B. C
1 year Surgi-versary!
Mar 03, 2008
I am down 100 lbs since surgery, but a total of 120 lbs since I began this whole process.
I am a single mom, with four kids, and I did this ON MY OWN!
You can do it too!!!
I am here to chat with anyone that wants to ask questions, I just don't have a lot of extra time to post on the messageboard every day.
Keep your chin up, you can do it.
The sleeve is amazing.
Just wait until someone refers to you as "thin". It's pretty funny to look behind you and see who they are talking too!!! Then when the comments come about getting too thin, when are you going to stop losing weight...it feels like you've died and gone to heaven!
One thing I will caution you about....when I was heavy I never thought of myself as being that big until I saw pictures. Now that I am at a normal weight, I think I am much bigger until I see myself in pictures! I guess it takes a while for the brain to keep up with the body.
Good luck, hugs to you all!
I am a single mom, with four kids, and I did this ON MY OWN!
You can do it too!!!
I am here to chat with anyone that wants to ask questions, I just don't have a lot of extra time to post on the messageboard every day.
Keep your chin up, you can do it.
The sleeve is amazing.
Just wait until someone refers to you as "thin". It's pretty funny to look behind you and see who they are talking too!!! Then when the comments come about getting too thin, when are you going to stop losing weight...it feels like you've died and gone to heaven!
One thing I will caution you about....when I was heavy I never thought of myself as being that big until I saw pictures. Now that I am at a normal weight, I think I am much bigger until I see myself in pictures! I guess it takes a while for the brain to keep up with the body.
Good luck, hugs to you all!
Surgery Experience
Mar 12, 2007
I checked into the hospital, and they started an IV, gave me a shot of heparin (it's blood thinner--they gave it to me in the arm--do NOT let them do that! it hurt so bad), then they ran two bags of IV fluids through me, wide open. I was given a nebulizer treatment to open my lungs. The also put a anti-nausea patch behind my left ear.
The anesthesiologist came into pre-op and talked to me a little bit, asked about any side affects and I told him I do have a problem with nausea. I was wheeled into the operating room and the next thing I remember........I was in post-op.
Unfortunately, I had to stay in post-op for several hours (longer than I should have) because they did not have a bed available. I don't remember being in much pain, just discomfort. I was VERY nauseated and actually dry-heaved several times. The nurses kept telling me not to throw up, because it would hurt my new tummy. I could not help it, it was pretty overwhelming. That and the cotton mouth feeling and just a really bad taste in your mouth.
I finally got into my room and my family came to visit me. I remember pushing the pain pump several times, but I don't think it was because I was in real pain, just discomfort again. I could hear what was going on around me, but for the life of me I could not keep my eyes open! Mouth was sooooo dry, nasty taste, I felt very nauseated all that night and of course nothing to drink. They were giving me nausea meds in my IV. I had a catheter and a JP drain in my stomach also. I had surgery that morning at 7:30, and by about 6:00 that night, they were having me get up to walk. Not much pain.
The next morning, I was still slightly nauseated, but a little better. About mid-morning, I went for my swallow test. They took me to radiology and took an x-ray. Then I stood in front of this machine and had to take sips of barium liquid. They watch on a monitor as you swallow the liquid, it flows down into your little pouch, and sits there a minute and they watch to make sure there are no leaks, then it empties into your intestines. It was very interesting. Great news, there were no leaks. I got back to my room and started on ice chips and they were SO GOOD. I would say this is a really good thing to start out on. You can't get too much liquid in at one time, you can suck on the ice chips and they make your mouth feel so good. I had several cups of ice, and drank a Profect protien drink. The surgeon came in to see me and I asked him if everything went ok, he said the surgery went just fine, no problems at all. He said he was very pleased. I had one incision in my belly button, one up high, two on the left side, one on the right side, and the incision for the drain. I asked the doctor if I could go home and he said the only reason I should consider staying over was to manage the nausea with the meds. So I stayed the night, walked often, chewed on my ice chips and a little SF jello. A little water, and another protein drink.
The next morning I felt MUCH better. Nausea all but gone. I went home around lunch time.
I am at home now. No pain medicine at ALL. I slept in my own bed the first night. I even slept on my stomach last night! The only thing I feel is WEAK....If I get up too fast I almost pass out. So just know you will be very weak. It is so hard to get all the liquids in (just like everyone says!)
The anesthesiologist came into pre-op and talked to me a little bit, asked about any side affects and I told him I do have a problem with nausea. I was wheeled into the operating room and the next thing I remember........I was in post-op.
Unfortunately, I had to stay in post-op for several hours (longer than I should have) because they did not have a bed available. I don't remember being in much pain, just discomfort. I was VERY nauseated and actually dry-heaved several times. The nurses kept telling me not to throw up, because it would hurt my new tummy. I could not help it, it was pretty overwhelming. That and the cotton mouth feeling and just a really bad taste in your mouth.
I finally got into my room and my family came to visit me. I remember pushing the pain pump several times, but I don't think it was because I was in real pain, just discomfort again. I could hear what was going on around me, but for the life of me I could not keep my eyes open! Mouth was sooooo dry, nasty taste, I felt very nauseated all that night and of course nothing to drink. They were giving me nausea meds in my IV. I had a catheter and a JP drain in my stomach also. I had surgery that morning at 7:30, and by about 6:00 that night, they were having me get up to walk. Not much pain.
The next morning, I was still slightly nauseated, but a little better. About mid-morning, I went for my swallow test. They took me to radiology and took an x-ray. Then I stood in front of this machine and had to take sips of barium liquid. They watch on a monitor as you swallow the liquid, it flows down into your little pouch, and sits there a minute and they watch to make sure there are no leaks, then it empties into your intestines. It was very interesting. Great news, there were no leaks. I got back to my room and started on ice chips and they were SO GOOD. I would say this is a really good thing to start out on. You can't get too much liquid in at one time, you can suck on the ice chips and they make your mouth feel so good. I had several cups of ice, and drank a Profect protien drink. The surgeon came in to see me and I asked him if everything went ok, he said the surgery went just fine, no problems at all. He said he was very pleased. I had one incision in my belly button, one up high, two on the left side, one on the right side, and the incision for the drain. I asked the doctor if I could go home and he said the only reason I should consider staying over was to manage the nausea with the meds. So I stayed the night, walked often, chewed on my ice chips and a little SF jello. A little water, and another protein drink.
The next morning I felt MUCH better. Nausea all but gone. I went home around lunch time.
I am at home now. No pain medicine at ALL. I slept in my own bed the first night. I even slept on my stomach last night! The only thing I feel is WEAK....If I get up too fast I almost pass out. So just know you will be very weak. It is so hard to get all the liquids in (just like everyone says!)
