Kai

I'm scheduled for surgery January 11th & was just hoping to find some others that may be there during that same time. Good luck & safe surgery to all January 'sleevers', wherever it is you're headed! :thumbup:

Just had my 3mnth upper GI & labs completed. Everything came back good (yay!)... except... they found I now have a moderately sized hiatal hernia. UGH! I was SO excited when I heard my labs & new stomach were good, that the news of the hernia totally bursted my bubble. I contacted Dr Aceves right away out of concern & was told that it shouldn't cause me much grief, but I could go down there for a checkup if I wanted to & he would repair through surgery if needed. I was very glad to have some contact with him & get his advice, as PCPs here are not at all familiar with the VSG. The technicians couldn't understand when I was telling them that I COULD NOT chug all that barium down like "everyone else"! lol I will keep Dr Aceves updated as I go along, but for the time being I feel/think all is OK. I did have a few pity days after finding out & although I know I should be proud of myself I still feel at times that my weight loss is moving VERY slowly... so instantly I just chalked it up in my head to the hernia. So easy to blame something & revert back to my old ways! I've since convinced myself that it's not the hernia, we just all lose at different rates & I just need to keep on doing what I'm doing, as regardless of the speed it is truly working for me! Should anyone read this & be alarmed at the fact that a hernia was discovered after surgery, please note this... it hasn't been the easiest of roads & I don't post on here very often, but all in all this has been the best thing I've ever done for MYSELF! I feel like a brand new person... rejuvenated, happy & with an all new confidence in my step! I'm at that stage now in which none of my clothes fit & everyone is noticing & commenting on the difference in my appearance. It's a fantastic feeling. I've even become health conscious & motivated by fitness and that NEVER would have happened before! Are there days that I miss having a big bowl of Pasta or a burger & fries... of course, I'm human... but that just helped make me into the person I grew to despise. At the end of the day, I know that the sleeve is just a tool, but I'm using it properly & it's breaking me out of the shell that I used to hide behind for years!!!

I did the 3 nights in the hospital and then the trip back to San Diego on the 4th morning. I decided to stay an extra night in San Diego before the flights home to give me a bit of a breather. We did do quite a bit of walking around the hotel & premises just to get my walking in after surgery & I felt really good. I was nowhere near as tired as I thought I would've been, but that said, I still don't know if I could have handled Seaworld? I'd say see how you're feeling after that drive back to San Diego & your first night in the San Diego hotel. You will be your best judge, just take care of yourself, don't overdue it & keep your health and well being as your first thought! Safe travels!

Maybe I'm just having a down night & need a pick me up, but I'm feeling pretty low. I am supposed to be able to start solid foods tomorrow, yet I find I can still hardly get any mushy foods down. I've followed my docs post-op diet & I've read & re-read everyone's various ideas of mushy suggestions but nothing seems to go down good for me except liquids. All the things that most people have no problem with (tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, cottage cheese etc) feel like they get stuck in my throat & then I spend the next 30mins or so feeling like it's all coming back up... and that's only after maybe 1tsp at the most. I don't get it? Am I missing something? I'm taking the smallest of bites, chewing everything till it's a paste & still no-go. Because of this inability to eat anything other than liquids, I just keep asking myself why I did this & if it will EVER get better/easier. I had a very smooth recovery, so is this my torturous stage?! Can someone/anyone provide insight & let me know if you possibly experienced this or if this is normal for some people? I'm a-okay with only being able to eat small portions for the rest of my life... but these no portions are really taking a toll, physically & emotionally. The weight loss is there, but I fear it's not a healthy loss this way. Appreciate any feedback!

Thanks Lee! And Cajun, thanks again... it's good to know that even months out we're all human. Although on that note, I'm sorry for your discomfort too :001_rolleyes:

I've been having a heck of a time with mushies & just yesterday was put back to full liquids with the advice to just try incorporating mushy foods with my soups. So today I had a lunch outing & was worried sick about them having a soup that wasn't chunky. Low & behold they had wonton soup. I had a bowl & did it ever feel great to feel normal again! Their wontons were shrimp filled, so I even tried one & imagine that it went down with ease (after chewing it to a mush first!)! I ended up having 2 wontons & the rest of the bowl was broth. I did remove as much of the noodle from the wontons as I could & was still happy with that. Tummy filled & felt great!

The change in my periods was that I actually got one! I was so irregular prior to surgery that I would go months without, then suddenly when I started the pre-op diet I got one & exactly one cycle later I got it again. Crazy what shedding some pounds can do for us!

I received a reply this afternoon from Dr Aceves' office & his reply was similar to most of yours! He said I shouldn't get discouraged at this point, as this is still the healing time for the stomach. He suggested returning to full liquids for 5 days & then starting on soft foods all over again, before progressing to solids. He doesn't think I have anything to be concerned about, it's just my stomach taking longer to move through the stages. He also said that the little bit of vomiting I've done may have increased the swelling, so the liquids will give that more time to settle as well. Sorry to have sounded like such a downer, it was a rough night. All in all, I am happy with my results thus far & just have to remember to stay positive, even through the trying times... as they will surface now & then! Thanks all for the support, positive feedback & words of encouragement, really appreciated!

Thanks ladies. I do have a message into my surgeon & will probably hear back tomorrow. I just wanted to put this out there for any other post sleevers who may have experienced this or have knowledge/insight on it.

CONGRATS! What an accomplishment... you definitely deserve a pat on the back!

