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To search use Google and put obesityhelp in the question. I used an abdominal binder. They used to give them to everyone but stopped to save money. It will cost about $25 and make you more comfortable.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
on 7/7/22 5:14 pm
Thanks!
I've had the manual for about a month and a half. I've been reading and rereading and building my list of questions.
It's been fascinating reading about all of the courses and coaching and requirements many have had to go through. Comparatively, I had three dietician appointments and a psych eval, outside of the slew of obligatory medical testing. Nothing else was required for my insurance. The path to surgery has been less than two months from my initial consult.
I'm determined to follow all of the guidelines, both for maximum results, and for safety. I hope to have a story like yours one day. Appreciate your reply! Cheers.
on 7/7/22 5:09 pm
Missed this!
I never would have thought alcohol would help with nausea. Thanks for the tip! And for recommending a pillow. I do live out in the country down bumpy roads. Fortunately, I'm commutable to the hospital. Unfortunately, it's still an hour away! Cheers!
on 7/7/22 5:07 pm
Well hello there!
Pretty sure that means we're having the same surgery! I've seen it called the loop switch, SADI, SIPS, SAD, and modified switch. All meant to be an updated version of the original DS with a longer common channel for less deficiencies and one connection to reduce the chance of leaks and issues.
All of that to say, congrats on your upcoming procedure! You've got this!
Cheers.
I'm also new. Let me know how it goes for you. My surgery date is 7/21/22 Switch loop is what I am having.
I went in on October 9th, 2017 and had my surgery on December 11th. I got good insurance. Don't take that 91 page manual lightly. Read it so it is very familiar. It will save you some anxiety in the future. I don't know about anyone else but even being 4 1/2 years out I still find myself reaching for my guide as a refresher. As long as you follow the guidelines, you'll do great. Your recovery time will depend on how invasive your surgery is. I am not familiar with the type of WLS you will be having but I wish you all the luck. It's a great ride hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
HW 299 SW 290 CW 139 GW 140 2/08/2019 OPERATION: Surgical Hernia with excision of total surface area of 55 x 29 cm of abdominal skin.
on 7/7/22 3:04 pm
Hi there!
Thanks so much for your responses. You're right...I need to work on relaxing. I haven't meditated in a few years but it just might be time to dust off those skills.
Good feedback on liquids. My doctors seem to be prioritizing both, so always good perspective. And on temperatures. I've never been a fan of cold drinks, so planning to start at room temperature and see how it goes. It sounds like trial and error to find what works can be pretty common.
Honestly, I'm worried about the sweet part. I've never been a fan of sweet drinks or sweetened.. pretty much anything. I got a bag of samples from the consult and every one of them was (to me) sickeningly sweet. I can only imagine what happens if that sensitivity increases.
I'm one of those who has lost massive amounts of weight multiple times over decades, so I've got a lot of background with protein and have no issues with plain old unflavored whey protein isolate. Weird, I know. Maybe it will serve down the line.
Thanks for the nausea warning. It's come up once...but the itching hasn't! I am such a tea person...and definitely have ginger on hand if needed.
I've been reading about compression wear. Is that something you used post op to reduce pain or itching, by chance?
Cheers!
To ads: having a nice pillow to hug in the car in a drive from the hospital to home was a really great idea for me.
on nausea - smelling isopropyl alcohol - or even the alcohol in the small alcohol pads helped through many drives when nausea hit me. Not sure how this work, but it worked for me.
I'm over 14 years post op RNY and I still get occasional nausea, just because. I use the alcohol thing- and I also always carry anti nausea meds that I know that work for me. Often nausea reminds me that my electrolytes are out of balance and I need more salt -sodium.
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
You chose the surgical team and you may need to try to relax. I know its easier say than do, but its out of your control now.
If you know how to meditate - please do. It can really help.
Post op - things may feel bad initially, there is some pain, some get it worse than others. Reducing stress as you recovering is critical IMO. As we stress, our blood vessels can get constricted and that slows down recovery.
Post op - first few weeks - getting enough liquids in you should be your primary responsibilities. Getting enough proteins would be nice, but liquids are critical.
You would have to find liquids that you could drink over and over. Temperature of the drink is important. Very early on I found out that I liked cold drinks but I was limited how much I could drink, as if my pouch would constrict and I could only have a couple of sips before I had enough. Moving to a warm drinks, slightly warmer than the room temperature - allowed me to get all the liquids I needed to.
Also- right after the surgery - EVERYTHING sweet was WAY TOOOO sweet.
I learned to mix flavored and unflavored protein powders, plus de-caffeinated coffee to get the taste I could drink. Again - noting too cold.
Some people get nausea after surgery. Mine was horrible, but what helped me was to get in me electrolytes, plus ginger tea. Warm, real ginger tea.
If someone did not tell you yet about it - itching due to incisions and opiates - it can be really bad. I used some generic Benadryl. That made a huge difference for me.
Hugs and good luck. You got that.
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
I had WLS 20 years ago. I have maintained a weight loss of 150 pounds. My mom is going to have WLS on July 15th. I want to make her an after surgery gift basket and would like to include some books that will be helpful for her in her journey, especially right after surgery. I need suggestions of books and other gift ideas for someone that is about to have surgery. She is concerned with the emotions she will go through after surgery, specifically the grief some people experience. Does anyone have a suggestion for something that specifically helps with the emotional effects? Thanks for your help!!
Batwingsman · 1 replies · 3486 views