At the beginning

[seahorse]

Hi all,

I'm new here, but after reading through all these posts, I wanted to say hello and introduce myself in case I need to ask for advice sometime!

I'm scheduled for lap DS on 1/4 with Dr. Stewart. I'm super excited and a little nervous, but really ready to get started.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share their advice and experiences here; it's very reassuring to me!

Here's to new beginnings!

seahorse (Shea)

[smokinstella]

Welcome to the board Shea.

[bb212]

I'm a little biased but you have picked a great surgeon!

[renegadeorange]

Welcome to the board! I love your avatar... yay Snorks!

As far as advice goes, what are you interested in? Some things I found helpful to take with me to the hospital were a sippy cup (I found that I got in way too much air otherwise), a robe for when I went walking, and my chapstick! Once I got home, a body pillow was necessary to help me sleep at night. When I laid on my side, I felt really weird, so hugging the pillow kept that whole "guts falling out feeling" from happening.

Just be sure to have some loose pants with elastic ready! I'm 3 weeks out, and jeans still bother my incision spots.

If you have any specific areas you'd like advice on, just let us know! Also, I read www.dsfacts.com again before I went to the hospital. There are sections about what to expect while you're there, how it will be afterwards, etc. etc. It's a fantastic resource.

[Leonie]

Welcome. I look forward to sharing in your journey.

[shrinkingruthie]

Best of luck on your surgery next week.

[anewmii]

Welcome Shea!
Keep us posted! I can't wait to see you on the losers bench!!

[sherbearmama]

Welcome Shea!!! Advice: Don't be afraid to ask your questions (before and after surgery). I remember that preoperatively I didn't ask a lot of questions because I'd done a lot of research and read the threads on the board religiously. But, the week or two prior to surgery I had lots of questions; What should I bring to the hospital?, What will I absolutely need when I come back home; etc. The vets here are so informative and have really been invaluable. So don't be shy and ask away!!! I look forward to seeing you on the other side!!!

Sheri

[keliblue]

Yahoooooo !! hold on for the best ride or your life !!

Things I needed most in the hospital were chapstick, slippers, sippy cup & robe for those long hallway walks.. make sure you have a pillow in the car to put between you and the seatbelt for the drive home.. I was unable to sleep comfortably in bed for several weeks.. thank god for our old nasty recliner..slept like a baby

see you on the dark side

kb

[baileymouse]

Hi there and welcome!

[seahorse]

Thanks so much, everyone! I'm feverishly taking notes on everything. Question, when you say sippy cup, do you mean like the toddler kind? If so, I'm totally going princess themed.

[Sandra C.]

Welcome to the board, and good luck with your D.S. I had the lap too, it was the best!! Take to the hospital: soft elastic waist lounge pants for walking the hall, and a small fleece lap blanket to cuddle with. I was cold after surgery, the warmth helped me sleep. A short silky robe and a loose top is good for wearing in bed with the pants. I felt more dressed for roaming the halls, than in my long bedroom style robe. When the surgeon found me sitting in the chair dressed, rather than in bed in a gown, he thought I looked ready to leave, and sent me home. Used the fleece blanket folded under the seat belt on the ride home.

[Paula]

Hey Shea,

Welcome and congrats on your upcoming surgery. From everything Ive heard, you have a really good surgeon and I know you are going to be in great hands. What a great way to start the new year

[YeahItsCase]

welcome to the board! I had a Lap DS with Dr. Stewart on 12/7/11 so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Dr. Stewart is a great surgeon. Which hospital will you be in?

[renegadeorange]

Dec 30, 2011 14:59:55 GMT -5 seahorse said:

Thanks so much, everyone! I'm feverishly taking notes on everything. Question, when you say sippy cup, do you mean like the toddler kind? If so, I'm totally going princess themed.

Yep, the toddler kind! Haha, I went with the most sickeningly cute cup I could find... If I'm gonna be dragging a sippy cup around, it better at least be adorable.

[adnerb]

Best wishes with your surgery! I had a revision to DS with Dr. Stewart on 12/14/11. The entire staff is wonderful and he is a very excellent surgeon. They are wonderful at answering any questions you have.
Brenda

[seahorse]

Thanks! How neat to see all these other people who even had the same doctor.

YeahItsCase I'll be at Denton Regional. I heard that Forest Park is the Taj Mahal of hospitals, but DRMC won't charge me extra for my gall bladder removal (and I'm self pay). So I may be slumming it! I go in for an EGD there in the morning.

Everyone I've met there so far has been really nice. I just loved Amy.

[sherbearmama]

I never used a sippy. I found a great water bottle that had a rubber spout and sucking on it works great--plus it holds 32 ounces! I ended up buying one for my 20 month old (a smaller size) because she loved it and because it doesn't leak or spill like most sippies eventually do. I got mine from Target. Here is a link to it: www.amazon.com/CamelBak-BPA-Free-Better-Bottle-Valve/dp/B0019DCD6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325458011&sr=8-1

You'll probably have to copy and paste the link into your browser.

Sheri

[trxxyy]

Jan 1, 2012 17:50:16 GMT -5 sherbearmama said:

I never used a zippy. I found a great water bottle that had a rubber spout and sucking on it works great--plus it holds 32 ounces! I ended up buying one for my 20 month old (a smaller size) because she loved it and because it doesn't leak or spill like most sippies eventually do. I got mine from Target. Here is a link to it: www.amazon.com/CamelBak-BPA-Free-Better-Bottle-Valve/dp/B0019DCD6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325458011&sr=8-1

This is the same water bottle I used and it worked great. You have to work a little at getting a sip of water so it really helped get just the right amount of water right after surgery.

[teachmid]

Welcome, Shea and good luck on your surgery. Dr. Stewart is an excellent choice.

[abright0]

Welcome! Good luck this week!