MarieR

After 4 years, I hit and maintained my goal weight. And now I'm getting rid of the skin. I will be having fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty, a panniculectomy and a medial thigh lift. Based on the descriptions of these procedures, I think I may have picked the most difficult ones to start. But I've paid the deposit and it's too late to turn back now. So, is there anyone who can tell me how to prepare? I won't have anyone to sit with me after the 5th day; I'll be on my own. So, how do I set up my living space for successful recuperation? I've got a pillow to brace my abdomen for coughing, sneezing, or standing. I'm renting a chair that reclines and lifts the user to a standing position. I've got hospital gowns for ease of potty use at home. Anything I've missed?

Scamp, this is incredibly helpful. Thank you SO much. The surgeon's office is providing the compression garments but I'm thinking that I should purchase a 2nd set of garments so that I will have a clean one to put on while the other is being washed and air dried.

Sorry for the delayed response. This is a shade over $25k.

I was sleeved on 7/14. Had a tough time for the first 4 days. Am now at pureed/mushy foods and have lost 8 lbs. But I am struggling with getting in enough Protein because of food allergies. Fortunately, pre-op, I was not someone who ate alot of sweets but this is turning into a big problem. I am allergic to aspartame, sucralose and stevia. Just about every Protein shake has one of those artificial sweeteners. So, I am having a very tough time. I got the "unflavored" stuff thinking that I would just add it to savory things (like soups). However, you cannot add it to anything warmer than 140 degrees F. That doesn't make savory things taste bad but it does mean that food is always lukewarm. UGH! Any ideas for how to handle this? I am at my witts end trying to get in enough protein. And, by the way, this also affects the Vitamins I can take, the liquids I can drink . . . . I can't even have sugar-free things like frozen bars or pudding pops. I'm not a whiner but I really need some ideas.

This brings up an interesting issue for which I have been trying to prepare. I would not interpret pleasant attention from the guy who wouldn't give you the time of day before as a reflection on you. He was never justified in treating you poorly -- fat or thin. So, here's what I have been working through: We all know that there are people who are going to treat us differently (i.e. better) as we lose weight. I take that stuff very personally. I was a beautiful, brilliant, professional woman long before I decided to get sleeved. None of that has changed. There is just less of me. Nothing will PISS ME OFF more than people that I respected treating me better. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to put the weight back on to prove how beautiful, brilliant and professional I was at a heavier weight. But, I know people WILL disappoint me (even people who claim to be friends) and I will never want to speak to them again. Is anyone else dealing with this or thinking about it?

Thank you all Very much. You have given me lots of great ideas. I'm going to do some experimentation and, in a future post, share some resources for people like me.

I was sleeved on July 14 and have "only" lost 22 pounds. Have stalled for the last 5 days but i am not getting worked up about it. Of course, we'd all like to wake up 40 pounds thinner in the morning. And, of course, we know that's unrealistic. My mindset on stalls is this: When I was gaining weight, there were times I ate a TON of food and didn't gain an ounce. I didn't see that as a failure. So, I decided for the duration of this journey that I am not going to see the non-loss as a failure either. It's just what the body does from time to time. The smartest thing we can do is keep working and stay focused on the goal.

I dieted pre-op and was constantly FREEZING. It has gotten worse post-op. Hubby hates to ride in the car with me because I forget to turn on the A/C -- and I live in the hot South. I sleep under 5 blankets and always have a sweater on. Oh well . . . I save on food AND electric bills. BONUS!

I put my soup, as is, in my Vitamix and purée it. I have been having stomach cramps with ANYthing I put in my mouth. The puréed soup did cause them to be any worse.

