16 days and counting advice wanted

Hi all!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
I have 16 days until my surgery.
I am wanting to know what you wish you had known, if that makes sense. Things like take a pillow with you, I have heard this several times.
I have calmed down considerably. I am readying my house for Christmas and trying to make sure I have things ready for my return home. On the 16th Mamma Mia comes out and I am going to get it and we are having a big sleep over with friends and family. I start my liquid diet on that Monday the 15th with surgery the 17th at 7:15 and I have to be at the hospital at 5:15.
Is there anything you wish you had known to do?
I find myself thinking I may never be able to have this again and allow myself to eat it. I know this is wrong so any words of advice anyone has I would love to here. Tuesday is my cutoff for smoking. I have cut back and my Dr said 2 weeks before so here I am waiting until the last minute to quit.
I hope to hear from you all soon. Have a great night!!
Shauna I hope you are doing good......
Kelly

Kelly,

One of the things that I did before surgery was to ask my doctor for the post surgery prescriptions and I had them filled before going to the hospital.  I didn't want to have to worry about needing someone to go to the pharmacy after I got home.

Don't forget your cell phone charger - that is something that is overlooked. 
Chap stick, but you can ask the nurses for the gylcerin swabs for your mouth, too. 
Things will go smoothly. 

Take care,
Shelia

Thanks Shelia,
 I hadn't thought of any of those.
As far as prescriptions, which ones are you speaking of.  I take welbutrin now and zyrtec.
I have bought all the vitamins I was told I needed. I was told that they would let me know if I could continue the zyrtec.
Is there something I am missing???
Thanks Kelly

Yep - Kelly...

I am referring to getting your prescriptions for whatever pain meds your doctor will prescribe.  Usually it is Lortab Elixir.  And something for nausea - Zofran that dissolves under the tongue is a good one... But your doctor may have another idea.
Just to be prepared.  I never used any of mine, but I was ready... LOL

Shelia

Kelly, 

I'm 6 years Post Op so I don't really remember what I forgot except I wish I would have brought my slippers and stuffy (stuffed animal)... lol!  I just wanted to jump on and wish you the best of luck and also don't eat like you're never going to have it again, you probably will have it again, just not for a while and not as much of it.  Anyway, again good luck, I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers... What a Christmas Gift for you! 

Thank you Sheryl
and Congrats to you!
You are a true success story
Thank you again
Kelly

What I wish I'd known...  That there was no reason to stress and worry so much!  Everything went just fine...from before to during and after surgery.  I'm so glad I didn't back out. 

I'm also glad I ate a few good foods that I wouldn't be having in awhile, though I didn't go overboard.  I just chose meals that I love and ate in moderation. 

Now I am having to work on being patient while I heal! 

Hope these next couple of weeks fly by for you, Kelly!

All the anxiety before surgery was for nothing.
Don't take too much stuff with you. You will be walking amd sleeping most of the time......

Don't beat yourself up over your "last suppers"......just be reasonable and don't over do it. Eventually you may try your favorites again but then........you may not want them. Tastes change.
I wish I had known that I wasn't saying goodbye to my favorite foods but simply " see ya later when I am in control of you!" My tool has given me so much power.

I wish I had known I was going to have food porn dreams that made me wake up in puddles of drool on my pillow.

I wish I had practiced more on bite size and chewing longer. These things are extremely important.

I wish I had prepared myself for the four week stall that happened two weeks out from surgery. It has been the most difficult part so far. I finally broke that stall and I am losing again. It doesn't happen to everyone at two weeks.

Good luck to you!!
Jane

Hi Kelly,
I have pasted below some excerpts from an article posted here on OH (if you go to the search bar above and enter 'hospital list' it will bring some hits that may help, too.  Some of this may help, some may not be useful. 
Hang in there!

