October Surgery Date

[Beni 1,484]

Hi everyone!

Just came back from doctor's office and have a October 28th surgery date for Gastric Bypass. This is it, the high diving platform. Knees are trembling.

Anyone else in October? Let's keep in touch as we support each other. We have the pre-op diet and getting mentally ready for this.

LET'S DO IT!

[amylynns 802]

^{I'm in October!! The 20th! I had the lapband from 2008-2013. Lost 85 pounds, gained back all but 16. :-( Had it removed due to it moving and every single thing I ate got stuck. Constantly throwing up, had ulcers on my esophagus. Not a fun deal. I'm so excited to the have the bypass done now!!}

[Beni 1,484]

Hi AmyLynns,

So glad you posted. It looks like you are a pro at this, as a second timer, you'll now what to expect as far as the hospital stay, etc. Your first experience seems painful and I am sure very disappointing. At my Bariatic Surgeon's support group last week there were 3 lapband to bypass conversions. This is more common then I thought. Lapband does not work for a lot of folks it seems.

I noticed we have a similar height/BMI/goal weight. You are a bit ahead of me of course but close enough we should be able to relate our experiences.

So, are you worried? I am a little.

How are you planning for your after surgery recovery? I am trying to get organized

What kind of pre-op diet is your doctor placing you on? I have my NUT appointment next week to go over that.

[amylynns 802]

Beni--

Haha, I don't know about being a pro--but yes, I've done the pre-op stuff before so I am familiar with that.

To be disappointed is for sure accurate! When I had lost the 85 I remember distinctly thinking, " Wonderful--I will NEVER be that big again!" And then stuff slowly started going wrong. I started gaining weight, although I was still eating the same things. From what I've heard from other people and my Dr., that is evidently a common problem with the band. I had chose the band in the first place because I was afraid of the gastric bypass, because it was so extreme. But now I wish I would have just done that in the first place.

I am SO thankful I'm getting another chance though.. I was sinking into a very dark, lonely place (and of course still gaining..) with every pound I gained. So I see a light at the end of the tunnel now at least! :-)

I am a bit worried as well. I know it's extreme. I'm worried about the pain. When I had the band removed, it seems like it was twice as painful of a recovery than having it put it in. My plan right now is to be off work 2 weeks, and my boss knows I may need longer. I can do some work from home too, so I should be ok there. We have a blended family with 7 kids total. (2 are away at college though) so I'll have a lot of help. ( I hope!) My youngest is 8, so they're all pretty self sufficient. Thank goodness! I'll let them and my man take care of me!

My other worry is loosing so fast I'll have a lot of hanging skin. I haven't been working out as much as I should be--and I need to get back into that mode (I had been at a point where I LOVED working out and couldn't go a day without it--I NEED to be there again!) I know that will help with the excess skin.

I think my hospital stay is 2-3 days. My pre-op appointment is Oct 15th. I think they'll tell me for sure then.

I have 2 weeks of a liquid diet prior to surgery and then 2 more weeks of liquid diet after surgery...then pureed food I think for a time period, then more mushy foods, etc..I'm planning on buying a good amount of liquids that I'll need ahead of time so I won't have to worry about not having what I need on hand after surgery.

What is your pre-op diet like?

It'll be nice to have someone to chat with that will have a similar experience to mine!

[Beni 1,484]

Hi,

Our post-op diets look like they are the same but my pre-op diet is different. My doctor only has his patients do a 3 day Clear Liquids diet, if upon examination, he estimates your liver is of a size he can move it over easily. Apparently, I have a small liver. Who knew there's something in me that's small, I'm shocked! He tells me he used to have everyone do the 2 week diet as well but he didn't notice any difference in outcomes. Sounds great for me but now I worry and wonder if I should do it anyway. The NUT said the two week liquid pre-diet is mostly to get the patient to get used to what life after surgery will be and to check for a patient's ability to comply. Apparently some patients after surgery eat too soon and the wrong things to the point they cause harm to themselves. They bust their pouch. This is mostly on the compulsive eater side of things, I imagine. I would be so afraid of causing my pouch to burst I probably would side on the opposite side of caution. Something else to worry about, sorry!

