tcrehm

I had a surgery of about 1 1/2 hours on Tues Sep 22. No big problems so far. I thank God that HE was there for me throughout the procedure as were many of you! Much appreciated the prayers and support.

As soon as I could get up from the surgery I was out there walking the halls, walked about every 2 hours and when i woke up at night I would walk again. So far not much gas and mainly coming out through burps right now, but I can only hope that ends up being the case!

I stayed on Zophran and Diladud most of my time in the hospital. I believe that keeping my pain at bay early on was a key to getting to feeling better sooner. I went home about 10:30 am today (Thursday) so was only in the hospital from noon on Tuesday until about 10 this morning.

The suggestion from one of the posters to bring Biotene was excellent idea! That helped me keep it together and not drink anything else before the leak test was performed.

If I try to drink more than one once of liquid at a time, I feel a lot of pressure on my chest warning me to stop putting any more liquid in.

The worse pain has been consistent with the others - in the lower left part of my abdomen. By today however, if I lean still back in a recliner or on the hospital bed I feel very little pain. Arising from that position to get up or sit up more though, really hurts.

So helpful hints learned from others:

- Drink very slowly

- Walk as much as you can

- Use Biotene spray the help from the mouth iciness that with being dehydrated.

OK new issue which was totally unexpected based on what I have read from other posts, I have had very watery diarrhea (about 20 times over the last 24 hours). I haven't had any solid foods for several weeks so there is no solid material there at all, just raining liquid from my behind (and my behind very sore from all the action). My temperature is running at about 99 to 100F the last couple of days and for me, normal is about 97F.

I called the doctor and he said to keep an eye on things and call him if anything got worse. He said that he hasn't had any patients to complain that diarrhea, but that Constipation is called out a lot. I do have a spastic colon so I am thinking maybe my gastrointestinal system is very unhappy with me right now and letting me know! My period also started yesterday (a week early), which I am assuming is staying in alliance with my gastrointestinal system!

I am able to walk more without any pain but still have pain on lower left abdomen usually when I am getting up or down.

I'm hanging in there as are all of you because I know based on your posts, chances are high that things will get much better soon.

Well a week and a half post surgery.

I am feeling much better but I am dehydrated as I am only taking about 1000mls of Fluid and food in total (food is obviously still liquids at this stage anyway)

All of my dressings are off and they are so much smaller than I was thinking - they will be barely visible in a few months.

Now my major concern is burping - I am burping like a monster LOL every single spoonful

I too am having the burping almost every time I drink something.

I had a surgery of about 1 1/2 hours on Tues Sep 22. No big problems so far. I thank God that HE was there for me throughout the procedure as were many of you! Much appreciated the prayers and support.

As soon as I could get up from the surgery I was out there walking the halls, walked about every 2 hours and when i woke up at night I would walk again. So far not much gas and mainly coming out through burps right now, but I can only hope that ends up being the case!

I stayed on Zophran and Diladud most of my time in the hospital. I believe that keeping my pain at bay early on was a key to getting to feeling better sooner. I went home about 10:30 am today (Thursday) so was only in the hospital from noon on Tuesday until about 10 this morning.

The suggestion from one of the posters to bring Biotene was excellent idea! That helped me keep it together and not drink anything else before the leak test was performed.

If I try to drink more than one once of liquid at a time, I feel a lot of pressure on my chest warning me to stop putting any more liquid in.

The worse pain has been consistent with the others - in the lower left part of my abdomen. By today however, if I lean still back in a recliner or on the hospital bed I feel very little pain. Arising from that position to get up or sit up more though, really hurts.

So helpful hints learned from others:

- Drink very slowly

- Walk as much as you can

- Use Biotene spray the help from the mouth iciness that with being dehydrated.

Hang in there

The date will be sooner than you expect!

On my way to the hospital now, surgery @ 10am. Good luck to all!!!

Good thoughts being sent your way. Let us know how it went! Hugs.

Gratitude and Corrections!

