Tips for our pre ops

HI guys - a couple of our folks have surgeries coming up in Jan. - I thought maybe the post ops could offer 1 or 2 bits of advice or things they wish they had known or done differently. Vitamins - getting them figured out & bought pre op. I would get the vitamins you will need if you have not already done so. D. Wynn/Iragau's office does not want you to swallow whole pills the 1st month so anything you are taking that is not chewable or sub-lingual (under the tongue) it has to be crushed and capsules have to be emptied. This was really hard for me because I could not really stand the way it tasted. Many people have no problem doing it so this doesn't mean you will. I just think it is good to know aheas of time. They let you take the crushed pills in applesauce, yogurt, cottage cheese - whatever you can tolerate. SO you might want to figure that out now. Try getting a recliner for the 1st week or two at home when it might be hard to lay flat or get up from a flat position. I've heard you can even rent one fairly cheap for a month. HAPPY NEW BEGININGS!

Thanks for the great tips Kathy - any other tips you want to pass on would be greatly appreciated!!!!! Thanks!!! ((hugs)) Cj

no .....that's not me....... I cannot believe I did it again!!!!!!! I have to remember to take off my HTML hat before going to read the message boards -- 2 times today I have posted using Debbie Reeds ID -- I'm so sorry Debbie!! At least all of my postings were positive. Maybe it has a little to do with my surgery in 10 days..........I am so scattered I can barely think!!!!!! Maybe they can do a little neurosurgery on me at the same time????? ((hugs)) Cj

Kathy, Thanks for the tips. I did buy a chewable kids vitamin. I got the sugar free, flavor free fiber suplement. All I have to get now are the chewable calcium TUMS tablets and a good sugar free protein drink. You make a great Keep up the good work. Thanks for the recliner tip too. I do have one that I can kick back , no lever. . I never could reach the levers, my arms are too short. LOL. I used it alot when I had my hernia surgery. Hard to get out up & down from a laying down position. I'm sure it won't be a picnic for the first couple of weeks. Keep posting positive ideas & hints. (((((HUGS))))) Elissa

Great topic Kathy!!! My advice would be to savor the experience ... both pre-op and post. There is so much happening, our lives really start changing so fast ... enjoy each and every moment of the journey ... tuck those memories away in your heart and journel. I agree with Kathy on the recliner, especially if you are a side (left) sleeper. I could not get comfortable trying to sleep on my back in the bed and the recliner really helped me for the first few days until I was able to lay kinda sideways propped with pillows on the bed. To the recliner I would add ... lot's and lot's of soft fluffy pillows. I had them under my arms, under my knees ... etc. It really helped me to stay comfortable. Also, if your ride home is longer like mine was ... you may want to consider getting a hit of your pain meds before letting them unhook them. Also have a pillow to hold on the trip. Some of the roads are a little bumpy and it helps to have something to hold against the tummy area. (I had a somewhat rough trip home, but it may have been because of my hernia surgery rather than my bypass) ... but just to be safe, a pillow would be nice. Also, CHAPSTICK ... it was my very best friend in the hospital. If you have a small fan, you may want to take it also. My room was pretty hot and the fans on the floors were hard to come by. One more thing that I just found out ... I received my home phone bill and there was a $10.00 charge on it ... come to find out ... there was a service charge for using the hospital phone to call out on. So even though I had a calling card, I was charged the $10.00 to call out. It is my understanding that we were not charged for any incomming calls ... only a one time fee for using the phone to call out on. I still consider my call out to my mother important and would pay the money again to offer her peace of mind to talk with me ... I just wanted everyone to know up front and not be surprised like I was when I got my home phone bill. Hubby said they mentioned something about it to him ... but he was too concerned about me having surgery for it to even register at the time. Slip on slippers ... you will need them to skuffle around those hallways!!! Make sure you walk, walk and walk some more ... even when you get home. And do your breathing exercises ... it is important for your health. And please do not hesitate to call the docs for advice when needed. They really are wonderful people and want to make sure that our journeys are as wonderful as possible. I called poor ole Doc Irgau the very first night home ... I was worried about the Tylenol w/Codine that they gave me when I realized that it was a syurp and thus it had to have some "sugar" in it. Dr Irgua sweetly told me that it was alright to take it as prescribed. *grin* But he also told me not to feel bad and never to hesitate to call him if I had any questions. Good Doc!!! And don't forget to keep all of us here posted ... everyone really does care. Isn't that wonderfully amazing? I think it is such a blessing to have this place to come together and share and support one another!!! Hugs to each of you!!! Tammy

This is a great post and I hope it is added to as people remember things. I wish there posts bumped up again as they were added to, it makes things you don't want to miss so much easier to follow.

You postie's are WONDERFUL. I absolutely loved this and the gesture is greatly appreciated. Anyother tidbits you guys think of would be great, too. God Bless you thoughtful Posties. Dianne

Howdy, Tip one: Don't worry about how fast you're losing weight in comparison to others. The important thing is that it's coming off, and staying off. Tip two: Get involved at the support meetings as soon as possible after your surgery. Wonderful, supportive people attend these meetings and can help you understand what is happening with your body. Tip three: Keep in touch with your surgeon. Tip four: Get up and start walking. Tip Five: Smile and laugh a lot. October 2003 postie, Rob

Okay ... dare I post this in a public forum ???? I am going to do at great risk of bodily harm ... *grin* If you are offend easily, you may not want to read any further ... with that said ... here goes ... " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Sex and baths ... If you have Dr. Irgau & Dr Wynn for a lap RNY ... After surgery, you will be given orders telling you to abstain from sex and baths for one month post-op. This surprised me quite a bit. Don't know where my head was before surgery, but I never considered having any restrictions. Duh ... guess I should have. But it simply never crossed my mind ... so I am telling you all here just in case so you won't be standing there with your jaw hitting the floor when they give you your discharge papers like I did!!! At any rate ... let it suffice to say that I was feeling much better within a week and these rules seemed a little harsh to me BUT I was way too embarrased to ask the doc about it ... hubby even offer to call them and speak with them ... needless to say I said NO NO NO!!!! So with that said ... being the good little lady that I am, and wanting to make sure that I didn't do anything to hurt my chances of a successful surgery, I followed the rules to a T ... well almost anyway!!! *wink*

::cough:: ::cough:: my discharge papers didn't say amything about waiting a month... ... At my two week visit I scooted Brett out of the room & asked the wonderful Wynn about it and she said as long as I was feeling up to it, it was fine.... Baths of course... And to think I almost missed this little slipped in note