Penelope
Well-Known Member
Surgery twin!
6 months tomorrow - wow - I hadn't realised either. What an amazing ride this has been for us. Not a quick fix or an easy option in any way! I have gone in that time from a 24/26 to a 18/20.
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January 2017 Surgeries
- Thread starter Louisex21
- Start date
6 months tomorrow - wow - I hadn't realised either. What an amazing ride this has been for us. Not a quick fix or an easy option in any way! I have gone in that time from a 24/26 to a 18/20.
Louisex21
Active Member
I can't believe it either! Went in to primark got a size 18 had to take them back as they were really big and get a 16 and a size 14-16 pants and I was a 44dd bra now I'm a 38d. I can't see it coming off myself so I think hhhmmm why don't I look like I'm losing weight but my clothes are getting smaller in size. Thank you I'm feeling a lot better about my sleeve now even though I haven't had nothing but nas squash for 3 days but I guess I have to take the good with the bad and I'm having more good then bad so it's a good start now xx
SAM55
Well-Known Member
It sure has! I think you have had it tougher than me though.Surgery twin!
6 months tomorrow - wow - I hadn't realised either. What an amazing ride this has been for us. Not a quick fix or an easy option in any way! I have gone in that time from a 24/26 to a 18/20.
We could do clothes swaps now Haven't we done well. 
Angeline
Active Member
Hi lovely, Im getting there and the daily wound changes are working wonders !!!!!! Im on proper food textures now and coping ok....Its funny eating so little but feeling so full!!!!!
Ive had the drain out last week which is so much better but left a big hole in tummy ....feeling down with the scars as they are big!!! but getting head round that xxx
Hows you?
Angeline
Active Member
Im so happy you are eating little bits of food now with less issues.....Ive been worried about you xxxxx i can breath a little lol xxx
Just got to take your time and keep trying little things to get your body used to it xxx i still get tummy pains where new joins are and this tells me if to cut down, chew some more and for certain food....dont eat yet as body doesnt like it (i found that out with chicken that had been cooked near spices which I didnt know lol).
Angeline
Active Member
Thats such good news xxxx Glad you have journey buddies to share with as i had a lady on my ward who operation was quite soon after mine and it was lovely for the support xxxx
Thats was the same food plan as me and it worked well to be honest and was fexible to work with my body xxx Try Arla 20g protein yoghurts and Arla Skyra yoghurts post operation as they are higher in protein (highest on the market that ive found). they go down a treat but thick so take time !!!!!!!!! They have been my god send !!!!!
Angeline
Active Member
Oh wow thats amazing !!!!!! Ive gone from 20 ish to 14 top and 14/16 bottoms xxxx Its calmed down now Im eating xxx Going to start gentle exercise soon when wounds ae healed as dont want sweat getting into those two cuts......they are sore at the best of times lol xxxxx
Angeline
Active Member
Every day at a time hunny xxx Ive had my drain out now and wounds are healing still like you xxxx eating for me is a bit like you and coping with new foods ok but trying so hard to learn my new feelings of fullness....tummy doesnt quite like it.......or bowels are working or not as they are still not back to normal since the three ops :-( Ive been told to take tablets now even though im only 5 weeks post op and they are helping with keeping regular aas I got constipated really quickly even with fluids...need to up the fluids though xxx
im really happy for you Julia and glad your getting there xxx
Carby2barbie
Active Member
Anna@88
Member
Thanks x i will try the yoghurt for sure x there is a lovely natural Greek style yoghurt in Lidls I realy like too x im realy glad u r doing well x so happy for u x im so stressed now that they will cancel my operation x i think I can't believe that it gonna finally happen x
Angeline
Active Member
Far better place then I was a couple of weeks ago lol xxx Handling life better and feeling more like me
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
Hi
Can understand your anxiety with so many poor experiences. I have only ever had two bad ones of hospitals and have also had a lot of surgery in the past, but they have been the last two, and were not surgeon related. The first was poor pain relief after an emergency appendicitis with a full cut (no morphine pump), and the second was poor communication about long term pre-op medications/slack practice between nurses both at pre-op and post op.
