Surgery day stories

[Brooklyn732 7]

I am pre-op and I have been searching for threads where people talk about their stories. I have only found a couple. I'm sure there are more out there but I haven't found them. But I was thinking that something as important as that should have it's own thread and it should be a sticky so that you don't have to try to keyword search for them.

I would LOVE for those who have been sleeved to tell us their story about the days that led up to surgery, the actual surgery day, and day 1 post op. But I would love to hear the details. For example, did you have to take a diuretic before surgery? I've heard that some surgeons want u to do that. What happens right after surgery (that you can remember)? How do they do the leak test and what is that like? What is the best thing to do to minimize the pain? I hear walking works as soon as possible post surgery. And I'm sure I can ask a ton more questions. I am sorry if this has come up before but I have had no success with my searches and I am sooo curious.

In the lapbandtalk board there is a thread dedicated to just people telling their stories and I really got a lot of info from there (and it helped me decide on the sleeve...lol)

Hope to hear from you sleevers soon! And I hope to be one of you soon so I can add my own story to this thread!

[christina@MIA 12]

Let me see what I can remember......I did a 3 day pre-op diet. Day 1 of pre-op, I cheated. Day 2 we had to take a lax, day 3 I was on the plane to Mexico. I slept most of that day bc I was nervous. The next day I had surgery, I woke from Surgery with the worst gas pain in my back and chest, I thought I was going to die. At the Clinic I felt best when I slept sitting up in the recliner I puked from the anesthesia, I always do that, I had a pounding headache, but they give you meds to put you right back to sleep =), As soon as I woke up from surgery I started walking the halls, I didn't sleep for long periods of time bc of the gas pain, so I was up walking about every hour. The next day i went to the guest house. Then the blues set in, I would cry for no reason at all, I would find myself just stairing at the wall sad. I had no pain. Except for gas. Later I found out this was Post Surgery depression. It is a side effect some people get from the anesthesia. It lasted about 1 week. Day 3 was the worst of it all! The leak test! They have you drink this stuff that taste like posion!!!!!!!!!! I cried and puked and cried and puked! The first two weeks are tuff. I slept sitting up on my couch bc of acid reflux for about 11/2 weeks, then it was gone. I haven't had it again. By a month you are feeling much better. At almost 9 weeks out I eat almost anything. Very small amounts. But for a good part of this nine weeks it has been trial and error finding out what is to much and what my body likes. My body hates Protein shakes. I haven't tried them for a few weeks, time to see if I can handle them now.

Hope this helps! You might find info you are looking for by going to members profiles, then go to the post tab, then find their older post.

Good luck!

[wannalise 15]

I have sent mine to several people, so I will copy and paste here. Please feel free to PM me if you have any further questions.

I was never the kind of person willing to have surgery in Mexico. I remember hearing about others going that route and thinking they were CRAZY!!! I can say with all honesty the care I received there was amazing. There are only 6-7 patients there at a time and aside from the overnight shift you usually have access to multiple nurses. Dr. Aceves and Campos also come around several times pre and post op and are an excellent support.

As far as tips my first would be that your goal in the first two weeks is hydration. That is it. You will not be able to get adequate calories and you may be obsessing how much Protein you are getting. Do what you can on that front, but becoming dehydrated is really rough that close to your surgery, I finally had to drink gatorade because nothing else was working. The first little while Water will hit your stomach and is REALLY uncomfortable. Initially post op the PH of Water does not react well to the new PH of your stomach (it gets better) you may want to mix in crystal light as that changes the acid content in water and for many is easier to get down. I remember the first couple days after being home feeling like I would NEVER be able to get enough fluids down, it seemed impossible. You will experience swelling inside your stomach and really just have to be patient.

