February/March 08 plastics

[losingjusme 12]

good morning everyone.... i cant believe we're almost here!!! :eek::ohmy:

Losing - I know it sounds strange but I was hoping that I did have separation so that he would pull me in nice and tight! You forget I am going to have free acces to morphine for the first week so I dont care about the stitching! It is gutting to think that is my natural waist measurement! When are you at the gym next? Tami did say to me afterwards that she thought it might have been the going up in weight that did the damage to the boobies as much as the going down. I will ask my PS!

i am going to do cardio today, cardio & strength tomorrow, cardio Wed, cardio & strength Thurs, cardio Fri and trainer & running Sat... my new plan of attack. if it doesnt kill me first...

i have a bit of a sore throat today, hoping it's just sinuses.. anything else would just suck.

[losingjusme 12]

i begrudgingly called and scheduled my unfill. i scheduled it 2 days before my TT. i wanted to wait til the day before, but didnt want that barium in my system during my TT. i dont want to do it... i really really REALLY dont. but i need to follow my LB surgeon's wishes (did i mention begrudgingly)??

waiting on a call back as to when i can schedule the re-fill.

[HarleyNana 10]

LJM, so sorry you have to get an unfill, I didn't have to do that, thank goodness. I didn't have much of an appetite anyway, so hopefully you'll be ok in that department. I didn't need all the pain meds either, so just remember everyone's different, go with what's best for you :eek:

[TamifromAL 1]

It seems like most of you are getting unfilled? Is this on the recommendation of your band docs?

Also, I'm wondering about the nausea.

I may be getting the lower profile port if the 2 docs get everything coordinated.

Karey, when I talked to my band doc last summer when I first stared ps consultations, he told me that he generally recommends an unfill for *any* surgery. But, I have a very moderate fill level (can eat just about anything), and my preferance is to do as you mentioned...get the new port, and have it refilled to the same level as before. I'll spend the night in the hospital, and I figure that if I was going to have any serious problems with swelling, it would probably occur before going home, so I could always get an adjustment before I leave.

As for the nausea, I discussed that with the ps, and he's going to give me a prescription for Zofran, which is supposed to be a great post-surgical anti-emetic. I still have some Phenergan from my lap band surgery, but never needed it. I didn't have a problem with nausea the first time around with ps(that I can remember, anyway), but I had major shakes in the recovery room. I couldn't even talk, because my whole body was shaking. That's a weird feeling.

My ps is also a general surgeon, and he didn't seem to think that replacing the port is any big deal at all. I was relieved, because the other three surgeons I talked to wouldn't do the port replacement, and said I'd have to have my bariatric doc do that separately. But, even my bariatric doc said port replacement is something that any surgeon should be able to do very easily. But, now that you reminded me, I'm gonna call my ps and make sure he's got the new port ordered!

Tami

[losingjusme 12]

Tami,

so jealous! my PS wont go near my port ..

[ousooner 1]

I went to "The Vitamin Shoppe" today and was able to find Bromeliain and Arnica Montana. I also picked up a bottle of "Antioxidant Cocktail" - Green Tea, Grape seed and Pine bark extracts. I heard that antioxidants were good for recovery too. Pre op testing in the morning and then I pray bloodwork comes back ok. THen I am set

My Dr did not require me to come see her pre op. I saw her for my consultation , but that was a while back. Does that sound strange. The coordinator said that it wasn't necessary unless I really wanted to. She would see me the morning of my surgery to mark me. Just checking to see what everyone else is going through.

[kareyquilts 1]

Neal: I think I only see the nurse for my pre-op appointment. I have already seen the PS twice however. I'm wondering about your antioxidant cocktail and Tami's green tea. My doc specifically said not caffeine two weeks before or two weeks after surgery. I'd just check your list of do's and don't's and make sure it's alright. Good luck with the pre-op stuff!

Tami: I told my PS that port replacement was not big deal but he prefers that the band doc do it. GRRR!

[TamifromAL 1]

I went to "The Vitamin Shoppe" today and was able to find Bromeliain and Arnica Montana. I also picked up a bottle of "Antioxidant Cocktail" - Green Tea, Grape seed and Pine bark extracts. I heard that antioxidants were good for recovery too. Pre op testing in the morning and then I pray bloodwork comes back ok. THen I am set

My Dr did not require me to come see her pre op. I saw her for my consultation , but that was a while back. Does that sound strange. The coordinator said that it wasn't necessary unless I really wanted to. She would see me the morning of my surgery to mark me. Just checking to see what everyone else is going through.

Neal, I am the queen of anti-oxidants these days! I've researched "super foods", and really try to incorporate as many of them each day as possible.

