Carol W.

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I no longer think about the pounds lost as anything other than permanent health gained. I did slow down a lot in losing, but it didn't matter as much in that I have become so much healthier and able to do more without the awful feelings of being sick or sickly, and I now feel like this health will not go away like it did in the past when different diets failed and gaining weight back and gaining sickness back.  This health will be the new normal. I recently took care of my sick son without losing any energy and without getting sick, myself. Some people have gallstone issues after this surgery, and about two weeks ago, I felt like I was having kidney pain (lower back, both sides), but with tests, two 3cm cysts on both of my ovaries turned out to be the issue. The one on the left burst, and it was painful, but with further tests, all is well with kidneys, gallbladder and everything has tested to be well. Through out the whole uncomfortableness, I hardly missed a stride. In the past, I would have suffered much more, with tests coming back as abnormal for everything. I love knowing that I am healthier and can have an issue and actually recover without other health issues piling up.

I had a little setback yesterday, and spent the day worrying. It was a Sunday, and I woke up with very bad back pain, which sometimes happens because since I have had VSG it is not yet possible  to really roll on my sides, so I get a cramp laying flat on my back. But soon after I got to moving around I realized the back pain was really also a tummy ache. I felt like I had been socked in the stomach (more pain than right after surgery). I also had a slight 99.6 fever. I began to worry about having a leak and sepsis. So I did some searching and checked off the signs: high fever?  no, mine was steady and not high.  rapid heartbeat? no, mine wasn't.  intense abdominal pain? well, it certainly was more than the day before or even the day of surgery, but, I wasn't doubled over, so--no. pain upon eating or drinking? well, eating applesauce was making it burn a little, and milk was no better, but warm clear broth was soothing, so--no. Call the doctor on a Sunday? Let's wait 2 hours...then after 2 hours my symptoms were still steady and not worsening, so--no, call tomorrow during business hours. I tell you, when you THINK you have a leak it is hard not to THINK you have a leak (or any problem).  So I checked my temperature every 15 minutes and went over my checklist over and over since it made me feel better to do so. Today, I am feeling some better. I still have the tender tummy feeling. Then I called my daughter who I had seen two days ago to tell her about my setback, and that I went back to clear liquids or super soft food. My daughter told me that she and her friend had the same symptoms as I did, so right away I realized we just had a bug. I did check with the nurse who said it didn't sound like it was surgery related, but either a bug or gastritis. Solved.

Today I tried scrambled egg and ate almost two chopped scrambled eggs. It was really good, considering I had been on two weeks of a liquid diet and then 9 days of liquid diet. I am not supposed to eat soft food until next week, but I felt  like I was ready. A few days ago I had mashed potatoes thinned with milk and pureed and it was a little painful, so I went back to liquids, then tried it again two days later and it was easy. I am excited that if I can tolerate eggs and mashed potatoes, I may try pureed meat in a few days.

I had my surgery on 10/21, at 222 lbs, and today is one week later and I am 204 1bs. I was up and walking and using the breathing device about two hours later. Within six hours getting up and going to the bathroom was getting easier. I did have soreness and gas pains, especially in the left side and left shoulder. I went home the next day, continued walking and breathing and doing as told to do. I didn't find the morphine in the hospital to help much, and I let them know it, so they gave me liquid Loritab, which did help, so I just stopped the morphine altogether. I took Loritab at night and liquid Tylenol during the day for 4 days then switched to only Tylenol.