I had my sleeve at St James in Leeds. My consultant was absolutely ace and very easy to talk to, and very good at checking up on me to see if I was ok. 3 visits post op in 48 hours
He swallow tests all his patients as a matter of course, but I know some surgeons don't. I was on a drip for at least 24 hours and only very small sips of water after that.
They didn't use the sleep apnoea machine as most nurses have not been trained in dual use with oxygen. Poor communication, a rush to get me into theatre as I was last for an HDU bed (HDU beds standard practice), and not a proper admissions check because they expected I would be sent home, so it was all a rush when the porter turned up after a 5 hour wait and they hadn't even asked me to change into a gown, so that slowed things up.
Other than my drain wound being painful for a couple of weeks after, I have had no complications from the actual surgery itself. Any issues I have had are common, such as constipation due to lack of my taking in enough fluids (I don't get thirsty unless the weather is very hot), and during the liquid stage as there wasn't enough going in, and being tired sometimes in the afternoon enough to need a lie down. I used to suffer with ME until 2 years ago so know how to pace myself and take it easy between 4 and 6pm when it is likely to strike if I have eaten enough for the amount of exercise I have done. Always feel better after i have eaten my evening meal.
Medication for 4 weeks was liquid or dispersible/soluble.
The stairs were actually ok to get home in the end pain wise, but didn't try them again for 2 weeks as I was a bit dizzy, and they are outside steps. When I did, I made sure someone was around.
I followed the diet stages (2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks puree and and 2 weeks mashed to the letter, and erred on the side of caution when changing between and introduced only one new texture a day for a couple of days) and only ate what had been suggested. No dumping or vomiting.
Was eating 'normal' food in normal texture (although made sure any meat had gravy or a sauce and was well cooked - i find tinned meat best such as minced beef or stewed steak, and living on my own one tin does three meals even now. They did do 4) at 6 weeks, though introduced them slowly. Some I struggled with (chicken, eggs) and still struggle with eggs so have given them up. Others have struggled with chicken in the early days. I eventually could cope with it if pureed.
I don't know much about pancreatitis other than a friend has recently been diagnosed on top of suffering from gallstones, and they keep cancelling her surgery either because they don't have a bed, or she is having a flare up.
I suffer with PTSD so yes, the anxiety was a problem too, and not all nurses understood what I was getting worked up about.
6 months out now on Sunday ( couldn't believe it when I calculated it yesterday). No longer type 2 diabetic, blood pressure is lower, arthritic knee is less painful (but still needs an op when I have reached 15 stone) and I can walk 2 miles with a walker. People comment on how much better my skin looks as well as how thin I am becoming. Clothes sizes down from 32/34 to 18/20. Only 3 stalls in that time. Each one is then followed by a sudden realisation that i need some new clothes as I have dropped a couple of sizes and things are falling down/off!!!
Hope it all goes ok. It might be helpful to write something down that you can show the nurses/doctors afterwards when you may be feeling too dopey to explain about the effects of the pancreatitis on you?
Hi thank you so much for the lovely reply. First of all of like to say thank you for this lovely long msg secondly I'll have to reply in small parts hehe.Hi
Can understand your anxiety with so many poor experiences. I have only ever had two bad ones of hospitals and have also had a lot of surgery in the past, but they have been the last two, and were not surgeon related. The first was poor pain relief after an emergency appendicitis with a full cut (no morphine pump), and the second was poor communication about long term pre-op medications/slack practice between nurses both at pre-op and post op.
I had my sleeve at St James in Leeds. My consultant was absolutely ace and very easy to talk to, and very good at checking up on me to see if I was ok. 3 visits post op in 48 hours
He swallow tests all his patients as a matter of course, but I know some surgeons don't. I was on a drip for at least 24 hours and only very small sips of water after that.
They didn't use the sleep apnoea machine as most nurses have not been trained in dual use with oxygen. Poor communication, a rush to get me into theatre as I was last for an HDU bed (HDU beds standard practice), and not a proper admissions check because they expected I would be sent home, so it was all a rush when the porter turned up after a 5 hour wait and they hadn't even asked me to change into a gown, so that slowed things up.
