Am I Skinny Yet?

[SLVinNorCA]

Not serious.

I just wanted to check in and say Hey!

Hey.

Oh, while I'm here, I may as well spill my guts (not literally)...

I've been switched for 5 days now and can I just say...
as prepared as I felt going in to surgery...
NO ONE can described how it feels. I had to go back over all the pre-op posts and read them like I'd never seen them before. AND while my refrigerator was full of the mushy stage stuff, that I thought I'd want, I STILL peruse the recipe sites looking for that elusive DREAM bite of something to make this tummy FEEL satisfied. I can't get warm enough with 3 layers of clothes on my body. I have fleeting moments of not needing to burp and want MORE of them. No one told me about this hard BUMP above my belly button either, (well, Peggy did but I thought she was just imagining things!! lol) My belly button is indented and feels different. My arthritic hands aren't as painful as they were even on the day of surgery. I don't know if this is a metabolic issue but I have more flexibility then I did last week. The arthritis isn't gone but greatly improved.

Don't get me wrong, I'd read all those things in other people's posts at some point in the last year of research and heard it spoken by people IRL who are switched, I just didn't GET it till it happened to me.

Anyone care to elaborate on their experience early post-op, how it felt, was it like you thought it would be?

[MrsGMO]

I'm not switched (yet), but wanted to send healing thoughts your way.

Before I had a complete hysterectomy, I perused many websites and nothing that anyone posted could prepare me completely for what the road ahead would be like.

It's the old YMMV, but it seems that it does get better albeit slowly.

[chicarita]

I have to admit I laughed when I read your title, because as I was struggling through the recovery, I would always say that to my husband.

I wish there was a way to convey how something FEELS better in writing. I too read, and researched, and studied and I was truly unprepared for the magnitude of this surgery. I have had several others and have MS so, given my medical "experience" and all of my newly aquired knowledge, I think I felt like I knew what to expect. Boy was I wrong.

I knew I'd be cold but I didn't realize sitting outside in the sun with two pairs of socks, heavy sweatpants a tshirt, a sweatshirt and a blanket that I'd still be shiver-freezing on an 80 degree day.

I didn't realize that walking to the mailbox would be the equivalent energy expenditure as climbing Mt. Everest.

I didn't realize that protein shakes would become my Kryptonite and that cottage cheese, which I used to loathe, would become my tummy's best friend.

I KNEW all of these but still wasn't prepared for the enormity of experiencing them.

Oh, one more thing, I didn't realize that poop came in so many forms and shapes. And COLORS.

[luckylibrarian]

I was switched 10 days ago. No less than 4 of my pals has called to ask if I was skinny yet...they were shocked to learn that I will need 2 years to get thin. SMH

I am alternating between hot and cold and it's Driving me crazy.

I had the foamy pukes last night for the first time. I had been drinking water and taking my bedtime batch of pills when I went to the fridge for some food. I ate 2 pieces of lunch meat and 1 slice of processed cheese. It sat very high in my chest. I walked around and changed positions and burped several times, but after 45 minutes of hell, I finally puked and felt better instantly. I won't make that mistake again!

[Deleted]

Those are the first words I remember uttering in the recovery room. As if they hadn't heard them before from a WLS patient! Close to 4 years later, I wouldn't call myself skinny, yet I am very happy where I am.

[Joanne]

I remember feeling that way, too. No matter how much you prepare, you really don't understand what it's like until you go through it. One of the first things I said to my husband was "the first person who says I took the easy way out is getting punched in the face."

The good news is that you will start to feel normal again, in time, so hang in there. I always say when asked that going through surgery and recovery was MUCH harder than I thought it would be, but living with the DS is much easier than I had thought it would be.

[Gutless_in_Seattle]

Thanks everyone, for the insight. As a pre-op, I've been thinking that I'll be prepared for all this, but now, I think not.
In reading your posts, at least I will gain more knowledge and experience through yours, and I'll be more ready than the person that never frequents these forums and try's to go it alone.

