surgery on August 17th!! need some help

Hi, Does anyone have any advice for me since my surgery is one week away. I am getting very very anxious and feel like I am in overload and dont know what to do to get ready. I totally researched this and now that its so close I really am stumped. I still need to get my vitamins together. I do have my Atkins protein drinks and unjury samples. Is there a checklist that someone has created to help get ready. I would love the advice and I hope to hear from you guys. You can email me too at [email protected] Thanks so much! Sharon

Good luck to you Sharon! First on the list to do is....take a deep breath and breathe! You will do well. As far as the list.... To Hospital: 1. Toothbrush 2. Brush for hair 3. Comfy clothing (Wear the outfit in and you won't have to bring another) 4. CPAP equipment if you are on it. Home 1. Have someone ready to pick up pain meds for you the day of discharge. 2. Vitamins (Flintstones and Calcuim chews, sublinginal B-12 from Trader Joes is good) 3. Broth, Jello, SF juice, water, and milk 4. Help with daily living...don't pick up or run vacuum stuff.....let someone else do it for a while. 5. Walk when you get home...it doesn't have to be far...a block is good. And each day try for a little more. Hope this helps and if I missed anything I am sure my other buddies here on the board will drop you a line. See you at a support meeting! Debbie

Hi Debbie, Thanks for all the good information. I am soaking this all up like a sponge. Actually, a ton of copying and pasting. LOL. I didnt even think of the CPAP machine even though the sleep doctor said to bring it to the hospital but that appt was a while ago. I am sure I will be seeing alot of you at the support meetings. I am excited about that. I will talk to you soon! Take Care....Sharon

Congratulations Sharon on your upcoming journey to the new you . The things that Debbie told you to bring will be all you will need. I just got the Optisource vitamins at Dr. Irgau's office that you take 4 times a day that are specially formulated for use after bariatric surgery so they have everything you need in them without taking separate vitamins which can be a pain. Also your taste buds sometimes are different after surgery so don't get large amounts of any one protein supplement because you may not be able to use them all. I don't know if you've ever heard of it but there is a proein supplement called Profect that is about 2.5 ounces with 25 grams of protein that is easy to sip on to get in the protein in the beginning stage post op and it comes in a variety of flavors and you can get it online on this website. Also try to get recipes for protein drinks (the doctor's office has some) and pureed foods. I pureed chili, refried beans and cheese, different meats with low fat gravy, shrimp and crabmeat with lowfat mayo and Old Bay seasoning. I wish you all the best and see you on the losers bench! Prycey Lady RNY 2/2/05 373/190/??

Hi Prycey Lady, Thanks for the awesome tips and ideas. I heard about the Profect before but have totally forgot about it. I will order some tonight. I told you I am freezing up. LOL I am having a little anxiety over all this. I have to keep myself busy and try not to think of what is about to happen. I love seafood and that is the my big binge meal this weekend. CRABS and SHRIMP. YUMMY! Does everyone use the ice cube tray idea to keep the portion sizes right for in the beginning or is there a better way. I am taking a little from each dinner that I cook this week and grinding it up in the blender and putting in the freezer in baggies. But I am not sure how much we are suspose to be eating right after so I might have way to much food stored away. Thanks so much. Sharon

Hey Sharon, Its me again! Just wanted to say that I did the Isopure, soups and chili in ice cube trays. I would do about 2 ice cubes at a time and this worked out okay but again don't do too much of anything because you might end up throwing it out. Take care, Prycey Lady

Sharon, First congradulation. Try to have at leat 1 weeks worth of food prepared before you leave for the surgery. This way you can concentrate on getting better first. And trust me you can not eat that much food. I suggest to make the food bland at first you can always spice it up but you need to enter into food slowly. I had my surgery on 1/30/06. Good luck Carolyn

I discourage you from having that much food prepared before your surgery. I did that and ended up throwing it all away. I couldn't stand the taste of things that had been prepared and frozed (but that was just me, everyone's different). But your tastes WILL be different immediately post op. Try lots of different things once you get home. I know people who LOVED chicken before their surgery and absolutely cannot eat it now. Best things for the first 3 days are, broth, sf jello & pudding, sf popcicles, etc. I practically LIVED on pureed chilli, refried beans w/melted cheese and pureed chicken breasts w/broth after I got thru the first 3 days. Concentrate more on getting in enough fluids and walking. The rest will come in it's own time.

Hi Dineen, I sent you Carolyns reply. Oops. I went today and got some things like sf jello and pudding, cottage cheese, sf popcicles. What was so weird though is that I went for the big container of cottage cheese that I normally would have bought and remembered that I wasnt going to be able to eat the huge portion that I usually eat. I ended up with the little individual cups and figured for awhile I will have leftovers. refried beans with melted cheese sounds good. I'll have to remember that. I bought some protein shakes today and figured for awhile if I had to I will live off those and little by little try adding food to it. Can you count protein drinks for fluids because in the beginning I think its going to be hard to get in all the fluids and food? I will concentrate on getting my fluids and walking in and I know it will take time to get use to things. Thanks so much for your help and advice. Keep it coming! Take Care....Sharon

Hi Carolyn, I love getting all these tips and ideas. I've been just trying to make sure nothing has sugar in it. I guess I'll have to watch the spices to for a bit. How much do they say you should have in the beginning and how will you know when you better not take one more bite otherwise you'll dump. Thats what I am afraid of doing. Because now I feel like I can eat and eat. Thanks for posting! Sharon