AvaFern

Oh the cough! I hope you can avoid that. I felt like my stomach was going to rip out everytime I sneezed! If you do end up with a cough though, apply a bit of pressure to your stomach before you cough and it serves to brace it enough that the pain is minimized. Good luck in surgery!

I got a cold 3 days before my surgery and was totally freaking out. I drowned it in Orange Juice (which later I found out I was supposed to be watering down- so maybe skip that part, lol), Zicam, and Airborne. I was miserable on Friday, I had a fever Saturday, Sunday I was mostly ok, and by Monday morning for surgery, I was fine. Also, they gave me so many antibiotics my little cold was toasted in no time. From my understanding, as long as you can breathe regularly they don't change the surgery. This issue becomes when you're sedated and not intubated that if you're not breathing normally and you're not alert enough to wake yourself up, then you have issues.

I'm 1 month and 4 days post-op and while grapes have not been a problem at all, chicken took some re-adjusting. As long as it's moist and I'm careful about how much I eat, I seem to be fine. Dry chicken though or even baked chicken feels like my esophagus is choking, gagging, and puking all at once. Ideally it will get better. When I was first sleeved I also felt like the grocery store was a funeral, but after just a few weeks I feel like things are improving. It's really nice to be able to enjoy a few bites of something and be completely over it without a desire to eat any more. I feel like I can enjoy food without the misery of know I'm going to gain weight if I eat it.

I'm one month post-op and my doctor didn't tell me I couldn't have gummy vitamins. I use the Flintstones Sour Gummies and the Vitacraves interchangeably. I also use the sour calcium gummies as well. Neither one of them have seemed to upset my stomach at all. The vitamins are so small though that even if they do expand it's not like it's more than you would eat in a normal meal anyway. I tried the Centrum chewable ones and I wasn't a fan.

Lean Pockets are not actually good for you (unfortunately, because I really like the pretzel bread crust ones), but like anything else if it's something you enjoy and you eat in moderation, then why not continue to enjoy it? At two years out, you know how many calories works for you and the types of nutrients you need...if Lean Pockets fit into you diet every once in awhile, then I say enjoy!

I was sleeved on 9/9 and I'm only down 26 pounds. I also find protein shakes to be gross and the only ones I liked are from Bolthouse Farms. They are by the cold juices in the produce section of my grocery store. They're decent tasting and they're the only ones that don't make me gag. I only drink maybe 1/3 of the bottle at a time but some seems better than none at all.

I'm glad you asked this! I've been freaked out about a pain in my left side somewhat close to the incision site as well. Same issue...when I sit anyplace too long or I get up or twist too much it hurts. It's not really painful, it's more like a twinge, but it concerned me.

I had a major issue with this my first week after surgery- I thought there was something massively wrong. My friend who is a nurse said it's a common side effect of anesthesia and it would go away. I think the last time it was at about two weeks post-op. I think also for the first few weeks I was so exhausted that I would fall asleep in weird positions and then not move for like 8 hours, so I may have been causing it myself. Good luck- I hope this resolves itself soon!

Me too! I started off able to eat Boar's Head turkey fine and I can still tolerate that in small portions (like maybe one piece) but real chicken, I feel like it's choking my stomach! Someone else called it the "foamies" which is a good word for it. I keep trying it, but I'm getting close to giving up on on chicken for awhile. I hope it's not forever because I like chicken more than other meats and it's a nice easy source of protein.

I feel like I'm always going to see myself as the "fat girl" no matter how thin I am. This time last year I was 150, and I look at pictures and I'm like...ugh why can't I be that thin now! Of course at the time I looked in the mirror and I thought, you fatty, why are you eating so much! Even when I'm at my low weight of 130 which happens maybe every other year, I always feel like I'm a giant, even when in actuality I'm normal sized or even considered thin. I was kind of a chunk as a kid, not huge, but when all the other girls were 60 pounds I was like 90. I still remember this one girl calling me "fatso queen of ice cream" and as an adult, even when I look pretty good, I look in the mirror and I see the kid that everyone made fun of. On a positive note, I remind myself that no one else sees that fat kid and I fake it til I make it! When I'm thin, no one knows on the inside I still feel like a hefferilla.

Hey everyone, So I'm 4 weeks post-op exactly and I have a bit of pain at my largest incision site on my left side. It feels a lot like when you've done too many sit-ups (I have not done any sit-ups!) and while it doesn't hurt when I'm in a stationary position, if I twist or move abrupty it's sore. I've had very minimal pain and this is a new development, so I feel like a hypochondriac-but is this normal? I also still can't drink more than a few sips at a time and food kind of chunks it's way down my throat. Is this normal? I feel like there are air bubbles in my chest so even when I can eat a little normally, it's not smooth sailing down my esophagus. I don't get sick after eating the little bit of food I can eat, I occassionally feel a little nauseous, but no puking, I don't have a fever, and physically I feel ok. Had I not just had 80% of my stomach pulled through my abs, this wouldn't be a feeling that would concern me, but I do wonder if others still had mild pain and discomfort eating/drinking at 4 weeks? Thanks everyone!

Hopefully we're both just rushing things a bit. I feel like I'm way more paranoid now than I ever have been about things in the past...I'm sure my hypochondria will fade as I get further away from the surgery, but as for now- I'm overly vigilant!

Thanks for your reply! I am so relieved that someone else is sharing my misery! (haha ) I also am ready to eat normally and you're right, the softer the food is the less problems I seem to have. I went for a long walk yesterday and I wonder if maybe I just pulled on my incisions a little too much. I feel like I keep reading about how at 4 weeks post-op everyone felt marvelous and I'm like....hmm, I don't feel awful, but I don't really feel awesome either!