My second tip would be, be patient with yourself. Other people who have had surgery can give you loads of advice, but some of it you have to learn on your own. Hunger and fullness will not feel like anything familiar. You have to eat and drink very slowly and you will eventually recognize your signals. You will be very tired, it is okay! You will go from eating 3000 calories a day (and in my case drinking loads of diet coke) to eating 600 calories (and for a while you won't be able to get that down.) You will adjust and feel better than ever, but be patient. It is easy to get on the boards and see others who are healing differently then you, who have started exercising before you. They aren't you. Listen carefully to your body, and do what you can. Rest if you need to, and let yourself heal. I can think of no other surgery where you would have 80% of an organ removed and then expect yourself to start exercising.

Stay connected to others either through a support group in your area or with the message boards. There will be things that happen and you will wonder if they are normal or unique to you. Ask! We have all had different experiences and there is bound to be someone who can help you understand what is happening.

If you are going to Mexicali alone pack light. You will want to rest, and you won't need a lot of clothes. I chose to take my own pajamas because they were comfy to me and because you are walking the halls as much as you can. I overpacked and the day of travel after my surgery was overwhelmed. I was very tired and not well hydrated and I'm pretty sure I looked crazy to anyone who could see me. The TV is kind of hilarious. I am not a big Wheel of Fortune fan, but I ended up watching a lot of it there. One day I was so proud of myself because I solved the puzzle way before anyone else, it wasn't until later in the show that I realized, I had already watched that episode! (Needless to say I'm a lightweight when it comes to anasthesia.) I also fell asleep to Mexican Wrestling.

I am not sure if this answers the questions you have but please feel free to email or message me. Enjoy your last meal the night before surgery! But realize that you really will be able to eat any food after surgery, just in really small quantities. And the crazy part for me is that in the past after eating something I would always want more and would obsess about it. Now I really can eat a few bites of something and I feel pretty good. I don't generally obsess and I move on. Okay! Sorry for rambling. Best of luck to you in both your surgery and your recovery. Be kind to yourself through this experience. I know a lot of us initially feel bad that we weren't able to do this on our own. That we are weak, but I think taking care of yourself and moving on shows a lot of strength.

Take Care,

Anna

[clc1973 0]

I totally get it - I was looking for the same -just had my surgery done last week so let me tell you all the details...

Started clear liquid Diet Monday (surgery Thursday) - that was painful, considering I had given myself carte blanche to eat WHATEVER I WANTED for the two weeks before. I had been banded 5 years ago and lost over 100lbs, band slipped in May, regained about 30 lbs, so I figured ten more - no biggee

3 days before surgery had to go to the hospital to pre-register, sign all paperwork and have blood taken

Day before I had to drink a liter of Halflightly - tasted so gross had to close my eyes and just get it done. Proceeded to spend the rest of the day in the bathroom, which amazed me considering I had only had chicken broth, tea and Water for the past 3 days.

Thursday- the big day, I was terrified. I hate hospitals, and was concerned about complications since I have a 6 year old daughter. My boyfriend took me - had to be there by 5:30AM. Arrived, proceeded right to the floor I was told to go to, a nurse showed me my room, they gave me a gown and socks to put on - the reality set in and all I could think about is I wanted this over. I changed and read a magazine while I waited for them to come and take me to surgery. They came at about 7am, I climbed on to the gurney and was wheeled down to teh elevator, the nurse directed my boyfriend to the family waiting area, I kissed him goodbye and cried, then they wheeled me into the pre-surgery holding area.

Here they asked me my name, what my procedure was and how I was doing. They also put my IV in. I was freaking out - kept wondering if I was doing the right thing. Considering the challenges Ive had my whole life, until the band, I knew it was. The anesthesiologist came in a few minutes later and introduced himself, asked me about how i reacted. I told him I tend to get very nauseous coming out of surgery and I get the shivers. He said he would be sure to give e something to help that. A few moments later my surgeon came in - I went to Dr Paya in West Hills, CA. He is amazing and I trusted him completely. He did my band before- the slippage was not due to anything he did, it was either my major acid reflux or bad filled (missed) from another doctor I stupidly went to. Dr Paya is a specialist in this field, not just a surgeon who added it to his roster. He cares about his patients and when I found out the band slipped, he and his team did everything they could to not only help me get insurance to approve, but to also get me through it without losing my mind.

