Gabbee

I haven't weighed myself yet since being back from the hospital b/c I'm so bloated and my belly feels so huge. They told me at the hospital that they had given me more IV than needed because they assumed I wouldnt be able to get all my fluids in at first. (They were right, i feel like ive been drinking pretty often but am still at half of my liquid requirement).@QueenCity, I wouldnt worry about the weight gain. I'm sure they did something similar to you and you'll drop it in no time. I was able to go #2 twice already today, which I think is a good thing given that my doc was worried about constipation. It helped with the bloating, but i still can't for the life of me burp or pass gas. I never wanted to so bad in my life!! Lol I also have this weird "depression" in my belly right around the belly button incision (photo attached). It looks bigger in person. It wasn't there before surgery and it's freaking me out that it will stay this way (the nurse assured me it wouldnt). Have any of you experienced similar?

Yaaaaas! Way to go RedOrangeSunrise! How are you feeling today? Although it feels crappy, it also feels so good to be "on the other side", doesn't it? The anxiety was killing me before!

lol @ q-bic! Love it! Hmm, I definitely didn't have that done. When my anesthesiologist was describing the surgery to me beforehand, she did say the dr. would do a leak test at the end to make sure everything was ok. Is a swallow test pretty common? Now Im worried I didn't do one. And just realized Im on the bypass forum, not the sleeve forum, lol (it's hard to tell when you're using the mobile app). So maybe it's a bypass specific thing. I'll have to ask the doc!

Yessss! Congratulations! I was sleeved yesterday and I'm also feeling like I'm in great shape. Up and walking around 2 hrs after waking up in recovery. Sent home 2 hrs later (no overnight stay unfortunately). Excuse my ignorance, but what is a swallow test? Ive heard it referenced here before, but don't know if I did it or not. The nurses did make sure i was sipping on water and veggie broth without any issues. Was that a swallow test?

Could you do it right before christmas or New Years and use some of that holiday towards your recovery? I bet a lot of people go on vacation around that time too, so it wouldn't be unheard of. Did you tell them what you were having done? You could just let them know you are having surgery. And maybe if you need more days than you've accumulated you can take unpaid leave? Since I work on the computer from home, I'm not planning on taking any time off. I told my supervisor I may end up taking 1-3 sick days (or perhaps half days) but planning to be fully back by Thursday and my Dr was supportive. I didnt't have to do that, but I have so many things going on at work and I feel like it'll be a good distraction for me. I know your situation is different, and I have no idea how the recovery time for bypass is different. But I hope you'll recover quickly and that your job will be understanding about it!

Yes, on your back with pillows. I purchased a wedge pillow before surgery and it's great! The incline is not too much and feels just like im sleeping in the hospital bed (which i find ideal). Good luck!

Nora, I feel really bloated too. My stomach is huge compared to how it normally is. I had surgery today in the morning, and already recovering at home. I have been setting my alarm and actually walking for 5 minutes every hour. This helped as my legs are no longer swollen and my stomach less bloated... but not by a lot. I've had no left shoulder, or chest pain. Just hurts when liquids hit my stomach---no matter how tiny the sip, or the type of liquid. Even water ;( Taking my pain meds and milk of magnesia have not been fun!

I definitely have butterflies in my stomach but I'm also kind of excited! Will try to post tomorrow!

Yay!! Thats GREAT! How long do you walk for every hour? My doc says as long as I do all my walking this weekend i should be feeling pretty good next monday. But i dont want to over do it either!

Hi Debzy! I'm 38 BMI and my Dr. required 7 days of liquid diet. He requires 2 wks for BMI 50 or above. I'm still pre-op so dont have any personal experiences to share regarding hair loss, but have read that it's definitely something you can expect. Check out the post-surgery board as there are quite a few threads about it there.

Yay, the big day is here!! Wishing you an easy surgery and quick and smooth recovery! Let us know how you feel when you can!

Yay for no pain!! Thats so awesome!! I'm sure from here on out things will only get better. Before you know it you'll be eating normal food and having a normal (skinny) life!!