[alaja957]

I felt like I was run over by a bus. I had WLS previously but this was much different. Hang in there it gets better each day.

[goodkel]

You are so skinny that, when you turn sideways, you practically disappear.

I had post-op amnesia, too. Had to re-read everything I had been reading for months.

I had the struggle, too, to get over the hump of not being able to fill the gaping hole left by pizza and linguine with white clam sauce. Nothing satisfied me the way I felt after eating those.

But, it got better. I found ways around it and new foods (Greek yogurt!, Val's Ricotta Fluff! Brok's pizza!) that were crave-worthy in their own right and much better for me.

You will, too.

[Girlrocker]

Yep, that's pretty spot-on. No matter how much we read, read, read, once we are actually in it, living it, a whole new world. While right now it seems like you have forgotten it all, you will also have what I call the 'ah-ha' moments, things you'll remember reading that made no sense at the time, but now...ah ha!

For me, I went from thinking about a revision, to consults/approval/scheduled, so so swiftly, it seriously took me 3 weeks after surgery for it all to sink in.

I was ready to do the revision, do whatever it took - but I went through a lotttta tears my first couple of weeks, because as grateful as I was, I also couldn't believe I was going through this...again at age 50.

I was relieved that the early post-op drill did come back - sip, sleep, walk, repeat. I was always cold, tired - like, really really tired, in ways I didn't expect (which later I learned was also due to pretty bad anemia).

Take a deep breath, live one day at a time right now, it really helps. The more you can not look backward, over project, the better. I found that tuning in to my healing process gave me comfort, as crazy as it was, and don't get my started on the weirdness of the bowel movement

And come here, post as often as you need to see you through.

[MontanaGirl]

ain't that the truth. the saying 'hit by a bus' is most accurate i would say:) no words can describe how it feels till your in it.

[Girlrocker]

Oh yes, there's that, too...I believe someone told me I'd feel like I'd been hit by a truck, and then rolled back over me in the other direction True!

[Deleted]

Jun 29, 2012 23:41:19 GMT -5 Gutless_in_Seattle said:

Thanks everyone, for the insight. As a pre-op, I've been thinking that I'll be prepared for all this, but now, I think not.
In reading your posts, at least I will gain more knowledge and experience through yours, and I'll be more ready than the person that never frequents these forums and try's to go it alone.

The only thing that can remotely begin to prepare you for the experience is a previous very large abdominal surgery . But getting very knowledgable and prepared is still a good idea.

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2012 14:12:22 GMT -5 @en said:

Jun 29, 2012 23:41:19 GMT -5 Gutless_in_Seattle said:

Thanks everyone, for the insight. As a pre-op, I've been thinking that I'll be prepared for all this, but now, I think not.
In reading your posts, at least I will gain more knowledge and experience through yours, and I'll be more ready than the person that never frequents these forums and try's to go it alone.

The only thing that can remotely begin to prepare you for the experience is a previous very large abdominal surgery . But getting very knowledgable and prepared is still a good idea.

And even those of us who have a previous bariatric surgery under our belts have been (with a few exceptions, Lulu-Leo!) surprised by the magnitude of this one.

Hey SLV, it's the standard sage advice you've already received. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time for YOUR body to heal. This is a big enough deal that personally I don't believe that any of us are well-served by rushing back into the broader priorities of our lives. Taking the time to learn to listen to your new body and all it's needs can only make the rest f your life a better place to live.

Welcome to the Dark Side. GREAT to have ya on the bench!!

[cathy811]

the bus eventually stops? haha

[sheilal]

I have had a C-section with my last son. And my DS was laproscopic. They just don't compare. I have read tons of posts, but nothing is like the real thing. I think each person goes through it just a little different.
My first thought waking up is that I no longer felt pain on my right side. (they took out my poor sick gallbladder) They did do a lot of extra work repairing things. I never expected to be so tired. I hadn't planned for being under anesthesia for so long either. But part of me actually felt better. I just wanted to sleep all the time.

