August Surgery buddies

[SimplyShining 4]

Got my date August 23,I’ll be having the sleeve. Currently 258.8. I do plan on doing all liquids the week of, I’m only recommended to do liquids the day before. I’m nervous but excited 🤞🏼

[Pepper_No_Salt 40]

On 8/9/2024 at 8:12 PM, draikaina8503 said:

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. 😅

We are surgery twins! I'm getting VSG on the 16th.

[Pepper_No_Salt 40]

21 hours ago, draikaina8503 said:

Reading through some of the posts (it's a lot and I'm new, I'll get them all eventually), it seems a lot of you knew for a couple of months or more that you were having your surgery in August. I'm a little jealous of that ability to plan ahead lol! I went for my follow-up appointment during the first week of August, and then they were like, "You're doing great! How about August 16th?"

I'm nervously excited about it. Part of me wishes I had more time to truly get everything prepared, since I work 3 jobs. But I'm also ready to fully be on the path to a healthier me. I've been listening to audiobooks and podcasts to try to mentally prepare me for this, and to also be prepared for if there are complications.

SW: 350
CW: 322

My initial surgery date was 7/26. I had just got my PA in the mail. I actually declined because I knew I wouldn't be ready in terms of time off, having everything I needed at home. My surgeon was scheduled to go on vacation and I told them I was fine waiting until he got back.

[AndreaJD 64]

Well, all dressed up and nowhere to go. My potassium is too lowlight now, so they're giving me some and hopefully we can still go today. Ugh. Just hanging in.

[ShoppGirl 4,323]

48 minutes ago, AndreaJD said:

Well, all dressed up and nowhere to go. My potassium is too lowlight now, so they're giving me some and hopefully we can still go today. Ugh. Just hanging in.

I’m sure you really want to go and recovery in your own space but best to just stay put until they are 100% sure you are ready. It’s a pain in the butt to go back and usually ends up being more expensive if you have to go through emergency first.

[ShoppGirl 4,323]

Got a little nervous because I’m not doing so well with my spirometer. Called the office just to be sure I am okay and the front office I guess explained it a little more drastically than I did but I seen the NP and she listened to my lungs and I am fine. No signs of pnemonia. Sounds like she would’ve been able to tell me that over the phone but ooh well. I’m good and that’s all that matters.

[AndreaJD 64]

OK so delayed because my potassium was low but now it's fixed. A few hours behind schedule, but we're a go! See you on the other side!

[Hiddenroses 85]

On 6/17/2024 at 4:08 PM, Singingbarista said:

Hi everyone! I'm scheduled for August 13, RNY.

I started at 361 lbs. and joined a weight-loss clinic 18 months ago, where they put me on something similar to the LSD. I lost about 80 lbs. and then my body decided my set point was around 270, so surgery is next.

I've been trolling this site for quite a while, even when I was wondering if I should get the surgery in the first place. To prepare, I've been experimenting with the recipes that people post, and trying various products/shakes/vitamins that have been recommended by this group and my local support group, to see what options I like.

I've also been collecting items for post-surgery, like a magic bullet and small silverware, things from the list my surgical team gave me. I tend to over-prepare to cope with stress, and this is a biggie. I'm also trying to figure out what hobbies I can distract myself with post-op - any suggestions?

Hello there! I'm chiming in late but wanted to congratulate you on your victories so far and wish you well on your upcoming surgery! I just had a SADI surgery on August 5th - It is basically a sleeve + sleeve revision done initially, all in one go. I mainly wanted to give my opinion on your question regarding hobbies post-surgery -- I can only speak for myself, but being exactly one week out from surgery I can tell you that managing my fluids and getting to know my 'newly revised' body has been pretty consuming in and of itself! I'm so very, very tired of Protein Shakes but I will say the Premier have seemed to work best for me and offer the most variety so far, affordably.

I don't know if your liquid diet has started yet, but if you have a great love for Tomato, corn, peas, pineapple, celery, shrimp, artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, rhubarb, Grapefruit, Pasta, Peanut Butter, coconut, or steak this would be the time to enjoy them! According to my Bariatric guide, at least, those are considered cautionary foods for quite a while post-surgery.

