My Big Day 3/15/2011

So, haven't ran into any topics covering this but just wanted to check to see if anyone could offer me some wisdom on this matter. I am sheduled for sleeve gastrectomy next month and am sort of most anxious about my pain afterwards in regards to back pain that I already suffer with. I am wondering how the post-op period was for those of you who suffer from moderate to severe back pain and underwent the vertical sleeve surgery. How did your doctor help to control this? I am wondering if I can be given muscle relaxers along with the pain meds they will be giving me. I have pretty severe back pain at night when I sleep so much that I have to sleep in a recliner from 2am on...everynight...my back can't handle being flat and stretched out that long. I am much more comfortable in a sitting/reclined position. This stems from two back surgeries I have had...one of which was last March. Anyway, please anyone who has had the surgery and suffers from back pain please let me know what the post-op will be like. I am curious if lying flat for the surgery will make my back hurt more afterwards...but I hope not.

Great idea about the massage! Thanks for that...I am definately going to do that one. I am glad you had no back pain afterwards...I will be pretty comfy once they have me on the hopital bed b/c you can adjust it into the recliner mode head up and legs up which helps my back pain greatly. I am also going to bring thermacare wraps with me to the hospital which helps me also. Thanks for the suggestion!

I like your rendition of your surgery, sounds like your are doing pretty good. Are you still taking pain meds? What's your energy level like? Feel any hunger? When do you go back to see the doctor? Have a great Sunday and good luck with your full liquid stage.

I've made it through day 4 now and it is a little easier. I feel really good that I am being so disciplined in following it exactly and not cheating. I can't wait to see some results from this on the scale!

I will trade my beautiful blonde thick hair for a wig anyday just to be a normal bmi and get rid of my back, feet, and hip pain...this isn't about vanity for most of us so we can work around the hair loss. It is good to know to watch out for this though.

Wow, I am so happy to have found this topic to see how many other people are having the sleeve in March. I am March 22nd with Dr Michael Perez in Fort Lauderdale at Holy Cross Hospital. I am already following my pre-op diet to get a head start on weight loss as I want to be around 250 on my surgery day. My diet is 3 protein shakes and 3 really small meals consisting of mainly protein. I love my surgeon! He is so caring and really loves helping overweight people even though he is supertrim and very handsome! Please keep up this March Sleevers club with lots of updates to keep us all on track. Can't wait for my surgery day!

I feel for your fear of the catheter! Some people are deathly afraid of this...most males in fact. I am a nurse in surgery and often put catheters in my patients who are having laparoscopic surgery. There are two main reasons for this. The main one is in case the surgery becomes difficult and goes long then your bladder will be able to empty on its own and anesthesia can accurately keep up with your urine output to make sure you are being properly hydrated with IV fluids. The other reason is that some types of laparoscopic surgery are more difficult to accomplish if the bladder is filling up with urine and getting larger because it could block the view of the surgeon to be able to get to the structures they need to see to accomplish their surgery. I do not think the second one is a huge factor in this type of surgery, but mainly in laparoscopic surgeries of the pelvis region. I think that you will be able to negotiate this with your surgeon depending on your overall health. If you do not have a lot of other risk factors like heart conditions and are just morbidly obese then they may consider forgoing the catheter since you are at a lower risk for complications vs someone with many co-morbidities. If the surgeon absolutely insists on it in during surgery then request they remove it before you wake up in recovery. Good luck with your surgery and your weight loss journey following!

Sheila... I am going to be in the March sleevers club so maybe we will take this journey together. I am scheduled for surgery March 22nd! I did not have to take a test to find out if I have a hiatal hernia. Atleast it can be fixed at the same time and is not delaying your surgery. I am on the pre-op diet now which is not liquid, but high Protein and low carb. I do not think my surgeon requires a liquid diet pre-op but I will find out all of those things at the patient education class next Friday. I hope to be around 250 before I go in for surgery so that is why I started my pre-op diet early. I began on Monday so I will be on it a little over a month before I go in for surgery. It's hard b/c I am hungry and tired but this too shall pass. Good luck with everything and good job with your weight loss!

