Kay07

Surgery date: 5/14 Starting Weight: 286.7 Current Weight: 272 Goal Weight: 175 Height: 5'6"

@SmileyMay Hey there, you had surgery yesterday and just wanted to pop in and say I hope you are doing well!

Another update: He is being discharged tomorrow morning! Since they took out the drainage tubes, he has been doing worlds better. He can get up/down on his own, and is walking about 500 steps per walk (according to fitbit). The doctors are thrilled with his progress Feels like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I am so ready for him to come home!

So I don't actually *have* a pre op diet... BUT I think I am going to start one on Monday and follow everyone else lol. People seem to adjust better I think?

Hello! I wish you the best of luck and a super speedy recovery!

@FluffyChix I look forward to this thread update. I love the recipes and tips & tricks. By far, one of the most helpful one-source-info thread on here!

I just have to say, WOW! You look lovely. Though I can't see your face for the full effect, the hairstyle looks great for what I can see :). Love the top, you look like one beautifully put-together-fashionista. I wish you all the best and continued success!

Hi! I am 5'6 and my goal weight is 175. I know its on the higher end, and I'll still be considered overweight but I also want to set realistic goals. I think that once I hit that weight, I might aim for 160, but honestly my true goal is not being in pain, and being able to shop in normal stores

Well you look very handsome! You officially qualify as eye candy! LOL

I’m May 14th! There are a lot of us [emoji4]

WOW. You look incredible! How do you feel? You clearly work out, do you doing anything specific?

Hello! I just wanted to pop in with a few updates. My husband is doing very well! They had him up and walking today, and he managed to do a full lap around the floor (a total of about 150ft) 3 times, which is apparently a big deal. In addition, they were able to take all drainage tubes out so he is feeling MUCH better. There is a possibility he may even get to come home on Friday! He is already getting up from the bed/chair with minimal assistance, and using the rest room on his own. It truly is a wonder how far we have come in medical field. My mom has decided to basically move in next week and the week after to help. I have to work next week to train my coverage for my own surgery, which at this point I am proceeding with. If he struggles this weekend, I will definitely push it out. Now for the not so great news... living off hospital food has caused me to gain 4lbs. They had very little gluten free options (unless I wanted wilted salad) and so in addition to the weight gain I have stomach pain too. Joy. Thankfully I have at most 2 days left, then I am putting myself on a liquid diet next week in hopes of losing those 4lbs I just put on Once again, I wish to thank you all for your kindness and support. It has been an immense help to me by keeping me distracted during this chaotic time. Kind regards, Kay

They anticipate 1 night. In Monday morning, discharged Tuesday afternoon. I get tested in the morning to confirm there is no leak, then they have me try a few different liquids to make sure I can consume them, then send me on my way.

Hi everyone, Once again, please accept my heartfelt thanks for your well wishes and responses. I will wait until the end of this week to make a decision on whether or not to pursue my own surgery. I agree that my husband's care certainly trumps my surgery at this point, but at the same time do not want to cause undue hardship on my employer after having paid for the coverage. In regards to support, I have multiple family members that are close by to offer assistance, but for me the deciding factor will ultimately be my husband's comfort level on having my family step in and assist. I purchased multiple products on amazon (this morning as I am still hanging in the waiting room) to make bathing and sleeping easier on my husband. Despite this, I want to make sure that my husband is fully comfortable with the assistance before I confirm my surgery. On the most important note, my husband made it through surgery and is now recuperating in the ICU. I was able to see him for a minute, but they were trying to regulate his pain so I couldn't stay. I am still hanging out in the waiting room. Surgeon said he did great! We also learned that she is the Chief of Cardiac Surgery, so that made me feel pretty good Again, thank you kindly for your words of encouragement and support. Kind regards, Kay

Thank you all for your thoughts. Also@kim, I appreciate your realistic view. Please don’t think I value your opinion any less because you advise to wait (thank you to the other posters who felt similar for sharing your honest thought). We spoke with my husband’s surgeon today and they said that my husband should “feel” back to normal in about 2 weeks minus some minor aches. His sternum will be sore and achy, but as long as there are no complications they believe he will have an easier recovery with no rehab needed. That being said... it’s open heart surgery! My husband is adamant that I not push back as my family is able to help (they both live less than 10 mins from us). I think I am going to speak to my surgeon at the end of this week and determine based on my husband’s progress what she thinks. He goes in tomorrow at 6am, here’s to hoping is goes smoothly!

