. Well 24 hours from now my surgery should be in progress. It's been a 1 1/2 year effort to get to this point mostly because of a coronary stent procedure a little over a year ago. Today is the last day of the liquid diet, only Clear liquids, --lookout chicken broth! After the first few days I fell into a routine which I described in a previous post. Basically, I stayed away from prepared food, my wife usually ate by herself, and my new best friends are Greek yogurt, Isopure and Premier Protein drinks, and broth. Watching football games yesterday, the double meat and cheese hamburger commercials were almost too much! Anyway, I've lost about 16 pounds and hope that's enough. Starting weight was 360 and today's weight is 344. You guys just beginning the journey hang in there. If I can do it without cheating you can too! I know the next few weeks will be rough too but it will be worth it if my last years on earth will not be the struggle it has in recent years (I will be 70 in December). I'll give a post surgery report when I can but in the meantime, say a little prayer for me and the others who will be sleeved tomorrow! God bless!

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Day 3 post surgery report. Much better day! Bowel gas is subsiding although I still have some. Slept better last night mainly because I didn't have to urinate so often. I've been conscientious about getting my fluids in. Not much Protein yesterday but today will have about 80 grams. Consumed a Premier Protein this morning and now have been consuming Water and Isopure. Hope to try a little chicken broth tonight. Walked to the mailbox and back a couple of times today. Am still tired (weak) but nap when I feel like it. Just trying to follow my doctors orders. Oh, pain in my abdomen is almost completely gone. Only feel it getting in and out of bed. I guess the main advice I can give is to be patient, follow the plan, and each day will get a little better!

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Sounds pretty normal! You will be great in a few days!!! I wish every man insisted no catheter during surgery because it was my husbands only problem! Relax and enjoy the rest of your life!

Good luck. I know you'll do fine.

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Good luck tomorrow !!!! Sending prayers your way

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@@Butch Luce, hooray! I'm so glad you did well! Thank you for your concern; I am fine, but I was WIPED OUT and slept for almost 30 hours straight after surgery (aside from being woken by med staff to check on vitals and using the restroom.)

The 2nd day out was horrible -- retching on an empty stomach with incisions was torture. Really nauseous, even with Zofran. They moved me from morphine to dilaudid, and that was a big help, but I'm sensitive to meds and just slept. By Wednesday I had stopped all meds and felt 100% better and was discharged midday.

Doing well at home; meeting all protein/water goals, but I get light-headed and wiped out walking around my street. I'm not used to being so weak! I'm a 200% go-go-go kind of gal, so moving at a snail's pace is weird for me. Patience is not my, ahem, strong point.

I had GAINED at least 4 lbs post-op and still feel bloated and gas pains periodically, but all totaled am down 19 lbs (including 14 lbs pre-op lost.)

Happily gathering up my biggest clothes (but saving one pair of jeans to remind me where I am coming from per some others' suggestions,) and happy to fit into my smaller capris for the end of summer.

Interesting side note, my complexion is FLAWLESS ever since I started this low/no carb and Protein shake diet on Labor Day. I look like a 13 year old before the hormones kicked in! Hell, if I had known THIS would be a positive side effect, I would have given the low-carb lifestyle much more of a chance in the past.

Very exciting to be on the other side of surgery and so happy you are doing well! And, yes, I only had a 15-minute ride home, but I forgot a pillow for my abdomen, and I wanted to kill my husband for taking a back road home full of construction! OMG! I told him to get back on the highway ASAP as the bumps were killing me, LOL.

So glad to hear from you Heather. I was worried when you didn't check in. Sounds like you were miserable for a couple of days. I seemed to have smoothed out Ok by yesterday getting in the Protein and liquid. Walked some to the mailbox and back but that's only about 100 yards. About an hour ago I reached for something and got a catch in my back. That's bad for me if it gets worse and my back begins to spasm. I got to bed immediately and laid flat on my back. My experience with these if I can keep it from spasming and stay on my back it should be better in a couple of days, but I have to resist getting up and moving around. I have pain meds the Dr. gave me but haven't used them yet. If I get spasms then I will. This is a bummer. Thought I was going to make it through without much problem then this. I'll just have to ride it out. So glad you're home and doing better. Let's stay in touch.

