stephanie.napoli

Hi everyone! I am about 2.5 weeks out, and for some reason I am having such a hard time dropping weight. The day of my surgery I was 316, and when I went in for my 1 week F/U I was down to 304. I couldn't believe how quickly I lost that! Now it's a week and a half later and I am at 300, but I have been there for the past 4 days. Is it normal to kind of stall out for a little around this time frame? I have my 3 week F/U appointment this upcoming Wednesday, and I am worried that my doctor will be disappointed or think that I am not following my diet if I do not lose more than that beforehand. Any input would be greatly appreciated!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone! So today is Sunday, 2/5, and I received my gastric sleeve on Wednesday, 2/1. I found these forums to be a wonderful resource to me when I was preparing for my surgery day, so I hope that this post will help someone who was in my shoes a short while ago. My surgeon required a 2 week pre-op diet of 64g of Protein shakes a day, with unlimited vegetables. The day prior to my surgery was a completely clear liquid diet. When I had my first appointment with my surgeon, I weighed in at 333 (I am 5'11"), and when I had my pre-op weigh in, I was down to 316. The day of surgery was a very nerve-wracking, but exciting, time for me. I have wanted this surgery for years now, so it almost seemed like an out of body experience. As soon as I arrived at the hospital, I was taken back into the pre-op room where I changed into my surgery ensemble. The nurse started an IV of electrolytes for me, and I received a preemptive shot of heparin in my stomach. I am also very susceptible to nausea after surgeries, so I received a patch and an IV of nausea medication prior to everything. I then met with multiple nurses, the anesthesiologist, and the surgeon separately, all of whom asked me many questions and explained what their part of the surgery would be. Before I knew it, I was being given the "relaxant" that calmed my nerves as I was being wheeled into the OR. Prior to my surgery, I did a lot of research regarding the discomfort that I should expect when I woke up afterwards. I heard from the majority of people that this surgery was a walk in the park, and that I truly had nothing to worry about. However, I was completely taken aback when I awoke, because I have never been more uncomfortable in my life. I have always been extremely sensitive to most medications, to the point where they make me very sick and unable to function. I am sure that the combination of medications, the lack of food/water in my stomach, and the surgery itself was a trifecta that challenged me immensely. I was not prepared for this discomfort, and I am not telling you this to scare you. I just don't want other people to be taken off guard as I was, because I would have liked to have been more prepared. Waking up from the anesthesia, I found myself to be extremely nauseous. I was retching for a few minutes, which was very uncomfortable for my incisions. Once this passed, I was brought to my room, and I quickly became aware of the dreaded gas pains that everyone talks about. My husband and my nurse helped me out of bed, and I started walking merely 45 minutes after my surgery. This DEFINITELY helped me immensely, and I highly recommend that anyone preparing for their surgery remembers the importance of walking. The remainder of the first day was (luckily) uneventful- I just stayed on my regimen of the nausea medications with the pain meds, as the nausea was still extremely uncomfortable. As others have stated, I was not allowed to drink anything at all this day, as I needed to wait until my barium swallow the following morning. I'm sure this was a major factor in my nausea. That night and the following morning, I had several other retching fits that made sleeping difficult. (However, since I did not have anything in my stomach, I never actually threw up.) This made me extremely nervous for my barium test, because I was sure that I would vomit up anything that tasted so horrible. I was pleasantly surprised during the test though, as I only needed to take 2 small sips, and the entire test only took about 10 minutes. If I was able to keep the liquid down, then I am sure that you will be able to also! Lol Also, before my test, my catheter was removed, which was a relief to me. For the remainder of the day, I still experienced nausea and I started to realize that a huge part of that was probably due to the pain meds that I was receiving. I discontinued the use of them, and the nausea slowly improved. Throughout this time, the gas pains were present, but were not unbearable. I did use the GasX Strips while I was in the hospital, and I still continue to use them today. I was released from the hospital on Friday, 2/3, and I have been noticing significant improvements since then. The first day home, I struggled to drink my 64oz. of Clear Liquids, and the thought/smell of food nauseated me. However, the next morning (Saturday, 2/4) I woke up with an appetite, and actually felt slightly hungry! I was able to get in all of my liquids yesterday, and am on pace to do the same today. It was strange getting used to drinking with my sleeve, as I originally was able to feel every sip of Water travel down into my stomach. Now that I have been drinking so much, I am accustomed to this, and it no longer feels strange. As of today, I no longer experience any nausea, and mainly just feel the gas/incision discomfort (which I am more than happy to deal with, vs. feeling nauseated!). For the first time since my surgery day, I feel so enthusiastic about this new phase in my life and I am beyond optimistic. As I had stated, my final weigh-in was on Monday, 1/30, where I was 316. I weighed myself this morning (Sunday, 2/5), and I was already down to 306! I walked half a mile this afternoon, and felt great. I hope that my story is helpful to at least one person who reads it. Again, I am not telling it to scare anyone- I truly just want all of you to be prepared, as everyone's experience is different. Apparently since I am young (25), a non-smoker, and a virgin to abdominal surgeries, I hit all 3 risk factors for increased nausea/discomfort after my surgery (according to my surgeon). Please, anyone who has questions- feel free to reach out to me and I will do my best to enlighten you further into my experience. As you can see, I am only a few days out and am already feeling normal again. A few days of discomfort is well worth it for a lifetime of happiness and confidence! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

caddygirl- my pleasure! I'm very excited for you to start your journey! The liquid diet was tough for me, but it's so worth it to help get yourself prepared for after surgery. Good luck! _kate_- you're welcome! And thanks so much! I'm so relieved that it's over. Lol lasttime220- I went out grocery shopping today, and have been out walking a few times since I got home. I will be out all day tomorrow and Tuesday, and I'll be returning to work on Thursday. But luckily my work is flexible, so I am able to work from home. Even if I had to go in to the office, I don't think I would have a hard time returning on Thursday. So I took a week total off, but my current job is not physical, so from what I understand it is different for everyone! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone! I'm just wondering how many of your surgeons required a barium swallow after their surgery? If you had one, was it horrible? I can't imagine that it would be easy to keep that down after not eating or drinking for almost 24 hours! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone! I am excited to say that I am having my surgery this upcoming Wednesday, and I am going to start getting everything prepared around the house tomorrow. Does anyone have any recommendations for packing for your hospital stay? I have never had any serious surgeries, so all of this is very new to me. Thank you in advance for any help that you guys may be able to offer! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone! This is my first post on here, so I just want to take the time to thank everyone for the wealth of information that I have received from all of you since I joined. I am officially one week away from my VSG surgery, and I am starting to get very nervous. I just wanted to ask all of you about your experiences on the day of your surgery, and for the days to follow. I know this sounds ridiculous, but literally my biggest fear has ALWAYS been getting nauseous/throwing up. I have no idea why it flips me out so much, but it does! I can handle any pain that I may feel following surgery, but I am SO concerned about the nausea and vomiting that I know a lot of people have experienced once they wake up after the procedure. Can any of you offer insight into how you felt after your surgeries? I hear so many different experiences, so I really don't know what to expect- and I think that is what scares me the most. Also, do you have any recommendations for how to combat the discomfort following your VSG? I'm looking forward to hearing some responses!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you everyone for all of your responses!! You all have made me feel much more at ease. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have even considered pushing off my surgery because I am so concerned about how I may feel afterwards! lol I am sure that I will still be nervous on the day of, but I at least want to put my mind at ease so that I can be excited for the road ahead. Thank you all! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App