Hello everyone,

I have been reading your posts for about 4 months as I began my process. Ive found alot of information and indirect support through your words. So today I have joined you!

My surgery is 2/23/10 at Beamont Hospital in MI. I must admit I am anxious to get on with life post op but the surgery itself has me anxious to knots. Im fearful of the surgery preps ( my first surgery as an adult-had tonsils out at 8yrs) Im worried about the anestesia as well. Can anyone go into detail abouthte actual surgery? what you rememeber? how it felt? what you did to remain calm?

Thanks so much

and Happy Valentines Day :drool5:

Sleeve date 2/23/2010

Current weight 385

Hi Xandria!

I am new to the site as well.

I was sleeved on 1-28-10 in Mexico with Dr. Almanza.

I was like you extremly nervous mostly because I was going out of the Country for the surgery.

Everything went really well though so the worrying was for nothing.

There were about 10 of sleeved in 2 days at the same clinic and out of all of us only 3 had a tough time with the anesthesia. Me being one of the 3.

I just dont tolerate the gas very well. I had the same thing happen when I had the lap band put in.

I will say the very best thing you can do is get up and walk as soon as possible.

It really helps get that gas out of your body.

I was right as rain in a couple of days though.

I am loving life getting use to my new stomach and I have already lost 20 lbs!!!

I wish you the best and know that I will be thinking about you and praying for you as well!!

xo

I asked for valium. Seriously, do not hesitate to tell the surgeon, OR nurse or anesthesiologist, that you are anxious going into surgery.

I hate that they put a mask on your face, so I ask to have valium and that the mask be held close to my face, but do not put that thing around my mouth and nose until I am out.

I remember being wheeled in, I saw the anesthesiologist, my OR nurse (who I love, love, love), smile at me, and tell me they'd see me in a little bit. My OR nurse held my hand while the anesthesiologist gave me the valium cocktail, and I vaguely recall seeing the mask near my face. I drifted off, and then I woke up in the recovery room.

I had the band placed Oct 2008, my revision to VSG on June 3, 2009, leak repair on June 5, 2009, and most recently my gallbladder removed on February 4, 2010. So, I've had 4 surgeries in 16 months. Each time, I've asked for either valium or Versed (midazolam) because I refuse to go into surgery anxious or upset. I honestly believe you have to go in calm, and the recovery is much easier. I've had 2 knee surgeries in the past, and didn't take this extra step, and my recovery was horrendous. I cry every time when I kiss my husband as they wheel me back, but it's because I'm an emotional wreck when it comes to my husband and son.

Hello everyone,

I have been reading your posts for about 4 months as I began my process. Ive found alot of information and indirect support through your words. So today I have joined you!

My surgery is 2/23/10 at Beamont Hospital in MI. I must admit I am anxious to get on with life post op but the surgery itself has me anxious to knots. Im fearful of the surgery preps ( my first surgery as an adult-had tonsils out at 8yrs) Im worried about the anestesia as well. Can anyone go into detail abouthte actual surgery? what you rememeber? how it felt? what you did to remain calm?

Thanks so much

and Happy Valentines Day

Sleeve date 2/23/2010

Current weight 385

Since I was just sleeved 2.5 weeks ago, I can so relate to your anxiety. I don't have the magic answer to help calm your fears. However, I can tell you to talk with your surgeon - explain your fears, have him walk you through the procedure - what you can expect and what not to expect (so you know to ask for assistance if you need it), also be sure to talk to your anesthesiologist when you meet him/her.

Funny story - I was scared to death of general anesthesia. But, when I met my anesthesiologist, all I could think of was "Wow! He's handsome & has a great smile". I can't be sure, but I think I have a memory of telling him how handsome he was when he put me under!

Keep us updated on your progress. If you need support the next 2 weeks, just come out here. We're all here for you.

Hi, welcome to VST and congratulations on your date! Just like others have mentioned, you should talk to your surgeon about your concerns before the big day. I was so nervous when they brought me back to the prep waiting area that the nurses who were supposed to start my IV had a lot of difficulty. I was shaking and my teeth were chattering so bad. The nurse informed me that I should have let my surgeon know because he would have prescribed some kind of pill to take at home that morning to help calm my nerves.

As for what I remember..just like my previous surgery, I was out like a light before they ever rolled me out of the prep area (I think I'm easy to put under). I remember at the pre-op appointment, my OR nurse explaining how I'd be rolled in and then asked to move to the table, but I'm sure they just moved me because I was out as soon as the anesthesiologist put the magic potion into my IV bag. This time, unlike the last surgery I had, I don't even remember waking up in the recovery room. My first awake moments is when they were waking me up as they rolled my to my hospital room. I do remember wanting to get out of bed to walk very soon (I'd done so much reading on how important that was).

Good luck!

I am scheduled for Monday Feb 22nd. So maybe we can keep in touch and support each other.

