Page 36 | Bariatric surgery no.2 thread

Seriouslyconfused3 · 2021-01-31T21:17:50+00:00

For everyone following from the last thread... If you’re new please feel free to join in and share your experiences

vitriolaa · 19/10/2021 11:17

ah that's a very timely recommendation for HW, @RevisionSurgeryQ - i've booked with them this morning, so very good to hear your experience has been positive!

RevisionSurgeryQ · 19/10/2021 11:20

All the best @vitriolaa. I hope that you find your consultation a positive experience.

Please keep us updated on your progress

Neonplant · 19/10/2021 11:50

God I'm having a shocker of a day. So just ranting here... I've been ill with cold symptoms for over 2 weeks. My throat is agony, like at times especially at night. Like gripping something to brace myself for swallowing. Last night was so bad(I'd talked more than normal as I'm starting to do some work) so I had a poke around in my throat, with lots of gagging and notices white clumps on the bit behind the tonsils or back of the tonsils not sure where they start or end.

My GP surgery is normally excellent but for some reason I couldn't get through this morning then when I did they had no appointments left. I was advised to call 111 and was in hold for 2 hours before being cut off. I'm not in my second call and still on hold, it's been 45 mins. I feel like I've been fobbed off by my GP saying its just a cold, he didn't look in my throat much.

I'm also on soft goods now and although I'm super grateful nothing is making me feel unwell. I'm starting to feel like I can manage more and I'm getting hungry too. So aly9im def eating less I'm stressing as I feel like the whole never feeling hungry is a myth!

I probably wouldn't be second guessing all of the surgery stuff if I didn't feel awful. So I really don't wnat to put off the pre surgery people. I'm just having a hard day.

Jubilate · 19/10/2021 11:57

@alldressedupinblue Ah, don't worry. They talked about maybe doing that with me. I presume you are anaemic.

Jubilate · 19/10/2021 12:03

@Neonplant that sounds miserable. I don't know about you but I hadn't really accounted for the emotional space the surgery/food/reflux/guessing hunger signs would take up in my day. I literally have no capacity for anything else. I feel like I oscillate between heartburn, nausea due to hunger, and full up burping before back to heartburn again.

I also seem to go straight to feeling very sorry for myself.

I'd be a mess with crappy tonsils added to the mix. It's another thing to navigate, isn't it? Hopefully you'll get antibiotics and it'll be sent packing pretty soon.

RevisionSurgeryQ · 19/10/2021 12:32

I'm so sorry to read that you're still feeling so unwell @Neonplant

I really hope that you get through soon as it sounds as though your tonsils are infected. No wonder you feel so lousy

Brindille · 19/10/2021 12:34

Oh that sounds awful @Neonplant.

I hope you manage to get through to someone helpful soon. I'm keeping everything crossed for a speedy recovery for you. You've been through the wringer.

Neonplant · 19/10/2021 14:18

So after 2 hrs on hold then another 1hr and a half trying to get through to 111 I had to hang up as I had work meetings. I've found some antibiotics from a sinus infection and I'm going to take them. I know this is not advised. But honestly what am I supposed to do? I'll obviously try again tomorrow.

I know the NHS are under so much pressure and overall my GP is good. But it really makes me anxious thinking it can actually so difficult to see a gp when I've clearly got an infection.

@Jubilate

You're totally right about the surgery, eating and recovery taking up all of our mental energy. I think that's why I just popped today! As this just feels like yet another thing.

Thanks for the support all. It does help really!

I'm going to have some lunch while Mey painkillers are still working!

vitriolaa · 19/10/2021 16:16

@Jubilate that's really helpful to hear in advance. i find i'm a bit rubbish when trying to concentrate on more than one 'project' at a time, so really useful to know it can be a bit all-consuming post-op.

hope you feel better @Neonplant

Neonplant · 19/10/2021 16:34

[quote vitriolaa]@Jubilate that's really helpful to hear in advance. i find i'm a bit rubbish when trying to concentrate on more than one 'project' at a time, so really useful to know it can be a bit all-consuming post-op.

hope you feel better @Neonplant[/quote]
It is massively all consuming to begin with. So if really make sure you're not mid project on something else. Like house renovations or something. As it would be a lot!

vitriolaa · 19/10/2021 16:53

excellent advice @Neonplant, thank you. i'm having surgery just before xmas for this very reason - no kids, no other caring responsibilities or expectations, never liked xmas food, off work for two weeks anyway.

and no other major commitments on the horizon until the end of Feb.

hoping i can be zen and just concentrate on healing / new habits!

SilverOtter · 19/10/2021 19:29

I've just been given a date for my sleeve - 2nd November!! Absolutely terrified (never had a GA before)!😱

Neonplant · 19/10/2021 19:30

@alldressedupinblue

Good morning, minus 12 days to my bypass, and I've had a phone call to say I need to come in for an infusion of iron. Slightly worried now.....

I have thses yearly as I have an ongoing issue with anemia due to being a carrier for a blood disorder. They are fine, but I always feel flu like a few days to a week afterwards. Low iron makes me feel awful so I'd advise anyone to def get that checked and ask your team to keep an eye on it post op.

Are you worried about anything particular with the iv? It's just an hour or so depending on your dose then they monitor you for a bit. There are nurses there and a very low chance of something going wrong like a reaction.

