Very Confused and Scared

Hi All, I am new to this side of the message board. I had surgery on 12/28/04. To be honest with all of you, at this point i am really regreting this surgery. I have been in so much pain it is no joke! I have had a hard problem with food, most of it just does not agree with me . Either i thow it back up or it sits in my sotmache for a while until it wants to go down. I can barely drink water. To be honest with you all, i am soo scared of getting sick, dehydrated or any other complications. I just need help . Please can someone out there give me some advice.......

Hi Yvette, Have you been back to see your surgeon? If not, I would recommend that you do so ASAP. He/she is the about the only one that can answer your questions as to why you feel as you do, and what is causing your problems. It could be something that is treatable with little or no problem, but I am sure that your they would want to know you are not dong well. I would either call and set up the earliest appointment you can get, or go back to the ER where you had your surgery done, and let them know you are in pain, and are not able to eat. You don't indicate what type pain you are having, but I can tell you that about three weeks out, I had sharp stabbing pains around my major incision (just under my left breast). After a few days of enduring the torture, I called my surgeon, and he advised me to go to the ER and have a CT Scan done. It turned out to be a badly strained muscle, but at least it sort of put my mind at ease knowing that time would be the healing factor. PLEASE talk to your surgeon, OK? At least, you can be checked out for any sort of complications he/she needs to know about. I wish you the best of luck, and please keep us posted. You are in my prayers. God bless you! Pat

I had my surgery on the 28th right now and I feel the same exact way that you do right now. It might as well have been me writing what you just said. Often I wonder if I made the right decision in getting this surgery, I've felt nothing but miserable since I got it. I'm almost scared to eat now because everytime I do I just end up thowing it up or it just sits there and makes me feel really sick for an hour or two. Right now I'm relying mostly on liquids and occassionally I will munch on something that I know doesn't bother me, like soft cheese. Hopefully we'll both be feeling better soon and at least we're not alone in feeling this way. A year from now (maybe even sooner) let's hope that we can look back and say that it was all worth it.

I too would advise that the two of you should contact your doctor's office. I also had surgery on 12/28/04 and am feeling fine and able to eat without being sick whether by diarhea or vomitting. I am sure that your doctor's office would be helpful to each of you after all that is what you are paying them for. At any time at all, I can call my doctor's office and always feel that my questions are welcome and I am not thought of as a pest.

Thank you all for your help. I have already called the doctor and i am waiting for the call back so that i can go see him. I am glad though that i am not alone in this and i have a place where i can vent... thank you all soooo sooo much...

I agree with the other folks. Call your doctor. I had surgery on the 20th of December and had some problems initially similar to what you seem to be having. I called my doctors office and the nurse gave me some good advice. (I did also go see my doctor, who told me I was fine.) Chew each bite at least 20-30 times. Yes...I even count sometimes. I realized I wasn't chewing my food up enough and my tender little pouch was having a hard time with it. Pre-surgery, I gulped food and realize now that I often didn't chew very well!!! Old habits die hard! Go back to very bland, mushy food and start the "eating" process over. Find something you can tolerate - baby food, pureed bananas, etc. Then, slowly introduce one new food at the time. Learning how and what to eat after surgery is definately trial and error. Keep a list of things that you can eat and things you can't eat. Don't overeat. Measure out your food in one or two ounces. Decide how much you are going to eat (I'd start with one ounce) and then stop when you finish your ounce. Be sure you are not overeating. Don't rush when you eat. This goes along with chewing your food. This is one of my biggest problems. If I eat too fast, I have pain in my pouch and get too full, resulting in vomiting or diarrhea. I don't know if any of this will help, but these are just some things that helped me. However, the first thing to do is CALL THE DOCTOR!!! Good luck and please keep us posted on how you are doing. Lisa S.

You don't give any details - such as what type of surgery - did you have it open or laparascopically - what you are eating, etc. Did you go through a process to get this surgery - psychological testing and counseling, nutrition counseling, Preop education and post op followup and education? Does your surgeon/WLS program offer any of this? I don't know how people could go through this surgery without this. This is a super HUGE change of lifestyle and needs support and education. If your surgeon does not offer this, I would find someplace that does. My program allows only clear liquids for the first 5 - 7 days following surgery. At the post op followup (at 5 - 7 days) if you are doing well you advance to full liquids - same as clear liquid but add milk and cream soups - still only a couple of tablespoons at a time. You are on this for 4 days and then if you are doing well you advance to pureed foods - pureed browned ground turkey or chicken with FF gravy, maltomeal or cream of wheat and yogurt. On all of these phases you work to get 48 - 64 ounces of water/caffeine free liquids in - and concentrate on protein with the food. You don't move to soft foods until 4 weeks out and the list is limited. You don't go back to "regular" foods until 3 months out. This is all said to be necessary to let your gastrointestinal (GI) system heal and adjust. It sounds like you have really irritated your new GI system. SLOWLY sip your liquids and try applesauce and yogurt. Eat even these as slowly as you can. Try SF popsicles; they were very soothing to me and I couldn't eat them fast, just sucked on them. And keep in touch with your regular doctor and your surgeon. A lot of money was paid for this surgery, one way or the other, so make sure you get the followup care that you need. Good luck! Nancy

I was having a hard time holding stuff down untill i found cambells soup at hand (chicken with mini noodles) the noodles are so soft they desolve in your mouth.that and shakes was all i ate for 3 weeks now i can get more things down.i maid chili with ground sirolin it was so good.i try to take 1 bite every 2 to 3 min's.i hope it helps.jeff 458/442/397/220 30 days post-op

Yvette.... everyone of us has gone through a stage of 'hybernation'. It is a stage, after surgery, that you suffer from the 'why's' of your decision. It is like being depressed only, without the psychosis, if that makes sense. BELIEVE ME DARLING... it only gets better. I was asking myself this question a month ago, and as of today, I feel so much better. Look at yourself in the mirror, and whether you are loosing now or not, just know that inside you, YOUR HEALTH IS CHANGING with each passing day. Why did you have the surgery? Well, like many of us, we were tired of being FAT, and loosing life. You had the surgery to improve the quality of your life, and as you live each day, you should be thanking God that you made it this far. So, Yvette, be encouraged, and think of the practical reasons... and aside from any pain, or discomfort you may be suffering TODAY... you'll be a much better Yvette TOMORROW. Now, go pray, thank God and get ready for your new life girlfriend! Vera 12/20/04 -35 343/308/? LAP RNY Proximal

Bless your heart. I know exactly how you feel. I think all of us went through some form of it - wishing we hadn't done it and wondering what we'd gotten ourselves in to. I promise it gets better. Every day, you will feel better and heal. You will be one month out tomorrow. Congratulations! I bet you'll look back on your two month anniversary and not have nearly as many negative feelings about the surgery as you do now. Just give it time.