I also wanted to mention what has actually been the biggest help for me personally, as someone who also tends to over-prepare, triple-think, and struggles with both Anxiety and ADHD - there is an app called Finch that has proven to be an absolute life saver. I was feeling a lot of overwhelm leading up to the journey - and I took the long road, as you have, actually going ten months from start to surgery. I wasn't sure how I would actually follow through properly on the dietary restrictions, get myself more active, keep track of the Vitamins, focus on the hydration -- and I also had to quit smoking and drinking alcohol. I have no advertising gain by mentioning this app by the way - lol - it has just helped me SO ridiculously much that I try to tell as many folks as I can about it. I was surprised when I mentioned it to my therapist that she already knew about it and said a lot of her patients use it.

Finch is a silly game / task oriented app that has a free version which has worked out just fine for me so far. It kind of 'gamifies' making healthy choices, letting you customize your goals like drinking Water, taking vitamins, getting out of the house, trying new activities, etc. There are different 'journeys' and 'goals' you can set for yourself - some of the ones I'm doing now are called 'New Year, New You' another one is 'Gratitude' and there is also 'So fresh, so clean'. The 'Nourish my Body' journey has really helped me evaluate the relationship I have had in the past with food and cultivate a better relationship with it moving forward. I know not everyone needs the same kind of encouragements that I do, but for me working through these pre-created goals, being given suggestions on how to interact more with my community, to think about what foods I do and do not enjoy, and prompt me to get more active have made a huge difference.

Once you are recovered and looking for physically engaging activities I'd suggest exploring new hobbies like biking, geocashing, and nature photography. Even volunteering as a dog walker at your local humane society might be enjoyable. Best wishes!

[Hiddenroses 85]

On 8/11/2024 at 1:34 AM, AndreaJD said:

So tomorrow is my last day before surgery on Monday at 7:15 in the morning. I am not feeling particularly anxious, but I am. I'm picking at my cuticles and I have a burst blood vessel in one eye, which my sister (a doctor) says can be caused by stress. How about that, stress makes your eyeballs bleed! Also, when I went to the hairdresser the other day, I tried to lock the door of my car and it beeped because my keys were still in the ignition (thank God it does that or I'd have locked myself out several times). So I went to pull the key out and realized the engine was still running! That's a total stress move, and something I've never done.

So did anyone else find that the liver shrink diet was horribly constipating? Good grief! Glad that's over (clear liquids now till surgery).

My husband and I cleaned the hell out of our house today. He's having prostate surgery on the 21st, so neither of us are going to be up for cleaning for a while. I also organized my meds. I'm glad I did, because I realized that I didn't get the Protonix I am supposed to take. They apparently didn't call it in. Not a big deal, but because it's Saturday, I'm going to have to ask my surgeon to order it at the hospital and have my husband pick it up.

Just now, I ordered a big supply of Clear Liquids for when I get home. I keep asking myself, "Are you SURE? This is permanent, you will never be able to blah blah blah again." But then I think it through and the math always comes up yes.

I completely understand your chaos and hope your surgery went well today! As to the Constipation question - *absolutely* dealt with that during the liquid diet stage. I'm pretty sure it's the cutting out of almost all sugar and whatever they put in the Protein Shakes that does it. They had me taking 100mg of Colace twice a day during my liquid diet. I wanted to encourage you to ask for ice packs while in the hospital to help you manage your pain! I'm a week post op at home now and seem to have an ice pack against my abdomen probably 20 minutes out of every hour, still. It isn't that I'm hurting horribly, my pain is managed unless I stand for too long (NEVER would have thought merely standing long enough to cook breakfast would be so exhausting) but that ice pack and laying back at an angle is everything relief can be, at least for me personally.

I'm very surprised I had to actively ASK for ice packs in the hospital; I wouldn't have thought to do so if I hadn't had a friend go through the same surgery and clue me in. Just remember the main thing about these surgeries is that there's a short road from your mouth to your belly afterward, and it has what I call a 'valve' toward the top of your stomach. You literally have to treat your belly like you would a baby and 'burp' yourself - walking helps, sitting upright and taking small sips, then rocking back and forth helps - but do NOT try to add more Fluid until the tightness in your chest is relieved by a burp.

