I recently underwent the gastric sleeve and continue to regret my decision. I am soon to be 8 weeks out (lost forty pounds) and have felt trapped in a nightmare since returning to consciousness day of surgery. My story is a little different I wasn't hospitalized, this of course was because I was paying out of pocket so I needed to keep cost down. I felt physically and mentally prepared only because I had researched for myself. The physician doesn't utilize psychiatric evaluation, nutritionist, etc. which in my mind was fine because this was going to be easy for me and that would just waste time and money. Morning of surgery wake up early in a great mood despite the rough prep from the evening before. I get there get checked in and before I know it I am moments away from being wheeled back to surgery. Then they push Reglan in my IV and I get very irritated and edgy but it's okay my life is about to change and I am excited. The next thing I know I am returning to consciousness and in serious pain and there is something unexplainable to me knowing that I had made a mistake. Drifting in and out of consciousness for the next 3 hours was they try to get pain under control I have huge waves of nausea. Then time to go to hotel your surgeon will check on you this evening as they put me in the car. Still nauseous and hurting I am ready to get to the room. I settle in and then fever begins 102.9-103.8 I figure well I will take some of the liquid Lortab which will help the pain and reduce temp till he comes by. Wrong that was the moment vomiting began, of course vomiting made the pain worse as well as the fever. Then a knock at the door I was thinking thank God he will know what to do. He checks my incisions and vitals as we tell me about everything else, he says yeah sometimes it happens see you tomorrow you can have clear liquids now. I thought okay well I am starving popsicle sounds great, nope pain was unbearable even though I had tried Lortab liquid again and again I threw it up. My relief only came by running a little hot water in tub laying back in it, sometimes it even made me feel like it would break my fever, which nagged on for a week post op. After several failed attempts to keep down lortab I gave it up, my surgeon couldn't seem to careless so I began to think this is a tiny bump in the road once I get home I will get better. On the 3rd day I go home burning up with a high fever and nauseous beyond belief. I follow my instructions and do what I am suppose to and follow up with surgeon continues to fall on deaf ears when I tell him I literally can not swallow food without vomiting, drinking is becoming the same and I feel so weak I barely am able to get out of bed. Again he says sometimes it happens we will give you a B12 injection. Nothing happens from injection I feel that once he was paid I was nothing to him just a number not someone whom he actually wanted to succeed. I decided I would just go to urgent care to get fluids when my dehydration was too far gone to remain at home so I go in get fluids then go home but the vomiting doesn't end and at this time I am weeks without eating I only drink mostly water sometimes I get down the disgusting protein shakes. I am spilling large amounts of ketones and glucose levels are low. I can't stand the smell of food it makes me sick and I am constantly nauseous. I am becoming so depressed because I feel alone in this and isolated because I am too weak to do much of anything at all. Please someone tell me this will get better, I have had cancer and chemo in the past but never felt like this.
