More Questions...

I have been thinking of more questions and decided to post them all in one post. If this is annoying please let me know and I'll stop. 1. Has anyone had the flu since their surgery? I hear that throwing up is very different and I just wondered how the flu affects a person after WLS. 2. How long after surgery till you can drink from a straw? I have a real bad tendency to spill on myself. My name is definetly not Grace 3. Carbonation is very bad right? The idea of giving up Diet Coke is more frightening than giving up chocolate! 4. How did your spouses or significant others react to your idea to have WLS and how do they feel about it now that you are post op? 5. How long were you off of work before returning? 6. What is the most difficult thing to do post-op? I hear people talk about bringing tongs to the hospital to help with going to the bathroom...is that common? 7. How long do they keep you on a catheder after surgery? 8. Is there anything you wish people had told you before you had the surgery? And if anyone is interested, I went to my PCP on Thursday and she has sent me in a referral to the St. Vincent's bariatric center. The Dr.'s name escapes me right now. Last name starts with a C... I guess I am taking steps to be a loser! Thanks!

Some of your questions sounded mostly bypass/RNY related but I would like to share my point of view as a LapBander and answer them also: 1. Yes I've had the flu. For banders it's not particularly safe to be throwing up often (a lot) as it can tear the band away from your stomach and cause a band slippage which "could" require surgery to fix. As soon as I started throwing up I notified my surgereon who called in some anti nausea patches that helped SOOOOO much! 2. Banders are encouraged NOT to drink from a straw as it can cause air pockets and give you a sense of false fullness. 3.Though carbonate is discourged - I have had a small glass often and never had a problem except with excess burping. 4. My significant other really discouraged me into having surgery. Saying hurtful things such as "just go to the gym and stop being lazy". My parents were somewhat encouraging. Being over seven months post op EVERYONE has a better understanding and is so much more encouraging of my choice into having this done. 5.I don't exactly work but the average recovery back to work time for most banders has been five days. 6.Most difficult thing to do - get protein in, get the water in, remembering not to drink when eating, and small bites. Everything else is/was easy. Physically I had no difficulties. 7. No cath 8. No one explained to me how hard the head hunger in the begining really is. Hope that helps 8/31/2006 267/209/Healthy

Thanks so much! I can't decide if I want to go LapBand or RNY. I will discuss with the surgeon when I go for a consultation. There is just so much to think about and take into consideration...

1. I had open RNY and went back to work on a monday feeling like i was getting a bad cold. by wednesday i went to the Dr and was told she was taking me off work because i had the full fledged flu. was off the rest of the week. Throwing up is much easier for me now than it used to be. this may not be the case for every one. I havent been sick but twice and both times i ate too fast, you learn as you go. 2. I drank from a straw after about 3 or 4 weeks.. dont tell Dr. Huse 3. if you take a drink of carbonated drink once you will see why.. it fizzes up in your pouch and hurts. I thought it would bother me to give up some things but it really hasnt at all. 4. I have no spouse or signifficant other 5. I was only off work for 5 weeks 6.I didnt take any tongs to the Hospital, i did have trouble reaching a #2 due to my open scar which was only about 3 1/2 long, and had to have the nurse help but other than that i done ok. 7. I didnt have a catheter. 8. I wish they had told me it wasnt nearly as bad as i had expected. Good Luck on your journey. I am 5 months out and down 75lb. just coming out of a stall. Carla

Is is Dr Cacucci?? Tall blonde kinda plain looking but has a beautiful sweet heart. She was my Dr and I liked her!!! Cept I go back for my 1 year and she may get a little rough with me my levels might not be real good... I have only thrown up once and it was SOOO Easy!!! Some people continue to sip thru a straw.. the thing is drinking thru a straw tends to let in more air and that can hurt.. I sipped for months then went to a straw very varefully remembering the air aspect.. Just give up the coke.. or let it sit out open for several hours to get rid of the carbonation bubbles.. 3-6 months is the reccommended in your nutrition class to avoid coke. Dont take Tongs tot he hospital.. if you have trouble in the bathroom get advice from the nurse.. Just take your walking shoes, chapstick and lotion. I was NOT catherized with my RNY.. got up to pee within 1/2 hour back to my room Off work a month by choice oply needed a week.. My husband is thrilled and brags about me as much as he does the grandbabies.. My sisters are thrilled and a tad bit j ealous I wish people had convinced me to do it sooner.. Good luck and enjoy the journey!! Linda

some great questions there for sure... !. nope not had the flu but yeah throwing up is sure alot different, i think because it does not have far to go... 2. i still do not drink from a straw, 3 i think 3 months you can start carbonation, and i was a regular always in my hand regular pepsi kinda gal...i would sooner drink toile****er now....how i ever stood to drink pepsi is over my head, and i see people with one and i know how it use to taste and feel so wonderful...I chose to stay away from it now, as in my search i have seen greater sucess without it...if thats true or not no idea... 4 my husband has also had the surgery and he was always finding new bones and now i find his..oops that sounds kinky...well we know i am sure not being kinky cos i can not keep him home long enough...OOH ANGIE YOUR SOOOO BAD... 5 i did not work before surgery 6 I was so ready for this surgery and my new life, i can not think of a thing that was hard, well other than finding things that agreed with me and would stay down when i was a newbee...I used the morphine pump one time after surgery..... 7 my cath was in 2 days i think...never knew it was there...I do want to say sept 9th 04 was my last night getting up to pee, and i have slept all night and knew i slept since sept 10th 04 the day of my surgery... 8. i had researched this surgery for 3 years before i started fighting the insurance companies...for another 2 years sooo i knew alot or felt i did.. your on your way to being a loser....

