pcindy

Hi Melinda. As you can see from my posts, I'm right where you are. Hang in there.

WHEN DOES ALL THIS PASS????? The gas, the gurgles, epigastric pressure? When? Anyone???

I am less than one week out. If you're not on a pre-op liquid diet, I posted my bariatric practice's diet in a thread somewhere. Also, If you go off it pre-op (as I did), do it with low/non-fat foods (air-popped popcorn, sushi). Doc said my omentum, liver and stomach looked good. As far as afterward, good luck to us both! I'm just beginning.

My husband now pounds/karate chops my back upon request. He is such a lucky man. Truly, a man to be envied...

I'm starting to have some incisional pain tonight. I bought some liquid Tylenol because the Hydrocodone was kicking my ASS (giving me a headache, making me feel loopy- NOT in a good way). I took a long walk today and think it might have been a little much. I was falling asleep on my husband's arm toward the end of the walk. I feel better after a shower. I think I just need a good night's sleep.

I got some oil at Whole Foods tonight. It's a mix of organic flax, sesame, and sunflower oils, and has Omega 3-6-9. It tastes nice and nutty, goes down easily, and gives me 120 calories that I desparately need without saturated fat. I also got some liquid silica (I know, SAND?) which is supposed to be good for connective tissue including collagen and hair. We'll see. Either I'll keep some of my hair, or start growing a motherboard out of my head...

Hi Anio. I told my husband today that now i know why babies cry miserably when they need to be burped! I literally stopped a mom with a 1 year old in Whole Foods and asked her if she had any bottle suggestions for what type would allow the least amount of air intake! She said her kid had never had a bottle. I was dismayed, as I do not have this child's option! This too shall pass, right? (it had g-dd*mn better!)

Dudes, right in the middle of my sternum. Friggin' GAS! Taking lots of careful slow sips, trying not to take in air, not going too fast or I get hiccups as well). Taking Gas X strips. All I have to say is, goddamn GAS. I am exhausted. I am occasionally farting too, although this does not bother me. What bothers me is this epigastric sternal GAS. GAS.:thumbup1: Erp, thank you.

I usually take Omega 3-6-9 from Whole Foods, but it's a pill. I'll try to find it in a straight liquid. I think they have it. Thanks folks.

They still do the surgery the traditional way (they don't have instrumentation- mainly staplers, that can work in such a tight space-from within the stomach), but before they close the final staple line, they remove the fundus esphageally. Because of this, The one larger incision (which is the primary risk for herniation) is avoided. Less pain too. I feel pretty good, actually.

Y'all's is makin' me nervous...

It's 2:30am and I'm up and writing because I feel like I just turned a small corner with the gas. I wrote on another post that I'm in a cycle of sip-gurgle-burp, but a few minutes ago, I actually took a normal-ish sip. I was actually worried! Is it too normal too suddenly? I took a Zofran just now for a little nausea, and am trying to still sip very slowly. (there, a couple of burps). Monitoring my drain. Being a typically anal-retentive RN!

Call one of the on-call surgeons. He/she will probably tell you to go to the ER. We nurses are the worst. I'd tell your charge what's going on and go to the ER.

Good for you! Keep going for maximal good health and the numbers are sure to follow. I'm looking forward to saying goodbye to snoring as well (as is my husband, I'm sure!) Way to go. :001_rolleyes:

Has anyone here tried taking a teaspoon or tablespoon of olive oil once per day post op, in order to maintain skin/hair/nails as well as help to lubricate the esophagus? Any luck with it?

Hello, my sista! Same surgery date, same McGurgles (to quote Supersize Me)! I also partook of such party favors as Phenergan, Zofran and Compazine. YAY for us! I have the Gas X strips next to me as I write. So far, Jello goes down best for me, so I'm trying that as my immediate liquid of choice. Hang in there! We did it! :001_rolleyes:

32 is the standard now. Just tell him/her your concerns. Mine was that A) I want to get pregnant and support a healthy pregnancy without a huge struggle, and that we can always revise to go tighter, but not the other way around. :001_rolleyes: I'm in this for the long haul, I'm working out now, and don't want the weight to drop off hand over fist, but more slowly and surely. I want this to be part of my lifestyle change, not to be locked into a statistically successful bougie number. Both he and his collegue were adamantly inflexible about this until the day of surgery. I was shocked when he capitulated and gave me what I want. I reiturated that I am an ICU RN, well-informed, and with a well-reasoned argument for what I want. He was receptive, thank god. Having said that, and as I already said, 32 is standard (some even do smaller, but I wouldnt!) Have a frank talk, research research, research, and shop around. Good luck!

