mrs-adams

Hi everyone, I am 4 days post-op from having a Gastric Sleeve. The decision to go for the sleeve was a very easy one, "the band was completely awful"! I was originally banded in May 2012, the band slipped & adhered itself to my liver in around March 2013. I persisted with it for a few months (where I couldn't eat or drink anything without vomiting it back up) & eventually had it replaced in June 2013. There was no improvement in the pain I was experiencing or the reflux either, two weeks later, I had it removed completely. Although the weight loss was amazing - 40kg in 13 months, the constant battle with 'right amount of fluid' was a nightmare for me. So I was flying solo for 10 months & it was so hard to keep the weight off. If I wasn't literally starving myself & exercising 14hrs a day, I was gaining weight. Then my gallbladder packed it in! I had been passing gallstones for a couples of years & they never bothered me until now. I was kept heavily sedated in hospital on Morphine, Ondansetron & diazepam for 11 days (due to long wait lists & surgeons being on holidays!). Finally got a ERCP & they perforated the Common Bile Duct , which lead to Peritonitis & then waited a further 2 days to have the gall bladder removed. After this saga, my poor body was hurting & just grabbed out at everything I ate & stored it as fat (in case it got starved again). A trip back to my surgeon was booked & I was excited! It turns out that in the 11 months that I had no band, I gained all of my weight back & a bit extra (this was not good). Total weight gained: 43.8kg. My surgeon wanted me to get another band put in & I refused (there was no way I was going to re-live that painful reflux nightmare)! So a Bariatric Sleeve was booked. Pre-surgery, and in particular, the week before my surgery date, I did not sleep, at all. I constantly had all the risk factors (that were discussed with my surgeon) running through my head 24hrs a day. Three days before my surgery, I actually thought that I was going to die in theatre, I proceeded to make a will!! When surgery day finally arrived, I was still terrified of dying & leaving my husband & young daughter behind. When I was wheeled in to the Operating Room, my surgeon turned around & asked "how you doing?", all I could say was " please don't kill me", to which he replied "I'll make you a deal, if you don't die, I won't kill you". A few seconds later I was out. To my relief, I actually woke up!! I am day 4 post-op now (only 1day at home from discharge), 4kg down & I haven't had any of the horrible pains associated with the laparoscopic surgery that I had in the past, even with having a lot of adhesions severed from my liver (due to lap band damage). My tummy is constantly grumbling & have some diarrhoea, but that is pretty much it. Compared to the band where I experienced port site pain, shoulder tip pain, immense pressure in my chest, migraines & incision sites busting open, this last surgery/recovery has been a breeze so far I am able to drink a descent amount of Water (finally) & feeling pretty great! I do get tired & require an afternoon sleep, but it's early days. That's my story so far

I had my gallbladder removed in January. I did hear that pain is typically right-sided, but that's not what I experienced. I suffered immense pain central to my stomach & radiating through to my back, I actually that it was gastritis, but after 4 days I ended up in hospital on morphine, waiting for surgery! I would definitely get it checked out, better to be safe than sorry

Hi Shirley! I can certainly empathise with you about making the right choice! I too take ALOT of medication for pain & nerve pain in particular. I was fully able to swallow all (8) of my tablets after the initial 'leak test' post-op day 1. For me the sleeve was a safer option, less complications & because my husband & I wan't another baby, I didn't want to become severely malnourished. It also 'guides' your weight loss' where you do have to eat healthy & exercise for it to work for you. You still are quite restricted with a sleeve, as 80% of your stomach is removed. I can only have half a mouthful of Water per gulp & have to sip everything. I really don't feel hungry at all too, which is great! But if you aren't happy with the surgery option, change it. It's important to go into surgery with a positive mind & wake up with a fresh new attitude. I can only say how I feel about it (which I do feel superbly about)' only you can know what is right for you Hope that helps x

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