Helen the Cat

I had a four hour flight from San Diego to Chicago, then another hour long flight from Chicago to Des Moines then an hour long drive to get home, when I returned from my surgery. My hubbie was with me, and he helped with the bags, but I was so tired! The walk between terminals in Chicago just about did me in. I didn't need to take my pain medication till I fell getting off my plane in Chicago. I caught my foot and stumbled and fell de-boarding the plane! I hurt then and was SO scared. Then I had this huge long walk from the end of one terminal to the end of another terminal. After walking about 20 minutes, I finally stopped at a boarding gate and asked it I could get a wheel chair. It was SO far from the end of one terminal to the end of another terminal, and I just couldn't do it, especially after the fall. So, I think it is a great idea to pre-arrange for a wheel chair. (Chicago O'Hare is an old airport, with no moving sidewalks or trams, it is all hoofing it baby!) We did stay over in San Diego for two days after the surgery. My hubbie was concered about me flying home, and had so many concerns about surgical complications, that he wanted me to be close to my surgeon if needed for the first couple of days. Because my hubbie is a big guy, (and so was I at the time) we got two aisle seats, across from each other, so that we weren't crowded on the return flight. On a typical flight, I would sit in the middle seat, he would sit either on the aisle or window seat, and depending who was the third person in our row, I was crowded with both him and the person on my other side "leaning" over into my seat area, so I am typically crowded when we fly. I told him I didn't want to do that when I flew home from the surgery. So we sat across the aisle from each other and were very comfortable. Now, however, I am NEVER going to be crowded again, since I am a new, smaller self!!! Happy Dance!!!

I too fought fatigue for the first few weeks. I only took ten days off work after my surgery, and I was SO tired for weeks. I work nights (7:00 PM to 7:30 AM) and it just about killed me. I was SO Bone tired! I blamed part of my fatigue on the anesthesia. I had a laprascopic surgery about 18 months ago for a hernia repair, and I experienced the same fatigue after that surgery. So I really think the anesthesia plays a part in the fatigue problem. I was getting REALLY depressed over it, and then about 4 weeks post op I started to experience nausea also! I started to have REAL buyer's remorse about the whole surgery thing. BUT, I decided that all things will pass, and started in making a concerted effort to get my water in, get all my protein in, and sleep at least 8-9 hours per day. And slowly the nausea, the fatigue and all the other symptoms I was worried about have passed. I am now 10 weeks out, and have to say that I mostly feel great! The fatigue is pretty much a thing of the past. The nausea is gone, and I feel great most of the time. Hang in there! It all gets better with time!

Dear Mythreechildren2001, I know exactly where you are coming from! I too have struggled with my weight for my entire 62 years! I have probably lost and re-gained close to a ton of weight! (I'm not kidding, I have lost and regained anywhere from 75 to 80 pounds 17 or 18 times! [That's how many times I joined Weight Watchers!]) I have NEVER been able to make it to my goal weight, I have NEVER been able to maintain my weight loss! I always gained back everything I lost and then a couple more pounds for good measure. I finally gave up and just ate what I wanted, since I tended to do that anyway, and gained more! I thought I would never be a "normal" size, and had given up on every feeling good again, ever participating socially in life, ever being able to do the things that I wanted to do! My cousin is a bariatric surgeon and he suggested the VGS to me. (He himself had bariatric surgery and has maintained his weight loss for over 10 years now. He looks great!) Since my insurance wouldn't pay a penny towards the surgery, I cashed in my retirement 401K and paid for it myself. And then when I hit a stall shortly after the surgery, I thought to myself, "I have spend all my retirement money, and it's not working! Now I will have to work the rest of my life AND be fat to boot!" Talk about depressed. And everytime I hit a stall I tend to think those thoughts again. BUT, today made me SO happy! I have been in a stall for about two weeks, gain a pound, loose a pound. Next day same thing. Day after no change, after two weeks I was getting pretty discouraged! Today I got on the scale and (DRUM ROLL Please!) I had lost three pounds! I can't see that it makes a difference if I exercise or not, if I eat right or not, or whatever; my body holds onto the weight till it is ready to loose it! (That is NOT to say that I am not trying to eat right and exercise wisely!!!) But three pounds overnight really restored my faith in my sleeve!!! So try not to get discouraged. BELIEVE in your Sleeve! It works!

