March 2007 Bandsters

[Bubbles 0]

Good luck momlambert! I'll be thinking of you on Monday. Let us know how are doing!

Bubbles

[Glogirl 0]

Hello Again!!!

The day of my surgery went very smoothly. I got to the hospital right at 8:30am. Within 5 minutes of sitting down in the waiting room they called me back to get started. At least 10 different people came in and out my room to ask questions or just to introduce themselves and let me know they will be in the operating room. Everyone was so nice and attentive and made me feel at ease. By 10:30, I was in the operating room. By 11:45, I was in recovery and was taken up to my room around 1:00pm. I wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink the first day, not even Water so I was quite parched. The only thing I could do was wipe the inside of my mouth with a wet swab. Every couple hours I got up to walk for 10-15 minutes around my room for the rest of the evening. The next morning around 8:30 I was taken to X-ray to drink the barium to make sure that everything was flowing okay. Finally around noon, after receiving the x-ray results I was brought a food tray with broth, Jello, tea, apple juice, cranberry juice, a popsicle, and a pitcher of ice water. I ate/drank all the broth...which was delicious, had a spoonful of jello, drank the cranberry juice and drank 2 cups of water. I had no problems drinking at all. The nutritionist came to my room to visit and told me that she watched my entire surgery from a window. I said, "You're kidding!" I thought that was really cool!

This is day 2 post-op and I am feeling REALLY, REALLY good! I am really surprised. I slept very well last night. I slept propped up on my bed/tv pillow and used several other pillows to support my back and my legs and I was very comfortable. No real pains to speak of. Still very gassy, but no trapped gas...it's coming out both ends quite often.

I hope everyone else is doing well! I am sure we had some new people join us while I was gone so I am going to read back a few pages and update our list. Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Yea!! So glad you are doing well:clap2: :clap2: You are awsome!!

[Scarlett 0]

My problem is waking DURING surgery. :think

That was my fear also because I did do that in my last surgery. I told the doc of my fears and they juiced me pretty good. Everything turned out okay.

**QUESTION** for anyone. Has anyone had the runs since surgery? I do not like milk and I think it might be the slimfast mixed with extra Protein or the liquid Tylenol? I have had a couple of popsicles also. Think this is normal? With all of my problems I am so glad to be on this side of the band.

*FORGOT*..I also had to have a hernia repaired! Anyone else, and does this slow down recovery?

[Glogirl 0]

I am so restricted in the morning that I don't start eating until around 11 am - what time do you have Breakfast or start eating?

I'm not complaining because before the band I would have had breakfast and a snack by then.

Bikergirl

My Doc told me to drink something warm in the am..it really helps

So I have my coffee or hot tea and then about 20 30 min later have some breakfast and I am good for about 3-4 hours!!

[Glogirl 0]

That was my fear also because I did do that in my last surgery. I told the doc of my fears and they juiced me pretty good. Everything turned out okay.

**QUESTION** for anyone. Has anyone had the runs since surgery? I do not like milk and I think it might be the slimfast mixed with extra Protein or the liquid Tylenol? I have had a couple of popsicles also. Think this is normal? With all of my problems I am so glad to be on this side of the band.

*FORGOT*..I also had to have a hernia repaired! Anyone else, and does this slow down recovery?

I did have a little issue with the runs but as I went along they got better on their own. I think its your body's way of adjusting.

[BandSTAR 0]

Hello Again!!!

The day of my surgery went very smoothly. I got to the hospital right at 8:30am. Within 5 minutes of sitting down in the waiting room they called me back to get started. At least 10 different people came in and out my room to ask questions or just to introduce themselves and let me know they will be in the operating room. Everyone was so nice and attentive and made me feel at ease. By 10:30, I was in the operating room. By 11:45, I was in recovery and was taken up to my room around 1:00pm. I wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink the first day, not even Water so I was quite parched. The only thing I could do was wipe the inside of my mouth with a wet swab. Every couple hours I got up to walk for 10-15 minutes around my room for the rest of the evening. The next morning around 8:30 I was taken to X-ray to drink the barium to make sure that everything was flowing okay. Finally around noon, after receiving the x-ray results I was brought a food tray with broth, Jello, tea, apple juice, cranberry juice, a popsicle, and a pitcher of ice water. I ate/drank all the broth...which was delicious, had a spoonful of jello, drank the cranberry juice and drank 2 cups of water. I had no problems drinking at all. The nutritionist came to my room to visit and told me that she watched my entire surgery from a window. I said, "You're kidding!" I thought that was really cool!

