M2G

The source of the gas, is what they use to inflate your abdomen in order to get the surgical tools in and around inside of you. The way it comes out totally depends on the person. 11 years ago when I had gall bladder surgery, the leftover gas 'fatigued' my shoulders and neck something horrid (like getting the bends as a scuba diver, the gas created pressure on my muscles). Now after my vsg, the nurses kept coming in and asking if I had the "toots" (which I didn't lol) but I burped constantly for a week. One sip equalled 2 burps...every single time. Today is the first day that I'm sipping without burping (hooray!) And I think every starts feeling "normal" at a different rate too. I felt well enough to drive 5 days post-op, but then had a little setback and had to remind myself that I was STILL healing and to take things slowly. I've been a couch potato the last 2 days and it has helped to keep things low-key. I'm ready (and scared too) for mushies!!! Soon, soon!

We share a surgery date!! Welcome! Right now, I'm missing the activity of "chewing" ...lol. I would give my right arm if I could find something to CHEW! I tried a sugar-free popsicle today and it helped for about 2 seconds. It's not that I'm hungry per se, just missing being able to "eat" instead of drinking ALL THE TIME. That being said, I realize that this is all part of the deal, I'm following my surgeon's rules to a "T" and I have lost 16 lbs since Wed. Oct. 20th. That seems incredible to me, and gives me reason to keep staying the course, knowing that I'm doing everything right and making this new sleeve work. My abdomen is still sore, my drain wound is still a leaking ugly mess, my throat still hurts from the tube during surgery, so I guess I have the good, the bad and the in-between moments. This is definitely a huge part of my support group, just being able to come here and communicate with others, some who have been there, and some who are waiting for their surgery. I'm so happy that I found this forum because sleeves are new to my dr. (although he is an excellent bariatric surgeon who has TONS of experience) so they haven't really set up a strictly sleeve support group yet. I have relied on this site to help me with all the questions, frustrations, and just everything. Keep coming and talking and I'm sure you will find it helpful. Vent away, I'm guessing that what you are feeling is completely normal.

Awwww, that is SO hard. We never want our failures to become our children's inherited failures. My oldest daughter will be 10 in about 6 weeks and she is already on the overweight side. At my psych eval I brought this up and that of course I don't want my daughter to have to go down this same path, etc. She basically said "each person needs to find their own path, you can guide her, offer her healthy choices, teach her about eating healthy, encourage her to exercise, but at some point this will be HER battle and not yours." It was a wow moment. Of course I will everything that a parent can do to ensure a healthy strong child, but she gets to be an active particpant in her own life. I thought that was very well said. I'm glad you talked to her. It is funny how other people react or don't react to OUR weight loss. It is always fascinating. I love that you told her this is NOT a competition. You are there for her and always will be and that is the best thing a parent can do!

So I finally got that annoying as he!! drain tube pulled out of me today. My surgeon didn't stitch the hole, or glue it or even butterfly band-aid it. He said it would heal on it's own. REALLY???? I know he is a great surgeon that I trust, but it is hard to believe when I have a large oval gaping hole in my abdomen and blood is coming out. AARGH! Anyone else told that a hole from their drain would just heal up?

I am definitely talking to my dr. on Wed. when I go back for my follow up visit. I noticed in on Sat after getting released from the hospital. I tried to lay down and read a magazine and everything was blurry. Now I'm 2 day post-op and it hasn't gotten any better. I suffer from amblyopia which means that one of my eyes sees great (20/20) and the other eye was deemed lazy and I've always worn glasses to correct my lazy eye (oh and it isn't physically lazy, you can't tell by looking at my eyes which one is lazy...it is just *brain* lazy.) So I'm not sure if this is just part of my body adjusting to surgery, or a side effect or what Has anyone else had blurry vision after surgery and how long did it take to go back to normal??

From everything I've read, the answer is no.

So nice to read your story! It is very familiar to me! Even the part about starting out thinking I would do the lap band! You will definitely find tons of support here (you already have!) and thanks for checking in on me during my surgery. Do you have a surgery date yet? Keep us posted!

Well written JuilaRH!!! Maybe we should all write the author and "suggest" easy ways to be in control of her anorexia. How hard is it to eat a couple of donuts a day? I mean that would solve her anorexia problem right? Simple. Why didn't she think of that. Ppffftttt! What a biotch!

Welcome home! Glad everything went well! I tried to follow the one ounce every 15 minute rule and it made me crazy! I totally figured out that if I just sip like I naturally would (with resting in between) that I can get all my fluids in. It did take until about 4 days post-op for that to happen though. I figured out that 3 sips of Fluid is about an ounce. Then I wait and when it seems like some time has passed, I do 3 more sips. Alternate between protien drinks and Water. I found out that Jello felt weird going down. And pre-surgery I loved crystal lite and post-surgery I haven't touched the stuff. lol. (the leak test fluid was compared to the taste of crystal lite...maybe there is a correlation?) Anyway, I'm jealous they took your drain out before you went home...lucky girl! I just got mine pulled yesterday and I was literally counting down the seconds till it was gone! Hope you settle into a nice routine, keep getting in the fluids!!!

I got my period 2 days after surgery and it was about 9 days early! Of course my surgeon chalked it up to the anethesia and the huge shock to my system by going under the knife. I was pretty regular before without any hormones (our family is "officially" complete) so I hope it doesn't take too long to go back to normal.