I have 3 kids and the youngest is 13. I have not told anyone except my husband. At this point I have not decided if I will or not tell them what kind of surgery I am having. Obviously mom will be going away for 2 or 3 days and she will come back not in a mood for running laps. I have to come up with an answer for that.

The good thing is we both have had anesthesia and did okay. I had two Novasure procedures aka endometrial ablation. My periods used to be too heavy.

I started a list of Protein drinks I noticed on other posts. I would like to buy a variety to test. We should compare notes when we get to that point. After you see your NUT and I see mine. It's next Wednesday for me. This is when all the pre-op stuff is discussed.

How did your body handle losing so much weight when you had the band? Where you super exhausted? I imagine it must feel strange to be starved of nutrition. I know you don't feel hungry but hello, your body is getting a lot less food then usual. It must feel different, right?

[Beni 1,484]

Oh, on the skin issue. I know time helps reduce this. At first our skin won't look great, I am sure. I had a friend who lost a lot of weight and her face looked a bit like a droopy puppy's face but a year later she looked great. The human body is amazing. In any case, a year after reaching goal we can examine the situation. We may require plastic surgery. Before that makeup and clever undergarments may have to be our best friends.

[amylynns 802]

Hey,

That's great you only "Have" to do 3 days! My worst day was about day 3. Bad headaches and really shakey....but after that it wasn't too hard at all. You get over the hunger "pains" pretty quick. I did get really sick of the same drinks everyday, so trying to switch it up is a good plan! I've already met with the nutritionist. I could maybe email you the sheet that shows what I'll be eating. I think it gives Protein options too. I figure if I can through the 2 weeks before and after, I can stick to it well after that. Cheating and putting yourself in danger is SO not worth it! I would be terrified of my pouch bursting, Oh my gosh!!

My kids all know what's going on. My 20yr old daughter would rather I didn't do it. She's just worried, and thinks I can just lose on my own. Well, that's obviously not working! :-)

We have 2 20yr olds, 2 17yr olds, 2 14 yr olds and then the 8yr old. My 8 yr old doesn't really "get it." But the rest of them know what it is. I don't mind them knowing I guess---they're good support for me. But you have to do what you're comfortable with. If you don't want to tell them exactly what you're having done, you could always just say you're going in for a procedure for something you'd like to keep private.

After surgery, I didn't feel starved AT ALL~ It was SO weird to not have food on my mind all day long! In fact, I had to force myself to eat most of the time! It's hard those first several days to get enough Water in. I got dehydrated and ended up back at the hospital and had 2 bags of Fluid put in me. That was not fun. So watch for those signs. And really work to get the required amount of Water in.

You'll be exhausted for sure. You won't be getting very many calories, so you will be weak too. But from what I've read and people I've talked to that have had it--the first week is the hardest.

I hate coming out of anesthesia---I get super nauseated. They put Patches behind my ears when I had my gallbladder out and that helped a lot!

By the way, if you haven't had your gallbladder out, a lot of times with rapid weight loss, the gallbladder goes bad for whatever reason and you'll need it removed.

If you want me to email that to you, let me know. :-)

[amylynns 802]

Yes--I agree about the skin issue. I had a friend who had the sleeve done and her face looked like that too. Once she got to her very lowest, she ended up putting back on about 15 pounds. And honestly, she looks better at that weight!

[Beni 1,484]

You have a full house even with the two at college. I am sure they keep you very busy. By the way my daughter (21) almost went to Grinnell College. She was accepted but decided to go elsewhere.

I know what you mean about the nausea. I had that too. With my kids deliveries as well. In fact, with my first, I convulsed out of control. After going home with the baby my worst pain was my stomach. I was mad. I remember thinking, lots of other places are hurting, I shouldn't have this horrible tummy ache too. I think it was a reaction to Pitocin. Not the same as bypass but it was pretty memorable. I know I didn't like it one bit. Everyone seems to get nausea with RYN though. It makes sense, your stomach will not be happy. I guess that's an understatement .....

Thanks on the e-mail offer, but I think, I will stick to what the doctor says. In for a penny in for a pound. It was a brief consideration.

