Alright December Sleevers, I'm hoping that this title brings more people in so we can follow and encourage each other through our journeys.

I am 40. I'm 5'4" and about 308 right now. I'd like to get to a healthy BMI which would be around 145. I'm hoping for a December 4th or 5th date with Dr. William Johnson.

Everyone introduce yourselves!


So far as of 11/02/13

• Dec 02 Krysta03
• Dec 02 gaslimgal
• Dec 02 jess9395
• Dec 02 Annadette
• Dec 02 sookie
• Dec 02 Nurse_Bonnie
• Dec 02 doopa
• Dec 02 Jerzygurl
• Dec 03 Tasha420
• Dec 03 SouthernCharm
• Dec 03 redilla42
• Dec 03 skinnynewbecky2014
• Dec 03 Sinderelly
• Dec 03 missmee
• Dec 03 Browneyedgurl
• Dec 04 L-in-NJ
• Dec 04 Healthbound
• Dec 04 Katdrox
• Dec 05 Blondiee
• Dec 05 Lioness813
• Dec 06 kyholder
• Dec 06 harleychic
• Dec 09 De-jo
• Dec 09 AshleyMidwife
• Dec 09 Sweettart702
• Dec 09 MShell
• Dec 09 Carlotta
• Dec 10 hopecomeswithtime
• Dec 11 liciamarie
• Dec 11 KaminaBlue
• Dec 11 Only1likeme
• Dec 11 soul2bleed
• Dec 11 Volfan
• Dec 11 dencob1
• Dec 11 MnWin
• Dec 11 onedaycloser
• Dec 11 Scraglycat
• Dec 12 amills
• Dec 12 kellymoon
• Dec 12 honeylove
• Dec 13 Mommie4
• Dec 13 amduc (and husband!)
• Dec 13 Under1star
• Dec 14 Sleevin It
• Dec 16 slvrsax
• Dec 16 elhudge
• Dec 16 Mfs
• Dec 16 MGR1852
• Dec 17 Shelly70
• Dec 17 Serenah
• Dec 17 ginnie290
• Dec 18 Sns513
• Dec 18 Nona337am
• Dec 18 gemgirl
• Dec 18 mija1980
• Dec 18 Teachamy
• Dec 26 ReEstDec2013
• Dec 27 Carmen1963
• Dec 30 elsnanny

No date yet:

• AtlantaRed
• beansmomma
• HoustonTexanFan
• AngiD
• fpmr96a
• SueRN
• Simpley_ke
• Vixey
• macman
• MonisNatural
• fmpr96a
• Tarheel79
• SeniorMoment
• Coachk
• kan7525
• caligirl3
• Besleeve It

Hey Red. Glad to hear your recovering well. Keep up the good work. I'll see you on the other side.

Thank you! Positive thoughts your way as well!

Congrats to u!! Thank God ur well n pain is managed. Question plz, if its hard to drink afterwards, how did u manage the swallow test? Is it alot to drink, do u have to drink it in a certain amt of time? Just curious. Thx. . Grats again!

Not all surgeons do swallow tests. Mine doesn't. He does some kind of leak test during surgery, but said he stopped doing swallow tests to reduce the risk of vomiting.

I'm actually having a setback this evening. I know there is nothing "wrong" buy I do feel worse this evening. This morning was better than last night, so figured each day would be better. Suddenly my muscle area behind the big incision hurts worse than it was (only when getting up and down). Also have a bit of nausea and burning although on PPI script.

I phoned the nurse who suggested I move from dilaudid to extra strength Tylenol! Weird. She cited constipation. I would rather just up my constipation efforts than cut back on pain meds.

Ugh. Hopefully just a step backwards and tomorrow I will be moving forward again. Have been doing great until this.

So I am almost 1 week post surgery. My doctor is not happy as my bowels have not restarted yet. Has anyone experience this and any suggestion?

Took me almost a full week to get moving. I had suregery 12/2 and had no movement until Sunday 12/8--since then, it's been just fine. They listened to my bowels at the hospital and said there was movement and it will eventually make its way down the road...lol..and so it did.

5 days post op here. I went back to work today and it was dreadful. I feel awful. I can't wait for skinniness to kick in to make this pain worth it.

Back to work in 5 days??? Oh no no no -- not me . You are brave! Im Still on pain meds 5 days out and can't imagine dealing with the walking around and talking and mild lifting with this additional hiatal hernia repair work logged right smack in the middle of my chest

After all the talk about bowels. I decided to take action before the surgery and start Mira-lax and some fiber. May as well get the pipes clean out tonight. Lol

Today is day 6 post op. I made it over 24 hours without the Lortab, but had to take some in the middle of the night. I can sit down without assistance or pain, but getting up is still pretty much a stinger in my large incision. Drinking is going okay...I gurgle a lot still when I drink the shakes, but tried decaf coffee today and that went down just fine. I am still battling thrush from the antibiotics, so that is mildly irritating and makes things taste strange, and walking for too long really makes that big incision hurt as well. I keep an ice pack in that large incision pretty much 24 hours a day which helps a lot.

