epiphani

If your pain medication is not working after surgery, please ask your nurse to contact the surgeon to increase the dose or try something different. Nurses are used to working with what they have, and sometimes forget that a simple phone call can make a huge difference in a patient's experience.

Before surgery we got along quite well. It knew what I expected and I knew what it expected. We worked together. Since surgery it's been on extreme or another. Either I think I am about to pass gas, and...... wind up doing a load of laundry that is nasty, OR days go by where I forget I even have an ass because it does nothing except pass actual gas.
I have been trying to up my Fiber but I am still on stage 4, so no fibrous veggies yet. Chili has been wonderful with the exception of the gas (thanks to whoever discovered gas-x!)
This is how I have felt for the last 10 days or so. See attached image.
So I talked to my Surgeons PA and she suggested double doses of Miralax until I got settled. 3 days and nothing but more of the above. I get over 100oz of Water a day, so that's not it. I called her back and she suggested Milk of Magnesia, commonly referred to as MOM. 4 Tablespoons, lots of tummy grumbling and more of the above. So today I took a double dose of Miralax, and forgot I did and took MOM as well.
Fast forward two hours......
MOM should stand for Massive Out coming Mixture. I thought I was going to pass a bit of gas, and managed to hold off long enough to get to the commode. What happened next is too graphic for publication. I CAN tell you that my recent 'stall' ended I lost 5 pounds in about a 1/2 a hour.
So the lesson here is Trust in MOM. But whatever you do, DO NOT combine it with Miralax, Or you will have the worst case of volcano ass you can imagine.
This has been a public service announcement.

The easiest way to get out of a flat bed after surgery is to lie straight, roll to one side, push up onto one elbow as you swing your feet over the edge, then push up from there.

I was fine up until they gave me the surgery date. Then I was a little nervous and a lot scared. Then that long drive to the hospital, I had second thoughts. I had second thoughts until they wheeled me away. It is the unknown that is so scary. But five weeks later, any second thoughts I had were unwarranted. I am so thankful that I was given this opportunity. I have my life back again. I'm going to live and enjoy retirement in a few years.

I am going through the same fears...esp. how life will be afterwards. But I'm afraid of how life will be if I DON'T have the surgery!
So forward I go...

That's my biggest fear too.... Is being denied. You've come so far and completed all the requirements and then denied. That would kill me. However it wouldn't stop me. I'd appeal and continue until I'm approved.

@sleeveddivas605- Well...let's pray it will go through. If not...we must form a new plan together! I wish they would get Insurance clearance on things before setting our surgery dates. I feel 'sick' daily w/ anxiety over it!!

@@dancingqueene I too am very concerned that my insurance will not approve me for the surgery. I too will be devastated and I really dont know what I will do if my insurance wont cover it. This whole process has me on pins and needles but hopefully we will both be well on our way to better lives by the end of the year. Good Luck!

@@epiphani thanks for your response. I took your advise and made a list of reasons I decided to have the surgery in the 1st place. Where that has not completely gotten rid of my fears, it did help me to realize that I don't want to allow my fears to rob me of a healthier, happier life.

It sounds to me like your second thoughts are completely normal! We all had them at one point or many points. It's one of the few good things about waiting... you have time to really be sure.
Research is good. Reading the experiences of others is a really good way to have realistic expectations. Just recognize that we all have different challenges at different points.
You need this. It will be better than you expect, unless you are in the unlucky 1% with complications. Even then it will be worth it.
Honor your fears, but don't let them drive your decisions.
I spent months with 2nd thoughts, but didn't stop the process of preparing. By the time I got to surgery I was so excited and thrilled that going in for surgery was practically a family reunion and party! I'm so glad I did this.
One of the saddest things is being in a support group or reading posts involving people who decided not to go through with surgery after months of preparation and are back starting again.... miserable and with regrets. On the other hand, there is no substitute for being sure it is for you. Only you can decide that.
Hang in there! You can do this!
For me it helped to write down all of the miserable things obesity brought to my life. It really helps to read back through that now and see how many things I can check off as no longer a problem... and a few reminders of why it is important to keep working at weight loss!

