4 Days Post-Op

Hello all! Thank you for all of your VERY helpful posts and sharing experiences. This site has been a goldmine of information! I had VSG surgery on Tuesday, April 11. I was not nervous at all, had stuck diligently to pre-op diet and lost 25 lbs before surgery. Unfortunately, I had a very strange complication during surgery and I am wondering if that is why I still feel terrible, 4 days post-op.

When I woke up in recovery, I was overwhelmed with pain. It started at the top of my esophagus and spanned the width of my chest. I truly thought I was having a heart attack. I was dripping with sweat, could barely breathe and wanted to die, it hurt so bad. The staff kept giving me dilaudid or fentanyl, but nothing touched the pain. I guess they decided I was a drug seeker or a baby and sent me on to my room. My nurse started having me drink water and walk. It was the most miserable I have ever felt in my life. I was crying and begging for more pain control. Every sip of water came right back up, with horrible retching and internal spasms.

finally, 4 hours later, I ran my tongue around my mouth, DRY, and noticed that my dental bridge of 3 teeth was missing. I started telling my mother, she got the nurse, who was unimpressed, and said someone in surgery probably took it out, she would track it down. The next person to come in was my surgeon. At this point, it's been about 10 hours since surgery. He says that it's highly unlikely but the bridge may be in my GI tract. He said no one in surgery had removed it. He took me for a CT scan (I think) and had me swallow barium dye, and said "Oh! Yeah....there are your teeth....in your stomach,"

the only good thing about any of this, he was able to "fi**** out" with an upper GI, rather than another surgery. My pain went away immediately. However, the tight, full feeling is still here, 4 days later. Every 1 ounce swallow of water or any liquid just feels like my chest is going to burst. I guess it is from the swelling.

Sorry for the long post, just wondering what is "normal" 4 days after surgery. Thanks in advance!!

I am so sorry you had to go through that, what a nightmare! To answer your question though, for a good while after surgery, everything hurt. Drinking water, even tiny sips made my chest feel tight and my stomach beyond full. I think I was that way for a couple weeks before it really started to loosen up a little and drinking wasn't so uncomfortable. I'm only three months out, so my stomach is still tiny. Eating and drinking is going to be a big chore for a long time! Make sure to just drink tiny bits all day, you do NOT want to end up in the hospital for dehydration.

Holy crap! Talk about a nightmare!

Yes, the feelings you describe are normal. I'm 3 months out and still eating 2oz of food by weight at a meal. It will stop hurting soon. Take TINY sips and wait in between!

Thank you both! I'm glad to know that this is normal post-op discomfort. I will keep taking baby sips all day and try not to get dehydrated.

I am so sorry, that would have freaked me out!! I had surgery April 10th and am doing great. The day after surgery I started drinking 1 ounce prob. every 45 min, it was hard. The past couple of days I have been able to drink water and protein drink ,1 ounce at a time about every 20 minutes and it has been much easier. Today I feel no discomfort. I never did have the chest going to burst, a little discomfort yes - but it gets better. I would imagine you have some irritation from the bridge still, hang in there, 1 sip at a time, DO NOT GET DEHYDRATED!! Maybe check and see if cooler or warmer drinks make a difference. Better days to come, hang in there, take it slow!

OMG! How terrible for you! They asked about bridges at my pre-op visit: sounds like someone messed up?

It seems like the level of pain ranges a lot. I had very little (some gas in shoulders, some discomfort around incisions). I only took Tylenol once home. I did feel tight/full quickly especially when drinking protein drinks.

I would check in with your doctor frequently to be sure all is normal (and hopefully your bridge didn't do any damage).