Moving right along. . .

Things are beginning to fall into place for me.  EGD/colonoscopy scheduled for 4/6, PCP visit Monday to do labs, chest x-ray, and send my surgeon all the other test results, ie. mammogram, sleep study, which I just had done within the last two months.  He'll also set up tests for cardiac clearance.  Talked with the psych person Friday, and should hear from him on Monday about an appointment, after he checks with my insurance to see if I have any coverage.  (If I don't, I'll probably just pay out of pocket, since he's familiar with bariatric patients and what's necessary to satisfy the surgeon and insurance company of our sanity! )

Now I'm trying to seriously work on changing some bad behaviors, educating myself even more on the types of foods I need to concentrate on, what kind of vitamins I will need, and settle on a couple of protein powder sources. 

What else do I need to be doing?  I know that gets asked a lot, but guess I'll ask it again.  I've found some pretty good books on bariatric surgery, but I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a "bariatric bible" of sorts, that addresses not just the surgery itself, but a lot of other things, like how the digestive system works, what and why we need certain vitamins and in what quantities, etc.  Of course, I have a rudimentary understanding of the digestive process, but I'd really like to have a little more detailed understanding, as well as some kind of "layman's guide" to vitamins and nutrients.  I found one book on that from the bariatric perspective, but it's there's so much information in it that I'm kind of overwhelmed!

I appreciate any and all thoughts and suggestions!

Beth

Check out the nutritional guidelines of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: nutrition.otago.ac.nz/__data/assets/file/0005/4784/Bariatric NutritionReading.pdf to learn a lot of good stuff about vitamins after RNY.

Two big things I would do is start practicing some of the behaviors that will help you after surgery, like measuring your food, counting protein grams, making sure you get at least 64 oz fluid a day, eating slowly and taking small bites, stuff like that.

And, maybe the most important thing, working on the "head stuff."  Because I think that is what makes the difference between success and failure a lot of times.  Like, if you tend to eat a lot of sweets when you are sad, or bored, or whatever, start finding new coping skills now.  If other people can easily pressure you into eating food you don't really want or think is good for you, start learning to say no now.  If you don't have much time to cook so you usually pick up fast food at the drive thru, now is the time to learn to make quick, healthy meals.  Um, I guess that's not really "head stuff," exactly, but you get the point.  Identify things that lead you to make poor food choices, and start figuring out how to fix them.

Thanks for all the good suggestions!  Especially for the link.  I think I checked that out once before, but forgot about it, so that's definitely something I need to do again.

You're right about working on the head stuff; that's the hardest of anything to do, I know.  At least, I'm sure it will be for me.  I've been doing a lot of reading, to try to get a better understanding of why I eat (overeat) and what to do differently.  I'm a work in progress when it comes to practicing what I'm learning. 

Had a little epiphany the other day, when I was checking online about the hospital I'll be using.  I'll have to go out of town, and so I was looking for hotels nearby, in case I'll need to be there beyond my hospital stay.  I found one with the typical breakfast area, where you can get a glorified continental breakfast (waffles, pastries, etc.), and so I was thinking, "oh, that's nice; hubby and I can have some coffee and a bagel together in the mornings, etc.", and then it dawned on me I won't be doing bagels and coffee a day or two (or 20) after surgery!  It's a little thing, but it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks, and I realized my thinking about so many things will need to change in order to be successful.

Lots of work ahead of me!

By the way, you forgot to mention one of the best resources for vitamin (and other) info here on OH:  YOU!  I've read so many of your posts, and know how extensive your knowledge is, and hopefully, you'll share some of that with me when the time comes. 

Beth

I think the head stuff is the hardest for most people.  If not everyone.  And we are all works in progress.  It's a journey, not a destination.  And you don't have to have it all figured out before surgery - if that was the case, no one would ever have surgery!  But you might as well get started on it now and have a plan for how you'll continue doing the work after surgery.

And I think you'll find life is pretty much made up of those little things.