My Tripler Army Medical Center Surgical story

Ok, so here it is. I honestly haven't posted this because I have been procrasinating for so long due to the potential length. I figured though that daily my situation could happen to someone else and if my words of experience might help some one it would be worth it!

I arrived for my surgery at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) at 7am with my husband in tow. We did all of the pre-op check in and went into the waiting room. I had found out that my friend through all of the pre-op stuff was actually going to be my surgery buddy that day. She was the surgery before mine. Our surgeon is Dr. Stan Zagorski at TAMC. He is a great surgeon, I was his 5th Lapband surgery at TAMC, however, he did a 1 year fellowship of lapband surgeries as well as he has been doing gastric bypass for many years at TAMC.

After quite a few hours due to surgical delays, I was told to change into my gown and ugly socks to go back to the pre-op room. From there it was busy, busy, busy! I got my IV, got to visit with all the proper people, chit chat with my husband and put on my fancy (ha, ha) hair cover. Then it was my time, they gave me this little shot size cup of what they called "liquid zantac" and boy does the smell not match the taste on that. She told me I could wait until they gave me my happy medicine to take it in hopes I wouldn't rememeber it...ummm WRONG! I remember swallowing that and nothing else.

Surgery Over

I remember waking up and saying "gonna throw up" and "i am in pain" and that is about it. The next time I woke up I was in my room and my friend was right across from me. I slept off and on for the next couple of hours. My family came up to visit and my friend and I chit chatted through the afternoon. I was able to immediatly start drinking fluids, however, that is where the "newness of the surgery at TAMC started to kick in". They started trying to switch me off of the morphine and onto other pain meds to get me off of the IV. Well smart people were insisting that I take Roxycet pills!!! They were nice and cut them up for me...I did this and asked for more morphine until the morning.

The next morning they wheeled my friend and I down for our Barium tests, she went first. When she came out she was the color of death! She didn't have the chance to talk to me prior to me being wheeled back but I knew something was wrong. Once in the room the gentleman explained how I would be drinking these two things and swallowing this "pop-rock" type stuff that expanded my stomach! My immediate answer was NO! I don't think so! So they gave me my test, all the while telling me to swallow faster, etc. I did what I could do and that was it!

I get back to my room and my friend is all packed up and ready to go. She told me the look was from the fact they made her take the "pop-rock" stuff and it was extremely painful. She was going home. I gave her a hug and sent her on her way.

I still had a couple of hours before I could leave. I rested and got dressed. I was ready to get out. Dr. Z came up to visit to tell me he was sending me home with liquid pain meds..the nurse pointed out that is not what the orders said. He said well she can't take pills. I told him about the night before and he was extremely mad. I immediately called Becky and told her about the pills vs. liquids so she could get hers switched.

I left and went home to recoperate. It was a little harder than I thought, I was sore and spent too much time in bed. The 3rd night was the worse. I started to dry heave and didn't know why. It was scary but I made it through it.

The story only gets better...see my updated post.

Weighting on Dr......just sitting and weighting

Well we went in for pre-op today, but I only actually got a look over and a my husband got to meet the surgeon and ask any questions. Everything is set for Thursday, I go in tomorrow for my SACS appointment to meet with all of the other people involved. We are just waiting on the psych evaluation to come in. That should be today....so YIPPPEEEEE!!! keep me in your thoughts until we know for sure!

I am so ready to move forward into the future of my life!

Weight Check

Ok, so I went in for my weight check. To have the Lap Band surgery at Tripler they require you to lose 5% of your weight or have a medically documented reason why it would not work. I have PCOS but I have been able to lose most of the 5% with the help of Mary.

Geoff weighed me and then pulled me into a room to discuss my surgery. He said I would either be going on one of two days as long as everything worked out right with the operating room and Dr. Zagorski's schedule. I have to go in soon to do my preop, if they get the clearance from Dr. Keller then I wil have my surgery two days later, if not then it will be a little over a month from now. I am ok either way. I thought that I would be nervous, but I am not! I am so excited.

Weight....What could happen?

As many people know military works on their own schedule and timing. When I talked to the Coordinator two weeks ago he wouldn't give me a hint at all as to when I would be having surgery. He said there was a "tentative" date, but they wouldn't tell me because it could change...boo hooo

Where it started....

I have been overweight most of my life....sure there were times when my weight wasn't high but I was never known as the "skinny girl" except for a short time in middle school. Life is good for me. I have three children, Lexi 15, Brandon 11, and Matt 8. I gained most of my "morbid obesity" after having my tubes tied when Matthew was born. I also developed PCOS after the tubal ligation as well. It took 7 years to be diagnosed and here I sit today, hopefully days away from my lap band story.

I am married to a wonderful Navy man and we have been married 15 years. We are currently stationed in Hawaii. I began this journey earlier this year when I found out that Tricare began approving the Lap Band Surgery. I had previously done research on Gastric Bypass but decided it wasn't something that I wanted to commit my body to. In February, I went to my first information meeting to get the ball going, from there I went to the Nutritional Classes followed my diet and have gone through all of the steps that Tripler required (I understand those have changed so if you are reading this for Tripler, go by what you are told now! Geoff will be your guidance in the proper requirements for you).