KateBruin

April 4! Less than 2 weeks. Got my preop clearance today and she has no reasons to suspect I won’t be cleared. My pregnancy test is always positive but I have phantom hcg in my blood 🤷🏻‍♀️

Scopolamine patches are all that help my nausea. Little sticker behind the ear and it last 3 days. Can cause eye side effects and some others but I’ve never experienced it. It can be expensive. I think I pay $77 for 8 patches. Something like that.

I always have one incision that heals slowly and can get lumpy. It’s usually the largest (3 abdominal surgeries and a shoulder surgery). It’s not abnormal. A lot of the time it seems to be a spitting stitch trying to work it’s way out. Ask your surgeon if you can massage it with a little lotion.

So glad you’ve come out the other end! What an awful experience!

You want to start slow with weights. I ended up with an incisional hernia from a 2009 gallbladder removal. I had to lose weight before the hernia repair. They’re awful. I’m getting bypass in less than 2 weeks and plan on nothing but walking for 4 weeks. I have to continue physio for a shoulder surgery but we’ll reduce weight.

Same. I hit my limit when I would wake up choking on vomit and wheeze for hours after cause I aspirated some. I got approval within 24 hours. Wicked fast.

It’s great to hear you’re reflux free. Mine is incredibly awful. Original sleeve surgeon basically keeps telling me to suffer so I’ve gone to another surgeon and will get bypass April 4. I just pray I’m in his 90% of patients whose GERD is cured.

Don’t be too scared! You have help/a SO to help with the kids for a bit? I’ve had: ankle surgery, spine fusion, shoulder repair, sleeve, incisional hernia repair, gallbladder removed and I’m going to have bypass then my second shoulder repaired. The complication rates are low compared to other frequently performed surgeries. Follow your surgeon’s direction and chances of complication are slim. Don’t be afraid to tell the anesthesiologist/CRNA you’re anxious and they’ll give you some IV meds to calm you before going into the OR.

3 weeks post op with reflux isn’t abnormal. Are you on a PPI? The EGD is easy but seems a bit premature. I’ve had a bunch since surgery august 2017 but I have severe complications

My 25 lb dog made me lift her onto my bed the night I returned from surgery and continued. I just made sure to lift with my legs and contract my abs. Thankfully after shoulder surgery she learned she can jump from my couch to my bed so bypass should be easier. Silly dogs. We do what they want! My limit was walking her. If she went all Cujo I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold her well.

I had a questionnaire and I’m sure she had access to my medical records. However, it was just a 50 minute 1:1 therapy session and then she said I need a letter from my psychiatrist to say he treats me and will continue to treat me. That was kind of ridiculous since insurance sees that I take my meds and see him monthly 🙄

The foamies is disgusting. I wake up choking on foam and bile so I’m getting bypass from a sleeve. PPIs stopped working a year ago and caused enough bone loss for me to lose my $5,000 dental implant

I’m getting converted to bypass because of my GERD. They do resleeve people if the stomach shape is no good.

LlNX is an amazing alternative that I was looking at till the doctor said I already have trouble swallowing and the device can make it worse. Research it. Titanium beads with a magnet core they apply around your LES that stays shut until food and liquids you consume overcome the magnetic attraction and open it.

I was sent the 2 week liver shrinking protocol but I’m ignoring it. They send it to all patients. My liver was fine at my highest weight before sleeve and this is just GERD bypass. I’m just eating as usual.

Don’t stress about the anesthesia. Ask for Zofran or something which reduces post anesthesia nausea and vomiting. My body isn’t a huge fan of anesthesia. It sticks around for a long time and I’m a zombie even without additional pain meds. I’ve probably had 6 major general anesthesia surgeries. You’ll be okay!

Please don’t get lap band! I honestly can’t believe they do them anymore. So many complications and resurgery needed after. I thought they’d be removed from market by now.

I use a Bariatric brand from vitamin shoppe. Tastes great. Celebrate was just gross.

Gas x can help constipation gas but it doesn’t help the CO2 they pump in to make space for the tools. That you just have to walk off and be patient

Gas pain is literally the worst part of surgery. First 3 days I barely slept and just paced my house and driveway to get it out. Once the gas is gone it’s MUCH better.

I take an rx NSAID daily (mobic/meloxicam). I have to stay off it for 6 months then only take if my body needs it. I’m having a second shoulder repair a few weeks after my bypass conversion. I’ll be using a topical NSAID that you can get from your doctor. Mine is called Pennsaid.

I developed motility issues too. Gastroparesis. Nervous for dumping. Did anything in particular cause it for you? With my issues I’ve developed fun diarrhea the second I eat just about anything so dumping would just add the sweating and nausea. Fun!

Which surgeon did you see? Dr Chen is a nightmare. I’m actually filing a formal complaint with UCLA

So who is on April 4? I know there’s a ton of us. Anyone in the LA area? I’m nervous for my surgery even though I’ve had a sleeve so I’ve basically done this before.

I stayed on BC but the stress on my body was so bad I got my period the night of surgery. Asking the nurse to change my gigantic pad on mesh undies was a real experience. It sucked having to deal with pads and the incision pain but I did it.