Looking for sleevers of Dr Michael Perez in the Fort Lauderdale area...he's my surgeon for sure but I am not sure why I cannot find any of his patients on here! Please reply if you are a patient of his! Thanks

Your making the best decision for your health and well-being. When your nerves get the best of you invision the skinny/healthy you and the end of the road! That's what this journey is all about and you are going to do great! Cant wait to hear how things went...God bless you. Ann

Hello... How cool to have your uncle as your surgeon and to have so many people in your family that know exactly what you are going through. I am sure you will have plenty of support to make it through these hurdles. I haven't had surgery yet so I can't really help with your protein problem, however I would not worry about eating so often as your weight loss is fabulous! 15 lbs in two weeks...that's incredible. I would keep eating the frequent small meals like you are doing and just keep looking for ways to get in more protein. Do you put the protein powder in your water like Special K protein plus? I like the lemonade one. I am drinking Premier protein shakes from Costco and they are not bad. Hang in there and keep up the good work...Ann

Take it from a nurse that works in surgery...it is totally acceptable and expected to be nervous going in for any surgery much less this surgery! Keep your focus on the end results of weight loss and health and do your best to envision yourself smaller when the nerves feel like they are getting the best of you. Don't hesitate to ask for something to relax you pre-op when you arrive in the holding area for surgery. The hospital I work at gives an oral Xanax before they even start your IV. My biggest piece of advice is speak up and let your nurse know how you are feeling so that they can help make you more relaxed! You will definately get something called Versed before they wheel you down that hall to surgery and this will totally relax you and make you forget even going in for the surgery and the next thing you know you will be waking up in the recovery room. Hang in there and I hope you do awesome with your surgery. I will be there soon and just as nervous as you are even though I work in surgery. Goodnight!

Everything came together for me today. I got insurance approval through united, the nurse called me from the surgeons office and all my appointments are set including surgery on March 22nd. I could of had surgery as early as march 1st but that did not work for me bc I needed to give a 6 week notice at work. All my other dates are set with the preop education, nutrition, and wellness classes and preop doctors visit. I was submitted last Tuesday and I already have everything set. What a great story to give others hope that it doesn't take yrs to accomplish this surgery. I am very excited for the coming month to get here. Good luck everyone who is in that waiting phase for approval!

Good luck during your surgery tomorrow and I hope everything goes well for you!

Awesome! Welcome and good luck on your journey. I am in the process of awaiting insurance approval...was submitted a week ago tomorrow and I am dying to get that phone call from my doctor's office. I started a pre-op diet today to help me in getting some of my weight off before surgery to make my surgery go smoother. Good luck and this is a great website!

Weight watchers...what a corporation that is! I have joined weight watchers atleast 10 times over the last 10 years! I wish I had all the money I had paid for the meetings and the products I bought from them and I would have a great down payment on this surgery. I am submitted for insurance approval and hope that works out for me. I have United and they only required my diet history (written on a form my doctor supplied), a 5 yr history of morbid obesity, a weight constituting a BMI above 40, a letter of medical necessity from my PCP, and thyroid levels. I turned all of that in and it was submitted last Tuesday. I hope to hear something this week and in the meantime I am starting to follow the diet from my surgeon tomorrow. I plan to have surgery March 15th if all goes as planned and will be so happy to actually be successful at losing this weight! Rollercoaster....my advice is make sure you have exhausted every option of trying to lose the weight on your own. If this is your first time trying weight watchers definately give it all you've got b/c its a great program if you have the willpower to stick to it. I obviously did not since I tried it 10 or more times. Good Luck

I have read a lot of the stories on here and I am so glad to see another story where you did not have horrendous pain after surgery! I am very scared of the pain afterward b/c I am a big baby when it comes to pain. I hope I am as lucky as you to only have some gas pain and soreness. I hope to have surgery March 15th...but currently waiting on an answer from United. Great job on being on the other side and on your journey to the rest of your healthy life!

Love the humor you added to your story and thanks for not sugar coating the fact that it will be painful afterwards. I am waiting insurance approval and plan to have surgery March 15th. I know my surgeon personally as I am a nurse in the operating room and my husband is a surgical technician. I can't wait for my real journey to get started as soon as I get past the hurdle of insurance. Good luck on your post-op journey...looks like you are doing great.

Why 5 days in the hospital? The surgeon I am seeing indicates I will stay only 1 night in the hospital. Did you have complications of some sort or does your surgeon always keep his patients this long? I am gathering all the information I possably can in order to be well informed so just curious about your stay in the hospital. Awesome job on your weight loss. I am around 270 and waiting on insurance approval. I was submitted in the afternoon on 2/2/2011. This Tuesday will make a week. I am praying for the approval b/c I can't afford to self pay. How was your journey with insurance approval? Thanks, Ann