Got my date!!

Hi all, It has been about a month or so since I first posted. I had asked for help in making my decision to go forward with surgery. I want to thank those of you who answered, you really helped me get over that last, but biggest hurdle. I was approved this past wednesday and my date has been set for April 25th @ 0730. I was wondering if any of you have advice on where to shop for the protein powder, bars, vitamins, etc..Also any tips on what to take to the hospital, just general tips on what made things easier for you. Thanks you, Deb

Oh my gosh Debbie! That is like a couple of winks away to being here! Congrats to you! Locally, I'd recommend Nutrition Warehouse. The owner gives a discount to WLS patrons...just tell him you'll be having surgery. There are 3 in Phoenix..I think the closest to you would probably be the Chandler store on Alma School and Warner. I'd recommend "whey blends" with the mix of between 90 and 130 calories per scoop for 23 to 25 grams of protein. Your taste buds will be going through a bit of an evolution so the stuff you despire as a pre-op might just be the thing you love afterwards or vice versa...but the tastebuds return to normal by 3 months or so post-op. I LOVE chocolate but couldn't even stand the thought of it for the first 6 months post-op! Now a "hot" chocolate protein drink is my favorite! A gal from the Chandler group has hooked up with Syntrax as a distributor and she just takes orders from the support group and sells them to us at cost which is a HUGE savings. Let me know if you want me to put you in touch with her. My DH buys the Fuzzy Navel Nectar (kind of a Sunny D flavor) and I love the Matrix chocoate (milk chocolate style like a glass of choc milk as a kid...but, I have mine hot). If you order on-line then first decide which product you like (I'd recommend ordering samples from www.vitalady.com first. She's a post-op grad that devotes her life "and business" to post-op nutrition. So, maybe study her products, taste her samples and then just GOOGLE the product for the best price. I know many like the Isopure for it's convenience since it it pre-made. I have personally never liked it since it is a huge volume for the number of protein grams per bottle and newbie pre-ops have a hard time sipping their teeny tiny glass of water. I like the powders so I can stir it with less water for a richer flavor and I doctor it up with sugar free Torani syrups (found at Smart and Final or ordered on-line). Protein likes are as personal as whether someone prefers dark or milk chocolate so buying samples is probably your best bet. Best wishes to you for a safe an uneventful surgery! LOSER'S ROCK! Joyce

Woohoo!!! I'm really excited for you. You won't need much in the hospital and usually taking less is better. I do remember that Chapstick was my best friend and a really good lotion comes in handy. Before surgery, my surgeon told me to remember that any pain, discomfort, cravings, etc. are temporary. That sort of became my mantra. "It's temporary, it's temporary" and it was. The other thing she told me (and I have found it to be true for all of my surgeries) is that the attitude that you go into surgery with is the attitude that you will come out with. I guess they have found this to be true through research. When I went in for my RNY, I was calm and peaceful because I had been doing everything possible to go to my "happy place" and relax. When I came out of surgery, I felt exactly the same way, even though I didn't get pain meds for two hours after surgery because the recovery room nurse hooked up the pump incorrectly. Last week I had brachioplasty and abdominoplasty and was really happy going in. My surgeon was singing children's songs and the OR staff was a happy lot before they put me out. I woke up happy and in a terrific mood. Before surgery, I would suggest that you research, research, research as much as you can. I've found that people who went in loaded with knowledge have done much better in the long run. Feel free to e-mail me. Connie

Congrats on your date!! Keep us up to date!!