JeffN

To be honest I had no pain some discomfort from the drain they put in me. I found that walking as soon as I could, helped. Don't be afraid to ask for pain meds as well. You will do fine and will feel great after 3 days.

I was making a wonderful cream of zucchini soup starting phase 2 and like an idiot, I popped a cut cubed zucchini in my mouth and ate like I used to. I caught myself after I swallowed no pain yet and have a slight discomfort but that is about it. I guess I will be standing in the corner all night literally. Should I be concerned and what should I look for in the coming days?

I was only drinking protein shakes and coffee. I hate water but it has fast become my friend. When I did my pre-op labs they said I was dehydrated, to begin with. They put me on an IV several hours before the surgery to get me hydrated.

So after living with diabetes and a fasting blood sugar of 130+, I am faced with a new issue. My blood sugar is now in the lower 60's. I am happy it is now low however this is also dangerous. I was told that it would rise as my body started to use up all the stored fat. Has anyone else experienced this issue and what did you do until the fat burning kicked in?

Actually, I had mixed results. The PA at my family Doctors office was concerned because she said I would be in a constant state of malnourishment. All the other Dr's were for it until they found out I was going to Mexico. Boy, are they going to love me when I see them again for follow-up and tell them "They are Fired"! I received the best care of my life in Mexico and have zero regrets. If I ever need major surgery again I am heading over the border. My Gastroendycrinologist was just a pill pusher after a year of complaining about acid reflex and having stomach issues and only getting pills my Bariatric surgeon discovered "One of the worst Hyanial hernias", she had ever seen and she has done well over 4000 gastric sleeves. Three surgeons spent almost an hour extracting my stomach from my esophagus. She said my stomach was so lacerated that is was bleeding and could have lead to serious issues if I went another month. They fixed everything and I have zero discomfort non, nada and nothing. My surgery saved my life more ways than you could imagine.

I am 100% off all medications except those given to me because of the surgery. I have health care professional's in my family that is watching over me and they said it is a normal side effect for our type of procedures. They did tell me to carry dissolvable glucose tabs just in case it goes to low. The good news is I will know when my fat burning engine kicks in because it will go back up.

Your Temperature is key no 101 then you should be fine but talk to your Dr. so at least it is in your chart. What I am finding in this group is that everyone has different experiences. I can drink my 64 ounces of water and 4 protein shakes with no issue. Heck, I recently ate solid food today while doing food prep, by mistake and I am only on phase two. Other than the Oh C#$P moment and feeling full for the last six hours I had no pain or anything. While others can't even drink water seven weeks out. I think sometimes skepticism is healthy but in other cases, we can worry too much. I know for me when I worry I ate and that caused increases in stomach acid which let to stomach pain. We forget that even though our bodies are now missing 80% of our stomach our brains have not gotten the message yet and they over produce acid. Have you tried taking a liquid antiacid?

Ok, GOD is a jokester, not really but check this out. I posted above that I had not broken any rules yet. Right after that, I went into the kitchen to cook up a zucchini cream soup. While cutting up the zucchini into cubes I popped one in my mouth chewed the old way and then swallowed. I then stuck another one in and did the same thing before I noticed what I did. I am only on phase two of my diet. Talk about freaking out! That has been six hours ago and no problems yet. I held off on my last bottle of water to give my stomach time to recover. I now have to check my temp every few hours to make sure I did not stretch my staple line causing a leak.

I can only tell you what my Doctor told me, please talk with your Doctor as well. An abscess happens when a small infection forms around the suture or staple line. It will resemble a blister-like structure. In most cases, it will go away through the bodies natural defenses. In other cases, you might need antibiotics. It is nowhere as severe as a leak. The signal in both a leak and abscess is your temperature. if above 101 seek medical attention immediately.

Spoke with Dr. I received the virtual hand slap with the you probably are going to be ok speech. No water or anything for five hours. Must take temperature every few hours for the next few days to make sure I did not cause a leak. I have no pain or discomfort which is a good sign. A temp or lack of is the only determining outcome.

