ILKrista

Well, I packed a suitcase full of things (books, a hot pad, knitting, etc). I ended up using almost none of it. The one item I'm really glad I had with me was my robe, so my tush wasn't hanging out every time I wanted to take a walk. I would agree that chapstick and a hairbrush are good ideas too.

I got my surgery done by Dr. Rosen and Dr Mikhail also.

Have you gone to the support group meetings? I'm debating if it is worth the 40 minute drive for me to attend.

ILKrista

I just hit the 2 weeks out mark. Like SinDLou, I weighed myself the day after surgery... big mistake! I was up 10 pounds. It did disappear within the next 3 days or so. Like all of you, eating is a chore. I gave up the Protein Shakes on day 6 because I was gagging every time I'd try to drink one. As gross as it sounds, my favorite thing to eat right now is pureed tuna with fat free mayo and some Pickle Juice. I would say that I only just started feeling like my old self a few days ago. Just remember, it will get easier!

I actually had to sign a release prior to surgery stating that I was giving up any legal claim to anything they removed during surgery. Guess they didn't want me putting my stomach in a jar over the mantle.

I'm really looking forward to:

1) Dating (without worrying it is a pity date or that he is a chubby chaser who will want to touch the fat )

2) Traveling without fear of plane seat size or ridicule while abroad

3) Having people make eye contact with me instead of feeling like I am the amazing invisible woman

4) Feeling like I'm 31 and not 81!

5) No longer being the fattest person when I go to a restaurant, exercise class, or any other public place

Hello all,

I got through my surgery and 2 weeks of recovery just fine. I thought I would post a detailed description of how it went because I know how apprehensive I was about the whole thing, and I really wanted to know exactly what to expect.

February 23 was the date of my surgery. I was having the gastric sleeve procedure, a hernia repair, and my gall bladder removed. I had these procedures done in Downers Grove, IL by Dr. Rosen. I had to arrive at the hospital at 5:00 am. They weighed me and put me in a room where I was asked to put on the hospital gown and get in the hospital bed. They then put an IV in my hand and put the compression stockings on my legs. I was given a couple of shots (I'm not entirely sure what they were for). Every time a nurse stopped in I had to repeat my name and date of birth and they had to check my wrist band. All this happened over the course of 2 hours. I was allowed to have one person in the room with me and we pretty much just chatted in the in between times of the nurses visits. At about 6:45 am the surgeon stopped by to review the procedures we were doing. I also met with the anesteologist.

My surgery was scheduled for 7:00 am, and at about 7:05 am they started to wheel me to the operating room. I did make them stop at the bathroom because I was nervous and really felt the need to go one last time. Up until this point, I had been very calm and at peace with my decision. My heart rate had been right around 65 the whole time. But now I was extremely nervous. They wheeled the bed through what felt like 20 different corridors. We arrived in the operating room. It was COLD and smelled funny. They had me move to the bed they would be doing the surgery on. I lay there and looked up at these 3 huge lights (reminded me of old movies where the police were interrogating you and they had that big bright light in your face) and I started to really freak out. I kept thinking that this was going to be the last place I would ever see (I was so nervous about the idea of dying that the night before I wrote goodbye letters to all my friends and family). I started to cry and the nurses and doctors tried to comfort me, but I can't say it really worked. I would say that they knocked me out within about 2 minutes of when I started crying.

The next thing I remember is waking up in a considerable amount of pain. I believe it was around 10:30 am. The nurse wanted to know my level of pain on a scale of 1-10. I told her 6-7. I also told her I had to go to the bathroom. It was horrifically painful to have them lift my hips to put the bedpan under me, and in the end, I couldn't go anyway.

I stayed in the recovery area for 3 hours because they didn't have any regular rooms ready. For the most of the time I slept and the pain medication kicked in, so I didn't feel so crappy. Finally, at about 1:00 pm, I was taken to my room. I again pretty much slept and i would say that with the morphine, my pain was about a 2. I didn't feel bloated from gas. My biggest problem was a constant need to pee... major inflamation due to the catheter.

