Ok so here is the top five from the first poll. Vote for your all time choice for our group name!

Sue - its great to hear from you so soon. I'm beginning to feel like a mother hen worrying over her chicks! Well - I am worrying over my chics!! Your point about other surgeries is well taken. I had knee replacement 6 years ago this month. This LB thing is probably in a much different class than that! I'm glad to hear you did so well, and hope I do, too!

You are on your way!!!

Hi Sue, another forerunner you are, cool, sounds like you are doing well! Thank you for coming back so quick with a report, helps us still in the 'pre-op' stage! Also for the hint on the hurts...had 2 C-sections, so that encourages me, and will remember to keep on top of pain (even if its nasty medicine - like Bugs Bunny said! hehe) Have a blessed recovery!:smile2:

All, this is day 2 post op for me. Still feel great. Bending over is tricky but DH and one of those extended reach pickers (from Walgreens - have one already as I'm short) make life easier. For those of you with Children, believe me , they can help and will want to help Mommy /Daddy. [ Our DH is away in College] Have to get walking today!!. Maybe at the mall!

:thumbup:Good luck to all.

Hi Joanne: I'm back! We got home yesterday evening. Everything went as smooth as silk. I could not ask for a better staff and hospital environment. I was very well cared for. We got to the hospital at 6:15 a.m and left around 3:00.

I want to tell you one thing I would have done differently though, I would say stay as long as you can at the hospital. This is a major surgery and there's nothing like having nurses check on you to make you comfy and pain meds in hand.

Are you having an out patient proceedure? I should have been in the hosp one more day especially since when we got home the meds weren't ready at the pharmists which was my mistake I didn't do this sooner but we had to get the script at the hosp. I was in a lot of pain last night....it was like having a terrible stomach virus with gas and nausea thrown in for good measure! I feel so much better now tho Joanne. I feel thinner already and not hungry in the least and I haven't had solids since Monday. I am sipping on full liquids today. Using my dh's lap top in bed now.

Well all the best to you Joanne ..and thank you for the support you gave me aqlong with way it meanst more than you'll know.

You will do great and be post op before you know it! YES it is all worth it I feel great already even tho I'm still sore!

Stay strong,

Love,

Sooverit in NY

Welcome back Sue and Sooverit! Sue...so glad you are still doing well, and thank you for the reacher tip(I am short 2, lol), I will have that by my bedside!

Sooverit, Yeah, you go, another forerunner, and more lbs. biting the dust!!! I am fortunate that I am a planned stay over, hospital 2 hours from home, yes, still Kaisers closer (just in case). It is so cool getting the reports, helping our prepping...one week!

And for one of our fearless leaders, JoannMarie, blessings to you, quick healing and recovery...as she is prob banded by now!

BTW, did you all see Florida Pete's pics on the home page?

You know he has the biggest of hearts!

Have a blessed day in preps, surgery and recovery!:cursing:

Hi Soo! I am really glad to hear from you - have been thinking of you all day! Its a good tip about staying overnight if you have that option. Medicare leaves it up to the patient and I opted to stay. I have a 1 1/2 hour drive and did not think it would be much fun following major surgery and general anesthetic! I'll take a little TLC from the nursing staff for a while, thank you! DH will be with me - he is going to sleep in the recliner (I checked all this out with the hospital last Wed when I went for my lab draws.) I was told the staff takes good care of spouses - which will suit him fine. It is probably helpful for them, too, since he is there to watch my every move. Doc gave me my pain med script when I was there Wed, and I went to the pharmacy to fill it - it's in place, too. We leave around 6a.m. tomorrow - check in at hosp is at 8 - surgery scheduled for 10. I expect we will be home early afternoon on Friday. DD is taking care of animals for us, they love her. I am ready to roll!

And Sue!!! Mall walking on your second day??? During Christmas shopping season??? You are one brave woman! Girl, in a few weeks you will be shopping the after Christmas sales for smaller clothes!

I can't tell you how great it is to hear such good news from our early December bandsters! This is such an exciting journey for all of us and I wish each and every one of you the very, very best!

Just wanted to mention something I forgot to post. One other thing I would have done guys.. is drink your Water up to the final hour (12 mid night). I wished I drank more the night before as I woke up thirsty and thought it is going to be a long day..even if you have to wake in the night...~

Also keep water bottles near your bed side for you when you get home. 1-2 oz every 20 mins...gets to be a pain if you have to measure every time. I just sipped from the bottles and guestimated.

Best to you all!!

Sooverit!

