Had my stress test today.

They shaved my chest, four little round holes. They dry shaved it.

Ouch. Then the woman used real, honest to goodness sandpaper on my four bare spots. Ouch. Then she poured alchohol on the four red, tender, sanded, bare spots. Ouch!

B-tch!

Then the other woman was stupid enough to ask me why my heart rate suddenly spiked up by twenty beats a minute.

They hooked me up to wires and made me walk on a treadmill that inclined more and went faster until I was afraid I was gonna die. Then they increased the incline and the speed until I was afraid I WASN'T gonna die.

I seem to recall hearing the Doc say it was all good, but I was wheezing so loud I couldn't be sure. He finally repeated that I didn't have any blockages, and that the test showed a heart healthy enought to go through the surgery.

That's good. Now, I've gotta find some lotion for my chest.

Ryan, take that time off and enjoy every minute of it! You earned it, so why lose it? Who says that you have to be sick the entire time you're off? And you'll be glad that you gave yourself plenty of time to adapt to your band (in the privacy of your home).

It's so much better to have the extra time off if you need it, Ryan.

I ended up having a more difficult recovery than some because of a liver biopsy and adhesion repairs done at surgery. I also was one of the lucky ones with immediate restriction, which means I had a real fast adjustment to banded life. We actually canceled one motorcycle run that I had wanted to attend for years, not far from our home. I just didn't have energy a week and a half out and camping was not in the cards with the soreness from surgery.

Your experience could be much easier, but the adjustment time is great if you can get it. I wonder if Pam feels like you are stepping into territory that was hers with this weight loss. Being married doesn't eliminate jealousy. She may even need reassurance about your relationship through all these changes. I hope you get the support you need from her before your surgery day comes rolling around. :cool:

Well, if it's paid vacation I'm not sure why she cares either way... I mean, if you weren't having surgery and took the same week off, you'd still be paid, and you'd be using your vacation. Womens are silly sometimes (myself included I'm sure ).

I flew in to Mexico on a Wednesday, had my pre op tests on Thursday, surgery Friday, and I flew back on Monday, and worked on Tuesday. I work for my mom's technology company, and she was adamant that I tell her if I felt I needed to go home. I also have a job where my heaviest lift is a pen, so I didn't have much trouble. There was one day where I did a bunch of errands and over did it a little bit and napped right after work, but I never felt like I needed to leave work. But I think you'll enjoy the time off.

I wouldn't have thought of the idea that she might be thinking that the weight loss surgery was 'her thing'. That's an insiteful thing.

Anywho, good luck :cool:

Surgery or not, if I'm you, I'm taking the time off. If I've earned those days, I refuse to simply lose them. Life is too short to be spent at work, particularly when there are other options!!

I don't understand where Patty is coming from, but your relationship with her is so strong, I'm sure you'll figure it out.

I can't believe they sanded your chest!! And then to pour alcohol on it! Yikes - I don't think I would've handled that well at all. I'm getting kinda cranky in my old age!

Then they increased the incline and the speed until I was afraid I WASN'T gonna die.

OK, Now THAT is F U N N Y !!!

Oh my goodness...

I had trouble sitting forward in my chair for a few days after surgery. It was pretty uncomfortable on my wounds. I even had an internal stitch pop while sitting forward, OUCH, prompting me to think I'd ripped my port loose. I didn't. But everyone is different, and you may not be bothered at all. If you have the time off, take it, it's better to be home feeling good, than at work feeling crappy. Good Luck to you!

Okay, I've jumped through every hoop, crossed every "T", dotted every "i".

The day after Mrs. Marquis de Sade sanded my chest I had an ultrasound of my heart, and a ct scan of my lungs.

I also had my required nutrition class.

A few observations:

The Echo Cardio Gram was a breeze.

The ct scan, which I felt, and still feel, was unnecessary was traumatic. At each stage of this process I have had to fill out papers telling my health care providers everything about my self. One of the things that I have told them in writing repeatedly is what meds I am on right now. I take Glucovance. For my Diabetes.

