Craig Wildi

Any update to your surgery? Mine went well. I was discharged this morning! I'm curious how yours went!

December 28 was my sleeve surgery date. Had to be at the hospital at 7:00 am, for pre-op. I was in a private room after surgery, by about noon, my wife tells me.I woke up to the worst pain I have ever been in, but it honestly did not last too long. The nursing staff had me up and walking a few hours later. I did a lot of walking on my own, after that. I used the morphine pump pretty sparingly on the first day. The fist night in the hospital was terrible. I was exhausted from not getting any real meaningful sleep in the days prior to surgery. Well, the nursing staff woke me every hour and a half or so, for meds and vitals. Day 2, Very little pain, most of which was gas pain. They took my morphine pump because I had not used it since the prior evening. I walked several times during the day, and I began to have serious shin and calf pain in both legs. I hadn't thought about it, but I was walking sock footed, instead of putting on shoes, which was hell on my legs. I got a little bit of sleep last night, more than the night before. Day 3, My surgeon came in early this morning, and said that he ordered an ultrasound of my legs, to be sure I did not have clotting. He said if I ate my liquids Breakfast, and kept it down, and my legs were free of clots, that I would be going home by lunch today. I was discharged around 11 am today.I can honestly say that the pain overall, was manageable, and on a scale of 1-10, probably a 2. Since I have been home, I have drank most of a Protein shake, and some Water. This gas pain is unreal at times, coming in waves. The pain lasts no more than 10 or 15 seconds, then goes away. Again, manageable pain. I got on my home scale (it is a very accurate, old style doctors office scale, with the slide weights), before leaving home Monday morning, and my weight was 329. When I got home today, I was at 319. When I started this process, my weight was 349. I lost 20 pounds during the pre-surgery diet (I was on it for 3 weeks instead of 2). Anyone wanting to know more about my surgery, who has surgery coming up, I'd be glad to tell you my experience.

So, this is what I have to look forward to?! HAHA! Sorry for laughing, it is funny. Try wearing Under Armour or similar boxer briefs, they are somewhat more snug, and will keep the twig and two berries in check.

My pre-op diet has been all liquids. Protein shakes, sugar free/fat free pudding, sugar free Popsicles, Kroger Carbmaster yogurt, and clear broths. Water, water, and more water. No foods whatsoever.

@@notgonnatell Same here! But I'm more nervous than excited! Looks like I won't be getting much sleep, since I have to be up in 4 and a half hours!

My first appointment was October 13, 2015, and I am having surgery tomorrow morning (28th). It is not impossible to jump through all the hoops that insurance requires, in a short time frame, but it is not easy either. I had to beg for earlier appointments from the various specialists, was on the cancellation call list for a couple, and I did A LOT of driving to the different appointments and classes, sometimes taking them in other cities, to get earlier appointment dates. My patient navigator was very helpful during the process. Now, if I can just get through tomorrow morning! I am a basket case of nerves tonight.

@MsCyrus Good luck! Your timeline is almost exactly the same as mine for tomorrow, except I have to be at the hospital at 7am! I am beyond nervous! Best of luck to you!

@@destiny_77 You are so lucky to only have to do a one day liquid diet! I had to skip every Christmas gathering this year, because they are all heavily centered around food. Better to just skip them, than fight the urge to sneak a bite! Tomorrow is our day, I am about to sign off and try to get to sleep early tonight. (I suspect that sleep will elude me tonight though). Good luck and best wishes tomorrow and during recovery!

I think the feeling is normal. I have had several other different surgeries, and felt the same as you each time. In fact, I am having the sleeve on Monday the 28th, and my nerves are about shot already! I will be glad when it is over! Stay focused on why you decided to do this, and think about the reasons! But I understand your thoughts, because I too, am thinking them!

@destiny_77@Rena65@toshbosh21@jembell01 Please stay in touch, since we all have surgery soon! Let me know how everything goes! I will update too. Maybe we can be one anothers' support, since we are all starting the journey about the same time!

Im in the exact same boat! My surgery is on the 4th and i'm not on day 5 of the liquid diet....i have literally had to talk myself out of eating every night....i'm 7.5 lbs down since starting the liquid diet though so that helps to motivate me. I actually started my liquid diet on December 7th, because I and my patient navigator were hopeful that my insurance would approve before end of the year, and there was a chance that my surgery would be either the week of Christmas or the week after. As it turns out, it ended up being scheduled for the 28th. I have been on liquids for an extra week, which has not been easy at all! The first few days were awful, with headaches, and wanting food. It has become easier, but I still have my moments. I am down 19 pounds from my start weight. My surgeon said last Wednesday, that my extra week will be beneficial to him, making it even easier to get to the stomach, and he told me he was proud of my determination, and said I have a good head start on my weight loss. Best of luck to you on your weight loss journey, and prayers for you on the 4th! My nerves have been overbearing the past few nights, worrying about my surgery on Monday. I hope everyone who has commented on my thread, will stay in touch, and let me know how your surgeries went!

