August Surgery buddies

[Singingbarista 21]

@Mandalynne Welcome! I'm due for surgery the day before you - It's feeling really real now. And the August surgeries have started here.

Looks like you have some good prep work done! As long as you are getting your Protein, you shouldn't lose very much muscle (what my Dr. told me, because I also do weight resistance) - you'll be burning fat. The headaches should go away soon, and energy will return. Mine were a bear to get over. My LSD is 3 Fairlife shakes, with one meal of broccoli and 4 oz. of chicken breast. After 10 days, I'd kill for a V8 or pudding, haha.

Let us know how everything's going!

[Mandalynne 11]

Thank you @Singingbarista ! I feel better knowing your headaches went away. Today is a little rough… i’m so sick of these Ensure shakes hahaha. I just have to remind myself of the end goal.

Wow, are you having the RNY or the Sleeve? I hope you’re doing well with everything! We’re so close I know we can do it!
I would kill to have a solid food meal. I’m forcing these liquids down at this point. And i’m trying not to be a whiner :D.
I’m avoiding going out because I don’t trust my discipline in the store right now.
How are you doing so close to your surgery date?

[Singingbarista 21]

Hi @Mandalynne - I'm getting the RNY. It was suggested by my surgeon. What surgery are you having? How did you choose?

The liquid only diet is no joke. I started this journey at a weight clinic, and the doctor there put me on one to jump start my weight loss. It's a bear. Still, if I see a broccoli after all this, I'll be running for the hills.

I hear you on the grocery shopping. I ended up taking a friend to costco to stock up on my 3 LSD things, making sure I didn't browse. I've bought the little silverware, Jello, 4 oz. containers, Water flavors, Protein Shakes. Need some SF popsicles and broth. Shelf-stable things. That'll get me through the post-surgery liquid phase. It's a week for me.

Are you telling people? All I've said is that I'm having a major surgery. I have a public job, so I'm not sure what to say when they see the weight coming off.

This whole thing is so real now. I'm super nervous about the surgery and recovery. But I already know how it feels to be the way I am now and can see where I would end up. This is something different. I'm excited to see what happens next.

We got this!

[Hiddenroses 85]

On 8/7/2024 at 1:27 PM, ShoppGirl said:

Awake. Still In a bit of pain though. A lot more than with the sleeve. They ended Up giving me morphine and I got some sleep. Dr woke me up and I asked him my main. questions. He is so nice. Nurse seems to be good too so far. Haven’t tried to walk yet. Not sure how that’s gonna go since I can’t move my torso. I woke up with a binder on which helps alot cause they undid it a couple of times to check and I was thankful when they put it back. I am still on oxygen and supposed to be sipping my little cups every 15 minutes and using the spirometer. It’s sucking not blowing to raise the llittle ball and the other thing which is hard to explain. We will go for a walk around 5 he said before my next pain meds. Ooh and they have leg things on me that inflate like a blood pressure cup but looser every minute or so. So just sipping my Water and eating my ice chips in between.

Hey! I hope you are doing well. Sounds like this time around was a bit more painful for you. I don't blame you staying an extra day for the relief - I wasn't even told there was toradol in my chart until the day of my discharge, they had only offered me 5mg oxycodone. It did the truck, but I also noticed that they totally dropped my Chantix while I was in the hospital. I had a different nurse on day 3 in the hospital and he was the first one who asked me which pain med I wanted. It was so nice to get that relief for the two hour ride home.

I'm getting pretty tired of this sip-sip every 15 minutes but I'm determined to get my Protein and Water in. I have had a bit of heartburn but mainly it's just trying to get the fluids to hit bottom. I gently stretch while standing, jiggle my belly from underneath as long as it doesn't cause pain, roll my shoulders back, walk, etc. Each burp is a relief but at least it's getting a little easier.

I'm taking the Pepcid, nausea med, etc but it just seems like I can't do anything but focus on what to try to put in my belly next. I know this shall pass, but oof! Anyone else feeling it? I don't get to go to purees for another week and two weeks of that before mechanical soft. I'm still on room temperature everything as well.

[Hiddenroses 85]

16 hours ago, Singingbarista said:

Hi @Mandalynne - I'm getting the RNY. It was suggested by my surgeon. What surgery are you having? How did you choose?

The liquid only diet is no joke. I started this journey at a weight clinic, and the doctor there put me on one to jump start my weight loss. It's a bear. Still, if I see a broccoli after all this, I'll be running for the hills.

I hear you on the grocery shopping. I ended up taking a friend to costco to stock up on my 3 LSD things, making sure I didn't browse. I've bought the little silverware, Jello, 4 oz. containers, Water flavors, Protein Shakes. Need some SF popsicles and broth. Shelf-stable things. That'll get me through the post-surgery liquid phase. It's a week for me.

