I have my DATE---OCTOBER 6th
Michelle,
Congratulations! You're in good hands with DR. Sieloff. He & his nurse Jody are wonderful!!! I had my RNY 18 months ago and it was the best thing I could have done for myself and my health. I haven't regretted it for a minute!!
OK - down to details....
Although serious complications are rare, they do happen so you need to be sure your affairs are in order. Wills, Living Will and/or Medical Power of Attorney, etc. are up to date and that someone in your family knows where all your important papers & banking information is located. The hardest thing I did was to sit down and write letters to my loved ones. Just in case something dreadful happened, I wanted them to know that I went into this with my eyes WIDE open, knowing all the risks but also knowing it was what I had to do. Needless to say, those envelopes are still in our family Bible, unopened. Not everyone does this, but it gave me peace of mind knowing they were there so my family would have no reason to second-guess or berate themselves if the worst happened.
If you cook for your family and have space to do it, double up cooking your meals and freeze the 2nd batch. This way your family has good food to eat when you're not feeling up to cooking and/or just not wanting to be around things you can't eat just yet.
Stock up on things you can eat post-op but don't buy too much. You won't believe how little it will take to fill you up! I bought waaaay too much sugar free Jello & pudding. I used those little 3 oz. PLASTIC bathroom cups and filled them 2/3 full when making Jello - 1 small box made about 20 cups and I could never finish a whole cup!! I would order some protein samples (you can order samples from lots of places online) but not buy any "containers" until after your surgery. Your tastes really do change so if you buy something you liked before surgery, you may or may not like it after surgery. Dr. Sieloff isn't big on protein supplements but it was nice to have something besides Crystal Light to drink sometimes. I did stock up on Crystal Light and still drink tons of it! My favorite is Ruby Red Grapefruit but the Raspberry Lemonade is also good. If you like hot tea, you might want to get some of that, too. Sometimes Pouchetta feels better with something warm in her.
Enjoy your "Last Supper(s)" but don't overdo it. Odds are good that you will be able to eat most of your favorite foods again someday - just not as much and most likely, not right away. Afte all, it is those same favorite foods that got us MO in the first place!! If you can, reduce your calorie intake & cut down on salt, especially. But most importantly, follow Dr. Sieloff's guidelines - he knows what he is doing!!
If you smoke, STOP NOW!! I know it isn't easy, but your recovery will be so much quicker and you'll be healthier in the long run if you don't smoke.
The week before your surgery clean your house top to bottom b/c you're not going to be up to doing heavy duty cleaning for a while. I splurged and had a cleaning service come in and help b/c I wasn't in any shape to do some of it myself.
You'll probably be a little nervous so the day or two before surgery plan some pampering for yourself. Get a hair cut. Get a manicure & pedicure - since I had french nails (no color) TMH did not make me remove the polish. Get a massage if you enjoy them or just spend an hour soaking in the tub. Do whatever you find relaxing.
You'll do fine! If you have specific questions e-mail me off list. We have a support group in Tallahassee and our next meeting is Sat. 9/23. I'd love to see you there. (e-mail me for info).
Good luck & hang on- you're in for a wild ride!!
Vickie J.
Great news! 
Congradulations Michelle 
Stay Blessed 
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