lisafrommassachusetts

I have not gone in yet (surgery this Monday) but my neighbor gave me a suggestion for my hospital stay...ear plugs and an eye mask. I had an eye mask from flying, and my husband picked up some ear plugs for me at CVS. Also, on the February Surgery thread someone said they had wished they bought a wedge pillow for when they got home after surgery.

Oooh, I hope it gets better for you soon! I have read a lot of the posts on here, and most people seem to say the first 4 to 5 days are the worst. I'm on for Monday, so I have been reading all the accounts I can. Sending healing thoughts!

Good luck! My pre-op is less restrictive than some, but I am still getting sick of the protein shakes. Everything is too sweet! I did find some with 30 g of protein that I have frozen to a slushy state and eaten as dessert: Premier Protein Caramel and the Banana Crème. They are unbearable (to me) unless I freeze them, but it is a break from chocolate/vanilla. Can you have clear liquids? Bone broth gives me a bit of a break. I'm wondering about it post op, too. I'm on all liquids (so shakes are the main source of protein) from day 2 until 10; I had bought some crème of chicken soup from Bariatric Pal with 15g of protein; I'm hoping I can have them when I'm off clear liquids, just as a break from all that sweet. Good luck! For me the first 4 days were the worst, but then I got the flu and had to extend my surgery out another week.

Another thing I never thought of. Let us know if that helps

Glad to hear you are healing! Keep us posted; you have an audience of people who want the details, unlike probably our friends and families...

Congratulations! A "little sore" sounds very encouraging. I hope your recuperation is smooth. Can I pick your brain for a minute, are you able to walk up stairs? My bedroom is on the 2nd floor and I don't know why I did not think of this before....

So great to hear, Aqua! Speaking for me, these updates from folks are very calming as I wait in line for Monday to come for me. Keep posting, and healing!

Waiting for my surgery this coming Monday....thank you for the inspiration tonight. You look amazing, strong and happy.

Wow. I am so sorry you had to go through all that. I, for one, am completely capable of catastrophizing without some doctor spouting a worst case scenario. I would certainly let your PCP, and your surgeon for that matter, know about this encounter. I was really lucky, because it was my PCP who encouraged me to consider this surgery. He reviewed my destructive 12 + years of yo-yo dieting where I always regained more than I had lost and had the information on the statistically grim likelihood of my dealing with my obesity through diet and exercise alone. He also made sure to tell me this was not a failure of will; we did not evolve to have this abundance of food and are physiologically hardwired for famine and feast. Add in the crazy food we have now (chemicals, added salt and sugar in everything and carbs all day long....) and the obesity crisis makes all the sense in the world. This gem of a doctor obviously would think nothing of "fat shaming" patents, and has not bothered to keep up with the evidence on the efficacy and safety of bariatric surgery. Shame on him. Good luck to you in this journey, and may your medical providers from here on out be at least competent and informed.

Hooray! Uplifting update! Onward and upward....or, you know, downward as the case may be.

Thanks for updating! Are you still in the hospital? If I remember correctly you had surgery in Mexico, right? Hope you are convalescing a bit before you have to travel. Good luck!! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Best of luck! This is not easy, banish that I couldn't do it on my own self talk! I'm betting you have lost weight lots of times "on your own", but made this decision based on long term success and the strong science that supports bariatric surgery. Safe travels

Good luck!

Best of luck! Hope you get some sleep tonight... looking forward to updates

Confirmed for Monday the 10th; Assuming I am over this flu. Even though I was so disappointed when they cancelled yesterday, I now realize it was really for the best. By noon my temperature had spiked to 101.8! I had not been able to take any decongestants because of the surgery, so I got some Thera-flu in me, which contains Tylenol, and then 3 hours later took Ibuprofen; I did that all day and so far no fever today. The body aches and headache have been killer. I can't imagine trying to recover from surgery in this state. Odd because I really don't get sick very often, but this was the year I missed my flu shot! Yesterday the surgeon told me to get some calories in, and try to get back on the pre op diet today. I had lost about 9 pounds in the 2 weeks. I had some chicken soup from a wonderful restaurant near us (thanks to my husband for getting it) and I had a burger with an1/3 of an oz of cheese for dinner. I also ate an apple with some peanut butter. Those protein shakes just don't cut it when you are congested! I am back at it today; I am filling the glass with tons of ice and letting it get pretty watered down. Having some chicken bone broth for lunch, followed by a protein bar. Looking forward to hearing updates from this week's folks! I really was discouraged yesterday, entertained thoughts of just not doing this, and eating a big bowl of macaroni and cheese. The flu unleashed the crazy person who lives in my head.

My surgery got postponed!!!! I am so disappointed; I won't know until tomorrow if it will be next Monday (fingers crossed). My surgeon called at 8 am and said that going forward with me this congested would make recovery miserable, and that the anesthesiologist would probably not clear it anyway. So good luck everyone who is going this week! I hope to join you next week....😒

I'm on for tomorrow, too! Good luck, healing happy thoughts sent your way.

Unless my surgery is scrubbed because of this head cold, I am having my sleeve tomorrow! So by this time tomorrow, hopefully, the surgery will be behind me and the real work begins. One good thing about this cold is I am not at all hungry, so getting through the end of the pre-op diet was pretty easy. The best part of the cold, though, I am now more nervous about NOT having the surgery, than having the surgery!

You are of course right. Just disappointing! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm guessing you're right. I have to just wait this out Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

That's encouraging! Fingers crossed

I hope so. Having with salt water and hoping for the best

Self reflection indeed is hard, but you are obviously deep in it. I hope that you find a place (of worship, a therapist, a good friend's ear, a meditation class) where your self - reflection allows room for the positive. You are doing several of the HARDEST things you can do: 1.) quitting smoking 2.) dealing with your weight/health/etc. and mostly 3.) taking a long, hard, honest look at yourself and taking responsibility for the damage you might be doing to those around you. I don't know you, but your post shows that you love your wife, you love your sons, and you have supported your family. Those are big foundations upon which to build. I wish you strength, and kindness. Be kind to yourself, too.

OH NO! I'm scheduled for surgery on Monday and I have a cold! I felt a bit run down and scratchy throat, but by last night I was sneezing, woke up this morning and I can hardly swallow and I am losing my voice. I'm so scared that they won't do the surgery on Monday. I have emailed my surgeon (the pre op instructions said to notify your surgeon if you had cold/flu like symptoms)…. I'm ready to just cry.

Oh no, don't go.... please change your entire personality to please a bunch of cyber strangers!! Seriously, I wish you could stay for the journey, and for the laughs. Re blood sugar, I have a friend who swears by 10 minutes brisk walk after she eats anything. Best of luck!