Post-op complications: anyone regret their sleeve?

Channamasala wrote:

However, the list of negative things is long especially as I feel that at 10 weeks out, I should be eating and drinking far more "normally" (sleeve-normal, that is, not obsese-normal!):
- I can only eat a very limited variety of things: milk is dodgy, citrus fruits and juice are out... Shouldn't I be eating more or less what I want now?
- I feel very restricted in terms of volume: is it normal that 3 sushis are my limit? Will I eventually be able to eat more?
- I can't seem to be able to drink plain water so I keep having to add cordial. How long before I can drink normal water? And why am I always so thirsty?
- talking of drink, why can't I stomach any alcohol? Wine tastes like vinegar and even champagne is disgusting!

.

I find if I add ice to my water its easier to drink. Don't know why but it seems to work.
I can only eat 2 pieces of sushi and I am full so 3 is great!
I have found my tastes have changed towards foods and drinks too, packets of chips now just taste awful to me (good I guess) I like to drink more wine now where before I would only drink it cause it was there kind of thing. Definately things have changed.

All I can say is, give it time. You will find things will start to go down better eventually I hope. Its all trial and error.

I hope your feeling better soon.
x

Channamasala wrote:

Another little update... I've just come back from a weekend away with hubby and some friends. Saturday night, we dined in the hotel. Quite a smart place with an excellent meal. Obviously, with the food I was a little limited quantity-wise, but I was delighted to be able to eat a bit of everything.

However, the real success for me was the alcohol consumption. Without wishing to come across as a raving alcoholic, I have to admit that drinkies have always been part of our lifestyle. I was very worried that, post-sleeve, I'd have to become a teatotaler which would put me right out of sync with my family and mates. Well, Saturday evening I managed to down, over the space of 4 to 5 hours, two cocktails, two large glasses of wine and a Baileys. I couldn't believe it! I was almost jumping for joy thinking, "yay, life DOES go on!!!"

I can really start saying now that I don't regret having my sleeve, despite the shit that I went through earlier this year. And let me assure you, I didn't think I'd EVER be saying that!

Channa, I am soooo glad to hear you say that; and pretty soon like me you'll be saying I LOVE my sleeve... Great weight loss to date girl ... watch... you will breeze through your journey now.... and so glad you had a great time when you went out. I haven't as yet been game enough to drink when we go out; as I have tried at home; and I am really tiddly after only one standard drink, (Pre-op this would be three or four for the same effects) at least calorie wise I can also consume one quarter of drinkies of what I used to for the same effect. Take care.

Another little update... I've just come back from a weekend away with hubby and some friends. Saturday night, we dined in the hotel. Quite a smart place with an excellent meal. Obviously, with the food I was a little limited quantity-wise, but I was delighted to be able to eat a bit of everything.

However, the real success for me was the alcohol consumption. Without wishing to come across as a raving alcoholic, I have to admit that drinkies have always been part of our lifestyle. I was very worried that, post-sleeve, I'd have to become a teatotaler which would put me right out of sync with my family and mates. Well, Saturday evening I managed to down, over the space of 4 to 5 hours, two cocktails, two large glasses of wine and a Baileys. I couldn't believe it! I was almost jumping for joy thinking, "yay, life DOES go on!!!"

I can really start saying now that I don't regret having my sleeve, despite the shit that I went through earlier this year. And let me assure you, I didn't think I'd EVER be saying that!

*Lib* wrote:

Great news for both of you!!!! Fantastic!!!

Thanks Lib.

MiddleWoman wrote:

Thanks to both of you for your happy progress reports. Great to see you both coming out the other side of complication-ville with a smile on your face!

MiddleWoman

Thanks Daisy ;-P

Channamasala wrote:

Hey ExBigBoy, I'm really glad that things are starting to look up for you too. It must be frustrating to have to wait for the corrective surgery, but at least the infection has been dealt with. It'll be interesting to hear how you do with the red meat and wine. Talking of which, I found that my wine palate was nowhere near as sensitive as it had been in the past, but I enjoyed what I drank last weekend and am looking forward to drinking some more this weekend!!!

My body has ingested its first bit of red meat in almost 12 months!!!!!!!!! And it stayed down, with no ill effects!!!



I cooked my partner some steak for her dinner tonight, and finally decided that it was time to give it a try. Even though I got the 'all clear' about a week ago, I've been a bit 'gun-shy' of the intense nausea and final outcome that has occurred the few times I've tried red meat since the sleeve.

