Things I didn't expect my first month post-op

[Dub 9,922]

Well i'm only on my 3rd day since surgery. The things that have surprised me:

*how easy it would be to have only thin Protein shakes and Water. It is very easy for me to follow the program when I consider for a moment that most of my stomach is gone.....and there is a large sutured perimeter. Only an idiot would do something to jeopardize their safety. Strict adherence to my surgeon's specific instructions is very, very easy.

*Very minimal pain-discomfort from the sleeve itself. The lack of pain there is much appreciated. The only pain I'm really having is from the abdominal hernia he repaired at the same time. That is with 9 new holes in my abdomen. Amazing.

*How sore my whole body feels. I don't equate this with pain......just general body soreness in legs, hips, arms and etc. I'm having no problem getting 120+ oz of Water down every day to combat against dehydration.

*That I'd be grateful for no BM. Seriously grateful. I do not want anything that causes internal pressure against the muscle stitches on the hernia repair. I was advised to take Milk of Magnesia after a couple days if Constipation persisted. No worries.

*I thought I'd be craving all sorts of stuff after doing the pre-op liquid diet. I couldn't care less about all the HD TV commercials for restaurants......my family eating some of my favorites around me......etc No bother. Live and let live. Zero cravings. I simply want to stay strict on the program.

*How comfortable I'd be in the recliner. It's been extremely comfortable and supportive. Very tall arms and seat that make it easier to stand up from. Best money I've ever spent on furniture.

*How intuitive my dogs have been. They know something isn't right about my abdomen and are giving it a wide berth.

*How powerful a tool unjury chicken Soup flavored Protein powder would be during the pre-op diet. It was a nice hot break from the shakes. I highly recommend it. I"m hoping that my surgeon will approve my using it after Monday's visit.

*The fact that I weighed in this morning, 3 days after surgery......and weighted 6 pounds more was funny. I'd been warned, but it still make me laugh. Reason I find it funny is that I've been in ketosis and under seriously daily calorie deficit for 16 days. It's going to be cool how much it will actually read once things stabilize.

*How easy it is to just chew my meds. None of them taste great, but seriously....just chew them and swallow down with a sip of water. It's over in a couple seconds. Not something to whine about....just get it done an move on.

*How amazingly wonderful my shower was going to feel this morning. I tried not to hit the jets directly on my 9 holes......but I let them pulverize my back, shoulders and other parts as hot as I could stand it for as long as I could stand it. It was a outstanding.

*How much better the ride home from the hospital was in an SUV vs my wife's Maxima. Not having to bend way down was very nice.

*The lack of any complication has been very much appreciated.

[Dajones 46]

I'm one year and one week post-op and I'm down actually below my goal weight. One of the things I was surprised by was the vomiting the night after the morning surgery. The surgeon told me about it but I didn't think it would be that bad. It was like throwing up black tar. The stuff they make you drink for the leak test tasted like unsweetened lemonade with soap in it. Wasn't expecting that either. Had trouble peeing for two days after surgery. They said it was "anesthesia bladder" and it did get better the third day.

Without a doubt, I would do it all over again and wished I'd done it 10 years ago. Best decision I've ever made. I have people I've known for 25 years walk right by me in the grocery store because they don't recognize me now. I've done all of my follow-up visits and all my bloodwork and tests have come back 100% great!

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@Dub - great report a couple of notes...

1) They pump you with so much IV Fluid that you do gain that much weight. This too shall pass as the body heals

2) The general ache is the same thing you feel after being stabbed 9 times and having some of your guts cut (not that I'm bitter about that (one of Noriaga's thugs got a blade under my protective vest during the invasion of Panama, but he's met his maker and I have not, so I'm not bitter).

3) When you start losing weight, start taking as cool a shower as you can, stay out of the hot tub and tanning beds, and moisturize (thank you metrosexuals for getting those products on the Walgreens shelves). You want the shrinking skin as happy as possible.

4) Good doggie.

Enjoy the ride. Let me know when you start wanting to watch chick flicks...the hormone dump can be really wild.

[Dub 9,922]

@@Dub - great report a couple of notes...

1) They pump you with so much IV Fluid that you do gain that much weight. This too shall pass as the body heals

2) The general ache is the same thing you feel after being stabbed 9 times and having some of your guts cut (not that I'm bitter about that (one of Noriaga's thugs got a blade under my protective vest during the invasion of Panama, but he's met his maker and I have not, so I'm not bitter).

3) When you start losing weight, start taking as cool a shower as you can, stay out of the hot tub and tanning beds, and moisturize (thank you metrosexuals for getting those products on the Walgreens shelves). You want the shrinking skin as happy as possible.

4) Good doggie.

Enjoy the ride. Let me know when you start wanting to watch chick flicks...the hormone dump can be really wild.

Dangitman!!!!!

Very glad things turned out in your favor, sir.

Thank you for you service.

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering about how to best approach the skin.