 Hospital List for Your Weight Loss Surgery Courtesy of Moni

• Lip balm / chap stick…for the dry lips when you can’t have ice chips
• Baby wipes or antibacterial wipes to freshen up
• Trial size baby lotion or favorite lotion
• Small shampoo and conditioner
• Brush, hair ties
• Toothbrush and paste …the hospital provides some but it tastes horrible
• Deodorant
• Insurance card and living will or health care proxy, medication list
• Your own pillow w/colored case (this will be handy for the ride home too)
• Loose clothes to wear home and a good pair of non slip sole slip on shoes…you will hate to bend over to put on shoes
• Camera in case you want to document the journey …this is an optional item
• Phone numbers in case you want to call family/friends
• Sanitary napkins (a lot of women will start their cycle right after surgery)
• Eye covering (if light bothers you), earplugs (if noise bothers you)
• Pictures of family or loved ones…This is an optional item
• Small fan …this is an optional item
• Get some type of long wooden spoon or something you can wrap toilet tissue around. If that doesn't work, get a family member to help wipe.
• A robe and house shoes to walk in the hall after surgery
• Some reading material like magazines…you won’t get through a book with all the drugs they have you on.
• CPAP machine (if Dr. requires it)
• Albuterol rescue inhaler

Pack your bag to go to the hospital and then remove HALF of that. You won't use it all!

Post-op List for Your Weight Loss Surgery

• Lots of small dishes to eat from
• Replace all the batteries in things you use regularly (TV control, VCR controls, cordless phone, etc)
• Buy yourself a small bag of sugar-free peppermints. These are great if your queasy post-op or peppermint tea.  Hot tea is a great help in the morning to relax your new pouch.
• Small plastic dishes for freezing and or refrigerating left -overs
• Small spoons and forks
• Extra measuring cups and spoons
• Vitamin e oil for dry stomach skin
• Foods that can be eaten post op. Bottled water ,baby apple juice (Dole,),instant breakfast, no sugar added popsicles, jell-o pudding, some type of protein powder, gatorade ,chicken broth, instant mashed potatoes.
• A good strainer to strain the chunks out of soup
• For those of you that don't have a shower seat, see if someone you know has one you can borrow (bleach the thing before using of course though) or purchase one if possible. Make sure if you are borrowing one that it has rubber grips on the feet of it though that are in good shape. You certainly don't want to slip and fall in the shower
• One of those grabbers that you can pick things up off the floor
• Whatever vitamins and supplements you plan on taking
• Protein shakes and shaker cups
• Bags of ice…for getting in fluids and making shakes cold
• Mederma or scar gone to heal incisions
• Food processor or magic bullet to blend the food 

Weight Loss Surgery Day
For many weight loss surgery patients, the long-anticipated day of their weight loss surgery is an exciting end to a long wait. It’s often referred to by post-surgical patients as their “birthday,” because of the life-changing transformation of health they’ve achieved.

Preparing for the day of weight loss surgery is like preparing for many other surgeries.  Your surgeon will have specific instructions for you to follow. A few of the more frequently given instructions include:

• Do not drink or eat anything prior to your weight loss surgery, beginning the evening before the day of weight loss surgery.
• Most medicines can be taken the day of weight loss surgery, just with small sips of water (however, your doctor will have instructions regarding specific medications).

When you arrive, you will undergo a few preoperative steps. You will change out of your clothes. You will see your nurses, and often, you will see your surgeon as well as your anesthesiologist. An IV line will be started to keep you hydrated and to administer medications such as antibiotics. The preoperative experience is often a short one, after which you will be taken to the operating room.

If you are not already under anesthesia before you get to the operating room, you will be once there. Then, you will be intubated and your surgeon will perform the operation. Gastric bypass procedures, whether they are minimally invasive or open, are fairly short … about 75 to 90 minutes.

After surgery, your healthcare team will make sure that your vital signs are correct and arrange for you to be taken to a recovery room.

Jane & Robin
Thank you so much. It is now 15 days and I have found myself more in control of my worries, at least at the moment. But everything will be ok
Thank you again.
I like that list Thank you Robin
Kelly