whitneynlee
Member
Hello all!
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I had VSG on 11/27/2019, aka the day before Thanksgiving. I stayed super positive and upbeat right up until I went under for the surgery! This website was a partial contributor of that. The info and advice people share on here is so valuable and the people are so uplifting, it’s a God send.
Here is my story:
I started a 3-week all liquid diet (the 3 weeks was due to my high BMI) on 11/5/2019. This diet, as most of you know, was to help shrink my liver. The first week of this liquid diet, I got incredibly sick, as I was detoxing from caffeine and detoxing from food. Week 2 was much easier but I was still having stomach issues. My doctor informs me I have some lactose intolerance and that is why I’m having issues digesting the protein shakes well. (Good to know lol)
I washed with Hibiclense starting 2 days before surgery and the morning of. No issues. My surgeon also requested I drink an Ensure clear drink before surgery to help with any dehydration. Surgery goes off without a hitch. Surgeon tells my friend that was with me that due to my dedication on the liquid diet, the surgery was easy and clean.
Waking up from anesthesia was a completely different story. The nurse later informed me when I first woke up I was flailing my arms and was scared. My vitals were low (my respiration and blood pressure) so they couldn’t give me narcotics for 4 hours after surgery. 4 HOURS! I was in so so much pain. Luckily I had wonderful nursing staff willing to stay with me and comfort me. As soon as they were able to give me morphine, it was like the pain never happened. But I’ll share with you right now...I would never wish that pain on anyone. It was excurtiating and I’m sure if it was worth it. (We’ll see in a few months lol)
My doctor inserted a small catheter under the skin on my chest for an OnQ Pain Pump. It’s kind of annoying but I think it’s keeping my abdomen numb as the worst part of healing takes places (first 4-5 days).
Lastly, I want to share the mental struggle I’ve gone through. Pain can really make you think things that aren’t true. I was set to discharge on Thanksgiving Day. As I was laying in the hospital bed wearing my blood clot leg massagers, i couldn’t help but wonder if I had made the wrong decision. VSG is permanent and scary. Scary because I don’t know the future. I called my sister who had the same surgery in August and she reminded me that this surgery is for people just like me. People who have struggled their whole entire life with weight. People who have lost 100 lbs only just to gain it all back plus 20 lbs in a years time. This surgery is a tool to finally overcome the terrible weight cycle I’ve been in with myself for decades.
Overall, this process has been a good one. Surgery is never comfortable or easy but I had great hospital staff and a great surgeon. And mainly a dedication to health from myself. Hopefully this post helps those going through Pre-op testing and the liquid diet.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I had VSG on 11/27/2019, aka the day before Thanksgiving. I stayed super positive and upbeat right up until I went under for the surgery! This website was a partial contributor of that. The info and advice people share on here is so valuable and the people are so uplifting, it’s a God send.
Here is my story:
I started a 3-week all liquid diet (the 3 weeks was due to my high BMI) on 11/5/2019. This diet, as most of you know, was to help shrink my liver. The first week of this liquid diet, I got incredibly sick, as I was detoxing from caffeine and detoxing from food. Week 2 was much easier but I was still having stomach issues. My doctor informs me I have some lactose intolerance and that is why I’m having issues digesting the protein shakes well. (Good to know lol)
I washed with Hibiclense starting 2 days before surgery and the morning of. No issues. My surgeon also requested I drink an Ensure clear drink before surgery to help with any dehydration. Surgery goes off without a hitch. Surgeon tells my friend that was with me that due to my dedication on the liquid diet, the surgery was easy and clean.
Waking up from anesthesia was a completely different story. The nurse later informed me when I first woke up I was flailing my arms and was scared. My vitals were low (my respiration and blood pressure) so they couldn’t give me narcotics for 4 hours after surgery. 4 HOURS! I was in so so much pain. Luckily I had wonderful nursing staff willing to stay with me and comfort me. As soon as they were able to give me morphine, it was like the pain never happened. But I’ll share with you right now...I would never wish that pain on anyone. It was excurtiating and I’m sure if it was worth it. (We’ll see in a few months lol)
My doctor inserted a small catheter under the skin on my chest for an OnQ Pain Pump. It’s kind of annoying but I think it’s keeping my abdomen numb as the worst part of healing takes places (first 4-5 days).
Lastly, I want to share the mental struggle I’ve gone through. Pain can really make you think things that aren’t true. I was set to discharge on Thanksgiving Day. As I was laying in the hospital bed wearing my blood clot leg massagers, i couldn’t help but wonder if I had made the wrong decision. VSG is permanent and scary. Scary because I don’t know the future. I called my sister who had the same surgery in August and she reminded me that this surgery is for people just like me. People who have struggled their whole entire life with weight. People who have lost 100 lbs only just to gain it all back plus 20 lbs in a years time. This surgery is a tool to finally overcome the terrible weight cycle I’ve been in with myself for decades.
Overall, this process has been a good one. Surgery is never comfortable or easy but I had great hospital staff and a great surgeon. And mainly a dedication to health from myself. Hopefully this post helps those going through Pre-op testing and the liquid diet.
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