Smart! Overall it was a success: 5 lbs lost, minimal headache/discomfort, and slept a lot. I event went to my nephew's birthday party and watched my whole family eat pizza right next to me. That was........ torture. But I stayed strong. Good luck this week and Friday! I followed you so we can keep track of each other

Best of luck to you both! It'll be over before you know it! I havent had mine yet, but have gone in for other surgeries before and the wait time is soo long that by the time they come in to cart me to surgery I'm just ready! Deep breaths and positive thoughts!! Can't wait to hear how it went!

My surgeon also told me I'd become very fertile following my VSG. Thank God for IUDs!

I'm big into savory too, especially around night time. I can't stomach the store bought broths, I find them absolutely disgusting. If I get desperate enough for salt, I'll use the seasoning packets from Ramen Noodles to make "soup". Roast Beef is my favorite! Of course, it's full of sodium so use sparingly and drink lots of water. I also started making my own vegetable broth, which turned out delicious. I used veggie scraps from my family's cooking (including skins) and boiled that for a bit. In a separate pan, I "fried" (no oil, just water) onions and garlic until golden brown and added that to the mix. Also threw in fresh green onions and cilantro (soooo much flavor) and continued to boil another15 minutes until the water turned brown. When straining out the broth, I pressed the veggies to get as much of the juice out as possible. It was filling and delicious! Good luck! If you come up with any savory ideas, I'd love to hear it!

I am hungry too and I'm only on day 2! But I keep telling myself this is temporary! And envisioning myself a year from now as a badass runner with strong, defined arms! What are yall's coping mechanisms for when you start to feel your mind playing tricks on you?

I'm on day 2 now and so far I'm doing great! I know it won't be this doable (i almost said easy, but it's not exactly easy) much longer as it's just a matter of time before I get sick of the protein shakes. But people say the first 2 days can be tough, and I'm really glad I'm handling it ok. Just trying to stay busy and avoid being around people while they eat, lol. This forum has helped a lot! Just occupying my mind by reading all the threads, and getting encouragement from folks that are going through the same thing. But I think not letting your mind go to a dark place is really key. I catch myself thinking things like: "I'll never be able to eat things I enjoy again!" or "what if I have complications?" and even wanting to jump down people's throats when they're trying to give me encouragement ("easy for you to say, you're not the one that has to starve!"). But then I catch myself and start envisioning myself a year from now, waking up early to go for a run and with strong, toned arms. That's my fantasy! lol. It gets me through the day! What's your coping mechanism for getting through these dark times? So awesome that you have a support group! Did you find them through your surgeon? I really want to find a group around here for when I'm clear to exercise. I know I won't do it unless I have a group of people to really hold me accountable. I have some of those same doubts as you, but it's just our minds going over to that dark place again. Try to keep it in check! We can absolutely make this change and never look back! Ahhh almost forgot: try the premier shakes. Just got back from Costco and bought 3 packs: Vanilla, Chocolate, and Banana Cream. Chocolate is kind of gross, but I'm sure it'll help when I get sick of the others. I'm also trying to mix things up a little bit: just made SF cheesecake pudding by substituting milk for the Vanilla shakes. Yum! When do you have to start your liquid diet?

I lived in TX before, but I move around a lot. originally from Brazil. I'm hoping to move to the San Francisco bay area once I feel fully recovered from the surgery. Looking forward to that roadtrip! I start my liquid diet today! Soo not looking forward to it but I'm trying to stay positive and remind myself that this means change is right around the corner. I'm having the sleeve. Tbh, this whole thing happened very fast and I didn't have a lot of time to research. I knew I didn't qualify for insurance because I had a 37 BMI and overall healthy, but my friend encouraged me to go to a consult with her Dr. and I did. Well, less than a week later his staff called me to let me know if i went the hiatal hernia route it would only cost me $3,600 out of pocket. I scheduled the surgery on the spot because if I thought too hard I'd probably back out. So glad I did! i alternate between being terrified and completely excited! How are you feeling about it? Let me know when you decide which route to go on your procedure. Choose the one that is right for you!

Hi friend! I have a similar story. 31, single, currently living in Dallas. Surgery is in a week. Would love to swap stories and encouragement!

Hi friends! I am also getting surgery on 7/28. Yay, we should follow each other's progress since we'll be on the same timeline. I'm starting liquid diet tomorrow and definitely not looking forward to it. I hope it gets easier for you! Like PrayingForWeightLoss I am worried about starting this on the weekend. Will have to think of ways to occupy my mind.