Please Don't Tell me your Horror Story

[Stephanie Salsera Perrott 85]

Can someone please tell me your first few days/weeks post op that's realistic but not a complete horror story? lol thanks!

[AvaFern 3,516]

Except for fairly severe nausea in the hospital which I think was caused by the IV narcotics, my recovery was complication free. I was exhausted, I felt weak, and for the first two weeks I was sure I had ruined my life. I also had some residual effects from the anesthesia where my arms would randomly start tingling, which freaked me out. I was back working at my home office on day 4 after surgery and I wrote a report on Day 2 in the hospital. I was back to a full time office job in a week. I also live alone and only told my three best friends about the surgery, so I had no help at home and not a ton of emotional support, which in hindsight would have been nice.

Recovery for me was pretty straightforward. I was self-pay so I never had the seminars on how much Protein or Fluid I was supposed to drink, but I have a medical background so I knew to be careful about dehydration. I just took it one day at a time and everything worked out.

[Stephanie Salsera Perrott 85]

Except for fairly severe nausea in the hospital which I think was caused by the IV narcotics, my recovery was complication free. I was exhausted, I felt weak, and for the first two weeks I was sure I had ruined my life. I also had some residual effects from the anesthesia where my arms would randomly start tingling, which freaked me out. I was back working at my home office on day 4 after surgery and I wrote a report on Day 2 in the hospital. I was back to a full time office job in a week. I also live alone and only told my three best friends about the surgery, so I had no help at home and not a ton of emotional support, which in hindsight would have been nice.

Recovery for me was pretty straightforward. I was self-pay so I never had the seminars on how much Protein or Fluid I was supposed to drink, but I have a medical background so I knew to be careful about dehydration. I just took it one day at a time and everything worked out.

thank you so much! you are so brave! and congrats on your success!

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I was horribly nauseated and crampy for about three weeks post op. I slimed like a mo-fo, I vomited regularly, everything that was semi solid got stuck and came right back up. It turned out that I had a slight stricture, one that I chose not to have corrected, as it keeps me honest.

I was finally given meds for nausea and stomach cramping and my problems with that issue ceased immediately. I learned to eat slower, chew and measure every bit I swallowed and I also learned to position myself for a sudden "upheaval" if needed. I was on pureed foods for my first three months and it sucked.

That said? I've not regretted a single second of it all. I look and feel great and I am thrilled with my experience.

[Bluesea71 698]

I had surgery April 2014. At 5'7", my highest weight was 245 and I was 226 on the day I was sleeved. My surgeon's goal weight for me was 160 and today i am around 150-152. I started in a size 20 and I'm now in a size 6/8.

My recovery was a breeze! I didn't have one single complication after my surgery. Trapped gas pain? Nope. Acid reflux? 14 months out, never had it or a reason to ever take the prescription medications. Heart burn? Nope. Throwing up? Nope. Dumping? Nope. Aversions to food? Nope. The only "real" issues were things you really can't avoid which are hair thinning between months 3-8 BUT by one year it all grew back in. I also had a hard time with Vitamins, but found some awesome melt away kind and the problem was quickly resolved.

The first 24 hours in the hospital I was cursing the BP community for not warning me. Coming out of surgery wasn't fun as I was nauseous from the medicine. Once it was out of my system, I was fine. I didn't need much in the hospital except my cell phone, charger, long extension cord, my own pillow and toiletries.

The first 3 days at home were the hardest and after that I didn't feel like I had surgery at all. I was back at work by the end of two weeks. I could have gone back earlier (I sit for a living, it's not very active.) and honestly, I found the process harder having so much unstructured time at home and the ability to wander into the kitchen. The supplies you will need post-op are minimal. I went overboard and bought stuff I still have never used 14 months post-op (example: those sugar free Torani syrups.) Don't laugh, but one of the most handy things I found to have was Dixie paper cups. They are the perfect size to measure a few ounces of cottage cheese and other food and then you don't have to wash endless dishes! Keep in mind that everyone's process is different. The scary thing for me is I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have my stomach removed post surgery. You just feel full quicker at first after you eat. Some people get into trouble when they push their new tummies limits. I'm not sure why, but adjusting to a new lifestyle was easy for me. It's not to say it didn't have challenges. I didn't go out much to eat in public at first. Now 14 months out I can eat whatever I want. It's both a blessing and a curse. I was able to reach my goal weight within a year without issue and am now maintaining. For the first time in my life, I'm not really worried about weight gain. I love the fact that I never feel hungry. I love that I feel satisfied after a small amount of food. 14 months out I still have a great amount of restriction. I've never pushed this. I know my tummies capacity and stop eating well before then. It probably helped that I ate a pretty clean diet pre-surgery. I wasn't one to binge on Big Macs and never drank regular soda or any drinks with calories in them. Many of the "rules" this surgery requires I was already doing. Other rules I couldn't do before surgery, but after surgery it's really easy to do. For example, I had difficulty not eating/drinking at the same time before surgery. Now my tummy is so tiny that I can't drink while eating! I do still take tiny sips though! Do I follow the rules 100%? No way! I log everything into my lositapp on my phone and for me, having that accountability has been key. I pretty much eat whatever I want (in smaller quantity) BUT I find myself typically making healthy choices. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy dessert on occasion or other treat that I want. For me that's what makes this a lifestyle change vs. a diet. Good luck!

