Down the Road

Looking back I remember now some of the questions and I want to share what I do remember. 1. By 2 weeks after surgery you will hate slim fast, optifast...etc LOL. Don't buy alot because a one ounce serving is a medicine cup full. Most doctors say to shoot for 3 oz at each meal 3 times a day. Only about a half a can. So don't buy alot or all one flavor. 2. Don't stress it when they tell you to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day at first. You can't. There is no room to put it. Do sip on water all day long. Measure it and remember your time before and after your meals that you are not to drink. Drinking to soon after your meal or Boost or slim fast will pu**** and the nutriants out to soon. 3. Don't take alot to the hospital. A good robe, you will have an IV so consider it when you think about a nighty. I very sturdy pillow incase they don't have one to give you for the ride home. You will need it to support your left side. 4. THreatin your driver who is driving you home, that you will not be held responsible for loud screams and curse words if they hit a small pump or do not creep over railroad tracks. You will know and feel every bump in the road in your gut. You may get car sick also. 5. For woman only, even if you haven't had a period in months you just may the day after your surgery. Be prepared for it to start, lovely thing to go along with the surgery pain but hey they have good drugs there. This happens to alot of woman. 6. Bring pads and easy to get on panties and throw your modesty out the window. 7. Yes through your modesty out the window, depending on how sore you are and how big your belly is it will hurt to slightly bend over to wipe your butt and some people do need help with this and sliding on panties. There have been talk of bringing long spoons and spatchula's LOL. Hey but in a year you will be able to bend over and look right threw your thighs!!! 8. It will take a good month for the anastia to where off. You will have odd sleeping hours and moments of waking and not being able to get back to sleep. 9. Gas from the anastia can settle around your diaphram and be worrysum in there symptoms of a heart attack but call your doctor anyway. 10. For regular by pass patients, not lap banders, you will think your starving and things smell so good but I promise your it won't taste the same for months to come. 11. For by pass patients also food and water and beverages will also taste different. Most become sensitve to taste. Regular tape water is gross, you will taste the chemicals in it and processed foods for months way on out. 12. Fresh foods and organic will tast like candi. Wait for watermelon! Only try foods high in surgar in small small quanities incase your dump on them. Remember veggies grown underground are high in sugar. 13. Farts!! Did I say vanity goes out the window. You will now be one of the men and a good one. If you have very young children say 5th grade boys, they will be impressed. Be careful where you let it lose. Two reasons..1) The smell will clear a theatre'..promise. 2) it isn't always gas, see #14 14. The feeling of gas is not always gas, so be close to a bath room. WHen you have to go you have to go. Your boop will now be like long thin light color ribbons espically after surgery they will be light. There is no large intestine to go through. And some days alot of us have very loose bowels. Colors will now range from sandy yellow to shades of green and light browns. But do watch how green it gets it could be a sign of gull blader. 15. Hunger pains and acid refluct for by pass patients is history in its normal state but throwing up is a response to dumping or not slowing down, taking your time and chewing really really well. 16. It hurts like hell to throw up when it is only food and no fluid. Like dry heaves only with rocks to come up. And it could hurt for days after. Please chew well and in small bites 17. invest and use a small childs plate and toddler spoons and forks or a ****tail fork. IT will help. You won't ever need a regular size plate again. 18. Stay off the scale untill your first check up. SOme come home full of IV fluid and have gained. Scales are never our friends. 19. You will loose alot your first month for most. 20. Expect your first stall at 3 weeks out and again at 3 months. Sometimes the stalls last days and weeks espically at 6 months and 9 when it could go on for a month. 21. You will fall into a pattern lose wise. Some lose a pound a day at first than 2 pounds a week. After awhile it will be nothing untill you have your period and 4 to 8 may drop. Everyone is different. 22. Everyone is different!!! We loose different. Don't get discourage when you start your weekly weigh ins. It will all even out comparitively a year out. 23. You will be able to eat foods again and the taste will come back but beware!!! WHile chicken and beef fill us quickly....potato chips, gravey, dips, crackers all those nasty carbs are slidder foods. They will go down if you graze and they there fats and carbs will be absorbed back.. You will have a good six months to change your habits,eating and exercise and mentality. Stick to it. Get involved with local support groups for years on out. Take your vitamins!!! There can be serve mental and health issues if you don't!! 24. Honesty!! Tell your Doctor, nutrionist etc the truth about what you are doing and eating. He won't take your surgery back but if you are doing something wrong or sliding he will help you stop!! Your not going through this to put it back on. The Doctor will lecture and he should. 25. Keep copies of your blood work! 26. Expect people to make strange remarks. Love yourself and them for they may say something hurtfull not meaning to espically your fluffy friends who might be afraid you'll dump them. Some will even wonder if you have cancer LOL if they don't know about the surgery. 27. Yes most all of us have some sagging skin issues. Depends on how long you were overweight, your age, and such. No way around it. I am a slow loser and I have two shapae' puppies hanging off each side of my butt now. Flat wrinkly skin. My boops keep my belly button company or hide under my arm flaps. You can exercise but unless I want to look like Arnold it isn't about to fill it all up. 28. Your hormons will dump when you loose fast, so let hubby know why your depressed one minute, crying the next than fine. They come out of stored fat and hit your system. Keep the communication open as you become a butterfly with hubby he might be scared you will fly away honestly. 29. COmmunication, communication, talk and talk with your spouse. For some the sex drive wains off espically with coming wrinkles. It is a trade off. If they loved you fat they'll love your wrinkles and bones! 30. Ahhhh Bones, yes you will have collor bones and you will find your tail bone and it hurts. I promise it will hurt!!! Years of being cushioned to nothing!! Honestly alot is from wasting muscle. Please work those muscles and gluts! 31. Most everyones hair thins out no matter what. It has alot to do with protein to a point and alot to do with the fact you had major surgery and the stress of it. Usually starts at 3 or 4 months out and goes on for a few months or more! It will come back. So if you love your long hair, cut it and hang it in the closet. Look at the before and after pics notice the new short hair do's. Long hair will be all over your car, bed,floors, house and sinks. It'll looke like a bears nest. Cut it cute and short for the summer, it will grow back! 32. Ok keep up the fluids, if something feels wrong call your doctor!!! Take your vitamins and don't stress it. You will get the routine down and you won't starve to death the first few months. Good Luck!! I am probably out of room!

Wow! Thank you so much for your very valuable suggestions! Much appreciated! Colleen