APPROVED! Please Share Information

I haven’t posted a lot in the past but have viewed plenty.  I have gotten a lot of helpful information from OH.  I wanted to share with everyone I was approved yesterday by BSBC of Georgia.  I am so excited and now just have to get a surgery date.  Christy at Dr. Baker office was out of office Friday, so hopefully Monday she will be back in to schedule the surgery.  I am going for the Lap RNY but may have to go open RNY if there is scar tissue in the way. 

  I would like input from you guys on what I need to buy before the surgery (food, drinks, etc.—home stock), what I need to take with me to the hospital? ---What did you take; what did you wish you had taken or not taken?  I also would like to hear any information on what to expect that wasn’t covered or you didn’t read about.  Any information that you think would be helpful to me, please share.  I am so excited and scared too…but I can’t wait.

I had open RNY 08/20/07.  I elected open for a few reasons - 1. I didn't want to plan for lap, then have it converted to open due to scar tissue from past c-section 2. Christy recommended open to me because I could get my gall bladder out at the same time and not have to worry about gall stones later on. 3. Dr. Baker's open incision is only as wide as the width of his palm of his hand.  So I figured by the time you add up the small incisions on each side of the stomach, they were larger combined than the single incision would be.  4. Only having to worry about 1 incision as opposed to multiple (being sore, keeping clean, keeping dressed, etc).  So I come from the open side, but everything you're asking about should be the same even though you're on the lap side. Before surgery, I asked the question to the BMC NUT at a support group meeting.  The suggestions she had were: sugar free jello sugar free pudding healthy request cream of whatever soup skim milk crystal light In addition to that, I would suggest buying some protein.  You will have to practice trial and error to find one you like.  Even though I had done an OCD amount of research on this procedure/process, I will admit that I was still surprised at how hard it was for me to get in my protein.  The minimum per day is supposed to be 60 grams.  Initially, that is HARD to get in (or at least it was for me).  I am over 2 months out now, eating a maximum of 4 - 6 tablespoons of food per meal 3 x per day and I STILL have trouble getting in all my protein.  (When I eat protein heavy meals, like the thinly sliced roast beef I ate for lunch, it seems that I can't get in as much - so it's hard for me.)  Some people suppliment with protein shakes.  I think they are disgusting.  If I am going to spend money on protein, it is going to taste good.  My solution has been to buy protein slams/bullets/whatever.  They are mostly 2.9 - 3.1 ounce vials of liquid flavored protein.  Some GNC stores sell "Protein Slams" in peach and fruit punch flavors.  Per 2.9 ounce vial, they have 100 calories, 0 fat, 0 carbs and 27 grams of protein.  They are on special a lot for buy 2 (for $2.99 each if memory serves) and get 1 free.  However, not all GNCs have them and the ones that do are not good about keeping stocked.  For about the same price per vial, you can order "New Whey" liquid protein vials from www.fitnessfirstusa.com for $53 for 24 vials. (That's the price right now, but I usually wait for a special.  I got 4 cases of 12 (48 vials) plus 2 free gifts (protein bars) for between $103 - $104 total.)  They ship it right to your front door and if you order in bulk, they'll let you pick some free gifts.  They have various flavors, etc.  I want the most bang for my buck, so I get the vials with 42 grams of protein in them, but they have 27 gram vials also.  I order the fruit punch and the grape.  I buy the little single serving mix packets of crystal light (or the generic Kroger brand) and mix the protein in the crystal light.  I can't hardly taste it at ALL and it is the ONLY way I can get in 60 grams of protein a day most days.  Sometimes, I'll have a good protein day and just drink skim milk to bump me on up to 60; but if I'm too far from 60 for a cup or 2 of skim milk to work, I have the option of using the protein vial.  In my opinion, protein and fluids are THE MOST IMPORTANT THING to be concerned about post-op.  After all, if you're losing weight - but it's muscle you're losing and not fat - you're not going to be doing yourself any favors.  So I WISH that I had got my liquid protein pre-op, so I didn't have to worry about finding it post-op.   I slept horribly and had nightmares for a full week or so post-op.  I don't know if that happens to everybody, but it did me.  If it happens to you, don't worry - it will pass. Right at first, most everyone has "buyer's remorse" and thinks "what have I done to myself?", "I'm not even normal anymore", etc, etc, etc.  I read a lot about this, so I expected it when it happened to me.  However, even though you expect to feel that way, it is easy to become a little depressed post-op when you are trying to get used to your new life.  In my case, this was partly because I was frustrated due to sleeping issues.  However, it was also because this process is somewhat isolating.  Even though my family totally supported me and my husband was more wonderful than I could ever have hoped or imagined, I still felt somewhat desolate.  It is important to get out as much as possible and do little things.  Ride to the post office with someone, etc.  Go buy groceries if you feel up to it.  (Definately don't lift, etc - let someone else do all that.) I would also recommend not taking too much time off work if you have an office or relatively easy physical job.  I took 4 weeks off work and that was about 2 weeks too long.  Everyone else in my family had gone back to work and I was still sitting home every day.  That only fuels the isolation feeling.  Get on obesityhelp.com as much as possible and blog your feelings, as well as talk to others about what you're going through.  The isolation feeling was also an issue for me because I come from an entire family of big eaters.  Post-op, I changed, but they didn't.  I used to go to town with my dad every Saturday and Sunday.  We'd go to some buffet and eat, then go about our business in town.  We hardly go out at all together now because he refuses to eat at healthier places most of the time and I refuse to pay $10 for a buffet where I will most likely eat 4 - 6 tablespoons of chicken.  When my entire family gets together to go out, they still want to go to the Pizza Hut buffet, or Ryan's buffet, or New China buffet or Rod's Pizza buffet or KFC's buffet.  There is little I can eat at those places that is good for me.  They don't try to sabotage me.  When I occassionally meet with them now, they ask me where I want to eat and they will sometimes go there.  Sometimes they will say they'll catch me next time and they'll go somewhere else while I eat alone (or with my kids if they're out of school).  They don't do it to sabotage me or be mean.  They just haven't changed and I have.  I'm not angry with them because they are not making changes for me, but it did fuel the sense of isolation initially.  I have gotten used to it now so it doesn't make me feel that way anymore.  But it definately did in the beginning.  In the beginning, it was almost like a constant reminder that I had done something to myself to make me abnormal.  But if you experience this, just know that it too passes. I feel like this post has been more about me than what you were asking, but I hope you get something good out of it.  LOL

Thanks Wendy and Evelyn for the information you have shared with me.  It was very helpful and appreciated.  My surgery is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 19.  I picked up the wonderful shakes today from Christy and only have to do 11 days instead of two weeks.  It just seems that everything is going fast now, before when I was getting everything in order for WLS it seemed it was drawn out forever.  But now it’s really going to happen.  My work doesn’t know yet, I have tried to get someone in HR and nurse the past two days without luck.  I go back to work in the morning, so maybe I will be able to catch someone.  They are not going to be happy about the surgery being so soon.  But, it’s something that couldn’t be helped and I want it as soon as possible.  My insurance is changing its policy on WLS beginning next year.  So, I’m really cutting it close there.  Well, enough on the rambling I wanted to thank you both and let you know I will be on the loser side soon.