Edited May 19, 2015 by Bluesea71

[LaLa Lady 98]

I had a fairly quick and event free recovery:). I was in the hospital for 3 days due to difficulty with getting in fluids initially but once I made that transition it was fairly easy. I had only one small incision besides the belly button so I had no discomfort with these. I did sleep a lot but once I left the hospital I needed only Tylenol for discomfort. I am glad I made the decision to live the sleeved life, it has worked for me so far....no regrets. It's a learning journey and I think it's different for everyone. My advise would be go in optimistic and knowledgeable and have a good surgeon! Good luck.

[blondebomb 580]

No complications here. No nausea, No vomiting ever, hungry sensations never went away still the same , had gerd for many yrs before and had it till about several months ago. I followed my surgeon protocol still do. It took me 4 months to get my strength back. And a good 4 months to get more then 4 bites in . swelling in tummy can take 6 months to go down. My internist said it takes 6 months for tummy to heal properly it's major surgery. No Hair loss here. Wasn't problem here. It did take me a good few wks to get all my Protein in. I had already made dietary changes for me a few yrs before hand so no problem there. I am 10 months po over 100 pds down. Been in a stall the past month..no worry. I stopped my nexium few months back and doing great. I pop a rolaids a few times other then that I take liquid Biotin, B12, folic acid, my armour thyroid, liquid d3 and bw has been great. I see my surgeon the end of this month for chk in. Best thing I ever done! Not going to lie first month is brutal! It was for me. Went thru the normal stage of withdrawals. Crying spells bitchiness..my surgeon warned me but said if I can make it thru first month you have it made. He was right for me. Despite the feelings of what the heck have I done during that month and working thru the emotional part at 4 wks it all disappeared! I'd do it again! Benefits are huge! I'm the best Iv been since my 20s! I'm 52 this yr! ????

[amazon 579]

I dealt with post op nausea that bought me an extra day in the hosptial while they found something that worked. Not fun, but they took good care of me. Then during week one I developed acid reflux. Had to find the right PPI for me. Again, not fun, but it was promptly taken care of.

I wouldn't say that either was a horror story, lol. Just bumps in the road to what was really a pretty easy recovery. I was still back to work in two weeks and followed the food plan with no issues.

[MountianGirl 109]

I too was super lucky. No complications whatsoever. But that's also because I followed the surgeons and hospitals guidelines to a T. Defer to their expertise-they know better than you and have your best interests at heart.

Let me just add that even though some people do follow the instructions, they still have issues. I don't mean to slight anyone with my above thoughts. Just my experience.

Edited May 19, 2015 by MountianGirl

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

My surgery was great, and recovery was easy.

Came home the second day (afternoon) post-op.

Pain was minimal. Took pain meds only twice after I came home.

I have never even thrown up once. Not a single time.

My readjustment to food (slowly, by phase) was easy, too. Still love refried Beans and melted cheese.

My energy level came back gradually. Within a month I was pretty whippy. But a couple, three months down the road I was really whippy.

I reached my goal 8-1/2 months post-op.

Not much else to report ... except that my life has completely changed. And wonderfully in every way.

And like the previous poster, I followed the surgeon's and his team's recommendations very closely. I honestly don't understand how someone who's having WLS thinks they know better than their medical team how to succeed post-op, except to imagine that some people are f**king idiots.

[katesuccess 990]

I'm like many above - a great experience and no nasty stuff! I had some post op shoulder pain which was easily remedied with Gas-X strips and minimal pain killer use after I got home. It felt more 'weird' to imagine my guts moving in new ways as I'd bend over, etc., but literally the first day afterwards they had me able to completely bend over to pick up something off the floor--amazing! I walked the halls as often as I could, about every 90 minutes for as long as i could manage it energy-wise.

Once home that increased in length/distance immediately, but fewer walks per day. I could easily have returned to work after one week, and even had good energy by 7 days out, but chose to stay home the 2 weeks and feel at my best AND it gave me time to get used to transitioning to mushy foods. Honestly, it's been great, I've lost 110 pounds and i'm one year out. Good luck!

Oh, and Biotin started before the surgery and continued the whole first year took care of my hair thinning beautifully--it was only slight and bounced back quickly.

Kate

[so excited and so scared 4]

I was sleeved yesterday. It is really not bad. I didn't feel good while they were waking me but within half an hour to an hour I was in decent shape. A little sore today and still have a little gas. Walking and not lying flat in bed is the key. I was scared for nothing. Probably going to see a movie this evening.

[Katie K Kitt 12]

Tell your anesthesiologist you are nauseated after surgery and they should be able to give you medication to make sure you aren't. I had ZERO issues, despite barfing immediately upon waking up from every other surgery. Make sure they take care of you and you'll be just fine! It's a very minor surgery.

[RaginCajun 177]

What you see in responses to your post - should be no surprise - is that there is a wide variety of situations. Myself, I felt no restrictions or pain. Could drink easily and was put on soft foods at 1 week post op. Others have opposite situation, both personal experience and how their program transitions post-op to food stage.

What I suggest is that you consult your physician and simply say "Hey Doc, my research concludes that about 50% have no issues and the other 50% have a variety of issues. Can you offer any opinion on what my experience & recovery might be, based upon what you know about my situation and my body?".

Even then, you might get a "... we can't really predict".

The other approach is to do research on this (and the other 2) sites around how folks recover USING YOUR PHYSICIAN.

-RC-

[StephanieSalsa 0]

Well im day 4 post Op. Physically? Im fine mentally? A friggn disaster I miss my energy I miss food did I make a huge mistake? Will I ever be able to finish a bottle of Water under 8 hrs? If there was a magic wand today to erase it I would. Sorry if thats depressing. ..