As I was preparing for my surgery, I combed these forums night and day trying to imagine what the experience would be like. While I realize the real journey is still ahead of me, I thought I would share my experience for those seeking answers. Please keep in mind that everyone's surgeon, requirements, and experience is different. Here is mine:
Pre-surgery
I had my first consult with my surgeon in April of 2014. I weighed in at 242. Since I was self-pay, I was not required to spend months on a supervised diet. A round of blood work, a medical clearance from my general practitioner, and a week long pre-op diet of full liquids w/ the day before surgery being Clear Liquids was all that was required of me. I did have to stop my Meloxicam (arthritis meds) before surgery, and that was the most difficult part.
I chose to wait until June to have my surgery while I was on summer break. Like most, once I had my surgery date set, I felt as those the next couple of months would be my last chance to eat all the things I loved. Then I realized I was only adding insult to injury by doing so; I decided to start making small healthy changes in my diet. My ultimate goal was not to gain any weight before surgery. On surgery day, I weighed in at 235, so I was very proud of myself.
Surgery Day
Since the doctor I chose was four hours away; I arrived a day early. The day before surgery was busy with a nutrition class in the morning, and pre-op appt. in the afternoon. I felt prepared and had no last minute questions. I was told to arrive at the hospital outpatient area by 5:30 a.m. the next morning. Everyone was very nice, but I was not prepared for the fact that outpatient services are not as "posh" as the inpatient hospital room. My husband and I were taken to a room where they started my i.v., took vital signs, and gave me a blood thinner shot in my stomach. I don't remember getting the "relaxing" shot to take the edge off, so I was quite apprehensive at this point. My only thoughts at this point were "I can still back out..." My husband must have had the same thoughts because he whispered, "You do not have to do this." About 20 minutes before they took me back, the doctor came in to speak to us and eased both of our fears. By 7:20 a.m., I was being wheeled back to the operating room. As I entered the operating room, I was surprised to see a large window, and I wished I was outside (anywhere but there). The room was full of people hustling and bustling getting things ready for my procedure. There was lots of busy chatter as I was slid over to the operating table and strapped down. At this point, I was thinking, if they indeed has snuck some medicine in me to take the edge off, it wasn't working. Every one of my senses were on heightened alert, and I wanted to jump up and run. That was my last thought. I do not remember being in recovery. The next thing I remember was waking up back in my room. It was around noon, and my husband was offering me ice chips. The nurses helped me up to go to the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror in the bathroom, there was blue stuff around my mouth where they had check my new tummy for leaks while I was in the operating room. There was no pain; it was more like being very uncomfortable. Once back in bed, I dozed most of the afternoon and do not remember much else about the hospital. Around 3:30 p.m., I was wide awake and able to get dressed. We were allowed to leave and return to our hotel. The doctor came in before we left and gave us his cell phone number in case we had any problems. All was well, and I had no pain other than being uncomfortable until the middle of the night. It was then that the nausea came crashing through. They prescribed me zofran for nausea, but it was not working. I should note that being put to sleep always has this effect on me, and I do not think it had anything to do w/ the type of surgery I had, but it was still misery. I finally fell asleep around 5:00 a.m.
The Next Day
At 9:00 a.m. the next morning, we returned to the doctor's office to have my drain removed (which was absolutely painless; do not worry about that if you are having it done). I explained about the nausea, and they prescribed me phenigran, which did the trick. We left the doctor's office and headed out for our four hour journey home. I slept comfortably the entire trip home. We did stop along the way, so I could get out and walk some. Before the surgery, I dreaded the ride home, but it was a piece of cake!
The Weeks Following Surgery
I am nearly eight weeks post-op now, and I must admit that time has flown by! The first few days it was difficult getting liquids down, but I did not stress about it and did the best I could. I ran a fever off and on for a couple of days, but it never reached 101, so I just tried to push more fluids, and it worked. I slept a lot the first week and tried to get as much rest as possible, so my body could heal. (Remember to be kind to yourself and don't push yourself.)
In the beginning, the weight seemed to fall off quickly. I stepped on the scales every time I passed by them, and it seemed I lost weight every time. After a couple of weeks, the weightless completely stopped! I was patient for a few days, but when the days turned into a week, and then that week turned into two, I started to get discouraged. I was following all of the rules, but the scales would not budge. That was when I decided this surgery did not make the scales my friend, so I stopped weighing and focused on getting my Protein and fluids in. After all, I could feel myself getting smaller and my clothes getting baggy. Finally, the number started going down again.
At almost eight weeks, I am at 216, so that is 26 pounds down, and I am pleased with that. I am still not exercising because of the pain in my knees and other joints. The knee and joint pain is getting some better. I am hoping that after a bit more of the weight comes off, it will continue to get even better, and I can start exercising and speed up the weight loss.
I have never once had a regret about the surgery. I am thankful each day that God gave me the courage to follow through. I already see great improvements like: I can breathe easier and get less winded; I sleep more soundly and wake more rested; my husband compliments me all the time; even though I eat less, I enjoy my food more. I am excited about the future.
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