Thank you so so much cindyw41, tcrehm, and mouse1972rb for taking the time out of your lives to read my saga and to respond! It meant the world to me. I would have normally typed out such an email, but earlier today, having just finished navigating Central Market without the tasty trappings and indulgent samples, and having left there with just Protein drinks and veggies, when I got to my car, I got the irresistible urge to share my story. With only a cell phone in hand, I resorted to dictation to pour out my story. In retrospect, perhaps not the smartest thing. I got home and re-read my post and I was mortified at all the Spell auto-check replacements and grammatical inconsistencies in my post (beet red face here). But you guys stuck with it and saw past all that into the heart what I was saying. I have since corrected hopefully all, including the surgery date. My surgery is scheduled for Sept 29, not Feb 29 : O

One thing also in retrospect I should have mentioned is that the reason I did not need to go through pre-surgical qualification, is because I did all that already for my lapbad, NUT, Phyc Eval, the works. Albeit in 2007, once you have met those qualifications, they don’t make you do it all again. The idea is, “the band failed, we have to take it out, we are replacing it with the Sleeve”. And in all fairness, I must say that the first time qualifying was a long and frustrating experience, and the road was fraught with Peril!. It took 2 years, 3 denial letters and crazy persistency to finally get it approved. So perhaps I suffered it all out the first time, and this time, the approval was a breeze. I’m in Dallas Texas by the ways, in case someone happens to be here and wants to meet for a post surgery spoon of Gello.

tcrehm, I appreciate and take to heart your concern on my mental preparedness…indeed alas I know the greatest battles we will ever fight are those between our ears : / Ergo my accelerated Quest to get there! I know only too painfully surgery is only a tool, having been through bariatric surgery already. When is your surgery? I still have not figured out how to Follow people in this application, and can people here communicate privately?? I would love to keep up. Big hugs and prayers right back at your for a healthy, smooth and productive procedure!

Cindyw41, I will take your advice and insist I see a NUT, even though I’ve already done that with the lapband. This is a different procedure and I need to know how to align my new diet with success. I will check out Unjury! Thank you so much for your compassion. 7 months is a long time to be at this…I know, as from my 2 year qualification process for the band. Wishing you the best experience possible! I would love to hear how your story goes. Hopefully I can figure out how to follow people. This app keeps crashing on me, and is challenging to navigate…

Mouse1972rb, Big HUGGS right back at you dear. I lucked out this time around for pre-qualification, but then again, above I describe how I was not spared the rod for lapband qualification. I’m so excited you are on the final treck! When is your surgery? Do you have little ones as well? It is so hard being overweight and not being that healthy role model you’d like for your kids. It’s like “baby girl, don’t eat those sweets, they are bad for you and can make you overweight, but do as I say, and not as I do, because I can’t resist them”. I’m so sorry you have been “temporarily” diagnosed with Diabetes. I have complete faith that post surgery, all that will sort out and you will never have to take those medications. Please keep in touch!

My surgery is tomorrow morning. I am so happy to hear that you have been through the process before with your lap band so it is not a quick decision being made without knowing what you need to be successful and have full confidence that you will do well! This forum is for getting support and advice from others so it is good that you were able to share!

@@tamirn He may just be scared for you. He may be worried about you having surgery and that may be his way of dealing with it. My husband took some time to come around too and those were his concerns (and still are). He is getting better about it over time and my surgery is scheduled for Tuesday.

Hang in there and use others for support as needed.

@@ellie123 - the biggest thing that I would be concerned about getting the surgery so quickly is that you need to mentally prepare yourself for the fact that this surgery is a tool and NOT the solution to permanent weight loss.

if you are mentally prepared for that to be the case, then doing all three surgeries at once without a lot of time to worry I think is a great idea! From what I have heard/read those that are unsuccessful with WLS are those that expect it to be the solution and not the tool needed to get to the solution.

Hugs and prayers for you as I know this will be an exciting and wonderful start to your chasing those babies with lots of energy!

☆1 more day to go! ☆

How are you doing mentally and physically?

I am finishing up my pre-op phase with surgery coming up on Tues Sep 22. Since being on the liquid pre-op diet the last week and a half I have been dizzy and weak most of the time.

