KarinaVSGinTX

Hi Angie! I am doing very well now. I did have major pain when I got out of the hospital (the second time I went in), from the drain tube, but now all is well. Thank you for checking up on me. How many weeks out are you now Angie? How are you feeling? Karina

Hi Sleevers! I had a question about my recovery. I was sleeved on July 24, 2014. I was healing very nicely, with very minimal issues. All of a sudden, on day 7 post-op, I started to have horrible pain. I developed a fever of 101, which dropped to 99 by the end of the day. I had these sharp pains all over my torso, mostly under the ribs on the left side, and pain radiating to the shoulder blades. When I took in normal breaths, I would feel pain. So the next day, my fever went away and a good part of the stabbing pains, but I am left with this sharp pain in my shoulder blades, back and still hurts a little when I breath in. I was ready to get off of my pain meds, 6 days post op, but now I am having to take them just to get through this. One thing that worried me when I woke up from surgery, was that my upper right thigh was numb and tingling. It still tingles to this day, but slightly less than the past week. So I worried it may be a blood clot. Most of what I feel now, feels like gas pain, but yesterday, I thought I was going to die. Has anyone felt anything like this, one week post op? ANY help would be greatly appreciated. Karina

I am actually looking forward to seeing the responses to this post. My OBGYN put me on Metformin a week ago, but I've been afraid to take it. He put me on it to keep my ovaries healthy until I try to get pregnant again.

When I had my surgery, there was a woman next door to me that was getting her sleeve too and her husband had gotten it two months before. The husband told me that his surgeon was old school and told him he could eat whatever he wanted 1 week post op. Me being three weeks out and having a difficult time just getting Water and Protein in, I thought maybe he was exaggerating. Well going through different WLS websites and forums, I've read so many posts about how many surgeons allow their patients to eat solid foods one or two weeks post op. Has anyone seen this? Has anyone started eating solid foods much sooner than the rest of us? Had ease with it? Complications after trying solid foods so early? I am just curious and would love to hear your stories if you had soft or solid foods much earlier than the norm. Thanks!

I was in the hospital last week dealing with a leak in my sleeve. My hand swelled up like a balloon. I didn't know about the warm compresses, but because you're dealing with the lymphatic system, the way I got that swelling down was by lifting up my arm as much as possible. I slept on the hospital bed that same night with my arm over my head (with my head and torso position upwards at a 45 degree angle), and the next day the swelling was gone. I hope one of those ways works for you!

Thanks for all your posts! I am 3 weeks out and had an extra week in the hospital from an infection I acquired in the OR. So I am kind of starting over with my phases, so I am a bit far from getting to the good stuff. It's good to know that I can start eating normal food in a few weeks. I am scared to death of doing anything to hurt my sleeve again. Poor sleeve (and me) went through a nightmare of a week with the abscess that formed on my stomach (on the suture line). I am scared to death of doing anything to hurt my sleeve. It's been through enough.

That is pretty much what my plan looks like too, Kindle. I could not imagine eating solid/regular foods any earlier than that. I was just shocked to hear about all these people who were given the ok to eat normal foods so soon after surgery. I just wanted to find some of those people to see how their sleeve reacted to it.

I was sleeved in Mexico on July 24. About 5 days post op, I started feeling sharp pains in my shoulder. I thought they were gas pains, but after begging a gastrointerologist (who didn't want to take my case due to the fact that my surgeon was in Mexico), he ordered tests on me. My white blood cell count was insanely high, so he told me to go to the ER. ER did tests and told me that I had a highly infected abscess on my sleeve. After waiting several hours to get a surgeon to take my case (once again, no one wanted to take me because they didn't do the surgery & that I did this in Mexico), I finally got into the ER at the hospital downtown. Several painful hours later, I got in a room where they stuck a drain in my stomach, and a picc line in my arm because I needed one place where they could feed me, pump me with antibiotics, pain killers and be able to take blood. The surgeon came in and told me that I'll be on a feeding tube for 2 months and that I wouldn't be able to drink, and to expect a long hospital stay. (I think this is where I broke down, regretting having the surgery.) A week later, they seemed to have gotten the infection out of my system, and let me drink Water again, disconnected my feeding tube and removed my drain. I found out that the bacteria that was in my system was called klebsiella. This is a bacteria that can be acquired in the operating room, and a common cause is improperly sterilized surgery tools. So one surgeon says that there was a leak first and the bacteria that was in my bloodstream created the abscess over the leak. The other said that the abscess on sleeve line ate through, causing the leak. Either way, I never thought that this would happen to me. I had a reputable surgeon in Mexico, but a bacteria acquired during the surgery turned my world upside down. I am home now, on anti-biotics, praying that the infection is gone, and that my sleeve is healing/healed. My advice to anyone who is sleeved and feel sharp pains, or something that feels abnormal. Go straight to your surgeon or ER. Don't wait. Even if it isn't a leak, it could be an infection, which can be life-threatening. My advice to anyone who wants to get their surgery in Mexico..... Get a surgeon or doctor that will take you on as a patient in the US. You can get an infection in the US...anywhere, but when you need help in the US, and your surgeon is in another country.....you would be surprised how fast everyone wants to turn you away. This was my worst nightmare come true. I believe having amazing doctors, supportive family and prayers helped me heal quickly. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I hope all you that have posted are doing better. You will heal soon, God willing! I can't wait until next month when I can start feeling the sleeve work. And it BETTER after the hell I went through. LOL.

Thank you Mikhail... I wish you all the best in your healing and in your journey as well!

Thank you Gummy! Trust me I have no issue with releasing what needs to be release, but darn it if that shoulder pain doesn't want to go. Walking, heating pads, gas-x and hot showers have been my buddies these past few days. lol

Hi swtpea, Yes, I know but my doctor is in Mexico. I will have to get a doctor here to get treated. That was my worst fear.

Hi again! I did want to clear up that the horrible pain and the fever went away in 24 hours. The only thing that remains is the shoulder pain and slight discomfort when I inhale. I wanted to see if anyone had the same experience and what they did. I did email my doctor though. When my friend had her surgery, she told me that the gas pains were horrific for a few days, so I was just assuming that what I was feeling was normal. Thanks for the Gas-X advice, I am just going to double up on the dosage, because one strip doesn't do so well. Capecoralgrandma- you just made my day. I thought this tingling was going to be permanent. I am glad yours went away, and hopefully mine will too. I still love my sleeve, just had a little scare there. Thanks for everyone's comments! Karina

Hi July-bees! I had my surgery July 24th and can't wait to see how the rest of you have been doing through this all! I can't believe I am SLEEVED!

Ola Menina! I had my surgery (7/24) in Mexico too, and for me it was a pretty good experience as well. However, being home, 6 days post op, I feel the same way as you. I am hungry allllll the time, and I am getting my Water down, but nothing seems to makes me feel comfortable. I know I am only supposed to have Clear Liquids at this stage, but I did have a small amount of cottage cheese and a little yogurt today, and not even that made me "feel" full. I also lost 5 pounds since the surgery. (21 pre op) I hope this thing is working...but I can't test it with real food for another two weeks. I do hope things change for the better for the both of us. Because other than that issue, I am doing pretty good. Hugs, Karina