lking
on 11/6/15 10:48 pm - Indianapolis, IN

RNY on 12/04/15

My RNY is in 27 days so I've begun my at-home preparations.

Against the advice of many, I ordered 4 cases of Premier Protein shakes.
I purchased molds to make popcicles (Crystal Light Liquid in water) to help me get my daily water.
Yesterday I started a daily dose of Biotin (10,000 mcg) to help fight hair loss.
I'm thinking about making chicken broth and freezing it in ice cube trays. Then when I want some broth just take however many "ice cubes" I want out of the freezer and pop them into the microwave. Any thoughts on this??
I already take a chewable multivitamin so I'm good with that.
I'm ordering Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate Carmel Chewy Bites

On 11/20 I have my pre-op class. I'm sure I will be told then of other things I will need once I come home after surgery. Does anyone have suggestions that you weren't told but later found out you needed or wished you had?

67 yrs old, 4'10", BMI 31.8 (51.8 at start), HW 256.4 (8/4/15), SW 217.4, CW 152.8 (4/30/18), GW 125.0, RNY 12/4/15 Dr. RoseMarie Jones, Breast Cancer DX 2/16, Bi-lateral mastectomy 8/9/16.

Sharon SW-267
GW-165 CW-167 S.
on 11/7/15 3:09 am - PA

RNY on 12/22/14

I tried the popcicle molds and if you just pour the fluid in, they freeze hard as a rock and takes forever to eat - you will not get your fluid in. If you find a trick to making them, please let me know. I have seen some recipes on the internet that have some other stuff and you put them in a blender. I would try the recipes first. For me, I just get the SF Tropical pop-cicles.

I would also cancel the protein shakes, I appreciate that you want to be prepared, but you still want to be sensible. Also, you might want low sodium chicken broth.

Do you have an exercise plan to take you from couch to fit? That would be valuable prep.

Also, if you have a RX plan, you might get all your vitamins for one monthly co-pay - multi, ca, b12, and iron. Check with your doctor.

Best of luck to you

Sharon

Doingrightin2015
on 11/7/15 4:19 am

RNY on 03/10/15

I love the protein shakes. In the beginning they were good, but they got better later down the road. So, just know if you get them now and at first think they are ok or you may not even like them....try them again the further out from surgery. I found in the beginning that my taste was so different. Thinks I liked before surgery tasted much different after surgery.

Crystal light was so sweet when they gave it to me in the hospital I had to water it down. .....an it was lemonade!!! LOL

I did not like the taste of sweet n low in anything......prior to surgery I used it all the time. I like it ok now but find very little of it now.

I bought sugar free popcicles and jello but really didn't eat a whole lot of them. I think I bought two boxes of the popcicles and my grandkids have ate most of them... same with the jello. You will be surprised at how long things like that will last you.

Doingitright2015

HW in life 282 HW265 at start SW 244 CW170

peachpie
on 11/7/15 5:22 pm - Philadelphia, PA

RNY on 04/28/15

I needed a pill crusher. Its much easier to crush a pill one of those than trying to smash a pill with something Re: Crystal light pops...I like the sugar free outshine bars.

I bought broth from Panera/Au Bon Pain and refrigerated it in smaller portions, I had 2oz and 4oz containers I stores them in. I could have froze them, just didn't.

I could not have lived w/o my sugar free pudding once I got into full liquids, I stirred in unflavored protein; I just couldn't do yogurt.

5'6.5" High weight:337 Lowest weight:193/31 BMI: Goal: 195-205/31-32 BMI

Cleopatra_Nik
on 11/7/15 5:34 pm - Baltimore, MD

RNY on 01/08/08

I love that you are getting prepared.

Yes, we mostly advise against ordering a bulk of shakes at first, but you know what? Although the shake you love now may seem way too sweet at first after surgery, they will probably work just fine after a few months. The Premier is shelf stable so if it's too sweet at first, stick it somewhere cool and wait it out! You'll get to them eventually.

In addition to a popsicle mold, I'd suggest that you get a good blender to make slushies. I agree with the posters who said the popsicles freeze super hard. It would take a gamillion of them for you to get your liquid and it'd take all day to eat them when they freeze that hard.

The biotin...the thing is...it only works if your hair loss is caused by a biotin deficiency. So it's good that you are keeping your levels steady, but just recognize that you may still experience some hair thinning and loss. To a certain extent that's unavoidable.

As for the ice cube chicken broth thing...I guess that could work. Have you tried the Chicken Soup Unjury? Also Bariatric Advantage I think has a chicken soup flavored protein. Broth in and of itself isn't very protein heavy.

Good for you taking your vitamins! You'll have to do that forever so the sooner you get into that habit, the better.

Um...you seem pretty well prepared to me. There are some things you just can't be prepared for. You have to experience them. So my advice is to keep an open mind and embrace that new things are coming your way. Some of it will be exciting, some scary, but rely on this and other support groups to get you through!

RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!