Good Morning! I am hoping I could get some advice from this group. My surgery is scheduled for May 14th. I am 30 years old, and have a BMI of 43.6. I have no co-morbidities. I have had one previous abdominal surgery (gall bladder) and the recovery from that was very easy for me. I was back at work 2 days after surgery. Now, the reason I am telling you this is because my husband had a heart attack last week and is in the hospital waiting for a bypass. Heart Disease runs strong in his family. His surgery is scheduled for Monday, April 30th. The recovery for it is pretty freaking intense. As a result, I am considering pushing my surgery back a few weeks. My husband and family are adamantly against it. My mom works part time as a school bus driver, and my sister is on Maternity Leave, so they said they will take care of the kids (8 and soon to be 5) and us for the first week after my surgery. My main concern is this: My husband can't drive for at least the first 6 weeks to allow the sternum to heal. I won't be able to drive right after surgery (according to my paperwork at least). Does anyone know how long that is for? How soon were you driving? I just feel that with him only being 2 weeks post op, it seems insane to go in for another surgery! My concern with pushing the surgery back is work and insurance. For work, I've already got the leave approved, the STD in place, and have started to train my coverage while I am out. I took 3 weeks off post-surgery since I have a 1.5 - 2 hour commute each way and my thought was seatbelt + incisions = not fun. For insurance, my insurance came out with that pesky 6-month clause right at the end of my time that said any approvals submitted after 4/13 for approval needed to include 6 months of supervised weightloss. The original approval is good for within 30 days of the originally specified surgery date (They originally approved for April 16-20, and my surgery is May 14 so if falls within that 30 days). So I am afraid that if I request to push it out to say June, they may decline and make me continue with the 6 month and not have my surgery until August/September, which is the start to my busiest months at work (Not to mention the 2,000 person 4 day conference I am hosting the first week of September, AND the first week of October). In truth, I probably won't be able to make a decision about this until my husband is post-op and I can see how he is healing. Due to his age and general health, they consider it to be an extremely easy recovery but one can never tell. However, I would welcome your thoughts especially as it pertains to recovery from VSG while caring for another post-op person or if you had more insight into the recovery of bypass (Doctors can tell us what they expect, but I find people who live through it usually have more insight into the actual day to day). Thank you in advance for any advice you can give. Kind regards, Kay P.S. One last tidbit I forgot to mention, I have no issues with making dinners and such for my family while post-op. I don't have uncontrollable food cravings, nor do I have binging issues with food so am not concerned with feeling stress about being surrounded by food I cannot eat.

I wasn’t. My doctor’s office put a fake date on the approval to spur them to get the approval in faster than adjusted it to the first day in their schedule. My surgery is May 14.

Big congratulations to you!!! That is wonderful [emoji4]

LOL SO TRUE. Where in Vermont you from?

Hi! I’m the Fitchburg person I imagine I work in Boston and am getting my surgery in May [emoji4]

Welcome! I am similar in that respect. I started the process twice before, but each time felt like I SHOULD be able to do it on my own. This time was different and now I’m 3 weeks away from my surgery. Welcome to the forums, lots of great people and a wealth of knowledge to be had!

I did! It rained a bunch but I loved it anyways.

Hello! I am also an MA resident, my surgery is May 14th in Cambridge.

oh it looks soooo yummy!

Did you get this on Dashing Dish by chance? I had a strawberry shortcake protein cake and it was suuuuuper yummy!