Happy Camper

Thanks for sharing your opinion Lissa. I have shared once as well that complications can be more than leaks and definitely are not experienced solely as a result of non-compliance. One may be at higher risk if reckless sure...I will just about guarantee those of us here who have developed a leak, abscess, stricture or related condition, have followed directions completely, and maybe to a fault. Stacey, it is a major surgery. There are risks but, you can get help. Like Lissa said the co-morbidities are the concern and why you are seeking surgery. How many elderly people have you seen who are obese or morbidly obese? This was the question that helped me make my final decision. Best to you!

I too am 8 weeks post op. Doc gave me a specific diet to start follow. 1000 calories daily it includes lettuce, tomatoes and brown rice. I am good with the lettuce but not feeling ready for rice yet. I think just chew well. Take care.

If you are following the diet, Fluids, exercise As directed, dEfinately best to check in with your bariatric office. As a result of my abscess the surgeons in the practice I went to now prescribe antibiotics pre/post surgery. I now subscribe to if it is different and especially if it hurts - call and at least check with them. Also, fever is generally a check for leak but it does not always show up that way. Best to you.

PeaceQueen so sorry this happened. You are right though now that it is found, you can start to heal and will be and feel so much better and begin your real journey. Just look at all of your support here, people do care. Take care and rest. All my best to you, Sandy

Best of luck to you! This is a great tool.

Oh Libbe keep the faith honey at least the leak has stopped. We are thinking of you and saying our prayers. Hugs

I have been using my Elliptical now up to 25-40 minutes and I mix it up. I just got Country Dance 2 and used that today, whoa it kicked my "u know what". I am excited for tomorrow . Hard to believe I would be excited for exercise. Usually 5 days a week.

I have posts this under the complications section so apologies if this is repeat for anyone reading. I will keep as brief as possible. Sleeved November 1. Drain removed November 11, stomach pain started next day. By November 16 I was having emergency surgery for a large abscess in my abdomen which went down the exact path my drain was located, the surgeon could see it. I received treatment which included a product called "Acellular Xenograft" which speeds up the healing process, it is actual pig cells. My stomach was left open to heal from the inside out. I am now 60 days post op from sleeve surgery and have never had one night without a large surgical dressing on my stomach. I shower with Saran Wrap around me but, am looking forward to next Friday because the insurance company denied covering my treatments and I appealed the underwriters, sent in photographs and guess what...they changed their decision which was based on the fact the material was considered experimental. It was this treatment or a vacuum strapped to me and trips to a wound clinic. My hope is by my appeal being accepted by Anthem, it will help someone else in the future. All through all of this, I remain excited about my sleeve and my future health. I wish you good health and no complications!

Definitely at your stage you have to take it slow. Others have given you great information. Dehydration is your biggest concern early on. Keep up the fluids, sf pops, I like G-2 which is less sugar. My doc also said not to start Vitamins until week two, priority was fluids and if you have other mds you have to get in. Nothing bigger than tic-tac. Best to you, Take care

I am late to the topic for you Lola but, you received great advice. Good to hear you are feeling better. Just please listen to your body and don't be afraid to call your doctor. This is serious and they get paid accordingly. Take care of you and good luck on this journey.

Wow Kathy - I have not heard of anyone with a nicked Spleen. This I can tell you - generally when you are up and moving it helps tremendously. Walking and sipping, though clechet sounding,really do help with that trapped gas (if it is the gas). By three weeks, I had a second surgery for a complication and I did not have the type of pain you describe. You need to get your lungs going, definately. And honestly, because of the spleen maybe that is adding to your shoulder. If it gets too bad, I would call doc again. Take care.

