OH MY GOSH!

Tomorrow is the day!! I am going to go have my RNY surgey!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited and scared and excited!!! anyone have any last words of advice for me???

I'm so excited and happy for you... this is a lifelong journey with lots and lots of good things to come.  It's not necessarily the easiest journey, but it's certainly a rewarding one as you can see by the many posts here at OH.

My advice would be to follow your doctors orders/suggestions and drink, drink, drink and when the Dr. says it's Ok.... chew, chew, chew!!! 

Let us know how you're doing.

That's what alot of poeple say "do what your doctor says". I certainly do plan on it! I have come to far to back out and not do the right thing now! I have learned alot on my journey about my eating habbits and not giving up.

Hi Diane,

I would echo Judy's recommendations. I also want you to know that just about every program has a different take on the dietary plan after surgery, so if you have questions about it and you will, be sure to talk to your Dr's office or the nutritionist associated with their office. We will all be glad to provide you with our own experiences, but we may have very different protocols that we have followed. 

I'd also say that just like most things in life, there is no 'one way' to do this. There are a number of ways to do this and you will find what works for you. One of my friends couldn't stand getting on the scale and to this day doesn't do it. I got on the scale every day as I was losing and still do today. There are pluses and minuses to everything and you'll have to find what works for you and that might be a bit by trail and error. ... btw, while I was losing even though I did get on the scale every day, I found that if I just cared about and tracked my weight on the day of the week I had my surgery, then I could see the bigger picture and see the trends. That way I was able to get some perspective even though I was hopping on the scale every day. Now, I do it because it's a tool I use to help me stay accountable to me. I know what I should weigh and it keeps me from fooling myself. 

I found a book that I really like called 'The Beck Diet Solution'; it's really a book and workbook and you can get them locally or from Amazon, BarnesAndNoble.com, etc... It's not a diet, but a way to learn to retool your thinking about food and your relationship to and with it. It's been a real help to me and I even run a support group based on it. 

Another thing that I think is really helpful is to join and become active with a local support group if at all possible. I know that there are several people down in the Jacksonville area that meet and I'm sure you can hook up with them. They frequent the board. It's good to talk to those going through what you are and those who have walked the road ahead of you.

Wishing you all the best,

 

Thank you for the helpful advice. I think that with anything in life people have to find what works for them. I just hope some people can give me some of their experinces so I can start somewhere. I like to find out all I can about things and how other people deal with them. Even if I don't exactly agree I think it's a helpful tool for me personally. I am going to look better into a support group here in jacksonville I had went to the one in wilmington that my doctor requires us to go to atleast once. That is an hour or 2 drive for me depending on traffic.

Hi Diane,

I think that you are absolutely right about our needing to find what works for us. I agree that it really does help to have others who have walked the road walk with you so that you know that what you are experiencing is normal and give you tips on how to ease the way.  I think that you will find the 'old timers' here willing and ready to offer friendly advice and support along the way. You'll also likely find others that are in a similar place in their own journey and being able to commiserate will help too.

If you scan down the postings this week, I think you may find one started by Cindy and it will talk about a recent Jacksonville get together. I'm sure that if you send her a note, she'll be glad to hook you up with the local crowd.

I look forward to getting to know you as you make this trip of a lifetime! I think you will find it to be the wildest, most rewarding ride of your life!

 

Congratulations!!! Best of luck for a safe surgery and uneventful recovery. We are here waiting to hear from you. Let us know if there's anything we can do for you along your journey.

- iris

Thank you!!

I am only two weeks out, but I can give you recommendations for the hospital! Make sure you take these things:

pillow
small blanket
chap stick
small fan (if you have one)

The pillow and blanket made my stay so much more comfortable.
You won't be able to eat the day of surgery, so your mouth will be really dry. The chap stick really helped.
The fan was amazing because it droned out a lot of the hospital noise. It was a nice white noise!

When they say you can start walking, get up and WALK! I did 8 laps on the floor where I stayed and it helped with the gas. Even though I didn't really want to walk and I felt kind of out of it from the pain meds, I REALLY wanted to go home the next day, so I walked.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. My gas settled around my breastbone instead of where they said it would (shoulders). I was worried it was something else (a leak, a heart attack!). The nurses were really helpful in answering any questions I had.

Most of all, try to relax. Use that pain pump when you need it! The more time you have to relax and rest the faster you'll heal.

Good luck! We're all rooting for you!

Thank you so much I totally brought everything on the list except the fan and pillow. I grabbed that chapstick last min.!

 I think I had the same thing as you I had SERIOUS pain in my rib cage, I thought they were broken I woke up and I couldent catch my breath! I was not prepared for that type of pain. Oddly enough to me the insecions didn't bother me a bit.

I'm well on my way to recovery! thanks for your advice!