VTMnkyGrl

I had my surgery 5/13/2013, I was on prilosec for the first three months to help with healing. About two months after I went off of it I started getting really bad heartburn. They had me try a week 'treatment' of the priolsec again, it helped but a week or so after I finished it I had heartburn again. I've been on priolsec daily since. My dr said he'd have me try to go off it again in the future. He wasn't too upset or surprised. He said it does happen.

I'm on day 2 of being home and it's been hard to get all the liquids in too. I am doing better today than yesterday so I guess that's how it goes. It's so different cause I used to drink at least twice the recommended amount in a day!

I was in the hospital for 2 days mostly because I have diabetes. Honestly the worst pain was the gas pain and when that started moving it was better, it's really just sore, don't worry! I talked to a bunch of people that had had surgery with him an they didn't have any trouble either. You may want to call or email to Karli his nurse, she's great and helped with some of my fears with that too. She had surgery with him too.

I think we have the same doctor... but if not, my doctor doesn't give pain meds either. I just got out of the hospital yesterday and before hand I was a bit freaked out about the pain meds thing but they did a good job with it in the hospital and after talking to the doctor his reasoning for no take home pain meds made since... you could really hurt yourself if you don't follow the diet to the T in the first three weeks and being home alone on narcotics isn't going to have you in your best mind-frame nor able to make the best decisions, which is pretty important. He also said that if I felt I still needed the pain meds I could stay in the hospital, kinda harsh I guess but I understand. So today, my first day home I do have some pain but it isn't manageable I did get some Tylenol haven't tried it yet, not sure what the point is as it does nothin for me. I'm going to try a heating pad tonight and see if that helps any.

I got home late last night from the hospital, I had surgery on Monday. It went great and I'm so happy that I have Dr. Fitzer and not some of the other doctors! The main reasons are because Dr. Fitzer checks for leaks during the surgery I didn't have to wait for water/ice when I got to my room, some people have to wait until they do a scan, where you have to drink icky stuff, also I was allowed to take my meds whole except when the nurse was overzealous and had already crushed them, taking crushed pills is the worst! Good luck with your surgery! Will be thinking of you!

hello everyone, I had my surgery on Monday, it went well, better than the doctor expected, I had a hernia repair done last year and he was worried that may cause problems but he said it wasn't bad. I tried to get on here yesterday with my phone but the app wouldn't work I came home late last night, had to wait for my dr who was on call and busy I had thought that I wouldn't go home because my blood pressure was running way low even without the bp drugs, i was a little worried but the dr said it was probably because i wasn't having the salt I was used to and my body would adjust in a day or two. Now that I'm home I am having a bit more pain, I didn't think the pain meds were doing that much in the hospital... I was wrong. But I can deal, at least I'm home and comfortable! Yesterday I had felt a little hungry which was scary because I know it wasn't real. I didn't really do anything about it except for 'eat' my 'lunch', broth and jello. The speech the doctor gave me before I left scared the hungry out of me tho! For the person having problems with pain if you are still in the hospital ask your doctor when he comes by or ask the nurse to call your doctor. If you don't think you are getting anywhere ask for the charge nurse, they should hopefully be able to help or give you more info. I hope it gets better! Thinking about everyone!

Thinking of all of my surgery buddies, I'm so ready for tomorrow! Clear liquids has not been fun but glad it's almost over!

I'm having my surgery there but it seems like the meeting is open to everyone. There were a lot more people and not really as personal, I went on a night when they talked about exercise and it was interesting then the 'open' discussion I didn't feel like talking. I didn't go last time cause the subject was plastic surgery and i'm way to far from that, I heard it was packed, standing room only. For anything like that I have to leave work early so i'll probably stick to just the Dr Fitzer meeting

My preop want too long, talked to Dr Fitzer about generally the surgery and any questions I had then talked to the nurse about the food plan for after surgery and what vitamins to get and about the liquid diet. Did you go to the support group on Monday? I did, I liked it, thought it was much better than the fair oaks one I went to.

Have been thinking of everyone having surgery! Hoping all goes well I just had an appointment with the cardiologist and he wants a stress test which is fine but its a 2 day test b/c of my weight and i'm am scheduled for surgery on Monday... AHHH... they could only fit me in on Friday after noon, and by doing the days backwards i'm doing part of it now. I hope the dr doesn't want to postpone my surgery!

I've thought about the same thing, how am I going to explain it. I'm planing to just say very strict diet and lots of exercise. Hopefully the questions will end there! I'm also worried about the questions about the 2 weeks off, will probably say that I have to help my mom or something.

I'm on the 13th too, do you have to do any prep? I have to do a 3 day clear liquid diet.

