BitterSweet*

It will soon be a distant memory. Take a picture of it so you can say bye bye to it permanently. If you are considering plastics after you meet your goals, people such as yourself with a hanging belly have fantastic results. In the right hands, all of your belly flaws will be eliminated. So that hanging, resilient belly will end up being a blessing in disquise.

Hold old are you and what was abnormal on your EKG?

No advice, but good luck to you. The mental aspect of this journey can be difficult and I hope that part of your preparation for surgery has addressed this. I think your doctor is right. At your age, even with stretched skin from weight gain, all of your collagen is still intact. That gives you a snap back feature that older people lack. Working out consistently will ensure your success with skin rebound.

@@Lauriep, even if your nutritionist has a PhD, he or she is not a medical doctor. Vitamin E should not be taken before surgery because it does increase bleeding. Unless your bariatric surgeon gives you the green light on that supplement, please don't take it.

Exactly.

@@rdelly01, if it is known that you have gallstones already and your bariatric surgeon won't remove it with sleeve surgery, I would throw a full on tantrum about it. It's one thing if they don't know or don't check, but the presence of gallstones equals a diseased gallbladder that is not going to improve with time, and may actually cause an emergency. Those stones have an ability to travel, and if they migrate to the CBD (common bile duct), emergency surgery has to be done. Please advocate for yourself (not saying you haven't!) because this practice of omitting EGDs or not removing a known diseased organ while you are already being operated is just ridiculous. Good luck to you!

Once it's removed, the attacks of pain won't happen anymore. GI wise, it'll take a few months for your body to adjust without a gallbladder. If you eat high fatty foods you'll likely have a case of the BGs (bubble guts) and diarrhea. That too lessens with time. Recovery after gallbladder removal isn't bad at all. Just abdominal soreness for a few days. I think I took pain pills for 2-3 days.

Be patient. Abdominal fat is very resilient and will be the last place you will probably lose weight. I don't know your stats, but if you're like most of us, you have a problematic abdominal region. First comes an increased waist size, then a lower tummy pudge. The muffin comes next followed by upper abdominal protusion. If the body continues to gain weight, that protusion turns into a hanging pannicula. As you lose weight, the retraction of your abdomen will happen in a reverse order (for most people anyway). You will need to lose a good bit of your weight before the hanging belly (if you have one!) begins to pull back up to some degree. Once it pulls up, then you will start noticing it beginning to retract in and have a visibly smaller size, and certainly in clothing. It must come up before it can go back in!

Why do you think your friend is going to enter into a decision like this without doing a great deal of research? One of the very first things you come across is information about the sleeve and reflux. Are you concerned that he's chosen a bariatric team that is sub par? Surely this reflux issue will be addressed by several different people (the surgeon, nutritionist, seminars, support groups?)

It always is. Shucks. I hope it goes well. Stay in touch.

@@sa1976, count your blessings! That is serious and I'm so glad you had a team capable of dealing with a serious issue like that! So happy for you!

That's exactly what I was going to suggest, is to simply make another appointment. I doubt he ever will call you back. The natural assumption on his part would be that you are upset and may be confrontational (not saying that's true). Matters like that would be better handled in person so you can get the answers you need or be able to demonstrate that you do have an appropriate network of support. Good luck.

Why the Gyno visit? What requirement are you having to meet or be cleared for?

If this Psych is the only option you have, start going to therapy with that person. It really is unfair to judge someone from one psych visit but it happens all of the time. My advice is to just start going to that person for therapy. It would be a way to work out any issues that you do have (we all have issues) and hopefully after a few sessions, get a green light for surgery.

Learn to forgive yourself and move on. Only your stomach was altered, not your brain. Be present in the moment, recognize the emotions behind your actions, and simply move on. The mistake is less important than recognizing the behavior behind it. That's really what counts because many more moments like this will occur in the future.

Chubby chasers tend to want to be someone's daddy. They want a co-dependent relationship because the more dependent upon them that you are, the less likely you are to ever leave. He has issues and you can't solve any of them. Not a single one. The new, skinny you is a direct threat to his security and your dependence on him. This tantrum is his ultimatum to you and if you love yourself more than you love him, you'll do exactly what it is that you've planned, which is surgery. If you don't follow through with your plan and he gets his way, your marriage will suffer anyway. He doesn't have to agree with your choice but he does have to respect it. If he can't do that then there are way more problems in your relationship than having WLS. This situation sucks and I'm sorry that you have to focus on this instead of concentrating on having surgery and recovering.

The right plastic surgeon will make you feel as beautiful and worthy as the wrong one made you feel gross and unworthy. You'll know the right one when you meet him or her. It will happen for you and I look forward to an update about your positive experience. You have been so unbelievably strong that sometimes it doesn't take much to be tipped over. I know that feeling and I understand. You deserve the best. You have earned it. =)

Groggy is normal, but not 11 days out from surgery. Those anesthetic drugs and inhaled gases have long left your system. That groggy feeling is likely due to other factors. Dehydration? Medications? Not enough calories and Protein?

Constipation?

I'm in the medical field and there's a lot of 'talk' going on that Bands will end up getting re-called and pulled off the market. I have ZERO evidence to point you to so that you can investigate things for yourself. What I have read on this forum are lots of people who have had Bands and get them removed with a conversion to a sleeve. It'll be a personal choice you'll have to make.

Not normal at all. Please seek medical help from your surgeon. Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

To the OP, you're over 2 months out from surgery. That pain is not likely caused from CO2. Yes, it can linger, and yes it may last a few weeks, but you're pushing 9 weeks post-op. Get yourself checked out.

Fluid in is fluid in. You should clarify this issue with your bariatric team (nutritionist) though. My understanding is the RTDs count as liquids as well. If you can drink 64oz of water on top of meeting liquid protein requirements, that would be great, but is near impossible right after surgery.

You're welcome. Let us know what ends up happening and good luck to you.

Yes, this is a very common response to general anesthesia. Some people's heart rates go really high and some go really low. It only becomes an issue if it happens, they medicate you for it, and your body does not respond as expected. A couple of things you should find out from them: 1) How long after you were induced did your heart rate drop. 2) How low did your heart rate get. 3) What medication did they give you to treat the low heart rate. 4) What was your response to that medication. 5) Did you continue to have a low heart rate once out of the cancelled surgery, when you were in the recovery room. The answer to those questions will be useful to the cardiologist you end up seeing to get clearance for surgery a second time. This is also very necessary information you would want to relay to any doctors or surgeons you see in the future, and that includes dental work. It sucks and I'm terribly sorry this happened to you. I know you must feel so dissapointed, but it will be ok.