The Good, the Bad, but Mostly, the UGLY

[Newnay 16]

Hey all, I am preop and am one of those who really wants to know and not be surprised. When I was pregnant, I watched all the horror story videos and asked tons of questions. I am reading lots and lots about:

THE GOOD - losing weight, healthier lives, feeling younger, etc.

THE BAD - gas pains, being hungry, preop diets, postop diet, etc.

What I would LOVE to hear more about is the UGLY. And I would invite the squimish to not read further. Can folks please share the really ugly? I m aware that everyone is very different and nobody is going to have the same experiences or have the same doctor rules. I would still rather hear about all the ugly stuff rather than be surprised. Plus, just maybe, it will help with whatever I do go through to focus on some of the ugly I don't go through.

Some of the UGLY I have heard so far:

Sharts (which still makes me giggle like a 9 year old boy when I say it)

colored pee

shots to the belly to avoid clots

drinking nasty stuff

oozy incisions

naked operations

What else?

[measureofme 175]

Feeling like the Borg are trying to assimilate you as you see wires and tubes and wrappings and drains all hanging in/out/off of you...

[joatsaint 2,814]

I've forgotten much of the weeks post op, but the one think I remember was the hiccups the day after surgery. I was off the pain meds and waiting to be released. I got the hiccups for about 10 minutes and stretched the staple line in my stomach, the pain was incredible. Then to make it worse, they gave me a liquid pain med that was so disgusting I almost threw up. Even the barium I drank for the leak test didn't taste so disgusting.

The other thing I remember is having to sleep propped way up (inclined like a hospital bed) because laying flat or on my side, I could feel my stomach stretching and hurting. This only lasted for about 7 days.

7 weeks out, I am regularly waking up around 2am passing gas like a mad man. The quantity is quite impressive.

The other thing is Constipation. I only have BM's every other day because of the reduced food intake. And being mostly from Protein, it tends to bind me up.

[Shrinkingmom 218]

[sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

The Constipation is the worst and having to eat even though you are really not hungry! I literally had to go by the clock to eat. It was a huge change for me:)

[Annie B 89]

The only ugly I have had so far (11 weeks out) is gurgling (from the stomach up - but not burps - just gurgles) after drinking. It is LOUD and uncontrollable and embarrassing in groups. Small price to pay for getting healthy.

[TD41 33]

hi the thing i remeber is not being able to have a bm the first time after surgery.... extremely painful and not being able to sleep in my bed. The main incision was very tender for weeks but it got better by week 4. The head hunger is severe especially when you just want to put something in your mouth. Best of luck

TD41

[Newnay 16]

Love these. Keep me coming.

[MrsG 329]

I had to have help wiping after I went pee in the hospital the first day. I was so embarrassed but it hurt to bend/reach down even a little bit. Then I had to sit on this metal thing they slid over the toilet so I wouldnt have to squat down to pee. I wore no underwear the entire 2 days after surgery while in the hospital, they took them from me right before surgery. I had diarrhea for several days once I was released then it turned to Constipation so painful I thought I would die. Now I eat refried Beans, garbanzo Beans, any kind of beans at least once a day and no more constipation. The shots in the stomach suck! I had to do them for 2 weeks after surgery and when I was done my stomach looked like a battleground. I also have a hard lump where I gave myself the injections. It's smaller now at 7 weeks post op but I just felt for it and its about the size of a marble now. I get hiccups now when my sleeve is full and they are loud! That's my cue to stop eating and thankfully has kept me from puking. Eating now is just to fuel my body. The first 2 bites of something are awesome then it's just mechanical and refueling. In the beginning I was hungry a lot and a lot of it was probably head hunger which sucks cuz you can't do much about it. I journal a lot and it's good therapy for me. Then there are days like today I haven't been hungry all day but ya gotta eat to stay healthy....

That's been my ugly so far. Now if you were to ask me if anything has been so ugly I regret my decision to have had the surgery I would tell you no way! I've lost weight, my energy is awesome and I feel better every day!

[erp 2,016]

One word: sharts

[woman in me 307]

I get the burps when I start getting full.i have major gas but it doesn't stink at least. The first two days after surgery I dry heaved every time I took a sip of liquid. And here is my worst ugly......my stomach is a bruise big, blue, purple, and black, the size of a basketball. It doesn't hurt but it sure is ugly.

[Susmcmur 124]

The leak test was rough; you're thirsty and wiped out and it was first thing in the morning, stuff and in pain and they get you out of bed, wheel you two or three floors down and around the drafty, chilly hallways with your IV pole tethered to your side. Stand up in front of an X-ray machine and drink what seemed like at least 12oz (maybe more) of really gag-worthy thick liquid. Meanwhile, the nurses were champs and the radiologist was ever so kind, but it was no lie, bad. Good news though: no leak! And them you can drink sips of liquid which us nice because you're thirsty!

[Susie1226 138]

Sneezing. I was sleeved on 2/19/13 and sneezing last week just about did me in.

Stomach binder- your best friend until you put it on or take it off. Hurt like hell but worth that initial pain. Helped me walk and mover sound better.

Bowel movements if you are lucky enough to have them are watery. I was lucky in hat I could handle and drink all my liquids but my stool wasn't diarrhea but it wasn't solid either.

Couldn't sleep right for about a week after surgery. I slept on the recliner but throat get my neck. sleep on the bed but just was uncomfortable. Averaged about 4 hours a night. It's gotten better.

Emotional-cry for no reason. Comes and goes quickly.

Comfy clothes are key. Don't expect to put on your jeans the first week.

Gas and liquid compete for the same space. I would drink some Water and as the Water went down the gas came up. They would pass each other in my throat and create a knot and an ugly sensation.

I get a pain in my chest that lets me know I can't eat anymore. That's my full signal for now.

[abetterme4.2 268]

In the hospital, I threw up this terribly chunky blob. Several hours post op. which hurt on my new sleeve because of the muscle contraction, not for it to come up.

It was blood. Big, huge blob of blood from the stomach that had a metallic taste.

That's been it for me. Nothing else.

[missmeow 156]

Are the shots for two weeks standard for everyone?

[Bree 65]

love this thread!