In fact, the need to pee was so overwhelming that by 4:00 pm, I forced myself to get out of bed and try to go to the bathroom again. Getting out of the bed was incredibly painful. As long as I was not moving in bed, I felt fine, but getting out of bed hurt! I became incredibly nauseous when I sat up and I told them I needed a bucket in case I puked while on the toilet. I dry heaved a couple of times (that hurt like a mother!). They put something in my IV to get rid of the nausea, and I never experienced it again. I still wasn't able to go to the bathroom, but as long as I was up, they had me walk a lap. I pretty much had to get up every hour from that point on to try and use the bathroom. Most of the time, I would also walk a lap. I should add, that they put some blue dye in the ice chips so that when I was able to pee, it was bright green. The blue dye helps them make sure you have no leaks. If there is a leak, the blood in the drain would turn purple. If there is no leak, then your pee will be green.

Around 5:30 pm, I went to radiology where they made me drink something that really left me feeling like I might hurl. After I got that down, I had to do the barrium drink. That wasn't as gross. The cool thing was that I could see the screen so I could watch the Fluid move down my throat and into my stomach. I was down there for about 10 minutes and then it was back up to my room.

At 10 pm the nurse came in to tell me I had to give myself my first heprin shot (my dr. requires all patients to give themselves 3 shots of heprin a day for 2 weeks following surgery). The idea of injecting myself with something really freaked me out, but I knew I had to do it or they wouldn't release me from the hospital. I had to give myself the shot in either my thigh or my stomach. I did the thigh. It took me a while to work up the nerve to put the needle in my leg, but I did it. It wasn't really painful and I would say that by day 3 after surgery, it was no big deal to do anymore.

They also checked by blood sugar level which was 159! This completely freaked me out because one of the big reasons I wanted this surgery was to prevent diabetes, which runs heavily in my family. Because the blood sugar level was so high, I had to get a insulin shot. They had to check the sugar level every 6 hours after that. The next time they checked it was 139 and the time after that it was 88. They told me that sometimes surgery causes your blood sugar levels to spike, but it will usually drop back down to where it should be by the next day.

That night I had to sleep with some tubing below my nose because the sleep study showed I have low oxygenation in my blood when I sleep. This thing was to monitor that. A buzzer would sound if the oxygen level dropped below 90. So, every single time I would fall asleep or start to drift off, this annoying buzzer would start ringing and I would have to call the nurse to get it turned off. At 3 am I finally asked what the purpose of this was, other than making sure I didn't sleep a wink the entire night. I was even more irritated about the whole thing when she told me the buzzer didn't sound out at the nurses station. The only place it rang was in my room. I made enough of a stink about the whole thing that they changed the tubing so it was putting out oxygen and would keep the stupid alarm from ringing the second I started to sleep. I don't think I slept after that because I was awake every time a nurse came in to check a vital or give me a shot. I will say, expect to be woken up at least every 2-3 hours.

The next day, they took me off the morphine and gave me a form of vicodin as a pain killer. I continued walking every hour (and going to the bathroom). The surgeon stopped by around 8:00am to check on me. He said that since I had been up moving around so much and I was doing quite well, that he was going to have them release me around 2pm (provided I could drink 4 oz of Water every hour with no problem). I had no problem with this and was ready to go, but my nurse was so ditzy that it was after 4:30 by the time I was finally released. Before I could go, they had to remove the drain, which I was really nervous about. She assured me it wouldn't hurt, but would be more uncomfortable feeling than anything. I was still braced for serious pain because friends had told me it hurt a lot. However, when she pulled it out, it really wasn't painful. It was more of a bizzare feeling because you can feel that tubing snaking around your internal organs. I think because it was only in there for a day, the skin hadn't grown around it so there was no pain.

