Meeting with surgeon today- questions to ask?

Mandy_1982

Hi everyone!

Today I'm finally meeting with my surgeon to go over everything and hopefully get my sleeve surgery scheduled.

I need some help figuring out what to ask him during the appointment...

What questions did you ask your surgeon?

Are there any that you wish you would have asked?

Samquentin

I asked what the pain level would be... since I've never had an abdominal surgery.... he told me "go home, get a hammer, smash your thumb, it wont be that bad."... LOL.
I'm sorry, I am not much help. I work in the Health Information field, so I see all the accounts that the surgeons do, their OP reports, the possible complications, etc. And I'm still going thru with it. (the ones that scare me the most, is internal hernias -your small intestine gets stuck around an adhesion, and causes pain, and you need a surgery to release it... and marginal ulcers that bleed... but as long as you take your meds, you'll heal up right! and it isn't a problem.
Follow the doctors orders after.

JamesAztec

I asked about pain immediately after and how much assistance I would need when I got home (I live alone). I also wanted to know when I could return to work. I came back after 13 days. I was driving my car after a week. The hospital gave us a big binder full of info so there was a lot of stuff in there. Things come up that you can't neccessarily anticipate like nausea, constipation, soreness in weird areas. Those are times you just have to call surgeons office and see if they can give you some guidance.

Remember, YOU are your biggest health advocate. Every dr has a different way of doing things. The default should be to follow doctors orders but don't be afraid to get second opinions if something just doesn't make sense or sound right. All this stuff about straws and water and vitamins is kind of overkill. I think sometimes we focus on the minutia instead of the big picture. To improve health, you need to CHANGE your diet and MOVE more. That's what it all really comes down to. Oh, and cut REFINED SUGAR as much as possible.

Shull_rachael

I would like to know about the assistance needed at home when I'm released as well. It's just my 6 year old and I in our house. @Aztec4Life Just curious what did your surgeon suggest? I've thought about it but when I get in there I always forget to ask.

Mandy_1982

So far I've got these questions:

Will I survive the surgery?
What are the risks and potential complications?
What is my recovery time?
How much of my stomach will be cut out?
What is the success rate?
How many surgeries have you performed?
Will I need skin removal?
How long will surgery take approximately?
When can I drive?
What tests will I need before?
What will pain be after?
Will I need assistance?
What are the risks of being put under?

Any more I should ask??

Shull_rachael

@Mandy_1982 looks good! Definitely a lot more thorough than I was LOL. How did your appointment go?

Mandy_1982

Shull_rachael wrote: »

@Mandy_1982 looks good! Definitely a lot more thorough than I was LOL. How did your appointment go?

It went well. He answered a lot of my questions as he was explaining the surgery, so I didn't even have to ask. I did ask him some questions afterwords before the appt was over.

We set a date- May 23. However, last night I was having second thoughts about surgery.

mlamb1970

@Mandy_1982 - Oh please do not have second thoughts! I am 5 months post VSG and I am so happy I did it! I have lost 77 pounds so far and I could not be happier! You have to do what is best for you and we will be behind you 100% whatever you decide. Remember, this is about you and you know what is best for you. Just wanted to give you my perspective on my story.

Lisidy

I second what @mlamb1970 said. You'll make the right choice for yourself, but the surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself.

Mandy_1982

Thanks ladies. I know that I need the surgery, and that it would greatly improve my health in many ways. I'm just feeling anxious about everything and even more so after having the surgery details explained to me.

ruqayyahsmum

I took 8 years umming and arring over the surgery, even on the day i was half in half out.

My blood pressure from the stress was thru the roof and i was relieved thinking they would cancel

3 years down the line its the best thing for my health. It gave me my life back and made my son a possibility

AllisonMart

It is scary for sure, but remember the actual surgery part is just a small part of it. It's not fun and it does hurt, but you're back on your feet before you know it. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought it would be, even the liquid diet wasn't terrible. I'm 5 months out and down 104 lbs! I feel and look better than I have in years. I'm more confident and so, so much happier. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I'm only sorry I didn't do it sooner. The surgery itself is only a small moment of your life. Don't let anxiety push you away from the chance to be healthier and live your life the way you want.

Shull_rachael

Mandy_1982 wrote: »

Shull_rachael wrote: »

@Mandy_1982 looks good! Definitely a lot more thorough than I was LOL. How did your appointment go?

It went well. He answered a lot of my questions as he was explaining the surgery, so I didn't even have to ask. I did ask him some questions afterwords before the appt was over.

We set a date- May 23. However, last night I was having second thoughts about surgery.

Girl you go the day before me!(=
I can't remember do you have to do a two week liquid diet?
Having second thoughts is completely normal. Before I got this close I would read about people saying oh I have second thoughts about it, etc. And I was like I will never be that person because I was 110% sure this is what I wanted and that would never enter my mind. Boy was I wrong! I've cried and prayed about it and At least several several times a week I second-guess my decision. And I was so pro surgery even before I talked to my doctor. But when those thoughts come into my mind I just told myself I wanted this for so long and I'm so close I'm not gonna back out now. I know it's gonna be hard but six months from now, hell even two months from now it's going to be so worth it. That being said I don't know you or your lifestyle. So ultimately you have to go with your gut and do what you think is best for your situation.

Mandy_1982

@Shull_rachael
My surgeon gave me a pre-op diet plan which seems to consist of lean protein, veggies, dairy, etc. He said he wants me to get my liver as small as I can so he has room to work with. I meet with my dietitian on Thursday for a pre-op class. I'll find out then if I need to do a liquid diet of some sort. The surgeon didn't mention it, so who knows.

I'm terrified of getting put under anesthesia and the unknown of what's going to happen. I'm scared of the risks. I don't want to back out after waiting this long. I'm just having a ton of anxiety right now about everything.

Thanks for your kind words.

Shull_rachael

@Mandy_1982 you're welcome. If you need someone to talk to fell free to shot me a message. I was nervous about the anesthesia as well but I had a EGD done and I was put under for that so I know how it goes now. Our liquid diet is to shrink the liver as well. It scares me worse than surgery it's self.