Dawn

Okay so here's my story! I got to the hospital at 0530 on Monday morning and got checked in. Was put in a gown and got an IV started. From there we went down to the surgery pre-op where I waited and waited! They came in and drew some blood then I had to give a urine sample as well! So finally the doc comes in and we chat for a few mins about everything and I tell her I'm ready to go! When they finally came and gave me some meds through my IV I had been laying in bed in the pre-op area for 2 hours!!! I drifted off and don't remember a thing until I woke up in recovery! When waking up there was some pain but I know now that it wasn't pain from surgery it was gas pain from all the air they put in me! I got some good drugs though and the wheeled me up to my room! Shane was there for just a little bit before he had to go get Paxton but it was nice to see his face! I was still just really out of it and would wake for brief moments while they were taking my temp, blood pressure and so on. Later that night they wanted me to stand up and move around! I KNEW this was going to be BAD, it always is with me the first time getting up! So I get sat up on the edge of the bed and I was telling the nurse I was dizzy and nauseous but he insisted I stand up! WOAH, that did it, I was drenched in sweat right away and started to topple over!! They put me back in bed! THANK YOU! I told you it wasn't time for me to be up yet! LOL About midnight the overnight nurse thought we should try it again and this time wasn't as bad. Still a little light headed and nauseous but not as bad and I was able to sit up in the chair for a big and brush my teeth! At this point thought my temp was really starting to rise and that worried them a bit so back in bed I go! Around 2am my temp reached 102 so they tried to have me drink some liquid Tylenol! UGH! NOT GOOD! I got two VERY SMALL sips off it and totally felt like vomiting! They ended up giving me more meds and more fluids through the IV to see if they would help! By Tuesday morning, I was totally feeling better but still not great by no means. I got out of bed a few more times to go walk around the halls since the HORRIBLE gas pains were not letting up! There was like one big bubble that moved from right under my left breast up into my shoulder and back again (it's still there now too) and they say walking helps, so I walked as much as I could handle! Around 9am they came and took me down to do the swallow study to make sure there were no leaks! OMFG OUCH is all I can say!!!!!! I got in there and stood up on that dang machine and they gave me the huge cup of NASTY NASTY NASTINESS and made me take a "big" drink! Yuck for one, and OUCH for two! They said drink again, so another drink in and they are moving the thing around trying to see if the Fluid is going and OMG it hit me like a ton of bricks! PAIN PAIN PAIN!!!! The fluid wasn't draining so it was all just sitting right at the top of my stomach and not moving! That is seriously some of the worst pain I have ever felt! They quickly laid me and the table back and had me turn to each side and finally while on the left side they could see it starting to drain and the pain SLOWLY subsided! I SWEAR I will never eat or drink to fast because I NEVER want to feel that pain again! But all in all things were good, they didn't see anything leaks, but I was just really swollen and tight so they said it would be slow going for me. Tuesday night Shane brought Paxton up to see me which was nice! I missed my little girl! They also started me on drinking Water. 10cc a hour is what I needed to do and that was HARD! Picture 10cc of water? A tiny little medicine cup only filled about 1/4 of the way and I couldn't even drink that whole amount down in a hour?!?!?! CRAZY! Around 7pm my IV went bad so they took it out and I was thinking, GREAT, maybe I'll get to go home tomorrow, this is all good right? WRONG! By midnight I was so sick I was more nauseous then I have ever been. So they called the doc and she said, back on the IV I go! Of course, they had to stick me three times before they got one! Told them I was a hard stick! So they give me a different med which made me sleep! I was so thankful for that! So Wed. morning rolls around and still a little nauseous but not so bad. They really wanted me to focus on getting my water in, up to 60 cc (two med cups full) in an hour! By Wed. night I was able to accomplish this! YAY!!! I was also finally able to get up and shower on Wed. and walk around a lot more (still having the gas pains). Wed. night I was also able to have a popsicle!! It was cherry and OMG it was SO GOOD! LOL So I was off the IV and drinking my water and walking a lot! Got pretty sleepy early so off to bed I went! Slept pretty good expect for the temp checks and the heparin shots (btw those HURT and I have tiny little bruises all over my tummy from them)! Woke up this morning (Thursday) feeling pretty darn good (except of course the gas pains) and felt ready to come home! Walked, ate a popsicle and even had a little hot tea for breakfast! I liked the warm feeling going down! Again was able to shower and have them clean up the drain area with new tape and such. While doing so they showed me again how to empty the drain and I was missing a step the two times before and that might be why I have such gas pains today Might has got some air back in my tummy OUCH! But it's still nothing like what I'm sure it could be! I can totally handle my 60cc an hour and the doc said she still wants me on Clear fluids until I come see her on Monday! So it'll be water, tea, popsicles and broth throughout the weekend which right now is totally fine by me! I'm NOT hungry by no means! LOL So now I'm home and it sure does feel great to be in my own house! I have the chair all set up with pillows and my water and COMPUTER (gosh, I'm so addicted, I've missed my computer so much) and my puppy! (which totally wants on my lap but I won't let her)! Now I think I'll take a short nap and then get to doing some Work! I missed working That’s how much I LOVE my job and how totally depressed I am about losing it Oh I did step on the scale when I got home and thus far I have lost 4.2 lbs in the past 4 days! So after the pre-surgery diet and everything I am now at 227 lbs! Only 77lbs more to go! LOL