It's like pumping gas into a car or like I said - burping a baby. There's a short tube from mouth to stomach and it only holds a few ounces. Until you burp and that tightness around your chest fades with the fluid being allowed to flow into your belly it literally is at maximum and efforts to drink more WILL make it come back up. I even waited to sip fluids if I knew I had to take medicine soon, to make sure I left room for the fluid it would take to get the pills down. Hopefully this helps you or someone else in recovery! I learned my lesson the first night after my surgery, one week ago - and the reflux / sicking up when I tried to go too fast did NOT feel good. I also 100% recommend getting up and slowly walking around as SOON as you can. THAT is what will make the pain start diminishing, because it rocks your body and works the gas they pumped in you for surgery back out.

Best wishes! I hope it's going great for you! (ETA - Also, best wishes to your husband! I hope you two have someone on hand to help you out during your recoveries, and I will tell you from experience that it probably will feel like you're dropping more on the floor than ever before, simply because leaning down to pick it up would be painful! It requires discipline, especially if you tend toward being OCD like me, but trust me when I say trying to bend over to pick up a dropped 'whatever' is usually NOT worth it. Hugging an ice pack to your abdomen while you walk also helps tremendously at first.)

Edited August 12 by Hiddenroses

[Hiddenroses 85]

On 8/9/2024 at 5:07 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.

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry that happened to you! I can't even imagine how shocking that must have been to do through, and miserable to experience! I hope they will cover the cost of your replacement bridge! What an awful time to be without it, when you'll have to be chewing SO thoroughly here soon! I've had that on my mind a lot lately -- I never got my top denture to fit right and pretty much had given up on it; and never even tried to get a lower. In order to nail this diet I'm going to have to either settle on eating mainly mush for a LONG time or get on the ball and go back to the dentist. Mt dental anxiety is real so not looking forward to that Glad you finally made it home, though! I'm a week post surgery as of today, and I'm still sitting here with an ice pack. I feel fortunate that my recovery wasn't quite as painful as that of some of you folks out there, but I can definitely feel the pull of the staples and tenderness if I stand too long. Walking hurts less than standing for too long doing something - Maybe it's the slight side to side movement instead of the forward movement? Either way, hope you're starting to feel better and continue to do so swiftly!

[ShoppGirl 4,323]

For those of you waiting for surgery another word from the wise. If your nurse suggests that taking your binder off may help with your pain level consider loosening it first before you take it off completely. I took the advise of my nurse and took it off then two nights later his suggestion was to put it back on. Guess which actually helped….tremendously. I went from two pain meds every four hours to one and then to half just because I had that binder back on. At home now I sleep pretty still on my back so I loosen it a bit while I sleep but tighten it before I get up again. It is a personal preference and may not be the answer for everyone but if nothing else is working consider the binder. It worked for me.

[Hiddenroses 85]

36 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

For those of you waiting for surgery another word from the wise. If your nurse suggests that taking your binder off may help with your pain level consider loosening it first before you take it off completely. I took the advise of my nurse and took it off then two nights later his suggestion was to put it back on. Guess which actually helped….tremendously. I went from two pain meds every four hours to one and then to half just because I had that binder back on. At home now I sleep pretty still on my back so I loosen it a bit while I sleep but tighten it before I get up again. It is a personal preference and may not be the answer for everyone but if nothing else is working consider the binder. It worked for me.

Hey! I'm SO glad your pain is better managed now than it was a few days ago! I totally hear you about the passing gas (and btw I need to go back to tagging multiple people in a reply, feel like I spammed this board >. ) I'm nervous about taking too much stool softener because I know with the SADI loose stools can be a thing but at the same time with all these danged Protein Shakes I'm just not sure the colace 2x day is doing enough. I hope bowel movements level out for me soon; I've gone from one extreme to the other once already and don't want to do it again lol -- We made it to the other side, though! I'm so happy for you and hope your recovery continues to go smoothly. I'm interested in the binder thing people keep talking about - I wonder if they didn't do that with me because I had the SADI/SIPS instead.