It's the 3rd Monday, the next one is May 20th.

I saw my doctor for my pre-op visit... freaking out a little bit... 1 -> my 3 day liquid diet is a REAL liquid diet... only clear stuff... at least 2 of the days are on the weekend, I hope I don't kill anyone on that Friday at work! 2 -> I'll only be getting pain meds by pills, which leads me to believe that they won't be 'the good stuff', I have a pretty high tolerance for pain meds because I was on them for a long while. I'm not really worried that they won't give me what I need, just that I'll have to try a bunch of stuff that won't work while I'm in pain, ugh! 3 -> I have to go to a cardiologist for an eval, they don't think anything will be wrong but the dr said my heart rate has been a bit elevated when I've come to see him, sigh... that could be for a bunch of reasons tho, he has me on appetite suppressants, the last two times I've been there my blood sugar has been low and the walk to his office isn't short by any means either. 4-> He wants me to lose more weight before surgery, sigh... I was able to lose a bunch but in the last few weeks it hasn't been so easy. I'm hoping that it'll happen... although i don't think he'll turn me away the day of if I haven't... he said it was 'on the honor system' I really want to but it's so hard... duh... that's why i'm doing this! 5 -> I am to stop a med that I'm taking for cancer until a few days after the surgery... that's a little scary cause I'd rather be fat than to let the cancer grow again, it was approved by the oncologist but I haven't been seeing him long so it makes me a little nervous! so I'm at work just staring at the computer about to burst... trying to blame it on what I'm working on... which deserves it... but isn't really it... it's getting closer! oh yeah, and this too... so have any of you guys had people ask 'what can I do?' my dad keeps asking and I don't really have an answer other than nothing... I don't really want they to visit til I'm better because I feel like i have to entertain, they can't bring/send food. I feel bad saying, nothing, oh and stay away too!

I had to do 6 months of nutrition too... I felt the same way... I tried to not think about the actual surgery too much and just work on the stuff the nutritionist talked about to prepare. Don't worry, it'll be here before you know it! I started in October and I can't believe I'm less than 2 weeks from surgery.

a Fair Oaks question... did they let you wear your own cloths? I hate those gowns!

Sorry to hear that! Hope you are doing better! I'm just ready to get this show on the road! Only a week and a half! Have you been to any support groups in the area? I went to the Fair Oaks one once, thinking I may go back. Don't know of any others tho.

I had a tentative date once I had most everything done then it was finalized and scheduled with the hospital once they got insurance approval.

What is the recovery room process like? How long are you there? Are you up quickly? Any requirements before they'll send you to a room? I hate the recovery room!!

Good to hear! I was there a few times recently for other stuff and was much happier with the experience than Fairfax, ugh! I think my dr likes Reston better but I've never been there and I know Fair Oaks is nice so I wanted to go there! I had to do my nutrition there too because I was having surgery there... that was... interesting... not as bad as some nutritionist I've been to but not terrible.

thanks so much... it's a huge help having people here! my mom and husband are great but have no idea how to help sometimes. i think my biggest obstacle now is going to be the stuff in the fridge... I visited my mom last weekend and have leftovers in the fridge and I also went to a store I don't have around home and got some not so good for you stuff... I feel terrible trowing it away because it cost so much... but at the same time... I don't really need to eat it... I wish I hadn't bought it!! I think I can get over throwing away the leftovers but the other stuff is much harder... I haven't eaten much of it.... if only my husband wasn't so picky, he'd eat it! I guess if I leave it in there a day or two more it won't be good any more anyway...

my dr is requiring me to lose weight before to make the surgery safer... I carry ALL of my weight in my belly so it's the size of someone who weights much more than I, plus I've had some other abdomen surgeries which also makes it a bit harder. Mostly I'm a bag full of risks... one of the reasons I want the surgery tho too!

ok, that sounds much more doable! i was thinking 3 shakes a day and that's it... i think i can work with something like that! Thanks so much!

so I'm freaking out! The doctor wants me to lose 5 more lbs before surgery which I thought would be fine but I'm stuck, haven't lost anything in a few weeks. So I tried to do sort of a liquid diet and it was horrible!!! Yesterday I had a shake for breakfast and was starving within a few hours, I had a few nuts and made it to lunch but couldn't make it til dinner and had some jerky. So this morning I had a shake and was hungry pretty much as soon as I was done and drinking water make it worse! How are you guys doing it? I'm going to have to do it for only 3 days but i'm really worried!

Wow... I had my pre-op stuff done today too... mine was a bit simpler tho... just blood work and an ekg... crazy tho... i had to put on this little paper 'shirt' that opened in the front... and of course it was tiny! It didn't cover anything, so silly!