Pre-op class

Hi Julie,   I see you are just 1 day after me!  Are you nervous at all?  We will have to compare notes as we go along.  Good luck to you, hope this week flys by for us both :)  Dawn

Hey Dawn! Yeah we can be surgery twins born a day apart!! LOL  I don't think the nervousness has set in yet. When I was doing my pre-op education class, appt and labs I felt nervous. Just being in the hospital made me sooooo nervous. I have Chemistry homework keeping me busy, BUT I do feel like it's creeping up on me very very fast and by this time next week I'm sure it will feel like my stomach is in my throat! I am getting excited though. But I also try to be very realistic about recovery.  Keep in touch! and Good Luck!

Hello again! Tomorrow I go for my dietician appt. with Janell at Bridges and then on Wed. I have to go back for my pre op testing at St. Luke.  Long drive but worth it.  I am having my surgery at 7:30 Monday morning at St. Luke.   Only thing I am not too happy about is that they have me scheduled for another blood gas and another chest xray.  I will take my results from the one my pulmonologist order as part of his clearance for this surgery less than 1 month ago.  I wouldn't think they would make me do them twice, especially the xray, so soon. You, I and Julie have to stay in close touch! Dawn

Hi Gena,  Thanks so much for the information!  I have already done my chest xrays, blood gases (they hurt!) and a full pulmonary workup.  Suppose I will still have to drink that yukky stuff for an upper GI.  I meet with my dietician on tues, morning 8:45.  Will be fun with the rush hour traffic on I-10 that time of day lol.   I still don't know where my surgery will be and am hoping it will be Good Sam's but I bet it will be at St. Lukes.  I am prepared for that and have gotten some good words about them from this forum.  That helps so much.   Yes, it is coming fast!  Seemed like it was so far away just a few weeks ago and now I am running out of time to do everything I need to do!  Thanks for the ideas and info.  I will let you know how all works out!  I plan on giving you a positive reaction to it all.  Visualize, Visualize lol Dawn

Hi Dawn, I would think that the Upper GI  would have been done when you had your labs, CXR, and pulmonary function studies.  The ABG's or blood gasses are taken directly from an artery and the arterial walls are much ticker (and deeper) than veins and that is why they are more painful to have done. If you had your pre-op testing at St Luke's than that is likely where you will have surgery.    Please let us know how you are feeling when you get home?  Time is flying isn't it?  I have a lot to do here also, just in case I don't feel so good afterwards.  I think most of the pain (gas pains) will be from the air they send through the scope to open the area and give them better visualization of the area they work in. I  worked in  endoscopy so know a bit about the laprascopic procedures. If it is gas the more we walk the better and the sooner we will get home. I found out yesterday that Dr Juarez often keeps his patients in hospital 2 nights. It could be the same for Fang. I am not asking Juarez staff any questions tho as it seems I always get the wrong answer  I will just wait and see what happens.   I certainly had a sense of relief last night after I got home...one lmore thing done...so can image I will be more than pleased  to have the surgery done.  Oh one other thing, Good Sam has a dedicated Bariatric unit on the 6th floor. They only time you would go to a different unit/floor would be if you doc decides you need to be else where...example...telemetry so they could monitor your heart, etc.  St Luke's does not have that, I would think you would be put on a medical/surgical floor. IF you go to Good Sam for your pre-op education be SURE you get the Bariatric ladies to validate your parking ticket....I forgot and it cost me $8.00 for the parking yesterday.  Sorry, got to long winded....stay in touch and please let us know how it goes?

I've heard, (but do not know if it is true) that the Optisource Calcium is CARBONATE and we need CITRATE. :)  Also, at the St. Lukes pre-op nutrition class they said they want us to get 1500 - 2000 mg calcium daily. My plan is to take 1500 of the UpCalD, and I"m sure I'll get from zero to 500 mg through diet sources, multi-vites, and milk.  I'd check the label on the optisource to make sure they mention what type of calcium they contain. You don't want to mess with the health of your bones and teeth and it won't show on your labs that you are or are not getting enough calcium.

I questioned that myself. The Good Sam nutritionist...who I really liked, said she was far from convinced about the carbonate/citrate controversy (sp?)  any way I am going to discuss this with her some more. In the mean time I have other calcium citrate (liquid) to take.  She seems to think that carbonate is not so bad as some people believe and there are many people on OH who have been told the same thing. I am also going to ask for a consult with her for myself and hubby. He is also diabetic and a cardiac rehab graduate. It has been years since we had the original nutrition consult for him. Would like to get her take on the diet now. I have read so many things on this site that proved untrue that I am just up in the air about calcium. I know it is not something I can afford to ignore. The Optisource has several things in it that I wiould have purchase separately if taking another vitamin so may just use it and supplement the calcium.  What a shame that Bayer will not produce the creamy bites...they seem to be perfect for "us". Perhaps we should try to purchase the recipe for "bites" and make them ourselves ;-) Your time is growing very short....next you know you will be lying on the OR table and waking in recovery. I am excited for you and I compliment you on your very positive take charge attitude toward your health care. I wish more people did so. Dr's, nurses, etc are only human after all and can only know and do so much. There is a real need for patient's to be proactive about their bodies. Go get um Lithia and be sure to stay in touch when you get home. I think you are going to be very successful with your weight loss  Gena

Well the creamy bites are pretty high on the calorie side of things... so I'm not feeling bad they were discontinued. S'far as the debate about the calcium I look at it this way:  If they're the same and I take Citrate I lose a few bucks on supplementation but get my calcium and have nice strong bones.  If they're different and I need Citrate but take Carbonate, I won't realize it until it's too late and my bones are snapping like twigs.  I'd rather not gamble the health of my bones on this issue. It's not worth it.  Thanks for the kind words Gena!

Gena, If someone has had lapband then carbonate may work for them since they still use their stomach for digestion. If you "Google" Carbonate calcium vs citrate calcium; you can find the obvious differences.  If the part of our digestion is "bypassed" that absorbs the carbonate then it makes sense to go for the citrate which is generally recommended to be the better calcium for everyone....even Non-WLS folks. I have been very frustrated with Bariatric Nutritionists who fail to update their calcium info from that which is presented at the ASBS conventions each year.  .....  Vitalady on www.vitalady.com goes to to these conventions every year and very willingly shares the info with us.  Her site has great info. Having a Dexa Scan either before surgery or immediately after can help you determine future effects of calcium absorption. Gastric Bypass (aka Rny)=  Calcium CITRATE Lap Band or Sleeve= Calcium CITRATE is still the best choice but carbonate may be absorbed. ....I've found that doing one's own research is the very best!  .....  Busy docs and nutritionists barely keep up with their daily schedule; let alone make time for the latest and greatest research findings. Take all you learn with a smile but a huge grain of salt and then research the facts!  Keep tackling those questions with gusto and let us know what you find out :)

Joyce...you're just super, did you know that?