Neonplant · 19/10/2021 19:32

@SilverOtter

I've just been given a date for my sleeve - 2nd November!! Absolutely terrified (never had a GA before)!😱

Congrats. I was the same re GA. I was terrified. And honestly it was fine. Ask loads of questions of your anesthetist and surgeon to ease your mind. Are you on the NHS or private?

SilverOtter · 19/10/2021 19:39

@Neonplant NHS, but as part of a clinical trial.
I think it's just the idea of being put to sleep, it just gives me the heebie jeebies! I will ask lots of questions.

Neonplant · 19/10/2021 21:52

Oh that's really interesting. How does the clinical trial work?

I'm on loads of groups in Facebook and almost everyone is terrified. It's completely normal. My surgeon said the anesthesia is the safest part. Are you having the sleeve or bypass? Either way it's quite a quick op. You're not asleep for long.

Also yiu always have an anesthetist with you and then the nurse in recovery. No one just leaves you to come round. Which is embarrassingly what I thought happened. No idea why it doesn't make sense.

Brindille · 20/10/2021 09:26

Are you feeling any better @Neonplant? I hope the sinus antibiotics have helped a bit overnight.

Very exciting that you have a date @SilverOtter but I can understand your anxiety about it all. What others have said is true though. This is actually a very safe procedure.

So I have my first appointment with the surgeon tomorrow. I want to write a list of questions to ask and I have a couple but I was wondering what sorts of things you have all asked? I'm feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement about it.

alldressedupinblue · 20/10/2021 10:24

@neonplant Thank you for your reply - that's reassuring. I am so anxious about the op and the LSD is hell. How do people do this?

I just want it all over now - we are buddies @SilverOtter as I'm Nov 1.

SilverOtter · 20/10/2021 15:40

@Neonplant

Oh that's really interesting. How does the clinical trial work?

I'm on loads of groups in Facebook and almost everyone is terrified. It's completely normal. My surgeon said the anesthesia is the safest part. Are you having the sleeve or bypass? Either way it's quite a quick op. You're not asleep for long.

Also yiu always have an anesthetist with you and then the nurse in recovery. No one just leaves you to come round. Which is embarrassingly what I thought happened. No idea why it doesn't make sense.

It's a research study into fertility in ladies with PCOS (which I have). Half of the participants will be managed medically/through exercise to lose weight, and half of us are having the sleeve gastrectomy. Then afterwards, we have to have our fertility monitored via regular blood tests, checking to see if we're ovulating etc. The idea is that if the trial shows that ovulation improves in ladies with PCOS post-op, more than merely losing weight medically, then sleeve gastrectomy might then be recommended in the future as a potential option to improve fertility in PCOS. It is actually really interesting (well I think so!) and as a science geek myself I love being involved with research

SilverOtter · 20/10/2021 15:42

[quote alldressedupinblue]@neonplant Thank you for your reply - that's reassuring. I am so anxious about the op and the LSD is hell. How do people do this?

I just want it all over now - we are buddies @SilverOtter as I'm Nov 1. [/quote]
Ah I'm glad I've got a buddy @alldressedupinblue

I'm on day 1 of the LRD today and just want to cry I'm so hungry! Mine is just yogurt and milk for 2 weeks. Might never want to eat another yogurt ever again after this!!

FrustratedTeddyLamp · 20/10/2021 17:54

Been reading all the previous messages on the previous thread and this one the last few days and not totally caught up for reassurance.

Mum's currently in theatre but am nervous as she was dropped off at 7am and was put into theatre at around 12:30 when we phoned at 1 they said that means theyd probably be starting at that time. We phoned at 4:30 and got told we should phone back in 2hours.

And just as I'm writing this we've got an update she's out of surgery. And hasn't needed ICU so that's good! And they're gonna assess her more tomorrow!

Keepthefocus · 21/10/2021 21:15

@FrustratedTeddyLamp great to hear your mum is through surgery well!!

Keepthefocus · 23/10/2021 19:06

Hi all how is everyone doing? I’m now 10 days post op and I’m ok. Missing texture in food but not missing food at all. I’m doing fine with water but not so good with protein. I can get almost a full shake in the morning over an hour or so then lunch and dinner it’s about half a cup or less of soup thinned with bone broth. I haven’t had head hunger yet. I seem to be healing ok still bruised and tender but incisions are healing well. It’s a very different Saturday night post op!!!!

RevisionSurgeryQ · 23/10/2021 21:44

Good to hear you're doing okay @Keepthefocus. I'm a little bit ahead of you, but I remember how difficult it was to get my protein intake up.

You're right about Saturday night being different! In my case, no sweets or crisps, but so far, my sweet tooth has completely vanished. Long may it last.

I'm now four and a half weeks post op, and I still have no desire to eat, no physical or head hunger, so meals/snacks have to be planned by the clock. It all feels a bit alien, but it's having the desired results in terms of weight loss. I've dropped down into another stone bracket. I started off in the 15's and I'm now in the 13's.

I've recently moved onto textured food which was so welcome after 2 weeks of liquid and 2 weeks of slop puree and mush.

My portion sizes are smaller than when I had the gastric band, but it's way more comfortable to eat having a bypass than it was to eat with a band.

I hope everyone else is doing well

@Neonplant - I hope you've recovered from your recent illness.

alldressedupinblue · 25/10/2021 09:58

@SilverOtter How are you doing with the LRD? I must say I'm finding it hard to concentrate at work. One more week and I'll be in surgery