What do we take to the hospital?

Hello I'm patiently (HA!)waiting for my surgery date. The last thing I needed to do was lose the 10 pounds required by Dr Aranow. YIPPIE!!! its done! Friday was weigh in at the office and so its now documented. Lois was out til monday and Dr A is on vacation so I was told that I should have the date in 2 weeks. Now I'm working very hard to keep this 10 pounds off. My family said that since I did so good losing the 10 maybe I want to rethink this surgery business. I told them wait just a minute! I'm 51 and have been overweight for many many years. I've tried and tried so many different things over the course of those years. Now its time for the surgery. I'm excited, scared, and can't wait. Could anyone tell me what we need to bring (besides medical cards) to the hospital? O is there a meeting before hand at the hospital? What nights do they do it or is it pretty open to when your available? I'm a planner and love to have things all set and ready to go. Already got a new book, robe and slippers! Feel like i"m planning a mini vacation hahaha Just waiting for the flight numbers.

Pam, Basically you need to take very little to the hospital. I had a bag packed and ready to go-but I didn't use anything from it for the first 2 days. When you are able to take a shower, it was really nice to put on a comfortable nitegown and you feel better about yourself. It was amazing what a little scented soap and shampoo does for you. I took several books, but I found that I could not concentrate on them. I did look at a magazine or two. Your hospital stay is short, and the best way to pass the time is to get up and walk around the nurses station as much as you can. They provide mouthwash and lotion, but again I brought my own. About the weight loss thing, my husband said the same thing to me- why do you need the surgery if you lost the required weight why cant you continue on your own. What most people do not realize is that if we could successfully eat the way we should, it would not be necessary for this extreme life changing surgery. I failed every diet I have ever been on,and its a great feeling to know that this time I am going to be successful,and so will you. Good Luck.

Best of luck on your upcoming procedure, Pamela! My one BIG suggestion is to bring a pair of slippers or other "easy on-easy off" footwear. The drs want you walking a couple of times a day, and those "slipper socks" the hospital gives you are useless, at least they were to me. They were always shifting around so the gripping side was in the wrong place, and it was really hard - if not impossible - to bend down and turn them around. Don't bring money; don't bring jewelry or anything else you'd hate to lose or have disappear. Most of the stuff I thought I'd need - toothbrush and paste, etc. - were provided by the hospital. A book and a magazine were also VERY valuable to me. As for those 10 pounds, tell your family that we have ALL lost ten pounds - or twenty, fifty, a hundred . . . over the years, and they have always come back and usually brought a bunch friends with them.

Hi Pamela, I'm glad I brought my own hairbrush, slippers, change of undies and lip balm. I wish I had brought my own soap and shampoo (the hospital stuff is the worse). Other than that, I didn't need a thing. I didn't read the magazine I brought, I didn't put on the robe I brought. Mainly, I slep****ched tv and walked, walked, walked. God Bless, Kathy Bilodeau Lap RNY 12/3/03 -67 lbs.