BitterSweet*

The most I've ever done (and these are separate instances): two packs of ramen noodles; half a peperroni pizza; one container of chinese white rice and the meat picked out of a mongolian beef dish, with an egg roll on the side; double whopper combo; double quarter combo; two small pieces of pie with whip cream; 10 piece hot wings and small potatoe wedges; medium buttered popcorn and a coke icee at the theatre; two sandwiches. Each one of those meals left me stuffed to the gills.

Awwww, I'm so happy to hear that you're already feeling better, and thank you so much for your selfless work to your community. That's fantastic. I hope everyone loves your dish and that y'all have a nice evening. Please stay in touch.

LMAO!!!

I'm looking forward to twerking again, how about you? Ever since I got fat again, my twerk game has suffered. My first NSV will be a split. Lol! =)

You'd have to clarify what you mean by chest pain. I have GERD and even if there is no reflux all the way up into the top of my esophagus and mouth, I have occasionaly felt dull twinges of what I'd call chest discomfort, but certainly not pain. Additionally, the pain is non-radiating, it's to the left of my sternum and always in that same area. I do have a sliding hiatal hernia that is a moderate size. When it "slides" it feels like someone is choking the bottom of my esophagus. Lots of pressure, but no pain at all. True cardiac chest pain is quite unmistakeable. We teach patients that if you can point to the pain in one spot, it's probably not your heart, because cardiac pain feels like an elephant is sitting on your chest. It is a crushing, acute pain that can not easily be brushed off as something else. Of course, there are degrees of chest pain, and further, women tend to have different symptomology than men. But, since you have been cleared of heart issues, here are some other things to think about. A diseased gallbladder can cause this set of symptoms as well, especially because of the "radiating" quality of pain that you describe. If you still have your gallbladder, get your surgeon to check it out through an ultrasound. If you no longer have a gallbladder, pancreatitis can also cause those kinds of symptoms. Of course I have no idea what is going on with you, just throwing some thoughts your way that you can speak to your surgeon about next month. Keep us posted and let us know how it turns out for you.

Thank heavens. I really did not want to alarm you with my response after I saw the pics you posted, but as an RN I knew you were headed for trouble. Abdominal infections are really nothing to play with, and I hope they cultured that wound to make sure you've been placed on appropriate antibiotics. You'll feel so much better in a couple of days. Please take care of yourself and stay in touch.

@@Sassafrassa, What's funny about folks like us is that we always think we're alone. The very first post I ever made was almost identical to this. Almost verbatim. I just KNEW I was unique and that no one felt like I felt or worried as much about the same things: Losing weight on my own; VSG surgery is barbaric and too extreme; I can overcome my emotional hurdles and then I can lose weight and won't need surgery; complications; dying and leaving my children motherless (one of which is medically fragile with a million severe conditions); etc. etc......... Kind folks like the ones here gave me the same type of feedback that you've received. Bottom line for me......making a decision was simply being completely and totally honest with myself. And the truth of the matter is my food addiction and out of control emotional eating spans 30+ years. It took many years for my fat to catch up with me, but it has, and it always does. It's very simple for me. I do not want to be a diabetic. Once diabetes sets in, the human body just starts to go downhill. I do not want hypertension. Both of those diseases kill your kidneys which then turns your life into an amalgamation of meds, procedures, doctor visits, dialysis etc.... Can't do it. I do not want to go blind. I do not want to have renal failure. I do not want congestive heart failure, and I can guarantee that is the path that all of us who are morbidly obese eventually end up on when our massive weight is if left unchecked. I can't live that way. And once I sat and cried about it for days, I realized that I really do need help. I need a stop sign and the VSG is my stop sign. I continue doing "the head work" with therapy, and I encourage everyone else considering surgery to do the mental work as well. Without adjusting the mental aspect of obesity, it's like preparing for a wedding but never preparing for the actual marriage - which is where the real work is. The surgery is just one day. You will go home in the same body with the same brain and way of thinking and that is a recipe for disaster. It's a hard decision to make because it makes you feel like you have given up on yourself. That you are a failure. Many of us have felt that way and those feelings are hard to accept and deal with. You just have to reach deep within yourself to know if this is right for you.

@Eli.pm, the tube everyone is referring to is called a jackson pratt drain (JP drain), it is placed before a patient is stitched up to collect bloody drainage from a surgical area. It's usually left in place 2-3 days and is removed when the drainage amount decreases, and when there's a change in color; from bloody to serosanguinous (light pink /reddish) output. Not all surgeons use JP drains. To the OP, I'm glad they figured out what was wrong. I hope the rest of your recovery is smooth. Good luck!