All, Agree with SOO , Drink water up until Midnight. After surgery they will give you swabs ( little sponges on sticks, kept in ice water) Use these as much as possible.:whatchutalkingabout i slept a lot and didn't, but these really helped. Sue in Ne

Just wanted to mention something I forgot to post. One other thing I would have done guys.. is drink your Water up to the final hour (12 mid night). I wished I drank more the night before as I woke up thirsty and thought it is going to be a long day..even if you have to wake in the night...~

Also keep water bottles near your bed side for you when you get home. 1-2 oz every 20 mins...gets to be a pain if you have to measure every time. I just sipped from the bottles and guestimated.

Best to you all!!

Sooverit!

I ditto this. I did drink up until midnight but was still thirsty. Seemed like forever before I got that one little sip at the hospital afterward. I've been keeping the water bottle or crystal light, etc. beside me too, taking little sips. The nurse gave me several little medicine cups to bring home but it's easier to just take a sip and guesstimate.

:whatchutalkingabout Thank you for telling me to drink the water up until midnight. Im sure that will help as well when I have my surgery. Im glad that everyone is doing so well thus far since there surgeries... I know my nurse told me to get a heating pad if I didnt already have one for after surgery for the gas. And yes the glycerin swabs are nice, I was a cna for over 20 years so am very familiar with them. thanks again and I'm so glad everyone is doing well

julie

WEll, Sue in NE and all.I too am back from a great suirgery. I had no problems and seem to be recovering well. I wouldn't even think of going to a mall, but I did go to my ear, nose and throat appointment today without a bauble.

My doctor had me do a bowel treatment before surgery...it was no fun, but it cleaned me out. I think I'm glad now...I don't have to do anything now but lose the gas and a bit of water! Did you guys have to do that?

I had nothing to drink after 5:30 a.m. My surgery was scheduled for 1:30, but they took me in at 1200... I spent the night all almost all day on WED before I left...but it was only because the doctor also required an upper GI the morning after. (So after no drinking of anything for 30 hours my first taste was barium!...YUCK)... Then, no one put in an order to allow me to drink, so I REALLY used a lot of those spunge swabs in ice Water... I finally got some water and juice about 24 hours after surgery!

I finally went home about 5 p.m. day 2...after the doctor finished her afternoon rounds!

Did you get a "binder"?-- a big ace bandage that covers your entire abdomen? I got one, but I'm not slure how long I'm supposed to use it...I don't know of any other lapbanders that got one! (The papers say 6 weeks, but that seems to be an overkill.)

I was sitting up in bed the first night and walking all over the floor the second day...I feel good...and I'm really glad it is done!

By the way...with all the fluids and gas they pump into you, expect to gain a couple of pounds in the hospital... seems to be common! ...though who can imagine how???

Thanks for keeping in contact. I'm glad things went well for you!

Susan

P.S. My throat was really sore after surgery and the nurses let me suck on life savers==they really were a life saver after that barium junk!

Susan

My throat was pretty sore too, probably from the breathing tube and just being dry. I only got one little medicine cup of water, I could have asked for more but was still so woozy I was just in and out. I didn't have to do an x-ray before I could go home ~ just had to keep my oxygen level up. I think the binder sounds like a good idea. When I get up to walk around it helps when I hold my stomach. I took a shower today and a couple of my incisions are starting to itch.

I'm going to attempt my first outing tomorrow. They are having the casing of the colors ceremony for my hubby's unit tomorrow. They were supposed to leave Sat but now he won't be leaving until Tues. A few more days is always nice.

My throat was pretty sore too, probably from the breathing tube and just being dry. I only got one little medicine cup of Water, I could have asked for more but was still so woozy I was just in and out. I didn't have to do an x-ray before I could go home ~ just had to keep my oxygen level up. I think the binder sounds like a good idea. When I get up to walk around it helps when I hold my stomach. I took a shower today and a couple of my incisions are starting to itch.

I'm going to attempt my first outing tomorrow. They are having the casing of the colors ceremony for my hubby's unit tomorrow. They were supposed to leave Sat but now he won't be leaving until Tues. A few more days is always nice.

Teresa;

What is casing of the colors? I've worked for DoD a while, but not at the unit level. This is a term I don't know...my guess is that it means the unit is about to deploy...Is that right? if so, WOW...Please let him know how much we appreciate his service and honor to our country...and that we'll be praying for him and giving you any support we can!

Susan

Yes, they are about to deploy. Casing the colors is taking the unit flag and casing it until they arrive then they will have another ceremony when they return next year.

I didn't make it to the ceremony. I was in a bit more pain this morning plus he got the time wrong and I didn't have time to get there. Maybe I'll make it out tomorrow.