Very Nervous--help!

Hi--I have my surgery on the 24 and meet with my surgeon thisThursday but I am kind of freaking out now. I want to be prepared...I know I can buy s/f jello, popsicles, bouillon, etc. But I am clueless about this protein drink stuff. When am I supposed to drink that? As a meal? Within the first 2 weeks? I am also wondering about sleeping--I am a side sleeper usually but when I had my c-section 19 months ago I could only sleep in a lazy boy for the first 2 weeks b/c I could not lay flat due to pain. So should I borrow/rent one?? I have my vitamins and just did a will at my mother's insistance...I am just scared I guess. Due to my weight my husband helps me alot with everything but he may not be able to be at the hospital 24/7 like when I had our son. And I feel more comfortable with him helping me than a nurse. My goal is to do everything by the book--I want to be healthy b/c this surgery is something it has taken me a long time to decide to do. I feel I am making the right decision but I am worried about the actual surgery, pain, etc. thanks! Cathy

Some surgeons require you to start your Liquid Diet Pre-Op and some don't. Thursday would be a good time to bring this up. I have tried lots of the samples looking for something I would like [although it may be a waste of time since many people here say your tastes change post-op], but I can't rely on them alone because of my diabetes. I tried having a protein drink for breakfast and again for lunch one time and I had such a hypoglycemic attack that my wife had to drive across town to pick me up 'cause I couldn't drive myself. The basic rule I read is that you will probably be required to injest 30 grams of Protein per day. A lot of people meet this requirement with the protein drinks when they are on the Liquid Diet stage. There is a neat little retail outfit here in the Dallas area that has multiple samples of the different protein drinks. It is at www.txwls.com and once you are there, click on the link to the left that says Samples. They also have a nifty little Pre-Op package that contains 30 samples, plus a Pill Chopper/Crusher, a Pill Holder, a Shaker Bottle and some more stuff I can't remember right now (of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most!). It seems a little pricey at first, but if you try ordering samples alone you can get into some serious money pretty quick. G'Luck in Your Journey Mike DS on 08/31/2004 in Atlanta with Dr. Smith

Thanks Michael! I will look into it! By the way--I am diabetic too! Cathy

I was the same way before my surgery, and to be honest with you I have yet to find any Protien Drink that I can stand. I am not a very picky person, but I guess now that my stomach is the size of my thumb...she has the right to be picky. Everyone raves about GNC's ISOPURE Drink, so I am off to buy some today. I will let you know how it goes. As for the pain, i guess that all depends on you and your body. I had a c-section too, and I thought that the surgery would be a breeze b'cuz I was up and walking around the same day I had my son and went home the next day. But to be honest, for the first few days I had a little bit of "buyers remorse" but now that and all the pain I was in is all a memory. I dont have a scale at home bcuz it would make me nuts to watch all 100 lbs that I hope to loose go away 1lb at a time, but I just got on one yesterday and I am down 26lbs!!! In 11 days!!! I feel good. I little tired...but I am back to work full time. Thats all I can think of..good luck to you!!! I will say a prayer for you! Feel free to write and ask anything you like. The more you know, the better off you are!

