Obsidian

Ugh I'm five days going on six out from surgery and for the last couple of days I have been getting this pressure like I need to burp but do not actually burp nearly 50percent of the time. Plus there are lots of bubbles going through my stomach like I'm hungry and down into my gut. Guess I'm nervous again if this is normal. Lol worry worry worry It's like this pressure in my stomach and I keep swallowing to alleviate it or I try to burp. It's not constant but it is very frequent. Anyone else? Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

I never really got that much heartburn unless I ate a lot of carbs. Which did happen a lot. But for the times when I wasn't i had zero reflux. The few times I experienced Gerd while sleeping was also carbs.. Breads especially. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Still.. At least farts make my husband giggle like a school boy. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Haha I think honestly I would prefer farts. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

I'm not sure if it could repair itself. The body does amazing things! Just look how we repair after having 85 percent of our stomach removed. My very slight understanding of this type of hernia is that it's maybe caused from eating too much and the food pushing upwards. I could be wrong. In that case after vsg when we eat much less maybe it repairs itself? I'm not sure. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

I don't know. I feel hungry a lot too. I've been wondering about it. I'm pondering if maybe it's just the gasses and bubbles rumbling through me although... I find myself thinking a lot about food and when I will get to have yogurts and tomato soup. All the commercials on tv drive me crazy. I've also been wondering if it isn't just that our bodies are basically starving right after the surgery and demanding nutrition because even though I am hungry my stomach tells me quickly that it's not an option. Yay for being hungry AND sorta nauseous at the same time. Not sure if this is what you are experiencing too. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

I'm only two days out so it may fade but I was wondering if anyone else had problems with your tummy cramping and the feeling of needing to burp OH! And hiccup-burping early on while drinking? If so... Did this eventually fade? Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

I am home now. It seems that somehow between the shower before leaving the hospital and the drive home I must have kicked something up because at home I'm in some pain again. Especially my lower gut. I just sent hubby out for gas x and colace. How are you hanging in AD? Did they send you home yet?

Yaaaay I know it's such a silly little thing but I passed gas finally! Lol I'm excited about that Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Good to hear I am not the only one. Did most of your excess gas come out that way? My nurses keep asking me if I have passed gas but so far only the burping. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Yay sleeve buddy! My tummy hurts too and sipping liquids makes my stomach cramp and /or burp or hiccup. I've not been farting though. I haven't had a bowel movement either. That and how little I'm peeing has me slightly perturbed. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Hey fellow February sleevers. I was sleeved on the fourth and should hopefully be going home tomorrow. I was suffering from anxiety before the surgery but as they were putting me to sleep I told myself to just let go. My only suggestion to the rest of you is to just follow through and don't think about it because anticipating the unknown only adds to the worry. Save your heavy thoughts for after. Was a rough first day. I was in a lot of pain but at no point did I regret it because I know how much this will mean to me. I joked about regretting it to my husband i but didn't actually. In fact since I don't really feel differently in really haven't even been able to believe that I HAVE done it. I'm still coming to terms with how strong I turned out to be. Lol that's kind of silly huh? I'm finally experiencing the excitement about my new life. I do not miss what I am leaving behind. I have my questions to explore now. New way of treating my food to learn. Much to do but looking forward to it all. I have discovered that the best feeling in the world is when a life long dream becomes a reality, pain and all. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Well tomorrow is the big day. Can't say I'm excited exactly but I AM relieved that I am about to finally get it over with. The wait is part of the problem. Too much time to think about things and scare yourself. I can say I'm extremely nervous. Wish me luck.