This is day 2 post-op and I am feeling REALLY, REALLY good! I am really surprised. I slept very well last night. I slept propped up on my bed/tv pillow and used several other pillows to support my back and my legs and I was very comfortable. No real pains to speak of. Still very gassy, but no trapped gas...it's coming out both ends quite often.

I hope everyone else is doing well! I am sure we had some new people join us while I was gone so I am going to read back a few pages and update our list. Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Yay! Our tammy is back and she's posting. Welcome back mama. Glad all went well.

[Bubbles 0]

I want to see if my ticker is working.

[Sharon67 0]

It's Working!

[Scarlett 0]

I did have a little issue with the runs but as I went along they got better on their own. I think its your body's way of adjusting.

Thanks for the reply...makes me feel a little better to know someone else has had this.

[kyethra 0]

So the swelling seems to be mostly all gone down today finally. Yesterday I noticed that on a lot of corners where I have the incision sites taped (these are square bits of clear stuff with masking tape on them) I was getting blisters. So what I did was cut away the tape where there was blisters. A few of the blisters popped- mostly the bigger ones and of course there was cross pus and all but I put antibiotic ointment and bandaides over them and then a lot of the smaller ones didn't so I am just leaving them alone. Probably some bizare allergic reaction. I have sensitive skin.

Then right now I am also finally starting on the full liquid phase. I stayed on Clear Liquids for longer because I had a PB on day two post op when I drank too much all at once. So now I am slowly sipping on a slim fast. It never tasted so good before. Last night I was drinking Protein Water and at some points it was hard to remember to go slow because I was thirsty but I managed.

When I drink I usually get a nice burp in return. Sometimes there is some pressure for a moment or two and then some more gas comes up. I guess I have pretty tight restriction! I sure hope it loosens up in the next week or two!

Also right now I am still having dreams about food but they have changed. Before it was always food and then I would wake up starving. Now since my PB I have been having more nightmares. LOL. Like I dream that I ate a slice a pizza really fast and of course it is yummy but then I remember that I now I have the band I can't eat a slice of pizza really fast like that- just gulping it down so I am waiting for it... Or that I ate a soft solid too early but I was really careful and only had one bite. Or I discovered a huge tub of ice cream of ice cream in the freezer (chocolate cheesecake swirl with rocky road) and then I dished out just a half a cup and worked on chewing really well because I was afraid of upsetting the band. So now all my food dreams feature the band as well as food. This is a definite change. And when I wake up I always take a moment and sort of wonder what I might have eaten and then I realize that off course it was a dream.

I meant to go to the walk in clinic today because I think I have a UTI because of all the blood in my urine lately (a bit freaky I'll admit as I'm not used to that) and also I started running a low fever (99.2) last night but its stable at least. And I called the doctor on call at my clinic and they said walk in should be able to handle it and not send me to ER ( I don't feel up to sitting around for hours there. I just don't. I'm not sick enough or well enough at this point... You know what I mean), since it sounds like a basic UTI. But today I slept through the hours that the walk in clinic was open (8 am to 8pm)... hey sleeping is what I do especially when I don't feel well. And tomorrow I will try again. I also sent my DH out for cranberry juice.

So of course I am worrying about antibioitics now and what form they will take. I am allergic to most antibiotics-- at least the ones I have taken. Basically I can taken the erithymiacin derivitives and clindimyiacin (erithmiacin itself makes me projectile vomit so I like to avoid it). But those tend to be big pills or make me nauseated with stuff or whatever. So I don't know if there is a liquid form. I figure I would ask for zithromax as that is the least pills and side effects. And I don't want to be adventurous and try a new class of antibiotics or whatever because I don't feel up to the whole not breathing swelling rash stuff. This of course assumes it is an UTI but what else could it be?

I also finally lost a couple of pounds. I had somehow managed to gain weight after the surgery. This was pretty disconcerting especially since I was on no food and clear liquids and all. But then yesterday I was two pounds down finally. I haven't changed my ticker yet because I haven't felt like doing it yet.