They are:

Whole grains, especially oats

Fresh fruit, especially citrus and dark purple fruit like blueberries

Raw nuts, especially walnuts

Red wine (Chilean wine is best)

Dark chocolate (1 oz/day)

Olive or canola oil

Fish (salmon is best, but I *hate* it!), and other lean Proteins

Low-fat dairy, especially yogurt (I love Greek yogurt)

Green tea (I do cold-infusion, and re-use the bags, which reduces the caffeine!)

Beans and other legumes

Fresh veggies, especially dark, leafy greens like spinach, as well as broccoli, carrots and tomatoes (tomato sauce is even better for the lycopene)

I also take certain supplements everyday, including a Centrum multi; Calcium +D, Zinc, and Coromega (Omega 3). For the two weeks before and after surgery, I'm adding the Arnica, Bromelein, and Vitamin C.

I know, I'm a bit of a health freak these days. :tt1:

My doc doesn't do a standard pre-op meeting either. I sent a fax in a couple of weeks ago with a bunch of questions, and one was "is there a pre-op meeting?". His nurse called me back with his answers to all my questions, and said that if *I* want a pre-op meeting (or more than one), that I'm more than welcome to schedule one, but that he usually just meets with patients the morning of surgery. I do have a few more questions that I've thought of since then, and I'll probably just fax them in again. I don't know that there's actually any reason to see him in person prior to surgery.

My doc specifically said not caffeine two weeks before or two weeks after surgery.

Tami: I told my PS that port replacement was not big deal but he prefers that the band doc do it. GRRR!

Thanks for mentioning that about the green tea, Karey. For some reason, I was under the impression that green tea doesn't have caffeine, but it does. But, in researching it a bit just now, I found that the way I make it reduces the caffeine. Regardless, I'll double check my pre-op instructions about caffeine. I'm bound and determined to follow the instructions *to the letter*!

I'm glad my ps is willing to do the port, because I don't want to be cut again if I can avoid it, especially since my band doc said that even with the port replacement, I will still see the port. He said it would be *better*, but still visible (which is what JulieNYC said, too).

Tami

[losingjusme 12]

tami, thanks for the list. I plan to low carb until about 2 weeks before my surgery, then will incorporate some of your list.

I dunno what will be involved in my pre op. its on valentines day.. :tt1:

[HarleyNana 10]

Karey, it's amazing what diff doctors have to say. I was never told anything about caffeine, and I drink Dunkin Donut coffee, every morning.

My major warning was about herbs and supplements, and what various ones can cause side effects of the surgery.

I was also told to massage the Lipo areas, but someone said they were told not to, so who is correct, LOL?

[TamifromAL 1]

Karey, it's amazing what diff doctors have to say. I was never told anything about caffeine, and I drink Dunkin Donut coffee, every morning.

My major warning was about herbs and supplements, and what various ones can cause side effects of the surgery.

I was also told to massage the Lipo areas, but someone said they were told not to, so who is correct, LOL?

I just checked my pre-op info, and there's nothing there about caffeine. Here's my list of stuff to avoid for 2 weeks before surgery:

Aspirin (incuding any medications that contain aspirin)

Certain medications (which he listed)

Nicotine

Diet medications

The following nutritional supplements:

Vit E, ginger, garlic, cayenne, bilberry, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, St. John's wort, echinacea, ma huang or ephedra, kava kava, valerian, yohimbine and licorice root, and melantonin.

But, he also gave me a list of nutritional supplements that he recommends taking for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery, including:

Arnica Montana 30X, biofavonoids, bromelain, copper, selenium, vit a, vit c, vit k, and zinc.

Harley, I wasn't told anything about massaging the lipo's areas, but I put it on the list to ask before surgery!

I was watching an episode of Big Medicine last night that I had TiVo'd. It wasn't the most recent one, but the one before that. One woman on it was getting a Tummy Tuck by Dr. JLo, and she had the lap band. Pretty cool to watch the port get cut out!

Tami

[ousooner 1]

I went for my pro-op testing this morning. SHould get results back tomorrow or Thursday at the latest. My PCP was very cool about it and acted pleased that I was doing it. He told before he left the room: "See you in a size 32".

[losingjusme 12]

wooo hoooo Neal.

whoda thunk 2 years ago that we'd be here??

[kareyquilts 1]

Neal: That's cool. My husband is a thin man and he wears a 34. I'm wishing you the best!

[losingjusme 12]

well I received my pre op appt and surgery confirmation letter today. 6:00am on the 29th. oh boy! nerves are starting again...