9 days to go!

Hi everyone! Just the the title says, I have 9 more to go til' surgery day!!! woohoo! Surgery is Jan.24th, @ 7:30am! (RNY).. I am the first appt! ARGH!... he he... Anyone have any suggestions on how I should prepare and what to bring with me?... Also, can someone fill me in on how you felt when you woke up?... Is the pain REALLY that bad?... or are you just sore like you went through a HUGE work out?... Any info will be much appreciated!! Hope all is doing well! Christina

Hi there! First of all, congrats on making this life saving decision to have WLS- way to go! About what to bring: I way over packed. I only used the following: Blistex Toothbrush/toothpaste My pillow Loose fitting clothes for the ride home Everything else I brought went untouched. When I woke, I was so grogy I did not feel anything, then went straight onto my morphine drip and the pain was minimal in the hospital. I was more uncomfortable then anything... but then when I went home it was pure PAIN. My back hurt, my front hurt, everything hurt. Not like a workout where your mucsels are sore, but like you were hit by a truck, lol. Sorry to be so blunt, but I wish someone told me that its NORMAL to feel like Sh** afterwards. But just remember why you are doing this. Keep focused on the end result and the pain will be justified then. Good luck and hope you have a speedy recovery

for me, the pain meds in the hospital kept me from really feeling/thinking much of anything. i used my lip balm, comfy clothes, glasses and managed to read a bit of a comic book while waiting to check out. other than that, i was a vegetable. the hospital provides shampoo, soap, toothbrush/paste, gown & toasty socks so your every need is pretty much covered. that first week i was just really tired and very weak. not in pain per say, but very bloated, crampy and uncomfortable. my usual bed was too hard for me and i ended up crashing in my mom's waterbed for a few days. they pump your body cavity & organs with a lot of gas so there's bloating and cramps until that passes. believe me, you'll be excited to fart! i tried to be tough that first day home and not do the yucky loritab/vicoden liquid medicine because it tasted worse than cough syrup. but then i smartened up and realized a few seconds of yuck-taste really helped me deal with those gas pains soo much better. don't be a hero - use the meds! overall that first week i was extremely tired. i paced up and down the hall for 10 min. at a time to work out the gas and get my strength up. after 10 min. i was exhausted and needed a good sit on the couch for an hour or more. prepare to embrace daytime tv or get cable! i watched a ton of dvds and did some light reading and constant sipping of clear liquids. don't push yourself and remember, everyone's experience is just a little different. good luck! -kari

I will give you the same advice that everyone gave me- Get up and walk as soon as you can. I didn't wake up in recovery. I was already in my room when I woke up and I was pretty out of it. The nurse explained the morphine and I had a cathater. I pushed the button for morphine, but wasn't really in any pain b/c everything hadn't worn off yet and I was out for an hour or so. An hour after that (so 2 hours after I got to my room) I decided to walk down the hall. This helped me sooo much and now I know why everyone told me to do it. It relieved some of the gas pressure and made me not feel so stiff. I walked down a couple of halls and then back to bed. That night I only was left to sleep about 30 mins before someone came in to check my BP or take blood or something. The next morning I was so tired that I was miserable and I had to go at 7am for the leak test. It was ok, not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, but I was a little sore. I got up and walked 4 times the second and third day. The gas pains suck, but they aren't too bad. You will do great! I just know it. Good Luck! Carla

Congrats! I'm just starting my process so I don't have any words of wisdom on what to take or pain! Melissa