Post op..Worst part for you?

[believexrebecca]

I'm just wondering throughout the whole surgery recovery and post op, what was the worst part for you?

[christine53]

not paying attention to my new belly, it will tell you when you have been bad

[puplover24]

Pre-op the hardest was the liquid diet- it's a b*tch but worth it.
In hospital- no problems- i had an excellent team
Post op- realizing my mind was tricking me into being hungry & remembering I couldn't gulp water or any liquids because it HURTS.. also was nauseous.

[Melissa222]

The weeks I wouldnt lose any weight were the worst for me, It got me soo upset but evetually Id start losing again and now I know stalls will happen and the weight will come off as long as i'm doing what I should be doing.

[ximmia]

I had quite a bit of nausea post op, that was by far the worst. It's also a challenge learning just how much you (can't) eat. Right at the moment you start to feel full - that's the time to stop because you've still got food in your esophogus. Good luck; it's TOTALLY worth it.

[steve392]

the pain while in the hospital any time i moved was unbearable. the nurses didn't help me try and get up to get into a wheelchair and i felt like i ripped open my insides. after i got home the pain meds worked wonders but getting up still hurt. trying to sleep sucked as i could only lay on my back for the first week. eventually i was able to slowly go onto my left side only with the aid of a pillow under my stomach to support it. if i didn't the weight of the stomach would cause alot of pain and discomfort. I read alot of people had pain drinking water, i never experienced that. Oh but if you sneeze it hurts, cough it hurts. I eventually learned to apply pressure with my right hand against the largest incision to in a way counter act the pressure.

[megameter]

I was sleeved just a few days ago and I would say that the worst part was waking up from the general anesthesia. The pain will be bad and the pain meds I was given that first day just didn't cut it. I had a good team (most of the nurses in my wing actually had either bypass or sleeve themselves) and they were quick to tell you that the first night is the worst because you can't get the really effective meds until the leak test (i guess it doesn't come in a way that can be given by IV).

They were right, the first night wasn't fun but bright and early the next morning I had my leak test and the nurses were waiting with the good stuff in my room so that the second (the very second) they got the go ahead that I had passed I got the better meds, which made all the difference.

[niamh]

I had nausea and dry-retching the first 24 hours or so; it was a bit painful but mostly I just felt worried about how it would affect my new tummy to be convulsing. I also had pain in the largest incision due to the internal stitch in the muscle that my surgeon puts in (not all surgeons put it in). Meant momentary strong tearing pain on transition/twisting for a few weeks - difficult to get out of the bath, out of bed, etc for a few weeks. Then the last thing that was a bit tough was just getting bored while waiting to move through the food stages.

Overall, none of these was anything that made me ever regret the surgery, or stop me from recovering an progressing very well. Small bananas compared to all the positives - and all bearable because they were just part of the choice that I knew I had made for myself. Annoying but tolerable.

[Its_Me]

probably just the inconvenience of the drain, and being on protein shakes for 3 weeks, nothing that I dont regret and would do it again

[bikrchk]

The worst part was the first 10 hours after... Waking from anesthesia, and the pain thereafter. They kept giving me hydrocodone by mouth, (which I was wearing an allergy band to prevent)! It came back up every time. NOT fun. pretty much the whole surgery day was a blur. I got lucid about 10PM and got my first laps in.

Then there was my room mate who wanted the room at 85% had 4 visitors munching hamburgers at 10pm at night, and watched Golden Girls till 3am with no headphones until I complained and they were offered by a nurse. They had me in an anti-bed sore bed that I swear was POSSESSED. Just about the time you get comfy, one butt cheek drops an inch! By the next morning, I decided I was better off cold turkey off pain meds and started doing laps. pain was MUCH better with the movement! They said I looked so good they released me a day early, Thank God! Recovery has been a piece of cake so far! Now if I can just get them to release me to go back to work it'll all be good!

[rissa1224]

The annoying part for me was the gas pain in my shoulders. . . and for 2 months or so after I was COLD at night time LOL.