I'm 11days out & 26lbs down and up until now have been feeling great. Today however I am exhausted and so weak. I had to take 2 breaks just while blow drying my hair, as I couldn't keep my arm up. I've been trying to keep my liquid intake up, but I'm finding it so hard still, so I can't imagine I'm even close to the 64oz recommended. I'm also not getting anywhere near the sufficient amount of Protein in. It's my goal as of tomorrow to pay close attention to my liquid/water intake and sip, sip, sip all day... but is there such a thing as a good tasting Protein powder? I've tried so many & gag with each sip. I just started full liquids today & thought making shakes with milk would be so much better, unfortunately my gag reflex didn't agree! :lol0:

Thanks all for your replies. Unfortunately here in Canada I'm not able to get most of the brands you've recommended, but I'm happy to report that I've been getting much more liquid down & incorporating protein into it all as well. Probably still not up to where I'm supposed to be, but I'm getting there & I'm no longer weak! Thanks again!

I'm in the process of ordering all my vitamins & was just wondering how you know how many of everything to take?? I read about some people taking this many of one & others taking this many of another & it just made me curious. Do you just follow the dosage on the bottle or is it different for us sleevers now?!

So a question for all you post-ops out there, does your stomach fill up a lot quicker once you're out of the liquids stage? I keep reading about how people can only have 1,2,3 sometimes 4oz before they're stuffed... I'm 7days post-op & can slowly sip 1cup of broth at lunch and dinner. Is this weird, should I be concerned or will I start to feel this "fullness" that everyone talks of more once I'm into real food? Thanks, any thoughts are appreciated!

Thanks for the replies, I feel much better! I am following the post-op diet to a tee (so much actually that I'm shocked at myself!) but just haven't felt those full feelings yet. I'll chalk it up to the liquids & keep sipping away & see how things go once I get some real food in!

Thanks ladies. I'm not too sure what to make of these pains now? Everything has been smooth for me, I'm walking, sipping etc & only have the minor discomfort in my incisions, however these "chest pains" have not resided. I don't know now if it's gas related or not? Many times throughout the day & night I just get these crazy sharp, stabbing pains in my chest. I hold a hand over my chest for a second or two & then it's gone, as quick as it came. Last night it happened at least 4 times while I was laying in bed trying to sleep. I feel fine otherwise & don't know if this is gas, or if this is a common side effect of the sleeve post surgery OR if I am just overreacting & need to give it some time. I think I'm just panicked that if something is not right, I want it looked after right away. Hmm... maybe I'll just have to give my surgeon a quick call/email for some reassurance or guidance. Other than that, life on the other side has been great. Not craving ANY food & am satisfied still on liquids... fingers crossed that lasts!!!

I'm day 3 post-op, and I'm one of the lucky ones that has had a smooth recovery thus far, but today in the later evening I have been experiencing pain in my upper chest, lower chest, and shoulders. Sometimes its random, and other times its following me sipping on liquids. I was under the impression that it was still the C02 from surgery, but my surgeon informed me that the gas is gone after 24 hours. Has anyone else experienced this problem and can help shed light? :thumbup: Kai

Arrived in Mexicali today, completed all my tests at the hospital, met Yolanda & Dr Campos, had my "last" meal tonight at the hotel & am now in my room relaxing with my hubby! Thought I'd be a lot more nervous, but instead am calm, cool & happy with my decision! I met two other very nice people who will be having surgery tomorrow as well & think we will create a good support system for one another in the hospital! Looking forward to life on the other side!!!

Thanks Bernadette. Day 3, as everyone says, was much better than yesterday! I have to say the only real bothersome thing I keep getting is chest pain after I have something to drink and sometimes at random times. I'm not sure if it's just the gas releasing or if it's me sipping too quick/too much... regardless if that's the most of my discomfort I'll take it! The stuff I had to drink to watch the fluid go through my stomach was the worst tasting thing EVER... it took everything in me to just get those 3 gulps down & keep them there. But all is well now, they said my recovery is going great & I am headed back home tomorrow... where the real journey begins!

Thanks Rachel! I have been updating my journey thus far in the tell your story section under the thread "It's Time". I'll be thinking of you on your pre-op diet... sometimes that's the hardest part believe it or not!

No revision for me... this sleeve is my first WLS! Today, Day 2, was a little rougher than yesterday but not too bad at all. I had crazy nausea & dry heaves, only to find out it was due to my IV not working properly. Once they changed the site & after a little rest I was good to go! I'm peeing normal (yay for me, but maybe TMI for some!) and just had a shower & put my own pjs on... feels much better! Drinking the blue apple juice wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, it just seemed like a lot of liquid all at once for the first time... but no leaks, so it was all worth it. I'm now sipping normal apple juice & tea. It's a different feeling to get used to, but I'm hoping that'll change quick. The staff have been amazing. I've never had a medical team that explained their processes so much or checked in on me so often. I'm glad to have read so many positive reports on Dr Aceves, as this experience has been nothing short of positive so far. Glad to be on the other side, hope it just gets easier from here!

Well it's a done deal! Surgery went very well apparently & I am in little pain, mainly discomfort on my drain side. I was out of bed as soon as I got out of recovery & have been doing circles in the hallway in a rotation... walk, sit, walk, lay, walk etc. So, so far so good for me. I understand day 2 is the worst, but I won't focus on that I'll just focus on continueing my progress from tonight. I got this far, I can get through it all (I hope!).

Thanks so much, appreciated. I will keep updating on my "It's Time" thread, so I'm not repeating!

Thanks all! I'm still in my hospital room waiting my turn in the OR! Had a rough night last night, as I got a migraine & was vomiting all night up until a couple hours ago when I was given something. Feeling great now though & hoping it continues after surgery! I will try to post later today to update you all. Thanks again for all the kind words. Vegas - I got the room opposite the far right & have GREAT internet! lol