Other than my drain wound being painful for a couple of weeks after, I have had no complications from the actual surgery itself. Any issues I have had are common, such as constipation due to lack of my taking in enough fluids (I don't get thirsty unless the weather is very hot), and during the liquid stage as there wasn't enough going in, and being tired sometimes in the afternoon enough to need a lie down. I used to suffer with ME until 2 years ago so know how to pace myself and take it easy between 4 and 6pm when it is likely to strike if I have eaten enough for the amount of exercise I have done. Always feel better after i have eaten my evening meal.
Medication for 4 weeks was liquid or dispersible/soluble.
The stairs were actually ok to get home in the end pain wise, but didn't try them again for 2 weeks as I was a bit dizzy, and they are outside steps. When I did, I made sure someone was around.
I followed the diet stages (2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks puree and and 2 weeks mashed to the letter, and erred on the side of caution when changing between and introduced only one new texture a day for a couple of days) and only ate what had been suggested. No dumping or vomiting.
Was eating 'normal' food in normal texture (although made sure any meat had gravy or a sauce and was well cooked - i find tinned meat best such as minced beef or stewed steak, and living on my own one tin does three meals even now. They did do 4) at 6 weeks, though introduced them slowly. Some I struggled with (chicken, eggs) and still struggle with eggs so have given them up. Others have struggled with chicken in the early days. I eventually could cope with it if pureed.
I don't know much about pancreatitis other than a friend has recently been diagnosed on top of suffering from gallstones, and they keep cancelling her surgery either because they don't have a bed, or she is having a flare up.
I suffer with PTSD so yes, the anxiety was a problem too, and not all nurses understood what I was getting worked up about.
6 months out now on Sunday ( couldn't believe it when I calculated it yesterday). No longer type 2 diabetic, blood pressure is lower, arthritic knee is less painful (but still needs an op when I have reached 15 stone) and I can walk 2 miles with a walker. People comment on how much better my skin looks as well as how thin I am becoming. Clothes sizes down from 32/34 to 18/20. Only 3 stalls in that time. Each one is then followed by a sudden realisation that i need some new clothes as I have dropped a couple of sizes and things are falling down/off!!!
Hope it all goes ok. It might be helpful to write something down that you can show the nurses/doctors afterwards when you may be feeling too dopey to explain about the effects of the pancreatitis on you?
Your hospital stay when you were treated badly sounds awful I know how you feel its sad that so many people suffer from neglect yet it still happens so often but poor nurses are run ragged.
As for your surgery and surgeon you sound so lucky iv met mine before he seems very strict and not a happy fellow like he doesn't want to even talk to me.
You got lucky (can I have your surgeon lol)
Wow yo ME has gone completely that's amazing!!! I need naps and I'm 32 going on 1000000 I get so tired everything feels like a fight.
As for my chronic pancreatitis I first had an attack 6years ago after having 4 drinks when out on a girls night with quickly turned sour as I passed out and became very sick very fast but funny enough it was LnD that thought I was just lly drunk and sent me home I spent the next 3 days being sick non stop I mean literally every time I swallowed my body rejected it after day 2 my friend called an ambulance they came and said its gastric flu have aspirin and gaviscon. I spent another 24hrs being poorly to the point I kept passing out from agony in my stomach and back. I went to hospital that morning and was rushed to specialist hospital where I spent 6weeks in hospital being very poorly and had it 6 times since but in constant pain they accused me of being an alcoholic yet I only drank once a month on a night out with Friends. After the 3rd addmition they decided it could be my gallbladder with stones even try couldn't see them on scans, so the scheduled me to have my gallbladder removed in which they found 3 stones therefore apologized for calling me a drunk.
Then said I won'tand poorly anymore which if you felt the pain I kept having it was like winning the lotto.
But iv had 3 more long stays in hospital 3-9weeks and short stays too since then due to an ectopic pancreas. So I will be having two ops in one when I have my op.