Here we go Cindy!!!! I am so excited that there are a few of us all getting it done at/around the same time so that we can really support each other through all the same stages at the same time!!! So, it's 9am here and I'm still going through everything I need to get done! I just got done with my homework (except my paper which is ALMOST done but might get put off until later in the week) and I still need to finish packing my bag, showing my DH how to look up things on the computer that I need checked (waiting on a job referral) and pay bills that must go out early this week and then shower and head to bed!! LOL Good Luck to everyone tomorrow and this week!! YAY!!! I'm SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shoot I was thinking about it and maybe TMI but I haven't even had sex since the last time the did a PG test for my EDG! LOL I KNOW I am not PG! LOL Thank Tiff!

I was supposed to go to the lab on Friday and get my blood drawn for a pregnancy test and I totally forgot!!! I was dealing with my DH in the hosptial that day and work and kid and UGH! Surgery is tomorrow, I have to report at 530am and I hope they will just do the test then? Also, I'm on my freaking period and my husband has been fixed for years, I AM NOT PG!!! LOL I remember when I had my gallbladder out they did the PG test right before surgery so I hope they will here too! I can't put this off to a later time, too much going on right now I'm so mad at myself!

SO happy to hear that most of you it wasn't too big of a deal! I just started today and my surgery is Tomorrow! UGH!

That is a typo, it is meant to saw low Protein not calories! It is the Wheybolic with 60g of Protein! I am pre-op and eating 1200 cal a day but on average even with the 800 from protein my lunch is usually only around 100-200 calories so I've been at or under 1000 each day! After surgery I won't be doing the shake twice a day only once to get my protein in!

The cookies n cream is pretty good as well as the banana cream! I am a HUGE chocolate lover (thus way so overweight!!hehe) and I wasn't thrilled with the chocolate either but if you mix one scoop chocolate with two scoops banana cream! YUM-O!

We were told to buy OTC Chewable Multi Vitamin and we should be good! As for the others, we were told they will evaulate how we are doing a few weeks/months after surgery to see if we need anything else but the multivitamin! The OTC wasn't too expensive either! Good Luck finding what you need!

Zumba, Wii, Hip Hop Abs I also like the mall walking idea! I LOVE to walk and even being overweight it's something I enjoy so I can walk a mall forever!

I've been reading through posts for a few weeks now and I am floored by how many people's drinks have "low" calories. The shakes I have (powder with milk) just the powder alone has 60g! Its the 100% Whey Protein AMP from GNC. It's three scoops and 12oz of milk. I've been drinking these twice a day for almost two weeks now and they are pretty good! My NUT says 60g of protein is exactly what I need each day!

We choose to not have DHs done around Christmas just because we are traveling but they fit him in at the end of Nov. I have mine done on Monday so I'm on the two week pre-op and we were in WalMart the other day and I saw all the holiday goods out! I was sad because I felt that I wanted them then I made myself stop and THINK about it and the others here are right, I can have a taste of the goodie NEXT year when I'm HEALTHLY and eating the way I should be! I WANT VSG and I want it NOW! LOL Good luck in making your decision!

