abbeycat43
I originally started researching the Lapband and then while on this site reading, I kept seeing in the signature lines Lapband X date, Revision VSG X date...made me really start paying attention to how many people have had to have the band removed...I knew several people who had done the VSG so I started talking, reading, researching, etc...it didn't take me long to make a final decision. Had my consultation, started the paperwork for insurance, attended the 90 days (3 visits) with the NUT, did my psych eval., all the while reading and informing myself of everything I could get my hands on. Took a little over a week to get my insurance approval which I received on June 3rd, and they wanted me to start my liquid diet on the 4th...WHAT!!! I was not prepared to be scheduled so fast...I agreed to start liquids on June 5th, do all my pre-op testing, drive 8 hours that weekend to pick my mother up and bring her back to stay with me (best decision ever)! I had 3 days left to wrap everything up at work so that I could be out for two weeks...my doctor only approved a week, but I had vacation time to take and didn't return to work until 7/1. My surgery was on June 12th, I arrived at 5:00 am...went straight back and by 6:00 they were wheeling me into surgery. The first thing I remember when waking up is my mom telling me I only had 1 incision...AWESOME!!! I also had a Qball (that's what the nurses called it) two little tubes that go inside my abdomen delivering pain meds from a ball in a pouch that hangs around my neck...insurance didn't cover it but so worth paying out of pocket for that little gem. So far, everything is going great, no pain, sleeping fine, walking around the halls every hour or so...then...the AC in the surgery senter went out...78 degrees in my room, i kept feeling like I needed to burp or be sick (which they don't want you vomiting), my mom (who was allowed to spend the night with me) handed me the little pan, just in case...up it all came, what a mess, it wasn't bright red so they weren't overly concerned, called the doc, gave me meds, cleaned me up, just in time for the ambulance crew to come an take me over to the hospital just across the street...at midnight...it's mostly a blur...I remember getting on the gurney, but no clue about how I got into the bed at the hospital..
Everyone was great. I couldn't say enough about the staff at the surgery center, the hospital, even the ambulance crew was great...they came the next day to take my mother across the street just because they didn't want her crossing the busy street.
I was released the next day about 2 pm after breakfast and lunch and keeping my liquids down and headed home...my mother tells me that on the way home, a red van cut her off in traffic and apparently I was feeling uninhibited and gave them the finger...oops!! LOL
Once home, all was good, no pain, just a little weird when I would roll on my side...I removed the tubes from the Qball on day 3, took pain meds for about 5 days, mostly to help me sleep but also just so I didn't get to the point of too much pain.
Post-op diet was fine, clear liquids for 1st week, creamy liquids for 2nd week and mushy foods for 3rd week...WHOO HOO!!! Fasting for so long gives one a new appreciation for simple foods like scrambled eggs, tuna, etc.
My number one rule is...FOLLOW THE RULES!!!
I am 3 weeks post-op, 30 lbs down. Couldn't ask for anything better than that.