How do you handle cooking for your family given our dietary restrictions? For you it won't be too different from the lapband. I am a bit worried about that. dinner time is the worst for me because usually there are leftovers and second helpings. This weekend there's a request for apple pie from my husband.

[amylynns 802]

My goodness, what a horrible first baby experience!! Wow!! You're right, there's enough things hurting at that time without also having your belly hurting! :-(

As far as cooking for the family...if whatever they're having isn't ok for me to have, I just adjust a bit. Main thing is to eat your Protein item first (my favorites being fish & chicken) and then veggies, and then a minimal carb item. but it'll be quite a while before we're eating a "normal" meal I think?

You will physically not be able to eat seconds, or leftovers. I do that now too---I'll finish up what my 8yr old daughter might leave on her plate or something, LOL. But yeah, you won't be able to overeat. And if you try--from what I hear, it's such a horrible, painful feeling, that you won't want to do it again!

[AuriP 420]

You two have such a thing going I dont want to disrupt it. I too am having surgery in October. The second for me. Just like amylynns I have had lap band surgery. She was more successful than I. I lost about 25 lbs, put all that back on plus 20. Sad I know. I still have the band and will revise straight to the RNY. I have 3 littles, my oldest being 8 and my youngest 15 months. My husband will be around for 2 days after my surgery but someone has to make the bacon while I'm down for the count. I should do fine with my youngest two, my 4 year old will be in preschool in the mornings so I only have to deal with them both for 4 hours each weekday as my husband gets home from work at 3 pm. I can't wait to be done with this journey and see onederland again. Good luck ladies!

Edited September 20, 2014 by AuriP

[Beni 1,484]

I am actually excited about not overeating. It's altogether not a good thing. You feel terrible anyway. If this will be the tool to achieve it, I am all for it. My 21 year old once told me as I was eating the last bit of leftovers - "mom you are not the trash bin." It stuck with me. So true!

I am expecting my "no hunger" feelings after surgery to help with family meal cooking. I will also try to figure out how to eat dinner. I find dinner time to be a little stressful. I am trying to keep food warm, getting everyone to the table. By the time I seat down I am not feeling calm. If I am stressed I tend to eat fast. What about you?

I also have a hard time keeping everyone at the table for 25 minutes. I am constantly going, "No, you are not excused." The boys want to eat and run. It annoys me to death. The extra stress makes me eat faster, I think.

[Beni 1,484]

Welcome AuriP

I am so glad you found us. Please we would love to have you. We are all in this together.

You are a busy mom with 3 little ones. Please reach out for support if you can. Remember you shouldn't drive for 5 days or pick up the kids for a while. The 8 year old will be helpful but the 15 month not so much. I am sure you can do it, after all you gave birth and then went home to take care of two kids with this last baby. But don't over do it. I am saying this to you as much as I am to myself. I have a tendency to think I am super woman. Lols! I have 3 kids too but mine are older. The 16 year old the other day made a joke as I was trying to rush upstairs to get something I needed before we left the house. He said "There goes mom faster then the wind." He was, of course, was being sarcastic because with my weight I am so slow. I want to be able to go up the stairs not at the speed of a 80 year old.

By the way I found 2 other laddies with October dates as well I am following but I am not sure how we can post on the same thread. I think it would be awesome if there was a little group of us, don't you think?

[AuriP 420]

Oh I do indeed know. Lucky for me my 4 year old hates being picked up so I only have to worry about my 15 month old. The doctor told me I can only lift 20lbs and he is about the same weight give or take a pound of flux. He was also the kid I carried in a carrier so I can also place that very carefully on my back and get moving. I'm not planning on venturing out anywhere with my children until I'm 2-3 weeks post op anyway. I'm taking at least a month off so I'm trying to relax as much as possible. There is a group by month and year surgery here. You just have to look it up.

[joy59 81]

Hi ladies my surgery us scheduled for October 7th. I am a bit older, but raising my two granddaughters on my own. They are 9 and soon to be 3. After 16 years I recently lost my job in August but decided to have the surgery. My oldest daughter is flying in to stay with the girls for 1 week. I am both very excited and nervous but I know this is what I need to do to be the support the girls need and not be a spectator in life.