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[Mo-Mik]

Complete this sentence-One thing that surprised me about surgery (or freakiness or recovery or "the process") was ___________. 

Even if it was something that you were warned about or knew but still kind of threw you for a loop.

I was personally surprised at my pre-op education class when I was told I would come home with a mini-football-sized drain still connected to my abdomen....or maybe it was the fact that they said it would have bloody fluid in it. 

My favorite surprise came yesterday when my doc said I only have to be on a two day liquid diet prior to surgery.

[ttowe]

Wow...that would be a surprise. I didn't come home with any drains what so ever.

So I guess my answer would be "I'm still very surprised at the differences that occur with the different surgeons performing the SAME surgery".  You would think they would be pretty standard.

Difference: Collace vs. No Collace, 2 week liquid diet vs day before liquid diet, drains vs. no drains, leak test vs no leak test, and the fact that there are STILL surgeons out there telling people to take Flinstones Chewables.

Toni

[aonesister]

The absorption issues. Calcium, B-vitamins, protein...using the correct kinds. hair loss...have always had a thick, healthy head of hair. It is shocking to me how much i've lost. I'm wondering now about the kind of protein I've been using. Didn't realize it was not pure whey protein isolute.

[Lady K.]

Complete this sentence-One thing that surprised me about surgery (or freakiness or recovery or "the process") was ___________. 

Even if it was something that you were warned about or knew but still kind of threw you for a loop.

I was personally surprised at my pre-op education class when I was told I would come home with a mini-football-sized drain still connected to my abdomen....or maybe it was the fact that they said it would have bloody fluid in it. 

My favorite surprise came yesterday when my doc said I only have to be on a two day liquid diet prior to surgery.

One thing that surprised me about surgery (or freakiness or recovery or "the process") was Just how little discomfort I had after surgery.  I used the Morphine pump when in the hospital, but nothing when I got home.  Not even Tylenol.  That amazed me!  Yeah there was some 'achyness' but not right out pain.

[kchopp]

I was suprised that I was allergic to the drain. After 4 days, I was having SEVERE, 10 out of 10, pain in my left abdomen just a little lower than my belly button. Called the surgeon, trip to the ER for a cat scan, drain taken out, 3 days of IV antibiotics and pain meds, and the episode was over! The drain had caused some inflamation at the intestinal surgery site.
It was a speed bump in the recovery.
A few months ago I had a bad rash on my whole nose from a silicone CPAP mask. I think the JP drain must be silicone also. All I can say is I'm glad I didn't have the lap band.
Oh, and I guess boobs are out of the question. LOL

[nature girl]

I think it was the lack of actual pain I felt.  Post-op in the hospital I had the morphine pump. Once I got home I couldn't keep the liquid vicodin down so I had no pain meds in me.  But I didn't have pain.  I threw up the first night home but I wasn't in pain.

Also, how easy it is for me to throw up when something doesn't want to stay down. Open my mouth and it just falls out then I go about my business. No muss no fuss.


Amy

[Larkey]

...how bad the gastrograffin swallow liquid for the UGI leak test actually tasted.  Should have asked for pre-procedure nausea medication. Made my O2 saturation go way down (trying not to hurl).

[T2Nashville]

That I still struggle with food issues EVERY DAY! I was just pondering this last night. Yes, I made sure I had my head in the game prior to surgery, and yes, I knew this was just a TOOL, and that I would still struggle. But it doesn't really sink in until you get further out and you suddenly realize - this feels the same as it did before surgery. I'm still looking at chocolate cake and wishing I could eat it. And sometimes, I do - but only a bite or two. I guess that's the best part of the surgery is that even when I do splurge, it's not as much as it would have been before. No binges or anything. But that craving, yearning, whatever - it's still there, and it's a battle every single day. That's just what food addiction does to your brain. As Toni and Lynnda have said, we didn't have surgery on our brains. I knew all that, but still - it's becoming more real to me now.

And yeah, the hair loss was pretty traumatic, too, but it stops about 6 months out, and I don't lose any at all now.

[kiersti]

What surprised me most....the gas after surgery.  No one really prepped me for the level of gas discomfort.  i didn't hurt from the surgery when I got home, but the gas plauged me for about a week. 

[T2Nashville]

Oh, Kiersti, me, too!! The gas was awful. I took my pain meds for the gas just so I could get some sleep. I tried everything - walking, rocking, butt up in the air - it was really tough.

[HopenToBeThin]

How danggone weak I was.  Just now starting to feel better.

[Mo-Mik]

there's some great info here-keep it coming!

[Lady K.]

Another thing that has been a very pleasant surprise is having no hunger.  It can be a bit of a problem too though... I get distracted and forget to drink or eat, then I'm trying to play catch-up when I notice the time... thank goodness we can drink our protein... that has been a life saver!

