Hi Pamela,

I had my surgery on 3/3. So far so good. I have my 3 week followup tomorrow so I can't wait to see what the scale says. My bathroom scale at home says 22 lbs down.

Congrats on your 26lbs that is great! You should be proud!

What are you eating? I've been eating a lot of chicken, fish, cottage cheese and yogurt. I made some chix soup just so I could eat the soft carrots and celery! Hopefully tomorrow the dietian will give me the ok to add some more veggies. I am walking x2/day 20 minutes at my lunch hour and 25 minutes in the evening on my treadmill. I go around 2.9 speed and 2.5 incline.

I would be interested to hear what you've been doing. Since we are both on the same journey.
 

I just had mine on Monday (3/22).  Got home yesterday, first day post-op.  My experience:

Arrived at pre-op waiting with friend.  After about 30 minutes, they took me back to holding pre-op area, had me undress, get into a gown, and IV was placed.  Asked me lots of questions about my meds and such.  I signed the consent form.  Anesthesiologist, surgeon, PA, OR assistant, OR nurse all came in to introduce themselves.  They took me back into OR (just like in the movies with the lights over head whizzing by).  Was moved onto the very thin OR table with bright lights overhead.  Anesthesiologist had me stretch my right arm out onto a board.  He stroke my arm... and...

I woke up in post-op holding.  Actually had quite a bit of pain in the back and belly, but quickly relieved with Dilaudid and Morphine by the nurse taking care of me, so wasn't really a big deal, and I kind of expected it anyway.  They chatted with me quite a *****ecking for pain and how I was feeling (probing questions just to constantly check my status I guess).  After a while I was taken up stairs to my room where my friend was able to join me right away.  I mainly had back pain (most likely from laying on that hard OR table for quite a while), but the morphine PCA pump helped me control it quite well.

As soon as was situated, I forced myself to walk the entire ward;  nurses were impressed and said it was the secret in getting out quick.

Mouth was very very very dry all day (biggest complaint of mine).  Thank goodness I took chapstick, and the ice to suck on helped a lot.

Over the day, I could only pee a little bit and I felt it building up.  Finally in the middle of the night they used a bladder ultrasound and found I had 990 ml urine in bladder so they cathed me (I pumped in some morphine right beforehand to help tolerate it... 1000 ml came out.  Boy was I relieved!

No sleep that first night with all the vital sign checks, meds, etc.

Next day, hardly any discomfort anywhere, needed no pain meds at all.  Hardest part was working on getting in 1 oz over no faster than 5 minutes and trying to get 48 oz in (never did).  Did my walks.  Popped in a DVD to watch (forget it, too many interruptions.  Don't even think of watching a DVD or doing any reading while you are there.)  Mindless daytime TV was the most I could do.

Now been home almost a day.  Did stationary bike this AM.   Great idea as it forced a BM (preventing that dreaded constipation most folks get).  Now working on my fluids and protein and incentive spirometry. I have a stop watch.  I have three fluids sitting out (Isopure with a small amount of sugar free Metamucil mixed in, Atkins vanilla shake, and chicken broth) and I am alternating 1oz medicine cups of each as often as I can and keeping tally.

I consider myself very fortunate to have had such an easy post op period, and I wish the rest of you the same!!!

I am having surgery on thursday.  I am excited (yet a bit nervous).  Jodi

Mine is tomorrow! I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Good luck everyone!! Hope to see you all back on here real soon.

Mine is the 25th and I'm packed.  I have last-minute lists all over the house.  Not even nervous...yet...