Fenton

The hospital stay was a bit of ordeal - the staff was great, but I was in a room with three people and a nurse. Again, it was what I'd asked for. But the other three had had REAL surgery - a kidney removed, neck arteries replumbed, stuff like that, so they needed constant attention. Me I just wanted to get some SLEEP!!! And it was impossible. I got, honestly, a total of just over one hour of sleep. I did well on my Fluid intake, so I was peeing pretty quickly. That was great from a health standpoint, but when you're supposed to be lying in bed with your legs sheathed with pumps to keep clots from forming, every time you get up to pee is a major event. So, yeah, I had a miserable hospital stay - next time I get banded, I'm staying on the bariatric floor, in an unmonitored room! No problems, though. No pain, just a little soreness. I've had a constant feeling of low grade nausea - not actually nausea, just a funny feeling, like my guts aren't happy. And why should they be? THey've been on Spring Break for the last 30 years, and now the discipline is being laid down. The dietitian and surgeon and PA visited me in the morning, checked me out, pronounced themselves satsified with me, and said I could go. They' d also taken the time, while doing the band, to fix a hiatal hernia; the theory is that as you lose weight, the part where your esophagus goes through the diaphragm into the chest and up to the mouth, that area becomes loosened. When that area is loose, the stomach can slip up into the chest - which is a hiatal hernia. I apparently had a small hiatal hernia, so they did a couple of stitches to fix that, and to stop it recurring. Apparently, they've done some research that indicates that this simple step drastically improves the outcome. Anyway! So I got sprung. I was told I should make an appointment for a follow-up esophagogram and appointment in the clinic within a week to 10 days.

The nothing by mouth thing wasn't too bad - I wasn't as miserable as I thought I would be. My girlfriend stayed with me until they took me into surgery; we both talked with the anesthesiologist and the surgeon. Then I was in the OR - God that was impressively fast! I felt like a car on one of those robotic assembly lines, hands belting me down to the table, other hands fixing an IV, the anesthetist putting the mask on my face and then I woke up in the recovery room. I didn't feel any pain, but they gave me some morphine and something for nausea. I was a bit muzzy, and wanted to get up to my room to relax. But there wasn't a monitored room available - and, at a spit away from 500 pounds and a bit of a coward, I really wanted to be carefully monitored post-op. I had to wait down in the recovery room for four hours before they finally transfered me. The ride up to the ward was only uncomfortable when we hit bumps. I wasn't on the regular bariatric ward - again, my fault - so they didn't have things like a bariatric-sized gown, or a bariatric chair, about which I was underwhelmed. They got me walking - at my insistence. REally, I haven't suffered anything I'd call "pain"; it's more like soreness, as if you'd overdone it on the yardwork. But I have felt under the weather. I've had plenty of shoulder tip pain and rib cage ache.

Hey, guys. I'm back! Banded! Not ecstatically happy, but... BANDED! First off, pipes: I think it's natural to be scared. Anyone who isn't scared going in is either ignorant or an idiot. Surgery is a scary business! That said, your surgery is a simple one - a very minor surgery indeed. Here's how mine went: I arrived in the hospital at 7:30AM. There was a fair amount of "hurry up and wait", but everyone was really nice, and it was obvious they'd done this many times before. Indeed, I think that one of the pros AND the cons of getting the procedure at NYU is that it's a bit of a factory - you WANT that experienced team working on you, but I think it gets a bit rough around the edges, and there may be a bit less personal attention than in other programs. Anyway:

Thanks! I'm on my way to the hospital in 20 minutes. I'll post as soon as I can - probably tomorrow, since NYU doesn't have internet access in its wards... You guys take care, now.

OK! I'm off to the hospital in 20 minutes! I'll see you all on the other side...

Hey, Frankie! Snowflake, have you melted? I'm just washing my Hospital Clothes, and having some soup. Waiting for Admitting to call to tell me when I have to be there.... I'm not too freaked out, just a bit anxious under the calm. I've been posting mostly in the March MASTER THREAD - that way I can see how others have done, how it was like, how they're doing etc. But I'll post here too. Nice meeting you! 3/6/08 4 Evuh!

Angelic, hang in there! THey're making you jump through hoops, but some of us bandsters have to pay for it themselves, from about $10,000 in Mexico to about $20,000 in NYC! The sleep study is to benefit you. It's just one more step... The Big Day will be here before you know it. And innertube: you're in the right place! We're better than family - we're in your squad, going through the same battle you are. Welcome aboard!

Happy trails, pippinje! Seeya Saturday. I'm an odd mixture of jangly nerves and fatalistic calm. I get my op time this evening - I think I'm going to be at 10AM, and have to report to the hospital at 8AM. So, Eek! Plus: It's all good...

How are you guys setting your goal weights? I believe that a healthy weight for me - I'm 6'2" - would be about 200 lbs, but that seems lower than the numbers you guys are aiming for. Am I being too optimistic?

As I said, I think that for me one of the advantages of the Protein drinks is that they kill my hunger - because I don't want to drink another one! I'm going to do all Clear Liquids today. I know some people are told to go the clear liquids route for a couple of days before the surgery; they don't do it where I'm getting banded, but I thought, heck, it can't hurt. I'm going to have two bottles of Isopure - 320 cals and 80 g of protein total. Hmm. But THEN what? How will I get my other 700 cals? Strained Soup is less than ideal - it won't have many calories at all. In fact, pretty much nothing clear has much in the way of calories, other than sugar-sweetened soft drinks.

Well, I'm a bit angry at myself for diverging from the One True Path - my sleep was different last night, and I felt weirdly full for what was not, in fact, a big meal. I'm hardcore liquids today - until midnight.... I wonder whether a long soak in the tub before going in to the hospital will help with any feelings of dehydration I might have.