Well it's the end of the second day out and I am finally getting enough liquids in to satisfy the nurses so I can have the iv out when I'd like. But I have requested to keep it in until the shift change because I think I did a little too much bending and with pushing the extra Fluid through my tummy is pretty sore so I wanted to keep my button a little bit longer. When they take it out I am to be put on liquid vicodin. My barium showed everything Fiber no leaks. Hopefully I will be going home tomorrow. Part of me still can't wrap around that I actually did it. I am in disbelief at how calm I went into it. Besides the soreness and the slight cramping when I drinkI can't really tell I had it done... Essentially I don't FEEL different. I am now finally experiencing the excitement of a whole new life ahead of me too!!! For anyone with their own anxieties at their upcoming surgery... Having gone through fighting my anxiety disorder... My suggestion is to push through it headfirst without the focusing on it and try to hold all those though for later because thinking and anticipating only adds to the worry. If that makes sense. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Well I haven't spoken to my surgeon (Dr Christopherson in davenport Iowa btw to answer the question) but he spoke to my husband and said that everything went routine and I looked really healthy. I think I will get to talk to him tomorrow. I was surprisingly calm on my way into surgery. I joked with my husband for an hour and a half until they made us part as I was wheeled into the operating room. The anesthesiologist gave me a big dose of a calming drug and told me it was in the same class as my xanax and valium and I recognized the effects albeit fifty times stronger. It wasn't long before he let me know that he was giving me the drug that would put me into a deep sleep. I distinctly remember, as it took effect and my eyes began to close, telling myself to relax and let it take me. I felt a sense of relief. Of course that relief only lasted til I woke up in the recover room. I was in a lot of pain and just my luck the button wasn't yet hooked up and the nurses were busy as all get out because a few other surgeries (not all bariatric) finished at the same time. So I believe that I was in pain a lot longer than I should have been. Not EVERYTHING can go perfect. I was taken to my room where I met the worried but loving faces of my husband and parents. In my haze of passing out repeatedly I eventually kicked my mother out because she was stressing me out getting angry and arguing with the nurses just doing their jobs. Between that and my pain... Thus began a trend of high blood pressure. Which they later had to give me meds for. At some point they gave me an anti inflammation med which did far more than morphine alone for my pain and I suddenly found myself much more grateful... When I found myself awake at all. I had lots of interrupted sleep. I go for an upper gi today and it seems as if they are keeping me one more night. While I have had a lot of hesitation along the way about the surgery I can already say, despite the pain and discomfort, that I am glad I did it. I'm also surprised I did it. Lol my husband agrees... He also half expected me to back out and I don't blame him. With my really bad anxiety it is a miracle. Now it seems I am going to pass out asleep again. Lol Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

I haven't had the surgery yet but I was told by the nurse that the gasses they put into you can cause pain in your chest and such. Have you been walking around regularly? I was told that walking will get all the excess gasses out and alleviate that pain. GasX was also suggested but she said walking would clear up most of it. Otherwise, my suggestion would be to call the number they give you to let them know.

Feb 4th here. I'm very nervous but keeping it together the best I can!

I know exactly what you're going through. I have anxiety disorder and panic disorder. A couple weeks ago I was SERIOUSLY freaking out as time was coming closer to the surgery date (Feb 4th). It's a week away now and I have begun to calm a little. I'm almost positive it's a form of denial and the day of the surgery I am going to need every ounce of any control I have for myself. Hopefully it is some sort of acceptance. I keep telling myself that tons of people have this surgery and the majority are fine. That's always sort of scary too cause with anxiety disorder that thought of "What if i'm not the majority?!" But then again, even WERE something to go wrong... I remind myself... think of all the people who survive things that I find absolutely terrifying? The majority. Find some time to focus on what happens AFTER surgery. The clothes you can't wait to buy. Go shopping.. online or otherwise! Just keep thinking about that. Stay positive! (Believe me, I'm sitting here giving advice knowing full well I'm going to need to remind myself of this advice soon. LOL)

The main reason I chose the sleeve over the bypass despite needing to drop a massive amount of weight was something that has been touched on by SerendipityHappens. The problems with the Vitamin deficiencies with the bypass was a larger list and more of a problem. It seemed to me that post-op the VSG would end up being far easier to manage since the stomach still functioned the same and your intestines were still fully utilized. Plus, I did not want to spend my entire life from surgery on thinking about and planning my next meals because I wasn't absorbing enough of whatever vitamin. The goal was to STOP obsessing over food constantly for comfort OR because of guilt. That being said I also did not want to deprive myself of EVERYTHING for the rest of my life. I didn't need the added stress of "I'll never ever ever have (fill in the blank) because my new stomach just won't handle it." I wanted to reduce portions and learn a new way of viewing my food (instead of being for comfort). Plus I had a little insider observation. My friend had the bypass and even a year out has to watch everything she eats to avoid dumping syndrome. She's also been to the emergency room since her surgery more times than I can count for a variety of things, most related to the surgery. Now don't get freaked out! Most of it wasn't serious and was generally her own fault, a few trips for IV liquids, a possible blockage, as well as overall non-stop stomach pain because she just can't seem to figure out how to NOT eat things that upset her stomach. She also suffers major deficiencies and now has holes in her teeth and her hair is falling out. Don't get me wrong, some people who have the bypass do FINE and she is an example of someone who probably would have been better off having the sleeve. At least then, if she learned to eat around it, she wouldn't suffer so many of the other problems. But who knows maybe it'll work out for her in the end, maybe one day she'll get it together. By watching her, I knew that for ME I was making the right choice to get the sleeve.