Samantha, I'll give it a shot at answered your list of questions. Keep them coming! We'd rather these questions be pre-op than someone be puzzled post-op. I am betting your surgeon's name is Dr. Brenda Cacucci. She is at St. Vincent's with 2 other surgeon's, Dr. Rosie Jones and Dr. Christine Gupta. All three are excellent. Lap RNY tends to be their surgery of choice....and they are quite good at it. 1. Yes, I've had the flu. The worse thing for me is I never know if it's flu or if my stoma has closed up, causing me to vomit. Best thing to do is keep up on having the flu shots so that you don't get it as bad. If the vomiting continues more than a few days, contact your surgeon's office so they can determine if it is just the flu causing you to vomit so you don't get dehydrated. For me and illnesses, I don't get bronchitis like I use to, but I get more colds and sinus infections. Keep NyQuil in the house at all times. 2. I am 18.5 months post-op and do drink from a straw on occation. I don't make a habit of it. The few times I have, it didn't hurt me though. The first time, I was maybe 9 months post-op. 3. I haven't had a pop since pre-op and I was a diet-pepsi junkie. I don't miss i****er is my mainstay and my preferred drink of choice. I was told that if I do ever drink pop again to drink it flat. Yuck! No thanks. 4. My hubby was very supportive of my decision to have WLS and he's been right there at my side through all my complications. Never once has even hinted that maybe I shouldn't have had it. I think if a couple has a good relationship to begin with, WLS can make that relationship even stronger. However, if the couple doesn't have a good relationsip pre-op, their marriage probably won't last afterwards. Kinda like the idea that a baby doesn't fix a marriage..it either makes it stronger if it's a good marriage, or it can finish up a bad one. 5. I was off work 4 weeks. 6. The bathroom wasn't a problem for me post-op. Getting up was (ouch!) and trying to sleep in our bed. It was about 2 weeks before I could move from the recliner to our bed. 7. No cath. They get you up within 2 hours of surgery. Having to go to the bathroom is a gret incentive to get your booty in gear. 8. I wish I had read up on complications more. Not that it would have changed anything. I would have still had the surgery, but at least I would have been aware of what kind of things could happen (other than death...that, I knew about). Good luc****ep the questions coming! Sherri

1. The Flu sucks no matter when ya have it 2. I drank from a straw from the very beginning..well I would say after the 1st month....I wasn't very thristy before that and you can only sip...so get a sippy cup 3. If you let the Diet Coke go FLAT first...then drink it-ya won't have carbonation problems (this was a hint given to us by the dietitian). However...you are not going to want it the first few months.....you are going to have trouble just getting in your protein...ya just won't be hungry/thristy the first 30-60 days. (****back to #1...throwing up is not bad after surgery because ya have no stomach acid...you take a drug which prohibits the production of stomach acid...so ya don't have that nasty taste or burning throat) 5. No significant other 6. Getting up and down out of bed/chairs the first week..you are a wee-bit tender 7. I had Lap RNY...i did not have a cathedar....your bladder should be empty (or relatively so)due to no liquids after midnight I had surgery on a Wednesday and returned to work the following Thursday (just over a week later). I used a push mower to mow my lawn 11 days after surgery....and took clothes to the laundrymat that same day. The biggest problem I had was the drain tube...my surgeon used to leave it in for 10 days...mine got infected and I told him it really didn't drain much after the 3rd-4th day.....they have since changed their policy to remove it after 5 days....other than that and the ulcer I got at one year out...I feel great

1. No flu yet, just had surgery 3/8/06. 2. Depends on your surgeon. After surgery, mine wants you to drink from a sippy cup. They send them home with you from St. V's. I have also used my kid's old sippy cups, or travel cups with lids and small openings. You will be fine with that. 3. No carbonation for 6 months! You will need to get off the caffeine pre-op, or you will have a horrible caffeine withdrawal headache post-op. Believe me, you don't want that on top of surgical pain. 4. Hubby was always supportive and is still. Just tonight, he said it has had a good effect on the entire family because everyone is eating and drinking healthier now. 5. Depends on the type of work you do. I was allowed to return at 3 weeks. My surgeon will work with patients on this, but there may be some restrictions, like lifting. 6. I did not have that problem. Hardest thing immediate post-op is getting all the protein and fluids in. Hardes thing now is eating meal over 30 minutes. 7. I did not have a catheter after surgery, but did have a drain. 8. Not really. If you stay on the boards and educate yourself, you will be fine. I use this board and WLSIndy.com. The surgeon I think you are referring to is Brenda Cacucci - she was mine and she is fabulous. You are in good hands. St. V's has a wonderful program. I encourage you to start attending their support groups as soon as possible. You will meet some wonderful people and learn a lot during your pre-op period. Best of luck to you!