Your help is needed...

My surgery date is August 1st. I came to the June board to ask some help. What did you need in the Hospital? Did you buy food in advance & What did you buy? Any suggestions to help me.....PLEASE Thanks - I'm really nervous & want to be prepared. Kristi

For the hospital: lightweight robe slippers underwear (optional) lip gloss makeup hairbrush shampoo and conditioner I also took a lightweight board to put behind my back (I have a bad back) For home: sugar free popsicles water chicken and beef broth sugar free jello vitamins Crystal Lite in lots of flavors decaffinated tea bags Lipton's decaf. flavored iced tea Sher Lo Good Luck! You will soon be on the losing side!

Shampoo and Conditioner Hair Dryer Deodorant Face Soap I took a nightgown, but I just wore a clean gown they gave me everyday. I took a robe, but never used it. I took slippers, but used the slipper socks that they provided. Reading material Make sure you get your phone/tv hooked up! A pillow for the ride home and if you need to cough. At home I had: Centrum Adult Chewable Calcium Citrate Chewable - GNC Vegetable Broth Chicken Broth S/F Popsicles Flavored Waters!! Pill cutter/crusher Any prescriptions that need to be filled, filled. I actually bought 2 Gerber sippy cups for the first 2 weeks. Low Sugar Juices diluted 50% - white grape, white cranberry, apple juice

HOSPITAL: I brought a nightgown, but didn't use it. It was just easier to use the hospitals. Need a lightweight robe for walking the halls...the hospital ones were terrible. Chapstick, but really didn't need it until after I got home. My prescription medicines in case there were any questions what so ever. Shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. (including make up, it made me feel better) Something easy to do...read, Suduko, gameboy, ... A small pillow for coughing and the ride home (it hurts a little when you cough) HOME: Cream of Wheat/Malt O' Meal Cream soups: I liked chicken best Fruit Juice Skim Milk Flinstone Vitamin or Chewable adult - make sure they are the complete (I was told not to use any other kind of vitamin until my 8 week check up with the diatician.) Water: I would vary my water with Crystal Lite, decaf. ice tea. Liquid Tylenol Underware (The elastic kind - like a lightweight girdle - helped to hold the stomach tight so that it didn't hurt.) A friend!!!!! This was the most important. Have someone you can call if you're feeling blue, someone that will visit with you, and laugh with you. My husband was my friend - but I also had a great girl friend that was there. MOST OF ALL, DON'T WORRY...YOU'VE MADE YOUR DECISION - BE HAPPY FOR YOURSELF. I am so glad I did it. It was a hard decision, that came at me very fast. I checked out the surgery in April after my Pulm. dct. told me I needed to do something and set me up with an appt. with Dr. Graham, my surgeon. Next thing I know, surgery is set for June 14. I had a pre-op consultations on June 7th. As I was leaving his office, I got a call. They had a cancellation and I was in surgery the morning of June 8th. I didn't have time to really worry. HAS IT BEEN EASY? No, HAS IT BEEN WORTH IT? Yes If you want to talk, email me at [email protected] It is worth it...Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, lets see.... I did a whole bunch of running around for the pre-op shopping list and the reality is I hardly used half of the stuff. Everyone hospital stay is different and I was told for Lap RNY I would be there a minimum of 21/2 days...Girl I was there 6:15 thursday morning, 7:30 surgery, 6:30pm in my hospital room... Friday morning...doctor's check incisions, drain, change dressing, remove cathetera (i can't spell that), Vitals are checked...My doc (who is the chief) personally came to check me out and said all is going very well and I could go home...by 3:30 I was slowly walking up my house steps. I only used my: Nightgown toothbrush washcloth soap deodorant Roomy cloths to go home in slippers robe (I did lots of walking) Vaseline for lips (all I can use) That's it....books for reading, crossword, word search...I wasn't interested in none of that...half the time I was there I was trying to get comfortable in that bed... I was glad to go home earlier then they stated..... I am not one of those who feel like you need to hang out in the hospital just to get well.... If I felt sick I'd a stayed but I've had no setbacks or problems.. Just a great doctor. I hope you have a similar if not better experience. nepo Oh, and I bought so much sugar free jello, pops, and broth..and I was only on liquids for one week. The reality is you can't even drink that much....

In hospital - socks, slippers, robe, chapstick definitely Don't buy a lot of food, especially expensive protein powders beforehand because your taste will most likely change. I bought samples at www.bariatriceating.com to try when I was home. I did buy a few cans of broth, yogurt, sf pudding and sf popsycles although I didn't eat much of that my first week. Good luck!!