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Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery in Japan: Surgery and Recovery (Part 5)

  • Writer: Rose
    Rose
  • Apr 15
  • 6 min read

Before The Surgery

2 days before my surgery date, I was admitted to the hospital once again. I opted again not to pay for a private room, but this time they placed me in a semi-private room (one other patient shared the room with me) free of charge.


I also chose not to pay for hospital pajamas, since my size wasn’t available. However, after surgery, all patients are required to wear hospital garments, so I was given a set that fit tightly. The top tied in the front for easy access to the abdomen, so while I was in bed, I tied it loosely and covered myself with a blanket. When I needed to walk around the hospital, I wore my fluffy robe from home.

I was also instructed to buy a package of adult diapers to wear after surgery; however, again, my size wasn’t available, so I didn’t need to purchase anything. (After surgery, the nurses used tape to secure a smaller size to my body.) I wasn't particularly nervous, I just tried to keep myself as relaxed and rested as possible.


The Day of Surgery

My surgery took place in the afternoon. I was walked down to the surgical room, where I was greeted by a team of doctors and nurses. I was brought into a room and instructed to sit on a table. I was going to have an epidural to reduce my surgical pain.

An epidural is a strong local anesthetic often used for childbirth or surgeries on the mid to lower body. The epidural itself doesn’t cause drowsiness; it just numbs the lower half of the body. It’s administered through a needle into the spine. The injection site is quite small—it took the nurse three tries to find the correct placement. It was painful and uncomfortable. They gave me a pillow to hug and squeeze while they tried to insert the needle. Eventually, they were successful.

I was then instructed to lie down, and a mask was placed over my face. It contained anesthesia to put me to sleep for the surgery. After a few deep breaths, I lost consciousness. The next memory I have is unpleasant. I don’t recall waking up after surgery or being moved to my room. I do remember clutching the bed rails in pain. I vaguely remember doctors or nurses asking me what was wrong, but I wasn’t fully conscious and couldn’t articulate or even understand where the pain was coming from.

I was making sounds—guttural groans of pain—but it felt like I was on autopilot. I was awake but not in control of my body. I remember vomiting, which is a common side effect of anesthesia. Then… I don’t remember much else.

I must have passed out. Most likely, they gave me strong painkillers through my IV to help manage the pain. When I woke up again, I was groggy. I didn’t know what time it was, and I still didn’t feel in control of my body. At that point, I didn’t even realize I had a catheter or that I wasn’t wearing pants—just the adult diaper taped to my body. I was disoriented and very confused.

When I finally regained full consciousness and the grogginess lifted, I felt a deep, shooting pain in my abdomen. I had a drainage tube placed in my side, but I assumed the pain I felt was normal for this type of surgery. I don’t know how many times I called the nurse for more painkillers. Every time I shifted my body, I felt a deep, excruciating pain. I was supposed to be able to stand and move around a little on my own, but the pain was so intense it made me nauseous.



The Mysterious Pain

I was in so much pain that I couldn’t lie on my back. I slept sitting up for three nights. I was so sleep-deprived and in so much pain that by the fourth day, I felt delirious. I never knew what time it was, I couldn’t drink anything, and every time I moved, I would get that same jolt of pain.

What confused me was that the pain didn’t feel like it was coming from my stomach. It felt like it was deep in my uterus, which didn’t make sense. The closest thing my brain could relate it to was intense menstrual cramps. But I'd never felt cramps like this. Why was I feeling such intense pain in my pelvis? I tried to explain it to the doctors and nurses, but I don’t think I was able to properly describe what I was feeling. As a result, my complaints were mostly met with additional pain medication.

I was getting a steady dose of fentanyl—an extremely strong opioid—so I didn’t understand why I was still in so much pain.

On the fifth day, the doctor removed my drainage tube. As he carefully pulled the tube out, I felt a rush of relief wash over my entire body. All of the pain I had been feeling disappeared.

Suddenly, I was able to get up and walk around easily. I didn’t ask for any more pain medication. My mood instantly improved, and I could finally sleep.

As it turns out, the pain wasn’t entirely from the surgery itself. And I wasn’t imagining the deep pelvic pain. Occasionally, drainage tubes are placed in a way that irritates nerve endings or presses against internal areas, causing a deep, shooting or throbbing pain. If I had known this was a possibility, I could have more easily explained the pain to my doctor, and they may have been able to adjust the drainage tube placement. But because I did not communicate how much pain I was feeling, or the type of pain, they also assumed it was normal surgery pain and that I must just have a low pain tolerance.


Recovery

The same day my drainage tube was removed, I got up and walked around. The next day, I was able to shower on my own. I still couldn’t stomach meal replacements, but I began sipping water. In under a week, I was discharged and able to go home.

During the first week, I had a really hard time getting in and out of bed. It felt like I had no abdominal muscles. I could lie down on my back, but I couldn’t roll over or sit up from that position. Thankfully, I had help—otherwise, I think I would’ve been stuck in bed.

Eventually, I regained mobility (after a few hilarious attempts where I clumsily rolled off the bed trying to get up).

For about two weeks post-op, I could only manage one meal replacement per day, sipping it slowly along with water. I became full incredibly quickly. I tried to keep taking my vitamins, but they irritated my stomach so much that I stopped until my body had more time to adjust.

I slowly introduced sugar-free yogurts and puréed soups.

Two weeks post-op, I was back at work. My energy levels are okay, though I’m more tired than usual. But I’m not in any pain. The incision points (5 in total) along my stomach are mostly healed. I was surprised by how small the cuts were and am impressed by the doctors' placements. Except, one incision is exactly where my bra sits, so that one is slightly more irritated than the others. I put a bandage over it every morning before getting dressed, which has helped.

Progress

When I was admitted to the hospital for my pre-op diet, I weighed 98.8 kg (~218 lbs). Six and a half weeks later, I’m down to 87.3 kg (~192 lbs)—a total loss of 11.5 kg (~25 lbs) in just over a month.

I don’t feel particularly hungry throughout the day. In the mornings, I have a cup of black coffee (approved by my doctor) and sip on cold tea and water until noon. Around that time, I have my first meal replacement. By 3 p.m., I’ve usually finished it. Around 6 p.m., my stomach starts to make hunger noises, so I’ll have another meal replacement, some yogurt, or a bit of soup.

I feel much more in tune with my body’s hunger signals now, and I don’t experience a lot of “food noise” throughout the day.

Soon, I’ll start introducing more soft foods like eggs, tofu, baked fish, and puréed vegetables. I’m taking things slowly so I don’t stress my body, but I know I’ll need to increase my protein intake soon to stay healthy.

I’ve also started exercising lightly every day—stationary bike, low resistance. I want to build healthier habits and stay consistent. I’m determined to reach my health and wellness goals! Stats: 36, female

HW: 100 kg

CW: 87 kg (-13)

GW: 58 kg

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