BajanSleeve

What the heck!!???? What kind of surgeons did you have? Its making me feel that my decision to go to Mexico was really a smart one. I am shocked that you guys did not have a drain in the main incision that the stomach would have been removed through. Its just a tidy and safe way of making sure you don't get infected and all that guck is left inside you So glad you are going to your doctor tomorrow @Missouri-Lee's Summit because that sounds a mess You are not supposed to have that kind of bruising from laparoscopic surgery! That sounds like shoddy work to me. See what your doctors opinion on it is and take some photos as well. You can add that to your letter of complaint because it does not sound to me as though this is right - unless a pre-existing condition causes you to bruise

Miss Fish, welcome to this forum. Have you tried doing a google search or even a Facebook search to see if there are any local Bariatric or WLS support groups that meet in your area? Online forums are great but really and truly face to face groups are ideal. Also, have you ever tried going to therapy? Honestly I am a huge advocate of therapy having gone through it at various stages in my life. They will help you get to the root of your challenges and confront some of the reasons why you have used food as a comfort and crutch. Its important to deal with that because even after WLS those drivers are still going to be there. My pastors have also done great counselling with me over the years that have really helped me heal and pushed me to grow to the next level. By any chance do you go to church, synagogue, etc.? Hopefully you will find a place to express yourself on this website and get some encouragement along the way. Hugs from Barbados

@Missouri-Lee's Summit Indeed it seems we have But what about electrolytes? Is your daughter going to bring you some? Those are important early post op. Just this morning I tested my blood pressure and its only 92/54 which is kinda low. So I pop an electrotype tablet in my water and it brings it up. I sent you a PM about keeping tabs on your BP readings. I have one of those wrist BP meters and they work really well. The weak feeling can sometimes be linked to low BP. I did not have bruising by my incision sites. I have 5 incisions and they are all healing up nicely but it takes longer for them to heal on me from diabetes. I also broke the rules and used antibiotic powder on them to help them heal. The creams are not good on them because they keep them wet but the powder is what has really helped them heal. I also left them uncovered after 6 days. Do you have bruises??? I am just so shocked that in the big ole US of A the health care provided to you was so piss poor The doctors in Mexicali came to see me every day I was in the hospital and one of the doctors personally took out my drain and checked my incisions the day I left. I really cant stop singing their praises at the kind and attentive care I received there. Don't you have a drain in your largest incision?? Take care of yourself and do what you need to do to make sure you heal right. Can your daughter source antibiotic powder for you? Try and let the incisions air out after about 6 days too but don't shower with them open until the 2nd week. I was born in Barbados. My mother was born and raised here and my father was born in the UK, moved to Jamaica when he was 2 and moved to Barbados when he was 17 where they met. They married but split up when I was 2 and dad moved to Toronto. I'll PM you the rest. But for the most part I am a Caribbean girl all the way

@mmckimmey What a horrible experience and I am so sorry for the trauma you went through. My advice would be for you to make an appointment with a nutritionist asap because your case is very different to us who have the VSG for weight loss. Your case is special and you need to know specifically how to get in the nutrition you need so that you wont be losing weight but maintaining and gaining even. There are some basics that may apply in that your stiches need to heal and seal. So staying on liquid only for a certain amount of days is important to allow t Make sure you get some Nexium capsules and open the capsule, open it out as far back into your throat as you can and drink down the little balls. Its important you take one of those for 3 weeks following VSG so as to keep the acid in your stomach controlled. Buy yourself a LOT of dissolvable or LIQUID multivitamins. I buy those EmergenC packets and put them in my water daily. This website sells bariatric products so you can browse through buying some vitamin patches which are really easy to use. Make sure you get your calcium, iron, vitamin B's and Biotin in addition. The nutritionist will advise you more on your case but you will need to buy some good protein powder because you will need a lot of protein added to your diet since you will not be eating regular portion sizes of food for a while. I personally like to buy the no flavour protein powder rather than the sweet or flavoured protein powder because you can add the unflavoured powder to everything - to water, your drink, your soup, your food, whatever and that allows you to meet your protein targets without being limited. I buy a kind called genpro next generation protein because it has the highest content of protein per scoop (30 grams) which means I use less powder. However its very expensive. You will make it! You have come this far and life with a VSG is very doable. Just make sure you make that appointment with a nutritionist for your special case since it is not for weight loss