(For those not familiar with the SADI/SIPS, it's basically just starting with the sleeve and the surgery they most commonly do to revise it by shortening the intestinal tract beneath in place of the Gastric Bypass right off the start - I chose it because I wanted to eventually be able to take NSAIDS and there's a thread here that discusses the SADI/SIPS more. My surgery was still laparoscopic and recovery has been about the same from what I see, just fewer points of connection internally to heal)

I'm also excited for all the rest of you folks with upcoming surgeries! I don't want to spam anymore but did want to say to @Singingbarista and @AndreaJD that the insights you've offered were super helpful, especially in terms of 'telling others' about the surgery. That's GREAT advice - to say you've been working with a dietician and weight loss clinic. You're so right; it shouldn't matter what others think but women especially have long been taught to seek approval. It's just another thing to relearn and the amount of support on this forum has been absolutely fantastic.

I finally got a delivery of Premier shakes this evening in flavors OTHER than chocolate, French vanilla, and Mocha and oh my goodness it's SO nice to taste something strawberry-ish! I didn't want to keep responding to each post independently but to those who had very little notice about the surgery date - that's for sure a mixed blessing! Less time to prepare, but less time to be nervous about it, I guess? Sometimes it's easier to just plunge in (as long as you feel educated and ready!)

To all of you going through the liquid diets, especially if you feel hungry during it - I'd suggest you might really want to consider trying some of the 30g Protein shakes. I was very worried that I would be hungry but those are surprisingly filling, especially if you drink a lot of sugar free flavored water / Gatorade / Powerade of some kind. And don't forget you can enjoy sugar free popsicles, flavored warm broths, fat free cottage cheese, sugar free pudding, sugar free jell-o, and sugar free yogurt (usually - I mean, obviously follow the guidelines you were given by your surgical team!) The pudding can be made with protein shakes to help with your protein intake instead of milk, and if you match the flavors it's actually quite tasty and filling.

[ShoppGirl 4,323]

29 minutes ago, Hiddenroses said:

Hey! I'm SO glad your pain is better managed now than it was a few days ago! I totally hear you about the passing gas (and btw I need to go back to tagging multiple people in a reply, feel like I spammed this board >. ) I'm nervous about taking too much stool softener because I know with the SADI loose stools can be a thing but at the same time with all these danged Protein Shakes I'm just not sure the colace 2x day is doing enough. I hope bowel movements level out for me soon; I've gone from one extreme to the other once already and don't want to do it again lol -- We made it to the other side, though! I'm so happy for you and hope your recovery continues to go smoothly. I'm interested in the binder thing people keep talking about - I wonder if they didn't do that with me because I had the SADI/SIPS instead.

(For those not familiar with the SADI/SIPS, it's basically just starting with the sleeve and the surgery they most commonly do to revise it by shortening the intestinal tract beneath in place of the Gastric Bypass right off the start - I chose it because I wanted to eventually be able to take NSAIDS and there's a thread here that discusses the SADI/SIPS more. My surgery was still laparoscopic and recovery has been about the same from what I see, just fewer points of connection internally to heal)

I'm also excited for all the rest of you folks with upcoming surgeries! I don't want to spam anymore but did want to say to @Singingbarista and @AndreaJD that the insights you've offered were super helpful, especially in terms of 'telling others' about the surgery. That's GREAT advice - to say you've been working with a dietician and weight loss clinic. You're so right; it shouldn't matter what others think but women especially have long been taught to seek approval. It's just another thing to relearn and the amount of support on this forum has been absolutely fantastic.

I finally got a delivery of Premier shakes this evening in flavors OTHER than chocolate, French vanilla, and Mocha and oh my goodness it's SO nice to taste something strawberry-ish! I didn't want to keep responding to each post independently but to those who had very little notice about the surgery date - that's for sure a mixed blessing! Less time to prepare, but less time to be nervous about it, I guess? Sometimes it's easier to just plunge in (as long as you feel educated and ready!)

To all of you going through the liquid diets, especially if you feel hungry during it - I'd suggest you might really want to consider trying some of the 30g Protein shakes. I was very worried that I would be hungry but those are surprisingly filling, especially if you drink a lot of sugar free flavored water / Gatorade / Powerade of some kind. And don't forget you can enjoy sugar free popsicles, flavored warm broths, fat free cottage cheese, sugar free pudding, sugar free jell-o, and sugar free yogurt (usually - I mean, obviously follow the guidelines you were given by your surgical team!) The pudding can be made with Protein Shakes to help with your Protein intake instead of milk, and if you match the flavors it's actually quite tasty and filling.