Hi Cathy! I would say YES to the lazyboy. I did not get one, and I wish that I had. It would have made my life much easier! In the hospital, I slept in lazy-boy position in the bed, but when I got home, I had to lie flat, and I could not lie on my side the way I like to sleep for the first week. Now, at 2 weeks, I can do it, if I have a big pillow between my legs. I don't know why that helps, but it does. I also like to have one for my "upper" arm to rest on so that it does not hang down. I had pain in the hospital, but the morphine was enough to deal with it (WEIRD dreams though!). They gave me vicodin to take home, and that helped me sleep for the next week. I really only needed it to sleep, but the lazy boy might have fixed that if I had had one. Now, at two weeks, the only pain that I have is the deep stitches in the incision where they put the stapler in. It is on the left side, just near the belly-button, and it feels like it is burning when I strain it by bending too far, or twisting wrong. But, it is certainly bearable. The protein drinks can be ordered online, or you can buy them at these new low-carb stores that are popping up everywhere. I don't drink them every day, but they are good, and the Isopure gives you 40 grams of protein in one bottle, which is great. But they are about 4 dollars a bottle... For the first week I was home, I loved the "enriched" nonfat milk, which means that you put powdered nonfat milk in your regular nonfat milk to give you extra calcium and protein, without extra volume or fat. It is very soothing to me to drink. Now, I am on the soft diet, but I do not eat anything that is not primarily protein. I do not eat any breads or pasta, for instance. Protein, protein, protein. The most important thing I can tell you is that it is true that the sooner you get up, and the more you can walk, the sooner you will feel better. The gas is monstrous at first, especially the gas that gets trapped in your abdomen during surgery. It will go away, so don't worry that you will have to endure it too long. Just keep in mind that in a very short time, relatively speaking, you will feel better than you can imagine. I can't believe how much better I feel already, even though I am not much smaller yet. But already my ankles don't ache at the end of the day. Best of luck to you!!! Patience

If you go to the health food store you can buy the protien powder there or you can oder it online. The one I use is very nice, I mix in the blender with my crystal lite. I use Pro Plan Whey Protien, the vanilla brand. Your dietician will probably tell you to began that as soon as you get home. I am also a side sleeper and just cant sleep any other way. I slept on my side in the hospital too. Just put a pillow under your tummy and be careful and you should be ok. I slept in the bed since I got home without any problems just getting in and out comfortably. You will be surprised how quickly you will be doing things for yourself in the hospital. The first day you will be out of it mostly but the second day you will be able to get up yourself and toilet yourself. You may even find yourself taking a little stroll around the corridors. If you read my profile I have a pretty good description of my hospital stay in there. It might give you a better idea. Patty

Hi Cathy! I am one of Dr. Martin's patients too! Today, I'm 2 weeks post-op and doing great! (down 23 lbs as of yesterday) I will be there Thursday at 11am for my 2 week post-op appointment, so maybe we'll run into each other! When you go in Thursday to have the pow-wow with Anne and meet Dr. Martin, she will tell you when to start the protein drinks, etc. But let me tell you this.... What she said was NOT the same as what Dr. Martin said. So, let me tell you what he told me: Biotin (for hair) ~ start at 2 wks post-op Vitamins ~ start at 2 wks post-op Protonix (acid reducing med - you'll get a script for it Thurs.) ~ start immediately (so take it to the hospital with you) Protein Drinks ~ start at 2 wks post-op I am just now starting to side-sleep again. I spent 2 days in the hospital and was on the couch for 5 (sitting up sleeping half the time). Laying down was fine, it was getting up that sucked! I have spent the last week in my bed and I wake every morning with a back ache, so I'm thinking of going back to the couch! *LOL* I don't know where you're having your sugery, but let me give you some words of advice. TAKE your cough pillow into surgery with you! At Miami Valley I BEGGED and CRIED for someone to get my pillow from my husband, but they kept blowing me off like I was a 3 year old. Be prepared to walk, SOON! I was in my room at Noon and they had me out of bed at 3:30 to hobble the hallways. After that, I pretty much walked by myself, the nurses didn't bother me much. In case you are at the Valley, have the main number handy. I wish I had because the first night, everyone disappeared and 20 minutes after I hit the call light, I finally got a "May I help you?"!! Found out that when they're in report at night, there is NO ONE to watch the nurse's station! I would have called the main number and got someone if I had only had that number handy. Most importantly, realize that different surgeons have different rules on eating. I couldn't understand how a friend who'd had the same surgery got to eat eggs, cheese, peanut butter, etc. the day after surgery, when I was on nothing but broth and Jell-O for 2 weeks! Anne told me that if you follow what Dr. Martin says, then you are following the dietary guidelines set by the ASBS. That's the way they wanted it. Now, I do admit to licking on some KFC mashed potatoes a few days early, but you have to watch out for that Dumping! I over did it the first time and became good friends with Charmin. *LOL* Feel free to email me anytime if you have questions. I wish you all the luck and success imaginable!