I'm back from plication surgery!

[oliviam]

Finally I am back to the land of the living! I had plication done on Tuesday February 15th with Dr. Ortiz at OCC. To start, the facility was very nice and the staff was absolutely wonderful. Some of the nurses there have had the surgery so it felt good to know that they knew exactly what I was going through. I got in early on Tuesday morning to the airport and went straight from the airport to OCC. They did all my pre op tests and surgery on the same day. I met so many from these boards there, it was awesome!

After the surgery I had some pretty tremendous gas pains. They told me to walk and walk I did all through the night. I threw up a couple of times the first night but was discharged on Wednesday to the hotel. I stayed at the Lucerne and I highly recommend it. Very very nice, with very nice people, especially if you tip them! Wednesday night was pitiful, I threw up on the hour every hour, could not keep down my pain meds, the gas pressure felt close to a heart attack and I was ready to head right back into that center and have them undo every last stitch! My husband called the center on Thursday and they told me to come back in. While waiting to be seen in the waiting room, I saw many others who had had the surgery on the same day or after me and they were doing wonderfully. I think my situation was honestly the exception and not the rule. They did a barium test and they said everything looked great, just a reaction perhaps to the anesthesia. By Thursday night I was vomit free and had a good nights sleep and by Friday morning I felt like a new woman! We flew home Friday night and I have been great since. I am still on the liquid diet and for the most part I do not have a desire to eat unless I prepare a meal for my family or have to watch others eat.

I have not weighed myself yet! I'm afraid! My mother suggested I weight so as to avoid being discouraged. I am still soooo bloated from being pumped up with gas and the swelling so I am going to wait it out this week and weigh in maybe next Monday, if I can stand it that long. I know many of you wanted me to fill you in so I hope this helps. Please, please, please let me know if there is anything I didn't mention that you would like to know!!!

Love, love, love these boards. It really feel like a family and I am so thankful for all the kind words! Smooches!!!

[KrrnCan]

Finally I am back to the land of the living! I had plication done on Tuesday February 15th with Dr. Ortiz at OCC. To start, the facility was very nice and the staff was absolutely wonderful. Some of the nurses there have had the surgery so it felt good to know that they knew exactly what I was going through. I got in early on Tuesday morning to the airport and went straight from the airport to OCC. They did all my pre op tests and surgery on the same day. I met so many from these boards there, it was awesome!

After the surgery I had some pretty tremendous gas pains. They told me to walk and walk I did all through the night. I threw up a couple of times the first night but was discharged on Wednesday to the hotel. I stayed at the Lucerne and I highly recommend it. Very very nice, with very nice people, especially if you tip them! Wednesday night was pitiful, I threw up on the hour every hour, could not keep down my pain meds, the gas pressure felt close to a heart attack and I was ready to head right back into that center and have them undo every last stitch! My husband called the center on Thursday and they told me to come back in. While waiting to be seen in the waiting room, I saw many others who had had the surgery on the same day or after me and they were doing wonderfully. I think my situation was honestly the exception and not the rule. They did a barium test and they said everything looked great, just a reaction perhaps to the anesthesia. By Thursday night I was vomit free and had a good nights sleep and by Friday morning I felt like a new woman! We flew home Friday night and I have been great since. I am still on the liquid diet and for the most part I do not have a desire to eat unless I prepare a meal for my family or have to watch others eat.

I have not weighed myself yet! I'm afraid! My mother suggested I weight so as to avoid being discouraged. I am still soooo bloated from being pumped up with gas and the swelling so I am going to wait it out this week and weigh in maybe next Monday, if I can stand it that long. I know many of you wanted me to fill you in so I hope this helps. Please, please, please let me know if there is anything I didn't mention that you would like to know!!!

Love, love, love these boards. It really feel like a family and I am so thankful for all the kind words! Smooches!!!

WoW Olivia....I am so sorry that you were ill following your surgery, and I am really glad to learn that you are feeling better now. I totally agree about the desire to eat when preparing food and wanting to eat...just stay strong and you (we all) can get through it. I went out to dinner with friends last night (one and a half weeks post op)and I found with some planning I was able to handle that situation very well. I focused on the company I was keeping, checked the menu out before hand and knew I would have the soup and they had these "Vitality" drinks -I chose a virgin passion fruit and mojito drink and nursed it throughout the entire meal. My friends just thought I wasn"t hungry (I didn't tell them about the surgery).

You will be amazed at the adjustments and changes that will take place for you in the upcoming weeks.

I was really confused about what I could and could not ingest post op - that I found to be my biggest hurdle. Once i mastered that I believe that I can do anything.

Great job on coming through, even with the complication you had. Way to cope and Congratulations on crossing over to the "Plicator" side!

K.

[oliviam]

WoW Olivia....I am so sorry that you were ill following your surgery, and I am really glad to learn that you are feeling better now. I totally agree about the desire to eat when preparing food and wanting to eat...just stay strong and you (we all) can get through it. I went out to dinner with friends last night (one and a half weeks post op)and I found with some planning I was able to handle that situation very well. I focused on the company I was keeping, checked the menu out before hand and knew I would have the soup and they had these "Vitality" drinks -I chose a virgin passion fruit and mojito drink and nursed it throughout the entire meal. My friends just thought I wasn"t hungry (I didn't tell them about the surgery).

You will be amazed at the adjustments and changes that will take place for you in the upcoming weeks.

I was really confused about what I could and could not ingest post op - that I found to be my biggest hurdle. Once i mastered that I believe that I can do anything.

