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I'm attending a seminar and on my way to surgery. My concern is I have a 3 1/2 year old and 5 month old. My family lives in a different state and my husband works out of state. I may have help here and there but not constant. Any advice how to go forward?

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Yes, you’ll need help those first few weeks since you can't lift baby right away. Can a family member or a friend come and stay with you? Recommend a minimum of that first week someone around constantly during the hours your kids are awake. You will need to rest and recoup.

Ask during your consult what surgeon recommends for support. Your kids are important so a delay would be better than a potential you not being able to care adequately for your babies.

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I'm a military spouse and when I had my surgery my husband was gone two weeks of every month and worked 14-16 hour days the other two weeks. I had almost no help around the house and I had two and a half year old twins whose supertwin power was the power of destruction. I'm not joking - they were incredibly talented at destroying things, picking locks and wrecking havoc in two minute increments.

The baby might make things tricky, because no way could I have bent over a crib to pick up a child. However, I had no lifting restrictions placed on me so I wouldn't have worried about this. Yes, I was pretty tired for about a week or so post op and wore out easily for the first month as I adjusted to the much lower caloric intake. But I do not think it's totally impossible to do this by yourself.

I'd try to get a friend or family member to help for the first week post op, two if they can swing it or if you can get two people to help for one week back to back. Other than that, you should be absolutely fine.

And honestly? Having my surgery was so worth it that I would have done it even if I knew I'd have a terrible, horrible, unbelievably difficult time post op. Why? Because whats two or three weeks of hardship vs. a lifetime of being obese and unhappy about it?

Do it. The rest will work itself out.

~Cheri

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I'm a military spouse and when I had my surgery my husband was gone two weeks of every month and worked 14-16 hour days the other two weeks. I had almost no help around the house and I had two and a half year old twins whose supertwin power was the power of destruction. I'm not joking - they were incredibly talented at destroying things' date=' picking locks and wrecking havoc in two minute increments.

The baby might make things tricky, because no way could I have bent over a crib to pick up a child. However, I had no lifting restrictions placed on me so I wouldn't have worried about this. Yes, I was pretty tired for about a week or so post op and wore out easily for the first month as I adjusted to the much lower caloric intake. But I do not think it's totally impossible to do this by yourself.

I'd try to get a friend or family member to help for the first week post op, two if they can swing it or if you can get two people to help for one week back to back. Other than that, you should be absolutely fine.

And honestly? Having my surgery was so worth it that I would have done it even if I knew I'd have a terrible, horrible, unbelievably difficult time post op. Why? Because whats two or three weeks of hardship vs. a lifetime of being obese and unhappy about it?

Do it. The rest will work itself out.

~Cheri[/quote']

Cheri, my husband will be gone for at least 3 weeks at a time and when he is here it will only be for 3-4 days so I'm not expecting much there.

I do have the option of putting the baby in the bassinet part of a pack n play so bending over anything wouldnt be an issues. Push comes to shove there is always in the bed with me too.

I had 2 cSections with little pain meds as i apparently have a high tolerance and had help until I made it home and I was on my own, even with the 2nd and having to travel out of state less than a week later bc my dad was in the hospital. So given that, I'm hoping if I do have to do it without help I'll be fine. However I do have someone that doesn't work and I plan on seeing if she can so days and a work friend that is single to do nights, just not one of those things you hold your breath on.

I am completely scared but yet want to have more quality of life to enjoy all I have been blessed with.

Thanks

Ashley

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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