Surgery Next Week or September?!

[Myonlybattle 65]

Hi, I know this is a personal decision but I want to reach out to everyone to get any thoughts or opinions you may have based on your own experiences. I just received approval for my sleeve today (YAY!) and I have been given the option to have the surgery next week on May 27th. They are offering me this option because I am going away the end of June and the end of July (flying both times) and the surgeon doesn't want me flying too close to the surgery date. He said he is comfortable with the May 27th date and it's ok that I'd be flying approx. 3-1/2 weeks later. He also said the pre-op diet could be for 1 week instead of 2 and all I really HAD to do was the 48 hour clear liquid diet just prior to surgery. I am so excited to start my post-sleeve life that I am trying to figure out if this option will work for me. The reasons it might not are: 1. my husband will not be around, I will literally be driving myself to the hospital. He is a surgeon and will be in the OR the day of my surgery (at a hospital 30 miles away) and will not be available in any way for me that day. 2. I am going on vacation the end of June to Washington DC where I will be staying in a hotel - and I have no idea what I can eat at restaurants 3 meals a day when I am 3-1/2 weeks out of surgery. 3. I am going to Mexico at the end of July to an all-inclusive (worst place to be if you can't eat).

If I don't do the May 27 date, then the earliest I can do is August, and if that's the case I am going to wait until September when my kids are back in school - the surgery date would be September 3rd. This would be easier because all the vacations would be over and I wouldn't book another until I was able to handle it. It just feels like so long to wait and I feel like I am wasting an opportunity by waiting until then.

If anyone has had a similar dilemma or just advice, I'd really appreciate it! I need to make this decision by tomorrow . . .

Thanks so much!

[Ginger Snaps 1,323]

If it were me, I'd go for it sooner rather than later. My friend is dropping me off at the hospital and leaving -- I'll be in the great hands of the staff there, so I think your husband not being there day one will be ok. And I would rather travel within the country sooner after surgery than traveling to Mexico.

I'd go for it!

Best wishes!

[CeciliaB 0]

Hello,

I actually had to decide to wait after tax season to do my surgery, as I am a tax consultant. Now, that I have done the surgery, and know that I cannot eat what I used anymore, I tell you to wait until September. My first reaction was to do it next week, until I read your story and know mine. Especially if you're going to Mexico, be yourself while you're down there. If you get sick to your stomach, it won't be due to your surgery and new eating habits. Enjoy now. Lol. On mother's day, I enjoyed chinese food like I was not going to have it anymore . . . enjoy. Plus, the support system is very important. You need someone to be around you after surgery. Good luck.

[rmtjones81 1]

Your decision is a difficult one but it is very possible for you to make the best choice for you. Having a support system was very important to me the day of my surgery May 5th because I was very nervous going in and it just did my heart warm to have my loved ones right there in my room with me when I first opened my eyes. With that being said, you should change your eating habits now and not just after you have surgery so if your concern is not being able to eat what you want then that is just you putting it off for the sake of old habits. You will also need a little help once you get home. I can't tell you what I'd do or what you should do but I can say you must make the best choice for your day of surgery, your recovery and support. Good luck and God bless!

[woo woo 872]

I would go for it next week! No time like the present. I'm sure you and your husband can make it work, he will be there as soon as he can I am sure.

I am also wondering if there is a chance that you are thinking of postponing so that you can overeat on vacation? If so I would say for sure do it next week as that is not a good enough reason to wait!! :)

Good luck to you either way!

[WhoKnows 288]

I think traveling healthy is one of the things we all look forward to being able to do post-sleeve, but usually when we picture it, we're already at or near goal, or, at the very least, mostly adjusted to our new ways of life. I'm still pre-op until next Wednesday, but if it were me, I think I'd wait. I know the idea of just getting it over with is appealing, but from what I've read, you're going to be wanting to spend the first few months after surgery just figuring out things at home, not worrying about your new stomach while you travel. I know some people have to travel for work soon after surgery, but that's a necessity and rarely much fun anyway. I don't think you want to see your vacation ruined by a too recent surgery. I think you should just enjoy your summer, have some food funerals if you need them, but also use the time to start working in some lifestyle changes. Then have surgery in September and plan your next vacation for well in advance when you'll be able to enjoy it. That way you can get excited about all the NSVs that will come along with traveling when you're ready!

[Sunnybaby 95]

I was given a few different dates and chose to go with the soonest date possible. It's better to do it now than to go on vacation, gain weight, then not qualify for the surgery. Even if you have it done I am fairly certain that you could go just about anywhere and get the foods you need. You should make sure that the hotel rooms will have a fridge in them so you can go to the grocery store and have things onhand for you just in case.

The sooner you have the surgery the sooner you start your new life.

[Myonlybattle 65]

I just want to say thank you to all of you who responded. I just spoke to my husband and told him about the approval and choice I was given, and he feels I need to wait until September - he wouldn't be able to get any time off next week or the week after and he said it's major surgery and I can't drive myself home from it and I need him to be available and he needs to know he's there instead of far away performing surgery while worrying about me! So that's that, and now I have to look at the glass half full and think about how this gives me time to prepare, to start exercising a bit and to become better educated about life after the sleeve. And this forum is probably the way I'll do that - as a newbie I am blown away by how much good information there is here!

I would like to expand on my thank you -- I am overwhelmed with gratitude that my dilemma could receive so many thoughtful responses. I almost didn't post because it seemed like such a silly thing to ask advice about, but I was going crazy trying to figure it all out today. Just knowing that others are going through something similar to what I'm going through is a great feeling. I only hope that I can be as supportive to others on the site as you have been to me. Thank you all so much.

[DallasSleeve 30]

As someone who had my sleeve done last summer, June 10, I would actually tell you to wait. While I usually believe you should just do it because you will be sad you waited, traveling was a HUGE PAIN last summer for me! I traveled at 4 weeks out and 8 weeks out and was miserable both times (nauseous and dehydrated, plus it was hard to find things to eat). It's not like you are waiting because you want to be able to eat more, I just think those first few weeks are tough enough without throwing in traveling. I have lost about 120 pounds since last June- the weight will come off and then you can get to traveling and living life to the fullest next summer! I leave for Cancun in a week and am so excited!