[ThisWeightHasGottaGO! 33]

I had VSG surgery on 9/29/15 so I am only 2 few weeks out and I am super surprised at many things so far:

1. How QUICKLY I bounced back after surgery. Within hours of surgery while in the hospital, I was walking around, getting up to go to the bathroom on my own and I had very little to no pain. Even after being discharged the next day, I never had to take any pain medications. I was expecting the pain to be a lot worse! I went back to work after taking only a week off because I felt great!

2. How easily I forget to eat - I read that feeling hungry goes away after VSG but it still caught me off guard. I do not ever feel hungry or know what I am supposed to be watching out for so I had to start keeping a food diary to track when I am eating.

3. How quickly I was able to transition from liquid stage to full liquid stage to soft/pureed food stage

4. How amazing it feels to wake up without swollen ankles, sore joints and feeling puffy everywhere

5. How LOUD my stomach can grumble and gurgle - quite embarrassing during a meeting! It sounds like a dinosaur!

[Frodo's Mom 23]

Thanks for this valuable insight! I'm 2 days post op and feeling great!

[Terra B 53]

I find myself adding more to the topic each day lol,

-a new one I've discovered now is that I can swallow pills that have been cut in half, a week post-op. My Syrup was getting low, so I tried it out of desperation, no issues at all!

-the broth from el pollo loco's tortilla Soup will change your life! The family had chicken for dinner and I tried this so I didn't feel completely left out...best decision I've made all week!

-that I can tolerate dairy! Tried a tablespoon of cottage cheese, and sprinkles of the cojita cheese in my soup earlier, no issues at all!

-that this would be so mentally challenging! I have cried so many times these week, either from pain, weakness, frustration that I had to force myself to eat when I wasn't hungry, discomfort, etc. I see why they require the psych evaluation, this is not for the weak at heart, by any means.

-funny finding, that my nipple piercings would close up so fast! I had to take them out at the hospital before surgery, by the time I was released, my piercings were completely closed. I refuse to piece them again, as I just did it for my 30tg bday in April, and that crap hurt like no other! (Hey, this is gonna help somebody lol, don't judge me lol)

-I still can't poop! Wtf, never thought I'd be looking forward to pooping so bad...this is BS man!

As you can see, I'm also getting a tad crazier by the day lol. This thing is like being baptized! Once I came from that table, I was born again, and my whole lifestyle changed instantly even when I'm still confused about what exactly I signed up for, and learning more and more each day.

So by all means, keep adding....add multiple posts as you discover new things....somebody is learning from this, I'm absolutely one of them ❤

I had mine pierced when I was 30 too. I took them out a few years ago tho.

[Terra B 53]

- that my family would be pigging out so much! My mom baked a freaking cake the first day I came home! Stating it was for her bday because she was gonna stop pigging out as of this week, mind you her bday is 9/25! Then when that cake was gone, she bought a pound cake and ice cream from the store! She had el pollo loco (fast food) twice since I've been home, and purchased my fav vanilla Wafer Cookies from trader joe's! Then she asked me to pick up a dozen donuts for her this morning...yup, that really happened and I did it, just to prove to myself I can do it! But the freaking icing on the cake...she asked me or she can use MY CAR to go have Thai food at a restaurant tonight, and the whole fam went without me...I can't stand any of them right now lol its not even so much about the food, it's the lack of support. Then I realized my relationship with my mom and brother revolves around food...how are we gonna maintain this now??

I get this can be frustrating and irritating, but try not to perceive it as lack of support. Having a weight loss surgery is a huge step which changes your entire life, but your family didn't have the surgery - you did. It's great to have friends and family members who understand how hard this process is and who are willing to change their lifestyle with you, but I don't think that's the usual case.

Maybe you should just ask your family to be slightly more sensitive and understanding - explain them how you feel. Tell them you need your own kitchen cupboard and fridge shelf so you're not tempted by unhealthy meals they bring into the house. Tell them if they want to buy fast food or sweets, you would like them to pick it up themselves. When I used to diet (I was still living with my parents back then), I knew one way to make them eat healthier food was to cook it myself for all of us. That way I limited the number of temptations around me.

And most importantly, come up with some ideas for family activities that don't involve food, so you can all enjoy it and you don't feel left out. Unfortunately food is a huge part of social and family life, but it's not the only one - if you can't make them give up eating during your family time, meet them half way and get them do something where food is just one of the many things to enjoy. That way you can focus on other aspects and stiil have a great time.

The thing is, I have my own place! I stayed here because my mom insisted I stay here, because I live up two flights of stairs and my daughter's school is closer to my mom's house. I just assumed by her offering for me to stay here for my recovery that she would try to make this environment as conducive to my needs as possible, but I know you are right! That was unfair for me to expect that, but at the very least I didn't expect her to be asking me to pick things up or use my brand new car to go places to eat when she has a car of her own. It's like they are actually benefitting from me being down, so they can use my car to run around town and eat, and with me being off work I can pick up more crap for her! Maybe I'm being too sensitive lol, I know I'm a brat at times. Also, I'm very independent so being away from mg own home is already hard as it is, I think this just means I need to get better ASAP so I can go to my own comfort zone.

I don't think your too sensitive! While they may not change their lifestyle, they could at least while you are staying there be more cautious of what they eat in front of you. They should be at least somewhat supportive of your choice to get healthy.

