My first post here. Hello from Charleston SC. I'm getting nervous but cant pinpoint why. The surgery itself doesn't worry me. Fear of the unknown maybe?

On 9/14/2021 at 5:36 AM, Leslie F said:

Like right this very second?? Oh mercy! I'm asking that a flock of angels be surrounding you, as close to you as the air you breathe. Let us know how it went please?! 7 more days for me

Thank you very much for the prayers. I am doing okay but the gas is crazy and making it hard to get liquids down—I take a sip and then have to walk around burping for 5 minutes. My incisions don't really hurt at all, I'm able to get up and down and lie on my back or (carefully) on my side. What little pain there is can be handled by Extra Strength Tylenol.

I'm sure it'll get better but I just want all this bloody gas out!

Settled right in your shoulder? It's the CO2 they used to inflate your belly during surgery. If you have someone there with you, have them burp you as they would a baby, only harder. This too shall pass (i couldn't resist!) Thanks for the update!

Five days to go and what's causing the most anxiety isn't the surgery, it's getting a damn covid test 3 days before admission. There's been issues with folks getting their results in time, so I'm just pleading with the universe that when I get mine on Sunday, I'll get the results within 48hrs. Plus the daily hope that the health rules haven't changed again and cancelled my elective. Ugh. trying to get my work deadlines finished by Sunday, because with a nervous wait, I doubt I'll be of any use to anyone.

I'm not going to relax until I'm on that gurney.

Tell us how you're doing!
36 hours till my sleeve so I'd love input- any preop suggestions? Anything you needed at home and didn't buy? Hope you're well!

14 minutes ago, Leslie F said:

Tell us how you're doing!
36 hours till my sleeve so I'd love input- any preop suggestions? Anything you needed at home and didn't buy? Hope you're well!

I'm well! My surgeon's office gave me a heads up on which pathology lab to avoid due to long waits on results, and thankfully the one that's literally around the corner from me was a different group and I go my results at about 1am last night. *phew* And our outbreak seems to be flattening out, so I'm pretty hopeful that it's plain sailing from here. Just got to get my hospital bag in order!

Folks have suggested Biotene spray for dry mouth, so I'm going out today to grab some. I've got my chewable vitamins supposedly in the mail but AusPost is having delays and issues, so just hoping it arrives in time for when I get home. I've got back-ups of protein powders, and a bag of protein water ready for post-op. I'm going to buy the vegan collagen support powder I was eying off. So post-op is organised!

You've done the hard work! So exciting you're this close! I'm about 48hrs away, so I won't be far behind you! Honestly, all that can be done now is organise your hospital stay bag.

How are you holding up mentally? I'm pretty calm now that I've done everything I need to do.

I'm better now. Ive read so much that im on sleeve overload. Started getting worried about tracking my macros and will i stick with the plan. Reread my booklet from my surgeon etc and they focus on fluids and 60gm protein. So that simplified it for me. 32 year recovering opiate addict so I'm really happy to read that you didnt require narcotics for pain. Huge relief!

Tomorrow I'll pack and make a vat of chili so my husband doesn't have to cook and can just with me.

I drank almost an entire 2 liter of Pepsi today. I'm really really going to miss that poison!

Keep in touch!

44 minutes ago, Leslie F said:

I'm better now. Ive read so much that im on sleeve overload. Started getting worried about tracking my macros and will i stick with the plan. Reread my booklet from my surgeon etc and they focus on fluids and 60gm Protein. So that simplified it for me. 32 year recovering opiate addict so I'm really happy to read that you didnt require narcotics for pain. Huge relief!

Tomorrow I'll pack and make a vat of chili so my husband doesn't have to cook and can just with me.

I drank almost an entire 2 liter of Pepsi today. I'm really really going to miss that poison!

Keep in touch!

I used to literally drink nothing but Coke Zero. I Drank about a 12 pack a day. I am six months out drinking crystal light and the only time I have missed my soda is when I tried to drink ruM and crystal light and it was terrible but I just decided I don’t really need to be drinking my calories anyways. But somehow I honestly don’t miss soda so hopefully you won’t either.