I am getting daily

- 3 shakes of 30 grams Protein apiece (Premier Protein shakes)

- 64 oz or more of liquid a day

- 16 oz of clear broth

- sugar free Popsicles

- Herbal tea with Stevia

- Bariatric fusion Vitamins (X3)

- Vitamin B12

- Calcium

- Biotin

- recently added a glass of skim milk

I have found that drinking peppermint tea helps with the hunger feelings, but I have stopped driving my car for now because I am concerned that I will pass out from the dizziness and weakness I am experiencing. I'm concerned about how I will do after surgery because I need to get back to driving for work and running errands for the family and not seeing at least for a while that my diet will be much different for a few weeks.

My NUT said to increase my calories some so I added a glass of milk each day over the last few days. That helped a couple of days but now am back to weak and dizzy quite often during the day.

Any ideas on what to do to make this go away?

4 days left on preop diet before my final day on pure liquid diet than surgery 9/24

Mine is Sep 22 and am ready to be off the all liquid diet!

I'm on clear liquid today--- surgery is tomorrow!!!!!

Best wishes for an uneventful surgery and a fast recovery as you start on your new path in life!

One of my daughters is getting married in mid October. My surgery is Sept 23rd. I'm trying to predict what size I will be 3.5 weeks post-op. Thoughts anyone?

Are you on the full liquid diet for two weeks before surgery? If so, i would guess you would be down about 20 pounds at that point.

I met with the surgeon yesterday, and I got a date for 10/19/15. The only pre-op diet he told me to do was not eat after breakfast the day before the surgery -- clear liquids only. I was pretty shocked, because everyone talks about doing 2 weeks liquid pre-op. I'm already drinking Protein shakes for breakfast, so I guess I will just do that and eat sensibly.

My surgeon said that if you are getting laproscopic surgery then they need to lift the liver out of the way during the surgery and it will bleed and crack if you don't follow the two week liquid pre-op diet and may cause additional issues. He said prior to having people do the liquid diet for two weeks, they had people with more complications.

I started liquids only yesterday for my 22 Sep surgery. I have found that drinking peppermint herbal tea seems to help with the hunger when it hits but I have felt so weak today. I took my Vitamins and had enough Protein and drank my 64 oz of fluids and chicken broth and am not sure what else to do to help. I'm concerned about driving because I feel so light headed and weak.

Any ideas?

In preparation for my Sep 22 sleeve surgery, I am on the Liquid Protein diet and drinking at least 90 grams of Protein a day, drinking an additional 64 oz of Water a day and including some broth to keep my salt levels ok and taking Bariatric fusion Vitamins a day but feel very weak. I am very fair in complexion but even for me I am extremely pale looking today. Any thoughts on how to feel less weak and looking (and feeling) less like a ghost?

No, I don't think it's wrong to ask your SO/spouse to not tell others. Even if you do plan to tell someone, I'm one of those people who think it should be *your* time and *your* decision. I pretty much had a melt down and got very angry at my partner last week over this. Over a month ago, I had told him that he did not have my permission to disclose my surgery to ANYONE without my explicit consent. I explained he could tell his boss/coworkers I was having surgery (because he took off work) "for digestive issues" if he wanted, but no other details. I *specifically* told him not to tell his mother, because she's just been really unpleasant to me.

It's difficult. She's mostly an okay woman, in her 80's, but it's very clear that she thinks her son has chosen poorly because of my weight. Lately she's made it part of our interactions whenever I see her. So, for example, a couple of months ago, she gave me diet cook books, and quizzed us about how much we out, because she thinks that eating out is a problem. Last December I went to Christmas dinner with his family, and that was the *worst* it's been -- first, my sweetie told his mother I don't eat blue cheese, so she wasn't going to put the dressing on the salad, but then she DUMPED a giant container of blue cheese crumbles on the salad. When I later politely declined a serving, she got upset at me. My sweetie said "She doesn't like blue cheese..." and his mother denied putting any in it. We couldn't tell if she had forgotten or what. But the final stroke was that most of the foods on the table were bad for me (carby) or just disgusting -- her salad, gross stuffing with giblets -- so I ended up with small portions of the bone dry turkey, macaroni and cheese, and bread I'd made. His mother leaned over the second time I refused her salad and said, "Well, look at your plate -- you won't eat the salad but you'll eat all that? That's why you're fat!"