As I was eating the 3 little slices/pieces I had, she had her fingers crossed, and 10 minutes later... I was still sitting there and perfectly OK!!
Most people reading this would probably go.... "Yeah, whatever, no big deal.".... But believe me, after going through my bodies reaction to red meat in the previous 11 months........ this was a *HUGE* milestone!!

Next up........ some red wine

Hey ExBigBoy, I'm really glad that things are starting to look up for you too. It must be frustrating to have to wait for the corrective surgery, but at least the infection has been dealt with. It'll be interesting to hear how you do with the red meat and wine. Talking of which, I found that my wine palate was nowhere near as sensitive as it had been in the past, but I enjoyed what I drank last weekend and am looking forward to drinking some more this weekend!!!

Thanks to both of you for your happy progress reports. Great to see you both coming out the other side of complication-ville with a smile on your face!

MiddleWoman

Great news for both of you!!!! Fantastic!!!

Channamasala wrote:

Hi there everyone,


Last weekend, we had a big family gathering and - bearing in mind that nobody outside the closest members knows about my sleeve - I was rather worried about being noticably picky about my food. Well, I needn't have worried! I was able to eat a little of everything and also drink some champagne and wine. And it all tasted so good! My smaller apetite was simply put down to everything I've been through, which suits me just find.

Well done Channa


Good to hear that things are progressing OK, especially with the wine!!

I finished my course of (horse tablet) antibiotics for the H.pylori infection, and have had the Urea Breath test, and the results have come back negative for any more infection. I've noticed since finishing the antibiotics that I am salivating more, not to the extent you were, but just like I used to when I smelt some yummy food. I never salivated when I had the infection. I can also at least smell wine now, it's still not as palatable to me as it used to be, but being able to be in the same room as someone drinking it is a bonus at the moment. As to actually trying it ......... well, I have to give it a whirl before I go back and see the surgeon in 12 days time (his orders). As well as red meat. He wants me to try some to see if the vomiting has been stopped.

Even if I can keep it down, I know it's going to be uncomfortable/painful, and I'm going to feel like crap for an hour or so, as all the food is still being blocked from flowing through effectively.

As far as the corrective surgery for that goes....... once again, life gets in the way. It was going to be happening ASAP, but my former boss had to suddenly step down due to his own ill health, and I have now been 'promoted'. And without an on-call 2IC to be able to rely on for at least the next 6 months, the corrective surgery is going to have to wait


At least my weight loss has stopped plummeting and has stabalised..... even though the surgeon wants me to lose another *10* kgs before the corrective surgery!! That's that stupid BMI chart they all rely on so much :-(

But........ it's all good. The infection is gone. The corrective surgery will come in time.

Hi there everyone,

I thought that I'd update this thread seeing as I'd left it on a very negative note. I'd like to share the fact that there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I'm now three and a half months post-op and have lost a total of 17 kgs. I'm nearly half-way through my weight-loss journey, hoping to eventually be under 60kgs (alright, closer to 55 if I'm honest!). The weight loss hasn't been particularly quick, but I was in hospital for about 2 months on high-calorie IV feeds so, given the circumstances, I'm pretty pleased.

I'm still not quite at the stage of saying "I love my sleeve", but I'm not far off! My saliva and nausea problems have all but disappeared, although I find it very helpful to always have something to nibble on (almonds are very handy). I'm nowhere near drinking my 1.5 litres of fluids, and I suspect that I'm not conscientious enough about my protein intake, but all in all I feel good. I'm starting to exercise and feel physically stronger.

Last weekend, we had a big family gathering and - bearing in mind that nobody outside the closest members knows about my sleeve - I was rather worried about being noticably picky about my food. Well, I needn't have worried! I was able to eat a little of everything and also drink some champagne and wine. And it all tasted so good! My smaller apetite was simply put down to everything I've been through, which suits me just find.

So, I think that I can safely say, "Sleeve, you're not too bad!"

Good luck to anyone out there who's going through a rough time. I hope my story can be of help. I really thought that I'd spend my life regretting having been sleeved... and now it seems that, thankfully, I'm becoming one of the many happy sleevers.

Channamasala wrote:

I can really relate to that. We live in France and my hubby's a bit of a wine buff. It so frustrating seeing him open a good bottle on a Saturday night and I can't even have a sip :-(

Channa..... if you haven't been tested for H.pylori, ask your surgeon to test you for it.

