Question:
I was wondering besides pain what is the worst thing that has happened to most
i saw where some one posted that the dring is nasty i am very weak stomached and wonder if that is like the worst besides pain and like dumping . if i have to drink something nasty i will puke it up when i had a diabetes test done i had to drink that stuff twice because i kept puking it up is that the worst besides all the given — blank first name B. (posted on September 24, 2001)
September 24, 2001
I had no pain due to the pain med (drip) they used. The only hard thing for
me was trying to get up out of bed the evening after the surgery. There was
no pain, it was just hard to sit up from a laying position because the
incision felt like a ruler was stuck in there and I just couldn't bend. In
fact, I never had any pain at all...even after they took away the pain
medication...even after I went home I didn't use any pain medication.
Remember, the more you walk the better you will feel and you'll be able to
sleep on your stomach sooner. I never had to drink anything nasty either.
Good luck!
— Betty Todd
September 24, 2001
If the worst thing that happens to you is vomiting, count your blessing.
Again, this is a major, life-altering sugery. There can be lots and lot of
problems. I haven't had any serious problems, but I did battle vomiting
(which caused an extended hospital stay), diarrhea, dehydration, etc...
The swallow is not all that bad and a lot of people (myself included) were
probably too drugged to really care how it tasted. I do wish you the best
of luck, though!
— FireJewel
September 24, 2001
The leak test after your surgery. The stuff they make you drink is
horrible.
— Dawn H.
September 24, 2001
the leak test is DISGUSTING. and if you throw up, welcome to the club.
But it is over quickly. At my hospital, they hand you a bottle of
mouthwash as you are wheeled to for the xray. the second they are done
[the whole thing takes five minutes],let let you rinse your mouth right in
the x-ray rm sink. Remember, you are barely 24 hrs post op at this point
and everything is a struggle. Good Luck.
— michelle R.
September 25, 2001
Many of us have no problems and little pain. See my profile for details of
surgery and my activities post op at the bottom. I have thrown up now once
from eating too fast. I feel like a teenager and am wearing a shirt from my
high school days of 1975. I have to add this to my profile but I bumped
into a old girl friend the other day who didnt recognize me.:) I can now
eat for FREE at the local mall where some of the food court restaurants
give free samples. Its a nice assortment of chicken, beef and pork, and I
always felt the free samples tasted better than a meal. My problem is
having to buy new clothes, I am now a extra large down from a 3X and 4X
size. Seriously my potassium is a bit low, and I am taking pills for a few
days, and my blood pressure occasionally drops so low I get dizzy. I was on
pills before to lower it and my PCP says my body is in a period of
adjustment and it will be fine. My backaches from the fast loss and my
spine straightening out after being bent over for so many years. I will
need plastic surgery for my belly apron that is hanging real low. All in
all its a good trade of problems considering I am just 2 months post op. I
really wish my plateau would break.........
— bob-haller
September 25, 2001
I had a side effect that they don't ell you about, but happens to many: I
got a yeast infection in my mouth due to the extremely strong antibitics
they give I.V. after the surgery. If this happens to you, your tongue
swells and looks hairy, and your mouth gets very red and tongue gets
extremely sore. If this happens, call your surgeon and they can prescribe
liquid meds that will tame the yeast and restore peace to your mouth!
— Susan E.
September 25, 2001
I had a gastric bleed which resulted in 7 days in the hospital with
a nas0-gastric tube draining blood/fluid from stomach through a tube
in my nose into a jug. It was gross and disgusting. I couldn't have
anything to eat or drink....just ice chips. I was ready to kill for a
jello
or even a cup of tea!
— [Anonymous]
September 25, 2001
I was so thirsty by the time they did the leak test that the drink didn't
bother me. It just tasted minty/chalky kind of like milk of magnesia. I did
have problems with back pain. I was under for 4 1/2 hours (lap) and my big
butt didn't do any good for my lower back at all! LOL I put a pillow under
my legs after I woke up. I think I used the pain meds for my back because
it hurt worse than the incisions. I also was not too fond of the breathing
exercises they made me do but more because the techs were militant about it
and I never seemed to do well enough to please them. I could tell THEY'D
never had surgery and had to breathe in that thing!
— ctyst
September 25, 2001
The worst thing besides depression from anesthesia, no working a/c in the
hospital and feeling sorry for myself, the thrush (yeast infection) in my
mouth etc. was the pre-op nightmare of the go-lytely/fasting weekend.
Nothing compares to that....
— Karen R.
September 25, 2001
The worst thing to happen to me was that my J-P drain became dislodged
after I was home for about five days. I was bleeding quite a bit, and was
in terrible pain. It took several hours of tests in the hospital so they
could rule out all possibility of any major problem, but once that was
ruled out, doc figured out it had just dislodged. They did give me plenty
of morphine shots in the hospital which helped tremendously. The tests were
not too bad, except for another leak test, UGH! All in all, soon as they
removed the drain, I was fine. Cost me another two days in the hospital,
but all has been fine since.
— Maria H.
September 30, 2001
The worst thing was the "day-after" anesthesia. Anesthesia pools
in the adipose tissue (fat) and in large people it can pool for about 24
hours. If you are on a morphine drip (a respiratory depressant) for the
pain, when the pooled anesthesia is finally released from the fat, it can
interact with the morphine. Myt surgeon puts people in intensive care for
the 24 hrs post surgery to watch for this. In my case, suddenly my
oxygenation level (spO2) went from 95% to 76%. The Hopkins staff pulled me
through! It is not uncommon.
— Chris S.
October 12, 2001
The awful dreams I had after surgery and for three days after!!! They
where worse than NIGHTMARES!!!!
— Bobbi M.
October 12, 2001
The worst thing for me was the extreme anxiety I felt right before surgery
while in the pre-op area. I wish now that I had asked for "happy
shot" I hear people talking about!
— georgiacarol
August 13, 2002
I haven't had the surgery, but waiting for approval. Any way, to help with
digesting that Yuckie stuff. Here's a hint that helps that my Grandma
taught me with taking yuckie medicine as a child.
"Hold your nose & off it goes" with out the taste!
Hope it works for you! :)
— Jenny B.
August 13, 2002
I didn't think any of the tests were bad... I think if I had to complain
about any of the process it would be the binder (it was so uncomfortable in
the heat and humidity), the pureed stage, and waiting ... but nothing was
that bad compared to the pounds I've lost. *grin*
— Lisa C.
October 28, 2002
Oh man...the HORRIBLE gas pains right after and continuing for 5 days after
the surgery. It was just awful.
— Pamela W.
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