Great job on coming through, even with the complication you had. Way to cope and Congratulations on crossing over to the "Plicator" side!

K.

Thanks K! My friends don't know either so it will be interesting going out to eat for the first time. How did you do with the soup, did you only eat the broth or did you have some of the other stuff in it?

[JodieC]

Olivia I'm so glad you're feeling better! Just so you know, my mom and I went through the ringer too. The first night in the hotel (day 2 out from surgery) we started getting sick and throwing up. My mom was actually up all night throwing up. The next morning I threw up a few times, and my mom felt awful. I started to feel better on day 3, and my mom continued to feel not so great. Today my mom threw up some more, but by this afternoon she's started feeling better. I'm amazed that my dad did fine and had no problems whatsoever. Phew, I'm so glad that's over and I'm happy to be home

[oliviam]

Olivia I'm so glad you're feeling better! Just so you know, my mom and I went through the ringer too. The first night in the hotel (day 2 out from surgery) we started getting sick and throwing up. My mom was actually up all night throwing up. The next morning I threw up a few times, and my mom felt awful. I started to feel better on day 3, and my mom continued to feel not so great. Today my mom threw up some more, but by this afternoon she's started feeling better. I'm amazed that my dad did fine and had no problems whatsoever. Phew, I'm so glad that's over and I'm happy to be home

Oh my dear, you know I feel your pain. Wasn't that just awful? I couldn't be more relieved to be through that. At least you got to see someone in the middle of it and then come out on the other side, that way you knew there was hope! I was so frustrated to see how awesome everyone was doing. Yeah for Big Poppa though!

[ktb2904]

I was just wondering how you were doing. Glad to hear the nasty post surgery has passed. My gas situation has mostly passed, although I still seem to do some rooty-tooting............seems like more than pre surgery. I know there are a few ways I can acquire that bad gas. First if I eat and not wait the full 30 minutes before I drinnk something. Or if I eat too fast...........or to much. I eat my meals out of a 4oz ramkin container..............if I eat a bite or two more, then I get a pressure feeling under my breast bone, a sort of a lump in my throat and feel nausea. So I try really hard not to do any of these things. Wasnt successful tonight......waited too long to have dinner........so was super hungray aqnd not paying attention when I was eating and ate another 2 oz..............leaving me with the pressure under breast bone...etc.............on a learning curve I guess. I also did feel hungry right after surgery.............but suggest you pick one day of the week and that becomes your weigh in day. I know many weigh daily, but for me I think I would drive myself round the bend to be worrying about the scale every single day. I follow the plan outlined to me by OCC and weigh weekly. So far I'm not disappointed. Jan 10th......211lbs....surgery day...198.1..........last Friday...184.8 so what's that 25+ pounds so far. I'm pretty sure my weigh loss has now slowed down fromt he quick weigh loss right after surgery. Let me know how you're getting along. K:)

Finally I am back to the land of the living! I had plication done on Tuesday February 15th with Dr. Ortiz at OCC. To start, the facility was very nice and the staff was absolutely wonderful. Some of the nurses there have had the surgery so it felt good to know that they knew exactly what I was going through. I got in early on Tuesday morning to the airport and went straight from the airport to OCC. They did all my pre op tests and surgery on the same day. I met so many from these boards there, it was awesome!

After the surgery I had some pretty tremendous gas pains. They told me to walk and walk I did all through the night. I threw up a couple of times the first night but was discharged on Wednesday to the hotel. I stayed at the Lucerne and I highly recommend it. Very very nice, with very nice people, especially if you tip them! Wednesday night was pitiful, I threw up on the hour every hour, could not keep down my pain meds, the gas pressure felt close to a heart attack and I was ready to head right back into that center and have them undo every last stitch! My husband called the center on Thursday and they told me to come back in. While waiting to be seen in the waiting room, I saw many others who had had the surgery on the same day or after me and they were doing wonderfully. I think my situation was honestly the exception and not the rule. They did a barium test and they said everything looked great, just a reaction perhaps to the anesthesia. By Thursday night I was vomit free and had a good nights sleep and by Friday morning I felt like a new woman! We flew home Friday night and I have been great since. I am still on the liquid diet and for the most part I do not have a desire to eat unless I prepare a meal for my family or have to watch others eat.

I have not weighed myself yet! I'm afraid! My mother suggested I weight so as to avoid being discouraged. I am still soooo bloated from being pumped up with gas and the swelling so I am going to wait it out this week and weigh in maybe next Monday, if I can stand it that long. I know many of you wanted me to fill you in so I hope this helps. Please, please, please let me know if there is anything I didn't mention that you would like to know!!!

Love, love, love these boards. It really feel like a family and I am so thankful for all the kind words! Smooches!!!

[KrrnCan]

Thanks K! My friends don't know either so it will be interesting going out to eat for the first time. How did you do with the soup, did you only eat the broth or did you have some of the other stuff in it?

Hi Olivia!

When I checked the menu out online, I learned that they had a roasted red pepper soup (creamy stage consistency)and I asked the waitress if there were any chunks in it and she told me there wasn't any. There wasn't. So I was just fine and the vitality drink was slushy so as it melted I was able to drink it slowly and nobody was the wiser. It worked out well.

BEST ADVICE: Just check the restaurant out online before you go and make a wise choice and you will be fine.

While in the liquid only stage order a minstrone soup and only have the broth, nothing else.

Good luck and let me know how it goes. Karen.

[MariMelO]

I have been working long days but decided I needed to get my PLICATOR fix! Congrats honey!!! So happy for your success, you are fearless! Continue to share your story.