I am asking myself the same questions too Lisha. I have stalled at 271 for about 9 days now 17 days post op. Seems everyone goes through various seasons of stalling and sounds like you are really making good strides with exercising and your eating. I have not been doing good maintaining calorie intake or drinking water so I only have myself to blame. As people keep telling me in this forum, this is a marathon race, not a sprint. We have to work through this process

Drink some diluted apple juice or diluted grape juice asap. Unfortunately I went through the same thing on the liquid only phase - zero energy. But the diluted juice helps You should order some electrolytes to put in your water or juice asap as well. I ordered off of Amazon but ask your daughter to get some for you. When you are dehydrated you get lethargy and exhaustion. At this early stage post op the rehydration tablets really help and keep BP stable. My BP really dropped and the doctor told me to use them I used nunn hydrating tablets. You can search amazon and order to your door or daughter can get you some equivalent

LOL you are a riot @Missouri-Lee's Summit Wise idea to leave the complaint until you are stronger. I loved that in Mexicali they encouraged you to have a surgery companion and there was a sofa for them to sleep on in your room. Do you have in a drain in one of your incisions? They had a drain in the main incision where they pulled out the stomach and removed it on day 3 after surgery. I have never been so gassy in my life! Farts and burps are a part of my new normal so I am right there with ya

Like you, I was so shocked at how starving I felt immediately after surgery. I thought hunger was supposed to be sort of non existent for months. In the liquid only stage I was very hungry. When you are able to add dairy and proteins to your liquid after 10 days it takes a little bit of edge off the hunger. When you can eat pureed foods you start to feel more satiated. But honestly, I do feel hungry all the time and I am 16 days post surgery. I made the big mistake last night of trying to eat some sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin with a tiny big of chicken (in a stew) and after about 4 bites it was serious discomfort and pain. I had to wait 1.4 hours for the pain and discomfort to go away. So even though I was craving savory flavour I have learned to wait till the prescribed time to tackle solid foods. From my very brief experience it seems as though when you move to more solid foods that is when you 1) start to feel the restriction of your stomach size 2) your hunger will start to get more satisfied

I am certainly doing something wrong. People loose at such different rates it seems from the posts I have read. I have been stalled at 271lbs for a week and wont budge. But I lost 27 lbs pre-op and post op and now stuck. Mind you I am eating more substantive foods than liquids only @moondoggie 78 lbs in just a month!!! WOW. Are you male or female? How many calories do you eat a day now?

@Missouri-Lee's Summit I am so happy to see you!!!! After all the money you paid you should be blasting your surgeons head off for not communicating your special needs to the hospital. I tell ya boy, I cannot complain about my care in Mexicali because they were really compassionate and attentive. When I asked for more morphine the 1st night they gave it without hesitation. I am so sorry for the additional stress you went through I am surprised that you are drinking protein only days after surgery? It seems that each doctor, location, gives different instructions. I was advised not to start protein until after the 10 days liquid only stage because they did not want any additional load on the sleeve. Only water based liquids and diluted juices, no dairy. I did not drink the 64 oz after surgery and STILL have not been able to reach that goal yet either so you are not the only one. Did you buy rehydration tablets to put into your drinks? Those really help a week or so post surgery when you are not hitting your liquid intake and also helps stabilize blood pressure. Ask your daughter to get you some. I would definitely put in writing your disappointment with the bad pain management with both your surgeon and the hospital. Did you pay for this or did insurance pay for it? Either way I don't blame you one bit for being upset. Who wants to deal with additional distress after surgery!!! Make noise! Sending you a big hug and congratulations on successful surgery.

