1 Week Post Op... My Experience So Far

[jetpilot 7]

I was sleeved on Tuesday March 13. After the 2 hour surgery in recovery I was in a lot of discomfort on my left side. I was taking 2MG of IV dilaudid every 4 hours. I felt good enough with the pain killers that about 5 hours after surgery I did 5 laps walking around the floor of the ICU. I had no problem doing that except that it hurt to breathe deeply on my left side. I stayed in bed and rested the remainder of the first day. I ate a cup of broth and a spoonful of Jello for both lunch and dinner. I felt no nausea and was actually hungry and it felt good to get something in my stomach. I drank about 16 ounces of Water that day in addition to the Soup. I rested comfortably that night but did not get much sleep.< /p>

The next day the pain actually felt a little worse. I was taken off the dilaudid IV and given liquid Loratab to prepare to be discharged that day. I did 10 laps around the nurses station after Breakfast. I again had the cup of broth and the spoonful of Jell-O. No issues with the walk either but still the discomfort with the deep breaths. I was discharged Wednesday after lunch to go home. My surgical drains were starting to get lighter in color. I still had experienced no nausea or discomfort of my stomach. But the drains are really uncomfortable.

Today, 8days later, I had my drains removed. I swallowed some methyl blue before drain removal which would have showed up in my drains if I had a leak. Removing the drains hurt like hell! By far the worst part of the whole experience. It's the most pain I have ever been in. I almost passed out while he was pulling them out.

I am now eating mush 7 days out and taking it well. I buy Campbell's Chunky soup and puree it in the blender. It's tastes really good. I am drinking skim milk and taking my Isopure drink. Apple Melon is pretty good. I also ate some canned tuna, I pureed some chili with Beans and I had a fried egg on top of my chili for breakfast. I am keeping fat low and carbs very low. It seems to be working as the weight is dropping off quickly.

I am having bad stomach spasms any time anything pureed hits my stomach. I hope these spasms stop soon. It's uncomfortable but not painful. Anything but liquid that goes in my stomach I get bad spasms. I am down to 358lbs from a pre pre-op diet weight of 378. I am back to my old daily routine and feeling 98%. My insulin use had dropped in 1/2 since surgery. I am off all BP meds.

[Neese 75]

I was on liquids for the first week then moved to mushy foods but they had to be very light and I had to slowly introduce things into my diet again. Maybe instead of a fried egg try a light scrambled egg. Listen to your sleeve! Maybe it's a little too much if it's spasming. Keep rocking the sleeve!

[jetpilot 7]

So you had spasms as well if you're food was too heavy? What did you eat that was pureed to prevent spasms?

[vsgm 31]

Sounds like you are progressing very well!!! Keep it up and keep drinking lots of Water and getting your walks in now that you're home! It's going to melt off so fast you won't know who you're looking at in the mirror!!! :-)

[cab0ad 3]

are the spasms like chesty pains? I got sleeved the same day as you and I get chesty pains when I swallow something to fast/too much. had it a lot the first 2 days with liquids and then it lessened but it is still there. It does these pains when I try to eat my foods (so far only yogurt/cream soups/cottage cheese) and i wonder if it is me trying to do too much too soon.

[jetpilot 7]

are the spasms like chesty pains? I got sleeved the same day as you and I get chesty pains when I swallow something to fast/too much. had it a lot the first 2 days with liquids and then it lessened but it is still there. It does these pains when I try to eat my foods (so far only yogurt/cream soups/cottage cheese) and i wonder if it is me trying to do too much too soon.

Yes... it is actually your esophagus going through spasms. It's a tightening feeling in the lower part of your esophagus. It lasts about 3 seconds each and comes after swallowing.

[cab0ad 3]

jetpilot, what causes it? i thought it was my sleeve acting up! will it stop? or will this be a continuous ongoing problem?

[jetpilot 7]

jetpilot, what causes it? i thought it was my sleeve acting up! will it stop? or will this be a continuous ongoing problem?

Everything I have read says it gets better. It seems today mine has gotten a little better. I just had a cup of Soup and I had a few spasms but not as strong and as many as during previous meals.

[Neese 75]

So you had spasms as well if you're food was too heavy? What did you eat that was pureed to prevent spasms?

Sorry for the delay in response! The heaviest thing I ate was pureed chili or pureed beef stew but without the veggies. I did eat 1 scrambled egg in the morning a Protein shake for midday then a plain nonfat yogurt for lunch then a Protein Shake then pureed beef stew or chili. If I felt as if my stomach couldn't handle the beef stew or chili Id have refried Beans (stay away if gassiness is an issue). I pretty much stuck to the same foods for fear of having stomach pains lol. Also finely chopped tuna with olive oil to moisten it went well for me. Sounds like you're doing great, keep it up!