I went home. The next 4 days, I was stiff and sore. I continued taking the liquid vicodin type medicine and my pain levels were around a 2. sleeping was difficult. I slept on the couch with my back propped way up so I could be in an almost sitting position. By day 5, I stopped taking the pain medication except for at night. By day 7, I quit the pain medication all together and was able to resume driving. If I had had to, I probably could have resumed working, but I was still very easily exhausted. I took a full 2 weeks off of work because I didn't want to have to give myself injections at work.

Overall, I felt like the surgery was far easier than I had expected. The only hard part was getting in & out of bed & moving position, but the more you force yourself to do it, the easier it gets. I haven't had any problems with throwing up or anything like that. Relearning how to eat has been a struggle and is my biggest focus right now. I hope this long and detailed (and in some cases TMI) story is helpful to those of you with this surgery in your future.

Krista

I found that days 4 & 5 of the liquid preop diet were the hardest (I had to do 14 days of nothing but Protein shakes). At one point I even thought the cat food smelled good. But once you get beyond that, you cease to be hungry... at least that was my experience. Good luck!

I have to take a multi w/ Iron, Vitamin D, B12 complex, & 5 calium citrate wafers. I think most doctors base the Vitamins they want you taking on the results of your bloodwork.

You can do it! I think day 4 & 5 were the worst for me as far as cravings, and there was a moment where I really thought I was going to cave and eat something... but I didn't. Today is day 15 for me of just Protein shakes, and surgery is a little over a day away. Your week will fly by! Best of luck.

ILKrista

I'm getting sleeved the 23rd, so I know how you feel with the ever increasing nerves! Good luck to you & just keep reminding yourself about all the reasons you are doing this and not the slim chances of problems.

I feel you on the doubt and questioning your decision. I am about 2 weeks from surgery and I keep tossing those same questions around. However, I have a few other questions that I like to remind myself of whenever I'm doubting my choice:

1. How long can I realistically expect to live at my current weight? You typically don't see very obese people over 65.
2. What will my quality of life be if I don't lose weight? I dread flying, going to an amusement park, meeting strangers, eating out, going to any event where the seat might be too small or the chair too weak, etc.
3. Will I let fear keep me from changing my life for the better?

All of your worries are ligit, and I think we all have them. In the end, you have to weight the pros and cons and make your own choice. Yes this surgery has some risks, but so does everything else in life. Best of luck with your decision.

Best of Luck with your surgery! I think being nervous and doubtful is very normal. I get sleeved at the end of the month and my two big fears are that A) I'll die during surgery and I'll do all of this and won't loose weight or get healthier. I think you just have to have faith in your doctors and yourself. Just remember that you are one of the few people in the world who has the courage to make changes in your life in the hopes of a better future. Let us know how your surgery goes!

Oh hunny I didn't mean to scare you! I just feel like if somebody is gonna go spelunking in my candy cave they can at leastbuy me dinner first lol

Hilarious! Maybe I should ask the doctor to pass me a $20 before he puts me under.

I'm pre-op and I've been so worried about getting everything done (tests & dr. exams) that I hadn't really thought about the fact that some unknown person on the surgically team would be shoving something into my lady-bits... Now I'm freaking out! Thanks a lot.

Fingers are crossed for you. Keep us updated with what happens.

I voted for you. And I wanted to say that I love the idea of getting a charm each time you lose a certain amount of weight.

I am sort of in the same boat as you. I've been doing the nutritionist supervised diet for over 6 months, and I actually gained weight. I will admit that I was not following it a rigorously as I should and I gave myself the excuse that it was okay because I had also given up smoking at the same time. However, I met with the surgeon and he told me that if I didn't have 'significant' improvement, then I would have to postpone the surgery. I am now religiously following the low-carb, high Protein diet. One thing that I think has helped me to start finally losing weight is that I am measuring all my food to make sure the portions really are correct and I am also avoiding sodium as much as possible. Like you, I work 65 hours a week, so getting to the gym is difficult. I am forcing myself to get there at least 3 times a week even if it means going after I have worked a 12 hour day... which is horrible. But I am finally seeing some results and hopefully that will be enough for the surgeon. My best advice is to keep detailed documentation of everything you eat, drink, and any exercise you do. Even without weight loss results, showing that you are putting in the extra effort should help a lot. Best of luck and fingers crossed that you will be approved.

