I wanted to start a thread for those of us who are waiting "with bated breath" for our surgeries in March.

I am supposed to start Optifast on February 26th. I am currently waiting for the shipment, including my surgical package to be delivered. Once I get my package I am supposed to call the clinic.

Ever since committing to this surgery (which I am paying for myself via a personal loan) I have been obsessed with reading everything I can about it and about people who have had it. I am still kind of hoping for some kind of "divine word" about whether or not it is the right thing for me to do.

I am "only" 75 lbs over my ideal weight but am type II diabetic. I am trying to figure out if my reason for doing this is my health or my vanity or a combination of both. The diabetes needs to be gone (when I am 20 lbs lighter it is gone) but I am sure looking forward to losing the weight and actually keeping it off for more than 20 minutes...

Was banded yesterday and can't hold anything down. Vomit everytime I take the smallest :help: sip. Can anyone tell me if this has happened to them

The best advice is to please call you doctor ASAP. You want to get this undercontrol because vomiting is not somethin to mess around with after banding. Maybe you doctor can get you something to help settle your stomach.

Ok... Yup.. I was put on liquid antibiotics and I now have a raging case of both thrush and a yeast infection. Discuss this with your dr and he can prescribe the one dose pill for the south and a mouth swish for you mouth.

Dose everyone get put on antibiotics after surgery? If so, I have a problem with them. I seem to always get a yeast infection, sorry so personal here but I want to make sure I have some monistat (sp) if needed.

Just a little thought for those of you coming up for surgery. If your doctor is recommending no coffee post-op you should cut out the caffeine a week ahead. I cut out caffeine just to be a little healthier and had a headache for three days. I am glad that I experienced that BEFORE I was also in pain or uncomfortable from surgery!

I am enjoying reading how everyone is doing and it is really helpful hearing from everyone as they get banded. I am coming up on Monday and am very excited! Take care all!

Oh yeah, you can prevent or at least help with the yeast from antibiotic problem by getting some good acidopholis (live yogurt culture0 (sp?) I would go to a health store and get them to reccommend something. I am currently taking some that is just like the yogurt drink "yop". I believe that it will go down pretty good after surgery as well.

Was banded yesterday and can't hold anything down. Vomit everytime I take the smallest :help: sip. Can anyone tell me if this has happened to them

Try ice chips....

I think you are just swollen or still reacting from the anesthesia. So you have any suppositories Phenegran? They will help.

Let you Dr. know you are vomiting, they don't want you to vomit, they don't want you to rip stitches.

This is one of the "possible" side effects right after surgery. Have I heard of it YES. Did I get it NO. I was affraid of throwing up I took my supoosoitories.

Keep us posted.

Want to know the best way to lose weight? Remodle your kitchen in less than two weeks. This has been the hardest remodleing job ever. Everytime we remove something, you find something else that needs to be fixed before you can move forward. Case in point, when we removed the old nasty kitchen carpet, we found that part of the subfloor was rotten and had to be replaced. Or when we removed the soffett and all the wires where to short to be pulled up out of the way of the new drywall. We also found out that the dip-s**t that did this house used 2 x 8 for the joists and now because we are putting in tile, we have to scab on 2 x 6's so the floor will not bounce. Funny, we have lived in this crappy house for over 10 years and that same bounce never bothered us before. We knew it was there and should have fixed it a long time ago. Well, we have hopefully learned not to put things off until the last minute. We are almost done as the new cabinets will be here on Friday. We were up until 2 am putting down the hardiboard (each 3 x 5 sheet takes 50 screws) and will hopefully get it done today so we can tile tomorrow. I had to come to work just so I could get caught up with everyone here. I am so flipping tired.

I don't recommend doing any remodleing right before surgery, I have been so stressed that it will not get done in time. But then again, when I am recovering, my sweet husband can finish it without me. I think that is a big plus. Another big plus, I don't have a kitchen right now, so I can't eat whenever I want and find that I am makine good choices when we run out to grab a bite. When I went for my consult on Feb 5, I was 235, this morning, I am 214.5, YES!!! So maybe remodleing is a good pre-op diet!!

Sorry that got so long. Now on to more important issues. I have been wanting to ask, does anyone have a recipe for homemade beef broth? I make a pretty good chicken broth, but have never tried beef.

I forgot who posted it but thank you for the Veg Beef Soup recipe, I can't wait to try it as it sounds delish.

Mag-So glad you got a new date so soon and do not have to wait until next month.

Dose everyone get put on antibiotics after surgery? If so, I have a problem with them. I seem to always get a yeast infection, sorry so personal here but I want to make sure I have some monistat (sp) if needed.

