Kay Dallas

Only Three Days -- but I'm Thrilled So Far - Dallas, TX

A Life-changing Event - Dallas, TX

Hi Belle -- I was traveling yesterday, and didn't get a chance to respond. But I wish you the VERY best of luck with your surgery today. My advice is to do EVERYTHING that your doctor tells you, and if you can, do more. I walked more (both in terms of number of walks and length) than he required. I got the amount of protein he required, but did it a bit longer (I'm STILL pushing protein 2.5 months out). Take clothes that button in front to leave the hospital in. If you drink your protein, take some shakes to the hospital with you. For the first two or three days, I did nothing but protein shakes. When you get home and he lets you transition back to spanx, etc. for compression, cut the crotch out of them. That way you don't irritate your scar/stitches when you have to go to the bathroom. GOOD LUCK! Let me know how it goes.

Hi Serpent -- I'm still THRILLED with my results. I'm still swollen, and may continue to be for a while, but it's not terrible. I also still have one small (less than 2-inches) open area on my incision, where a stitch worked its way out, and where I had some fat necrosis that had to be cut open and allowed to drain. I'm wearing spanx all the time, but cut the crotch out of them so I don't have to pull them up and down over my incision. I've largely been a travelling fool since surgery. A month out I drove (5 hours) to San Antonio with a friend. (She drove, I rode.) We went down one day, spent the night, and came back the next day. That was hard, because it made me so tired. In hindsight, I should have flown for that trip.... Two weeks later, I flew from Texas to California. The doc said that if I felt up to it, I could do it. He also suggested a walk up and down the aisle of the plane every hour or so, which I did. I was in California for a training class, and I told the instructors that I needed to be at the back, and would occasionally get up and walk around during the classes. If I didn't get up every hour or so, I tended to get real stiff, and it felt like my incision was pulling a bit. I don't know if it was the plane ride, the food, or what, but I had HORRIBLE swelling in California. I'm leaving for Albuquerque in a couple of days (flying), and then a driving trip to Houston. So I'm continuing to travel. My best tip is the protein. I'm still really pushing protein -- about 100-120 grams/day. I'm also continuing to wear my compression garments (spanx and a snug bra) almost all the time -- including when I sleep. I figure as much support as I can give my new body is a good thing. Finally, if I'm tired, I'll take a nap or rest for a while. I keep reminding myself that the surgery was a HUGE insult (medically speaking) to my body, and that I really don't have to be 100% two months out. I'll try to post a couple of pictures... I think I have some from the California trip.

My gastric sleeve surgery was minimal -- it lasted less than an hour. In part because of the short surgery (42 minutes!), the recovery was easier. Less anesthesia, less time with the gas, etc. I had very few problems with recovery. Immediately following surgery, I had awful dry mouth. They wouldn't let me have water, and I was truly uncomfortable. Ultimately, though, they let me have some water, and things went better after that. My surgery was on a Friday, I was discharged from the hospital on Saturday, and Monday afternoon I was back at work. Now, it's important to know that I was the sole employee for a General Surgeon (he didn't do my procedure, but was VERY supportive). So I went to work, but I was expected to take it easy. I also had quality medical care available immediately were anything to go wrong. One thing I had that I loved was the On-Cue pain ball. It's an external plastic pain pump, filled with something comparable to Novacaine (like your dentist uses). The pump had two very long, very thin tubes attached, and it delivered the pain meds throughout my surgical area for several days after surgery. This was the ONLY pain medicine I had -- I declined the offer of Hydrocodone, both in the hospital and the prescription to take home. The food was different at first -- just getting used to the amount I could eat and what was allowed at different times. Now, three years later, it's second nature. I automatically look for things with protein, and prefer small portions. I started the journey at 317 pounds, and went into the hospital for my lower body lift at 152 pounds. This morning I weighed in at 138, making about 180 pounds that I have lost over the course of this journey. I'm viewing this as a lifestyle change, and never as a diet. If I go to a luncheon and they serve cake, I may have a half a piece. I MAY peel the frosting off the top and just eat that, and not waste calories on cake. But I also will probably then go do another 45 minutes on the treadmill, too.... In other words -- everything in moderation, including moderation.

Hi Serpent, The way they did it where I was was that the surgery was done in the Outpatient Surgery Center, but then they wanted you to stay in their "guest suites" for two nights afterward. This was actually a great thing. Since it is used primarily for plastics patients, everyone is a "well patient" and there were fewer concerns about nasty germs that float around in hospitals. The room was more like a hotel suite, with a full size bed for someone to stay with me (and I was REQUIRED to have someone stay with me -- but it could be a friend or family member). There were 24-hour nurses there, as well. It had its own fridge, so I took lots of protein shakes which my family or the nurse could just hand me, ready to go. That was a GREAT benefit. I would encourage you to stay in the hospital for a couple of nights, even if there isn't a well-patient recovery model like I had. The pain is the worst the first couple of days, and that is when complications would be most likely to arise. Feel free to let me know about any other questions.... I'm a great believer in paying it forward with this kind of help!