When I got to the cat scan room the tech said something like "don't take your Glucovance for at least forty eight hours, 'cause of the dye we're using, they react."

After the test, and the rather unpleasant dye they put in me, a male tech came to talk to me. He had an order for blood tests written on a prescription slip. He told me I had been scheduled for a blood draw in two days in the A.M. He told me it was because Glucovance has Metformin in it. The dye really doesn't mix well with Metformin, and they needed to make sure that I wouldn't go into renal failure from mixing the two.

RENAL FAILURE!

I will find out later this week.

The nutrition class cost thirty two bucks. There were maybe ten of us in there. Nine getting the RNY, one getting the band. The RNY folks may have felt they got their money's worth. I didn't.

Of course the dietician got off on the wrong foot with me. This thin woman walked into the room, looked around and said, "My we've got a large group today"..... Was she commenting on our combined fatness?

Then the whole hour and a half was devoted to RNY. I had to ask questions at each step to get any info about the band. She gave us a hand book, complete with a graduated schedule to return to normal diets, If you had the RNY.

But it doesn't matter. I'm on my way. All presurgery prerequisites are complete. I must have a follow up endoscopy, and one more doctor's visit, and then my pre surgery protien diet. Six protien drinks a day and all the lettuce I want.

Now I feel it drawing closer. This strange dichotomy of existence called the laparoscopic band. When restriction will mean encroaching freedom. When I will get the help I need to shrink into the man I know I am. When I will be forced to face my biggest demon, food and the crazy reasons I need to consume.

I am ready. I'll deal with the kidney failure thing (I feel lucky), I'll deal with the mass on the lung thing (it was pneumonia, I know). Then I'll deal with the real thing. Life.

Hi, I'm Food, and what's been eating me is..................Ryan

I took six days off work for the surgery, and with my regular days off it means I'll have ten days after surgery to recouperate enough to go back the day after Thanksgiving. ... Patty thinks I should go back to work as soon as possible. ...

You folks who have gone through it, what do you think?

Whip, I went back to work four days after surgery, and I was a mess. Coming from a stiff-upper-lip family, I figured I would just tough it out. But between the pain meds, the difficulty moving (even though I have a desk job), and the need to sleep, I definitely should have taken another week off, or at least a few days. The dumbest thing I did was to take a four-hour professional translation exam a week after surgery. One of my wounds started leaking through my shirt (Gross Darcy would have loved it) and it was nearly impossible to lug all my giant dictionaries, even with a wheeled suitcase.

So my vote is: Stay home! You've got the time coming, you've got the need, and if you start to go stir crazy sitting around, you can always log on to LapBandTalk and hang out with us slackers who should be working instead. Hope your wife comes around. After her amazing weight loss, I'm surprised she doesn't understand the importance of healing.

Do you have to go back the day after Thanksgiving? Could you wait until the following Monday? (That's my inner slacker speaking.)

By the way, November 16 is sneaking up on us -- just four weeks away! Go Whip Go!

The ct scan shows no mass in the lung, the blood test shows no renal failure, the ekg, and ecg and stress test shows no blockages or prolapse.

I'm good ta go! Thanks for listening to me whine, and moan. Thanks for all the support.

The people at LBT so totally ROCK!

The psych eval shows that I am no menace to anyone. Not even folks back on my home planet.

Congrats Ryan! I know that makes you feel great! Look out band world here he comes

Yeah!!!!! I'm so glad to hear it! :banana :banana :banana :banana

So you KNOW you're a lot healthier than some of those skinny, minnies walking around out here! Great news! Now, all systems go for your band!

This is wonderful news! Less than four weeks to go. . . you'll be sipping turkey broth by Thanksgiving, and loving it.

Isn't it nice to know that you are in top shape for your surgery! So glad you don't have any more hoops to jump through.

Awesome news! Glad that all is OK. When the same thing happened for me, it made me feel so very fortunate. Nothing like getting all worried, and then getting the all clear! Rock on!