Are you telling people? All I've said is that I'm having a major surgery. I have a public job, so I'm not sure what to say when they see the weight coming off.

This whole thing is so real now. I'm super nervous about the surgery and recovery. But I already know how it feels to be the way I am now and can see where I would end up. This is something different. I'm excited to see what happens next.

We got this!

I wanted to respond to you on the telling people thing. That's a hard one for me! I told a few close friends but I've been weirdly hesitant to bring it up more publicly and I don't know why. A few others in my circle have had their own variations of this surgery in the past few years but I just ... I don't know. I maybe still feel a bit of worry that people will think I'm going the "easy route" or maybe they won't think my weight loss is valid if they know I had surgery?

I don't know why I even care what anyone else thinks since I'm doing it for myself and my health. Maybe a part of me wants that wow moment when they see the thing we version of me after not seeing me for a while. I know I felt little green envy surges seeing others lose weight - maybe I'm afraid of that. Just feeling odd about who I share this part of my journey with.

I can't imagine working in a public sector and being even more subjected to others' reactions. My surgery (SADI) was the 5th.

[Greekmom4 31]

Hi everyone,

well, my surgery did not go as planned. It has been quite the journey since Tuesday. Everything started out great and I was not even nervous. Woke up in recovery and in my half drugged state realized my permanent bridge was not in my mouth. They called the surgeon and he ordered an x-ray which showed my bridge was in my esophagus. The nurse anesthetist knocked it out when he extubated me. I was taken back into surgery, more anesthesia, and all my incisions reopened. They had an endoscopy surgeon go down my throat to retrieve the bridge.
Because of the second surgery it meant I had to stay extra days in the hospital and my recovery will be longer. Also, my potassium is extremely low and I need to supplement that at home. My maiN incision is pretty painful. I’m struggling to get my fluids so I can begin to add shakes back in.
I'm very happy to finally be home and hope to feel better soon.
Hope everyone else is doing well.

[draikaina8503 67]

Hi, I just got my date a week ago and will be getting RNY on August 16th. Super excited and super nervous!

I'll be following along on this thread. :)

i'm new to the site, so I gotta get used to actually talking on forums. 😅

[ShoppGirl 4,318]

6 hours ago, Hiddenroses said:

Hey! I hope you are doing well. Sounds like this time around was a bit more painful for you. I don't blame you staying an extra day for the relief - I wasn't even told there was toradol in my chart until the day of my discharge, they had only offered me 5mg oxycodone. It did the truck, but I also noticed that they totally dropped my Chantix while I was in the hospital. I had a different nurse on day 3 in the hospital and he was the first one who asked me which pain med I wanted. It was so nice to get that relief for the two hour ride home.

I'm getting pretty tired of this sip-sip every 15 minutes but I'm determined to get my Protein and Water in. I have had a bit of heartburn but mainly it's just trying to get the fluids to hit bottom. I gently stretch while standing, jiggle my belly from underneath as long as it doesn't cause pain, roll my shoulders back, walk, etc. Each burp is a relief but at least it's getting a little easier.

I'm taking the Pepcid, nausea med, etc but it just seems like I can't do anything but focus on what to try to put in my belly next. I know this shall pass, but oof! Anyone else feeling it? I don't get to go to purees for another week and two weeks of that before mechanical soft. I'm still on room temperature everything as well.

Sounds like you’re ahead of me a bit. It does feel like a full time job for a while remembering everything between eating l, drinking, meds and Vitamins.

In terms of pain meds. I dont get it. Some of the nurses don’t like to give it even if it’s in the chart they are allowed. My night nurse is one of them and it’s annoying. I can’t get a good nights sleep because he won’t just let me stay ahead of it. the NP came today and she told them I am alllwed something every two hours while it’s really bad. But the Dr has it inny charg that if it’s controlled with this Henie sending me home. Not sure what that means if they can’t send me with these meds??

[ShoppGirl 4,318]

I finally farted!! Just a tiny one and I don’t think it did much but it makes me hopeful that there are more coming. With each tiny hurl and gas comes a bit more relief. Now the incisions and internal stuff are a whole different thing. When I try to get up and dowm from the bed or even just sit up I feel like a bear is just ripping across my stomach wtomach with claws and it burns sk bad. They took the outer bandages off though and I keep looking at the steri strips and nothing is bleeding. Just feels like it. I am very scared to go home today. Without this bed that helps me to get up idl joe I’m gonna do it.

