DallMike

Sorry you are hurting:sad0: I totally identify with you though! There is a wide spectrum of after surgery pain and I was on the wrong end of the bell curve too. I was even worried about complications and a leak and had a CT at week 3. Call you doc. I went thru 5 bottles of liquid lortab with a liquid tylenol chaser every 4-6 hrs. My liver is tough. If you have a recliner plan on sleeping in it for a few nights. Again, call your doc. The pain may be normal, but you do not have to suffer!!! Mine felt like an apple corer coming out of my belly button. No left incision pain, no drain pain. As Tiffykins told me it should not last past 4 weeks and that's when mine almost totally stopped overnight. WARNING: On those good days, do not suddenly bend over to tie your shoes or pick something up:crying: Take it slow and easy.

Hi Jenn, I'm almost 6 weeks out. The last of my steristrips on the big incision came off towards the end of week 3 or beginning of week 4. The drain scab fell off yesterday. I'm feeling about 95% truly healed. I consciously remind myself to not dive down bending over as that usually causes pain although it is fading fast. Slow bending is fine. This week I just starting being able to roll out of bed on my left side. I sleep either side hugging a pillow and slightly propped up. The further out you get the more you can roll over. No sudden, jerky movements, and listen to your body.

I had a meatball with sauce tonight!!!:scared0: Pastazio's for anyone in Addison or Dallas. I ordered two, but one had me stuffed. Boy was it good! I have lunch tomorrow. Sorry, I had to share, especially after a tough week.

Don't push it too fast. We didn't get in this shape in 4 days, right? Try some chicken noodle broth to get some food satisfaction.

Congrats! Glad it went well for you. Hope every day gets better and better.

You may want to give your doctor a call.

Congrats! Hit the PCA one more time for the road.

Nasty gallbladder. Hey hey hey...goodbye.

http://verticalsleevetalk.com/post-operation-vertical-sleeve-gastric-surgery-vsg-questions-answers/7563-how-long-were-you-off-work.html Excellent question. Check out the link above. I'm on my 3rd week out, but I think normal is 1-2 weeks. Every patient is different. Good luck!

Looks like I'll be off at least three weeks. I was out 2, went in for 1/2 day and been a hurt puppy since. Everybody is different so there is not a standard. Do what is right for you.

Alrighty then...the CT came back good. No leaks, drips, or errors! Bad news is this just happens to some people at two weeks out. One day it will just be gone. No, we don't know how long it will last. Damn bell curve!:thumbdown: My belly button feels like an apple being cored. At least I've got two more prescriptions for liquid lortab and celebrex for good measure. I called into work and told them to forget it for the rest of the week. Thank God I have sick leave. Thank you all and hope all the newbies land on the good end of the bell curve.

Ok, I hurt. Not as bad as the first couple of days, but significant. Recliner is ok, sitting is ok if I walk every 20 minutes, but anything else hurts on about an 8+/10. Bending or twisting is a 12/10! I'm worried something is wrong, but maybe I just have no pain tolerance. I'm still on full liquids, and getting 50-60g Protein daily and lots of Water. Stomach feels better when drinking. I have to take liquid tylenol or children's motrin every 4-6 hrs to function. Dr's advice was to go to ER for a ct scan, but it probably is not necessary. Phone diagnosis is even worse that internet diagnosis.:sad0: Any ideas or suggestions? Anyone else go thru this at two weeks and when did you get back to normal? I went to work for 1/2 day yesterday. Today I could barely take a shower so staying home.:thumbup:

Well, I had the CT. No one has called with results so maybe that is good. Starting my 4th bottle of liquid lortab so feel much better now. I'm jealous of you guys. Well, tomorrow is another day.

At the hospital for CT with contrast. Celebrex being filled at pharmacy. Hope I'm just a wimp and all is well! Thanks all.

That is an accurate description of the pain. But, hey, I thought we were all pears. You mean I was fatter than I knew? :001_smile:

Tiffykins, you must be psychic! Yep, I have a big ol' beer gut minus the beer. The sagging pain is an accurate description. I wear a binder most of the time and have even stuffed rolled up socks on top of the incisions. Other times I am pushing my fist into my stomach. None exertion or movement and I am mostly fine. No fever, nausea, vomiting...just pain. I thought all of us had the same belly, that's why we had VSG? I don't think I've done anything to hurt myself, but I don't know.

Dr. office is forwarding my message. Of course everyone is in surgery all day. The did re-fill the liquid lortab, bottle #4! Tired of the pain and walking on eggshells hoping I don't move wrong. I'll post any updates.

Let me know how it goes. Hope this doesn't interfer with your coaching! Where do you coach? The wife and I were just talking about going to watch some games, but our kids are all out of school.

