Hi, I'm still waiting on approval from my insurance, but it should come any day now and then I know it'll be time to set a date. I'm conflicted: because on the one hand I want to get sleeved as soon as possible, but on the other hand, the new semester is about to begin (I'm a full time MA student) and not only will I be in class, but I'll also be TA-ing a class (which basically means teaching my own class that is thematically attached to a professor's). I know I can take about a week off and that my class can be covered by another TA, but will that be enough? Best case mid-semester scenario is that I'm able to schedule it in a week attached to our one week break, which would give me two weeks.

I've looked at some of the other threads about returning to work, but this is a bit different since most of those threads seem to focus on people with desk jobs. For example, I won't be able to just get up and go the bathroom every time there is an untrustworthy fart coming. I'm also worried about being too foggy from the anesthesia to teach (or even prepare for the classes I'm taking). On the bright side, I'll only have to be at Uni Tuesday and Thursday this semester (there's a lecture I should go to on Wednesdays, but I can skip it if I feel bad).

On the other hand, I don't want to wait until summer because 1. It's going to be hot, and I'm in Germany, which is a country that doesn't do air conditioning or any other kind of heat management, and 2. my partner may be deployed and I don't want to be alone while I'm still in the hardest phase of recovery.

Thoughts??

PS. My biggest fear is being in front of my class (mostly kids just out of high school, and we know all how *they* can be) and having a liquid-diet-related accident.

If you have to go back early wear depends. I would definitely do it. I have bladder issues so I have to wear them sometimes and it is just insurance to make you feel better for that odd fart/possible accident.

I would have the surgery and wear depends as suggested, the reason that i am saying this is because insurance company changes all the time and if you wait you may have to redo some test or see the nut again because they may be afraid that you are having second thoughts. You need to relax and get adjusted because this will be your new life and getting back into the swing of things are very vital . I wish you the best.

Yeah, you're probably right. I always said with this whole thing, health first. I guess I'll have at least a week and so hopefully that will give me some time to be aware of what my body is up to. Hopefully I'll be able to get away with just a heavy duty pad instead of full on Depends....

One more question on the topic: did everyone have trouble with "untrustworthy farts" or is that experience not so universal?

Yeah, you're probably right. I always said with this whole thing, health first. I guess I'll have at least a week and so hopefully that will give me some time to be aware of what my body is up to. Hopefully I'll be able to get away with just a heavy duty pad instead of full on Depends....<br><br> One more question on the topic: did everyone have trouble with "untrustworthy farts" or is that experience not so universal?

I just used panty liners and was fine.

The "sharts" are primarily the result of the liquid diet phase. Think about it... Liquid in, liquid out! Once you start eating foods of substance (even puréed) all those things went away. I alway had control over mine and never had an accident. That's not to say it doesn't happen to some. You will learn the early signs of your body, just pay attention :-)