[SLVinNorCA]

I'm sorry I don't have the energy to respond to each reply individually. But I did want to acknowledge all of your posts.

Little did I realize when I wrote that first post, I would FEEL like a "normal-skinny" person at 6 weeks. Meaning, when I get nauseous, I can't even think about eating or drinking anything. I remember Pre-op, when people would say..."I'm upset (going through a divorce, cat died, hair caught on fire, whatever the issue) I can't eat a thing". I silently thought to myself, Good Grief, NONE of those issues would stop me from eating EVER! Well, I finally GET IT. All those things Peggy tried to tell me when she was in her first 6 weeks out and I thought, uh huh, okay Peggy. >snickering< NOOOOWWWW, I don't laugh, I TOTALLY understand. Peggy is a Goddess!

LuckyLib, I got the foamies ONCE, about 3 weeks ago, when I tried to take a prilosec right after my multi. AND just this week I discovered I WILL throw up if I eat too fast. I've figured out, I can eat a whole drumstick (and ever efficient DSer that I am) I thought, okay, I'll just GIT 'er Done! What SHOULD have taken me 20 minutes or more, took me just 5 minutes to eat and 3.2 seconds to throw up!

Still the most disconcerting part of all this is that NOTHING tastes the way it should. They didn't operate on my tongue, so WTF is up with THAT?? Is it the Ketosis? It can't be that, because it started immediately post-op.

Gutless, Just keep coming back, it works! (obviously stolen quote from another group that saved my life)

Everyone Else, Thank You for "getting it". It helps.
Hugs,
S~

[Peggy]

Jul 5, 2012 18:24:33 GMT -5 SLVinNorCA said:

I'm sorry I don't have the energy to respond to each reply individually. But I did want to acknowledge all of your posts.

Little did I realize when I wrote that first post, I would FEEL like a "normal-skinny" person at 6 weeks. Meaning, when I get nauseous, I can't even think about eating or drinking anything. I remember Pre-op, when people would say..."I'm upset (going through a divorce, cat died, hair caught on fire, whatever the issue) I can't eat a thing". I silently thought to myself, Good Grief, NONE of those issues would stop me from eating EVER! Well, I finally GET IT. All those things Peggy tried to tell me when she was in her first 6 weeks out and I thought, uh huh, okay Peggy. >snickering< NOOOOWWWW, I don't laugh, I TOTALLY understand. Peggy is a Goddess!

LuckyLib, I got the foamies ONCE, about 3 weeks ago, when I tried to take a prilosec right after my multi. AND just this week I discovered I WILL throw up if I eat too fast. I've figured out, I can eat a whole drumstick (and ever efficient DSer that I am) I thought, okay, I'll just GIT 'er Done! What SHOULD have taken me 20 minutes or more, took me just 5 minutes to eat and 3.2 seconds to throw up!

Still the most disconcerting part of all this is that NOTHING tastes the way it should. They didn't operate on my tongue, so WTF is up with THAT?? Is it the Ketosis? It can't be that, because it started immediately post-op.

Gutless, Just keep coming back, it works! (obviously stolen quote from another group that saved my life)

Everyone Else, Thank You for "getting it". It helps.
Hugs,
S~

I have to stop laughing at you right now because you never said anything when i was whining about not being able to drink all that dam water or eat more than a few bites before thinking i had just had a feast , but i knew you were laughing at me ....... so pay back is a bitch!! i am kidding it gets easier and you have watched me so you know .... I am not a goddess but it took me sometime to be able to finish a drumstick and sometimes i still cant , the foamies suck had them a few times and would prefer to not have them if i can pass, but your doing GREAT! i WILL QUOTE YOU HERE "SIP SIP SIP and eat eat eat ! omg if you had ;D said that to me one more time !!!!