New Member - surgery 01/15/08

Hello everyone - I'm new to this message board - I am having surgery at DHMC in Lebanon on January 15.  CAN'T WAIT!!!!  Has anyone had surgery in Lebanon?  Any help hints?  Thanks! Cathy.

Welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you.

hiya!............ glad to see another new "face"! i bet your getting excited huh?

yes, I am VERY EXCITED.  the wait is too long....Although I have learned alot about myself through this process - eating habits - behaviors, so I guess that's good - now I know what needs to be changed. Bye, Cathy.

Hello Cathy-    I wish you the best of luck in Lebanon.  I'm totally green myself-just starting the WLS process so I can't offer you any wisdom.  But I have faced a few big surgeries before and I always found the last week trying - nerves and hard time sleeping.  I called my GP and got a RX for Ambien for that last week and it was such a help.  I was able to get some sleep.  Oh, I also used my pre-op time to decaf myself so I didn't come out of the anesthesia with a masiive caffeine-withdrawal headache to deal with.      I hope everything goes well - it should as you've chosen a great hospital.  So nice to meet you- Treading

Hi Treading - I am about a week away from surgery, and I do find that I am a little on edge.  I just attributed to the pre-op diet - you are really eating nothing.  I think I call my GP and get an RX for something - thanks - great advice.  Which hospital will you have your surgery in?  How far through the process are you?  Well, have a great day! Cathy.

ug.... if your a coffee drinker try not drinking it!...... i drank it daily. every single morning.. and i did wean myself off of it gradually....... and to be honest... IT SUCKED...... i LOVE my morning coffee, i couldn't get over how much i was dragging with out it!...............hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......... oh the things we have to change to get our health huh?

I am a tea drinker - I would have about 3 travel mugs per day.  I really miss - like you - I am REALLY dragging.  I am looking forward to having it two months after surgery.  Are you going to have coffee again?

Hi Cathy, Hello To All-    I was being prepped for day surgery once and a man was there doing the same but he was in terrible shape.  He was so ill and they had to cancel his surgery and had to admit him for BP and heart issues.  I happen to have the same nurse for another small surgery about a month later.  I mentioned the man and I learned it ended being caffeine withdrawal!  Yep, he'd stopped drinking coffee and coke about 16 hours earlier and he was in serious withdrawal.  Nurse told me it took them about 4 days and many a test and scan before they figured it out as none of them thought coffee and coke could do that to a person.  Thus, I taper off of my cofee before surgery!    As for my WLS surgery -I haven't made any decisions as yet.  I'm just learning about my options.  And I'm not in any hurry.  I'm taking my time.  My GP was just great about helping me deal with the spine surgeries and stuff I've had to deal with in the last 4 years.  I hope yours will be, too.  A sleeping aid Rx'ed for a week before a major surgery is simply standard medical care.      I can imagine the liquid diet would leave you dragging for lack of energy.  Ugh.  A whole week of that and more of the same after surgery?  Rough.  Well, I'm rooting for you-Treading