[Mandalynne 11]

Good morning everyone! I have to say, all the extreme pain and unforeseen issues with surgery makes me nervous. I know it’s not the “norm”, but it makes you think.
@Singingbarista and @Hiddenroses (i can’t figure out how to tag people hahaha), I totally know what you mean about not telling people. I have only told my sister and my mother and that’s because they’ve both had procedures similar to this. I agree, in my head there’s a fear of judgment that I’m taking the “easy way out”… even if I know that’s not true… this has got to be one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. This is a tool to aid us in loosing the excess weight that keeps us down for a number of reasons.
I’m an Accountant, and fortunately I get to work remotely now so I’m not in the public eye, but when I fly down to see my family next year they’ll definitely see a big difference and I’ll have to be prepared for questions. I don’t like to lie so I’ll just have to prepare myself to tell the truth. If they judge me, that’s on them.
I was given a choice on my procedures but was heavily advised to go with RNY because of the success rate with weight loss. My doctor told me that a lot of people he’s performed the Gastric Sleeve on have come back to get the RNY because of the weight gain back.
My surgery is coming up on Wednesday and I’m honestly ready to get it over with. My food cravings and hunger pains are terrible. Maybe I’m not drinking enough Water? I hear a lot of people say by this time it wasn’t so bad for them… ummm am I doing something wrong? 
How is everyone doing on the last days of the liquid diet? I have 4 days and counting… @Singingbarista, you have 3 days right?
By the way, side note… i asked the doctor not to give me anything that’s a narcotic for pain meds (family history of severe pill addiction), does anyone think I can recover on Tramadol or Tylenol alone? Is there anyone who’s gone through that?

Good luck to all, and for those of you who just went through the surgery, I really hope your pain goes away soon.

[Singingbarista 21]

Welcome @draikaina8503!

I'm on in 3 days!? How is this sneaking up on me? Breathe, breathe...

@Hiddenroses - Congratulations on your surgery! What you're dealing with in telling others sounds perfectly normal to me. This is not the easy path. The process is rough, but no matter what and no matter who reacts, we're going to come out of this stronger.

I'm still going to be me, with or without the weight. Unfortunately, I've always been treated differently because of my weight - Heavy friends with a "one of us" mentality, slimmer people that want to look better next to me, others that just discount me. I'll be alienating them all. It shouldn't matter, but I was raised to please others. Another bad habit I am fixing.

If random people question me, I guess I'll just refer them to the weight loss clinic that I went to that started me on this path - they do everything from diet and exercise to bariatric referrals. Other than that, it's no one's business what I do with my body. But I still have to figure out the social food thing.

@Mandalynne, I am so ready to be done. So many nerves, so sick of worrying. So tired of the LSD and hunger. Whatever happens is going to happen, let's just get it done already, haha.

@ShoppGirl and @Greekmom4, I'm so sorry that the surgery was rough and that you are in so much pain. I hope things lessen up soon and you can start thriving.

The fact that we can even do this is amazing to me. Our lives and our health will have a fresh start! When I hit my weight goal, I'm going to travel, and not worry about fitting on the plane. What are your plans for your new life?

[AndreaJD 64]

On 8/7/2024 at 6:01 PM, Mandalynne said:

Hi everyone, I’m very new to forums, but it’s Nice to meet you all.

I started this process back in February of this year, but I had been considering it for a while. my sister had the Gastric Sleeve, but my doctor wants me to get the Gastric Bypass, so that’s what I’m going to do. My starting weight was 266, i’m 5’3 with a BMI of 45… my doctor put my goal at 120.. fingers crossed. So insurance is covering it but I have a deductible.

I have a surgery date of August 14, 2024. I’m currently on 2 week of the liquid diet. Today being the first day with absolutely no solid foods allowed.

I had started preparing with purchasing toddler utensils and measured food containers, and a food scale. I stocked up on Ensure Max Protein, Unflavored Protein Powder, PB2 (no sugar added Peanut Butter powder), powdered banana and powdered freeze dried strawberries… all with no sugar added. I also bought vanilla plant based Protein powder. I blend a mixture of whatever flavor I want with 8 oz of skim milk or Water.

My routine is 2 ensures a day, then a powdered skim milk shake (in my ninja single blender) with whatever flavor, then I have 1 or 2 Progresso soup(s) for dinner (strained so I only get the broth)… the doctor said he didn’t care about the sodium only the sugar. If i need Snacks, i drink 4oz of V8 juice original, or I have a Sugar Free Chocolate pudding.

i have been slowly buying and stocking baby food. I buy veggies and fruit and some mixed meals, but this is in preparation of the post-op puréed meal portion. I like to be prepared.

I bought a 32oz water bottle on Amazon with that doesn’t have a straw (teaches me to sip). I know that I have to get through 2 of those a day minimum. I usually do pretty good.

My biggest problem is that I don’t have the energy to get off my behind and use my Bowflex anymore. Sometimes I’ll do Beat saber for cardio but I’m just low on energy. Have to say low carb is rough and it gives me mild headaches every day. I’m worried that I’ll lose weight so fast that I won’t have time to protect the muscles I have because I don’t have the energy to work out.
I’m now 6 days away from my surgery, I’m determined but nervous because the Bypass is a big change.

