KristeyK

Welcome! I love that we have so many nurses here. YAY!!! I did a med-surg rotation earlier this semester that was on the bariatric floor at a hospital here in Tucson, and it COMPLETELY solidified in my mind that this was the right thing to do. As for the Protein shakes, don't buy the big containers of the powders until you find one you actually like. I go buy some at costco and they're tasty. (Can't remember the brand name, but they're premixed, in a white container that say "Protein" down the side.) I also bought a few Syntrex flavors that have been good so far. (Wild cherry, caribbean cooler, and Cappuccino.) I also bought myself some unjury chicken broth for my clear liquid stage post-op. (Can't tell you how it tastes yet...it's spendy and I don't want to have to buy more of it in case I REALLY like it. LOL) Good luck to you!

Haven't been sleeved yet, but I did have the lap band a few years ago. It was not bad. (I have a 3" incision from my port being put in too.) It hurt, I won't lie to you about that, but it wasn't bad after a day or two home. (Didn't feel a THING in the hospital thanks to the better drugs.) However, I have a HIGH tolerance for pain. I finally got rid of my Rx pain meds for it about 6 months ago, and I MAYBE used two doses out of it. I'll be able to tell you about getting sleeved in exactly a month from now. Good luck!

Aside from the fact that being on your period might give you headaches, you're probably having caffeine withdraws. I know I get MONSTER headaches when I go without it. (SOOOOO not looking forward to giving it up.) Do you have any clear Protein drinks? If so, have some of one, and get Water in. If you're like most of the country, y'all are having a MASSIVE heatwave, which will require you to drink more water by itself. (Dehydration will also cause a headache in a flash.) Good luck!!!

It sucks, but Lily is right on point. This is the best time to learn about how to deal with temptation, as much as you want to eat and drink the "fun" stuff, learning NOT to for quite a long time is for the best. Good luck!

MUCHO KUDOS TO YOU!!!! What a great feeling that must be!

My pre-op diet is just two shakes a day and one small meal. Something TOTALLY doable.

Go with the Jewish Hospital. Chances of leaks with us are higher, but still minimal.

Hi Eddie!!! Saw this on my Facebook feed and had to come say HELLO! I wish we could ALL have your hubby's experience with that damned lap band. I'm in your boat, although I KNOW I want the sleeve. I was also considering getting the RNY, because I think I need that anti-cheat mechanism built in because of the dumping syndrome. However, I did my research and decided on the VSG because of the long term success numbers of it. I also see that the people who are happiest with the decision in my support group meetings are the ones who have had the sleeve done. (I've also watched my mother regain quite a bit of her weight with the RNY, whereas my sister has done remarkably well.) I wish you luck! Come say hello in the "band to sleeve revision" area if you haven't already.

Oh I thought it was just ME! lol. I wasn't able to eat solid ANYTHING for about 5 weeks after that stupid EGD. It was AWFUL! But hey, I lost 28 lbs. HA! Still would have rather been able to eat a little something and have some energy though.

YAY for you!!! Your date is getting nice and close. How excited are you?

Hello Glenda. First off, I am so sorry for your loss. I think losing a child would throw even the strongest person into a tailspin. Hugs to you. What brings you to getting the revision? I'll be getting a revision from band to VSG myself at the end of August. (I CANNOT wait!) Feel free to let your hair down here. Everyone here is a great source of knowledge and support.

I'm sorry to hear about your mother Kristie. I can only imagine what it's like to have your own mom questioning you and being unsupportive about something so huge. So... let me give you the perspective of another nurse. (I'm still a student, but have seen enough...) I also got to take care of bariatric surgery patients on the unit I was doing my clinical rotations on. At the time I was considering revising my lap band to a sleeve. After seeing them during their hospital stays, then seeing them even a month later at support group meetings was enough to convince me that I needed this. I have talked with the other nurses on the floor about it and what complications they have seen with the VSG. The only negatives they have seen are people who have been readmitted after they did NOT follow what the surgeon tells them to do after surgery. For instance, one patient a nurse took care of had been readmitted because she decided two days out of the hospital that the diet was crap and she wanted her steak darn it. She had a little bit of red meat that night. The next night she had a shredded beef chimichanga, and the next day she had more grilled beef. She ended up overeating before her sutures had healed and caused herself to develop a leak. She was embarrassed to admit it, so when she developed a fever, she didn't call the surgeon. It was when one of her friends checked on her two weeks out and found her barely conscious that she was taken to the hospital and readmitted. This nurse said that the ONLY complications she has seen in her four years on this particular floor were because of the PATIENT not following the rules. All of the nurses I talked to said that the complications they see are from the bypass and the lap bands. Now, I don't mean to pooh-pooh the opinion of another nurse, but we don't all know what we're talking about when it comes to an area we're not familiar with. If this nurse works in a cardiac facility, or orthopaedics, or in PT- she doesn't know about bariatrics. It would be like my aunt who works in a neonatal intensive care unit telling me that I shouldn't have this surgery. Apples and oranges as far as the SPECIFIC knowledge base goes. Sure, we all know about anatomy and physiology, and drugs that are commonly used, but even then I'm not going to ask my aunt about MY medications, when her knowledge base is about babies. (In fact, since she knows I have recent experience with adult issues, she has called ME about advice on a few things. LOL.)