It sounds to me like your second thoughts are completely normal! We all had them at one point or many points. It's one of the few good things about waiting... you have time to really be sure.
Research is good. Reading the experiences of others is a really good way to have realistic expectations. Just recognize that we all have different challenges at different points.
You need this. It will be better than you expect, unless you are in the unlucky 1% with complications. Even then it will be worth it.
Honor your fears, but don't let them drive your decisions.
I spent months with 2nd thoughts, but didn't stop the process of preparing. By the time I got to surgery I was so excited and thrilled that going in for surgery was practically a family reunion and party! I'm so glad I did this.
One of the saddest things is being in a support group or reading posts involving people who decided not to go through with surgery after months of preparation and are back starting again.... miserable and with regrets. On the other hand, there is no substitute for being sure it is for you. Only you can decide that.
Hang in there! You can do this!
For me it helped to write down all of the miserable things obesity brought to my life. It really helps to read back through that now and see how many things I can check off as no longer a problem... and a few reminders of why it is important to keep working at weight loss!

It sounds to me like your second thoughts are completely normal! We all had them at one point or many points. It's one of the few good things about waiting... you have time to really be sure.
Research is good. Reading the experiences of others is a really good way to have realistic expectations. Just recognize that we all have different challenges at different points.
You need this. It will be better than you expect, unless you are in the unlucky 1% with complications. Even then it will be worth it.
Honor your fears, but don't let them drive your decisions.
I spent months with 2nd thoughts, but didn't stop the process of preparing. By the time I got to surgery I was so excited and thrilled that going in for surgery was practically a family reunion and party! I'm so glad I did this.
One of the saddest things is being in a support group or reading posts involving people who decided not to go through with surgery after months of preparation and are back starting again.... miserable and with regrets. On the other hand, there is no substitute for being sure it is for you. Only you can decide that.
Hang in there! You can do this!
For me it helped to write down all of the miserable things obesity brought to my life. It really helps to read back through that now and see how many things I can check off as no longer a problem... and a few reminders of why it is important to keep working at weight loss!

It sounds to me like your second thoughts are completely normal! We all had them at one point or many points. It's one of the few good things about waiting... you have time to really be sure.
Research is good. Reading the experiences of others is a really good way to have realistic expectations. Just recognize that we all have different challenges at different points.
You need this. It will be better than you expect, unless you are in the unlucky 1% with complications. Even then it will be worth it.
Honor your fears, but don't let them drive your decisions.
I spent months with 2nd thoughts, but didn't stop the process of preparing. By the time I got to surgery I was so excited and thrilled that going in for surgery was practically a family reunion and party! I'm so glad I did this.
One of the saddest things is being in a support group or reading posts involving people who decided not to go through with surgery after months of preparation and are back starting again.... miserable and with regrets. On the other hand, there is no substitute for being sure it is for you. Only you can decide that.
Hang in there! You can do this!
For me it helped to write down all of the miserable things obesity brought to my life. It really helps to read back through that now and see how many things I can check off as no longer a problem... and a few reminders of why it is important to keep working at weight loss!

YES! Exactly, the weight I have been stuck at for the last 3 months now, is a weight that is a "happy weight" for my body. I was here for several years, and seem to be having a tough time pushing past it. Its my fault though. I won't blame anyone but me. I have been really distracted getting ready to move, and getting my wedding together that I've slipped off the hustle wagon and haven't been doing my workouts. I still watch what I eat, but, since I'm in my last 37/40 pounds of weight loss (with PCOS), I'm struggling! I'm sure once I kick my butt again, the scale will start moving.

