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Damn straight, we can!! GO US! Your story is heartwrenching! I don't think our illnesses are even in the same category, girl! Mine is mostly fatigue with some pain. You got all the pain and then an extra helping

Hi, all! My name is Amy, I'm 27 & I am having my sleeve done on Wednesday here in Vienna, Austria. Lemme tell you, things here are REALLY different from the way they do it where you all live. (I'm an American expat, btw.) Here's my question, the one that scares me... I hope you'll let me know what you think: I have chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia. I caught some horrible virus in July 2009 & have been on a downward spiral ever since. It's only been the past couple mos when I got a diagnosis, & started finding things (prescriptions & supplements) that made me begin to feel a little like myself again. Absolutely everyone (including me) is confident that losing a lot of weight will have a HUGE positive effect on my health. BUT, I'm still scared about the stress of the surgery itself. I'm terrified I will lose all the progress I have made; I am terrified I will end up back in the space where I was just 6 weeks ago, when I was so sick I was basically nonverbal and my daily exercise limit was used up walking from bed to the sofa, and to the bathroom occasionally. I got to be much better while taking various supplements, but had to stop them pre-surgery. I'm able to stay on my 2 rxes (diflucan & trazodone) and d-ribose which helps my body replenish the energy in my muscles after exercise. I feel okay, but not great. My doc also put me on ramipril because we discovered my diastolic BP is very high. I have to occasionally take oral rehydration salts because my salt content drops too much & I get a host of very obv symptoms. I have low cortisol response too, and probably subclinical hypothyroid. My immune system doesn't "work right" even tho it is always "activated" (I have high inflammation markers, 'sticky' blood, etc.) So, as I said... I'm absolutely terrified I'll get knocked back to square 1. I'm scared that I will take FOREVER to heal, that I will be unable to think straight cuz the brain fog will come back, and... list goes on. I expect to not work for 2-3 weeks, but I'm afraid it'll take months... It's not stopping me from having the surgery, but I'd feel so much better to hear from you, if you had a similar situation. Did YOU have the sleeve done when you had multiple debilitating health problems? Or especially CFS/FM? Do you think it aggravated them or made them worse while healing? Did you have more trouble healing / slower healing, or other side effects that I should prepare myself for? Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you so much in advance!

Reneé, you hit the nail on the head. "I have to ask myself though if this way of life is acceptable to me and it's not." Yes, yes, yes that's it exactly. You're right. I think I might print that out and keep it in my pocket in case I feel like chickening out. This way of life is not acceptable to me either... Same here for the surgery fears. I'm not worried about the surgery itself (any more - was worried for a while, after I had a crazy allergic reaction to something new, a food preservative, and 2 other things in 6 weeks, no pattern, creepy). I'll be in great hands. They know what they're doing. It's a pretty simple operation. Chances are slim that I have some undiscovered problem that will turn it into a crisis situation. It's the aftermath of the physical & emotional stress that worries me. Yeah, like how will they deal with my pain. Or if my sinuses block up like cement (as they do under stress/pain/bp), will they have something to help my mouth not close while I sleep under pain meds. Etc. Will I be able to think afterwards? I hurt enough waking up on an expensive tempur-pedic at home... How on earth am I going to feel after sleeping in a hospital bed for 4-5 nights? What if I get all dizzy again? What if just standing and walking around the hospital tires me out so much I can't hold up my head? But you're right. The long-term result is what counts. We're already suffering, a little more suffering that will actually produce IMPROVEMENTS... it's gotta be worth it. 6 weeks ago, when I was so sick already in the midst of a flare (good word), I would have welcomed the surgery right then. It's just now that I am feeling pretty ok that I feel like a chicken. But who the hell knows. I could wake up next week and be in a flare again for NO reason and with NO upside. At least this time the suffering will be for a purpose. Will definitely be emailing you! Look for a priv msg. There may be no specific scientific research but at least we don't have to go thru it alone.

Valentina, that's great to hear about your knee. I imagine that buzzing got pretty irritating but that's probably better than you feared, right? It sounds better than what I would have feared! You're right -- it's just time to try to be positive & let my body show me what it's going to do and how different it will be. I've prepared as much as possible in every other way. And you're the 2nd person to tell me that fibro might even be an advantage because we're already so used to dealing with pain. That's such a great point... and such a positive way to look at it. Finally, something good I'll be sleeved a couple weeks before you so I'll let you know how it goes! Thank you for the pep talk

cwalker, thank you so much for the tips. We're going to make some homemade broth tomorrow (2 days before surgery) and freeze it so my husband & I can relax when I come back. That's a great idea. And I'm going to write stuff down, not just for me but for my man. Another great idea. I'm so glad to hear you're doing well. RA sucks the big one. Did the surgery help you handle your RA?

Thank you all so much!! Individual responses below...