To everyone who was banded already, congrats and thank you for you post regarding your surgery. That has been the most helpful thing right now as I have been afraid of the pain issue.

To everyone who has yet to be banded (myself included) Good luck and my prayers for a speedy recovery.

I know there was something else I wanted to add. I took the last hour reading all the past post here on the March thread just getting caught up, but I am so tired I can't think anymore.

Thanks all.

Beef broth hmmmmmm

Start with with stew beef or 7 one roast meat or some beef bones (ask your butcher. Add a onion quartered, a bay leaf, maybe a carrot. Boil the living heck out of everything then strain and cool.

Hey, I did it! Surgery was done 3/5, and today I can say the experience was not too bad overall. It started a little bad though. DH and I had to get up at 4:30 am to get to the hospital by 9:30 am (surgery was to start at 10:30). I was trying to think of every reason why I should NOT have this surgery during the drive – this was perpetuated by the conversation I had with my mother the night before who does not support my decision. We waited until 11:30, during which my DH had to maintain a grip on me to keep me from bolting. Then I was noticing others who came in after me were going back to OR, and I became irritated. By 12:00 people were trying to explain to me that the surgery before me ran quite a bit over, and my new scheduled time was 12:30. I told my DH that this was “a sign” that I shouldn’t go through with this, yet he still would not let me leave – so I was taken back at 1:00 to start prep. First thing the nurse said is “you don’t look like you need this surgery”….

<O:p</O:p

By then I was so dehydrated that they couldn’t get an IV in. Two different nurses tried 3 times, and my anesthesiologist tried once, and then she just put a little IV in and said she would put the regular one in when I was asleep. She then gave me a nice “cocktail” in my IV and said it was “on the house.” Then everything was right with the world again….

They pushed me to the OR, where it seemed everyone was having quite a good time visiting and laughing. I joined in the festivities, until my anesthesiologist said “goodnight sweetie”. I woke up feeling quite fine. No nausea, sore throat, or pain. I had some ice chips, and after 2 hours I walked to my room. I decided I wanted to check out at 9:30pm, walked around Target a little bit and got my new Magic Bullet (love it!), and then went to my hotel. My liquid Lortab and anti-nausea meds were working, so I slept pretty well. I got a little worried when I got up once and I felt a popping sensation at my port site – so I hope I didn’t pop anything out there.

<O:p</O:p

Had a swallow test the next day where they saw my liquids were going down well, and everything was in the right place. I started feeling more pain by mid morning, so kept on top of my pain meds. By evening I was feeling quite miserable with lots of bloating and gas pain in my stomach – all below my ribs. The bloating was putting pressure on my incisions. I was taking the max of Gas X strips, walking around, and using my heating pad. I couldn’t burp very well – but wished I could. It didn’t hurt too badly when I did my little burps. This lasted about 4 hours.

.

I still am a bit bloated this morning, but feeling better. Haven’t needed pain meds yet this morning. I’m sipping chamomile/mint tea and drinking water. I could go back on my liquid protein today, but think I’ll stay on clear liquids due to the gas.

<O:p</O:p

I’m hoping that the worst was yesterday, and that from here on I will feel better each day. I am very happy that I went through with the surgery. As soon as I woke up from surgery I was smiling and feeling that sense of relief, hope, and calmness. I then began focusing on the positives people were telling me such as “you will be so happy with the results, soon you won’t need your blood pressure medication, you’ve made a good health decision, etc.” Everyone keep focusing on the positives! We’re doing a good thing!

Went for my pre-op registration appt with the hospital today.

Did a complete medical history, had blood drawn for potassium info (on HBP meds) talked to the anesthesiologist PA. When I got on the scale it said 192!

I swear the Chantix to stop smoking has done this.

When I went to my 1st appt with PCP to ask about the LB I weighed 203 in November.

I haven't done anything different to my diet,

Thanksgiving and Christamas I didn't care what I ate. and at least once a week I still chow on a few double cheesburgers from Mickey D's,

Anyway, appointment with my LB surgon is Fri 3/9. getting really scared

Hey, I did it! Surgery was done 3/5, and today I can say the experience was not too bad overall. It started a little bad though. DH and I had to get up at 4:30 am to get to the hospital by 9:30 am (surgery was to start at 10:30). I was trying to think of every reason why I should NOT have this surgery during the drive – this was perpetuated by the conversation I had with my mother the night before who does not support my decision. We waited until 11:30, during which my DH had to maintain a grip on me to keep me from bolting. Then I was noticing others who came in after me were going back to OR, and I became irritated. By 12:00 people were trying to explain to me that the surgery before me ran quite a bit over, and my new scheduled time was 12:30. I told my DH that this was “a sign” that I shouldn’t go through with this, yet he still would not let me leave – so I was taken back at 1:00 to start prep. First thing the nurse said is “you don’t look like you need this surgery”….

