I am NOT a Kangaroo...and other 4 days pre-op ramblings
Sooo, I am scheduled to have my surgery on Tuesday. I am really excited now. My cousin who has recently lost weight gave me a huge bag of clothes, mostly sizes 14s and 12s (I'm a size 16/18 now). I've spent the last five hours washing them thankfully most of which are slacks and jeans (about 15 pair in total!) I also dug out some fall things from last year that should transition nicely with me (all straight seams/can be taken in by my mama!)
I had a nice talk with her about what to expect when I come home from surgery (will stay with parents for a week) and she's finally past the "Monica don't do it!" stage...phew...
Also, for some WEIRD reason the word "pouch" makes me cringe. I am 30 and I still refer to my stomach as my "tummy"...and I want to continue to do so even when its the size of a walnut. I'm not a kangaroo.
I bought a cute lil duffle bag to take to the hospital with me. I can fit in it toiletries, magazines, my ipod of course, Bible, and a small bottle of vodka....am I forgetting anything? I don't need a gown or undies etc do I?
Does anyone else take gummy multivitamins? They are for adults and tasty and with all the vite complaints I'm surprised not more people take gummies. That makes me think something is wrong with them, please advise...
If I am forgetting anything or should do One Last Thing As a Fat Person before Tuesday, let me know!!!!!
I had a nice talk with her about what to expect when I come home from surgery (will stay with parents for a week) and she's finally past the "Monica don't do it!" stage...phew...
Also, for some WEIRD reason the word "pouch" makes me cringe. I am 30 and I still refer to my stomach as my "tummy"...and I want to continue to do so even when its the size of a walnut. I'm not a kangaroo.
I bought a cute lil duffle bag to take to the hospital with me. I can fit in it toiletries, magazines, my ipod of course, Bible, and a small bottle of vodka....am I forgetting anything? I don't need a gown or undies etc do I?
Does anyone else take gummy multivitamins? They are for adults and tasty and with all the vite complaints I'm surprised not more people take gummies. That makes me think something is wrong with them, please advise...
If I am forgetting anything or should do One Last Thing As a Fat Person before Tuesday, let me know!!!!!
The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other's welcome, and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self.Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life. ~D.W.
~Monica.30 y.o.5'8".SW-265.GW-150~
You were kidding about the bottle of vodka, right?
The gummy vitamins are NOT complete vitamins for any adult and are especially inappropriate for WLS patients. They don't include 100% RDA of all vitamins, and you would struggle with deficiencies if you were to take them. Chewable Centrums are a much better option.
The gummy vitamins are NOT complete vitamins for any adult and are especially inappropriate for WLS patients. They don't include 100% RDA of all vitamins, and you would struggle with deficiencies if you were to take them. Chewable Centrums are a much better option.
Hi Monica and CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Sounds like you've got things pretty much ready for your new self to come home and start your journey.
Yes, you should take undies and a robe, as well as nice loose-fitting pants and a shirt to come home in. Shoes that are comfortable and supportive (and ideally that you don't have to bend over to tie... like sketchers slip-on sneakers, which are ideal).
Gummy vites are a big No-No for my doctor - they are high in sugar, not complete in nutrition, and can get stuck in your stoma. Centrum chewables (2xday) are the ones that I take and the ones my doc recommends. Yours will likely have a recommendation for you post-op as well... For calciums, I really like the Bariatric Advantage brand in cinnamon flavor (almost like a cinnamon altoid)... they're the least "chalky" tasting of the calciums to me.
As to the pouch vs tummy,assuming you're having an RNY, your new tummy will now have 2 parts - the pouch and the old (larger) stomach. The old stomach still produces digestive enzymes, which flow into your intestines. Your pouch (the small part at the top) is what will restrict your eating and re-route what you've eaten directly to your intestine. The stoma is the opening between your new pouch and the intestine. So when we talk "pouches" it's actually a pretty specific term regarding our new anatomical configurations, not a cutesie way of referring to our stomachs. (Although I do know some people who have named their pouches or refer to them as pouchies...)
One Last Thing (which I wish I'd done) is to make sure you take a full set of MEASUREMENTS and write them down. Then take your measurements again every month after surgery. The reason that's important is that your body will be changing shape and size even when the number on your scale doesn't change. Muscle is more dense than fat - the same weight of muscle takes up a lot less space, so as you're converting between the two, you may stay the same weight but lose an inch or two - knowing that will help you a lot in dealing with the head games that we all play with ourselves. And, of course, take PICTURES (again, monthly is best if you can - same place same pose) to help relearn how to see yourself. It's surprisingly tough, especially if you've been obese for most of your life.
Again, welcome!
Karen
Sounds like you've got things pretty much ready for your new self to come home and start your journey.
Yes, you should take undies and a robe, as well as nice loose-fitting pants and a shirt to come home in. Shoes that are comfortable and supportive (and ideally that you don't have to bend over to tie... like sketchers slip-on sneakers, which are ideal).
Gummy vites are a big No-No for my doctor - they are high in sugar, not complete in nutrition, and can get stuck in your stoma. Centrum chewables (2xday) are the ones that I take and the ones my doc recommends. Yours will likely have a recommendation for you post-op as well... For calciums, I really like the Bariatric Advantage brand in cinnamon flavor (almost like a cinnamon altoid)... they're the least "chalky" tasting of the calciums to me.
As to the pouch vs tummy,assuming you're having an RNY, your new tummy will now have 2 parts - the pouch and the old (larger) stomach. The old stomach still produces digestive enzymes, which flow into your intestines. Your pouch (the small part at the top) is what will restrict your eating and re-route what you've eaten directly to your intestine. The stoma is the opening between your new pouch and the intestine. So when we talk "pouches" it's actually a pretty specific term regarding our new anatomical configurations, not a cutesie way of referring to our stomachs. (Although I do know some people who have named their pouches or refer to them as pouchies...)
One Last Thing (which I wish I'd done) is to make sure you take a full set of MEASUREMENTS and write them down. Then take your measurements again every month after surgery. The reason that's important is that your body will be changing shape and size even when the number on your scale doesn't change. Muscle is more dense than fat - the same weight of muscle takes up a lot less space, so as you're converting between the two, you may stay the same weight but lose an inch or two - knowing that will help you a lot in dealing with the head games that we all play with ourselves. And, of course, take PICTURES (again, monthly is best if you can - same place same pose) to help relearn how to see yourself. It's surprisingly tough, especially if you've been obese for most of your life.
Again, welcome!
Karen
OH!! And i meant to let you konw that you're welcome to come to the Barix first-saturday meeting (tomorrow!) from 11 - 1:30 at Barix in Langhorne (at Oxford Valley Mall - on the ring road). We have a pre-op breakout session (as well as one for newbies), and you might get a lot out of it, as well as get to meet a lot of the folks on this board in person.
Hope to see you!
Karen
Hope to see you!
Karen
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