Hi, ursieursie. I have actually heard about some people who eat like you described. It was a family that had a genetic anomaly... and in their kid, a teenager I remember, it all came together in a perfect storm, and he was hungry all the time, never full, and ALWAYS eating. It was in the news big time a few years ago. Turns out the kid lacked a hormone called "leptin" which makes you feel full. Here's what I found on Wikipedia: Have you ever been tested for this? If not, you absolutely should be, right away. And they should probably try treating you with leptin regardless because it might help. You said you've been like this all your life... and that's one sign that it might not be just head hunger. Please don't give up on yourself.

My pleasure And oh boy - I just NOW noticed you posted that in March! You're almost into month 3 now, so awesome! And the doctors/surgeons etc here think the Americans/Canadians/UK doctors and surgeons are also crackpots! Haha. What a world. They sure are "generous" with hospital stays tho, that's for sure! Maybe if they were just a little more crackpot-y, they'd prescribe us "die Kur" instead of 4-6 days in a hospital bed.

Sheena, I don't have anything useful to add except "I feel ya!" Sounds like things really suck for you right now but I bet you anything it'll be worth it. What's a few weeks of suffering for a lifetime of healthier, happier living? (Cheesy, right? But that's what I keep telling myself.

Congrats! On your success and your wedding You're an inspiration

Congrats on your week!!

If it doesn't go away, it's a sign of thrush! Aka yeast infection but in your mouth. Just tell your doc... Sounds like it's normal post-surgery tho.

ranchersdaughter: HAH -- noassatall! That's awesome. pasquini & fellow peeps with "butt hurt" -- I remember reading that it's a sign you need to build up the muscles there! Dunno for a fact but maybe somebody else here does

Hi, la faute! Congrats on your 5-day-iversary!! Yes - Euro sleevers unite!! I'm so glad you said hi, because it's definitely easy to feel lost & alone with all the North America/UK-centric stuff that doesn't apply. I dunno how it's been for you (in Greece, right?), but it's been a weird road for me because they do things SO different here in Austria vs US/UK/CA. No pre-op diet, my surgeon looked at like I'd grown a third eye when I asked "How long will I be on clear liquids?" (answer: 1 day or so, while I'm still in the hospital), etc. Who knows how/where/what to get in terms of protein shakes etc. Repeat: SO GLAD to find another euro sleever here You're right, Austria really does do the best jam. And excellent cakes. And the PORK! My god. (Pork in the US is nowhere as good or varied.) Yes and no I moved here for loooooove & intended to stay because I love love love living in Europe for all kinds of reasons... but I can't hack it! My hubby is Austrian, born & raised in Vienna, but we both have had a terrible time trying to make or find a group of friends here. Austrians are cold fish, and nothing I've tried (throwing parties, starting community meetups, etc) has worked. Culture clash at work. So I learned how badly I need real friends in my life (duh, right?). After 3 years I've come to understand that I'm not "giving up" on Austria or being a wuss, but getting the help I need to be happy. Just like the surgery: getting the help I need is not the same as admitting failure or being a wuss! (These were my 2 major revelations for the last year, haha.) We're moving to Philadelphia from the fall/winter, where we have lots of friends who miss us. My husband is very supportive, but sadly that friend problem means it's all on him to hold my paw! And he's anxious as hell. Poor thing. How about you? Did you have your surgery in Greece, where you live? Good support from friends & fam?

Hi! My name is Amy, I'm an American expat living in Vienna, Austria, and I'm scheduled for a sleeve w/ Dr Manfred Prager on May 25! 3 more days I'm freaking out. But so glad to be here on VST with you! I've been lurking until yesterday, but believe me, all your posts have made me feel so much less alone.

BTW, when science literature refers to "the gut" they almost never mean "the stomach." The GUT is intestines which do all the work of absorbing nutrients. The stomach mostly just breaks stuff down to make it easy on the gut. http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Enteric_(gut)_nervous_system "The ganglionated submucosal plexus is present in the small and large intestines, but is absent from the esophagus and contains only very few ganglia in the stomach." See? No worries. Sleeving won't make you stupid. The main use of the enteric nervous system is to control the digestion process and give feedback to the nervous system, not thinking, anyway! So theoretically if the sleeve were going to disrupt the enteric nervous system, what you'd get are horrible IBS-like side effects. HOWEVER (total speculation) ... the actual act of surgery might signal the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to freak out and conserve in the face of crisis, so that could DEFINITELY be a big contributor to brain fog.