Great list! These are the two that give me the greatest amount of anxiety and are the only reasons.. Sorry, excuses.. That ever give me a moments pause. Otherwise I am fully accepting of the fact that I have wasted a decade of my life not really living as I stressed over and over trying in vain to lose my weight. I want this badly.. I am tired of having my life sitting on hold. How many times have you said to yourself 'I wish I could do (insert something here).. I will once I lose the weight'? Life on hold is no life at all. I'm willing to make the adjustments and change my lifestyle after the surgery. Totally willing to accept all the responsibility that comes with this powerful tool. That being said... Fear is a powerful emotion. I have anxiety disorder with my biggest fear being death... especially never having lived. I still plan to go through with it.. Feb 4th.. If everything goes ok at my pre op appointments on Monday. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Riding horses is also a dream of mine and has been since I was just barely old enough to talk. In fact just this last fall I got two horses of my own! One will be two years old in May and will likely start to be trained to ride at the end of 2013. The other is a 15 year old broodmare, the younguns mother in fact (who may be carrying a sibling). She isn't trained to ride either and we're not sure how trainable she will be since she's just been a broodmare up to this point in her life. I have worked with both of them in the round pen some but being so overweight it can get tiring. Training them is something I was looking forward to with this surgery. As far as the therapist.. I have had a psychiatrist for 10 years. I haven't really seen him much in this last year since I am off any anti-depressants. But he is the one that prescribes me something for my anxiety disorder. There is unfortunately nothing it comes from. It is simply a misfiring in my brain that turns on my fight or flight response to imaginary threats far too easily. It began when I was only 10, I suffered through almost a year of being agoraphobic after my first attack as a kid (unable to leave the house) until somehow I pushed through it. Other than my anti anxiety meds when the feelings overwhelm me my doctor assures me that while the depression I've dealt with may be alleviated by the surgery, the anxiety is likely to be there throughout my whole life. I GOT NEWS TODAY TOO... that only has increased my frustration and anxiety. The financial lady at the center contacted me today. She's telling me that I was supposed to call the center to let them know when I got under 400lbs because when I did she wanted to ask the surgeon if he wanted me to do a sleep study. Thing is I DID call them, she was just somehow left out of the loop when all of the team was notified to further the process along. Despite having seen the surgeon who said everything looked good and jumping through all of the other hoops with the psychologist and nutritionist . she wants to check with the surgeon to find out if he would want a sleep study! If he suddenly wants a sleep study that is going to delay the surgery. I have never had sleeping problems that I (or my husband) is aware of. My husband does for sure, I keep telling him we need to get him to a Dr because of his daily horrible migraines and how he stops breathing when I listen to him sleep. On top of that she is telling me they don't have a current pap smear. Back in late October or early November we went through all of this. I scheduled a pap smear for November. I had my last pap smear from 2011 faxed over to their office and was told that I should be ok and that the note said every two years for the pap smear. I was told to go ahead and cancel the pap smear appointment I had made. The financial lady then proceeds to tell me that I am going to need to get that pap smear taken care of! I told her flat out that making an appointment for a pap at the clinic where I go will be at least 2-3 months away! By some miracle she was able to call over to the women's clinic and light a fire under someone's behind to get me squeezed in on Monday. Which also meant they had to move some appointments around at the bariatric clinic so Monday is going to be a VERY long day from 8:30am until who knows... sometime in the afternoon. I'm grateful for the pap smear being cleared up but that still leaves potential sleep study delays. I don't know if I can handle the surgery being pushed further out. I've already been trying to keep myself together up til now and starting to lose it with the couple weeks wait ahead of me. If i have to go through all of this again... EESH!

