day 3 - They tried a different nausea medication that worked really well so I was able to get up and shuffle around. Cleared for the next stage of foods and was weaning off of the morphine and taking the liquid lortab. I was feeling pretty good and really wanted to get out of there. I got my last shot of heparin and was out of there by 1pm. As soon as I got home I took a long uninterrupted nap woke up for some broth and went to bed early. I am now at day 7 and am feeling pretty good. I am taking the lortab pretty regularly because my stomach is still pretty sore. It looks kind of lumpy right now, I guess from the swelling? I am not hungry at all, but I am having a difficult time getting down my liquids and Protein. I kept telling myself I was only going to take one week off of school and work that that is definitely a no go. Having a week and a half to two weeks sounds just about right. I have one more week on full liquids and can't wait to chew on something. Overall, this has been a great experience. I was really scared going into this whole thing, but the doctors and nurses were fantastic. The recovery isn't pleasant, but is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be at all. I wouldn't say that I was ever in actual pain, it was more like discomfort. I'm just waiting to hit my 14 day mark...so I can have food..and for the chance of a leak to decrease... Seven days in, I have absolutely no regrets. Oh yeah, I started this journey at 239, was 218 on surgery day, and am 205 seven days later! AMAZING!

Oh man, the time has finally come! I'm heading to the hospital in seven hours..and should be sleeved in 12... Good luck to everyone else tomorrow! Any ideas on how many lbs I should be losing weekly? And....do you think it would be possible for me to get to goal by summer? I'm 217 now...would love to be around 120...yeesh that's a lot of weight...

Hi Firebird, I can totally understand where you're coming from. I felt the exact same way as you, and do not feel comfortable with anybody from working knowing my business. I told my boss through email, and just said I was having a medical procedure, and I would be out from this date to this. I felt like he would ask me a lot more questions if I did it in person, and I'm not quite comfortable lying. He wrote me back and just said thanks for letting him know. I know there will be questions though...so once I get back I plan on saying that I had a hernia repair (if I have one) or another person mentioned there was a surgery to correct a valve or something that had the exact same post op stuff. I actually asked a similar question about a week or two ago and got some really great feedback. I think you can search "what can i tell my nosey boss?" or something like that. good luck

Hi Analynn, I'm having surgery next Thursday...I won't lie, I'm super nervous and scared but I know it will all be worth it in the end. I just keep telling myself...this time next week, the worst will be over and I'll be starting my new life. I am having it done with Dr. Li in SSF. I chose the sleeve because the RNY seemed a little scary, and the band just had too many possible complications for me... oh, and I'm taking one week off. Everyone recovers at a different rate, and there are a lot of people on here that bounce back pretty quick and those that take longer. I'm can't take anymore than one week off..so I will have to push through it... good luck and keep me posted! Has anyone else had Dr. Li at SSF?

Hi guys..I know this question has been asked several times now...I was perusing through all the older posts trying to find the answer but I'm just going to put it out there and ask... I have to tell my supervisor that I'm having surgery so I can have the time off. I know that most people mentioned that they say they are having surgery and they are going to have to take some time off, and their boss's leave it at that...well mine won't and I'm having a lot of anxiety about it. I feel really uncomfortable and judged by him, and absolutely refuse to tell him the truth. I know if I go in and say I have to take a week or two off for surgery his first response will be "oh what for?" and I don't want to say..."I don't feel comfortable talking about it" because..that just feels awkward. I know that he has absolutely no right to ask questions..but last week in a training he goes "oh cindy isn't going to be here today because she is having surgery on her blah blah (I don't even remember..)" I was really surprised that he felt comfortable enough to announce that..so not only do I not want to tell him..but I also don't want him to announce it to others while I'm out for the week. I have a really tense relationship with him in the first place and don't want to be caught in a lie. I was thinking about saying I need surgery for a hiatal hernia but don't even know if that's even possible. I'm 25..never had a baby...so I don't know what would cause that. and I guess I could say ulcers..but I've never really taken any medication before to cause ulcers...nor complained about any pain or discomfort in the past. I guess I just don't want to come up with something too far fetched or be caught in a lie. but i absolutely REFUSE to give him more reasons to judge me. i guess my overall questions is what can I tell them without being totally elusive..? thank you!