Read some of the symptoms........

http://h-pylori-symptoms.com/h-pylori-symptoms/

Also, with the salivating, it's most likely a by-product of reflux, which is a common occurrence after gastrointestinal surgery......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroesophageal_reflux_disease

"Excessive salivation (also known as water brash) is common during heartburn, as saliva is generally slightly alkaline and is the body's natural response to heartburn, acting similarly to an antacid)"


My next appointment with the surgeon has had to be postponed as we've had a death in the family and, Murphy's Law, the funeral is on the day of the appointment. So now I have to wait another month to go see him, but I will be having the Breath Test soon. The corrective surgery will just be put off for a bit longer.
I'm not going to wait till I go back to see him before I have a glass of red, so I'll let you know how I go.... it'll probably be a good indication as to how effective the antibiotics were in killing off the H.pylori.

I can really relate to that. We live in France and my hubby's a bit of a wine buff. It so frustrating seeing him open a good bottle on a Saturday night and I can't even have a sip :-(

Channamasala wrote:

Thank you mumof4, Isis and ExBigBoy for your input.

@ExBigBoy: OMG you poor thing. I really hope that the next surgery sorts things out for you. I hadn't thought of a bacteria. I don't know about red meat because I don't eat it anyway, but the wine business is a real blow for me and I'd really like to eventually be able to enjoy a glass or two. How did you get tested for H.pylori? Is it via an endoscopy?

Yep, the test I had done was during the endoscopy. A little biopsy taken, and if the little colour patch turns red, you have it.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_urease_test


I used to work as a wine taster....... but straight after the surgery, it was like someone had thrown a switch and anything made with grapes made me want to puke.

A real bummer for someone with an extensive wine cellar, I can tell you!!!

But since taking the antibiotics to kill off the bug, I can now smell a glass of red (without wanting to heave), and I'm actually starting to be able to differentiate the different nuances again.

I'm going to wait till I have the all clear from the breath test before I try a glass though ..... and it's going to be almost 12 months, so it'll be like starting all over again

Thank you mumof4, Isis and ExBigBoy for your input.

@mumof4: that makes me feel a lot better, knowing that someone else is using cordial all the time and can't even drink champagne! What sort of world is it, when a girl can't even stomach a bit of bubbly?!!!

@Isis: like you, I eat too many carbs to be in ketosis, but I'm wondering about the saliva being due to reflux. I've been taking my anti-reflux meds in the morning but perhaps I should try in the evening or half and half. I'll check with my GP.

@ExBigBoy: OMG you poor thing. I really hope that the next surgery sorts things out for you. I hadn't thought of a bacteria. I don't know about red meat because I don't eat it anyway, but the wine business is a real blow for me and I'd really like to eventually be able to enjoy a glass or two. How did you get tested for H.pylori? Is it via an endoscopy?

Thank you, guys, for your contributions. It's just so important, pyschologically, to know that you're not alone.

I too regretted having the sleeve done, till just recently.... and now I can see a light at the end of the tunnel... if the next surgery goes according to plans.

I was having the same problem with wine and most alcohol...... and red meat made me vomit straight away....... and it all came down to a bacteria in the stomach called Helicobacter pylori. It causes an intolerance to red meat and most forms of alcohol (red wine and bubbles in particular.... due to the acid content).

And then I found that I have a 'kink' at the bottom of what's left of my stomach, so that was causing pain and nausea whenever I did eat, because the food was getting stuck there and not going through as it should. I'm having corrective surgery on that within a month. Hopefully after that, I'll be able to eat the required 6-7 meals a day, rather than the 2-3 I'm having that the moment.

So.... knowing that in a couple of months I'm going to be able (hopefully) to finally have some red meat, and maybe even a glass of red wine.... well, it gives me a light to head towards down that dark tunnel of regret at having the sleeve done.

If you haven't been checked for the H.pylori bacteria yet, get it done. It is predisposed to infecting anyone who has had gastrointestinal surgery.

Hey Channa

Gosh you poor thing, having such a bad run!! I'm glad to see you're home now and things can only get better from here on out.

Regarding your spitting situation - like mumof4 says the bad taste could be due to ketosis, I remember having a gross taste while I was on opti before surgery. It went away once I was able to eat more normally (and I have to admit, I'm naughty and still eat some carbs which means no ketosis for me!). I also have trouble with excess saliva due to my reflux, particularly in the evenings. I take anti reflux meds which help.

