questions

hi everbody, hope you all are having a great day. it's a beautiful day, huh? could anybody who has had dr. scott tell me what kind of diet he puts u on right after surgery? and does he put u on vitamins and protein drinks. as u can tell i have not been to the nutritionist yet. i go to have my psyc. evaluation next friday. then i have to wait to go to see the preoperative therapist. charlotte, in dr. scott's office said we need to hurry and get these things done. i still have to go for the all day meeting, whatever it is called? it's like an 8-hour deal. man, there is so much to do still. as far as i know i have had all the testing. or at least the most important ones. but u can only go as fast as they can get u into the appts. if i had it my way, i would do all of it in one day, lol. please,if anybody can enlighten me, i sure would appreciate it. thxs, patty

Patty, I can maybe answer your questions (my surgeon is your surgeon's partner.) in fact I've had Dr. Scott for post-op visits before...and yeah, got chewed out by him! LOL My H&H was low and he questioned it and I said well, I donate blood every 2 months...always have...and he went into a big long spill that lasted a while...he said that we don't build our blood back up like other people....and I listened to him but, donated 2 more times until I FINALLY got the message. I had some surgery in December and,.ended up getting 3 units of blood. When I came home from my WLS I was put on strictly liquids like jello, popcicles, broths, and I also drank 5 protein drinks a day...not big huge glasses...but, a 8oz for 3 meals and then 1 for a mid-morning snack and then one for a late evening snack. After I think 3 weeks....I went to the soft food stage...and could eat soups with content in them....mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, cheese, cottage cheese, puddings, scrabled eggs and I could only eat my eggs if cheese was melted on top....just couldn't do without it. LOL AT 8 weeks I could start to eat more fruits and most importantly chicken and pork meats...man did that taste good...but I had a lot problems getting chicken to agree with me. Even had to chop it up and mix it with a little light mayo...and eat it plain or on crackers. I love tuna so I also ate a lot of tuna salad in my soft food stage. At 6 months I was able to intoduce red meats to my diet...I have to say that I wanted a steak or roast beef or something really bad at around 4 months....and I had like 2 bites and was very ill for hours. So, then I decided I needed to be good and not try and cheat. I had to drink 8 glasses of water or crystal light everyday and for some reason after my WLS the taste of just plain water...didn't sit as good as sugar free flavored drinks. You can look at my profile and you can see my surgery experience. It's kind of all jumbled up but...maybe it will give you an idea of what to expect the day of surgery. They will give you a booklet that lists all of the rules and regulations...LOL and I believe what they say. No rice, coconut, and careful with eating peelings of anything. Rice makes me very ill and coconut I love it but, Dr. Scott said you don't digest it very good and it just kind lines your intestines. Vitamins: At the 8 hour day that you go for the seminar...it's not that bad but, an all day thing but, they schedule your surgery date or they did 2 years ago. Anyway, at the seminar I was given 2 spray vitamins for the 1st 2 months and then I went to regular vitamins. They'll tell you what all you need to take but, I think the daily spray vitamin is all I took for the 1st couple of months. I took a couple of pills that had to be crushed as well. I feel like I wrote a book...sorry but, I hope this helps you out a little. Kelli

hi kelli, thank you so much for answering my questions. it was a big help. so dr. scott will chew you out if he feels you are not doing what u should be? i have only met him once. and that was the consultation. so what all dou do at the 8hr. seminar? is that when you meet the dietician and the anethesiologist? i just want to get all of this done, you know? charlotte said i needed the psyc. evaluation done and the preoperative therapy. there seems to be so much to do. and u have no control of when you can do it!! thxs again, patty

Patty, Well, Dr. Scott isn't mean when he gets aggrivated but, he let me know that he was rght and that the reason my H&H was so low was because I donated blood. He said (for me...not sure about everyone) for me to NEVER EVER donate blood again! Yes, you'll meet the nutritionist the day of your seminar but, not the anethesiologist until you go in for surgery. At least that's when I met him. Yeah, they want a psych. exam. and this is just to make sure you understand everything about WLS. You can do testing locally....they can fax orders to your family doctor. I never traveled around for anything I just had it done in Springfield and then my doctor faxed results to them. So, keep this in mind when they want you to do..this, this and this. In the 8 hours they give you booklets and have different speakers talk about everything with WLS...and the aftercare instructions....they went over what to expect surgery day. After the noon lunch break Dr. De came in and talked for 1.5 hours and then after that everyone went out into the waiting room and then they called you back one at a time for a private visit with DR. De. then if he thought it was a go and that you are a good candidate...they send you down the hall to schedule your surgery. But, I had my surgery at DePaul in St. Louis and I'm not sure if you're going there or to Columbia...so things might be different from place to place. Hope this helps, Kelli

i only live about 25 minutes away from columbia. so everything is being done there. i don't know why i am so nervous about the psyc. exam. i guess i am afraid i will say something that might be a red light. i just worry a lot, lol. are u suppose to take a support person with u to the 8hr. seminar? oh, when u go in for surgery are u still awake when they stick that tube down your throat? i am so claustrophobic kelli? patty

