My Surgery Experience (including some helpful tips!)

HI Kim - it's almost time.... so excited for you!

You only have to buy the Innohep and Prevacid before you leave the hospital - they provide it while you're there. You take 8 injections home with you, and enough prevacid for 3 months.

I'm sure they would accommodate your request to  be released before noon. You just have to see the doctor (they usually do rounds fairly early), and the nurse has to change your dressings. I did leave at about noon, but could have left earlier (my husband worked till about 11 - so couldn't get there earlier).

Best of luck - we are all saving you a seat on the bench!

Thank you so much Susan, I know it's getting so close. On day 5 of the shakes and doing pretty good. The first couple of days there was a lot of time spent in the Loo. LOL. 

Thank you for the info, i don't know why the nurse told me that I had to get it before. She said that when I went in for my surgery that my husband has to go next door and grab my prescription at the clinic and then have it filled that first day. Oh well no biggie. :-)

when should I ask them about the early discharge? The morning of or when we get there Tuesday? 

How are you feeling?

Hi Kim,

The blood thinners and prevacid is provided for you while you're in the hospital. I got a prescription for 8 days worth of blood thinners and the prevacid upon leaving the hospital, but if you'll be tight on time on your release day it might be wise to ask for it early so your husband can pick everything up beforehand.

Let your nurse know the day before your scheduled release about your time schedule, and ask what can be done to get you out on time. I had blood work done that morning and had to wait for it. They might be able to take your blood a few hours earlier and get it off to the lab sooner. That might mean you get a visit from a vampire in your sleep though!

Good luck!

Thank you so much for your reply. I will definitely mention it to the nurse the day before and also see if my husband is able to pick up the prescription the day of my surgery as he won't be up to visit on the Wednesday. Thank god if I'm going to be a walking tooting gas machine lol. 

I appreciate you sharing your story and responding to me...now I'm off to read your next chapter!!

kim

Thank you so much for shareing . My surgery is Feb 13 and I am getting a little nervous , but hearing your story makes mefeel a little better about it :) plus I will be adding some extrastuff to my back for sure ;) 

Thanks for sharing....ur experience is very encouraging. Am meeting the surgeon on 12th Feb, and attending pre-op sesssion on 5th Feb. Am so excited but terrified of being put out completly. Am trying to con

vince myself that since i went thru a C-Section, I can handle this too! Wish you a speedy recovery(-;

If you can do a c-section you can do this!!! Being put out is great... I can't imagine how people survive surgeries without it, but it's still common throughout the world. I'm grateful we have anaesthesiologists!!!

Good luck in your journey!

Congratulations and goold luck to you all!  I have a few suggestions that might be useful to all you newbies.  Find a good protein powder.  I went to a body building shop and bought whey isolate protein powders.  There are many flavours, fruit flavours being especially good.....and some places will give you an exchange, even on open containers, if you don`t like them.  Drink them as they help keep you full of protein and stop carb cravings.  Keep drinking them; I am four years out and still have one a day usually.  You can get cheaper ones at big bulk stores, and they are ok; some people like them, but I get sick of the standard choc, vanilla, strawberry....and read the protein, sugars, etc. on the labels!  Mine are usually 20-25 grams per serving, so a really good source.    Don`t push how much you can eat; the idea is `feeding`off the accumulated fat in your body; you don`t need to be eating larger amounts.  Even at 2 years out, I was still only eating .75 cup at the most per serving.  Now, about .75 - 1 cup at the max.   Look for high protein recipes; sites like `theworldaccordingtoeggface.com`, `bariatricfoodie.com`,etc;  search the `net for bariatric recipes and use them.  Try to keep the carbs from rice, potatoes, noodles, white bread (or any bread) out of your diet as much as possible.  Your stomach will be about the size of a golf ball; it need high protein, not carbs, to keep you healthy!  I still do not eat potatoes or rice and for noodles I buy Shataki noodles or shred zucchini, etc.  Bread....I have found a 40 cal per slice I occasionally eat - now at four years out - not earlier......And even then, I find that it hurts my stomach.  With our small stomaches we don`t need to fill up on carbs, other than on veggie carbs.  Fruit is quite high on sugars so be very cautious of that.....  Just get yourself well read on the net and you will do find.  Don`t push the foods and try to eat lots; you will be surprised how little you need or want.  That`s why sipping a protein drink is good; keeps you from dehydration and gives you the protein you need.  And remember; the most weight you lose will be in the first 12-18 months; after that your body starts learning to keep the calories a bit more and you won`t love quickly....so do ALL you can during that time!  I have seen several people that insist on eating `regular`foods, only smaller amounts and they don`t always seem as successful.  I find I eat a lot of tofu, beans, high protein stuff and experiment with lots of different high protein recipes......Oh, and I needed to lose 130 lbs. to be on target for the `normal`weight charts that are shown.  I lost 118, but have gained 10 back since I stopped riding my bike to work.  So, I assume that I can lose that fairly quickly once I get a bit more active.  Then on to plastic surgery I hope!!  Good luck all!