froufrou

You're probably a bit dehydrated. Took several attempts for mine too - I have tricky veins. Just breathe and remember it'll be over soon. The pain is momentary - breathe through it.

It's so hard. I do think maybe you are doing activity too soon - mine says no sooner than 6 weeks. I know they are all different, but you are still on so little food. I think finding a therapist is really important and it's on my list of to-dos! I must do this next week because when I had my sleeve surgery, I could have done with it. I have just had a revision and I still need one. In the meantime, I just bought a book that looks good called Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery by Cynthia L Alexander. It has great reviews and I'm hopeful it'll help while I am looking for someone. I am actually kind of cross with the Bariatric Industry... I think that a therapist specialising in food addiction should come with the surgery. This isn't just about our bodies, it's more about our minds. We can feel so desperately alone after surgery and turn to all kinds of things to replace this addiction. We also go through loss and grief. Please, look in to finding a therapist. You can look online for one in your area that specialises in addiction. Don't let it slip away from you like I did where you have to end up having a revision surgery.

I am so sorry about the addiction to opiates. Can I ask you, how much did you take in the beginning to get hooked? I'm just asking because doctors are getting SO cautious now about giving them for pain. I also wonder if there is a genetic component for becoming hooked because when I had my Sleeve, I had a leak and was in hospital for two and a half months. During that time I had doses of dilaudid every 4 hours the whole time I was there and just came off it it 'like that'. My doctor was warning me I might have problems, but I didn't. I just had the Gastric Bypass this last week and again, I was on that same regime. I am back home and was switched to pill form of dilaudid. Once I finished my the bottle I had, that was it. I didn't feel the need for any more. I am just wondering what it is that makes it so hard for someone to come off of it and someone else not. That's what they need to be looking at. Surely it goes to our genetic make up. I hope that you find the help you need - I can't imagine what you've been through x

Hi, I don't think I have an allergy to the tape - I am wondering if it's pulling on the stitches. I managed to find out a bit of info from other people who have experienced this too, though they describe it as feeling like a hot poker in the left hand side. It's definitely a burning feeling. I went from a sleeve to a bypass. The fluids restriction thing is odd as i would have thought I'd have some kind of restrictive feeling as I was drinking to the amount. I have zero. I have not tried it, but it feels as though I could chug a load of water and it wouldn't affect me.

I'm confused... I don't have any gas pain, no restriction when I'm drinking... the only pain I have is that it feels like a thousand bees have stung my stomach and then acid was thrown on it. Has anyone else had this? I would have thought I'd have gas pain and it'd be hard to drink. nope!

Thank you! 😎

ok I'll try! 😬

I AM always that person that something goes wrong. I don't know what it is, but it's always me. Child with Autism? Check! Leak in Gastric Sleeve? Check! And a whole host of other things. My take on it is though... if you get in a car crash, do you avoid driving again? Most people would say no. So why avoid life?

Surgery was on Tuesday. Pain is burning down the left hand side... apparently normal. I had the sleeve originally, which had a leak. I was in hospital for it for two and a half months and the sleeve totally failed due to the 5 other surgeries I needed to repair it and ultimately, my eating. Did not have a chance to do the honeymoon period or anything with my sleeve. I have dilaudid for my pain in tablet form - it's the only thing that works for me. I am probably in a lot more pain than others who have a regular bypass though as my surgeon had to clear out a lot of scar tissue.

I am in a cycle of: wake up, drink something, take meds, fall asleep... this keeps happening every hour (except the meds bit, that's every 4 hours). In a lot of pain - far more than the sleeve. Crazy.

I had my surgery on Tuesday - it went pretty well. Apparently there was a lot of scar tissue from my previoius leaky sleeve. The surgeon said have a stomach the size of an egg now!

I have my surgery on Tuesday 5th. I am going from sleeve to bypass. If you look back over my history, you'll see that I had a terrible time with the sleeve - I had a leak on day 2 or 3 and was in hospital for the next two and a half months. I missed out on all of the wonderful honeymoon period and it really messed up my head. I was more desperate for food not having had anything by mouth for the time I was in hospital. For a food addict, that was bad. So... a new beginning, hopefully. I won't say I am not scared out of my mind, but I have to do something. I lost 80 lbs the first time round but have now gained back 24 lbs. Most of my family think I'm crazy - one has flat out said that they won't help me again if anything goes wrong, so... I guess I won't be calling on them. My mother, who is in the UK, has said she will jump on a plane if I need her. She's a wonderful woman. My husband is taking time off work to look after our daughter. He would rather I didn't go through surgery again - he has a touch of PTSD - but he understands and he is supporting me. I just hope that with surgery and some therapy, I will be able to do this this time.

No problem - I hope it goes well! (Another thing it could be is gas pains... they can be REALLY painful. Just another thought).

When I had gallbladder pains, it was under my right rib and went through to my shoulder - it would happen after eating, especially a fatty meal. Is that what you are having? I think some people can have a grumbling gallbladder and possibly might not show up on scans... it might be worth going back and asking for another look. The trouble is with rapid weight loss is that you chuck out a lot of cholesterol in to your system and that can clog up your gall bladder. I had to have mine removed back in 1994 after I lost 70 lbs. Don't suffer in silence though - push to have someone take another look.

Sounds very much like gallbladder issues.

I was one of the unlucky ones too. 3 months in the hospital, 6 surgeries, no food or water during that time. Just awful. I hope you have recovered fully now? How are you doing?

p.s. you WILL get better. It just feels like you won't right now. It takes time but you will look back on this some day. Hang in there!

Oh wow, Saddy... that is awful. You have my absolute sympathies - I know what you're going through. I had a stomach leak with my sleeve back in September of 2017 and was in hospital for 3 months. Had 6 surgeries, had the picc line in, etc, etc. No food or water passed my lips for 3 months. The TPN they give you is full of nutrients and has calories in it - I too didn't lose weight in hospital, in fact I gained. It was galling having to weigh in and see the number go UP. The only comfort is that you will have ALL your nutrition and be pretty healthy in that respect! But, the whole this is nightmare I know. Did they say why you had a leak? I know mine was just 'bad luck'. The reason I came on to this section of the board is because I was thinking of getting a sleeve to bypass revision. I might have to rethink that one - I don't know if I can go through that again. I've lost 80 lbs but have stalled, so right now I'm trying some weight loss meds. We'll have to see... I am so sorry for what you are going through. If there's anything I can do, let me know. Do you have a good support network where you are? By the way, are you in the UK or from the UK? Just asking because you sound like you are and I'm British (living in the USA since 2003).

Greensleevie - fantastic advice. I’ve just screenshot your post so I can keep reading it!

A month. I seem to be stalling regularly now - I just hold on and then the weight drops off again.

I crossed my legs the other day without thinking! Haven’t been able to do that for years.

You should be having healthy snacks.

I feel great! No problems. It was very bad for about 3 months - had a total of 6 surgeries - but now no problems at all. Down 75 lbs.

You’d know if you had a leak - excruciating pain in the left shoulder and struggling to breathe. I had a leak. However, if in doubt then you should always contact your surgeon. That’s what I did and he told me to get down to the ER where he met me and operated straight away.