I also do the brown turkey breast from costco with a Baby Bel cheese round - total calories 120 or if I add another piece of turkey it is like 170. I also eat the following: 1/2 banana with 2 tsp skippy Peanut Butter Peeled and sliced apple (chew well) dipped in skippy peanut butter (this has fat in it but, I use very little) Albacore Tuna mixed with Johnny Garlic's ceasar dressing instead of mayo (you can find both at Costco) Shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce (yummy and lots of protein) Campell's Cheese Soup mix with chicken Breast (I found this on the forum, it was okay goning to try other versions) Chicken Enchilada (microwaved chicken breasts in garlic and bouillon, then shredded them, opened a can of enchilada sauce dipped my whole wheat tortilla in the sauce, sprinked with fat free cheese, added a couple mexican stewed tomatoes and rolled them up - baked only until cheese was melted and sause bubbled. I could only eat 1/2 but had the other half for Breakfast today yummy. Smiles ~ Sandy

I am not sure if it is okay but, honestly I would NOT do it. Along with other things Nyquil has a lot of alcohol in it and this early on you do not need that in your tummy. Think of it like a baby's tummy - it needs time. Have some chicken broth with some extra frest strained out garlic - that will help your cold Take care, Sandy

I too am sorry you are feeling so bad, question do you have a cpap machine? I have recently learned that machine can fill your tummy with air, you are full and are not eating. The other thing is seriously, you need to get Fluid down. If you can't eat not so bad and don't worry about the meds. First and foremost you need to stay hydrated. Take it a step at a time. 17 days is a long spell - try to get some gatorade down you need the ellectrolites. I drink G2 it does not have all the sugar. Then move slowly - Water does bother some tummys. Go back to the basics, if no chicken broth get a cup o noodles, make it and just drink the broth from that - a little less oily in my opinion. If that sticks with you, try some simple split pea Soup - it is a little thicker and just lick the spoon if that is all you can do. THEN try to get some of the meds in - specifically the acid reducer. Let us know how it goes, if you can't get anything on board, you need to go back to the doctor or the ER for fluids. I wish you the best, Sandy

I thought mine were excessive, but it seems you have more: Up at 4am 1/2 Protein drink (costco premier brand) take Biotin (5000 meg) Next: Mixed in my 1/4 c natural applesauce is Omeprazole (PPI) Potassium 10 MEQ, which is two pills mixed in Bariatric Advantage B-50 complex (yuck) I then chew: Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate 500 mg Bariatric Advantage complete multi-formula Evening add to meal: Potassium (2 more pills) So all in right now I am taking 9 pills in some form a day. It does seem like you have a lot extra, maybe after your next blood panel you can come off some? I did a workup last week for my check up this Friday. Hopefully you are feeling better too

That is so special, congratulations. Wishing you many, many years of happiness and love.

Mommamea, thank goodness! When you have a chance read my post under complications about listening to your body. I am so very glad you did. I waited and ignored my pain thinking it was my sleeve. I agree with the others, good healing to you and thanks for letting us know, folks really do care. Take care of you.

Today is your day!! To anyone who needs a little encouragement, know others have been there and we will help where we can. Happy New Year! Sandy

Mommamea, I developed an abscess (infection) at the site my drain was located. I do not want to frighten you but, this is NOTHING to mess around with. The infection did not go through my peritoneal cavity and after I was taken in for a CT scan, to check for leak they did emergency surgery. I NEVER HAD A FEVER. I am still healing with an open wound in my tummy. My sleeve surgery was 11/1, my second surgery was 11/16 it has cost more than the original surgery and set me back in many ways. Please is there anyway you can go to the ER? I wanted to wait a day and my nurse said she would not advise that, my hubby drove me to ER 3 hours away and a few hours after that I had emergency surgery. Infection is serious. My prayers are with you, please let is know. If you want to discuss anything further, please just send me a note.

Happy New Year! I would add the following: Scale Small containers (like the zip lock type) Different types of broth ( I cooked my own ahead and froze it in small containers for ease of prep time) water bottles with oz on side, I used these for protein drink measurement and ease Loose clothes easy to put on G2 - my favorite is grape Once you graduate to full liquids: split pea soup (this was my life line!)