Thanks everyone, I needed the pep talk badly! I have done everything I know to occupy my mind, so that I am not thinking about surgery every waking minute. It wouldn't matter if it was a different surgery really, I just have a fear of anesthesia mostly. Every surgery I have had, I stress about it in the days prior. UGH! This process to me, has been a LOT of work. I didn't start the process until mid October, and it was a whirlwind of the classes, appointments, all the requirements for insurance, etc. It was difficult trying to pack into a couple of months, what usually takes about six months, but it worked out. Everything went so well that it is scary! It was almost like it was meant to be, and a power greater than myself was guiding me. My patient coordinator told me yesterday, that in her 8 years as a patient coordinator, she has never had anyone complete the requirements in just 2 months. I couldn't have done it without her, and the other staff there. They have been just wonderful, a real pleasure to work with. I have never been to a doctors office or medical facility that runs as smoothly, and been so easy to deal with, as them. When they give you an appointment time, they stick to it. I have never had to wait longer than a few minutes past a given appointment, and they are always very nice and personable. Cannot say enough about the Bariatrics staff at Memorial Medical University hospital in Savannah, GA. I will update after surgery Monday! Jembell and toshbosh, best of luck to you both, as well! This is so exciting, and I am so thankful that I can chat with others who have been through this, or are about to have surgery! This forum is so much help! Merry Christmas everyone!

I am in the short rows now, surgery is four days away (Monday Dec 28). I went for pre-op testing and appointment with the surgeon Wednesday morning, and it really has set in now, that this is going to happen. I am super excited, but I must admit, the pre-surgery jitters have me. Its nothing new, the nerves always get me before any surgery. Lordy Lordy

Good to hear that your surgery went well! I had pre-op testing and pre-op appointment with the surgeon this morning (Wednesday). It went well and everything is a go for surgery Monday. I'm as nervous as I don't know what! Please post your experiences over the next couple of days, if you can. Your thread has been very helpful!

And good luck with your surgery dlee!

I just had my surgery on 12/17. Good luck with everything ❤️ a few things to remember or know(things I didnt) you are more than likely going to wake up in SERIOUS pain bc of the gas and very nauseous. You may even throw up( I did) you may even think to yourself why did I do this. How can I take it back ( I did) but remember this pain and nausea is short lived. I am already beginning tot feel like myself again. I'm not trying to scare you but I wasn't told any of the bad sides to the surgery so I want to make anyone aware of the possibilities. Don't be afraid to ask for pain meds and anti nausea meds. WALK WALK WALK. Give it a day or 2 after your surgery and you will start to remember why you did and be thankful that you did. Good luck with everything you will do awesome ! Sorry for asking on someone else's post, but your reply caught my attention. You said that you had serious pain, what was hurting? Was it the incisions, or could you feel pain at your stomach pouch? Just curious, this has been one of my questions all along. I am having surgery on Dec 28.My apologies for asking questions on someone else's post, I am pretty new to this forum stuff.

I had a few "final straws". My first and most important, was being unable to do some of the things that I love to do. I really hit my "oh crap" moment while on vacation in July of this year. I had three incidents occur during that week. First, I had to forego riding to Key West with my wife and friends for a day, because I was hurting so badly from the drive to our Key Largo vacation spot. I spent the entire day on a heat pad while they went and walked around Key West for the day. The second issue was the next day, on a snorkel boat tour. The Water was rough, and the current was pushing pretty good, and I was simply unable to physically swim against the current. I spent only 5 minutes in the water at the reef. Always a strong swimmer, I knew I had to change. The third incident was a couple of days later. We joined some of our friends on their boat, and went to a popular sandbar, where boats anchor out, and basically it is one big party. The water was only about 2 feet deep, and the boat had very short sides (free board), but I simply was unable to pull myself back into the boat. I had to be helped. It was very humiliating. That vacation was my eye opener that I had to get healthy and lose some weight. On no other vacation had I struggled so much, due to my weight. I am one week away from my VSG surgery. (Dec. 28)

A friend just told me that University of Cincinnati Health is offering VSG for around $11,000 for cash pay patients, you may want to check into UC Health.

Thanks so much for all the replies! It was really the only question that I had about the surgical procedure itself, that I didn't have answers for. Happy holidays everyone, and sometime in January, I should be having my procedure, and on the way to a healthier me.

Hello, this is my first post. I am still about two months away from surgery, and have a question best answered by people who have had the surgery. What is the pain level post surgery VSG? More specifically, internally, what is the feeling just after surgery? Does the stomach hurt, and if so, to what degree? I expect that the incisions where the surgeon enters laproscopically will be a bit uncomfortable, but I have been wondering about internally. Thanks in advance. Craig