Hi, new here and in need of help

Hi all, im Robin from Pensacola. I am new to the board. I have a surgery date of Aug. 16th for RNY here in Pensacola and I am getting really scared. I have to say though reading all the posts and all the support here on this site has helped so much. I am ready for my new life but I am just scared of the feelings right after surgery. Like the pain level, the NG tube and how will I be able to sleep since I am so used to sleeping on my stomach!! LOL Anyway, I am getting things ready but I have one drawback. I have anxiety and panic attacks. My panic attacks have been really better though, I have not had one in about three months. I also have a problem with urinary catheters. I have a small and narrow urethra and the reg. adult catheter causes me a lot of pain during and after I have them. I am just really worried when I go to the hospital to check in and when I have to go to the OR....I am afraid it will hit and my blood pressure (already being high) will go through the roof. I know it seems silly but I get panicky quick! I am praying though that God will not let that happen to me because I want this so bad. Best to all of you though. Didn't mean to write so much on first post but everyone here seemed so nice. Thanks, Robin

Hi Robin and welcome to the FL board. You will do just fine with your surgery. It is normal to be scared. I won't lie to you but the pain after the surgery is pretty bad, but that is what pain medicaiton is for...lol. I had the lap rny. I guess that is a little different then the open procedure. I hope all goes well and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to e-mail me. Talk to you soon, Christine -43

Robin, congratulations on your upcoming surgery. To answer some of your questions, Pain depends on the person, if you normally handle pain well, you will handle this pain well. After the first two day my pain was mild, sore but not in pain, the first two days I was in the hospital on dilauded, I didn't feel anything then. My NG tube came out before I woke up in recovery. If you have panic attacks, tell the nurse and they will give you something to keep you calm. Good luck.

Robin, Congrats on your date! I know you are anxious and a little scared, but that is completely normal. I'll give you my version of answers based on my surgery. I had my NG tube in until my leak test was cleared on day three. Some dont have to have it in that long, I was jealous of them. It isnt painful, just a hassle and uncomfortable in your throat. Tell the nurse(s) in pre-op about your concern for the catheter and your panic attacks, they will note that in your records and care for it if necessary. I was worried about getting a panic attack too. But the funny thing was, I was so at peace the morning of surgery that I was completely fine and so was my BP. I was told to take my BP med the morning of surgery with a sip of water and it stayed in a normal range. My cath went in while I was under and came out the night of my surgery so it wasnt in a long time and I was so doped up that day anyway, I dont remember too much. I didnt get too much sleep while I was in the hospital, between all the BP checks, changing my fluids and meds and checking my sugar, there were just too many interruptions. I got kind of used to not sleeping for more than a couple hours at a time. But I loved the adjustability of the hospital bed As far as sleeping on your tummy, I've said it before and I'll say it again and again, my body pillow was a lifesaver after I got out of the hospital. It cushions your tummy and helps props yourself up if you sleep on your side or tummy. I kind of found a compromise between my tummy and side and slept soundly. Getting up, laying down flat and turning over are a little painful those first days out of the hospital, but if I put the pillow over my tummy as I was moving, it helped me a lot. Good luck, Girlie and please let us know when you get back and are up to chatting again. Take care

Body pillow? Where can I get one? Sounds intersting. how big is it? Is it foam? Kallen

Hey Kallen, I got one at Wal-Mart. It's about 54" long and is filled with polyester fiberfill. They also sell the cases for them but I made mine out of a real soft flannel. I am taking it with me to the hospital since I won't have my husband in the bed to throw my leg over. Joy

Hello Robin! Good luck on your upcoming surgery! I had open RNY on 7/15 so all this is still fresh in my head! Now, I don't know how your surgeon does it, but I didn't have a catheter. If I had one, it was when I was being operated on and they must've taken it right out. The funny thing is, the first several days, you'll have to remind yourself to use the bathroom, because it won't feel like you have to go at all, not sure why that is. I'm a side sleeper and the first 9-10 days, I was confimed to sleeping on my back, propped up. I can only now lay on my stomach, but it's for brief periods of time, sorry to be a bummer on that. Maybe if you prop pillows under you you can get a away with it? I was scared too but I kept praying and just asked God to give me a clear sign if I shouldn't do it. Everything went so smoothly that I know He wanted this for me and I feel so fortunate. Just try to put it in His hands and trust Him and you won't worry as much. I hope you also have a wonderful staff working with you at the hospital. I had great people *****ally made me feel so much better and it made all the difference in keeping me calm. If there's anything else you're curious about, please feel free to email me, I know I had tons of questions (still do I guess!) right around the time you're in now. Good luck again and I'll say a prayer for you !!

Congratulations Robin. You are experiencing the emotional roller coaster ride of WLS preops. It's normal and natural. However, mention your panic attacks to your doctor. The more anxious you are the more your stomach produces acid. My surgeon put me on Prozac before surgery until about 2 months post op just so the anxiety levels could remain low. Yours may have a similar solution. I'm 54 and been a stomach sleeper most of my life (Exception being three pregnancies.) Sleeping on my side became an option for several weeks - rotating the sides you sleep on helps with excess gas, too. I don't even remember them putting the Foley so they must have done it when I was asleep before surgery. As far as pain, everyone is totally different. The worst part was the turning and raising up to get out of bed to walk - which is, very, very important. You are in my prayers for a safe journey to a healthier you! God bless.