<O:p</O:p

By then I was so dehydrated that they couldn’t get an IV in. Two different nurses tried 3 times, and my anesthesiologist tried once, and then she just put a little IV in and said she would put the regular one in when I was asleep. She then gave me a nice “cocktail” in my IV and said it was “on the house.” Then everything was right with the world again….

They pushed me to the OR, where it seemed everyone was having quite a good time visiting and laughing. I joined in the festivities, until my anesthesiologist said “goodnight sweetie”. I woke up feeling quite fine. No nausea, sore throat, or pain. I had some ice chips, and after 2 hours I walked to my room. I decided I wanted to check out at 9:30pm, walked around Target a little bit and got my new Magic Bullet (love it!), and then went to my hotel. My liquid Lortab and anti-nausea meds were working, so I slept pretty well. I got a little worried when I got up once and I felt a popping sensation at my port site – so I hope I didn’t pop anything out there.

<O:p</O:p

Had a swallow test the next day where they saw my liquids were going down well, and everything was in the right place. I started feeling more pain by mid morning, so kept on top of my pain meds. By evening I was feeling quite miserable with lots of bloating and gas pain in my stomach – all below my ribs. The bloating was putting pressure on my incisions. I was taking the max of Gas X strips, walking around, and using my heating pad. I couldn’t burp very well – but wished I could. It didn’t hurt too badly when I did my little burps. This lasted about 4 hours.

.

I still am a bit bloated this morning, but feeling better. Haven’t needed pain meds yet this morning. I’m sipping chamomile/mint tea and drinking water. I could go back on my liquid protein today, but think I’ll stay on clear liquids due to the gas.

<O:p</O:p

I’m hoping that the worst was yesterday, and that from here on I will feel better each day. I am very happy that I went through with the surgery. As soon as I woke up from surgery I was smiling and feeling that sense of relief, hope, and calmness. I then began focusing on the positives people were telling me such as “you will be so happy with the results, soon you won’t need your blood pressure medication, you’ve made a good health decision, etc.” Everyone keep focusing on the positives! We’re doing a good thing!

What an incredible husband!!!

Mine told me the morning of my surgery (3 hours before it was suppose to happen) he did not want me to do it. Never before did we ever talk about what he wanted me to do. Needless to say I am banded, and happy.

Hello everyone! I am suppose to be banded on the 12th but now they may have to move it to the 19th. Anyway with this delay I may have to start back to work 1 week post op rather than 2 weeks. I am a pre-school teacher two days a week and I'm worried that one week might not be enough with the kind of work i do. THere's alot of getting up and down, walking, jumping, dancing, basically if a 4 year old can do it I'm right there with them. Should I ask for the two weeks off? I will not be paid if i am off. I normally have a big pain tollerance but I'm worried I will be feeling weak from only being on liquids. Do you think it will be o.k?

Me again! Also my pre-op appt. is tomorrow. Is there anything you wished you would've known before your surgery that you didn't know or wish you would've asked about? Thanks for your replies!

What an incredible husband!!!

Mine told me the morning of my surgery (3 hours before it was suppose to happen) he did not want me to do it. Never before did we ever talk about what he wanted me to do. Needless to say I am banded, and happy.

Yes, my DH has been a wonderful support through all of this....listening to my concerns, always telling me everything will be fine, throwing in a few jokes to distract me, etc. He 's my rock, and I'm very thankful to have him.

Me again! Also my pre-op appt. is tomorrow. Is there anything you wished you would've known before your surgery that you didn't know or wish you would've asked about? Thanks for your replies!

Make sure you know what you can eat for the first 48 hours and the first 2 weeks post op.

Me again! Also my pre-op appt. is tomorrow. Is there anything you wished you would've known before your surgery that you didn't know or wish you would've asked about? Thanks for your replies!

I wish I would have made sure my curtains were shut at all times when I was in post-op. I live 4.5 hours from where I had my surgery...but guess what? Someone from my (very small) home town ended up right next to me as she was going in for surgery!! Her husband saw me and walked right in and asked what I was doing here! I had to tell them a gall bladder removal....which I have had, only it was 15 years ago. These people are talkers also, and I really, really do not want the whole town to know about this. I hope they didn't overhear anything that would lead them to believe that I had WLS. I'm a bit concerned...:phanvan

Hell all. I am now an official Mar. bandster. Had surgery this a.m about 7:30, left hospital about 11:45. Surgery went well, also had to repair a hiatal hernia. (mispelled) Disconfor in chest and shoulders, port site. I have been walking as much as possible. I am so glad it is finally OVER!!! Will post more later.