Whoohoo! Surgery was Tuesday. I believe the worst is over and I'm running forward to put the fat past behind me. Truthfully, the gas pain right after surgery felt like my chest was being crushed--I couldn't take a deep breath--and I thought I was having a heart attack. Once they did an EKG and determined that my heart was OK, I just let them load me up with pain meds until it passed. By the next morning the gas was easing up and I came home that afternoon. I haven't needed ANY pain medication since I got home. I actually went grocery shopping on Friday. I still can't swallow anything but tiny sips without feeling pressure in my chest, but today has been much easier in terms of my ability to get stuff down. The first couple days I took anti-nausea meds pretty regularly at the first hint nausea to avoid any vomiting that could tear my staple line...but I haven't needed that today either. Being able to read all your comments and stories before going into surgery really helped to prepare me mentally and give me confidence that I was making a good choice. Thanks to each of you for your support!