Rosie T

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

Well I’m nearly 24 hours post op and thought I’d update for folks whose surgery is coming up and are curious what the experience has been like for me so far. I have three different IV sites. But one got pulled. A Foley catheter, SCDs and had oxygen on until this morning. I have a JP drain on my left side that is definitely the most painful part for me. Yesterday the pain was much more than I anticipated. It has improved some today but I can’t wait til the drain comes out. The liquid pain medication is pretty rough to handle. But zofran helps. Did my leak test and awaiting results. Enjoying ice Chips with no problem.

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.