Nancy Rivers

I was just wondering how soon after surgery you could go and have a massage for example. I know I should wait a while to allow the incisions to heal. I had a full body massage for my birthday this year and loved it so much that I want to do it again!

Yesterday in pre-op teaching they told me that the vitamins would be started 2 weeks after surgery.

Congratulations and good luck with your upcoming surgery!

No, I am extremely sedentary. When I started this process, I couldn't stand for 5 minutes without breaking out into a sweat. I couldn't walk 5 minutes without being winded (and that was on a level surface walking very slowly!). I've started to walk a little bit more and can get up to about 10 minutes before becoming winded and about 10 minutes of standing without breaking out in a sweat. I know it will improve after surgery as the weight comes off, it will be easier for me to exercise. I had back surgery 4 years ago - and since then, my health has really gone downhill. It was only about 3 months ago that I was able to finally stand up straight! This surgery will literally give me my life back. I can't help but be excited about that.

Congratulations on making it through the surgery and welcome to the forums! Thank you for sharing your story. So sorry you had such pain. Many people report having pain from the gas after the surgery. It will get better though.

Welcome to the forums and good luck! My EGD was completely normal as well as gallbladder. I didn't need cardiac or pulmonary clearances, so I can't help with those concerns. Hoping you get good news.

Congratulations on getting through the consult! The rest will be easy!

For a couple of years now, I have really liked having the Meijer brand Crystal Quenchers Water. They have different flavors like black cherry, kiwi strawberry, lime, grape, etc. No caffeine, No Sodium, No Calories. The only problem - it's carbonated. Solution: shake the living daylights out of it so it goes flat! And, it's not sweet like crystal light is.

I'm really excited to be starting life anew. I start the pre-op diet tomorrow and while I kind of dread it, I really am looking forward to it. I did my shopping today so I'll be ready!

Do not take motrin - take Tylenol instead. At my pre-op teaching yesterday they told us the ONLY pain med we could take within 2 weeks of surgery is Tylenol. It will get easier - you are going through carb detox... I'm about to join you.

I've told virtually everyone EXCEPT my family. Why haven't I told them? Because they are the ultimate in negativity and dead set against me having surgery or even making any decisions for myself on my own despite the fact they know I research everything first. Eventually I MAY tell them, but then it will be too late for them to bellyache about it.

It can take a week or two to get a response.

I have a scale that will zero itself out before you step on it. You have to tap it in the center to turn it on and let it zero out, then you step on it and will accurately weigh you. I just need to make sure I put it on the bathroom floor where there is no carpeting because that will screw with it.

Just be careful to take the medication according to directions. For example, some medications cannot be taken with dairy or any type of food. Some medications cannot be taken with other medications because it will negate their effects.

Yes, it is very good. I found it a couple of months ago on another website along with ones from 3 or 4 other doctors across the country. I have read them all. While there were some differences, there were a lot of similarities. Just yesterday I received a similar packet from my surgeon in pre-op teaching. Again, there are some differences, but there are a lot of similarities too.

I teach union workers how to build, use and troubleshoot computers. It's not a traditional school. My classes usually last 5 or 6 weeks.

Congratulations on the loss! Wow - 122 pounds in 6 months is awesome!

I usually use something like cheaptickets.com to get an idea of the cost - and the carriers then I will book through the actual carrier's website as it tends to be a bit cheaper that way.

Congrats on getting the first 2 appointments out of the way. Sleep studies are very common - and most people will be diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Welcome to the forums. Everyone is different on how quickly they loose and how much extra skin there is. Where I am having my surgery, they also include 6 months of membership at the fitness center as well as 2 meetings with a personal trainer. I have already met the personal trainer who comes to the support group meetings. He had the bypass surgery about 5.5 years ago. He has lost over 400 pounds and has never had plastic surgery. He looks amazing! He told us that he does specific exercises that helped to eliminate the appearance of the extra skin and he will customize it to each of us if we meet with him. That's not to say there won't be, but I hope I can learn a lot from him.

Welcome to the forums. As you have discovered, this is a great place to get support. Feel free to ask any questions. Congratulations on making the decision!

Good luck tomorrow!

I start mine tomorrow - I will get the diet plan today. However, since I have already gotten some Protein powder samples, I started today off by having a Protein shake. I plan to have another for lunch and then see what they tell me this afternoon. We can do it!

Congratulations on getting your surgery date! It will be here before you know it!

My surgery is July 12 and I told my boss that I would return to teaching on August 1 (almost 3 weeks). I should be able to go back quicker as I tend to bounce back from surgery quickly, but wanted to give myself that much time.