Wow! For weeks now I have been writing about how none of my clothes seem big on me, in spite of the fact that my scale has shown a loss. I knew my boobs had disappeared, and my rings were big on my fingers, but other than that, nothing. Well, I finally decided that my shorts were getting too big. (If I didn't wear a belt, they would fall down!) So yesterday I put on the ONE pair of shorts that still fit me and went out to look for a couple new pair. (The ones that I was wearing were size 3X, but they were knit shorts, so they tended to shrink in the dryer, and then stretch out again when I wore them.) I started with a size 22. Too big. A size 20, still to big, they slid down my leg when I tried to walk and would have slid completely off! Size 18, I could pull them down without unbuttoning them! Size 16, OMG, they FIT!!!! I was SO excited, I bought three pair! Woo Hoo!! Happy Dance! Hurray!!! Nothing feels as good as a size 16! (Well maybe a 14 will eventually!)

I am SO bummed out! I am 5 weeks post op, and thought by now I would be feeling GREAT! I have been fighting a battle with Big Time Fatigue ever since the surgery, and now on top of that, I am Nauseated. It just sort of comes and goes. It has been three days now that the persistent nausea has been with me. I will think, "Well now, I feel better." And then I will take a sip of something and the nausea is back. It is so hard to go to work and act like I am OK. I know every one at work knows that I don't feel well. They are all so great, but I want to pull my weight and do my part. I hate having everyone feeling sorry for me all the time!!! And it worries me that at five weeks post op, I am still having problems. I wish I could confide in my husband, but he was opposed to me doing this, and I am afraid he will say "I told you so." Any body out there have any ideas? I am barely getting 200 calories a day down, cause everything tastes funny or makes me feel more nauseaus. And to top it all off, I seem to have hit a weight loss stall. I have weighted the exact same now for 10 days! I hate to say I have buyer's remorse, but I am still mourining the loss of my ability to eat whatever I want, when ever I want in whatever quantities I want, and now I find I can hardly eat at all! Any ideas?

I guess the light at the end of the tunnel is what I am wanting to see! For the first four weeks after surgery, I was tired, but knew that was to be expected. But I thought by now I would feel MUCH better. So when the nausea thing started "right out of the blue", I was REALLY laid low by it. Every day, up until the nausea started, I felt a little bit better. And then all of a sudden, I feel like TOTALLY CRAPPY! Today is better. I tried to rest and sleep a lot yesterday, and I concentrated on drinking Water. I sipped on it all day and got almost all of my 64 ounces in. I also managed to eat some salmon last night for dinner, so at least I did something in the protein column! Today I sipped on water all day (again) and managed some tuna with a little mayo and some tomatoes out of my garden chopped up really fine on crackers. So again, I did get some protein in. The only Protein Drink that I have been able to get down is a smoothie type drink that i get at Target called Boathouse Farms Perfectly Protein. It is in the produce section in the refrigerator case. It is pricey, but at least I can drink it! I have tried 4 or 5 Protein powder drinks, and I can't get them down at all! I drank 12 ounces of the Chai Tea Latte from Boathouse Farms (45 minutes) after I ate my lunch this noon. I think there are 16 Grams of protein in 8 ounces of the Boathouse drink, so I got 20 grams of protein there. Will have it tonight also, so will get close to my 60 grams of protein for the day in. Like I said, I think I was just really discouraged yesterday, since this nausea thing has hit me so hard, and so sudden, after doing so well!

I am five weeks post-op, and still trying to get over the bone weary fatigue I have had ever since the surgery. I sort of blame the anesthesia. I had another laprascopic surgery 18 months ago, and it took me over a month to get over being so tired and worn out! I only took 15 days off work after my sleeve procedure, and went back to a VERY physical job, and every day it is a struggle to get up, shower, dress and go to work. All I do when I am at home is sleep. I work 12 hour shifts, and every night before I go to work (I work 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM) I have to give myself a little pep talk and say "It will be better when you get to work! You WILL feel better once you get to work and get going! You WILL be fine!" But I am still tired and worn out. I do thnk it is getting better though. Unfortunately, now I am fighting feeling nauseated. Just out of the blue, the last 3 or 4 days, I have started to feel nauseated, especially when I try to eat. I do OK with liquids most of the time, but a bite of solid food, and the nausea is right there, making me feel like I am going to loose everything in my new little stomach! I have been trying to "ride this out", but am seriously considering going to see my personal care physician tomorrow, so see if I can get something for the nausea. But take heart, I REALLY believe that Time heals most things, and I Have to believe that the fatigue and the nausea will be gone one of these days soon! You are in my prayers! KathyD49

I noticed it within two weeks. BUT I notice I STILL have hot flashes (at 62!) and then get cold again. VERY frustrating! KathyD49