There's a name for these symptoms -- it's "brain fog"! I know ALL about it cuz I have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, and sadly that's a huge part of it. The good news is I can point you guys to what I've learned about how to overcome it -- thanks to a combo of prescriptions & supplements, I can now think, remember, and spell (almost all of the time). About 6 weeks ago, I was so sick I literally would forget I was holding things (and my fingers would let go), I wouldn't remember which room I had just been in, couldn't type normally, couldn't spell worth a damn and I'm a total spelling nerd, etc. Brain fog is caused by a mixture of stress, nutritional issues, and the side effects of stress, which can often result in poor sleep and an underfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Basically: your body was like WHOA WHAT JUST HAPPENED, HOLD UP A MINUTE! and your glands dialed back non-essential stuff. Plus, of course, you may not be getting adequate nutrition right now. And I can tell you: There IS hope! Lots of it! I'm gonna look like a shill, but I can't recommend this book enough: _From Fatigued to Fantastic_ by Jacob Teitelbaum, one of the leading practitioners treating CFS/FM. He creates a whole FRAMEWORK for treating CFS but parts of those framework can be useful to you even if you don't have CFS/FMS. Specifically the sleep, hormones and nutrition parts of the equation. Check it out... it costs like $11 and it totally changed my life! You don't have to suffer from brain fog. It can be fixed!

Hey kids05! I've got good news for you. You're just suffering from something called "brain fog" -- it can be caused by physical/emotional stress that knocks your body's glandular system out of whack. It's a common thing to have with chronic fatigue syndrome (which I have), but it can be caused by a lot of diff things. Even if you don't feel crippling fatigue or other symptoms, you should check out the book _From Fatigued to Fantastic_. It REALLY helped me. Some of the things I've been taking that helped me in the brain dept have been Rhodiola Rosea (the arctic version), Acetyl L-Carnitine, magnesium, b vits (tho I had to dial back cuz I had too much in my blood! but I appear to be overly sensitive), and ProBoost when I am feeling sick. Rx wise, I felt SO much better once I got a prescription for trazodone (aka Desyrel) which helped deepen my light sleep which was triggered by cfs. You shouldn't have to just suffer thru brain fog. It sucks and it can be fixed. Keep at it!

Oooh. I haven't had my sleeve yet but I've decided that I'm going to do whatever it takes to be NORMAL after my weight loss. I was last skinny at 16, when I got bent over by the horrible hell drug known as "depo provera" & have never been the same since. Thanks to my ridiculous stretch mark scars, I will NEVER look normal naked, but that won't lessen my resolve to eliminate skin flaps and pooches. I just turned 27 last week... but I'd already given up on ever having a "decent" body years ago. (Not even a great one! Just decent.) After investigating WLS and the sleeve purely for health reasons, I've realized that I deserve to look & feel normal, too. That probably means lifts on my arms, tummy, butt, legs and possibly face, not to mention a breast lift to shore up my dangly EEs (I hear you candaceshenea!!). So many surgeries I'm cringing (and have cried over it a couple times), but I'm sure it'll be worth it, considering the next 60 years of not having to roll up skin into binding garments or swapping anxiety about awkward fat into anxiety about awkward skin. Luckily, clothes shopping will be a great comfort Bright, colorful clothes. Perhaps even shorts!! sigh. The feeling of a soft breeze on your legs is the best!

Congrats on your surgiversary!! I'm glad things went so smoothly for you after the first couple days. Don't feel guilty, you're an inspiration story Besides, being nauseated by anti-nausea drugs is definitely not what I'd call a guilt-worthy pleasure cruise. I'm scheduled for my sleeve here in Austria on Wednesday (!!) and am starting to freak out. It was really, really great to read your post because it's SO different here than what most American/Canadian posters write about. I confused the heck out of my surgeon when I asked questions about pre-op diet, how long I will be on clear liquids after surgery (1 week? 2 more?), etc. He was confused by my asking; I was confused by his confusion; everybody was confused, haha. But like you, I'll be in the hospital 4-6 days so I'm guessing the rest of my experience will be a lot like yours. Where did you have yours done, if you don't mind me asking? I have a spidey-sense that you're in a Germanic country too! Am I right? Are you an expat like me?

This is awesome!! Here's mine: Energy to go out, do things, keep up with my friends, not always look up the hill and think "I can't." To heal from chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia/whatever the heck is wrong with me. AND to have doctors take me seriously! I swear they just blame the fat, even tho it was sudden onset after a virus. But I am sure losing a lot of weight will help. And maybe then they will take the rest seriously. To never again worry that people don't take me / my message seriously cuz I'm fat. (Doctors OR any other person/situation.) Skinny sex! Yes!! I was once thin and I miss being athletic in the bedroom. Right now I can't do it my favorite way cuz of size + pain Being smaller than my husband. Maybe so he can carry me! That would be so cool. Prolly not gonna happen tho, since he's a slight euro fancy man Sitting anywhere with ease & comfort. Too small seats + fibro = torture, even more than the ego problem. (YES - perhaps no more booths!) Clothes, clothes, clothes! Not just cute & sexy stuff, but like SouthernSleever said, cheap bras and better choice in panties! And socks that don't leave marks! No more having to be brave about photos and mirrors. Standing out among my friends in some good way -- not cuz some of them are 100lbs and I'm just under 300lbs. Not worrying that my furniture etc. is dying an early death cuz it's under extra pressure! One word: chafing. Ok, 2: sweating. Looking my age. And, I'd like to add a 13: I am looking forward to the surgery because I know I will never be able to obsess about food all the time it would take to lose even half of this weight by myself unaided. The idea of having simple rules to follow and not being hungry is VERY appealing.

