tweedling my thumbs

OK I posted this on the main board but wanted the NC board advise as well so I'm posting here (not sure how many of you guys read the main board).... Those of you that are post op, what did you do to prepare for your surgery and when did you start preparing?? If you are pre op and have a date mid to late January, are you already preparing for surgery and if so what are you doing. Honestly, I'm not doing anything but thinking about the surgery date and wishing it would get here quickly, but I feel like I should get ready somehow... I know I will need protien supplements etc; but i feel like I should wait until I've at least seen the surgeon and had my EKG (i think thats the accronymn) which isn't until the 27th of December, 2 weeks before my tentative date... any advise, is there something you wish you'd done before the big day????? I know I should start exercising and taking regular vitamins but I still feel ike I'm tweedling my tumbs...I'm sure it's just the anxious feeling for my day to get here quickly...but I just thought I ask you guys....

Well, I can only speak for myself and what I am doing. I expect my surgery to happen sometime late January. I am already taking a multi-vitamin and also the GNC skin, hair and nails vitamins with Biotin. I am walking 30 minutes a day on my treadmill. I have begun to cut out all carbs and carbonated beverages. (I will eventually have to cut out the caffeine but I will stick with my beloved coffee for a few weeks longer) I have also begun to take a sublingual B-12. I just want my body to be in as good a shape as I can get it in before the surgery and hopefully I will heal with no problems. Good luck to you! Paige Birdsong

Yes me too...I'm taking a multi vit, liquid iron,calcium, sublingual b-12, just like paige i have cut out carbs and i don't drink any sodas. I go walking and work out on execrise tapes as much as possible. I want to be ready for my surgery in every way possible. And to be ready for my first appt I had already had all my test done( ekg, stress test, pft, abg, and ultrasounds) I'm going through DUKE WEIGHT LOSS clinic and they woudl prefer that you have all those test done it will speed things along faster for you. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. !!!

I was approved in April of 06 and got a surgery date of June of 06. To prepare I started a binder. I filled it with information from my surgeon, my NUT and a ton of info from people here on OH. I printed out "Pouch Rules for Dummies", I got my hands on as many receipes as I could and organized them by stages. I had started the process back in Sept of 05. I knew I was going to have a hard time with insurance so I had already started to change the way I ate and began an exercise routine. When I got the approval in April I started to take all the vitamins required post-op. From Sept to the approval in April I had lost 40lbs and was in much better shape than before. I think starting early really helped me have a smooth surgery and an excellent recovery! I had surgery on Tuesday and was back to work Monday I also got all my affairs in order, wrote out a will, made out an information sheet with important information and made sure anything I had that needed a beneficiary was updated with all the information (can never be too prepared!). The two weeks pre-op I had to do a liquid diet so I used that time to try different protein powders and narrow down to a few I liked to I could try them post-op again. I didnt stock up on too much at the house... didnt really see the need because I could go to the store any time Good luck!