I also think the house is getting even messier around me. My husband said a pile of clothes collapsed in the laundry room and I don't think he did anything about it. The kitchen doesn't look good at all. He is working on putting in a newer, bigger, tankless water heater (we have a tankless that is fairly new but it doesn't keep up with our water needs esp since we are doing a bathroom renovation). So there are pipes and stuff all over. *Sigh* I'll get on him tomorrow. I'm going to be still down and resting at least a few more days so he needs to do more than he usually would, not that he would do a lot...

[neveragain 9]

Just wanted to say hey! I'm due for surgery on the 28th! :-)

[demmemoon 0]

ok, so i'm beign banded monday morning and this weekend wait is killing me.

too much idle time to let my mind wander and it's affecting my sleep (or lack thereof).

doesn't anyone else post about their freak-out stage or am i alone on this?

list of random ramblings:

1. must eat everything in sight before sunday morning. once awake i'll be on liquids until i reach the mushie stage.

2. i am terrified of the unknown me. my size is my identity (we'll leave it at that because it would take until monday to get into all my therapy history.) What will i look like at a normal weight? what kind of clothing style do i have? i've shopped so long and chose what I liked/fit me versus what i would choose if i could wear anything i wanted. (i'm leaning toward the LL Bean - eclectic yoga/herbalist look ).

3. i know i'm going to go through a HUGE food mourning stage. the hardest will be ice cream and sweets. fortunately, i like vegetarian cuisine and mediterranean foods. food is my friend, dammit. i'm very curious to see how i handle stress sans food. thank goddess i've learned to meditate!

4. mega afraid to say something stupid while under.:speechles my surgeon is rather hot!

5. not too worried about the dying on the table thing. however, i will be paranoid for a few days about slippage, erosion, gremins eating my band ( ), etc. i have a tendancy for the dramatic!

Ok, now for some routine questions:

1. just how naked are you on the table? can you wear socks? were you able to get into jammies once in your room?

2. do you get a cath before anesthesia?

3. does the iv stay in overnight or just a few hours after surgery?

thanks for reading this let alone answering any of my ramblings.

aaaarggghhhhh.....i wish it were 6:00am monday morning!

[lindsay 0]

Hey demmemoon! Thank you for posting all the questions and thoughts that have been going through my mind!

My surgery is Monday morning at 9am and my head is spinning.

[slikchik10 85]

Just wanted to say hey! I'm due for surgery on the 28th! :-)

ME TOO! We can be band buddies!!!

[Sharon67 0]

demmemoon

I TOO HAD TO FREAK OUT OVER A WEEKEND WAITING FOR 6 AM ON MONDAY. MY SURGERY WAS THIS MONDAY. I FREAKED ABOUT DYING AND SOMETHING GOING WRONG. MY PRE OP HAD ME ON LIQUIDS FOR 10 DAYS PRIOR... I CHEATED A LITTLE BUT REALLY TRIED TO STAY GOOD THE DAYS PRIOR AND I FIGURED BECAUSE I CHEATED, SOMETHING WOULD GO WRONG. WELL I SURVIVED AND I LOVE IT. I HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY AND I HAVE HAD NO PAINS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AS FOR THE OPERATING ROOM, IN MINE ...HAD TO STRIP DOWN TO EVERYTHING BUT A HOSPITAL GOWN. NO SOCKS NO UNDERWEAR. BUT AFTERWARD WOKE IN RECOVERY THEN PLACED IN A PRIVATE ROOM FOR OBSERVATION UNTIL READY TO GO HOME WITHIN A FEW HOURS. ONCE IN THERE I PUT ON MY MAKE UP AND MY CLOTHES. I HAD TO GET REAL AGAIN AND GET OUT OF HOSPITAL GARB... AFTERWARD MY DIET IS 48 HOURS LIQUID THEN MOVE ON TO MUSHY/SHAKE CONSISTENCY... I KIND OF SKIPPED PHASE TWO... I WENT ON INTO EATING REGULAR FOODS JUST CHEW CHEW CHEW CHEW CHEW....MAKE MUSH. I AM NOT STICKING MY NORMAL food IN A BLENDER THEN DRINKING IT.UUUGHH!! I WILL CHEW IT TO DEATH. I FEEL SO MUCH ENERGY. DON'T WORRY, YOU WILL BE JUST FINE...... AND DON'T WORRY.... ABOUT THE HOT DR. IF YOU ARE GIVEN VERSED DURING SURGERY, YOU ARE LIKELY TO TELL HIM EVERYTHING. BEST OF LUCK AND KEEP US INFORMED.