Hang in there. I think once you are home, you will feel better.

[seaux_beautiful_vsg 63]

I didn't expect the weird noises that would constantly come from my throat and chest from anything I ate or drank. I guess they're just air bubbles, but it can be so embarrassing when they happen in a quiet classroom.. People say if I could make myself burp it might help, but I can't figure it out!

I was off pain meds after a week. But the pain near my bellybutton (the strange pulling feeling) didn't go away for another week or so after that. I missed sleeping on my stomach beyond anything else and pushed myself a bit just to be able to do it when I was still pretty sore

This has been something I've dealt with also... and Oh how I missed sleeping on my stomach. Finally at 5 weeks post op I am able to do so comfortably. That pulling feeling lasted up until last week for me and I was so glad when it went away. It wasn't really painful as much as it was irritating.

I did not expect to not be able, like so many other's, to swallow a pill. I tried to take a tylenol and my body said "NOPE" threw up as soon as it touched my tongue. That definitely caught me off guard.

Other things I did not expect:

At five weeks out becoming nauseous with everything I ate, regardless of what it was. I had to call my doc and they said just cut back for a week and then try again.

Maybe I've been moving too fast. I don't drink coffee so the caffeine wasn't a big for me but Oh how I'd love to have a PEPSI.

I also did not expect to want something with sugar in it so badly.

Or how hard it would be to find a 100% fruit juice that wasn't full of sugar.

Or a fruit cup that wasn't only in Syrup.

Slowly but surely I'm figuring these things out though.

Best of luck to you.

[Nibbler 71]

9 days out for me:

How brain dead I would be...dont ask me to add 5 + 2

How much I would miss sleeping on my side

The pain is much worse than I expected (sleeve, gallbladder removal and hernia repair)

How much my kitty would understand and be so gentle with me

How little i miss caffeine

Its past midnight why can I not sleep even after pain meds.

[bewell 222]

My first 30 days---

That Water would taste so weird.

I wasn't hungry at all.

That everything smelled weird and I was very sensitive to smells.

That I could live on 600-899 calories and be full!

When I ate my first scrambled egg I was full for hours.

I vomited a lot----after taking a Vitamin pill. Once while brushing my teeth.

I vomited if I ate too fast or too much and I WAS really eating SLOW and not much. Honest.

At 9 months

I can guzzle Water but not until 2+ hours after I eat.

I get hungry now but still can't eat much. Some cravings returned but still not interested in sweets.

One scrambled egg still keeps me full for hours.

I still vomit if I eat too much or too fast. Sometimes it's just one bite to much.

I LOVE a fresh pear or apple-truly Devine. Better than any sweet desert ever tasted.

I'm off all meds and have lots of energy and love to move.

My words to the newbies---the honeymoon will be over and for most of us, our hunger returns to some degree and we can eat more. Enjoy it while you can. Establish your healthy eating habits now, before your hunger and cravings returns. AND yes, we can gain it all back. Some do.

[tink401 110]

I am almost 3 months out from having the sleeve. The strange embarrassing noises from the throat happen to me too. I think I figured it out that it seems to happen only if I eat too fast. Burping definitely makes it stop but it can be really hard to burp. Other things that surprised me were

how good I felt after. I was tired but not in any pain.

how hard it was and still is to get all my Water in. I struggle to get in 32oz!

how I used to hate water. All I drank was crystal light and now I like water and cant drink crystal light at all because it tastes way too sweet.

the last and best thing is how I dont crave any of the bad foods like pizza, Chinese food, and sweets. I thought I would feel sad and deprived not to be able to eat these things if others around me were enjoying them but I dont at all! I have no desire to want to eat these foods that I used to love. My family ate Chinese food the other night and I actually had to go in the other room because the smell was making me feel sick! I used to LOVE Chinese food!

[Jeaninew 0]

I was sleeved 8/12. I'm surprised by how much I have to go to the bathroom (pee, poop, whatever) and how much gas I still seem to have. It seems Bobzilla (that's what I named my sleeve), is constantly grumbling over something - which can be embarassing in a closed quarter mid-day meeting. I also feel thirsty almost all the time but I'm constantly trying to drink. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how much weight I've lost in the first month. I had a lap-band before being sleeved and my doctor considers me a light-weight and I read from multiple sources that I should expect to lose weight much slower than a 'virgin sleeve', but based on what I'm seeing here, I am right on track. This week, I have struggled with actually eating at all - so I have had days at work with back to back to back meetings and I literally have not time to eat but it hasn't bothered me.

Can I ask why you decided to do the sleeve after lap-band? I've had problems with my band and am considering the sleeve. Do you know what the long term results are for sleeve after banding?

[Radar 204]

Here's the latest entry for my Gastric Sleeve Video Blog. It's my 1 month surgeversary so I am sharing my results.

[thisfathasgot2go 235]

I did not expect to have my period twice in this first month of GSV. Period 1 started on 10/6, sleeved 10/7 and Period 2 started 10/28. I have not been on a 22 day cycle before. But when I did some research on the site, I read about hormones going crazy and affecting periods.

I did not expect this!