thank you to everyone for responding! I can't even tell you how much comfort this site brings me. I love that I can be sitting in chronic anxiety...ask a question..and get so many thoughtful and caring responses. A sincere thank you to everyone! jb - my date is 1/20. 13 days!! oh my..so scary...how are you feeling about it today? my biggest concerns i getting back to work and class in a week. congratulations to you! keep me posted on your journey...

hello! thank you so much for all your awesome input..I think I'm going to tell him that I'm having surgery..and if he asks more I'll just say I've been having stomach problems..I just fear he's going to ask what my symptoms were..etc and I'm not going to know how to answer them. I don't think he's TRYING to be in my business..I think somewhere in him, he is trying to be genuine and might sincerely care...but it just makes me uncomfortable. It's also strange because technically I'm his intern...and he is my direct primary supervisor, so there is no HR..or person above him to talk to. He is aware of HIPPA and all the legal and ethical things, but I think because he runs his program rather casually and wants us to be open. We had a discussion a few weeks ago about how he is having a hard time evaluating me because I'm shy and don't volunteer a lot of information. That's exactly why I feel weird evading his questions..knowing that he is going to be evaluating me later.... regardless, it's my body..my business..and I have to do what I'm comfortable with. On the other hand..I'm only going to be there for six month months..so would it be the worst thing for me to just be truthful and tell him?

hi guys! how's everyone doing? I love reading this post and hearing everyone's stories. It's really comforting to know that people have gone through SSF and are doing really well!! My date is approaching pretty quick..and I'm still not sure what I'm going to tell my supervisor (I definitely do not feel comfortable telling him the truth..) and how long I'm going to take off. I was wondering if anyone had Dr. Li from SSF? He is doing my surgery...and just wanted to see if anyone else had him and what their experience was like... happy new year!

Hello! My day is Jan. 20! Good luck to everyone and stay in touch!

Hi guys! My date is Jan 20th! It feels so close..yet so far. I'd love to stay in touch with you guys and hear about your journey! From my understanding, I don't have a pre-op diet at all, just nothing after midnight the night before surgery.

hey guys.. so I was 99.9% sure that I was going to get the sleeve and a surgery date today. I just met with my surgeon, he didn't say "get the band," but I feel he was definitely encouraging me to really consider it. He said that based on my age, weight, and long term outcomes, he thinks it would be a really good choice. He said that there is at least 16 years of data on the band, while there are only a few years for the sleeve. He said that I have a long time to live with my choice, and since there aren't long term studies and it is absolutely irreversible..it's more of a risk. He mentioned that the difference in statistical outcome weights between the two surgeries would be within a few pounds of each other, and completely within my own control. Given that, he suggested the band because it's "safer" and reversible if absolutely necessary. My thinking is..what are the chances of a band living to be 90 years old without complications? What are the chances of the sleeve living to be 90 without complications? I want this to be a one time procedure..with life long benefits... I know that most of the people on this site chose the sleeve for themselves and have been very successful. I guess I'm just unsure now because of his recommendations...gosh guys, I thought I knew what to do, but now I'm just confused. Any thoughts would be appreciated...

Hey guys.. I keep reading a lot about gas pains, and know it's from the leftover gas that they use to blow up the abdomen area. Do they even attempt to release some of the air before they close us up..or do they sew us up all bloated and gasy? I'm also wondering what exactly that feels like. How does it work itself out of our bodies and why does it cause pain in the left shoulder and neck? Why do some people complain of severe gas pain, and others say that it's only a mild discomfort? Are some surgeons better at getting the gas out than others? It doesn't sound like a very pleasant experience.. Thank you in advance!

yay!!! congratulations!!! i think my date will be on the 13th...please keep me posted on your journey!

