LoserMama

I know what you mean! I liken it to buying a house or having a baby, this is a major life change, and in my life, I've had some of those major life changes not work out like I hoped so I am overcautious. In this case, it literally, truly, isn't over until the fat lady sings. LOL. I'm not telling many people for fear something happens and I don't have surgery, and I'm scheduled for next week. I'm worried about having the surgery (what if something happens?) and worried I'll have complications or worry I'll be the one text book case for whom sleeve has no effect. We'll get through it.

I haven't yet been sleeved, but as a person who has need accommodations for refrigeration for meds and breastmilk for many years, and I travel a lot, I have yet to have a hotel that wasn't able to accommodate my need for a fridge. So that part should be helpful. Like you, i expect to be traveling within 3-4 weeks after surgery, so I am planning on ensuring I have a fridge and microwave in my room, and either using grocery delivery service to bring some basics to my hotel when I've arrived, pack a few non perishable things that can travel. If you wanted, you could pack perishable stuff ina cooler with ice and put it through security too. I used to do this with breastmilk to get the milk I'd pumped home safely. You could do that with perishable foods as well, since it goes through security, they let it through. looks like you could take Protein drinks on, too -- have a prescription for medical liquids if you wanted to bring RTD Protein Drinks, but I don't plan on trying it, too much hassle. (see in this PDF the bit about nutrition drinks) http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/special_needs_memo.pdf

Yay FavoredOne, you and me next week! (And many others I know! Exciting! Ela2012, I hope you are able to get the dec 28 date but Jan 3 is coming quite quickly too!! Man, though, couldn't they give you a better idea to confirm so you don't have to do the pre-op liquid for any longer than necessary? Eeks! my big long pre-op class at the hospital is this wednesday. Kinda excited (what a nerd!)

Man, i want to print out this whole list. many of mine are repeats, but: 1. I want to fit in an airplane seat comfortably without an extender. 2. I want to be able to not feel like i need to use the handicapped stall in the bathroom to have enough room. 3. I want hygiene to be easier. 4. I want to chafe less if I'm really active. 5. I want to be able to go skiing with my kids (we live 30 minutes from the slopes, haven't skiied since I was a teenager) 6. I want to be confident I can fit on amusement park rides. 7. I don't want to worry about whether a booth will be too tight. 8. I want to stop needing to use a CPAP. 9. I would like my diabetes to be gone, and get rid of all my assorted diabetes stuff. 10. I would like to not always look for shoes I can slip on. 11. I would like to be able to easily paint my toenails. 12. I want to have energy to play with all my kids. 13. I want to buy lingerie at victorias secret. 14. i want my original wedding rings to fit again. 15. I would like to run a 5k. 16. I would like to join a dance class. 17. At church, I would like to be able to kneel properly without leaning back on the seat. 18. I would like my furniture and bed not to have sagging where I sit or lay.

LMAO --amen to that I can't quite imagine that, though. I didn't feel "pretty" when at a normal weight, so I don't think I'm going to get a lot of attention even if at a normal weight.

I'll have to pick up the jay robb, too, but I have to say, the isopure zero carb ROCKS the house. I picked up a couple at vitaminshoppe, and they were great, so I ordered a case of orange and grape from bodybuilding.com (right here in my own home town) as well as a smaller pack of the alpine punch to try it. I also got a 12 pack of the new whey protein bullets, figure I might be able to get those down in the early days easier since there is less volume but more protein. Those seem to have less of the whey/protein shake feel/taste/smell.

Funny the variation. My doc's assistant told me at my BMI and with sleeve I shouldn't have to do a pre-op diet, but when I went for my appointment with the dietician, she gave me one -- boooo!

Cool Rick, thanks for sharing your experience. Was hoping to hear doc would sign off on something like that. Thanks all!

So, here is an off shoot question. my hubby wants to be supportive of me and eat as I do as much as he can during pre/post-op. he doesn't have much weight to lose, maybe 20-25 lbs at most. if he takes my bariatric vitamins and does a modified version of the full liquid diet, would it be harmful to him if he does that for, well, i guess it would be a total of 4 weeks if he does it as long as I do. I appreciate he wants to be supportive, but I don't want him to get sick. He rarely eats more than one meal a day anyway. Probably not the best way to do things, either.

