I'm 3 days post-op and figure I better post this now while it's all still fresh. First and foremost, I feel fantastic and I'm doing great getting all the liquids/protein/supplements down...

O.k. - 'morning of surgery showed up on time and was place in my own pre-op room within 20 minutes of checking in. In the pre-op surgery room I gave a urine sample (last minute pregnancy test?), blood pressure and heart rate checked. I talked to all three surgeons - main and two residents, two anesthesiologists, and two surgical nurses. Questions revolved around which surgery are you having, how do you feel, family history, etc. I remember suddenly having an unexpected, wave of emotion while talking to one of the surgeons and tears started a little. Choked it up, deep breaths... IVs were inserted - not as bad as I thought. Surgery-virgin here by the way!

Next, I'm wheeled into the surgery room and asked to shift myself from the one bed to the surgery table. Done. I remember looking up and seeing the big lights hanging from the ceiling, someone may have said something, and "blam!" out like a light.

Next, I woke up in the recovery room writhing in extreme discomfort. Note: I DID NOT say pain! So don't get scared, you pre-oppies! My back and my abdomen hurt and ached and I just could not get comfortable on that bed/table I was on. And even in that moment, I had clarity enough to know I would be in there a couple of hours before getting my own room and bed. I remember thinking to myself "Who in their right mind would CHOOSE to do this to themselves?" LOL!!! So I writhed and writhed and moaned and moaned. I remember the recovery room attendant saying something like "Ma'am, you have to settle down. You're getting uncovered and you will expose yourself... blah, blah." And I'm thinking "WHO GIVES A RAT'S @SS!" In that moment, they could have been filming for a spot on YouTube and I would not have cared! Geez! Then my hubby and my pastor came in and saw me in all my writhing glory followed by "you did good, baby" and a prayer for quick healing. I don't remember being as uncomfortable after the prayer.

Next, "we got a room for you" and I'm being wheeled down a hallway and into my own room. Once more, I shift myself from the post-op bed/table to my own bed. 'still not great comfort-wise but definitely an improvement. Again, back and abdomen so sore. Ahhhhh, but here now is the morphine pump and I can hit it every 8 minutes. Joy! Very sleepy, very out of it all afternoon, evening. They gave me a cup of water with a small sponge on a stick to swab my mouth. 'talk about bad case of cotton-mouth! Holy cow!!! ...and it persisted WELL into the next afternoon. I swished and spit, I swabbed, I brushed my teeth, you name it and it still came back with a vengeance! Lord, have mercy!!! I walked a lap around the nurses desk and post-op surgery area with help of hubby. No cathedar, no drain tube, no intubation tube pre- or post-op. I had no problem going to the bathroom (peeing) that evening. Nurses took my vitals about 3 times that night. I also got the "what's your pain level on a scale of 1-10?" a lot.

I felt nauseous the evening after surgery coupled with the discomfort and, for whatever reason, I became paranoid about hitting the morphine pump too much. I wasn't sure whether coming off anesthesia was causing the nausea or whether the morphine was causing the nausea. So, my first night of sleep was quite restless. They gave me some nausea med. I woke up several times in the night to shift positions calling the nurses each time to help me. They were amazing and sweet and quick responding! By 4:30a.m. day after surgery I had had enough and could not attempt sleep further. So I called the nurse and asked to walk or sit in a chair. The chair was so much more easy to get comfort in. It was much more difficult to shift positions in the bed. Shifting positions in the chair for comfort was much easier and did not hurt as much. Walked about 3 more laps around the nurses desk and post-op area. My main surgeon and resident surgeon each came to visit with me and said I was doing great. Surgeon's nurse came to visit and gave me a run-down of post-op instructions and meds. Nutritionist came to visit with more post-op nutrition instruction. Got breakfast of SF jello, SF cranberry juice, and broth. Lunch was the same. I was able to get about 11 ounces total down prior to release. I was released from the hospital at about 2:30 in the afternoon to go home.

I was still pretty loopy/sleepy upon arriving home. I made a protein shake and managed to get about 10 more ounces down - refridgerated the rest. My abdomen was still really sore. I went to sleep. We have a Sleep Number bed and it was more comfortable than our recliner and a lot more comfortable than the hospital bed. I still woke up about 4 times that night and was up by 6:30am.