The binder is just a provider preference. It shouldn’t matter that you had the SADI-S is what my Dr calls the virgin SADI. I was given one with the sleeve portion and then again with the bypass portion. They can be ordered on Amazon if you still have incision pain but I would run it by your surgeon just in case.

In terms of stool softeners your guess is as good as mine. I’m PO day 5 today and haven’t had one yet. I am taking stool softeners twice a day for the past two days though so hopefully soon and it’s not terribly painful.

[Mandalynne 11]

On 08/12/2024 at 17:10, Hiddenroses said:

Hello there! I'm chiming in late but wanted to congratulate you on your victories so far and wish you well on your upcoming surgery! I just had a SADI surgery on August 5th - It is basically a sleeve + sleeve revision done initially, all in one go. I mainly wanted to give my opinion on your question regarding hobbies post-surgery -- I can only speak for myself, but being exactly one week out from surgery I can tell you that managing my fluids and getting to know my 'newly revised' body has been pretty consuming in and of itself! I'm so very, very tired of Protein Shakes but I will say the Premier have seemed to work best for me and offer the most variety so far, affordably.



I don't know if your liquid diet has started yet, but if you have a great love for Tomato, corn, peas, pineapple, celery, shrimp, artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, rhubarb, Grapefruit, Pasta, Peanut Butter, coconut, or steak this would be the time to enjoy them! According to my Bariatric guide, at least, those are considered cautionary foods for quite a while post-surgery.



I also wanted to mention what has actually been the biggest help for me personally, as someone who also tends to over-prepare, triple-think, and struggles with both Anxiety and ADHD - there is an app called Finch that has proven to be an absolute life saver. I was feeling a lot of overwhelm leading up to the journey - and I took the long road, as you have, actually going ten months from start to surgery. I wasn't sure how I would actually follow through properly on the dietary restrictions, get myself more active, keep track of the Vitamins, focus on the hydration -- and I also had to quit smoking and drinking alcohol. I have no advertising gain by mentioning this app by the way - lol - it has just helped me SO ridiculously much that I try to tell as many folks as I can about it. I was surprised when I mentioned it to my therapist that she already knew about it and said a lot of her patients use it.



Finch is a silly game / task oriented app that has a free version which has worked out just fine for me so far. It kind of 'gamifies' making healthy choices, letting you customize your goals like drinking Water, taking Vitamins, getting out of the house, trying new activities, etc. There are different 'journeys' and 'goals' you can set for yourself - some of the ones I'm doing now are called 'New Year, New You' another one is 'Gratitude' and there is also 'So fresh, so clean'. The 'Nourish my Body' journey has really helped me evaluate the relationship I have had in the past with food and cultivate a better relationship with it moving forward. I know not everyone needs the same kind of encouragements that I do, but for me working through these pre-created goals, being given suggestions on how to interact more with my community, to think about what foods I do and do not enjoy, and prompt me to get more active have made a huge difference.



Once you are recovered and looking for physically engaging activities I'd suggest exploring new hobbies like biking, geocashing, and nature photography. Even volunteering as a dog walker at your local humane society might be enjoyable. Best wishes!

@Hiddenroses , i know this reply was to someone else but I just wanted to say thanks for the advice on the cautionary food list, I didn’t know that! And I love tomatoes, Peanut Butter and Pasta. I didn’t realize how long it would be before I could eat tomatoes again.

Also, I too suffer from anxiety and wanted to thank you for the Finch information. I downloaded it today and i think it’s awesome! I think it’ll be extremely helpful moving forward, i appreciate you telling us about it.
I’ve heard the SADI has a wonderful success rate so congrats and I wish you a successful recovery and journey ahead!!

[Mandalynne 11]

On 08/12/2024 at 14:32, AndreaJD said:

OK so delayed because my potassium was low but now it's fixed. A few hours behind schedule, but we're a go! See you on the other side!

@AndreaJD i’m SO glad they still got you in! Good luck and let us know how your recovery goes!! Prayers and good wishes coming your way!!