renee

I'm one week post-op and had my first appt. My drain was removed---hallelujah!! I have lost 17 pounds this week! 17 unbelievable pounds!!!! I'm still in shock. And I get to move onto puréed foods too. Gonna have some fork-mashed salmon and puréed spinach. Sounds like a feast fit for a queen!!!

Actually it happened so fast I didn't really feel more than a quick little "wiggle" inside me. Totally thankful for that since my mother told me she had a drain once and it felt like a "razor blade covered snake" coming out!!! Completely not my experience thankfully!

I know my surgeon said because my BMI was over 60 (my weight was 366) I needed the drain for a week. If I would have weighed less I would have had it out before being discharged.

I have my first post op appt on Thursday July 11 but I'm going to call and see if they can fit me in either Tuesday or Wednesday when my husband can drive me.

Yay! I'm on post-op day 5. Doing ok except for the pain I still have from the drain. I cannot wait to have this thing out!

I didn't have to do this, but do you belong to a gym? Maybe you could get a printout of your visits for 6 months?

Through some miracle of the gods I got put into a private room even without requesting one! I loved it! I'm post-op day 5 now, doing ok, still sore but not too bad. I'm already sick of protein shakes but at least no nausea, which I'm thankful for. Plain water seems the worst to go down, don't know why, but thank God for SF Popsicles which go down much easier!

Does anyone wear one? If so, where did you get it, and what does it say?

I had surgery on Monday, July 1. Came home Wednesday. Have been resting in bed a lot. Walking laps in my house when I can. I'm exhausted! No nausea. Been drinking my 3 protein shakes per day plus 3 meals of 1/4 cup each strained soup or pudding. Still have my drain. In pain mostly on left side but pain meds do help. My abdomen feels a little hard/bloated. Is this average for others in their first post-op week? I wish I had a scale but I don't, although with my abdomen bloating maybe I haven't really lost any weight yet :/

How much are people walking this first week? I've just been walking around in the house. I still have my drain, and I think that's where most of my pain is coming from. I don't think it's gas pain. I want to try to get out of the house but I can't imagine being able to walk more than a few houses down and back. Is this normal? I'm post op day 4.

Actually the Lovenox shots aren't too bad. You can barely feel them going in. The worst is probably a very slight stinging sensation for maybe 10 seconds after you're done, and it doesn't happen after every shot. It's really not that bad, and you'll do just fine!

I had my surgery on Monday, July 1st, and came home on Wednesday, July 3rd. I'm doing OK, still in pain but being controlled by narcotics every 6 hours. Not too much gas pain except in my shoulder, which is killing me. I came home with my drain, and I hate it. I get to keep it until July 11 I think I would feel a whole lot better if I didn't have it, but nothing I can do about it. I'm doing well at giving myself twice daily injections of Lovenox for 10 days. Doing pretty well drinking these protein shakes, he wants me to have three 8 oz shakes per day plus 3 meals of 1/4 cup of strained soup or SF pudding. I can usually get about 6 oz. of each shake down. All I'm really doing is slowing walking around my house, and resting. I am exhausted most of the time, plus I swear they didn't let me sleep at all while hospitalized!! I appreciated that the staff was so focused on my care but damn I wanted to sleep more than 30-45 minutes at a time...haha!

Just need to vent. I'm petrified. I've had surgery before but nothing this major. I know I want the surgery, I need the surgery. I'm in that oh-my-god-I'm-never-going-to-be-normal-again phase I think. I'm mourning food. How do I truly break up with my best friend for the past 37 years? I've been overweight/morbidly obese my entire life, I've never experienced anything else. This is just last minute stage fright, right? I'm not turning back, I'm going forward with the surgery. I can do this.

Terry1118, Wow, that was one of the powerful things I've ever read on this forum. And exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you!!!!

Had to call today to get my arrival time. Have to be there at 10:15am on Monday and surgery is scheduled for 12:15pm. I didn't really get nervous until today. But I still think my excitement for the new me is going to kick my nerves away

Is this the Ninja that everyone uses? http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=18676320

I only have to do a one day pre-op diet, which is Sunday. A month is a long time! What's the rationale for that long? It can't be only to shrink your liver, can it?

I'm going in for surgery on Monday (yay!). I'm wearing a baggy outfit that I'll come back home in, and I'm packing some basics. Spare undies, slipper, basic toiletries (shampoo, face wash, toothbrush/paste, deodorant, comb, makeup), and my Kindle in case I want to read. Oh, and my cell phone and charger. Anything else I can probably get there or have my husband bring to me. I should be in for 2-3 nights. Best wishes on your surgery!

When is your surgery? Good luck to us both!!

What do you use to puree your food? Magic Bullet? Ninja? Something else? I have no idea what to buy. Help please

Can you point me to what Ninja you have? It seems there are a few of them. Thank you!

So I figured I'd update and let everyone know my surgery is July 1st. I am so excited (and nervous a little) it's not even funny. This is going to be the LONGEST week of my life! When I went to my pre-op appt. I checked the box on the form that said I wanted a semi-private room (because my insurance covers it 100%) but now I think I should've just paid the $40 per day out of pocket for a private room. I have not had good luck with my hospital roommates the other 2 times in my life I've been hospitalized overnight. Oh well...

Got my approval letter today from the insurance company! Surgery scheduled for July 1st! Losers bench is in sight!!!!!!!!

I live in Geneseo NY. About 30 minutes south of Rochester.

This is the worst. Just sitting here waiting and praying I get approved. I turned in all my stuff today, and the surgical coordinator told me she'll get it over to United Healthcare today. I already have a surgery date of July 1st, and I'm nervous there won't be enough time to get it approved. The coordinator told me that United takes a while to approve, and if it gets close to my surgery date and still no word then they have this "rapid" response team that'll look it over quickly for me. I wish it only took a couple of days, now I have over 3 weeks to think about it and obsess over it! I fulfilled every requirement they asked of me (a whole years worth of stuff), and I'm SO ready to take this next step soon! Thanks for listening to me vent!