I had real plateaus - nine weeks apiece - at roughly six months and one year post op. Both times they occurred when I hit a previous "happy weight" that my body had trouble moving past.
And of course, the last twenty pounds were brutal but I hesitate to call those periods "stalls" or "plateaus" because I did lose weight...just at the poky pace of less than a pound a week.
My honest opinion is that many people get frustrated by "stalls" or "plateaus" that don't really fit that description. Daily weighing immediately post op and in those initial months leads to many people feeling terribly frustrated with a short adjustment period (often less than even two weeks) where the scale just isn't moving. Weigh weekly or monthly and a lot of that can be avoided, and save the daily weighing for maintenance, when it's necessary to stay accountable.
~Cheri

Hi Alex
My gastric sleeve surgery procedure went without a hitch, except for the blood clot I developed post surgery. There was nothing to indicate I would be a problem. No extraordinary precautions were taken ahead of time. The blood clot started in my leg and progressed to become a pulmonary embolism. I spent two weeks in the hospital, one of which was in the Cardiac Intensive Care at UMass Medical Center in Worcester, MA. I count myself as very fortunate. I am thankful that my surgery was at a Bariatric Center of Excellence with a level one Trauma Center. Happily there do not appear to be any lasting issues related to the clot.

One of the biggest barriers to getting weight loss surgery is the fear of complications. From mild ones like nausea and Constipation to more serious ones like obstructions and leaks, complications are common among bariatric surgery patients.
Did you have complications after Weight Loss Surgery?
Nope, aside from a little soreness during the recovery, things went great! Yes, but nothing serious. I just had some stomach issues. Yes, somehow I developed some nutrient deficiencies. See below for which ones I had and how I fixed them or whether I’m still dealing with them. Yes, I ended up back in the hospital. See why in the conversation below. I haven’t had weight loss surgery yet, but I’m crossing my fingers that nothing serious happens to me. Other. Read my answer in the discussion below. Mark your answer and give us the details in the conversation below. Sharing your experience can help other members who are making their own decisions about weight loss surgery.

Cheri j, since you are both Dinks ( dual income , no kids ) and hubby says you cant afford it, and you can, why not compromise ? Hire a housekeeper for 8 weeks, and see how it goes . According to the above info, it would take awhile for him /her to get used to the house etc, but who knows ? Your hubby might be happy and continue , or you both might decide to stop it all together. Anyway, try 8 weeks ! Good luck !! (P.S, I get you on the Dinks and golf, my hubby just introduced me to golf 2 weeks ago, now im addicted ! So much for a "cheap hobby " ! Ha ! I tried it once 10 years ago, didn't like it, but was much heavier. Now ?I love it, walked the 18 holes on my 1st try 2 weeks ago. Im 80 lbs lighter, found it muuuuccchhhh easier . Coincidence ?I think not. )

We have a housekeeper who comes in once every other week. We pay her $100 for about 3 1/2 hours. She cleans a master bedroom, master bath, kid's bedroom, kid's bath, my office, vacuums and mops the hardwood floors, and wipes down the kitchen. She works pretty hard during that time. We really like her, and I love it when I get home and the whole house smells totally clean and everything is sparkling!
The hard part is trying to keep it all looking decent between her visits!

I pay $60 for two gals to come in for 2 hours each - I get it done every other week. They scrub all surfaces in the kitchen, microwave, appliances and counters. They clean all the floors (hardwood, so they use a Swiffer mopper) and clean up more dog hair than I care to admit is hanging around everywhere. They clean my son's disgusting room, although we make him straighten it up prior to them getting there. They clean the master bedroom. They clean two bathrooms fully - clean the tubs and scrub the floors and counters and wash the mirrors.
I try to do my part by putting stuff away and doing a little straightening up before they get here so they don't have to work around my clutter - it also helps me keep my clutter in check.
I do leave the house when they are here because they can get a little chatty. I work from home, so it's like having a visitor in your office. I go to the coffee shop and tell them to lock up when they are done (I've known one of the gals my whole life and she's a friend of the family - I don't feel weird leaving her here).

I agree the first visit with deep cleaning takes much more time. My housekeeper the first time wiped down the walls (you know that light tan line that is dog height), cleaned the moulding, in addition to the floors, sinks, counters, dusting. She does not do the walls and moulding all the time. She just spot cleans those areas as necessary.