I can't belive it. It really happened. I really had it done. After everything we went through, I had my VSG on 8/16, and I'm home. This is SO surreal. Walking the halls of my own hospital this morning at 4 am, saying hi to the night shift. Amazing. My big issue is severe epigastric gurgling when I try to drink anything. Can anyone relate? Jello seems to go down the easiest. I had a GREAT talk with my surgeon before surgery. He knew I wanted larger than a 32 Bougie, and agreed. He went with a loose 35. I was so relieved. I also asked (since his practice is a leader in natural orifice surgery, and has been removing the fundus of the stomach through the vagina- something I was not interested in), why he couldn't remove the fundus through the esophagus. He said it was funny I should ask, because he had just figured out how to do just that and had done it last week without any problems. I said "let's go for it," and we did. I was spared a major abdominal incision, and my post-op pain has been minimal. (to those who saw my pre-op post and my concerns about my collegues seeing my ass, as well as the responses of suggestions of what to write ON my ass, a funny thing happened. My husband and I are sitting in pre-op, waiting to go to the OR, when a circulating RN comes by and cheerfully introduces herself, glances at my name and says, "So, Cindy, we're taking out your gall bladder today!" "Err... no we're not!" I respond. She looks quizzically through the chart and says, "Oh! That's his OTHER case! Sorry if I worried you, no problem! :blushing:" My huz and I look at eachother, and I take a pen, and upside down on my abdomen I write: Leave Gall Bladder (take stomach!)." So, back to post-op discharged me, I'm just doing what I can to get throught the discomfort of these gurgles and get enough Vitamin Water and Jello down as I can. I'm peeing, so, I guess I'm doing ok. Just 3 laproscopic incisions and a drain. I gurgle, burp, drink, gurgle, burp, drink, gurgle... Whoo Hoooo!!!:w00t: I got a Premere Protien shake down pretty easily so I'm going to try for one more. THanks again, you supportive wonderful bunch! I'm a sleever now!!!!!!!!!!!:001_rolleyes: An important PS- I credit the ease of my recovery so far to the IMMENSE amount of work I put in at the gym for 6 weeks before hand. I invested in a personal trainer, and focused on strength and functional training (Bosu balls, physio balls medicine balls) all sorts of innovative excercizes designed to strenthen my core to the absolute max, and baby, it has made ALL the difference. For those who are planning this surgery, don't skimp. Give the gift of physical fitness to yourself and you will be SO grateful you did. I actually feel better in some ways 3 days post op, than I did 6 weeks ago before I trained. My doc said that my liver, stomach, and omentum looked really good and made his job easier too. There's my plug.

Sh*t!!! I forgot about the NGT!!! LOL! Uch is right! My husband refuses to write "stop looking at my ass" on my ass. Oh well. Thanks everybody. To the hospital in 1 hr.... :cursing:

Well, Cyber-friends, I can't believe it. After having the surgery cancelled, 2 endoscopies, 2 liquid diets, and a huge extended emotional rollercoaster, tomorrow is the big day. I am down about 4 inches and 12lbs since the journey officially began. People ask if I'm excited or nervous. I'm mostly numb and tell them that I'll believe it when they wheel me into the OR. I've been working out with a trainer about 3-4 days a week and have built up some amazing core strengh in preparation for this. I did have a moment where I wondered to myself, "hey, can't I do this without surgery? I've done it before!" That moment lasted about 30 seconds before I realized that I've tried unsucessfully about 100 times since that one awsome time when the planets were aligned so well. This is it. I want children, I'm 40+ years old, and this is my last chance. Being a nurse (and an ICU nurse at that), I know WAY WAY WAY too much and am (when not numb), getting increasingly scared sh*tless. I'm having this done at my own hospital, and I don't want my collegues to see my ass! LOL! Fortunately, I doubt that they want to see it either! I also know what goes on in the OR, and lets just say I hope that the nurse practitioner keeps everyone in line. I just hope I get through this with some dignity. Anyway, my trainer awaits (last pre-op session) at the gym. Thank you all for all of the invaluable information, resources, tools, and support that you've given on this site, and for helping me in this journey. I wish you all the best, always. Please include me and my worried husband in your thoughts and prayers through the next few days. Cheers!