Patty, No, I wasn't awake when the tube down throat thing went on! LOL I took my nitwit sister with me...but, they do like for a support person to go with you. My sister sat a little while....then she said "this is soooo boring, I'm going out for a little bit", and she went shopping! LOL I saw her towards the end of it....but, I can't blame her she just was not interested in hearing about it. I really wouldn't worry about the psych exam but I did have to go 2 times...but, it was a breeze and the lady I saw asked questions like....now when you have this WLS what kind of foods can you eat? I explained the food stages and told her that I read a lot of Obesity Help and she loved that!! Don't worry....just do research and make sure this is what you want. It's not a fix all...it's a tool and I always saw people saying that on here and just this past year... I got it! WLS is not the answer for everything in your life and, things will never be the same with me and food again. I think you have to re-train your way of thinking. Find a good support group...and find someone to call and lean on in the group....or come here for your support. I know I started going to a support group and at 1st it was very AWESOME and this was in July 2004 and then I had my WLS and then I guess a year ago...the reins changed with the leaders....I kept asking everyone...where's Claudette and they'd say....no one knows or she's doing OTHER things now. Anyway, my point is to find a good nurturing support group or get your support online. Because when the support group leader changed it was never the same. It was OKAY, but it just wasn't what it was before. Take care and good luck with your WLS, Kelli

i am going to my first support group in two weeks at regional hospital in their conference area.and i have found so much support on here kelli. i found this site back in aug. from a friend who had the surgery. and i have been crazy about it every since,lol. this is definitely not a fix. like u said, it's a tool. and i know it's gonna be hard work. but i look so forward to getting these health issues under control, u know? well i have to see a preoperative therapist after my psyc. exam comes back. do u know anything about that?

Hey Patty, I've never heard of a preop therapist.....must be something with MU. I wouldn't be concerned about it. Have a nice night....I've got teenagers out and about tonight....they drive me with all of their shananigins. Kelli

Hi Patty Glad you are coming to the support group at Woodrail Monday... I should be there myself. There will be one the next week at Columbia Regional Hospital if for some reason you have to miss the one at Woodrail. Don't be nervous about the Psych eval/exam. The Therapist that you will see is Nancy Halstenson Bumby. She is soooo cool you'll love her! Just be honest with her and her questions.... Assure her that you are aware of the risks of the surgery as well as the good parts! They basially want to know if YOU know and are informed about all of this stuff and are ready to make this lifetime commitment. Believe me when I tell you that she understands our issues of being overweight and the desire to get that part of our lives under control. I guess all of that to say is that she is a very competant, sweet, compationate person that you will like instantly! So don't worry! Youre in good hands! By the way I think you can take a support person to the seminar but I don't think it's manditory. I know that the seminar/conference room can be a bit crowded at times! Oh yeah here's another "by the way" thought.... giggle.... was reading your posts and you'll like Dr Scott too! He is my doc and my hero.... He is kinda quiet and very PROFESSIONAL, and in my personal opinion a bit of a shy fella. But for me his ACTIONS to me spoke volumes. He was so kind to me through all of this and yes if you are boo booing he will tell you about it! But I don't think you can find a better cheerleader for you than he and Natalie his nurse coordinator.... well and for that matter the whole office.... I am truly blessed to call them my friends! Plus an added bonus is that Dr. Scott is one of the top Docs in this medical speciality. So hey you can't beat that! I do hope to see you the 9th here at Columbia... I'd be more than happy to speak with you before or after the meeting if you'd like. If you have some more questions.... been out for about 18 months or so and have lost over 300 lbs. I am still a "sugar loving excersizing hating" woman but I dont do the sugar and I try to get my butt to the gym at least 3-4 times a week and to be honest I need a good butt kicking because I havent been as faithful to the gym as I should be..... so you see it is a permanent lifetime commitment to get and keep off the weight and be healthy and happy! Ok done jabbering my head off! giggle Ardie

hi ardie, thxs for replying to my post. wow, your from columbia? i look forward to meeting you. i will not be able to make it to the woodrail meeting tomorrow. but i will be at regional. will you be there? dr. halstensen can't get me in, so i am going to see dr. peter holmes. and then after he finishes the psyc. exam he will fax it to dr. halstensen. i go to dr.holmes next fri. and dr. halstensen on the 24th.( for preoperative therapy). does that sound familiar? you are such an inspiration, losing all of that weight. so u have kids, married? i hope that is not too personal of a question? patty