I am at an MTF at West Point and it's been SO EASY! I met with the surgeon, NUT, then labs, chest x-rays, EKG, psych, pulmanary and EDG. I started this all on the 1st of Oct. 1 and surgery is Monday the 15th!! GOOD LUCK!!

I re-read all my information last night and all it says is a Low Fat diet, so not taking in more then 1200 cal per day and gives Examples of what to eat! Even after having pasta (which was whole wheat and the amount of sause I use is only 5 cal) last night I only intook 900+ cal for the day! I have actually been having troubles eating 1200 everyday, I've been averaging around 900!

Well it went really well! I was pretty sore that night but by yesterday morning I felt pretty good! It's still a little sore to swallow but not bad! I don't remember a thing, I was totally knocked out! LOL Doctor said everything is good to go but the funny thing was she said I have a Very Large stomach! LOL

WOW, I have to go back to work at my 1 week mark and I will be working from home while in the hosptial!! I first two days back I can just chill and don't have to "deal" with anyone but by the third day I'm back into a meeting with the Commander!!

I am curious if anyony cheated on their pre-op diets? My diet is a shake for breakfast, low fat lunch (turkey sandwich) and a shake for dinner! I am supposed to not go over 1200 calories a day and not a single day thus far (today is day 5) have I even come close to that many calories. I am HUNGRY today and I am really craving some pasta but I don't know if I should go for it or not. I'm not talking about to excess but a serving! I still have 10 days before surgery! I know people who didn't even have to do a special diet just did 24 hours of liquids before!

Tomorrow (3rd Nov) I get my endoscope done and that is the final thing before surgery on the 15th! YAY!! I've never had an endoscope so this will be a first and I have to admit, I'm a little nervous but I just hope they give me enough good drugs and I don't remember none of it! LOL

I have been using (I am pre sleeve starting my two week pre-op diet today) the GNC Pro Performance AMP Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 (we have Cookies N Cream, banana Cream and Chocolate) and I mixed the full three scoops with 12oz of 1% milk and it actually tastes pretty good and with 60g of Protein they keep me full!!!

I also started my two week pre-op today and I was told an example meal would be as follows Protein shake (with milk) for breakfast lunch - Lean Turkey Bread cheese Lettuce Tomato Light Mayo or Mustard Baked Lays or 100 Cal Pack of chips Snack Yogurt, fruit or veggies dinner Protein Shake (with milk) I am supposed to stay below 1500 for the day! Today I am just below 1200 because my protein shakes with milk are like 430 per shake!

I am starting my two week diet today and today was day one of no caffinee! ICK! LOL I am a soda drinker though so now I must not only give up the caffinee but also the "bubbles"! LOL I do LOVE hot tea so I've been drinking a lot more of that lately and also the water! Plus my "diet" is a protein shake for breakfast and dinner and a low fat lunch (sandwhich and 100 cal bag of chips) and a healthy snack (fruit-veggies).

Halloween I plan to eat CANDY and lots of it because I start my 2 week pre-op diet tomorrow! LOL Thanksgiving, I will still be on liquids because it's less then two weeks after surgery and for Christmas I'm not sure exactly where I'll be. I'm thinking it'll be soft/mushy or just have started solids again but my DH will not be that far along (his surgery is 2 weeks after mine) so I figured I would try to go along more with where he is for support!

Congrats!! Sounds like things are going just as they should be!! I've got a couple more weeks (Nov. 15th) and I'm excited and nervous!! I too am jealous about the drain though. My doc said I'll have to come home with it and keep it a full week I had a breast reduction 4 years ago and they pulled the drains out before I left the hospital and I sure was happy!!!

I read the article to my DH and of course he was annoyed/pissed as well but the first thing he said was, Duh, don't ya think that pretty much every obese person out there already knows this! It's not like we sit on our butts eating bonbons everyday and don't move out of our chairs!! We KNOW what foods we are supposed to eat, we KNOW we are supposed to get up and move but there are almost always OTHER factors can't prevent that! Like my DH, he can not walk for more then 5-10 mins because of his knees. The only exercise he can really do is swim but go figure we live somewhere that is COLD for half the year and there isn't indoor pools around! LOL

Julie - Did you email this to her? Very well written!!

I wonder how long it will take for Tricare to cover it now for those looking outside an MTF? That is great news!!!