Hey Coach! Good luck! Dr. Nick and team is great. I had mine done at Baylor Plano and really like it there. The surgery went fine. They gave me some versed in pre-op so I never knew anything until I woke up in recovery. I had a very dry, sore throat for 2 days from being intubated. Big tube, small throat. I had them remove the cathether 15 minutes after getting to my room and was walking the halls soon after that. The morphine PCA pump is your friend. Stayed overnight. Felt great. The first few days home were very painful. I was taking liquid lortab every 4 hrs and 500mg liquid tylenol too. Poor liver. The first night my wife sacrificed one of her control top pantyhose to give my belly some support. The next day she bought a binder from Daughtery's drugstore. That has been a lifesaver. Each day was better. By the end of the 2nd bottle of liquid tylenol I thought I was fine and almost back to normal. I squatted down to put on my tennis shoes and when I put the right one on I felt something pull and pop. OUCH!!!! The last 4 days have been very painful. Got another bottle of liq lortab and just finished it. Now I'm on liquid childrens motrin, but taking adult 800mg dose. Slept in the recliner last night. Today is my first day at work in 2 weeks. Reading VS Talk, I do not seem to have had the typical painfree after 4 days experience, but mine has not been abnormal either. Hope you get off easier than I did. Oh, Dr. Nick uses a 36fr bougie and I asked him to give me a tight one. Who knows, maybe he did? I've lost about 20 lbs since the surgery. I recomment Pure Protein shakes and slimfast. vanilla seems best. I tried a Muscle Milk lite vanilla and they were good too. Isopure RTD is a waste of money. NASTY. I love chicken noodle Soup minus the chicken and noodles. Same for beef stew. Progresso Lite is good. Bottomline, take a deep breath and do it. Then be very careful and follow orders to the letter. No regrets, I'd do it again.

9 days post op and yes I would do it again. I have not been one of the painfree patients. I wiggled my toes and swore I was popping a stitch. Much better now. Read, research, and tell whomever you have to that it is your decision. Positive comments are welcome, negative comments they can keep to theirselves. You will be happy, afraid, scared, worried, often within the same hour. Stick to your decision and you'll be fine:thumbup1:

Walking will help get rid of the gas. If you have actual pain, keep using the liquid lortab. I'm on my third bottle. Dosage down to every 12 hrs so I'm doing better than 1st week when it was every 4 hrs. Also, find a real medical supply pharmacy and get a stomach binder! It was a life saver for me. Night one the wife sacrificed one of her control top panty hose for me. God bless her:biggrin0: Hang in there but don't hesitate to call the docs office. That's what they are for. Access to a hand held shower helps too.

Yesterday was not a very good day. The morphine from the hospital wore off and I did not get on the liquid lortab schedule fast enough. I had lots of burning on the left side from the fascia suture. Now I'm taking lortab every four hours and a half dose of liquid tylenol too. I am feeling much better. I'll get teh steroid pump out later and try a shower. That will probably take care of my day. Walking is fine. I'm going to try some isopure later today. I've only had water and one cup of chicken broth and some watered down apple juice.

Yep, pre-surgery jitters. If it were not for everyone's posts on VST I would surely chicken out. I have not religously followed the pre-op diet although pretty close. I have avoided all white carbs and focused on protein and salad. Slim Fast tastes better than day one. Surgery is 10 am tomorrow. This is the right thing for me. It will change my life by giving me a tool to take control of my health. Dear Lord, let this be the correct decision, let Dr. Nick be skillful and steady, and let the staff be focused on ME and not lunch. God bless everyone else in the same boat. See ya on the otherside.

Hey Maddie. I am soooo glad this is over and the butterflies are gone. I realized I had more help than I thought. My grandmother fought a hard battle against cancer for several years. She willed herself to not go on her daughter's birthday, my mom, and passed the day after. She was buried on her birthday, my sleeve day, July 12th. Granny had a busy day. I won't bore you with a blow by blow recap. The anetheologist also does cardiac including CABGs which was nice since I have a history. From 5 feet out the pre-op door till waking in recovery 2 hrs later I have no memory. Nice! All the nurses were nice, thourogh, and re-assuring. Dr. Nick was great. They let my family know when I started, when it was over, and visited with my family while I was in recovery. Dr. Nick uses a 36 bougie and is unmovable. I told him to give me a very tight 36. Surgery at noon, woke in recovery at 215, xferred to room at 500. I ordered Water with crystal lite and a suger-free popsicle. I slowly nibbled on a melted popsicle. It was sicky sweet so I stopped and stuck with water and ice chips. I talked them into removing the catheter about 7 and became a graduate at 1115. I have a steriod pump, drain, and PCA with morphine. I've used the morphine 6-7 times, but have backed way off. I've lapped the hospital floor 6 times and am sitting in a recliner since the steroids have me hyped up. They had some trouble intubating me so I have a very sore throat. Probably why the steroids. Sore? You betcha! Bend with your legs, not your waist. Roll into and out of bed. Do everything slowly. Walk as soon as possible because there is a lot of gas to belch and that has helped the left shoulder pain. Right side of the body is fine. Its all on the left. Elected Baylor Plano because it is closer that Forest Park Medical Center and The Heart Hospital is here where my cardiologist practises. I'm very prejudiced for Baylor. Looking forward to going home probably about 9am. Love VSG. Everything I read here has been spot on. Oh yeah, Dr. Nick loved my liver!!!:thumbup:

The dog gets a lot of blame in my house. I've always wondered what goes on in the ladies room. Two by two like Noah's Ark and seems there are always glasses, blackberrys, bracelets, rings, etc being found or lost. What do they do in there?