It's really normal for some foods to be tricky post-surgery. Milk is a common one and I guess the acid in citrus is a bit hard for your new tummy to cope with right now. The intolerances do improve over time as your tummy heals - there are things I couldn't eat earlier on but are now fine, including spicy curries. Your little tummy has had a hell of a ride so it's probably just taking its time to heal :) Volume wise - 3 sushis is pretty good - I can only eat 4 at 6 months out and I can eat more than the majority of people on here (wish I couldn't!). The amount I can eat has got much bigger over time, once again due to the healing process and because normal stomach movement resumes after a few months and starts pushing food through your tummy to the intestines while you eat (like normal pre-surgery stomachs).

Anyway, this is pretty long and rambly .I hope you start to feel better really soon. Big hugs!
~Isis xox

HI There,

I am only 2 weeks ahead of you and luckily I can say I had no complications with the operation and recovery. I am sorry to hear you have had such a bad run. I however do have some of the issues you have when it comes to food.

I can't drink plain water I have to add a little bit of diet cordial. I am always thirsty as well so I don't eat that much as I am always drinking. I can't drink alcohol either. My drink of choice before the sleeve was champagne, but since I can't drink anything fizzy that is out and wine makes me feel sick. I can't eat bread either.

Maybe the taste in your mouth is because your body is in ketosis ( fat burning stage) and that is why it is terrible. I don't know why there is lots of saliva though. Someone else maybe able to help you with that.

I hope your journey gets a lot better and you grow to love your sleeve. if you need a chat pm me.

xoxox Nicki

Up, up up!

Sorry to relaunch this topic again, but I'm really not on top of things at the moment. Well, let's be honest: I'm feeling very very down. I'd love some input from more experienced sleevers or simply those who are going through similar things to me. Perhaps you can answer some of my questions or give me some advice?

A quick summary of my journey: I was sleeved on 15th February, had complications and ended up spending the best part of 8 weeks in hospital and undergoing two extra operations. I was released only 2 weeks ago.

I know I've been through the mill and that I can't expect miracles, but I am nearly 2 and a half months post-op in terms of the sleeve and I haven't yet got to the stage of even vaguely liking my sleeve, let alone being able to shout from the rooftops that I love it.

Let's try and find some positive things:
- yes, it's true, I don't feel hungry which is a radical transformation in my daily existance
- yes, it's true that I have lost a total of 14 kilos which I wouldn't have lost otherwise

However, the list of negative things is long especially as I feel that at 10 weeks out, I should be eating and drinking far more "normally" (sleeve-normal, that is, not obsese-normal!):
- I can only eat a very limited variety of things: milk is dodgy, citrus fruits and juice are out... Shouldn't I be eating more or less what I want now?
- I feel very restricted in terms of volume: is it normal that 3 sushis are my limit? Will I eventually be able to eat more?
- I can't seem to be able to drink plain water so I keep having to add cordial. How long before I can drink normal water? And why am I always so thirsty?
- talking of drink, why can't I stomach any alcohol? Wine tastes like vinegar and even champagne is disgusting!

But the worst thing - by far - is the constant need to spit. It's awful. As soon as I'm not eating, I get a bad taste in my mouth and I need to spit. I have a roll of toilet paper forever next to me and a plastic bag to throw away the pieces of used tissue.

This last problem is really unbearable. It's completely antisocial (as you can imagine) so I feel self-conscious even going out to do some shopping. I've tried sucking on boiled sweets to take the taste away, but that produces more saliva in my mouth which, if I swallow it, makes me vomit. If I nibble on some bread, that helps but bread (or anything similar) eventually fills up my stomach and I can't take any more.

Please, if anyone has had this problem, particularly if you have come out the other side and are now living a happy, normal sleever's life, please let me know. I feel that there's no solution and that I will be condemned to live alongside a toilet roll for the rest of my days.

Thank you for any help you can offer.

Sorry to hear you have had such a terrible time of it, post-op.
Only hope that things are starting to improve for you now and are on the mend.
Wishing you well.

Hi Channa,

Have you had your surgery yet? How are you feeling? We are all cheering for you to have a great result and quick recovery.

MiddleWoman

My love and best wishes to you, Channamasala.

So sorry to hear you are going through these complication. I just wanted you to know I am thinking of you and sending lots of healing energy your way. I can only imagine the pain both physical and mental.
Trace x

You are having a terrible time and to be separated from your family so much as well - that's truly awful.

I hope these setbacks will soon be behind you.

For what it's worth, my thoughts are with you along with everyone else.

8')

I'm sorry you have had a bad time of things, Channamasala. When things settle down, and you enjoy the weight loss, I hope you will feel there are benefits of the sleeve worth all the trouble you have had. That will be an equation only you can figure out.

Zoe