I had my "last hurrahs" leading up to my pre-op diet. What I'm going to be doing before I begin my nil-by-mouth is enjoy guzzling water, because I know I won't be able to do that again. Just that sensation of downing a large glass in one go. Adieu, ol' guzzle!

2 hours ago, Leslie F said:

I'm better now. Ive read so much that im on sleeve overload. Started getting worried about tracking my macros and will i stick with the plan. Reread my booklet from my surgeon etc and they focus on fluids and 60gm Protein. So that simplified it for me. 32 year recovering opiate addict so I'm really happy to read that you didnt require narcotics for pain. Huge relief!

Tomorrow I'll pack and make a vat of chili so my husband doesn't have to cook and can just with me.

I drank almost an entire 2 liter of Pepsi today. I'm really really going to miss that poison!

Keep in touch!

I would be a 23-year recovering opioid addict had I not been given codeine against my will in 2017... so four and a half years here.

Ask your anaesthesiologist to give you a TAP block at the end of surgery, which is an epidural for your abdominals—you'll have a little mark where the needle goes into your mid-section in addition to your incisions from the surgery. It is not opiate-derived, and it lasts 12-24 hours depending how fast your body metabolizes it. By 12 hours after surgery I was able to cope with just simply extra-strength Tylenol/Panadol/acetaminophen. I took three doses of that on the day after surgery and haven't needed anything for pain since.

8 hours ago, vikingbeast said:

I would be a 23-year recovering opioid addict had I not been given codeine against my will in 2017... so four and a half years here.

Ask your anaesthesiologist to give you a TAP block at the end of surgery, which is an epidural for your abdominals—you'll have a little mark where the needle goes into your mid-section in addition to your incisions from the surgery. It is not opiate-derived, and it lasts 12-24 hours depending how fast your body metabolizes it. By 12 hours after surgery I was able to cope with just simply extra-strength Tylenol/Panadol/acetaminophen. I took three doses of that on the day after surgery and haven't needed anything for pain since.

OMG a tap block. that must be what I got. I never had children so I had no idea what epidural was like to compare it to that. I remember trying to lift my body up using my abdomen and I couldn’t move in recovery. It was the weirdest feeling. I asked the nurse how much longer I would feel like that. And I had a tiny dot amongst my scars afterwards. Sorta odd that they don’t warn you that you will be half paralyzed post surgery. I guess most women would just know what was going on after childbirth but a heads up couldn’t hurt. It does work though. I continue to say I felt like I did 1000 crunches, but very little pain. For fear of addiction (it runs in my family) and since I didn’t need them, I asked to go off of the pain meds and switch to Tylenol (the next day i went home and didn’t take anything). All this time I thought I had nothing for pain but I had a nerve block. This makes so much more sense cause usually I am not the greatest with pain.

Less than 24 hours now. Hospital called and I have my admission time for tomorrow morning, have my fasting instructions. Almost chocks-away and I'm feeling quite zen now.

Only I can't get my bloody philtrum piercing out! Got my labret out with help from my partner but my philtrum is just not having it. Anyone with mouth piercings got any tips? I've tried biting the back, gripping the back with paper towel, but neither of us can get purchase and the ball is small.

9 hours ago, Smanky said:

Less than 24 hours now. Hospital called and I have my admission time for tomorrow morning, have my fasting instructions. Almost chocks-away and I'm feeling quite zen now.

Only I can't get my bloody philtrum piercing out! Got my labret out with help from my partner but my philtrum is just not having it. Anyone with mouth piercings got any tips? I've tried biting the back, gripping the back with paper towel, but neither of us can get purchase and the ball is small.

Good luck Smanky!!

Just now, vikingbeast said:

Good luck Smanky!!

Thanks VB!

Gonna have to get them to tape over my philtrum, it's not coming out without pliers. ?

I'll be in hospital for a couple of days, so see you lovelies on the flipside! xxx

I'm in preop waiting and so scared. Not of the surgery but potential complications long term

Leslie, Don’t worry, you have a beautiful life ahead. All the best!