Advice for rny (any would be great)

So I found out my surgery date! Septemeber 14th! so excited. ive done so much research but would really like more advice from people that have already done it. I have a great support group from family and friends but would like to make new friends to go on this journey with :)

Congratulations on getting your surgery date! My surgeon's office recently submitted my paperwork last week, so I am hoping to find out my approval and surgery date SOON! I'm really hoping for September as well. Maybe I will luck out and we'll be surgery buddies. :)

Thanks so much and I hope you will get yours in September top! I started this long process in February and I just want it over now lol. Would you like to become friends on here I tried to add you but you are private. If not that's ok too and good luck on your journey! 

Hey Jackie - I added you! Not sure why my info is private, i'll go fix it soon.

Something I didn't do after my Lap-Band which I wish I had was to get in the habit of keeping a food journal. Now that I am on the journey to getting a revision to an RNY, I started food journaling recently and it has already made a HUGE difference in my food choices. If you are tech-savvy and have a smartphone, then the common recommendation is MyFitnessPal.com (which has apps for iOS and Android). It's pretty neat making dinner and scanning the items like you would at a grocery store - searching for those you can't scan - then recording what you're eating.  This will come in handy later if your weight loss stops - it can help you, your NUT or Dr (or even us on the boards i'd imagine!) help troubleshoot.

Anyway, MFP is great. I also am in the habit of using the "Waterlogged" app to help me keep on track with my water intake as well. Hopefully by being in the habit of using them NOW, it will be less of an adjustment to do it after surgery.

I'm looking into finding a good Rx app too, to help take the vitamins on time and in the right order and everything - that's my next goal!  I've never been on any consistent medications (other than birth control) in my entire life --thankfully-- so now this is the next adjustment I am trying to get ready for.

I look forward to hearing about what else you're finding out too since we're both pre-Ops! :)

Hi there! I posted this is a reply to a similar post the other day: Welcome and congrats on your upcoming continued journey. Of course each persons experience will be slightly different, but for me I was pretty worn out the first week. I could move around and did best sleeping sitting up due to the residual gas I had. I don't like taking pain meds so I was thankful I didn't need them when I got home (I stayed one night in the hospital). Once I was able to eat soft foods and introduce my vitamins I slowly got my energy back. I went back to work after week 3 and did just fine. I was very apprehensive to start new foods (I don't like to vomit and will just about do anything to avoid it) so I added new foods slowly. The best advice is walk, walk, walk and sip, sip, sip. Also, remember you just had surgery and even though you'll likely only have 5 small incisions your body has major healing to do on the inside. Best of luck to you.

Thanks so much for the reply I find out a little more everyday and try and write it down. I buy stuff here and there. Starting to get all my shakes before surgery so that's less things to buy I'm still needing vitamins and have questions on that I just want to do all of this right so I have the best results. Thanks again.

I had a hard time finding the right calcium and getting all the spacing of the different vitamins (iron can't be taken with calcium, calcium has to be taken at least 2 hours apart and at the beginning I was given actigall (to minimize the chance of gallbladder issues) so had to add that in somewhere so it seemed to take so much thought at first and now it's just second nature. 

Hello, like the previous person *****plied, someone asked a similar question the other day and here was my reply:

You are so smart to ask these question before the surgery, I didn't find this sight until after my surgery.  Anyway I read through what everyone wrote and thought I had a few thing I could add being I am 4 weeks post-op and I am a mom, with one very energetic wiggly 3 year old.

Something to think about as far as coverage, you will not be able to drive until you are off pain medications and cleared by the doctor, so make sure a day or two before make sure you house is stocked with the things you need like from target to minimize the errands you need to run post surgery.  You can take care of yourself but without being able to drive you can't just zip out and get the things you need.  You are also very tired and not 100% so a trip to target to grab things can take a lot out of you.  My husband had to work during my recovery so I had my mom help me out, then she went on vacation 5 days post-op and I had my best girlfriend actually come stay with me for the next 5 days, then my mom was back.  I really only had them help me with my energetic 3 year old son.  My post-op appointment with my doctor was 12 days later and that was when I was cleared to drive again.  Once I was cleared to drive, I didn't need as much help.

Get some of your protein drinks ahead of time but not too much because you won't know what you like, post surgery so plan to taste them and then plan to make a trip post surgery to get more of what you like (or what you can get down!)  My surgeon allowed me to have the pre-made Pure Protein shakes which I found tasty but I thought I had to buy Isopure so I have a fridge full of them which were expensive and I haven't had even one.  So buy a few different types that your surgeon will allow, taste them and then plan to get more post surgery.

A lot of people recommend a recliner, I have a recliner and had heard that was really helpful but I actually preferred to sleep in my own bed prompt up with lots of pillows, for me it felt similar to the hospital bed.  Also I went in thinking I am going to come home from the hospital in one day and get back to normal but I couldn't get the protein shakes down fast enough for the surgeon so I stayed one more day, don't be afraid to stay one more day if you need to.  I was able to concentrate on walking, resting and trying to get down the protein shake.

I actually took my fitbit to the hospital with me, my surgeon said that was a first!  Unfortunately my walks around the hospital I was moving so slow that they didn't actually register on my fitbit!  So I counted my steps and laps in the hospital, a friend told me this was really important in the hospital to help with the gas.

Okay one last tip, don't weigh yourself as soon as you get home from the hospital, I did and lost one pound.  ONE POUND, I was so annoyed, here I was in pain, tired could barely drink 1 once of protein shake and they had also taken out my gall bladder and cut part of my liver and ONE POUND was all I lost? I thought doesn't the gall bladder weigh more than one pound?  But as I have read on this sight, they pump you full of fluids and gas so it isn't a true account of your weight some people even gain weight.  A friend told me to weigh myself once a week and record it in a notebook/journal FOREVER, once a week forever.  I didn't hear this advice until 3 weeks post op, so I spent everyday weighing myself, if I lost weight of course I was happy and if I didn't I hated myself.  My friend told me don't let a day of not losing steal your joy.  Weigh yourself once a week, once a week only, forever.  She is now 4 years out and has maintained 145lbs with her once a week weigh ins.  I ordered myself a cute journal and got some fun colored marker pens for my weekly weigh in journal.  Oh and take a "Before Photo, the day before of the day of surgery"

IT will be worth it!  I am 4 weeks out as of yesterday and have lost 25lbs, and I look forward to more!  It will be awesome, but you might have a moment where you think, what did I do?  but again I say It will be worth it!!

Congratulations on the weight loss and thanks so much I live learning anything I can about the time after the surgery. I am lucky my mom will be here for a couple days after I get out of the hospital and I don't have a child right now so I'll just have my mom all to myself and my boyfriend is the best support I just want this done. I'll have a month off from work ( I'm a head teacher at a daycare) so I'm excited for that and maybe go back to work with a little bit of energy.

Beachy is spot on.  I am 9 weeks out and I had a few complications that left me in the hospital for a week.  But nothing that could have been prevented.  I was allergic to the pain meds and a lung issue.  I made and froze 1/2 cup homemade chicken broth.  Have a couple of god water bottles so you can take it everywhere you go and sip sip sip.  Walk to relieve gas...I too slept in a bed and not in my recliner.  Take one day at a time, be kind to yourself and remember it isnt a sprint...its a marathon.  I am down 52 pounds in 9 weeks.  I have been in a stall for a week.  If you get down...reach out.  This is the best place for support and knowledge!

Best of everything!

Kim