Hi Renee, I'm in a similar boat. My fibro pain is not as bad as yours but my fatigue / brain fog can be really terrible. I also have sleeve surgery on May 25th and am scared it'll knock me back to where I was before I began to slowly recover. You're not alone! Tho I don't have any helpful surgical advice for you since I haven't had it yet either But one thing I can recommend is the book _From Fatigued to Fantastic!_. Thanks to doing some (but not all) of the suggestions in that book, I feel MUCH better. I got a diagnosis thanks to that book... and got put on some stuff to help me sleep, sleep better, and also diflucan for chronic sinusitis/possible gut dysbiosis, as well as taking d-ribose and magnesium for muscle pain. These treatments have helped SO much. The book is totally no-nonsense, almost all recommendations are backed up with multiple research studies, and hopefully it will help you the way it's helped me! I am still terrified that I'll get knocked back to where I was due to the stress of the surgery... but I'm crossing my fingers it won't be so bad. And anyway, now I know how to help myself heal. But I still don't want to go back to here I was

kids05, wow. I'm sorry to hear all the shit you're having to go thru! You absolutely don't deserve it. And yeah, a year from now, you'll probably be glad you did it, but that doesn't mean you should paste a smile on your face. You gotta be real. I have nothing to add except: Don't feel bad about ranting. Let it all out! You're EXCELLENT at it. I haven't read a rant that good in a long, long time. My hat's off to you. (Especially considering how sick & miserable you must feel... it was a work of art.)

daydreamerz, who's telling you this? I haven't had my sleeve yet (will on Wednesday) but I am a very risk-averse person and I have done hours and hours and hours of research -- forums, professional literature, research papers, you name it. The things people are telling you DO NOT MAKE SENSE when compared to the facts. The surgery for the sleeve never touches your bowels so I can't imagine how it could cause a bowel obstruction; that is one potential problem I have never run across before in my research. The main potential issues are a leak (rare) or blood clot (extremely rare). Really, the anesthesia is the most dangerous part of the surgery! That's a very good sign. You aren't afraid of the anesthesia, right? You shouldn't be, because it is extremely controlled. However, the fact that the anesthesia is not your #1 fear is a sign that the fear is not rational. Don't let it rule you... get the facts. I've come across a couple case studies of leaks (people telling their own stories). As long as your surgeon is professional and does the right type of leak check before you leave the hospital, even a leak will not be a major problem. A couple more days in the hospital, a tiny bit of extra surgery to patch you up, and you will be good as new. These people were annoyed but just fine. When you talk to a surgeon you are considering, ask him for the # of sleeves he's done and the # of leaks. Ask for documentation/proof, not just numbers off the top of his head. Leaks are totally preventable, it's just a question of skill of the surgeon. Example: Mine has done >400 sleeves as a primary surgery (vs before a revision to gastric bypass, of which he's done even more) and has had NO leaks. He's been a gastric surgeon for a long time & is very very professional. Aside from "surgery mills" (you'll know them when you see them), the # of surgeries a doctor has performed is the BEST indicator of whether you will have a leak. I have found one case study of a blood clot. The lady had very, very powerful pain, and when she went to the ER (or her surgeon - don't remember which), they caught it and SHE was fine as well. She would have healed much sooner if she'd listened to her body sooner... she described the pain, everybody on the forum told her "go to the ER NOW!," but she delayed (who wants to go to the ER for nothing?). The lesson here is to pay attention to your pain. Most people describe only "annoyance" levels of pain after their surgery, aside from gas, which goes quickly. I have not heard of ANYONE who had continual vomiting problems after initial recovery. I have not heard ANYONE claim that the VSG "made them age." Yes, we will probably lose a few clumps of hair, but any dramatic weight loss can cause that. And it will grow back. Me, if I were you, I'd ask myself: Who is telling me this? And why? Have THEY done their research? Are they REALLY trying to help, or are they undermining me? Lastly: the sleeve will not cure emotional eating, but you won't be hungry, which will be a huge help. Get some good therapy for your emotional eating. Lots of folks on the WLS forums have strategies & told stories about how they handle theirs, because emotional eating is really common! Don't let fear lock you into the life you don't like forever. Get the facts, and then sit down and look at what they're telling you. All that said... trust me, I'm afraid, too. It's surgery! Of course we're afraid. That doesn't mean it's not a good idea.