Thanks ladies! I talked to my NUT today and told her what happened and she gave me more thorough instructions, etc. She said when I'm home to let it air out, and just keep it covered if I'm out and about. She said the same as you all, it WILL heal normally. Phew. She also told me what to look for if indeed there was a problem (red hot to the touch, or a boil under the skin) that I should definitely come back and have it checked. But otherwise, keep on taking care of it and it would heal nicely.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That is so exciting. Not long and you will be starting your new life! Woo hoo!

That is wonderful news! So happy for you!

Oh I'm so glad that I am not the ONLY one this has ever happened too. Not that I would *wish* this on anyone... Things are better as long as I'm wearing my glasses, but like Pamela I was used to only wearing them "as needed" i.e. not all the time. I had my mom be my co-pilot today and actually drove the girls to school. I'm 5 days post-op today. I have my follow-up today with my surgeon and I'm getting my drain removed. I cannot tell you how freaking happy I will be to have this drain OUT OF MY BODY. UGH! I literally cannot wait for it to go away. More than stitches, cuts, soreness, pain, blurry vision, the drain is by far the worst of everything. lol. CAN NOT WAIT!!!

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your success story with us!

Great photo!!! Amazing how much fun you can have when you don't have a bunch of fat to hide behind! Thanks for posting!!!

Oh wow, that is scary moving the date up! Sort of takes you off-guard doesn't it? You are most likely in recovery now. I hope you are doing well. As for pain, the nurses kept asking me to rate my pain, 1 being hardly at all, and 10 being the worst. I never got higher than a 4. Truly. And now 4 days post-op I can truly say I haven't had pain meds since Sun. night, Tylenol, quick release only, and I wouldn't even say I'm in PAIN. I am more just SORE. Like my tummy is sore when I roll over in bed at night or go to pick something up. But not pain, just sore. Each day that passes I feel better. Hoping everything went well for you!

Good luck and welcome! We'll make some room on the losers bench for you!

Welcome Jane! I just had my sleeve done last Fri. so I'm still quite a newbie here myself. I am so thankful for this site... every.single.day!!! I too joined at OH a while back but find the format confusing, whereas here, everything is categorized and so much easier to search for what you are looking for. I much prefer this type of message board and I think you will like it too. Support. You will definitely find it here. Keep posting. And welcome!!!

So I had my surgery yesterday 10-22-10, and today 10-23-10 I am back home and pretty comfortable. I didn't have a leak (yay!) and have been really working hard on getting all my liquids in. Now it finally makes sense when people post that it is hard to get all their liquids in. lol It is HARD because you only have an ounce of liquid every 15-20 minutes, and sometimes you doze off waiting for 15 min. and then wake up and try to make up for lost time. I definitely cannot drink fast and my tummy is gurgling all the time. At least the gas that they gave me during the operation is only coming out in burp form. But still the burps aren't fun. I have not thrown up anything (yet) but have felt waves of nausea sometimes after drinking. Then the wave pass, and i burp some more and get more comfortable. I still have a drain in...ick. But never had to have a catheter, so that was good. Thank you so much for all of you who were thinking of me. This board is truly a source of comfort and support. I don't know what I would do without it!

Ugh, I feel for you. I got mine about 3 days post-op and about 8 days early. I'm hoping it is just a normal cycle and not a continuous deal. I think I have read about a lot of women who have odd/irregular periods during their healing and recovery time. Since you are already on the pill, I would lean towards seeing your obgyn just becuase there might be a better pill for you to take during this time. Sorry it is such a pain! I often forget about the womans forum. Oops. Will try to make a piont of visiting over there more often.

I'm also 4 days post-op today (my sleeve was done on 10-22-10) and I quit taking pain pills Sun. night because they were giving me hearburn. So now I'm just taking rapid release tylenol for pain. I would have to say that I'm not in horrible pain, but just SORE. And I have a drain that is so obnoxious...I hate it! It gets pulled tommorrow by my surgeon and I can already tell I will be feeling so much better once it is gone! As for your pain, it could just be related to the surgery and the gas. After I was out of recovery my shoulders and neck hurt (from the gas) but by Sat. that was all cleared up. Can you send an email to your surgeon (or call) and see how common that pain is for their patients? It may just be something that you have to suffer through until all the gas has worked it's way out. Hugs. So did we have sugery on the same day? If so I think you are the first one that had my same sugery date. Hope your back pain is gone soon!

I asked my dr. about acid reducers and he said he like to just wait and see how his patients respond. So far the only time I have felt any heartburn was when I took pain meds. Since I didn't like the feeling of heartburn, I switched to rapid release tylenol today and that seems to be helping with the soreness & no more heartburn.

Congrats on your loss! That is awesome!

And if there was ever any *doubt* about this surgery, well, let me just say that pictures don't lie! WOW. I am really more than ever ready for this. I won't be sharing them for a long time, not until I have some good afters to go with the befores. I've always had reverse-body-dismorphia (meaning I always see myself as slimmer than reality)...but wow the pictures just tell the story. I wonder how I will feel after losing 100+ pounds, because people always comment on the fact that their head can't catch up to what they see in the mirror (meaning their head still sees them as FAT). So since I always see myself as slimmer than reality, I wonder if at one point my head and my body will match? Anyone else wonder about this stuff? :confused1: