Question:
I'm 2 1/2 weeks till my new birthday, what should I be doing to prepare?

I talk to people who are pre-op. They're buying protein drinks, stocking up the house, etc. I haven't done anything. What should I be buying for when I come home and what should I pack to bring. I live with family, so getting rid of all the "bad" stuff isn't a possibility, I'd like to have everything I need for when I get home from the hospital, but what? Help!!! I'm gettin nervous and am not sure what I should be doing to prepare!    — Kelley S. (posted on September 2, 2001)

September 2, 2001
Hey Kel, check out the archive as this is a Freq Asked Q. But for me, I had chicken broth, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles and a couple of clear "koolaid" type protein drinks for the first 2 weeks of clear liqs. I hated the protein and didn't start it until 4 weeks post. I also had low fat cream soups, a box of mashed pots and sugar free jello pudding (among a few other things) once I started introducing soft foods into my diet. SF chewable vits. (I didn't do any of this until a week prior so don't worry...some of us like to procrastinate. I bought a book on procrastination but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet :-) Good luck!
   — Kimberly L.

September 2, 2001
That protein comment didn't come out right. I hated the 2 protein koolaid type drinks I bought but found some I really liked (Pro Blend 55) and started a regular regimen at 4 weeks post.
   — Kimberly L.

September 2, 2001
I would not buy lots of anything! My tastes were very erratic the first few weeks after surgery. I would eat a bite of something and not want the rest. The protein drinks I liked before surgery did not taste the same after surgery for months! I did buy lots of little, single serving foods (but my surgery was the DS, and I could eat when I came home). Those little sugar free jellos, applesauce, bananas, and bonbel cheeses were my saving grace! All I needed at the hospital was my toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, and facial cleanser and moisturizer. Oh yeah, and chapstick! When my hubby had his surgery, the only addition to the list was a fan. -Kate-
   — kateseidel

September 2, 2001
My postop friends helped develop a good list of things to have on hand for after surgery. You can print them out by going to http://wwwlkdobson.homestead.com There's some other info you might find useful, as well as addresses of other sites that cover a ton of WLS subjects. Good luck !!
   — Lisa D.

September 2, 2001
The website address listed should actually be http://www.lkdobson.homestead.com -- without that extra period, the page is not found.<br><br>I'm in the same boat... my new birthday is Sept 17, two weeks away! so if you find any good sources, please feel free to email me... [email protected]. Thanks!! Good luck with your surgery! Oh, don't forget to buy a blender if you haven't yet. :-)
   — Julia M.

June 8, 2003
AAAAAAAARRRRGHHHH!!! The pages have been ERASED!! Does anyone have this saved to their hard drive????
   — kathy B.

June 8, 2003
I'm going to echo the person who said not to get much of anything. You do want to have some broth, SF Jello and maybe Crystal Light or SF KoolAid, but I wouldn't have a lot more than that and I'd only have a couple of each. I just gave away a plastic grocery bag full of SF Jello. I bought WAY too much and by the time I got to where I could eat real food, I didn't even want to think about Jello any more. You can always go get more of something you like. You might want to order some samples of protein shakes. However, don't try them pre-op. Many of us find our tastes change and something we liked pre-op tastes horrid to us post-op. The samples give you a chance to try things out and then order full sizes of what you like.<p> As to what to take to the hospital, again I'd say don't take much. The one thing almost everyone mentions is lip balm. Most surgeons won't let you even have ice chips until after the leak test, so you get pretty dried out. I also was glad I had my own slip-on sandals. Most hospitals will give you some socks with non-skid bottoms, but I couldn't put those on myself and I didn't want them on all the time. Needing to have someone help put them on and then take them off whenever I went for a walk would have been a nuisance. I couldn't concentrate on the book I brought, but I could read short magazine articles. Most hospitals also supply personal items, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, etc. They're not the greatest but for a couple of days they'll do just fine. Also, if you have an IV in your arm, you can't put on anything with sleeves unless the nurses disconnect your IV while you do it, so trying to use your own robe becomes a pain. Many large hospital gowns have snaps on the shoulders, so it's easy to put on two, one with the ties in back and another with them in front.
   — garw