CJ_Redux

Congrats! It's all positive from hear on out! Or so it would seem (I'm only 12 days out from surgery, so what do I know??) LOL!

Here's mine: http://thereduxlife.com/2012/06/02/the-redux-bucket-list/

I suppose it was kind of easy for me. I just stayed away from family get-togethers. But the reason I didn't go is because of menstral stomach cramps. I've just been laying around all day, drinking my juices and Water and Protein shakes. I haven't smelled any BBQ, so I haven't missed it. Now that darn Olive Garden commercial where they keep showing the creamy Pasta slipping and sliding onto the plate? That's another story entirely!

Congratulations to you!!!

Same here. I'm now 11 days post op and I can drink a lot better also. I figured it was just my stomach healing (ie, swelling going down) so naturally I'd be able to get a bit more in without restriction. Sounds like we're probably all keeping pace with what should be happening.

Thanks for the compliment. I am not a "published" writer, but years ago I started a novel (perhaps one day I'll get back to it) and I used to write a lot of poetry. Right now, I'm working on a blog about my life, including my VSG journey. I figure I'll see if I can keep that going for a while. If so, I'd love to be published in some way, some day. As for the vomiting, everyone is different. I pray your experience is much better than mine!

...I'll be a Sleeved Sistah. As I am preparing this evening (washing clothes, visiting my mom to tell her I love her--in case I don't make it, packing...), it feels surreal. What if this is the last time I'll see my mother? This is really REAL. This is IT. I followed my 2-week preop to the best of my ability. I tried my best. I cheated too. I gave myself the excuse to after I got sick from the sugar-free (yet chemical-filled) pudding. But overall, I did better than I expected and have thus far lost abt 10 lbs. These last 3 days of clear liquid, having nothing but Water, tea, broth (repeat), have been the toughest. I've gone through a range of emotions from hunger to anger to despair. But I made it. And as I end this preop journey and prepare to begin another, I feel...surreal. I know without a doubt that without this surgery I'd most likely never lose this weight. So I am thankful for it. But if I'm honest, I still wish there was another way. I wish my current life was set up to support the weight loss I need. But it isn't. I wish I had the courage to change it without surgery. But I don't. That's the God's honest truth. And so, here I am. Ready to change, but full of fear too. Full of what if's. One thing I know for sure, though, is that this surgery is my leap of faith. I believe I was meant to be MORE than who I am and how I am right now. And I'm willing to face death in order to truly live. Is this will be my end, then so be it. But perhaps it will be my beginning. Perhaps my rebirth. Whatever awaits me on the other side of this surgery, know that I was here. And I tried, really tried to live my life with meaning, passion and purpose. Sorry, I just need to speak my truth to the universe...and any of you who've bothered to read this far. Love.

I just posted about my experience. You can read it here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/43212-shes-baaaaaack-from-surgery-lol/

Thanks nabird! Yes I was very nervous LOL! You will be fine too!

@sleevehopefull27, based on your daughter's condition, I think taking her is a bad idea. It would be better for everyone (your daughter and YOU) if your hubby stayed behind and you flew alone. Tell hubby to be reassured that you'll be in good hands. I went alone, and while I was sleeping after surgery, Omar and Dr. Kelly called my sister (she was my next of kin on the forms I filled out), and they gave her an update to my condition. And when I woke up, Omar allowed me to call her every day. Go alone. You will be fine. Or, if you have a relative other than your hubby, ask them to go with you. But taking a child in that condition, whether on a plane or drive sounds like it would be too much for her.

Having just gone through it, I don't think I'd want to drive for 36 hours after surgery. You'll have compression stockings, but still. It will become very uncomfortable after that first 8 hours, I bet. The last thing you want is to end up with a blood clot in your legs, so you'd have to stop probably every few hours. Which means getting back will take you more days than you'll want (at least 5). My suggestion is not to do that. It's too much risk and discomfort. However, you can ask Dr, Kelly and see what he thinks. Perhaps he can give you blood thinners to take while you travel. ,I don't know. I'm just throwing out options. Good luck!

@joyv, hi neighbor!!

@sleevehopefull27, I'd recomnmend you drive to San Diego and then park somewhere. Then have Dr. Kelly's people come and pick you up. It would be easier in terms of getting across the border (more specifically, in coming back). You can always just travel alone (I did) and leave the hubby and kids home. It might be a lot easier on everyone. I went by myself, and while I did get a little lonely while in the hospital, that all changed once I got to the hotel. Omar (the coordinator) and Cecy (Dr. Kelly's wife) kept me quite busy.

Thank you ALL! :wub:

Thank you!

