Bariatric surgery no.2 thread

[Seriouslyconfused3]

For everyone following from the last thread...

If you’re new please feel free to join in and share your experiences

@Neonplant I hope you are ok today. I also had a huge wobble when I found out my other half couldn’t come into hospital. The whole reason I chose the hospital was so he could be there - but unfortunately that’s changed. I’m more stressed now on how on earth im going to get there and back now I can’t drive cause my car will be stuck and it’s hours away to ask for a lift! I’ll figure it out but not as simple as we thought when we booked 🥲.
@Hopetobe4mrfatty how are you today? How far post surgery are you now? Is it lack of caloromakes you weak? I hope it picks up soon. I do worry about how lethargic I’ll be running in so few calories after surgery.

Does anyone know where I can find a list of things that people find useful post surgery? Things like protein water/Dulcoease/scar reducing plasters? Or stuff that's good for hospital? I feel I might need to distract myself from my 800kcal a day... I have some of those space masks and decent earphones. The usual things I'd bring for a hospital stay are usually snacks and nice juice.

@pcosstruggler Hello, I'm sorry I missed your message back in August. Yes, things were very quiet for a while. I first approached them in March. So it's maybe been 6 months from contact to surgery. I don't know if Covid/holidays had an impact (I think operating space at the UIC is like gold dust). Hopefully things are moving along for you now?

@Keepthefocus hi! Better today. Week 12. 16.7 to 12.13. I have bingo wings xxx

@Hopetobe4mrfatty I can't wait to have bingo wings, I currently have huge elephant legs instead of arms! (Seriously they're huge, I will absolutely need surgery on them after, I carry so much weight on them)

Glad you're feeling better today!

@HotSteppa not being able to wipe my ass properly is a huge reason why I'm going for the op that's when I realised enough is enough!

Thanks for getting back to me @Jubilate !
I put my questionnaire in on 17th August and have only heard from the dietician who said I would be a perfect candidate. She told me I would hear from the psychologist in a week or 2. It has been over 2 weeks at the moment and I'm getting impatient.. ahhhh

@jubilate no more distraction snacks for us!! How about online shopping for some nice PJ'S or dressing gown? Good for in hospital and recovery at home. I know some people go to town making purees and freezing them in ice cube trays , will keep you busy and may be glad of it post! Taking in your own pillow is always my top tip for hospital, hospital pillows are hard to come by, wrapped in rubber so sweaty and not exactly plump!

@minichocs haha we have found our line in the sand

@Hopetobe4mrfatty amazing weight loss!! I can only dream of the 12 stone bracket!!!! Bingo wings!! Lol. Small sacrifice at this stage I’m sure. I’ve lost and gained for so long now mine are just a fixture of me but it’d be great to have them deflate to be a bit more wing than trunk!!!! Be honest at this point would u do the surgery again? Any thing better or worse than you’d expected?

Those of you on LRD any advice?
I’ve 10 days left as this version of me and part of me is so excited to become the better version I plan to be, the other part is grieving and panicking a bit about the loss of crap food. But I don’t even enjoy crap beige food but somehow I think I’m going to miss it!! Example I haven’t eaten a kfc in 15 years or more 🤮 yet I drive past it thinking - I should probably have some cause I’ll never get to eat it again! - totally ridiculous and I drive on past - I don’t stop but that’s where my head is!!!!! I’m hoping starting the LRD will be my marker to fix myself on moving forward.

@Keepthefocus - I'm currently on the LRD in preparation for my surgery next week.

A bit of advice - do not plan to do anything strenuous around days 3 and 4 as that's when your energy levels dip. I'm on day 4 today and feel pretty crap. I had the same effects when on Lighter Life years ago (one of the worst things I've ever done)

My surgery is a revision, removal of gastric band and revise to gastric bypass. I did expect the gastric sleeve, but medical evidence points to complications with band to sleeve (scar tissue from band, leaks).

Having had gastric surgery before with the band, I feel as though I have a bit of a head start in knowing what I can and can't do but despite that, I'm not in a very good headspace today, with low mood probably brought on by effects of LRD.

I've just got to ride it out and focus on the end goal.

Very best wishes to you all with your surgery and post recovery.

@Keepthefocus I'm on day 7 of my 14 day LRD. I got no warning for my LRD starting (operating space came up, I got a call saying to start LRD from that point), so I didn't get to think about all the things I wanted to eat! That night I was a bit 'shit, I really wanted to have a nice curry' but in a way I think it was easier. That's not to say I don't find my mind wandering to what I will and won't be able to eat post surgery. There is a lot of emotion. I find myself grieving all sorts of things, including my fatter, familiar body. This stage really focuses your mind on the next (most difficult) step. And it's hard to project forward 6 months or 6 years (which are the long term goals most of us focus on when we choose to have surgery). It all feels a bit ... sombre?

That said LRD is going ok. I feel physically quite good and bizarrely energetic.

@HotSteppa yes, I went to Asda. Got myself some 'loungewear'. Hard to pick something that you hope won't fit in a few weeks, and a strange moment where I wondered if that was the last 20-22 I'll buy. Got some wipes for face and nethers in Home Bargains. And mini shampoos and toothpaste/mouthwash/facial mist. It was all quite easy.

@pcosstruggler That's great. I think I had a consultant appointment between the dietician and the psychologist? Everyone I've encountered with Trilogy has been really pleasant to deal with. I hope it's a speedy process for you. Keep me updated!

Thanks @MindBodyChocolate I've chilled out about it now! I think you're right I'll be groggy and just focused on feeling better.

My op is tomorrow! I thought I'd be up the wall with anxiety but I'm actually excited!

Good luck @Neonplant let us know how it goes. I'm a few days behind you - scheduled for Saturday

Good luck @Neonplant. Please let us know how it goes.

Thanks! @Keepthefocus @Jubilate

I've been up since 6 so I can eat breakfast. Going in for 12.30!! Actually feeling OK. Feel like I would before an exam or interview. Rather than the terrified panic attack I thought I'd be having.

I do take escitalopram for anxiety and its doing me a solid right now! I actually swapped from citalopram in the summer and right now I'm so pleased I did as it really had started to not work for my anxiety. If be all over with the old meds.

I'll give you an update when I can
Very exciting you're so soon Jub! Which op are you having?

Good luck @Neon hope it goes well and you feel great afterwards!

Good luck Neon! Will be thinking of you !

Send us lots of updates of what's going on if you need to keep busy xx

Thanks for the replies! I'm now home and doing well. Surgeon said he was really happy with how things went. It was a really easy sleeve apperently!

I had a bit of pain and nausea in recovery but my lovey nurse gave me some iv drugs to take care of that ASAP. Then really it's been a bit of muscle type pain around the incisions and feeling like I need to burp. But gas pain isn't really an issue. The surgeon did say he does his best to minimise this through pushing the excess gas out!

So now just dozy and knackered which I think lots of people said they were too. I'm on tramadol so that's helping! Did everyone else sleep lots post op?

Well done @Neonplant! Sounds like you did really well. I slept a lot and took it pretty easy for several days afterwards but when I was awake I did make the effort to have a gentle walk and move around a bit. Are you on purée now or do you wait a while?

Congratulations @Neonplant!! It must be such a relief to have it over you and to start this new phase. Rest up! Have been thinking about you the last few days so pleased to know it went well!

Well done @Neonplant. Glad it went well. I look forward to following your journey!

Surgery day today - revision band to bypass.

I'm scared of the post op pain as I cannot tolerate opiates. And scared of having a GA.

But, I'm looking forward to being free of a problematic gastric band and resuming my weight loss journey.