Does the pain come and go or constant? The doctor told me two things to look out for. Constant or come and go pain but no temp possible abscess Constant pain and high temp over 100 possible leak.

I feel fine physically just mentally feel stupid. I can feel it in my stomach though. I guess I will be standing and walking for the next few hours.

Here is a little game you can play in your mind: Say I am a very rich man, which I am not but heck it is fun to dream, and I tell you that if you do the surgery I will give you a Million Dollars would you be more anxious about the surgery or what you are going to do with the Million Dollars? So in the same vain ask yourself what is your life worth and how much more wonderful your life will become after you have the surgery? Sometimes we are too smart for our own good and our minds use fear to move us back inline even if it is detrimental to our overall well-being.

Before you do anything ask your Dr. water pills draw out the Potassium that your body needs. If you look at my profile you might surmise I have the same problem but I don't. I make it a rule to walk as much as I can. When walking that acts as a pump and pushes excess fluid out of your extremities. So I would advise you to talk to your Bariatric Dr first and start walking or standing more. The reason I say Bariatric Dr is most GP's treat symptoms with pills and really don't get to the underlying issues.

We all have concerns when faced with surgery that is natural and if you did not have fears I would wonder about you. For me the decision was simple. Have a Gastric sleeve or face a lifetime of a debilitating and possibly fatal outcome of my obesity. Look I wish I can tell you it will not hurt, but I don't know your pain tolerance but I can tell you it will pass in a few days, however, sever it might be. I had zero pain but some that had the surgery had some discomfort but not hard pain. All of those that I saw three days later when discharged had no pain at all and were all smiling. I can not express in words how much better I feel already. I have long ways to go still but this was the right step for me. Keep up the fight and don't give in because we are talking about your life here. Let me add on more thing fear cripples us that is for sure but don't let those around you sabotage your decision because that can be just as much a negative factor as fear.

I went with Dr. Louisiana Valenzuela at Mexico Bariatric Centers and I can tell you I had a great experience. My patient care was outstanding much better than I have ever received in the States. From start to finish it was very easy. Dr Valenzuela had the same surgery three years ago and the Doctor assigned to our floor had it done 3 months ago. Dr V has: Performed over 4,000 Bariatric Surgeries Limits Bariatric Surgeries to 3 Per Day Performs Every Surgery She Schedules Successful Results & Close to Zero Complication Rate The price varies based on your BMI and other health conditions but I found them to be very reasonable. The key though is don't fudge on your weight or height because they base fee's off of your BMI at time of registration. So if you put down a lower weight on the application you might be assessed a fee at registration. Also, plan on a few hundred extra dollars for additional medications and such from the hospital. I needed a blood thinner for long airplane travel that was not covered. Whatever the cost find the money somehow and get the surgery done. It will change your life! I no longer have to take medicine for diabetes or high blood pressure.

I was told that calories don't matter, what does matter is eating 3oz of protein, 1oz healthy fat, and 2oz fruit or vegetables. do this 3 to 5 times a day. I need to hit a target protein count of at least 120 grams for my size. To determine how much protein you need; take your ideal weight and divide it by 2.2.

Good for you, You will do fine. I had my surgery last week and already feel great!!! I found the key after surgery was to walk and to keep walking. Keep fighting for your life and I wish you the best.

I took myself and a great attitude that I was finally changing my life. Other than that take Loose Fitting Clothes (Shorts, button Shirt or T-shirt, sports bra loose underwear and robe (No one likes the hospital gowns) ) Slippers - You need to walk as soon as you are allowed and keep walking. If you are a guy shave your stomach area from navel to chest. The tape is murder otherwise You will have to wear ugly compression hose so no need for socks

So far so good none yet

I am starting the cream soup phase now. The issue is what you use to eat and what you can eat now has changed. I loved cream based can soup's but I am having a hard time with them now. I now make my own from scratch and they seem to taste and go down better.

I had my surgery last week and I am able to eat clear soups right after. Remeber when in doubt go back to the basics. I would recommend that when in a pinch.