As a nurse who has been in the medical profession for 15 years, I couldn't disagree more. A well-informed patient who has the intelligence and self-confidence to research and question their treatment, tends to get the best treatment. Those who have well-informed and inquisitive patient advocates also get the best treatment. The idea that people should be more informed consumers when it comes to buying a car than in undergoing a major procedure on their own body is incredible. Why on earth shouldn't a patient question their doctor?? As far as "brownie points" go, one doesn't go to a doctor to seek approval, but to accomplish a healthcare goal. "He" (umm... sometimes "he" is a she, by the way), may have reasons for his choices, but if those reasons don't jib with me, I'm going to trust my instincts and go to another doctor. Doctors (although they sometimes think they are), are not omnipotent. I counsel my patients to ask, ask, ask. This is 2010, not 1952.

My surgeon refuses to use anything but a 32. I pleaded with them to go with a larger size but they are adamant about it and say that it is now the "gold-standard." Oh well. I'm having it done at the best practice in my area, in the hospital system I work for, and that is fully covered by my insurance. The other reputable practice in my city also uses a 32. C'est la vie. It's next week, so I guess I'm going for it!

This is terrific- thanks for posting it! Very comprehensive.:thumbup:

This is weird. I'm an ICU RN, and we replace potassium left and right. 3.3 isn't very low (3.5 - 5 is normal). If you were my patient, we'd correct it in about 2 hours with an IV infusion. By mouth, we'd give you 40-60 mEq (and yes, as the previous poster said, the liquid is NASTY! Potassium is a salt, afterall. The pills are getting smaller, thank god). We run labs every morning and oral replacement works just fine and corrects it quickly. They're right, it should be corrected before surgery (low potassium can make the cardiac muscle irritable), but it should be very easy to correct. The question is: why is it low? Also, what is your health history that makes it such a concern (rhetorically; I'm not asing you to state your medical history in a forum)? Anyway, take the pills, prescription or OTC. You should be fine. Hang in there. PS- take them AS PRESCRIBED. Do NOT overdo it. Too high of a potassium level can make your heart irritable as well. You don't have anything to worry about if you take them as recommended. Ask your bariatric practice to repeat your potassium level in one week to see how it's coming along. Tell them you have NO intention of waiting until the DAY of your surgery to find out if it's happening or not. That is unreasonable. You have a life, plans etc, as does your significant other who will be driving you, caring for you, etc... It is the easiest (and cheapest) lab to send out. You need to know that you're on the right track and not have to drive yourself insane with the uncertainty for 2 weeks. I'm indignant on your behalf. You should be too. This is GROSSLY insensitive of them. Your time is valuable, as is your emotional health. Be firm with them. Good luck. PPS- My surgery was cancelled at the last second, so I KNOW where you're coming from! My new surgery date? August 17th! I hope we both have simultaneous successful surgeries. Go get 'em!

Some of you might remember that I was scheduled for my VSG in late June. I had a pre-op endoscopy that showed a tiny area of erosion in my stomach, so, less than 18hrs before my surgery, they cancelled it. It was an exhausting deflating experience for both me and my huz (did I mention I had been on a modified pre-op liquid diet for 3 WEEKS???).:biggrin0: Well, after 4+ weeks on Prilosec, my endoscopy was perfect, and I'm schedule for August 17th. I'm 2 (cheating!) days into a 2 week liquid pre-op diet. The first time around was such an emotional rollercoaster, that now I'm practically apathetic. I've been working out with a trainer 3 days/week, mostly weight-training, and that's been great. Anyway, I haven't checked in with this site in a while, and thought I'd update you guys. You were extremely helpful in my first go-around. Hopefully, the surgery will finally go through! :thumbup1: That's all for now. Wish me luck. I wish you the same.