Maybe I can put this in perspective since I am a retired housekeeping manager for hospital, hotels, residential and industrial settings.
The first visit is absolutely going to take longer because the housekeeping has to become familiar with the surroundings, your furnishings, and your expectations and your standards. You could pay by the task instead of the hour....that would speed up the process.
Hospital housekeepers are expected to clean a bathroom, wash down a bed with the mattress, maybe even remake the bed, pull trash and soiled linen, dust horizontal surfaces, sweep and mop - all in about 30-45 minutes. However, these are rooms that are cleaned every day without accumulation of soil.
Same thing goes for hotel housekeepers. For a normal sized hotel room with two beds, they are expected to clean a bathroom, strip and remake the beds, remove soiled linen and trash, dust horizontal surfaces, and vacuum in about thirty minutes. A suite with a kitchenette would take about an hour. Again, this is a room that is cleaned every day without accumulation. These people are sorely underpaid for the job they do. Please tip your hotel housekeeper $2 a day for a budget hotel, maybe $5 a day for mid-range hotel. You will make their day.
Realistically, once a week in a residence that is moderately uncluttered, a bathroom might take 30 minutes. With a jacuzzi tub, double that.
In a kitchen, cleaning the stove, sink, outside surfaces of the fridge, sweep and mop, probably an hour. Allow more if you are asking for the oven to be cleaned, or windows, or inside the fridge.
If I asked someone to clean my bedroom, it would take them maybe 15-20 minutes to dust horizontal surface, dust the ceiling fan, and vacuum. If I wanted the housekeeper to change the bedsheets and refresh the bed linens, I would double that.
In our living room, we have stairs with wrought Iron rails that would need dusted, high vaulted ceilings that would need cobwebs removed with a special extended tool, dusting of horizontal surfaces, vacuum carpet, and sweep and mop entry tile. I seriously would allow a couple of hours for the living room because we have collections on display, which need special handling. Windows would take extra time.
If you ask for anything that requires ladder work, expect to pay more. Now you are asking for maintenance skills above housekeeping requirements. If you have an agreement and then add on this, that, and the other thing, expect to pay more.
It may take two or three attempts to get someone you are comfortable with. Expect to pay no less than $20 an hour for someone you are happy with. You will pay Merry Maids wayyyyy more than that. I hope this helps.

I had a cleaning lady. In the beginning they take a little time to get your house to the level of clean where they can just maintain it (I am not calling your house dirty). So the first few times it is either longer or slower, then it picks up.
$45 for 2 1/4 hours of work is ridiculous cheap. $45 an hour is more like it.
It seems like she is just trying to get your place to where she can maintain it easily. I would give her more time.

I pay $115 every two weeks for the couple that clean my house....and I think thats reasonable. I used to pay $150 once per month. There are two cleaners that come for about 2-3 hours. They do floors, sinks, counters, dust everything, bathrooms, etc. They do not do dishes (there aren't ever any), laundry, outside of windows on a normal basis. Once a year they come and "deep clean"....that's $300. I've used a house cleaner for the last 3 years or so. I work 60+ hours per week and CHOOSE to utilize my time at home for other things besides cleaning.

I pay my housecleaner $120 for a half-day visit every other week. She does all the mopping and vacuuming, cleans surfaces (counters, tables, etc.), makes the bed, picks/up organizes anything I've left lying around, does any dishes I've left, does laundry of sheets/towels/rags stuff like that (not my personal clothes), cleans the coffee maker and other small appliances, cleans showers/tubs/toilets/mirrors. I also give her an extra $20 to change the kitty litter if I don't feel like doing it that week (I have 2 large litter boxes for my cats). Twice a year I have her come in for additional special work, such as shampooing carpets, cleaning the fridge and stove, washing windows, taking everything out of my kitchen cabinets and cleaning the cabinets and throwing away expired food, etc. We just work out a reasonable price for that.
I love having a housekeeper. I am a lousy housekeeper but I enjoy having a clean house. I make sacrifices in other areas so I can afford her. Plus I enjoy her as a person and she also helps out on as-needed basis with overnight pet sitting and things like that.