As for eating I can eat normal food but my body doesn't absorbs the nutrients as well as it should I take Creon with every meal and I love milk but they didn't want to put me on it alone as it could kick off an attack and so close to surgery could be dangerous.
I'm on a lot of medication oralmorph MSTs high BP pills reflux pills and others
This op with hopefully relieve me of most of my issues i am in touch with dietitian mnd many drs they all know my case but I just don't feel a connection with my surgeon but I'm seeing him next week first thing in the morning maybe he was just having a bad day when I met him before.
My anxiety is through the roof rite now I'm so stressed as I got weighed tonight and some how gained 1.5lbs I have to lose more weight before seeing him next week aaaahhhh will this ever end!!
Iv taken your advice and written things down I have questions and statements to show when I'm doped up.
I will keep you posted on how it all goes. Hope you had a good weekend xxx
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
Im so happy to hear from you I think of you often, scars can heal and fade try to think o your new healthy long life ahead stay that positive lovely person you are things will get there and you will look back and think yes a bumpy road but now its life and living all the way.
I'm OK little cross as I gained another 1.5lbs this week I ran out of water tablets and BP pills so think it's that as due on but still stressful as got the big day with the surgeon next week. Dreading it as I think iv got my hopes up and I'm sure he will tell me to go away and lose more weight but its so hard to an iv been waiting over a year and half which is so hard having life on hold but I can only wait and see.
Apart from that I'm fine and so happy you are on the mend xxx
Louisex21
Active Member
Sorry I haven't been on here been so busy got my self a new job!!! Yay I've officially got in with the NHS I'm so excited. Things are getting there with eating this is my eating so far 2 days good 2 days where I can't eat nothing at all because it hurts or I'm sick and that's what it's like throughout the week ate half a double cheeseburger from McDonald's naughty I no but was so hungry was going dizzy. Meals are still hit and miss where I have 2 spoonfuls and I'm full but I have cereal for breakfast which I can have about 10 teaspoon. Weight is slowing down be lost 4lb last week 4lb this week and I'm very happy with the 4lb losses.. I've gave myself targets to get into the 14st by next month only 4lb away and the month after to get in the 13st mark and so on.. I can't stomach another egg or soup but I've found some pop crisps and have protein in and only 98 calls per pack and they are delicious so been having 3 packs a week and especially on a bad day tend to be able to eat them.. hope your well @Angeline and @Sweetcheeks84. How are you both getting on and sorry for the essay aha xxxx
Suffolk Joy
Active Member
Hi Sweetcheeks
I have been off the radar for a week as I have been ill. Major D&V but by my scales not a lb lost. However I am now in the last day before I start my 6 weeks of milk diet before my op. I got a letter last week from L&D to see Bariatric Nurse 1 week before my op date so I assume if I turn up without having lost the 7.5 kg the surgeon demands my op will be put back. The stress of a major op coming up, the 6 weeks of milk diet and the possibility that it may all come to nothing is a big anxiety. I now we have to be able to stick to the diet and use the surgery properly but I am finding losing weight very difficult. I am so limited to foods I can eat that for me a small loss is a big win - but that is not the way the team see it.
What day do you see Mr Jain? My fingers are crossed for you.
SJ x
Suffolk Joy
Active Member
Hi Louise
Well done on the job - another box ticked. Ca I ask you what your food diary has been like from surgery day to where you are now. I know that eventually the team will tell me what to expect but I am six weeks from surgery and want to be assured I am prepared but all the books I have read and the cook books I have are really dealing with the stage once you are eating as normal a diet as you will ever eat. I know you start with clear fluids but can you give me a rough guide. I feel like blindfolded idiot stumbling around in the dark.
SJ x
Suffolk Joy
Active Member
Far better place then I was a couple of weeks ago lol xxx Handling life better and feeling more like me
Hi Angeline
I have been out of contact for a week with D&V but no weight loss! I am starting my 6 week milk diet as the run in to surgery on 25 April. So so pleased to read that you are on the up and life is more positive for you. You have certainly taken your fair share of difficulties with this process. Go gently with the exercise!
SJ xx
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