I’m not a smoker, but to all of you out there quitting for this, kudos to you!! You can all do it if you set your mind to it.

Hi, @Mandalynne! Welcome to the August surgery buddies crew. I'm having the Gastric Bypass, too. One more day - my surgery is at 7:15 Monday morning. I'm jealous that you have a bowflex! I walked on a treadmill during boring meetings at work because I work from home. Once I'm recovered, I need to find a muscle workout like yoga, pilates, or something.

[AndreaJD 64]

On 8/9/2024 at 9:56 AM, Hiddenroses said:

I wanted to respond to you on the telling people thing. That's a hard one for me! I told a few close friends but I've been weirdly hesitant to bring it up more publicly and I don't know why. A few others in my circle have had their own variations of this surgery in the past few years but I just ... I don't know. I maybe still feel a bit of worry that people will think I'm going the "easy route" or maybe they won't think my weight loss is valid if they know I had surgery?

I don't know why I even care what anyone else thinks since I'm doing it for myself and my health. Maybe a part of me wants that wow moment when they see the thing we version of me after not seeing me for a while. I know I felt little green envy surges seeing others lose weight - maybe I'm afraid of that. Just feeling odd about who I share this part of my journey with.

I can't imagine working in a public sector and being even more subjected to others' reactions. My surgery (SADI) was the 5th.

Hi, @Hiddenroses, @Mandalynne, and @Singingbarista,
I had the same question about whether to tell people or not. I decided to tell my boss (that was a no-brainer, because I want her to know what I'm up to so when I need to take it easy, and when I start to lose weight, she'll know why), and I told my work team. I figured when I start losing weight the rumor mill will start (Does Andrea have cancer??!!) and I wanted them to be able to tell people I'm fine. But that's all the people I told at work, because everybody's got an opinion, and coworkers don't need to be weighing in on my personal medical decisions.

I also told my sisters and my Mom. My sisters are totally supportive, even the one who thinks I'm making a mistake. She told me her opinion and hasn't hassled me about it since, she's just been supportive. My mom has said not one word. That's what she does when she doesn't approve, LOL. But that's fine, as long as she doesn't give me grief about it. Oh, and I told my hairdresser, who said her cousin had bariatric surgery and is rocking it.

Here's a suggestion. This is what I'm going to do. If people ask me about my weight loss, I'll say that I am going to the MultiCare Center for Weight Loss and Wellness. Or I'm doing medically supervised weight loss. Both are true, end of discussion. I'm not planning to deny having surgery or anything, I'm just planning to not get into it, especially with people who want to share negative opinions.

Of course we care what others think, there's nothing wrong with that. It's just this is a personal decision about a condition that everyone can see, but is mega-uncomfortable to talk about. We'll support you whatever decision you make. If you have surgery, as you can see this group is quite supportive and willing to share our experiences.

[AndreaJD 64]

On 8/9/2024 at 9:48 PM, ShoppGirl said:

I finally farted!! Just a tiny one and I don’t think it did much but it makes me hopeful that there are more coming. With each tiny hurl and gas comes a bit more relief. Now the incisions and internal stuff are a whole different thing. When I try to get up and dowm from the bed or even just sit up I feel like a bear is just ripping across my stomach wtomach with claws and it burns sk bad. They took the outer bandages off though and I keep looking at the steri strips and nothing is bleeding. Just feels like it. I am very scared to go home today. Without this bed that helps me to get up idl joe I’m gonna do it.

Oh, @ShoppGirl, you made my day. I LOL'ed. This is one of the few times when it's great to brag about and Celebrate a fart. And to congratulate you on it!

[AndreaJD 64]

On 8/9/2024 at 3:07 PM, Greekmom4 said:

Hi everyone,

well, my surgery did not go as planned. It has been quite the journey since Tuesday. Everything started out great and I was not even nervous. Woke up in recovery and in my half drugged state realized my permanent bridge was not in my mouth. They called the surgeon and he ordered an x-ray which showed my bridge was in my esophagus. The nurse anesthetist knocked it out when he extubated me. I was taken back into surgery, more anesthesia, and all my incisions reopened. They had an endoscopy surgeon go down my throat to retrieve the bridge.
Because of the second surgery it meant I had to stay extra days in the hospital and my recovery will be longer. Also, my potassium is extremely low and I need to supplement that at home. My maiN incision is pretty painful. I’m struggling to get my fluids so I can begin to add shakes back in.
I'm very happy to finally be home and hope to feel better soon.
Hope everyone else is doing well.

@Greekmom4, I'm so sorry to hear about your bridge being knocked out, and having to have a second surgery! Glad you're home now and I hope the rest of your experience is nothing but upside.