ShrinkingViolet831

I have had horrible dry mouth ever since my surgery 9/18, and even though I drink enough fluids, it seems to be pretty persistent. I have been chewing sugar free gum in a variety of flavors and that is the easiest way to keep it at bay for me.

I am a singer, and I had sleeve with a hiatal hernia repair on September 18th and I had a very hard time taking deep breaths for about 5 days. I was back teaching choir and voice lessons a week later and felt no pain, but I was actually practicing my diaphragmatic deep breathing every hour I was awake, so that could have helped. My doctor is of the opinion that I healed faster than most because I actively engage my diaphragm every day, and that helped speed things along, but I definitely think the wiser thing is to schedule your surgery later just to avoid the possibility of complication. Best of luck to you in both your surgery and your concert

I had two weeks of rapid weight loss and then a week and a half of nothing. I was concerned, but my surgeon also said not to worry about it; that hormones and water intake make a huge difference and that day-to-day fluctuation can be more severe than we anticipate. Glad to see your numbers are starting to move! And I was on clear liquids for 16 days after surgery, lol.

Obviously every doctor has their own set of rules regarding the surgeries and post-op care and what not. But if you are in pain please DO NOT WORRY about being the whiny patient and just CALL YOUR OFFICE! They would much rather get multiple phone calls from you and make sure everything is okay than not. I'm sorry you are/were having so much pain. The first few days after surgery I felt pretty miserable and most of it was back pain from lying down for so long (and from cramps since I got my period two days post op, ugh). I found that sitting up and doing really gentle stretching helped, alternating using a heated rice bag and ice pack on my back helped, and warm showers (with incisions protected). I also have been experiencing a bit of depression regarding the permanence of the surgery. I'm 12 days post op, still on clear liquids, and in that time I've thrown birthday parties for both my children and celebrated my own, been surrounded by food and even though I'm not physically hungry, I was really really sad feeling like I would never be able to eat anything tasty again. But then I remind myself that it's all in my head. My body isn't telling me I should eat it, it's just my instinct leftover from being a food addict. So I have to keep reminding myself that I asked for this surgery, I needed this surgery, and try to look at it as an exercise in patience and discipline (which are not my strong points, lol). I trust it will get easier for both you and me. And I would definitely clarify the ibuprofen instruction with your doctor, that's generally not something bariatric patients are supposed to take. Best of luck to you moving forward!

I was never lactose intolerant before and the two times I've tried my protein powders with skim milk I've had indigestion afterward and been miserable. But my surgeon said I could use almond or soy milk, or Lactaid (lactose free milk) and those are fine, no dumping syndrome. I know the taste isn't as good as real milk, but better to have a sad palette than a bathroom emergency, in my opinion

After an 8 MONTH pre-auth process I finally got approved last week and I'm scheduled for September 18th, a week before my birthday. No cake for me this year, haha! I'm starting to get very anxious, mostly about all the things that come along with the operation (Magnesium citrate, another barium swallow test, blah) but mostly I'm just ready to be DONE and start this next phase of life.