My surgery was Tuesday at 11:30am. By Thursday and Friday (today) I have felt big improvements. I'm not nearly as sore as I was immediately post-op. All of my incision site soreness has gone away with the exception of the big incision where they pulled the stomach. And it just aches a little bit - enough to remind me it's there. I would NOT have been ready to go back to work today, but I could probably do fine this Monday (but I'm taking two weeks off instead to get used to all of this). I can move around the house and up and down stairs and walk the treadmill with ease. If you saw my previous post, I pointed out an important tip for immediately post-surgery. I have found it TREMENDOUSLY EASIER to sip, sip, sip while standing up, do 2-3 laps around my couch, sip, sip, sip, while standing up, do 2-3 laps around my couch, repeat, repeat, repeat. This has been the key to getting all of my protein and liquids in each day and then some. My theory is that when I sip while sitting down (straight up or reclining) my organs are "bunched up" causing the passage of the liquid to be more difficult. While standing, my organs are elongated, specifically my new tummy, allowing easier passage of the liquid. No "gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, belch, belch" with uncomfortable tightness. Try this. This is probably the biggest and best piece of advice I can pass on to you!

So that's my story! I hope you enjoyed it!!! I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!!!!!!!!! 

Oh yeah... I walked 1.25 miles yesterday and 1.5 miles today... slowly!

Glad to hear you are doing so well. You are no longer a surgery virgin. LOL

It's going to be fun watching you shrink my dear!

Hey, guys! I'm on the loser bench! Wooohooo!

All is well. Starting yesterday and continuing into today I have had no problem getting all of my protein and fluids in. Yesterday I walked a mile on our treadmill and I will do the same today. I have discovered the secret to getting all of your protein/fluids in during the initial few days after surgery. I don't recall if anyone else posted this, but this is what I discovered: if I attempt to sip, sip, sip my fluids while sitting, whether straight up or reclining, the sips "gurgle, gurgle, gurgle" down followed by little belches of air - all very uncomfortable. However, if I sip, sip, sip while standing and then do 2-3 laps around my couch and then sip, sip, sip while standing and then do 2-3 laps around my couch, repeat, repeat, repeat, - I have no problem getting the liquids/protein in and it does not feel nearly as uncomfortable - no "gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, belch". It's like multi-tasking and easing discomfort at the same time! So that's a big tip to any pre-surgery patients out there! I assume this would be the same regardless of the type of surgery... My theory is that while in any sitting position, my internal organs are "bunched up", so to speak - making it more complicated for the fluid to process through. However, standing up elongates the internal organs, new stomach specifically, allowing easier passage of the fluid - plus the walking helps to process it through. I hope that tip really helps anyone behind me waiting for surgery. Write that down!

Thanks to all of you for all of the sweet follow-up, supportive posts following my surgery! And big hugs and thanks to Steve for being my Angel. He did a great job before, during, and after!

I'll update my ticker soon, but here's the down-low: I'm 5'9" and I weighed 307 on Saturday pre-surgery and lost 4 lbs while on liquid diet through Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning (day of surgery) I weighed 303. Today I weigh 298.4. So 8.6 lbs total. I'm really exctatic about that, but I'm concentrating my efforts more on the liquids, protein, supplements, and walking and not so much on the weight loss at this point. I just want to do a really good job following doctor's orders this wee****il our next appointment on April 6. It's still all very exciting, though!

I need to get on my treadmill now, so I'll take a break from posting for a little while... but I'll probably float around here for a few hours today... and I'll probably post more surgery specific details later too.

Thanks again, you guys!

It's open to anyone.

Centennial Center for the Treatment of Obesity will hold a Face to Face (F2F) meeting next Saturday, April 10th from 10 AM until 1 PM. This is an opportunity for those who have met and support each other online to meet face to face. Kathy Hungerford is the facilitator for this event held at 2200 Murphy Avenue. If you know someone who is considering surgery, drop them off at the new patient seminar held in the Tower (same date and time) while you attend the F2F!

Thank you,