[kelibr]

Mine so far is that my tastes really did change.  Things I loved before make me sick now.  So don't go stock up on too much stuff. 

Also that I couldn't finish a can of soup.  I made some tomato soup and after eating on it for days I finally gave up an tossed it.  I hate to waste food so it's been hard.

Kelly

[missmarymac]

I think my main suprsie was my taste buds changing... pre-op, I didn't like chocolate and now i love chocolate protein shakes.  Pre-op I loved tuna, and now its tastes fishy and gross but shrimp and lobsters don't taste fishy and gross, thank God!

The other suprise is finding out I have a butt bone.   The first time I felt it poke the bathtub I thought I broke something.  My poor butt bones have lived a very sheltered life

[dr28326]

2 Years out and 217 lbs gone!  What surprised me most was all this loose skin..Lost all this weight and still can't wear short sleeves, shorts, bathing suit..etc.  I am healthier though but look terrible without clothes.  Insurance pays for the bypass but not any plastic surgery to help you feel better about yourself.

[wtgrlady]

The one thing that surprised me most about surgery is I didn't realize how much better I would feel so quickly.   I just thought I would feel better once I got to goal but the pain in my feet & legs stopped almost immediately.  I have no more swelling in my legs.  I am off all my meds and I can walk and not be sweating and out of breath. 

[Donna]

I was very weak after surgery, burpped alot, and had to have my gall bladder out  21/2 months after surgery. Thought I would be out of work for 6 weeks, ended up 3 months out of work. But all said and done I feel great now and no more burpping, and have my strength back. It was all worth it. 

[aonesister]

Yeah, the hanging skin is definitely an issue, but well worth no longer having diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, peripheral arterie disease, sore knees, etc., etc., etc.

[kristopia]

I'm only a week and two days out, but I'm surprised by:

1.  How quickly I feel better physically.  This is good, but also not so good, as I'm chomping at the bit to do probably more than I should, so I have to be careful.

2.  How my sensitivity to silicone has given me a rash around my suture areas that itches me like mad.  As Kathy said, thank goodness I didn't get a lapband, because silicone would not be good for me!

3.  How dang hungry I feel (mostly head hunger, I'm sure).  Oddly, not for the junk I used to eat, but for real, good food like salad with vinegrette dressing, lean rare meat, fish.  This liquid diet seems interminable - perhaps because I was on it two weeks before the surgery as well, which makes this the beginning of the fourth week on liquids.  At least it's full liquids now and not just broth. 

4.  How addicted I am to the scale, and how fearful I am that I'll be the one person that this doesn't succeed for.  So, the scale is being put away and only allowed to come out once a week, probably on Sundays.  The fear is just illogical, so I just have to push through that (hence my signature line).

[greebo115]

I'm VERY surprised to find that I liked quite a few things about being overweight!

I've had to realise that the benefits of being slim far outweigh those things!

I was also surprised how many "head issues" I'd have to deal with.

[Lady_J_2008]

How weird it would be to shop for clothes in a "normal department store" instead of a speciality store.  I am completely lost.  Nothing in Lane Bryant fits and I have no idea what I am doing at Macy's and Nordstroms.  It takes me hours to find something after trying on a million things and I'm still not sure if it looks right. 

[baka]

What surprised me most....the gas after surgery.  No one really prepped me for the level of gas discomfort.  i didn't hurt from the surgery when I got home, but the gas plauged me for about a week. 

I think the pain and discomfort from the gas surprised me the most too....

With having a BMI over 60 for the surgery I had prepped myself for the possibility of having to be sliced down the middle.

So, when I came around in recovery room the tremendous pain I felt in the middle of my chest/belly I thought had to be from a slice down the middle..... It felt like a little alien was gonna pop out any second.... Freaked me out when I noticed one of the nurses looked like Sigourney Weaver too ..... Very surreal.

It took me two hours before I peaked and noticed no slice down the middle...... Then Miss Weaver walked in to check on my vitals and I told her about the Alien scene.... We both had a good chuckle at that one

[greebo115]

I was really surprised when I got home and my sense of smell had gone mad!

Some, previously yummy smells made me so sick!

For example, my son often has instant chicken flavoured noodles as a snack. I used to fine the smell so delicious and tempting....

Instead, I had to run out of the house into the back garden to get away from the DISGUSTING smell before I was physically sick. I remember sitting on the bench... breathing deeply....

[Mo-Mik]

So many things to respond to-
Greebo-love the new pic!
dr-most insurance will pay for the stomach skin removal if the panni flap hangs below the pubic bone
missmarymac and baka-you are hilarious

And as an update-I did not come home with a drain-must just be some cases.