My surgery was 18K and I had it done in the same city in which I live in the #1 ranked hospital. My surgeon has a perfect record (he has never had a leak and mortaliy is 0%) and while he's kind of full of himself, I absolutely feel like I got what I paid for. I don't have to worry about any type of complications being untreated or unrecognized because his office is 20 minutes from my house. Also, as a self-pay patient I had BLIS insurance which covers any kind of issue I may have for the first several months. When I first found out the price it was a bit of sticker-shock, but I feel like there are some things in life where low cost leadership is not the marketing strategy that appeals to me. There are great surgeons in Mexico, but the personal cost of traveling out of the country for a surgery that could ultimately kill me if I didn't have access to my doctor after the surgery, was not worth saving 10K.

I have private insurance and I know that if they found out I was over 200, not only would they not approve the surgery, but they would drop me from my plan and I would end up with no insurance at all. I used the self-pay option and I have been very careful to keep my insurance entirely out of the loop. Also...if you're using your insurance company I imagine letting them know what's going on ASAP is a good idea so that if they come back with major conditions you have plenty of time to resolve them.

It went well, thankfully. I had a few nibbles of everything and a few sips of champagne. I skipped the first selection of wine, so the waiter took my glass which really worked out well. My boss did ask why if I wasn't hungry and I used the antibiotic excuse, in that I wasn't sure how drinking and food would affect my stomach since I seemed to be a little sensitive to the antibiotics. Everyone knew I was on antibiotics for my tooth, so it worked out great. I also made my half a glass of champagne last the entire night so I was able to toast to everything without actually drinking anything. In the end I had a few bites of appetizer, a few pieces of Pasta, a few bites of salmon, and about a spoon of creme brulee. I felt a bit sick after dessert, but nothing unmanageable. I was very relieved to know I can pass myself off as eating like an almost-normal person in public even at only a few weeks post-op. Thank-you to everyone for your suggestions- it was much appreciated!

I have a small problem, and while in theory it's a great problem to have, if anyone has any thoughts I would appreciate it. I have worked for a company for the past 10 years and I have been blessed with an opportunity to move on- my last day is next week. I have a really amazing boss who is taking our entire office out to dinner this Friday to Celebrate my time with the business. The dinner is at a very, very nice steakhouse and there will be an expectation of at least a little bit of alcohol consumption. So outside of the fact that I'm a little concerned about not being able to eat much, there is also the wine issue. I've never been a big drinker, but I feel like it's rude to not at least take a few sips and to heartily enjoy what will likely be a very expensive meal. Also...no one at work has any idea I had this surgery and I am currently at 3.5 weeks post-op. My three best friends are aware that I've had it (none of these people work with me), but past that I have no intention of anyone else ever finding out. I don't want to appear unappreciative or ungrateful, but there is no way that I would tell anyone at work the real reason why I can't eat and drink. Also, while I feel comfortable with what I can and cannot nibble on, I have not had any alcohol since surgery and before that I was already kind of a lightweight. Will a sip or five of wine be ok or is this one of those things (like chicken and bread for me) that is going to make me instantly sick? Any thoughts you all have on this would be appreciated. Thank-you!

I had surgery on a Monday, did some work from my hospital bed on Tuesday (which I don't advise, I didn't remember much of what I did), went home on Wednesday, worked from home for about 5-8 hours a day Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Saturday, and then pulled a 15 hour day at my desk on Sunday. I was back in my office on Monday morning a week after surgery. If you can at all avoid working for the first week of surgery, I would go for that option. I was mentally acute by the 3rd day after surgery, but I was completely exhausted and miserable working the week of my surgery, so I don't feel like I helped myself out at all. It is technically possible to begin working a full-time desk job 3 days after surgery, because I did exactly that, it is just a really horrible experience that I never want to repeat again.

Ahhhh...antibiotics is a great reason! I actually have a tooth issue that they all know about and they all know I am legitimately on antibiotics in preparation for a root canal (joy). I forgot that you're not supposed to drink when you're taking them.

Thank-you everyone for the suggestions! I think I'll probably just fake it and hope that everyone else is having too much fun to notice my lack of food and beverage, lol. Fingers crossed that tomorrow goes well!

I'm glad someone asked this. I'm 3 weeks post-op and not being able to drink a few gulps is so annoying. I like to run and not being able to drink enough afterwards is frustrating! I'm also going to start a Bikram yoga class and I'm a little worried about the dehydration if I can't guzzle a bottle of water like I used to.

Shadayo....I noticed your goal list and one of them made me chuckle- climb a stripper pole! You can get a few classes with a groupon and they teach you how to do that the first night. It's all about how you position your feet, so it's not really arm strength. I bet you could knock that one off your list this month.

I had a hiatal hernia fixed which added an incision. I wouldn't have even known that he had fixed it if it hadn't showed up on my swallow test- it wasn't ever mentioned by my doctor. Apparently it's a fairly common thing that they fix but it often adds an extra incision.

I'm 3 weeks post-op and my scars are already fading. I've used mederma on them everyday and I don't anticipate them to be noticeable after a few months. I was very concerned about scarring before surgery and I am very relieved that they were not anywhere near as awful as I imagined.

What you're feeling is normal! I had never had surgery before and mine was on 9/9- I was completely freaked out! I also felt miserable after surgery and for about the first week and I was convinced that I had ruined my life. Now 3 weeks post-op, I feel exactly the same as I did before the surgery. Nothing hurts, I don't feel sick, I eat a lot less than I did before but my energy hasn't suffered, and I am very happy that I had the surgery done. You just need to remember that each day it does actually get better and soon enough you will feel great and excited for the future!