I then was brought into the OR, all of the nurses introduced themselves - they were beyond nice and put me at ease. They gave me the shot in the IV to relax me, and I was out! Woke up later and thought they hadnt done anything yet. The nurses told me I was all done, everything was fine and I was in recovery. The pain was pretty bad, and I felt a bit nauseous. They immediately gave me something to help both. I think it was now 11am or so - since I had the band removed as well, surgery took more time.They wheeled me back to my room, I rolled into bed and was in and out for hours. My awesome boyfriend came in with a giant mushy Teddy Bear and flowers. I slept with the bear and pushed my button for pain meds as often as I could! I wasnt in much - but didnt want any either!

At around 3pm I had to use the bathroom, so i got up and went - not very comfortable, but bearable- FAR better than when I had the band! The rest of the day I slept - no Water allowed, I was SOOOOO THIRSTY,so I brushed my teeth Also did a few laps around the floor, was fine, but made me a little light headed.

I was awoken many times throughout the night with people checking my blood pressure, temp, and received a shot in my tummy to help get some gastric activity. Also had some blood taken. They took me down for an upper GI at about 9am. Took 2-3 sips of Fluid, took x rays while standing up. Then back to my room where I waited for results. Walked around a little.

At about 2pm, nurse brought a tray of chicken broth, sugar free sorbet and tea - my results were in and all was good. All I had to do was eat a little, walk a little more and I was out! THe broth looked gross - had a few bites of sorbet, some sips of tea, but drank about a half cupof water.

At about 5pm, I was ready to go home! got dressed, walked myslef out and to the car, them went to bed.

Doiing great so far- already sick of Soup =- but not willing to risk anything and go off the diet program. My first day to eat "normal" food again will be thanksgiving - super excited!

Already down about 20lbs - i tend to lose weight fast. I only want to lose about 40 or 50 more, pending how I look.

Still not back at work thinking wednesday will be the day.

Hope this helps - good luck! It will be over before you know it!

[Stacy160 201]

Part of this is a cut and paste from a post I made about a month after surgery.

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. 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.

I had bloodwork and medical clearance from my family doctor prior to seeing the surgeon. I was self-pay, so from the time I first met with him to the day of surgery was only twelve days. He didn't require a pre-op diet (don't know if that was because I had slightly below a 40 bmi or if that's standard for him), just that I not gain weight before surgery. I did put myself on a very low-carb diet four days beforehand to get rid of the glycogen and shrink my liver a little, and the day before surgery I did have to restrict intake to Clear liquids only.

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, talking and laughing with them... 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 brought about 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!

THINGS I TOOK THAT I NEEDED:

- chap stick

- cell phone

- GasX strips

- Listerine strips

- sugar free Ricola drops...you're dryer than the Sahara in there

- a book

- toothbrush

THINGS I TOOK THAT I DID NOT NEED:

- robe

- slippers

- ipod (just wanted to sleep)

- makeup for the next morning (who cares? LOL)

Day two, the first day home, I was still pretty sleepy and sore. Hubby and son were great about grabbing things for me and just letting me chill. I had a drain and could not get comfortable in bed with it pulling on me, so for the first week until it came out, I slept either on the loveseat on my back or side, or in the recliner.

Day three I was already feeling better, and went for a ride with the boys to go visit my parents for awhile. Day four I went shopping by myself to Sam's.... by the time the drain came out a week later, unless I specifically pushed around the main incision site, I literally could not tell I'd had anything done. Other than the fact that I could only drink small amounts of liquids, I felt 100% normal, if maybe a little...lazy? Not fatigued really. Day 10 and 11 I went back to work for a couple of trial 6-hour shifts (had planned on 2 weeks off if necessary), with no problem, and beginning Day 15 life went back to normal, with the obvious exception of how I was eating. And needless to say, what's "normal" since then has only gotten better and better!

[Becca 108]

There are lots of great videos on Youtube that give great information on the surgery before, during, and after.