Oh! I had my cardiology consult today. They gave me the All Clear, patted me on the back - the cardiologist actually CONGRATULATED me on my decision! He's a true believer, which is kind of cool.

Hey, welcome aboard you guys! The liquid diet thing - which I've been saying all along isn't so bad - well, it's not so bad. But I realized I've been overdoing it. I'm 473 lbs (well, actually, as of today, 449, but still!), and I work a very active job, and I've been walking home, which is about a mile, and I've been dragging my huge carcass around on 1100 calories a day. Today I was too exhausted to do anything, and I thought, to heck with it - and ate some solid food! I've returned to liquids now, though - full steam until Thursday!

PS I found my wallet. It was (wait for it): in my pants pocket. The blindness of the hurried and neurotic!

Hey, Momof321, welcome aboard! I think the best cure for nerves is information, with companionship coming a close second; you'll find plenty of both here. We're all going through the same thing, and we all share the same goal. I think you'll find the pre-op diet not too bad - just focus on what you're doing for yourself in the long run, and follow the instructions you've been given. It's a good idea to speak up about your worries and things you don't know about; chances are, a whole bunch of people here have the same worries and want the same questions answered.

Damn, Chris! Coming in here trumping everyone with your "Fallujah, Iraq"! Congrats on the incredible weight loss!

On, another small ointment fly: when I got home, I couldn't find my wallet. Which, of course, contains my Health Insurance card, that I need for my cardiology appointment tomorrow and my surgery Thursday!

I had my pre-admission testing today at NYU. It was a bit harrowing! The PreAdmission area is a little tricky to find - even with map in hand. It's actually tucked away in the basement. I met with an anesthetist, who peered down my throat and looked at my neck. Then a nurse took my history, then my blood and gave me an EKG. Then I had a chest X-ray. Then we hit a snag: when I signed up for this hayride, my BMI was just over 60. Apparently, it's policy for people with a BMI over 60 to automatically get a Cardiac Stress Test. However, since I was first weighed, I've lost over 20 lbs, and my BMI has dropped below the 60 mark, so there was confusion as to what to do. So tomorrow I have a cardiology appointment to see what they think - hopefully, whatever they decide, they'll decide quickly, as I don't want to miss my Thursday surgery date for this damn test! Anyway, after PreAdmission, I went up to the surgical office, where I discovered that my private physician, responsible for my medical clearance, had given me glowing reports for everything, but on the crucial line where the question was "Is this patient medically cleared for surgery?", he had accidentally ticked NO. We spent the rest of the afternoon sorting that out. So, it looks like I"m just about good to go, touch wood the cardiologist gives me the greenlight, or that the stress test can be done later tomorrow afternoon or on Wednesday - I'M READY TO HIT THE O.R.!

I have to say that I haven't found the pre-op diet really all that appalling - I remain pretty astonished by the fact that I find it tolerable at all, but I don't expect to have any trouble with it in the post-op period. When I was talking with the surgeon initially, he explained that the main purpose of the pre-op diet was to shrink the liver by depleting all the fat that accumulates there. A fatty liver is supposed to be much more fragile, plus it's bigger, and makes the surgery more challenging for the surgeon. It might be something to consider doing on a voluntary basis, even if your surgeon doesn't specifically instruct you to do so: one of my biggest fears is that the surgeon will be forced to convert a laparoscopic surgery into an open surgery, meaning longer operation and longer recovery time. And bigger scar!

You go, Amanda! That's a rockin' op time! Because I'm going to be following you at that time on Thursday, God, Allah, Buddah and the ghost of Walt Disney willing! Come back and post when you can...

Wiping your butt with BBQ tons - an X-Mas miracle! Welcome aboard, Big Rick. I'm sure you've made the right decision. I'm heading for the chop this week; at 473 lbs starting weight, I dwarf you! You're definitely in the right place - you'll find information and support here, plus guys like Jack and Neal (ousooner - check out his photos) have really inspiring stories.

Oh, another thing: one of my big worries has been getting a bit stopped up - I tend to get constipated every time I go on a diet. I've been pretty good with keeping up my Water intake, and have been using Benefiber twice a day, and I've been fine. I'm going to try to increase my Benefiber after banding, but I don't know if that'll be possible. Sorry if that's TMI, but it's an issue that's been one of my biggest fears, so I imagine there are others out there with the same issue!

I have to say: one week into my liquid diet and I'm pretty damn sick of the liquids. The shakes aren't terrible - although the aftertaste is appalling - but most of what I'm drinking is sweet. I wish there were more in the way of protein-rich soups! Here's a typical day: Two Slimfast Optima shakes, each 190 cals, 10 g Protein One Isopure Zero Carb sports drink, 190 cals, 40 g protein One Swiss Miss Fat Free Hot chocolate, 70 cals, zero protein Some Trader Joe's Soup - either carrot ginger or butternut squash, 80 cals, zero protein - I also add a splash of flavored oil, which adds some calories and fat, but no protein. Or some Da Vinci fake maple syrup goes nicely, and no cals. One ProSlam45 - a syrupy, concentrated Protein Drink in either Peach or Fruit punch - 180 cals, 45 g protein And I've cheated a little every other day - a serving of fat-free yogurt, or some turkey chili, low fat. Last time I pureed the larger chunks of turkey - it was delicious, but it sure looked as if someone had eaten the chili before me...

I know how you feel, Christine! I'll be ecstatic to reach weights at which others will be freaking out and deciding that they desperately need to do some kind of surgical weight loss...

Thanks, Special K and pippinje - I've just added my banding date to the main calendar. Right next to pippinje's TWO birthdays! I'm gong to do my best to keep posting throughout this whole thing.