Surgery on April 5th!

[SamieTeacher 0]

I'm having surgery on April 5th and am excited/nervous to get the sleeve. I had lap band surgery in December of 2008 (15 months ago) and have basically had a leak since day 1. I'm excited to finally have my band removed and a sleeve.

I have some quesitons I was hoping you could help me answer:

1. I know everybody is different, but how long did you stay in the hospital? I'm having surgery early Monday morning and I'm hoping I will be able to go home Monday night (my doctor says it's a possibility). I went home the same day when I had the band put in.

2. How long were you on liquids after surgery? I think I'm on clears for a week.

3. The week of my surgery is my spring break (I'm a middle school teacher). I will have that week to recover plus I'm taking another week off (2 weeks total). I'm constantly on my feet and moving when I'm at work...although I don't do any physical labor. Do you think 2 weeks is enough recovery time?

4. I've read that some people have clear Protein on after surgery when they're on the clear diet...I've bought the clear powder before (flavorless). Do you just add it to Crystal Light or something?

5. Is there anything you wish you would have brought to the hospital that you didn't? I remember after my band I was happy I brought Chap Stick...just wondering if there is any other little comforts I should think of.

Thanks for reading my ramble. Any thoughts/advice/suggestions are appreciated!

[TexasT 99]

I was also a band to sleeve revision (plus I had my gall bladder out too at the same time). I had surgery on Friday and went home on Sunday. I stayed an extra day because I had an undiagnosed hiatal hernia (VERY common) which caused the area around the top of my stomach to be super swollen. The hospital waited until Sunday to start me on my Clear Liquids because of it. When they saw I could take an ounce at a time, and work my way up during the day they let me leave.

I was on Clear Liquids for a week, regular liquids for 2 additional weeks. But your doctor will tell you what he wants you to do.

Two weeks should be plenty of time off. I went back to work part-time on the Monday after my Friday surgery. But I work at home on a computer all day and could take frequent breaks. Stayed in my PJ's all week. So you should be good.

As for clear Protein drinks, there are many to choose from. If you have a GNC or Vitamin Shoppe near you go and buy several and try them out. I had Isopure in the hospital and liked it the best of those I tried. They also gave me one of the Protein bullets that is thick and gooey, but I couldn't get it down, even after mixing it with Water. Everyone has different tastes, and you may find sweet things make you sick to your stomach after surgery, so don't buy too much ahead of time. At first, it might take you a day to get through one whole drink.

You shouldn't need much at the hospital. I took a crossword puzzle book and a novel and never touched them. You will be up walking the hallways pushing your IV when you're not resting. Chap stick will be good as you won't be able to have liquids right away. Most docs keep everyone overnight and do a leak test on them before you leave the hospital.

[pnw218 14]

My experiences are below however I did not have a revision. Could be lots differrent.

1. I know everybody is different, but how long did you stay in the hospital? I'm having surgery early Monday morning and I'm hoping I will be able to go home Monday night (my doctor says it's a possibility). I went home the same day when I had the band put in. I was in the surgery clinic overnight and in the recovery house for 2 days. Kinda different when you travel instead of staying home for surgery. To me, it was an easier surgery than my Tummy Tuck and was home by noon the same day.

2. How long were you on liquids after surgery? I think I'm on clears for a week. I didn't like clears. LOL I followed the sleeve diet guidelines from Cornell University. Worked good for me.

3. The week of my surgery is my spring break (I'm a middle school teacher). I will have that week to recover plus I'm taking another week off (2 weeks total). I'm constantly on my feet and moving when I'm at work...although I don't do any physical labor. Do you think 2 weeks is enough recovery time? I had surgery on Thursday, flew home on Sunday, worked 4-6 hours per day, every day the next week. I am mostly at a desk but am up and around a decent amount. I think teaching is harder, especially depending on the age group : )

4. I've read that some people have clear Protein on after surgery when they're on the clear diet...I've bought the clear powder before (flavorless). Do you just add it to Crystal Light or something?

5. Is there anything you wish you would have brought to the hospital that you didn't? I remember after my band I was happy I brought Chap Stick...just wondering if there is any other little comforts I should think of. I was very happy to have my heating pad and gasx! My body temperature was hot and cold constantly, so the heating pad came in handy. The gasx was nice for the gas and also a 'treat' before you could have ice chips or anything else. I didn't read very much or use my laptop. I did send a few emails from my cell phone tho.

Good luck with your surgery! It is coming up quickly!!