i had my surgery on November 1. I was so happy and excited to get through recovery and begin to walk, eat healthy and get back to work. I just knew all would be fine.....until I had my drain removed from my belly on day 9. We live 3.5 hours from the doctor so it is a huge undertaking plus it is starting to snow in our part of the us (near Reno Nevada ). We went it and my stomach had some pain and I thought it was because of the drain. That was November 11. We stayed the night and did some Christmas shopping, a lot of walking and the next day I felt super tired and my tummy hurt more. I thought it was because I was in and out of the car, more walking than in the prior two weeks and I over did it. The site where the drain was happened to be leaking so we went and got a large band aid for it. That night it really became irritated so we went home and I left it open, but the next day I had a low grade fever. Thinking it was night and trying to catch up with everything we let it be until Tuesday my first day back at work. I sat up all day in a chair behind a computer and on the phone. My stomach got super hot to the touch and hard. It was not right. I called the surgeon's office and after 3 more calls their advise was to get to the EMERGENCY ROOM right away. So we immediately left and arrived Tuesday at 7:30 in the ER. It took another 5 hours before they could do my CT scan because it was a trauma hospital and that night there had been 4 trauma flights come in. Each time I was pushed back which if it were me I would hope I got pushed to the front too, so no worries there I was in pain and just wanted to find out what was going on. I was in the ER until 5:30am when they finally had a bed for me and the doctor told me I had a deep infection at the port site. It went all the way down to my stomach and an abscess had formed. More than likely I would have to undergo another surgery . At 7:45 yesterday morning the surgeon came in and pushed on my tummy and said he wanted one final upper GI and then I would have surgery. The doctor has written books on obesity and I really trusted his knowledge . He did not see a leak it looked like the infection stayed in the partineum (sp?) cavity. He left the opening in my stomach open it is not sutured closed but is packed with growth materials the heal and stimulate tissue growth. The healing must come from the inside therefore they can't close it. I go back on the 28th until then no changing the dressing at all - EEKKK Anyway I am now back to taking loratab and suspension antibiotics plus all the Vitamins, proposed, potassium seems my goal was to reduce medication, this is more than I ever took before. I know it will be short lived but.... The CT scan also picked up something in my breast and I just had a mammogram so now need to follow up with that as well. I really did think I was healthy, just ran into a bit of bad luck. It will get better I am sure. Please fellow sleevers, listen to your body and don't make excuses if things are not right for you! Sandy

"One more thing - I have noticed a tendency to complications more for people who don't follow the rules in one way or another. Be diligent in your preparation, give yourself enough time to heal, promise no one nothing while you are doing so!" UMM Sorry but, I just need to share, I do not think this is a statement I can agree with Pookeism. I followed everything to the letter. You could not find anyone who measured, ate only prescribed food, stayed sterile (my hubby thinks I have mysophobia) and I developed a major complication. The abscess was not my fault. Things happen Being scared is natural. Learning all you can helps conquer fears. Ultimately, it will be a decision you have to be comfortable with.

Alex, Just wanted to thank you for starting this site. To have the vision and foresight to grow this into thousands who support and gain information on a topic that impacts millions of people in the world of all walks of life, is wonderful. As you make subtle changes to the site we do notice and it is always in the spirit of making things better. I for one look forward to the evolution. To the moderators, most of you share your experiences and help others to get started, where else can one find support like that? To all who give their time, you are paying it forward. Have a Happy New Year!

Susan - I do so appreciate you, Irene, Tiff, Ken (sorry missing others) - the one thing I wanted when I joined this site was to find folks who had real life experience with the sleeve. With the formation of this site it makes it possible first, but the people make the difference. My daughter has the lap band (almost 2 years),has lost 70 lbs and is happy. I knew that was not for me, with the sleeve procedure as a stand alone, it is new. i consider all of us the pioneers and hope that others in time will continue to look to us like I looked to you, Tiff and Irene etc. I wanted to know there were real people I could take my questions to and you all have been there. I live in a remote location without access to support groups. Before I joined I am certain there were others but, the regulars who take time out to post do help like Lissa, Longer-Life,Libbee, Rootman, Feed your Eye, thinoneday, ThomasCPA etc these folks are all making a difference for someone and that is fantastic! I am just very appreciative is all. Take care.

Carbgrl, Education is the best medicine. We post about complications to help others not to "freak" anyone out. People are all different and our bodies adapt to this surgery in different ways. Some things are out of our control, but if you are going down the weight loss surgery path, you have exhausted all other means and your health both physical and mental, are depending on you to rid yourself of the excess weight. Please just think of this as education with real people, so you know some things that can potentially happen. If they do, more often than not-there is a correction. My abscess and second surgery do not hold me back from saying, I am glad I had the sleeve surgery. I feel better today, with an open wound on my tummy than I did 4 months ago when I was in the approval process. I know I have extended my life to move forward with my hubby into my twilight years I wish you strength and confidence in your journey.