I have to share the fairly hilarious thing one of my coworkers said to me. I have been very open about the fact that I am planning to have this surgery and I finally got a date of Feb 23. When I told my coworker that, she says, "Just think, soon you'll look like Kim Kardashian." I said that I hoped I looked like her, but without the enormous butt. She leans around behind me, looks at my butt and says, "Yep, just like Kim Kardashian." What made this even more funny was that she is nearly 70 years old and I still don't know why she knows who Kim Kardashian even is. While I'm glad I've been open with people about what I'm doing, sometimes I really can't believe the things that come out of their mouths.

I just got my date today... I'll be getting sleeved on Feb 23 provided I can really get my butt into gear. I quit smoking 4 months ago and instead of losing weight, I gained 10 pounds. If I can be really committed this month, I will be sleeved in Feb. I'm going to do this! Best of luck to everyone.

One inch for every 30 pounds... is that possible. Just trying to do the math. So if you lost 150 pounds you are talking an extra 5 inches... my jaw is on the floor if this is true.

Let me update mine by adding that in addition to a fabulous beach vacation, I'm really looking forward to getting on the airplane and not worrying that I'll be too fat for the seat belt or that the person next to me will be sighing because they were seated next to me. I will be thrilled to wear shorts and not feel like I have the fattest legs on the planet and that everyone is staring. I'm also going to take some sort of sailing lessons... right now I'm afraid to get near the Water for fear that I'm so heavy I won't be able to swim, but man to I love the water. Also, and this is probably more important than the vacation or anything else, I'm really looking forward to going to work (children's librarian) and not having kids ask why I'm so big/fat. Innocent question from a young child, but humiliating to me especially when asked in front of coworkers or other adults. I can't wait to be sleeved! February can't get her soon enough.

So, I'm not sleeved yet, but I'm definitely looking to the future. I've got big plan that when I hit my goal weight I'm going somewhere tropical and beachy... Say Tahiti or somewhere along those lines. Of course, I'm also picturing a hot Latino man on the beach with me:lol:... Hey a girls gotta dream. I'm curious what other people's big plans are for when they hit their goal weights.

Krista

Welcome! Congratulations on quitting smoking and best of luck with the pre-op weight loss. I actually gained weight also when I first scheduled my surgery (lots of food funerals...especially pizza!) , and then on my actual 2 week pre-op diet, I lost some, so I was actually not too far from where I started when I had my surgery. I know you can do it, too. I didn't have to follow a liquid diet, but I did do very low carbs for that two weeks. It wasn't terribly painful, as there are lots of things out there made for low-carb lifestyles. I suggest this kind of diet because it's close to what you'll do post-op, and it's not awful. Good luck to you; I know you can do it! Let us know when you get your surgery date!

Thanks for the encouragement! It's nice to know I'm not the only person who really struggles to let go certain favortie foods... for me its a burger with fries. Its taken a while to convince myself that I deserve to be healthly instead of thinking that I deserve a fast food fix. Did you have any trouble getting approved by insurance?

Krista

Hi Krista,

Dr. Guske from Kane Suburban Surgical Center in Hoffman Estates did my surgery. I never heard of Dr Rosen when I was searching. So we are not that far way from each other Do you go to any of the support groups?

Dr. Rosen is the only Dr. my regular dr. refers to unles I want to have the surgery in Chicago. I haven't been to any of the support groups. Dr. Rosen only offers them on Thursday nights, which I typically have to work on. What other support groups are in the area? Where do you go and how do you like it? Sorry, you'll find me full of questions as I don't know anyone else who's done the surgery.

Krista

Hi Krista! I am a newly sleeved person here in IL also. What surgeon are you using?

I'm going to use Dr. Rosen out of Downers Grove. Who did you use? How has it been going so far?

Krista