My surgery is Monday Dec 2nd. My pre-op diet was only two weeks and it has been 3 shakes and a small meal (4oz) of Protein. The protein intake is important because your body starts to burn fat, and you have that period you feel like crap people refer to as the 'keto-flu.' I like the pudding idea - I brought some sugar free for post op. Sunday is my 24 hr full liquid only diet, well technically ending with only clear from 6pm - 12 am, then nothing after midnight. I have slow digestion issues (gastroparesis) so that could be little different for me.
So, today I had my final appointment prior to surgery and pre-registered and given information about post-op and what to expect. WoooooHooooo, I am so happy! I have been on my liver shrinking diet and started a week early and when I realized I wouldn't be getting the foods I so loved, I went and got me a quarter-pounder, fries and a large sprite. I felt so guilty after eating it but the next day got back on track! So, Tuesday was my actual start date of the 14 day liver shrinking diet but again I started earlier. Friday 22, 2019 I went for my appointment were you had to bring your support person and I was so shocked that my husband only missed one question on the post test after they talk to you. I was so sure he was not listening just going through the motions but oh my goodness he and I both only missed one question! Questions such as when do you start your pureed, soft, and regular diet, how much are you suppose to eat on the pureed diet ( I missed this one) 1 Tbs, 1/2 cup or 3 Tbs. I chose the 1/2 cup and it should have been the 3Tbs. Then they spoke about what will give you dumping syndrome and then had you feel out your calendar of when you start your cleanse, when you start you Clear Liquids to full clear, to pureed, soft and regular! We then had a trainer come in and speak to us about exercise after surgery. It was a day full of great information and I really enjoyed it. Also today, they wanted to make sure you have purchased your Vitamins, which I had, I had purchased mine previously and so I am now ready for this surgery! My surgery is scheduled for 6:30a.m. and she said I was the first on the list!
Hi guys-
This is a long rambling post because I wanted to journal my story, so if it's of no interest to you you won't hurt my feelings!😁
I just got a lab band to RNY revision a week ago. I've an old band that was making me vomit quite often, and even though the xrays show the band to be perfect the surgeon said it still had to come out.
I was lucky that he only requires a three day liquid diet since that was tough. When they admitted my the morning of my surgery the nurses asked if I was suicidal and I told them that it wasn't a good time to ask me that.
When I got my band the nurses in the recovery room saw me groping my stomach after I awoke, and they asked me what was wrong. I told them I was sure that they had put me to sleep and then found something wrong and woke me right back up so I was checking for bandages. Nothing hurt-there wasn't any gas pain.
This time I awoke in the recovery room to hear a woman moaning piteously and it took me a second to realize it was me. This hurt WAAAAY more than I expected. But the nurses immediately gave me a painkiller and that helped a lot. Part of the problem was when the surgeon actually got inside me, he found not only had my band slipped, but I had a hiatal hernia to repair also. Surprise! That added to the excessive pain.
Then they get you back to your room and the drinking game commences. They line this little cups in front of you like shots at a bar and expect you to sip them down. This is while you have raging chest and neck pain from the gas and just want to sleep. The nurses where nice and not giving me a hard time about my lack of effort, but I sipped at a less than stellar rate.
What I DID rule at was the walking. The first time they made a nurse walk with me but after that I was free to go as I chose. I walked long and fast (as I could, dragging an IV pole with me..) lapping other walkers in the hall. I wanted these gas pains gone!! So I walked and walked--even at 4 in the morning. And after lapping one lady twice she hailed me to slow down and walk with her. Her surgery had been two days ago, and she was astounded that mine had been less than 14 hours ago.
But then back in my room all I wanted to do was sleep. They kept waking my up for vital signs, and even though I only had a small touch of the diabetes they kept doing the fingerstick blood sugars. But they didn't really hurt so I didn't mind. What I hated was they kept giving me all sorts of pills to take. Choking down a pill on a sip of Water with raging neck pain was not fun. And my BP was only slightly elevated, actually normal for me, but most of those pills were for HBP. The next morning I got up to take a walk and then broke out into a cold sweat and felt faint and nauseated, so I rang for a nurse. They took my BP and found it as 90/50. So at least I didn't have to take those pills for a while.
I'm glad my surgeon said I could stay two nights. I couldn't have left after the first night if they'd have kicked me out. But I was being able to drink an ounce of Fluid in an hour finally. I was proud of that until they came back into the room and said "now we want you to drink 4 ounces an hour. By the next day I think I only accomplished this feat once, but they agreed to discharge me late the second day.
Here's where it got interesting. I live 5 hours away from where my surgery was. One of the disadvantages of living in a rural area. My husband isn't in good health and we have three dogs, so he stayed behind while I took Amtrak to get to the hospital. After they discharged me I thought (correctly) that riding the train back the same day could be bad, so I laid up in a hotel 1/2 from the hospital until I went back the next day. I didn't want something to spring a leak while I was on a train. I should have known it was going to be a tough trip when the Uber dropped me off, and the Metro station was closed! Luckily there was a free shuttle to the next station down the line. I got on the train, and for the first time in my 20+ train trips, the dang thing lurches to a stop where they find a problem. So we were delayed 4 hours on a already 5 hour tip. At least we didn't have to switch trains--they brought a new engine to us.
So my advice is if you can get surgery closer to home, do it. Of course it could have been worse--I understand many self-pay people have to go out of the country. I should consider myself lucky that it was only 5 hours away.
I had the terrible "buyers remorse" that you read about here but think it won't happen to you. But in only lasted about 3 days and I turned the corner about two days ago when miraculously I could drink down amounts more than I could before. It's still not 64 ounces, but much better than it was. So I think I've lost the "buyers remorse", especially since I weighted for the first time and I'm already down 10 pounds...
So read this, if you wish, and for all the griping I did here, it was worse than I expected but that feeling only lasted about 4 or 5 days. So if your considering WLS go for it, but don't have unrealistic expectations, prepare for the worst and you'll be happy if it isn't that bad! And hang in there if you are recovering..it WILL get better, I promise!
