gabbykittyvsg

You need to contact your surgeon ASAP. After a day or two of those numbers my surgeon orders iv fluids

My surgeon has her patients take Colace twice a day for the first 30 days to prevent constipation

Yes, because of GERD

I had my big pre-op appointment with the nurse and surgeon today. They've made some major improvements to the program. They have a stricter infection control protocol. No shaving for a full week before surgery, using the incentive spirometer more before and after, using special soap the night before and morning of surgery. Pain control is totally different. No more pain pump button. I'll get IV pain meds until the leak test the next morning. Then after that it's Tylenol and Flexeril, with the possibility of something stronger if that combination doesn't work well. I'll be taking Colace twice a day for 30 days to prevent constipation. I get to have small sips of water the day of surgery instead of waiting until the leak test the next morning. I will be limited to an ounce per hour to avoid putting too much pressure on the fresh staple lines. While in the hospital I'll gradually increase the amount of fluid per hour. No Foley catheter for the first day either this time. It was nice with the sleeve because I didn't have to get up every 15 minutes to pee. But they're encouraging even more movement post-op than before so there's that. Also, just one day in the hospital instead of 2.

You've gotten great advice so far and I don't have any practical advice to add. I would like to say, enjoy the process as much as you can. I know it sounds weird but when I had my sleeve surgery 7 years ago I rushed things and kept thinking about the next step. For my revision to bypass on Tuesday the 1st, I treated myself to new pajama pants to take to the hospital, I bought exciting flavors of protein shakes. My backpack is going to be light... Phone, long charging cord, lip balm, my noise cancelling headphones to help block out some of the hospital noises, my 3 ring binder of surgery info, pajama pants and not much else. I've had 2 endoscopies and another unrelated procedure in the past few months and I did much better with letting myself relax.

I met the the nurse and my surgeon this afternoon. So much has changed with their protocols since my sleeve 7 years ago. I was very happy to find out I don't have to wait for the leak test the next morning to have any sort of oral fluids. I can have ice chips and tiny sips before then. Pain control after surgery has changed a ton too. No automatic home opioids, just Tylenol and a muscle relaxer (Flexeril). Stronger pain meds is an option if needed but I highly doubt I'll need it since I have a pretty darn high pain tolerance. I'll be taking colace twice a day for 30 days to prevent constipation from even starting. And only a one night stay in the hospital instead of 2. I have a Covid test appointment Saturday morning then it's surgery day Tuesday morning.

I'm so happy you found someone!

You need to tell them about the GERD. You need to have an endoscopy to check for damage to your esophagus.

My surgeon won't do bands because the majority of people have too many problems with them.

I'm having a revision due to GERD and associated esophageal damage.

Being nervous is 100% natural.

Do you go to church or have any coworkers who you're close to?

March 1st for me as well. Just 5 more days! In a couple of hours I have my final appointment with the nurse and surgeon. I'm well stocked with appropriate liquids, sugar free jello and protein shakes.

I have a Mirena IUD and love it. Very light periods and no more cramps. Some surgeons won't do surgery on a women of childbearing age unless they are on birth control. Even though I have the Mirena and am not sexually active in any form my GP still did a pregnancy test. Of course it was negative, [emoji23]

Meds that are extended release versions tend to not be absorbed properly with a bypass

I don't know how much I gained after my sleeve, but it was a considerable amount due to a big dose of steroids they gave me due to the swelling of my sleeve after surgery. It took weeks to finally start losing. Keep with your program and you will start to lose.

I saw my doc this week for a pre op physical and she couldn't be more excited for my revision to bypass What a big contrast to the doc I had when I had the sleeve.

Just 10 more days until March 1st. I have one more week of work. I took the day before surgery off as well so I can concentrate on final preparations, relaxing and my kitties.

Yes it's hard but you can't look at it like another diet. It truly is a whole new way of life. If you don't treat it that way then the chance of success is minimal. I've been successful with the sleeve, kept most of the weight off for 6+ years, but have to convert to bypass due to severe GERD and associated damage to my esophagus. I'm hoping for some additional weight loss (30 pounds would be amazing!!).

I had the sleeve 7 years ago and will be converting to bypass in 10 days. This is because of severe GERD. If you have heartburn at all, go for bypass as the sleeve will very likely make heartburn or GERD worse. A lot of people have had to convert for this reason.

Not every surgeon requires a special diet before surgery.

Get yourself some sugar free popsicles. They help with hydration and are great for that need to chew something. Have everything set at home before you have surgery. It sucks to come home to a messy/cluttered home. Don't bring much with you to the hospital. Phone and charger with a longer cord, eat buds or headphones pajama pants, ID, insurance card and not much else.

My pre-op appointments have begun! I had my pre-op physical with my GP today. She was super happy for me, which was so nice to experience since the GP I had when I had the sleeve 7 years ago wasn't happy for me at all. My current GP made sure everything was ready to go and even asked if I had post-op food ready. I'm not expecting a ton of weight loss but I know I'll have some just because of the food restriction the first couple of months. My surgeon has her patients see their GP 2 weeks after surgery for a general wellness check. I always enjoy seeing my GP because she's so good and her nurses are awesome too. Next up is fasting labs at 7:10am this Thursday morning. ugggg, I am not very nice at that time of the morning. LOL I see my therapist at 9am so no real chance to go back to bed. I'll be taking myself out for steak and eggs, the one meal I've been craving for ages. More like 2 or 3 since I won't be able to eat it all at once. No pre-op liver shrinking diet for me. I'm not going crazy with food. I'm eating up the food in my fridge and freezer, which is mostly healthy anyhow. I may order a small pizza from a local pizza place, but that's it as far as anything special. Next Thursday I see my surgeon's nurse for 1 hour then I'll see my surgeon for 1 hour. I hope I get to enjoy these long appointments this time. When I had them 7 years ago my homecare client who I was VERY VERY close to died that morning so I was beyond sad. I have zero anxiety about surgery day. The pre and post op nurses and anesthesia are WONDERFUL. I'm not looking forward to waking up after being knocked out for several hours, but after I finally wake up it's usually smooth sailing for me. I'll be in the hospital for a day or two then get to go home to my 2 kitty nurses.

We're getting close!! I start my pre-op appointments next week. I have my pre-op physical with my GP on Tuesday and blood work Thursday. No pre-op liver shrinking diet for me. I'm close to "Healthy" weight and my surgical team decided it wasn't necessary for me. I'm soooo very ready to get this GERD out of my life for good!

I had another endoscopy yesterday and the GERD hasn't gotten any better. At least the 2 ulcers have healed though. The doctor who did the scope yesterday recommends surgical intervention for the GERD. I can't expect her to know my medical history so she probably doesn't know surgery is already scheduled for March 1st. Hiatal hernia repair and revision of sleeve to bypass. 30 days!!