I am planning on two weeks, I work from home and have some flexibility if i need to extend it or arrange my day to fit in a nap, so that is my plan. What kind of work do you do? Maybe the doc suggested that based on your type of work?

I would like to have my husband stay home with me the first week or so post surgery, we have 4 kids, 2 of whom are small (4 and 2) and I'll need his help for me and for them I think at least that first week. His workplace says he has to fill out FMLA paperwork for that purpose. Do you think my doctor will sign off on something for him? Does anyone have experience with something like this? I am wondering if they are going to think I'm crazy for requesting that :)

That was beautiful and very complete, thank you.

I wish I could have thin oatmeal or cream of wheat! I was told I can't have either in the whole post-op 3 months...I actually quite like those, the nut said those get gummy. I think I must have the most restrictive program out there, from what I am reading :) Funny too, because the surgeons PA, who I've seen for the supervised diet visits for the last 3 months told me I wouldn't even have a pre-op liquid diet required, and that I'd have shorter periods for the various post-op phases because its sleeve, but the dietician seems to be pretty conservative.

See, I want to ask my doc to do this, because I don't want to have to mess with another surgery in three or four months. That was on my question for my pre-op visit a week before surgery, so I am going to ask if they can do that ultrasound to check it out. I'd love to kill two birds with one stone (no pun intended) Any downside to having it removed?

reading this, makes me feel like our pre-op and post-op period is like our version of rehab....ouch. I start on 12/14, I only have a week preop, but I have 4 weeks of liquid only post op ;(

my nutrition/dietician person offered two choices, optisource (can buy at walgreens) or Bariatric fusion. She told me a flintstones is not adequate, YMMV! I was very interested in opurity, because you only have to take one a day versus 4, but my nut said I would have to take a lot of extra stuff. For calcium, try the Calcet soft bites, I really like those. She gave me some other chewy sample one, but it wasn't as good, I can't remember what it was, either.

You are right! I love your attitude, and I'm working on developing that attitude in myself. I've been fat for so long, it will be an adjustment for sure.

Terry, that is just awesome. I am wondering if I will ever get off the metformin, because I was on it for PCOS at a lower dose before I was on it for diabetes. Any ladies with PCOS care to share if they had to stay on metformin?

oh this is reassuring. Thanks for the votes of confidence. The way the scheduler said it so uncertainly, it made me feel like maybe there was something I wasn't thinking of. But maybe she is used to people being deeply attached to their surgeon, I just don't feel that way, they have such good experience, all of them. FavoredOne, we should exchange #'s to text each other while in the hospital and give support!

Oh, I see, I think the way I worded it might have been confusing. What I meant to say is, my doc would do the surgery, another (single) doc would be the one doing the followup.

All of them at this practice are super experienced, so for me its kind of "shrug" in fact -- the one who would be doing round and would be on call is the guru with the most experience, so in some ways, may be better.

I am excited, because I got my date! Yay! 12/21. But it comes with a caveat, that my surgeon will be leaving basically after my surgery for vacation, so my followup care will be with another doctor, and if there are complications, they would be handled by another doc. I know all the docs in the practice are competent, I didn't have a strong preference for one over another, other than this guy is the one who has done far and away the most sleeves in the practice. Should I be concerned about this?

Thank you all for relating your experiences. This is really great to get some perspective on what others have experienced. You know, the one weird thing is, I am VERY dependent on my CPAP, really, its like a sleep cue for me. I have used it for 7.5 years faithfully, and I find it hard to imagine being able to go to sleep without it... I am sure I am weird that way. part of me wonders if I can have one doc fix my deviated septum while the other doc is doing the sleeve....can you combine procedures like that ? ? :)

Never mind....LOL. Sorry, figured it out. Gallstones.

so sorry for the ignorance, but what is this medication for, and how long do you have to take it after? Does everyone take it?