Wow. Thank you so much for your input. I was pretty sure I didn't want it before reading everyone's responses, and now I am absolutely positive it's not something I want to do. I have an appointment with a different surgeon tomorrow..and have a tentative date for Jan 13th! I know the stats are really scary for the band..after we make it through the first few months after the sleeve, we are more or less in the clear right? Once the suture line is healed...it's not likely to just open up and cause a leak? Tiff, do you know of a site that has the break down like that for the sleeve? Everyone on this site has is so helpful, thank you!

good luck!! can't wait to hear about your successes!

Hi guys.. I have been reading EVERYTHING on this website for the past three months. I read it every night before I go to bed, and then dream about my surgery at night! I'm being a little obsessive to say the least lol I'm meeting with the surgeon for the first time in a week and a half, and am starting to panic. I know that this is going to be the beginning of a healthier, happier life, but it is so SCARY. I have never had any medical procedures in the past, so this is will be the first time for almost everything. I feel like once I'm knocked out they can do whatever they need to, but I am still worried about the small things at the beginning of the process. What was your experiences with the IV (I know it's a small and silly thing, but I am terrified of needles) and the heparin shot they put in your stomach? I'm worried about the pain after the surgery, but mostly nervous about everything that happens before. I don't want to be the crazy lady that is sobbing her whole way into the hospital...

Wow Sarah! That is fantastic! Congratulations!

Hello everyone, I posted this in another forum and didn't get any responses..so I hope its ok that I post it here too! I'm super new to this website, and started this process about a month ago. It's really great to know that there are other SSF'ers out there that are doing well! I've been going through the process pretty fast..and am meeting with Dr. Alami in a few weeks. I've noticed that a lot of you guys had him! I was wondering what your experience was like with him..? Did you guys ask him how many surgeries he has done and what his complication rate is? I know I can ask him when I meet with him..but the more info I can get..the less anxiety I will have! Also, I've lost 15 lbs since orientation (about 3 weeks ago) and was told to lose around 20. If i do..do you think he will schedule a surgery day right away? What was your experience? Thank you so much in advance!!

Hi hugsamber, I think you should be recovering from your surgery today! Hope all is well..and I'm wishing you a speedy recovery! Please let me know how you and your mom are doing!

I completely agree with free to live. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and stories! I can't even tell you how much it relieves my anxiety about this whole thing... Are the relaxation meds in pill form or do they give these to you through the IV? Thank you so much for the advice..I will definitely be asking for the valium.. hope to chat with you guys soon!

thank you for your comments! I'm feeling much more relaxed now that I've had a few days to let it sink in. It doesn't help when I vent to my friends or family about anxieties and fears, and their first reaction is to convince me not to do the surgery. I'm going to ask them to lather the numbing stuff all over my hand and hope it's not too bad.... thank you!

Hi Dayle! I think I messaged you, but I'm really new to this forum so I'm not even sure if it went through. I'm un-sleeved and going through the process as well, and have been reading EVERYTHING from this site for the past few months and have found it really helpful. Please feel free to message me!

intubating each other?! oh my...how can they even do that when people are awake? I don't know if they offer the numbing stuff, but someone told me to request it for the IV and heparin shot, which made my imagination go crazy. I am wondering what kind of pain I'm going to go through BEFORE surgery...

I guess if you allowed classmates to start IV's on you it can't be that painful! Have you ever requested that numbing stuff that they can use before hand? Thanks so much for your input!

Hi guys. Thanks so much for responding! It makes me feel like an official future sleever! Labrys - what was your experience like with the two incisions? how long were you in the hospital? i'd love to hear your story!! Humpty Dumpty - I don't have a 12 week options class (i'm not even sure what that is!) We had to go to a orientation class that was 3 hours..? And a nutrition and healthy living class. I did all the pre-op testing (blood work, EKG, and chest xray) and am meeting with the psychologist and surgeon early next month. I think getting the OK from the psych and surgeon is the last step....? and from there it's possible to set the surgery date..now i'm wondering if i've missed a few steps... Hugs - how did you and your mom decide on the surgeries if you don't mind me asking...just curious why you guys chose two different procedures.. Thank you!!!