Oh wow, and here I thought all of this time sleep apnea closed the airways and made the lungs really thirsty......for oxygen. You learn something new everyday.

@@emsgirl114, Thank heavens. I was about to offer you the $75 just to go. You matter to the people that love you and your life and health are not worth saving $75 for goodness sakes. If all is well, let a doctor tell you nothing is wrong and to go home and resume normal activites. That wound looks bad, and I hate that you felt worse during the night, but perhaps that's a little signal from God above to nudge you to the urgent care clinic. Please take care of yourself and please let us know what the outcome is after your visit. Good luck to you. I'm truly wishing you the best.

What in the world does thirst and peeing at night have to do with a condition (sleep apnea) that causes periods of cessation of breathing while sleeping? Many obese people have sleep apnea (plenty of whom are unaware) and it is one the top co-morbitities that qualifies someone for WLS. How in the world would that be the impetus to delay or prevent surgery?!

He's six. Hospitals are scary to six year olds as are many other things. A child of that age typically has no basis to rationalize something as major as this, so their response will of course be fraught with fear, accompanied by lots of tears. They also cry and are irrational when they can't have ice cream or a toy at the store. Comfort him and move forward with your plans. You sound as though you have prepared yourself for this and have a good support system in place (your husband). You'll be fine!

@@NaomiAus, For clarification, as the above poster explained, hernias of any kind (hiatal, ventral, umbilical) can not be removed. The bulging through the weakened area is stitched up and sometimes mesh is used as a reinforcement prior to stitching for hernias that are located in central abdominal area. Any reputable bariatric surgeon will repair a hiatal hernia if one is discovered during sleeve surgery, because that type of hernia causes reflux and can cause complications after surgery if left unrepaired. Any other type of hernia that is located lower in the abdomen will not be repaired; that would be a seperate surgery. @@Elizabethe Glickel, many people have ulcers and are unaware of them. The ulcers should be completely resolved before surgery to prevent complications such as a leak.

We can't force you to do anything that you don't want to do. With that being said, if your surgeon is right (without having seen this gaping surgical wound) and there's nothing wrong, all it will cost you is $75 and a couple of hours of aggravation. If your surgeon is wrong, and you do need medical care and fail to receive it, what can that end up costing you?

@@emsgirl114, hematomas are a very common complication and it doesn't mean that something went wrong. However, when a hematoma is that extensive it is typically opened up, drained, and sometimes a JP device is placed for 2 or 3 days to allow further drainage of the wound, and patients are placed on antibiotics. If your hematoma was large enough that it caused your blood pressure to drop when it burst opened, your surgeon should have had you come in for treatment. Your second picture does look better but the dehiscence of that surgical site will need medical care.

@@emsgirl114, did your surgeon provide a reason why that hematoma was not opened and drained prior to you leaving the hospital? And are you on antibiotics?

@@emsgirl114, Draining what exactly? Blood? Pus?

Hello everyone, I've seen countless posts and comments about using a heating pad for a variety of reasons (pain, elimination of the CO2 gas etc.) after surgery and many people indicate that it is so helpful. I'm curious about where the notion came about to use heat. Is this something people are trying at the suggestion of others? Has your bariatric surgeon recommended or suggested this as part of their post-op instructions? Is it something your nutritionist suggested? While I realize that a heating pad emits a very low amount of heat, is anyone concerned that even that small amount of heat may cause their temperature to rise - which may register as a slight fever while in the hospital or at home. I've been wondering about this practice after reading and responding to a different post a couple of days ago. Thanks!

.........@@emsgirl114, Please tell me that you've seen your doctor about this.

Summer, thank you for this update. It sounds like your OBGYN is on top of everything and that you're in good hands.

@@*Lexie*, very insightful post. Thanks.

@@GreenEyes604, did your doctor tell you why you have to do so much (3 X per day)? I haven't noticed any one here getting such a high dose, nor have I seen that in clinical practice. Btw, I'm not questioning your surgeon's judgement at all. I just think it would benefit others here to know why there's such a difference in doses. In essence, maybe others have the same medical condition(s) and your info could help them address this topic with their own surgeon. Thanks!

Sweet indeed. Praying that you begin feeling better soon.

The first response was very accurate and the only things to add is that the cap of the syringe takes a small amount of force to pull off; remember to get rid of the air bubble inside of the syringe; and the bevel (tip) of the needle needs to be facing upwards when you inject. Also, don't recap the needle. Dispose of the syringes as instructed by your pharmacy. Btw, the needles are hypodermic (tiny like insulin syringes), and not very intimidating. You will do great!

Lol @ the horse comment! Bless your heart.