Newbie. Questions re BWH and Dr. Lautz

I'm a newbie and apologize if this has been discussed before. My surgery is scheduled for 1/2/07 (2 wks from today) at BWH. Dr. Lautz will be performing an RNY. Any info you can offer re the surgery, Dr. Lautz, what to expect during my stay, and what I should have on hand post-op would be greatly appreciated. I'm soooo nervous.

Hi Terri - I'm very much a newbie too!!! I sent you a private message! Congrats on your surgery date - you'll do fine!!!

Terri, Dr Lautz is great, He did my surgery and was very caring and great at explaining things. Him and his secretary are really great! I had my lap rny in june of 2006 and i have lost 83 lbs, so if you want to talk you can send me a message and I'll get back to you Good luck and you'll be fine!

No apolgies needed. My husband John and I both had Dr Lautz. My RNY was 13 1/2 months ago - I've lost 127 lbs so far. Dh John has lost 114 lbs, his 1 yr surgiversary was yesterday. Dr Lautz is a very excellant surgeon , his office manager Eileen is a wonder ... check to make sure you get put on floor 15 which is the gastric floor. As for what to take with you you won't need much .. a pr of comfy easy on/off slippers, a chapstick or 2 , denture tablets if you use them , maybe something to read . Leave your purse at home bring your insurance and Id in a baggie along with cash - 5 dollars a day for the tv... that's it . They'll supply you with everything else you need - a robe is something you might want of your own but they can give you a gown to wear backwards that'll do as well. . Plan to wear the same things home you arrived in - so make it easy and loose /comfy. You'll only be there about 3 days so your needs won't be many as for what to bring from home. You can have the same things at home post op as you did pre- broths, sf jellos, popsicles, crystal light... the sf carnation instant breakfast gets hard to get down taste wise after a few days .... plus it's most important to get in fluids at first ... so I added some flavoring to them which the nutritionist thought was a great idea when I told her about it....... to the 2 chocolate flavored ones I added things like either sf Nestle's Quik or sf chocolate syrup -about a tblspn. You could add some mint extract - about a capful maybe less for a peppermint patty type thing. To the strawberry I added sf strawberry syrup. The vanilla was where you could get real creative,, I started by adding vanilla extract, branching out to orange for a creamsicle result, caffeine free instant coffee for a cappucino taste and so on. Good luck. If I can help more just email me. Joyce S.