@Frustr8 LOL I can ask my parents to lay my 271 lbs body over their knees and pump me ha ha ha ha The gas was slightly better today because I ate some solid food, which I am not supposed to until week 4 but forget that! I mashed it up and chewed it in my mouth till it was pulverized. 3 tiny slices of sweet potato and vegetables from a chicken stew. probably 4 oz. Was great!

I cant go swimming until 6 weeks post op. its usually 5 weeks post op but as a diabetic they said 6 weeks so the incision wounds would not be open and exposed to water. My larger incision is still open. I love to swim

@Frustr8 thanks for those tips! I will try them

its not pain, its just an uncomfortable feeling of always feeling a gas bubble has to come up, all the time. Feeling gassy all the time. Surgeon is in Mexicali and I live in Barbados

I feel like I am failing.....I am up 1 1/2 lbs today. I just don't know how people are able to stick to 800 calories...…..I echo a lot of what people feel in that I wonder why I am hungry all the time and seem to be able to eat more than I should be able to comfortably

@Brassapple You and I are the same age. 48. I don't know about you but I am in perimenopause, hopefully on the way to full menopause since my periods are so random. So you have to bear in mind that you are also experiencing hormonal changes which impact emotions. If you have not read up on pre menopause you should give it a google a few nights. Depression and feeling all of a sudden like the bottom of the world is going to drop out (doom) are some of the things some women grapple with. Additionally, as others have mentioned, you started at a lower weight than most people. The higher the weight is, the faster the initial pounds drop off but then everyone goes through stalls after that. So you can't or should not compare your rate of weight loss with others who may have been much larger than you. You are only 10 days post op and your body is still expelling the gas you were pumped up with during surgery and the fluid IV's (how long were you in hospital for?). I was in hospital for 3 days with 2 days of constant IV fluid. VSG is not abracadabra as I personally am finding out. I can drink a lot more liquid than solid food but I also realise I can still eat dark chocolate We will get out of this what we put in, literally. You have a window of 12-18 months to hit your goal which is SO DOABLE! It is really possible for you. You will do this - one day at a time

Cant wait to hear how you got through with your surgery. Saying prayers

@ivastic you look great! Can clearly see your face a lot smaller. That's the only place you can really tell on me as well. Keep it up. Its encouraging to see the progress pics

@Pearldrop Week 3 is supposed to be mushy foods, so next week. I did try soft scrambled egg last night and it was AWFUL!!! I love eggs, but to me it tasted terrible and it was so difficult to get down that I abandoned it. So I could easily see how solid foods will make us more aware of our shrunken stomach. However, I did eat a square of dark chocolate with no problems. Scary that I can eat that. I am stuck at 271 lbs for almost a week now. Good for you for getting so much water in. Geez, I can barely get 40 oz

I am cheering for you! It would be good to find a bariatric therapist who specializes in food addiction.

I relate @Godfather. As a Christian understanding that self discipline in general and especially in the area of eating is an essential part of maturing in God was part of my eye opener to reign it in and use WLS as a tool. ‘You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything.' 1 Corinthians 6:12 Here is to fighting for our liberty from being a slave to food addiction!

I am day 13 post op and have stalled at 271 for 6 days now

Hey check your messages. I sent you a private message

Did you try putting the patch directly behind your ear? How about sticking that baby on with a band aid or surgical tape? Sounds like your daughter has got you covered

All the best for your big day tomorrow. Don't forget Chapstick, oral rehydration gel (will save your life!) and if you can take an electric heating pad that really helps 48 hours out of surgery to comfort the pain in your belly. I took GasX which really helped 2nd day even though the nurses did not want me to (wanted me to walk walk walk the gas out) I am so glad I took day 2. Do you have nausea patches? I had the surgeon put one on me right out of surgery. I had NO issues with nausea and it worked great. You only NOW packing? girl you are certainly not Type A like me LOL I was packed 3 weeks in advance ha ha. I hope you got good earphones and an ipad or something to listen to some nice music or a youtube inspirational message as you wait. Hopefully you can post in a few days to let us know how you are doing