6/21

hi its my first time on this website and my surgery is in9 days and i am scared and nervous and wondering if there is any advice out there

Hi Apryl. Welcome! Check some of the older posts. I think there was a thread about what to take to the hospital with you. If not on this board, then it's definately on www.spotlighthealth.com. Those are the only 2 boards that I visit. Good luck! Ask as many questions as you like! We're here for you. Dee

Hi Apryl, I had my surgery the same day last year! I would make sure I follow Dr instructions prior to surgery.....Don't take a lot of stuff to hospital with you! Remember the pain button is your friend use it! Good luck! Debbie

thanks for the advice i only plan on taking some make up and a magazine with me i only live 7 minutes from christina hospital so thats good. and believe me i will use the pain meds. I did not ask the doctor , so do you know do they send you home with anything for pain and if so do you have to cru**** and how are you doing one year in how much weight have you lost? god i am nervous apryl

Bag the make up and magazine...you will be too doped up to care what you look like and you won't be able to concentrate to read! Yes they do send you home with pain meds. I didn't use them too often....the codiene bothers my pouch in the worse way! I am doing well. I did not make my goal for June 21st but I got close! I had to make all pills smaller but that is not the case for everyone. I have been on a plateau, gain, plateau for a few weeks now and I am trying to work through it. I am sure I still have a few more months to lose I just have to find the right combination. You will find you will hit plateaus regularly....2 weeks, 6 mos, almost 8 mos.....I am sure there are others...but these were the areas where I was affected. Stay away from the scale....being a scale ***** does not help you keep your focus...trust me on that one! I would weigh once a week. If the scale did not face me every AM as I got out of the shower I could adhere to my own advice! Good luck Debbie

Apryl, You might want to consider taking a small fan to the hospital with you. It gets really warm in the rooms, especially with the boots they put on you to prevent blood clots. The hospital was able to provide one for me, but I wouldn't count on that. Another thing you might want to do is go ahead and prepare some of the foods you'll be eating on the pureed stage and freeze them in ice cube trays. Each ice cube is exactly one ounce, and it makes it very convenient to pop two of those into a small bowl and microwave for a minute. I concur about following all of the advice that the surgeon gives you. Follow the plan and you will do fine. Also, you will find that you hit a plateau at about 2 weeks, don't freak out, in fact, try not to weigh yourself until your one month post op visit. Finally, don't compare your weight loss progress to anyone elses. We all lose at different rates. Some of us are slow losers and some of us lose more quickly, however, I was advised by Dr. Peters that at one year out we're all at about the same weight loss percentage. Good luck and keep us updated! Joni

All good advice... I'd add chapstick and baby wipes to the list. Keep us posted. Relax and read everything you can. You'll do fine. Dianne

HI Apryl! Take as little as possible. Listen, FORGET the make up! Who cares what you look like at the hospital and on your way home?! I took, chapstick, wore the clothes in that I wore home, a toothbrush, toothpaste & brush. Actually, I forgot the brush and guess what? No one CARED! I ran my fingers through it and let it go! The fan is an awesome idea, it got HOT the 1st night with the booties on. The only other thing I took and many others as well, is a comfy pillow. I took a 'moshi' (squishy-type) with me. Best of luck & keep me posted! Valerie

hi apryl,i pray you have a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.oh honey you won't even be thinking about what you look like and you sure won't feel like reading anything lol.when you use your med.button lol you won't remember anything.i took a word search book and honey it stayed in the bag it came in lol and just ask for a fan because you will get hot.i had my surgery may 31,2005 and i'm doing great and i'm so glad i had it done and sweetie you will too.you will have bad gas pains but that's what the med button is for and yes they send you home with a script of liquid tylenol w/codine oh yeah lol. enjoylol.good luck sweetie and if you have anyother questions or whatever please feel free to ask.ok your friend bonnie

Aprly, I know exactly how you feel about being nervous and scared. Been there! This is a very common emotion before this surgery. But I want you to know that Dr Irgau ROCKS! Try to relax and trust in your decision and your surgeon. I know how hard that can be during these last few days pre op, but do your best. Dr I was my doc and I simply can not say enough good things about him and his team. One of the very best in the nation, right in our back yard! I agree with the prior posts, chapstick and a small fan will most likely make your stay more comfortable. The make up and mag probably will not be used, but if you feel better taking it, go for it. But there is not a whole lot of room in the rooms there, so to save yourself headaches later, pack sparingly. Speaking of headaches, if you are doing caffeine and sugar, you may want to give them up now to avoid withdrawal headaches while in the hospital. The last thing you want to add to the mix while recouping after surgery is a withdrawal headache. Some people have them, some don't, I didn't take any chances. Gave it up early to avoid the possibility. I would like to add to all your prior sage advice ... take your measurements at home so you have a copy of them there to refer back to later. Also take pictures, lots of pictures for your before album. I know it was so very hard for me to do that, but those pictures are priceless to me now. I advise, full body shots of all angles. Front, rear, left side, right side and close up of the face. If you are brave enough to shoot some in your birthday suit or bathing suit, it really helps to compare body size later out. And last but not least, keep a journal of all your accomplishments along the way. It is easy to forget about all the good things when you hit a stubborn plateau ... so it can help to go back and see your progress written down. Get your house in order now, it will help keep you busy and will help when you come home from the hospital to not worry about it. Don't overbuy in anticipation of your needs post op, many of our tastes change dramatically right out the gate. Like it was stated earlier, make up some "meals" and freeze them in ice cube trays, or very small portions. I was amazed at how very little I could take in initially. Truly for the first time in my life, my eyes were really bigger than my belly! But if you have a family, it really helps to have some cassaroles and etc ready in the freezer. I know that I personally had a hard time cooking for a while after I came home. Not that I was in pain, but food turned my stomach and the thought of cooking was just plain yucky. BTW - this got better for me, I love to cook again, I have just changed the way I cook. Healthy food for me and my family these days! Hang in there Apryl, read as much as you can to prepare yourself for the coming months. Each person here has a lot of great information on their profiles. It really helped me to read their stories and check out the before and after photos. To read a persons profile, just click on the profile button at the bottom of their post. To check out the before and after photos, click here http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/bnfseries.phtml I wish you the very best! Tammy