I evicted Fred (my demanding, gluttonous, extra stomach) on July 14. Those post-op hours were really rough. I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut by a mean old mule. I am doing better but only by small increments. Walking has been a challenge. So, I know I need to get my stuff in gear soon. My post-op challenges since getting home are nothing most of you have not heard before. My stomach cramps with every tiny sip of anything. Yesterday, I took a half-dose of pain medication to get through a protein shake without cramping. Now, I am not going to make a habit of that but some of this struggle is mental. So, I had to give myself the mental experience of "eating" without pain. It will get better. Hydration is a struggle. So, I am keeping an 8 oz water bottle by my side and doing my best to drink as many of those as I can. Right now, I am hovering at a puny 24 oz total liquid intake per day but I am working on it. The sheer scheduling of things is frankly overwhelming. Vitamins must be taken with food but the calcium w/D should not be taken with the multi-vitamin. Food must be no less than 15 minutes after water. Water must be no less than 30 minutes after food. You need to LOVE whatever you consume. Why? Because you will live with the aftertaste of it for the 30 minutes you must wait before being able to drink water again. A previously-beloved cream of mushroom soup has become nausea inducing at the mere recollection of tasting it for a half an hour. All in all, I know it will get better over time. So, I am not wasting time beating up on myself for not doing this perfectly. I am focusing my energy on doing it a little better every day. MarieR

I agree with JG7882. I also had surgery on the 14th and this is a one-day-at-a-time journey immediately post-op. With many, many thanks to the wisdom of all of the members of this community, this is what I did right and what I would do differently: I brought my own firm pillow -- a really pretty one 12 inches in diameter and about 8 inches thick. It was much sturdier than the flimsy foam ring the hospital provided.What I would do differently: I would have put something on the pillow to tether it. I can't tell you how often it fell, leaving me helplessly staring at it, there on the floor. I wore a loose-fitting cotton summer dress, loose-fitting undies and a leisure bra to and from the hospital. You really do not want to be touched on those incisions on the trip home and you don't want to be struggling post-op to put on/take off firm-fitting undies to do your toileting when you get home. I took a sponge on a long-handled stick with me to the hospital (sold on many online sites for elderly, obese and mobility-challenged people) for hygiene. I realize that some people here suggested taking moist wipes for post-toileting cleanup but after abdominal surgery, my range of motion was severely compromised. It was a godsend to have my sponge on a stick to extend my, um, reach. I gave my phone to my spouse with a list of friends/family to text/email. That way, none of those who had supported me and wished me well were left out of a post-op status report. I told everyone other than my spouse not to visit me in the hospital. Frankly, unless things go wrong, it is a short in-patient stay and I needed to rest and focus on how I was going to manage this new stomach and this new life.What I might have done differently: my unit had an influx of patients to full capacity during my stay and having 1 maybe, 2 people to get things for me (eg. another box of tissues) would have kept me from having to bother the staff. But my needs were few and I was so sleep-deprived before the procedure that I really just needed to rest and be left alone. So, I am sharing that as something to consider I took my tablet device with a few movies loaded on it. I watched exactly NONE of them -- and I got the joy of worrying about the security of my device when I went out of the room for a walk.What I would do differently: leave expensive/important electronic devices at home. I had my Protein and Clear liquids in place for when I got home. You do NOT want to be scrambling to put things together when you get home. I highly recommend doing a run-through with your support person 2 days before surgery to be sure they know what you can/cannot have, the schedule on which you can have them and to make sure you have what you need in your home, ready to go. Most important, I took a sense of humor and a sense of compassion. I kept in mind that the front-line staff (nurses, techs, etc.) in most hospitals today are stretched entirely too thin. I also kept in mind that the hospital is not a hotel; their job is to keep patients healthy and comfortable not entertained. So, I was mindful about being gentle with the staff . . . asking how their day was going, being conscientious about thanking those who went the extra mile and telling their boss when they did something outstanding. For what it's worth, I know they were dealing with demanding patients and their families all around me and I don't want that stress accompanying them into my room and potentially affecting my care. I figured that if my room is a low-stress zone, they will be happy to be there when I called. As for my sense of humor, I have taken to calling the procedure "The Day I Evicted Fred" (my demanding, gluttonous, excess stomach). I also had a good chuckle when I realized (after the fact) that my surgery coincided with Bastille Day (which is very much in line with my up-yours attitude about a lot of life). So, that's my 2 cents. Of course, your mileage may vary. Best of Luck and best of health, MarieR

Yup. Monday morning . . . bright and early. Long time lurker . . . first time poster.