Caitlyn_Cat

Probably pretty good. Your BMI is high and you have a major co-morbidity. Best of luck on getting approved!

I don't volunteer the information, but if someone asks I tell the truth. I have nothing to be shamed of and I am very proud of how far I have come.

Same here, a BMI of 37 with a co-morbidity.

I also am sorry to hear you had such an awful post-op experience, but where in the world did you go that this surgery was done as 'same day out patient surgery'? That in of itself sounds very bizarre and fly-by-night.

Welcome! I look forward to following your journey.

In the usual manner, you will be asleep when the anesthesiologist puts the breathing tube down your throat, and it will be out by the time you awake. Only if something goes very unexpected and you end up in an intensive care unit will the tube be left in, and that is pretty rare for this surgery.

Yep, what the others have said. I just broke a 10 day stall and I had my surgery done on March 24th. Even though I understood what was happening and why, when the scale finally went down 1 1/2 pounds today I felt like doing a happy dance!

I suspect a big part of the issue is what you yourself point out: "A bit of exercise but not much." We have to aerobic exercise to keep the metabolism up, otherwise the body is all too likely to go into a starvation-mode and hang onto every calorie and pound with a vengeance.

LIke others here have said, please do not let cost be the overriding consideration. A good surgeon performing a good surgery using quality material costs money. This is not the time to overly scrip and save when your life and your future well-being is in their hands. Ten thousand IS an awful lot of money, but I'd rather be in a hospital where complications and an unexpected bad outcome can be dealt with rather than a strip mall. (FYI: I had my surgery in the US so I have NO vested interest in the Mexican surgeons, just my humble opinion.)

I had my one month follow-up today and the surgeon said the internal swelling after a surgery like this could last up to 6 weeks. I also had/have some mid-stomach swelling that sometimes causes full liquids/mushies to get hung up. A very distressing feeling of fullness and pressure, but it passes in about an hour. The surgeon also said strictures are much, much less likely in the sleeve compared to the RNY. Whew.

I do lots of walking and standing and went back at 3 weeks. I was really, really tired by the end of the day, but it was doable.

True, but in this case the friend may well be right. Many of us do go through a period where we look gaunt and sickly until redistribution takes place. But I do agree, it might have been said in a more tactful manner.

Focus on clear fluids for this first week. It is very important to avoid dehydration which could land you in the Emergency Room. Protein will be much easier to add once you are on full liquids in a week or so, and then mushies. Remember, sip....sip... sip.

Good luck! Let us know how you are doing once you join the loser's bench.

I was limited to lifting 15 lbs post-op for 4 weeks. Unless your backpack and contents are really light given you're taking a laptop, the wheelie bag might be better.

I will admit to some reservations in buying ice cream of any type so soon post-op. While we all had this surgery to help us lose weight, it is still only one part of the overall commitment we must make to lose and keep the weight off. Changing our diets and stressing healthy choices is important to our long-term success. Just my thoughts.

The endoscopy itself is a breeze, but the meds they gave me had me seriously zoned-out and flat on my back on my sofa for 4-5 hours afterwards. There was no way I could have worked that day.

Personally, I prefer to suffer in solitude when I have to go to the hospital, but I certainly did see others with family members around them 24/7. Different hospitals have different visitation policies, even different wards inside a hospital can vary. Check with your doctor, and if possible, you might want to find out which floors the post-op bariatric patients are admitted to. You could call and speak with the nursing supervisor and ask their policy ahead of time and make any special arrangements they might require. In my experience, it's the nurses who call most of the shots on the floor, not the doctors, when it comes to visitation. Good luck.

As long as someone else does the majority of the driving AND you stop every hour or so to walk (to help prevent blood clots), I would think it would be okay. You're more than a week out now, so you should be past the worst of the post-op ick. Do take it easy and pace yourself.

Just like everyone else, doctors are on a learning curve with wls. Glad yours got on board. Hopefully your good outcome will make him more accepting of future patients.

Yep, it's a forever thing. Once trick I've picked up on the Boards is to have a few slices of a juicy fruit to end the meal (half of a small orange, a few large grapes). I was trying that pre-op and it worked pretty well.

I agree with the others. I'm one week out today, off narcotic pain meds as of two days ago and JUST drove my kids to school this morning. I'm doing ok right now, but the idea of a 6 hour drive this soon out gives me the shivers. I strongly suggest looking at your other options. ~~Dee

I'd find a surgeon with more experience if at all possible. Even an extremely competent surgeon has a learning curve, and by preference I do not want to be on the early upslope.

This may sound really stupid, but you mean your hospital couldn't provide a simple safety pin? Mine certainly did, and suggestions on how to fasten the drain to the bandage to minimize the 'pulling' feeling. For me, the best thing I took was a bottle of Biotene mouthwash. The nurse coordinator of the bariatric program recommended it and it was a lifesaver. I just swished and spat every time my mouth got dry those first few days and it provided amazing relief.

I hear you. I had surgery on the 24th and my back still aches, much more so than my front. I'm thoroughly tired of clears and fantasize about yogurt and cottage cheese. Still, I'm down 4 lbs already from my pre-op weight and that has me really excited. Hang in there! We'll both be looking back on this in a few weeks and laughing.