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4 days away from my long awaited surgery!

A

ayeager

Member
Hello everyone, my name is Addi and I am FINALLY having weight loss surgery after about 3 years of trying to get my insurance to cover it!! I have read almost every single article about life after surgery, new diet, and everything in between. I have no one to talk to about this because most of my friends are at a healthy weight, as are my parents. I stumbled across this page and saw how supportive everyone was and knew I needed to register an account in hopes to get some of the same response. I would love some real life advice following the couple weeks after having the gastric sleeve as far as pain level, sleeping, mental health and anything you wished you would have known. Thank you all so much for being so supportive and easy to talk to about this. Even to make this post is crazy for me because I have been silent about my struggles and my decision to go through with WLS. Hope everyone has a great day!! :):)
 
Hi Addi,

Congratulations on making it to your big day! As far as the things you mentioned after surgery. First and foremost, follow the advice given by your surgeon and bariatric team. Keep your post-op food information close at hand and refer to it often.

Everyone has slightly different experiences. If you've had an open abdomen surgery before, you will probably find the pain from this laparoscopic procedure pretty mild in comparison. If you've never had surgery in the abdomen, then you may feel like it is pretty painful for a couple of days. My pain reduced every single day and was pretty much gone after a week, with maybe some occasional low-grade pain, and it was completely gone at the two-week mark. The advice I got was to walk as much as possible, and I do believe that helped a great deal. I was walking a mile a day by the end of the first week and 2 miles at the end of the second. You don't have to do that, but I started out just doing small loops in my driveway and then started extending it out down the road. Get recommendations from your bariatric team.

Some people have trouble sleeping. I found it more comfortable to sleep in a recliner for the first week because it was uncomfortable for me lying flat on a bed, and getting up and down out of the bed was more painful than my recliner. I would sleep with a pillow over my abdomen in case I coughed or laughed or sneezed (and also protect it from my cats who could jump on me at any moment). It helped a bit to hold that pillow in tight when one of those things happened to reduce some of the pain. For gas pain (from the CO2 they use to expand your abdomen), the nurses at the hospital recommended a heating pad across the shoulders. The heat would help draw out the CO2. I feel like that also made a huge difference. My gas pain was gone very quickly.

The mental side is a bit harder. If you don't have family or friends who you feel are supportive of the way you need them to be, then I would reach out to a therapist who works with bariatric patients. This forum has been good for my mental health as it lets me express my experiences and share the good and the bad with people who have gone through the same things that I have. I've found that very helpful.
 
ayeager said:
Hello everyone, my name is Addi and I am FINALLY having weight loss surgery after about 3 years of trying to get my insurance to cover it!! I have read almost every single article about life after surgery, new diet, and everything in between. I have no one to talk to about this because most of my friends are at a healthy weight, as are my parents. I stumbled across this page and saw how supportive everyone was and knew I needed to register an account in hopes to get some of the same response. I would love some real life advice following the couple weeks after having the gastric sleeve as far as pain level, sleeping, mental health and anything you wished you would have known. Thank you all so much for being so supportive and easy to talk to about this. Even to make this post is crazy for me because I have been silent about my struggles and my decision to go through with WLS. Hope everyone has a great day!! :):)
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welcome! you've come to the right place!
 
Welcome! How exciting to be so close!! I don’t have a surgery date yet, but I’m close to the end of my appointments. This is a supportive and open group, and I hope you find all the help you’re looking for.
 
Welcome to your support group, Addi. We love you and welcome you and plan to support and help you. If you find that you have a severe pain or a medical problem, please do not come here first. Please call your doctor first. We are not qualified to give medical advice and we probably will not be able to help you. Anyway, welcome to the group.
 
dianeseattle said:
Welcome to your support group, Addi. We love you and welcome you and plan to support and help you. If you find that you have a severe pain or a medical problem, please do not come here first. Please call your doctor first. We are not qualified to give medical advice and we probably will not be able to help you. Anyway, welcome to the group.
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Thank you very much!! It's definitely something that I know will better my life forever. I know it's a tool for weight loss, but it's a very very helpful one. I am very excited to start this journey.
 
ayeager said:
Hello everyone, my name is Addi and I am FINALLY having weight loss surgery after about 3 years of trying to get my insurance to cover it!! I have read almost every single article about life after surgery, new diet, and everything in between. I have no one to talk to about this because most of my friends are at a healthy weight, as are my parents. I stumbled across this page and saw how supportive everyone was and knew I needed to register an account in hopes to get some of the same response. I would love some real life advice following the couple weeks after having the gastric sleeve as far as pain level, sleeping, mental health and anything you wished you would have known. Thank you all so much for being so supportive and easy to talk to about this. Even to make this post is crazy for me because I have been silent about my struggles and my decision to go through with WLS. Hope everyone has a great day!! :):)
Click to expand...
Welcome and good luck. My surgery is scheduled for September 9th.
 
ajf55
I have my Surgery Sept 16th, start my Clear Liquid Diet starting on Sept. 2. Which I know for 2 wks it will be hard to do w/ NO restriction yet.
15 yrs ago I had Lapband after 5 yrs, it didn't seem to work w/ for me in spite of the adjustments. I was sorry I got the Lapband, then to find out, they really only have a 10 yr life & it works better for men then women b/c of hormones.
So now getting By-Pass Surgery, that is my option, after 15 yrs of Lapband, they can get imbedded into your stomach, so getting it out, Sleeve is not recommended for people who have a Lapband.

I'm the type of person that goes more drastic, b/c I need that extra push, leaving me less options. So its One Way or Another, NO In Between.

Addi & Others, Welcome we R all here for Each other, Its your Bariatric Family.
I think Support Groups R the way to go, Online & in the Doctors Office. U learn alot about Meals, peoples Struggles knowing U R Not the only one having these things happening to them.
Listen to your Doctor 1st. And then U can discuss things w/ people who have had these Surgeries & Exchange Experiences. Its always good to hear how much Weight they have lost in 2 wks, a month & so on, Its encouraging to keep U motivated to get there yourself.

Good Luck Everyone w/ your Journey.

I am looking for a walking partner who has had the surgery or going to have. Location: Sevierville TN
 
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