Today.. I should say yesterday since I have been up all night and it's nearly 5am.. I have been feeling different sort of emotions from my last post. For instance this is the first day that chickening out has crossed my mind since early on. My surgery is scheduled for the fourth of February and I am driving six hours tomorrow or Saturday down to my parents house where I was living (loosely used term) when I started this process. I think that realization that the time has come for my 2 week pre-op appointments (21st and 29th) is what has me literally on edge with my anxiety. In fact one of the reasons I'm still up is because I was having trouble breathing like I usually do when my anxiety kicks up and the fear really sets in. Luckily I've gotten one of my xanax pills in before it went full fledged panic attack! Breathing is a bit better now but when my thoughts really start turning back to the surgery I get tight chested again. I hate anxiety! I hope I can get a grip on myself and go back to my silent acceptance. Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

I agree. I have regrets about not deciding to begin this sooner. But I too just try to tell myself that everything happens when it is ready to happen.

I know exactly what you are feeling right now! I was asked by a doctor the first time over 10 years ago about if I had ever given thought to weight loss surgery... I was 19 or 20. I had just started low carbing (back when it was looked down on) and had begun to lose weight nicely. I told that doctor NO WAY. I was sure I could do it on my own. I ended up losing 100lbs with that diet... But it wasn't long before life brought the stress and I began to cave in to the carbs. Well all my little friends quickly piled back on. All 100lbs of them... With their own friends. Despite that I was about 24-25 and was still certain I could do it. Other doctors and acquaintances asked or suggested WLS. I told myself that surgery wasn't an option and that while it was not exactly the easy way out... It was for someone with less determination than I. Anything to stay away from it. Fast forward.. Diets.. Complete fasting/starvation... To becoming bulimic... Stopping the bulimia... Starving some more.. And a run in with Cymbalta (demon pill) and I was suddenly bigger than ever at 460+!!! Was then I realized that I had to admit that I gave it my best shot alone. I had to finally say.. It's not like I am some sort of quitter.. But I need the help. I actually went another year arguing with myself back and forth about it before I finally went to the info class and signed up to begin the journey. Even then.. My first post here was seven months into the process for my insurance and it was about my hesitation and second thoughts. Wasn't until the last few months or so that I have come to terms with what I am doing. I can't say I'm excited about it much either. But I have my moments when I realize I am finally going to have a tool that will help me to get where I need to be so I can do all the things that have been on hold my whole life. Plus all the things people take for granted.. Fitting into nice clothes (if I never see a pair of MENS 4x sweats and 4x shirts it will be heaven.. I want dresses!)... Sitting comfortably at any restaurant or theater... Not having to squeeze into the car... Taking a shower and easily reaching all of THOSE places... And so on. So you have to ask yourself... How much are you missing or waiting on? Are you content to let more time slip by you while you figure out whether you can go it alone? I know that I have wasted far too much of my life waiting.. All my dreams were put aside for so long they became distant fantasies. I gave up on everything. Lost interest in everything. Now I'm going to have the chance to rediscover all the unrealized hopes and dreams I had forgotten. To me it's worth it. Life can be frighteningly short.. Even shorter if you are unhealthy. I may not be excited about it RIGHT NOW (petrified is a better word).. But I know once I force myself through it I will be a whole lot more excited as my world opens up.

I came to VST in July to relay my story and see if anyone else had a similar story as mine and the same fears as me. Of course I found out that in fact we are all alike in our fears and yes there are plenty of people out there like me (at least when it comes to this surgery, ahem..). I didn't stick around, yeah... I know... bad me. I think at the time I was still in denial about whether or not I would even allow myself to go through this surgery. Well.. I kept on it and now I'm not too far out from the surgery. Surgery has been scheduled for February 4th! (two days after my birthday btw) As the time is coming closer I find myself feeling two things... firstly, anxiety! I expect this emotion. Frankly I have anxiety disorder and at this point in time anxiety is completely normal for someone WITHOUT anxiety disorder. So for someone with anxiety disorder, forgetaboutit! I also have this swings into what I have trouble describing. It's kind of a numbness or the refusal to acknowledge what is about to happen. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this? It's kind of like.. you feel NOTHING at all about the surgery. I guess it's as if the surgery just IS. Almost like you're in a dream except you know you're not dreaming. I dunno if that makes sense... It's definitely an odd feeling, but one I've felt a lot more as the process went on and each stage was finished. It's almost like I'm apathetic one moment, and the next I'm anxious and my heart is beating hard. What a roller coaster!