I am not scared (or least not yet) everyone keeps asking me, which i get tired of. But right now I am so excited to finally get to do this, from what I have read on here I think my scare time will be the few days afterwards.

As far as the anesthesia I have had 2 back surgeries the last one in 1998 and I never had a problem and they did not even have all the things they have now. My doctor now has given me a prescription for a patch to put on before for the nasusa.

We can do this.

Since I was just sleeved 2.5 weeks ago, I can so relate to your anxiety. I don't have the magic answer to help calm your fears. However, I can tell you to talk with your surgeon - explain your fears, have him walk you through the procedure - what you can expect and what not to expect (so you know to ask for assistance if you need it), also be sure to talk to your anesthesiologist when you meet him/her.

Funny story - I was scared to death of general anesthesia. But, when I met my anesthesiologist, all I could think of was "Wow! He's handsome & has a great smile". I can't be sure, but I think I have a memory of telling him how handsome he was when he put me under! :crying:

Oh My Gosh!! That is funny!!!

LoL!!!

Here is something funny that I said....

My Mom said when they wheeled me into the recovery room that I kept telling her that, "Mom Mom I was just in a Hallmark Movie" !!!

LOLOLOL

Too funny!!!

HI Xandria! I'm in Michigan too. I had my VSG three weeks ago today at Doctors Hospital in Pontiac, with Dr. Mark Pleatman.

This was my first major surgery, first time under general anesthesia. I had some slight anxiety for a couple of days after I scheduled the surgery, which was 12 days later. It wasn't a scared-kind of anxiety, it was more the anxiety you get over any major life-change, like getting married or having your first baby...knowing what's going to happen, but not understanding how it'll BE.

Leading up to the surgery, I was surprised to find that I was just more and more excited, and not nervous at ALL. I half expected to cry when my husband and son walked out of pre-op. But I was totally relaxed, completely into paying attention to what the nurses were doing, how the whole process went... I found it really interesting. My husband and son had already been back to pre-op to see me beforehand, and after they went out my parents came in. While they were there, the nurse slipped the happy juice into my IV, and within 4-5 minutes I started feeling reeeeally sleepy. I vaguely remember my surgeon coming in but don't remember a thing he said. I remember my parents leaving and asking if I wanted them to send my husband back in one more time, saying yes, but I'm not sure if I remember seeing him again, or if I'm just imagining that LOL. After that--I was completely out of it. Don't remember a thing, not being wheeled off to surgery, just nothing at all. What felt like 5 minutes later, they were waking me up in recovery.

Waking up, I had to PEE like a racehorse, which induced my first experience with a bedpan. Which I was privileged enough to have to use twice while in there LOL.... they pump a lot of Fluid into you!! After they got me to my room, my family came in and visited for awhile. I learned that my surgeon actually showed my husband my removed stomach! He was good with it, he was a Navy corpsman in the first Gulf War, and was at Oakland Naval Hospital when the big earthquake hit in '89, so he's seen a LOT. Anyway, after they left I started using the bathroom about every 2-3 hours (morning AND night). Lying still there was no pain at all... I felt bloated but wasn't having any gas pains yet. Sitting up in the bed, there was some mild-moderate pain at the main incision, and my stomach muscles felt like I'd done a thousand situps and then got beat with a baseball bat LOL.... all of which were completely gone within 6 days.

They'll want you to get up every once in awhile and walk, and they'll come in at all hours wanting to test your oxygen, take your blood pressure, change your IV, add stuff to it, but it's all good... When you're not up walking or peeing you're pretty much gonna want to lay still and sleep anyway. I thought the whole experience was pretty neat!

Stacy, you crack me up! It must have been the "really neat" comment! lol or the "peeing like a racehorse"! That's why I love cathedars. Don't think I have ever used a bed pan and hoping it isn't a first later this week!

Also made me think about being overnight in the hospital; seems they are always waking you up to see how you are doing - and then telling you to get some rest! :smile:

I don't mind being in the hospital however I almost always wear ear plugs and never hear the nurses until they are standing over me - and they about scare me to death!

Just a bit of insomnia tonite. Good thing the Olympic coverage runs late. :smile:

Hi Zandria and Shylady,

I'm scheduled for the 23rd February. I'm excited but still worried on how it will change my life. But I am always looking on the bright side of being thinner and not having knee pain. Also I can't wait to see the look on people's faces when I turn up looking stunning ...It will be priceless...lol

I do have a bit of an reaction to the anesthesia...which is usually feeling sick but they just put stuff in your iv and you go back to sleep and feel better when you wake ( that was the case for my 2 knee surgeries)

So good luck and will see how we all go....we will be stunning!!!! in a few weeks/months!!!!

cheers

Michelle

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and thoughts. I am finding I do have the strength to get through this and I am so looking forward to life after being sleeved. I will update you all when I get home

Sleeving: 2/23

Royal Oak Beaumont, MI

Dr Chengalis