I cried half the way home in the car, because I had put up with that, and because of that, I have NO interest in that woman knowing about my surgery. So when my sweetie said, last week, "Oh, I told my mother you had surgery and she hopes you get well soon..." I was FURIOUS. I am not interested in that mean-spirited woman thinking she somehow influenced me, when in fact the opposite was true -- every time she did stuff like that to me, it made me sure I would NEVER have WLS.

Well, gosh--- that's been a bit of an off topic theraputic rant. But anyway, my point is, I support you having privacy. :-)

I would suggest limited contact with her. No one deserves to be treated that way and it is not good for your mental state and future health to have her be a part of your life.

I have chosen not to tell but a few people prior to surgery because I didn't want the negative comments in my head during the first part of this journey to permanent weight loss that some would feel important to share without them being knowledgeable about the topic.

I think it is a personal decision on how best to handle it, but remember, you can't un-tell them so if you are torn which way to go, I would suggest holding off for now unless they are a part of your support system.

I'm thinking maybe turn the anger into a punching bag at the gym! My surgery is on Sep 22 and I too really hate this liquid diet but am glad that I have the support of people here to try to stay positive. Just the visual of the punching bag is making me feel better!

This is my 3rd full day after surgery. I am so ready for food. Something soft, oatmeal, grits, something. Tomorrow I start my liquid diet with Soups.< /p>

Are you having any pain?

Preop diet day 1 complete, 13 more days. It was ok, but I'm hoping it gets easier...

Stay busy Sleevemetoo15 and drinks lots of Water or Crystal Light (no t.v. as it has too many food commercials unless you are watching movies)!!

Mine is day 9 and I want to eat drywall at this point.

Only 5 more days! Hang in there MicheleL!!!

Just about 24 hours till surgery! I can't believe I am at the end of the Pre-op diet! I even skipped a shake or two because I just could not drink anything more at that time. The ketosis mouth is the worst! I am doing all that I can to stay positive because I am a big baby when it comes to pain. Praying to God that I will be able to handle anything and all that comes my way. One of my biggest and probably most irrational fears is that I will have a coughing or a sneezing jag after surgery and cause a leak. Goofy I know, but can't get that thought out of my head....I am so ready for it to be Wednesday!

Let us know how it goes. I too am a big baby when it comes to pain! Good luck tomorrow.

I am on my last long stretch before being sleeved on September 9 th been on liquid diet since August 24 I am scared and excited.. Already lost 15lbs just on liquid but boy do I miss the taste of food..I don't feel hungry but my brain wants the taste what do I do ???

How are you doing it? I'm having such a hard time sticking to my pre-op liquid diet and I'm extremely worried I won't loose but gain weight because my brain is freaking out and making me hungrier and I'm eat what I'm not supposed to. In the morning I'm ok and having my Protein Shake but then I start getting hungry for real food and I begin to eat. Any suggestions??

Hang in there! Just keep telling yourself that it is only 2 weeks and you can do this for just two weeks or break it down into a day at a time. I just have to make it through today... then repeat gain tomorrow. Are you getting enough Protein? I am using the Premier Protein shakes and that seems to help a lot. The first couple of days are the hardest usually as your body gets used to it. Your head is another matter - no tv because of all the food commercials, no thinking (or obsessing as I believe a more appropriate term for a lot of us) about food and if your thoughts go there, do something active with your mind to keep it busy (crosswords, solitaire, reading an exciting book, reading blogs to see that you are not alone and you CAN DO THIS!).

I keep telling myself that I don't want to contribute in any way shape or form to my doctor having to do an open surgery vs, laproscopic because my liver is too big if I don't follow the liquid diet as this will cause a much more painful surgery and longer recovery time. So I am looking at that as a bigger concern than wanting to eat something I shouldn't for those two weeks.

Where are you having your surgery?

Waukegan, IL at Vista Hospital 22 Sep