Are you having to crush your pain meds and drink them? I had to and talk about nasty,

Would post tomorrows list but I'm not near a computer , and I'm tryin to do some last minute packing. So GOOD LUCK TO ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS SURGERY TOMORROW

Returned to work yesterday, it was uneventful and absolutely no stress or pain. I didn't get tired or sleepy either. I was right back into the swing of things, like I never was gone for surgery.

Amazing.

The only discomfort I've had so far are the muscles in my stomach feel like I've been doing crunches. Probably from climbing the steps instead of taking the elevator most of the day, yesterday.

Came back to an office full of food and christmas goodies though..lol..this place is a junk food haven and they just snack way. I didn't feel left out at all. Everyone here knows I had the surgery and have been very supportive. But I think, I'm going to buy a small fridge for my office to keep it stocked with what I need and just let them have the one in the kitchen.

Would post tomorrows list but I'm not near a computer , and I'm tryin to do some last minute packing. So GOOD LUCK TO ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS SURGERY TOMORROW

Best of wishes to you and all the sleevers tomorrow... and remember don't over pack, you won't need much..believe me.

I took travel size toothbruth, mouth wash, change of under garments, cell phone charger, blue tooth ear piece, cell phone, eye glasses and that was pretty much it. Wore their hospital gown and socks, and wore the clothes home that I arrived in..

Would post tomorrows list but I'm not near a computer , and I'm tryin to do some last minute packing. So GOOD LUCK TO ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS SURGERY TOMORROW

Yes, good luck and positive thoughts for you and all of the Dec 18 sleevers!

Returned to work yesterday, it was uneventful and absolutely no stress or pain. I didn't get tired or sleepy either. I was right back into the swing of things, like I never was gone for surgery.

Amazing.

The only discomfort I've had so far are the muscles in my stomach feel like I've been doing crunches. Probably from climbing the steps instead of taking the elevator most of the day, yesterday.

Came back to an office full of food and christmas goodies though..lol..this place is a junk food haven and they just snack way. I didn't feel left out at all. Everyone here knows I had the surgery and have been very supportive. But I think, I'm going to buy a small fridge for my office to keep it stocked with what I need and just let them have the one in the kitchen.

That's wonderful! I haven't been tired throughout thus either. Just have the terrible muscle pain behind the big incision. Glad I got a week off after all.

Best wishes for successful surgeries to our Dec 18 sleevers! Rest well tonight and blessings with you and your surgical teams tomorrow! See you on the bench!

Dec 18 Nona337am

Dec 18 gemgirl

Dec 18 mija1980

Dec 18 Teachamy

Dec 18 Simpley_ke

Dec 18 kls3214

Dec 18 morret14

Dec 18 teekay8887

Dec 18 kuey

Dec 18 jnimons

Dec 18 Debzdays

Dec 18 georgiabelle

I'm actually having a setback this evening. I know there is nothing "wrong" buy I do feel worse this evening. This morning was better than last night, so figured each day would be better. Suddenly my muscle area behind the big incision hurts worse than it was (only when getting up and down). Also have a bit of nausea and burning although on PPI script.

I phoned the nurse who suggested I move from dilaudid to extra strength Tylenol! Weird. She cited constipation. I would rather just up my constipation efforts than cut back on pain meds.

Ugh. Hopefully just a step backwards and tomorrow I will be moving forward again. Have been doing great until this.

This totally happened to me. Took pain meds (hydrocodone) for the first four days home. By the fifth day, I was in more pain. Pain behind and to the left of that largest incision, hip pain, back pain, and nausea. Having had several c-sections and stalled bowels as a result of the surgery + anesthesia + post-op pain meds, I immediately recognized the sensation. Stopped pain meds immediately (though did reintroduce liquid Tylenol a couple of days later), and begin to hit the constipation stuff hard. For me, it took prune juice, Colace, Miralax, a mineral oil enema, and about two days for relief. Afterwards, IMMEDIATElY better. I've been regular since without meds, and only one time since have I regretted not taking a stool softener. Think about what your nurse said. There's a very good chance she's right.

After all the talk about bowels. I decided to take action before the surgery and start Mira-lax and some fiber. May as well get the pipes clean out tonight. Lol

You're a smart woman! Not doing a bowel prep in advance (wasn't required or suggested) is probably my single surgery regret.