OK so I'd been reading other people's posts saying that after the 3rd or 4th day of preop, things get easier. So I woke up this morning, day 5 of my preop diet, feeling ok and hopeful that my knawing desire for macaroni and cheese with chicken would have subsided. Little did I know what this day had in store for me... So I get to work and I'm cool, not even hungry. I decide to have some sugar-free dark chocolate pudding and of course, Water. Mmmm Mmmm! Pudding is smooth and creamy and tastes great! I mean it really was satisfying! Fast forward about 1 hour, I'm in a meeting that's just getting under way. All of a sudden I hear a rumbling in my stomach. Hmmm, that was strange. Oh well... Then, it happens again...and again, getting louder each time. I know this feeling... Last time I felt it was right after my gallbladder was removed. At that time I had been warned: "When you feel like you have to "go", get to a bathroom...ASAP!" So 5 minutes into the meeting, I get up to excuse myself and as I'm walking to the restroom...I start to feel like I'm not gonna make it. So now i'm trying to run/walk to the restroom without looking like I'm run/walking to the restroom!!! Luckily, I make it to the toilet in time. (You thought I was gonna tell you I pooped my pants, didn't you? Disappointed? Keep reading...) So I'm sitting there, in pain. I mean my stomach is twisted like someone wringing out a newly washed garment. I'm praying to God, Allah, Rastafari, the universe, baby Jesus AND Tom Cruise! Just anyone to help me deal with the pain I felt as I pooped. I literally could feel it moving thru my intestines. And I'm wondering how is it I could be pooping so much anyway?? I've had nothing but broth, yogurt, Jello and pudding for the past 4+ days!! And if that wasn't bad enough...oh boy, now I'm getting that increase in saliva...you know, that stuff you get when you're about to throw up? Yep! BLAAAAAAGH!!!!!! All over the floor in front of me. Oh.My.God!!! You do recall I ate chocolate pudding, right? Imagine how that looked on the restroom floor... So now I'm pooping in the toilet and vomiting brown stuff all over the floor. Dear God... I finally get to a point where I think I'm done and I try to clean up the mess I made...AT WORK. I wipe up the poop-looking vomit as best I can, even though it splashed on the walls and my shoes and my slacks. I make it to the sink to wash my hands. And before I can even dry them, i get that rumbling again and head right back to the same stall I just defamed. This happens 2 more times before I'm all done. By now, the hour long meeting I ran out of is done, and people are wondering what happened to me as i weakly try to just get back to my desk. And I have to sit there for about a half hour just to get to a point where I felt OK to leave. It was mortifying! And my question to all you sleeved, post-preop people is: WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WARN ME?????????????????????? I should mention that I never eat sugar-free stuff, and everything I've eaten this week is stuff I don't normally ever eat. I guess my body got sick and tired of jello and pudding and decided NO MORE! Now, I don't even know what to eat for the rest of this diet! I can't stomach the shakes and I'll burn in hell before I eat anything else with "sugar free" written on the label!! WTH am I gonna do??? You can stop laughing now...

@Butterthebean, I've never seen that show. Sounds like some sort of Jerry Springer spin-off. LOL! My day was more like Bridesmaids. Whew!!!

Thanks! I do write some...when I'm not busy watching TV. LOL! Actually I'm working on a blog...this little fiasco will definitely be one of my posts.

@JennyB, it was store bought.

This is day 4 for me too. I'm in the same boat as SMP1126. I've asked several times about substitutes and it's really a no-go. I asked if I could do Atkins in lieu of this liquid diet. The answer, "Yes...Atkins shakes!" Uhhh, not what I meant!!! Yesterday and today have been so hard for me. I have images of macaroni and cheese dancing in my head. I really feel like I don't know how I'll make it. But if others before us did it, I guess we can too. That's what i keep telling myself...that, and I need my liver shrunk!

Is that a British accent you have? I can almost hear it in the way you write: "fancy a steak", calling food gorgeous...I love it! Or as you might say, brilliant!

Well, I made it thru yesterday (surprisingly) and today is day d@mn 4 of 100% pre-op. It’s supposed to be day 6 for me, but since I cheated over the weekend I’m not really counting those days. Yesterday was SOOOO hard! I thought I was gonna break. But I'm just gonna keep on keeping on cuz I’ve still got a long road ahead (this is a 14 day preop). I was sooooo tempted yesterday. I drove over to Noodles & Company (one of my favorite restaurants) after I got off work. But then I just kept going. It was so hard cuz I wanted some mac-n-cheese!!! I felt tense all over my body as I saw the restaurant in my rear-view mirror. But I kept going. I press toward the mark of the high calling of WLS. That’s bible! LOL! I can say I’m feeling different in my body. It’s only been 3 days, but I am sleeping so much better at night. It’s amazing. Normally I wake up in the middle of the night and I’m all sweaty and usually have acid reflux, so I have to get up and pee and then eat a few tums…that’s usually EVERY night! But the past few nights, I still have to get up to pee but no need for tums. And last night, I didn’t sweat AT ALL! That might sound crazy to you…LOL…but that’s been my reality. So when I didn’t sweat, at all, it was like WHOA!!! LOL! So even though it's been quite rough for me to stick to my preop, I can tell that changes are going on in my body, which is good. Surgery day is 6/23!!

This is always my worst fear...

Thank you for this post! I really need this today...my preop is killing me and i'm getting cold feet about my upcoming surgery. So i need these reminders of why i'm doing this, and what i can look forward to on the other side. Thank you for the encouragement! For reall!!!

Awesome list. The only thing i'll add: having to shift my weight from one hip to the next (in order to give my knees a break) when standing for any amount of time.