Experience

I had my surgery June 5, 2000. I went to the hospital and got prepared with IV's as soon as I got in. Only the nurses could not get a good vein after several tries. I had to have a few more tries in OR (for a total of 8!) but finally they got it. I was taken into the room and moved to the operating table. Then they started the anesthesia and I was out like a light.

When I woke in recovery I had strong pain but they gave me medicine quickly. My procedure was done Lap but it took longer than usual because of some problems in getting my intestine to reach the new stomach. Problems or difficulty can occur with anyone but the surgeons where I had this done are very skilled and have a good outcome rate. I was later taken to my room still experiencing pain. Demerol was my best friend that day!

After surgery I shut down, probably due to the anesthesia and Demerol. I did not want to talk or listen to music or TV. I had a lot of pain and was given more medicine. But it gradually got better. Each person is different. I have heard of others having little to a lot of pain and able to walk quickly or not so quickly, I can only speak for myself. Maybe it was the extra work they had to do, that caused me to react the way I did. I also had to stay an extra day for a total of 4 days. But one thing I would suggest, and others have agreed with me, is to try not to take too much Demerol/Morphine. The doctor can prescribe another painkiller. The Demerol can give you some bad dreams and doesn't make you feel too good either.

By the 3rd day I was feeling better and was talking more and could even tolerate the TV a little. I went through a mini depression after the surgery, questioning why I had the surgery, but I think this is a normal reaction. It gets better with each day. My advice is to try your best to do what they ask of you and you will be released sooner. When you get home, you'll feel much better too.

I was weak for the next few days after I got home and a little afraid of eating. I was thirsty a lot and the 1 oz cup of water was not doing it for me. So I sucked on ice to keep hydrated. I had clear broths, gelatin, protein shakes and surgar-free popsicles at first, and progressed to yogurt, fat-free cottage cheese and purees. Thankfully I am not a very picky eater and had no problem making the dietary adjustments. I followed the doctor's diet to the letter. And as time went on and I added walking, first 10 minutes then 15, 20 and so forth, I felt stronger and my energy came back.

About two months out from surgery I was having a lot of problems with food going down. I felt an accumulation of foods in my esophagus. At first I thought I had become lactose intolerant because the accumulation of food I was expereincing was causing me to feel nausea and every time I threw up, I had milk or cottage cheese that day. Later after I complained to the doctor's office, I had an x-ray and was found to have stricture (closing of the opening of new stomach to intestine due to scar tissue). I went back on a liquid diet until I could have endoscopy done to stretch the opening. After the procedure (no pain or discomfort at all, done on an outpatient basis) I felt so much better and have not had to have it repeated since.

After the surgery if you begin to have problems with liquids even after you should have an empty stomach, I would consult your doctor about the possibility of stricture. If it is not attended to quickly you can become dehydrated and may need hospitalization. Keep the communication lines open with your doctor, the nurses and coordinators, and any other post-op patients you meet for advice. I found that with the more information I got, the more comfortable I felt with what was happening and knew what to expect and that some discomforts would eventually get better. I was told that I would feel much better after the 3-month mark and it was true. Not only was I over 60lbs lighter but I was eating more "normally" and my energy level was up. I only had pain on my left side and this finally went away after 6 months.

So things only got better as the months passed and the weight came off. I have had plateaus for weeks at a time (and months at a time lately). I get discouraged for a while but keep on trying. I don't set weight loss time goals because that will only set me up for failure. Plateaus can be solved by concentrating on proteins in your diet and adding exercise and drinking water. I have found that lately, over a year after surgery that if I go long periods not exercising regularly and slacking a little on the diet, that I wont lose weight. So I have to get my butt outside walking again!

As you can see it still is an on-going process just like the many diets we have been on before, just now there is a very good tool to keep in control. The surgery is not "THE" solution or a quick fix, it is just a tool!! In addition to this "tool" you have the fact that you don't want to go back to the way life was and that is the great motivator. I have so many more hopes and dreams for my future than I did before the surgery and they don't seem to be just fantasies any more. That is what I call true happiness...