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@@Butch Luce, I used my CPAP for the first time last night, and I think it exacerbated my gas pains this morning since I am a mouth breather. I think I took in a lot of air from the machine and my body revolted! I'm going to lay off the CPAP for a few days and try it later on, after I have healed a bit more. I'm taking my rx Colase, too, but no activity in that department, just the abdominal cramping from the meds trying to muster up something to work with, I guess.

My staples come out Tuesday, and I'm glad -- they are itchy! I feel like I'm pregnant again with the bloated belly and holding my stomach again, LOL.

Tomorrow is my first little 2-hour shift of work from home in the morning -- getting my feet wet. I hope I'm not totally wiped out. My husband really wants to go to the local fair going on in the next two weekends, but I'm not up for a big walking excursion, smelling my favorite carnival food, sipping on a Protein shake, LOL. He's okay with skipping this year, but he really loves to go. I told him maybe next weekend, if I'm feeling up for it, we might make a little outing, but I make no promises;-)

And back spasms are the WORST!!!!! OMG, that has happened to me twice in my life and it was the worst pain of my life -- way worse than childbirth (two 10-lb'rs!)

Yes, please rest up and coddle your back. We have plenty of time to kick it into high gear! My doc said no lifting over 10 lbs for a month, which is going to be a neat trick with two 40-lb toddlers who are freakishly tall, but c'est la vie. I can't wait to get an energy surge I hear about and get out walking and exercising. Already I see the deflated belly happening, and it ain't pretty. Yeesh.

Bless you Butch.

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Prayers for you and your surgeon. I'm tomorrow at 8:30.

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How's it going Butch?

Sent from me to you!

Great. One month out. Had a check up with my surgeon today and she was pleased. I'm still on soft foods but I'm satisfied! No complaints. Pounds are slowly coming off. Down 40 pounds since first day of liquid diet 2 weeks prior to surgery. Am exercising at cardiac rehab (had a stent over a year ago) I "graduated" but my hospital lets you continue if you want to so I do! Have NOT regretted any of this for even a moment!

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Wow ...what a GREAT thread. Such caring people that don't even know each other. I have to admit I started getting worried about Heather too!! Kinda freaked me out how within 5 or 10 minutes of reading this thread that I actually TRULY cared how strangers were doing and felt my heart sink when you wrote that she needed to check in! No wonder I'm such a people person!! I can find good in anyone for the most part. Keep up the great work you two!! Xoxoxo

❤️️Amy ❤️️

@@Butch Luce Please keep us updated. Love your thread.

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@butchluce, you are killing it! Great job! I'm -30 lbs at one month post-op, which I'm happy about. My schedule is still nutty until Thanksgiving, so I can only fit in 10,000 steps maybe 1-3x a week, but the days I do it, I lose at least 1 lb within the next two days.

Have you had the infamous energy surge I hear about and want? LOL. I feel normal, but no surge. Don't get me wrong, I definitely have a spring in my step and feel lighter all around, and getting up off of the floor/chairs/couches is easier, but I'm still crashing and burning at my usual early hour.

I haven't used my CPAP at all since that first attempt. My husband says the snoring is definitely less. But, I'm not waking at all in the middle of the night like before if I didn't use the CPAP. I used to be awake 2-4x a night and need a Tylenol PM to get back to sleep. Now, I crash and stay asleep all night (unless my son wakes me to use the potty.)

How's your sleeping and energy? I feel like I never had surgery almost. I do have restriction and have had what I expect was dumping only once last week this whole time. I was really hungry -- went too long between meals -- and ate a double portion (1 cup versus 1/2 cup) and then had to lay down in bed the rest of the night with sweats. I didn't vomit, but if I could have and gotten relief, I would have. Totally wiped me out.

Definitely need to keep fed/watered every 2 hours over here to maintain energy.

How's your experience?