Rosie T

Day 4 post op now. Yesterday was a rough start. Horrible gas pain. It sounded like an alien in my body. And then severe nausea. Walked countless laps around hospital and got a better anti-emetic on board that did the trick. Got released, took a nice long hot shower which was wonderful and was able to get in some solid sleep. The hospital had a hell of a time getting an IV in me. They stuck me 15 times and finally put in a central line!! A triple lumen subclavian. I was like what the HECK??? I don't even know what happened because I have good and visible veins, but I look like I've been in a terrible accident basically from waist up. Today has been much better. No problem getting my 64 ounces of clear fluids in today. And pain has been manageable. Some gas still and some incision pain, but taking my walks and sipping my water and just staying as relaxed as I can and not getting ahead of myself. Mixing pain med with some water helps it go down SO much easier. Didn't need any Zofran today. Hopefully tomorrow will continue to get better in this way too. Not in a rush to advance diet. Pre-op, I was terrified of how slow post op diet moves. No purees til Nov 14??? Now, I'm like 2 weeks of clear liquids sounds like a solid plan to me. What's the rush? We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Got released earlier today. Working on the gas pain. Walking and sipping like my life depends on it.

I passed leak test. They pulled my drain and Foley. Brought me a tray. Water and ice chips are great. Broth was nasty. Did a lap around the unit. Brushed my teeth and used bathroom. Time for a snooze

I'm 41. I have three boys. I'm an RN in a neonatal ICU. It's a second career for me. Used to be a theatre director. Favorite things - my husband, singing loudly in the car while driving with the windows down, watching creamer swirl into coffee, the smell of clothes that have come out of the washer just after being bleached, and swimming.

Wow. This reply breathed life into me today. My surgery is tomorrow and I have been nearly panicked for about 24 hours now with a host of what ifs. Thanks for reminding me of the positive what ifs too.

I spent a lot of time going back and forth between gastric bypass and gastric sleeve trying to decide which to have. I ultimately decided on the sleeve, but I think there are pros and cons to both. From what I read, and these are all statistics, not personal stories, so of course there are always exceptions to the statistics. Statistically, gastric bypass patients have a bit more weight loss than sleeve and maintain a bit closer to goal. Gastric bypass is a hair more successful at sending diabetes type 2 into remission than sleeve, but both can be effective. The sleeve creates a high pressure system which can exacerbate GERD to an unmanageable point so it is rarely recommended for people who are already diagnosed with GERD. However, once you are past the initial major complication of sleeve (staple line leak) there seem to be few major complications to contend with. The main one seems to be GERD. But in gastric bypass there are statistically more serious complications that can develop later in life. This could be due to the fact that sleeve is a newer procedure and there is less statistical information available that bypass, or it could be that it actually just less likely to have medical complications down the road. It's such a personal decision and based on so many factors. I wish you all the best in making your choice!

My surgery is also on 9/11 and I am in the pre-op liquid only week. My mind has been VERY pre-occupied with my surgery this week and I'm sort of swinging back and forth between excitement and anxiety. I was terrified of the liquid diet. And while I don't love it, I am carrying on better than I thought I'd be able to. My surgeon is incredibly strict with advancing diet. So, I won't be having even purees until 8 weeks post op. It's hard to believe I won't be chewing anything until November. I am already anticipating a tiny bit of mashed potatoes at thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps not the healthiest fantasy, but.... I'm trying to just take one day at a time and keep my head in the game. Remember why I wanted this surgery to start and that one day, I will get to eat food again. Just less of it. And I'm eager for all the benefits that will come with weight loss. I have only been on the liquid diet since Tuesday morning and I've lost 9 pounds. It's wild! I wish you all the best this week and on your surgery date!

I'm September 11. Good luck to you too! Hope all goes smooth sailing this time for you!

Anyone else out there getting sleeved the week of September 10? Looking for a buddy. My actual date is September 11. I have my last pre-op appointments this Wednesday. Starting to get quite nervous.

I have surgery scheduled for early September and am beginning to feel really nervous about it. One of the things I've been thinking of doing is seeing a therapist to help me with the mental aspects of preparing for and recovering from surgery. I just am thinking that addressing both the mental and physical aspects of what got me to my current weight would be wise. I asked my surgeon's office for recommendations to therapists that might specialize in working with bariatric patients but they seemed sort of confused by my request. They told me I could see their psychologist at my next appointment if I want and recommended their monthly support group. I was hoping for something more regular and consistent. Anyone else had experience with this. Are there therapists who specialize in working with bariatric patients? I don't know how to find them.