Was there anything you didn't know!!
I just set my surgery date for June 10th!! I am sooooooo excited!! I can't wait! I have told my husband and my Mom only so far but I am planning on telling my two sisters this weekend. I want to go into this know as much as I possibly can!!! Please, if there was anything that was a surprise or different then what you expected could you please tell me!! I just want to know everything!! Thanks!! I am so excited!!
read my blog for details of one person's journey. Most of this has been much easier than I expected inclduding the surgery itself. The only unpleasant surprise is how hideous most protein drinks are and how hard it was to choke them down those first two weeks. and I had been using some pre op. your tastes change and pretty much everything tastes like dirt. you just have to find the least offensive stuff and choke it down. But for a couple of weeks of drinking yuk I have lost half my body weight and gotten a normal life back. worth swallowing swill for awhile. Diane
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OK so i spent 30 typing you a long list on what you needed to do, have, or bring and then my daughter woke up and wanted me to hold her and some how everything got deleted so I'm going to make this short
1. children's Tylenol so if you stomach cant handle the pain med because you aren't eating
2. flip flops or socks with grips on bottom for Ur hospital stay for Ur walking house shoes with no back because u cant bend over
3. chap-stick for hospital and after because not eating and drinking plus having surgery will dry them out
4. pillow and blanket for the hospital to give u a little bit of comfort (its impossible to get comfortable there but anything helps)
5. frozen dinners for spouse and kids if you have either one they can cook it just pop in the oven kind of stuff
6. broth soups or cream i liked cream of chicken with herb it was yummy (never potatoes it is way to heavy it will make you throw up or make your tummy hurt because two bits is like eating a double meat cheese burger its like wow too much)
7.female pads because most women start their periods after surgery even if u just had it two days b4 surgery i don't think u can use tampons because u are not allowed to bend over
8. panties because of the menstrual cycle thing and because they may make you stay in the hospital gown the whole time you are there
9. pajama pants if they make you stay in the gown u might want to wear some because they make u walk every 30-60 minutes around nurse station and halls
10.clean house before surgery all laundry especially if u don't then the second u start feeling better u will want to do it and i do not recommend it because it will make you hurt plus u aren't supposed to do that kind of stuff for about a week. ( my husband was supposed to do it for me but he never did so 5 days out i had to clean because all dishes clothes and every thing else was dirty) i was in bad pain from cleaning)
11. ponytails or hair clips pain med make face itch
12. some kind of sippy cup bottle or one with a straw mine is 54 oz so i drink one a day and I'm constantly drinking it helps because you r used to taking big drinks and it will hurt if you do and also if you get one with a straw take a sip and let it sit in mouth b4 swallowing to make sure u aren't sucking down air bubbles you do not want to add more gas because u will have plenty from the surgery. remember right after surgery to sip if they give u a drink do not gulp because it will hurt badly or so Ive been told. i was warned prior to surgery
13. gas-x strips some people say they help and others they don't.
14. stool softener it will help the gas move out of your body and keep u from being stopped up because anesthesia and pain med will do that. you do not want to have hard bowls because you will have to strain and it will hurt you tummy
15. if u have a cell phone don't forget charger
16. books cards or games on phone or Nintendo dsi because u wont sleep much or people I've talked to had trouble and by the time u finally fall asleep they come in for something usually its to walk or check temp and bp
17. no one told me you will run fever after you get home so FYI u might get a fever don't panic its normal but if it gets up to 102.8 to 103.0 then its time to call Ur doctor and let him know just in case
18. if you have small kids don't pick them up on your way home if u can have someone watch them so u can have peace and quit with no one waking u up to walk or check Ur temp and bp or kids wanting to talk snuggle jump in bed throw fits or whatever wait until the next day
19.do not stock up on protein drinks because Ur tastes might change.. mine did not but i know people who have had that happen and they threw out a lot of money or had to carry it all back to the store. worst case u could end up like me and become lactose intolerant i can not have any type of milk or ice cream i get dumping or vomit but they do have muscle milk and it is soy protein but those make me sick too. so i would just buy 1 box of Ur fave kind and see how it affects u
20.if u r a person that has to wear a bra i would suggest a sports bra that snaps buckles or zips in the front because u shouldn't be reaching 2 Ur back and because a regular bra isn't very comfortable. i would just get one if u decide to buy one because you will only need it for the first week or so
21.crystal light is very good to mix and it counts as your 64 oz of liquid a day that's what my nutritionist said anyways and your protein shakes do not count as your liquid so u have to drink those and 64 oz of Gatorade water crystal light etc.
22. u might lose more or less than what u expect in the first month i lost 25 but my sister has already lost 15lbs in 8 days so everyone is different. she was worried it was to much to fast but if u think about it u go from a bunch of calories to pretty much non for the first month the u start adding things back in so Ur weight loss slows down a little
23. in case u haven't heard yet there is something everyone calls the dreaded 3 week stall it can start at two, three or four weeks and it is where Ur scale will stay the same and don't worry you will go back to losing it just takes a couple days to two weeks from what I've read its normal every one goes through it for the most part.. and I've also heard that even if the scale stays the same u may be losing inches
24. buy a tape measure one u use for sewing so u can measure ounce a week or month however you'd like to do it but then if you stall for a week and then go back to losing u can measure and see if you have lost inches so you wont be as sad for stalling this will not be the only time you have a stall unless Ur a very lucky person.. if u don't go back to losing in two weeks and Ur inches aren't moving i would check my diet call my nutritionist to see what is wrong
25. keep a food journal write down how much liquid and what kind then write down the type of food you ate and how much (example 1 baby carrot 3 green beans or .2 oz apple or .5 baby food) this way if you stall you might be able to find out why and take it to your nutritionist
26. get a digital scale in my opinion its better than the other scales because u are eating such small portions that you wont have to count the tiny lines on a regular scale when u r farther out u can use it for Ur meat but Ur soups will be measured 1/4 cup its just easier in my opinion which everyone is different so to each is own
25. when you fill your liquid pain medicine ask the pharmacy to see a list of their flavors so u can pick one and add it. it will cost extra but its like two dollars the pain medicine is very gross and i didn't know u could get it with flavors but i just found out from my sister that you can hers is bubblegum and yes its still a little yucky but no where near as nasty i think it helps some
OK so there was one more thing but i cant remember so if i think of it ill post it later and if anyone reading this has some better ideas please feel free to comment because id like to hear what other people do or did. i know y'all don't need my permission sorry just getting tired
i hope this helps you or anyone else *****ads it
congratulations and good luck to you...
1. children's Tylenol so if you stomach cant handle the pain med because you aren't eating
2. flip flops or socks with grips on bottom for Ur hospital stay for Ur walking house shoes with no back because u cant bend over
3. chap-stick for hospital and after because not eating and drinking plus having surgery will dry them out
4. pillow and blanket for the hospital to give u a little bit of comfort (its impossible to get comfortable there but anything helps)
5. frozen dinners for spouse and kids if you have either one they can cook it just pop in the oven kind of stuff
6. broth soups or cream i liked cream of chicken with herb it was yummy (never potatoes it is way to heavy it will make you throw up or make your tummy hurt because two bits is like eating a double meat cheese burger its like wow too much)
7.female pads because most women start their periods after surgery even if u just had it two days b4 surgery i don't think u can use tampons because u are not allowed to bend over
8. panties because of the menstrual cycle thing and because they may make you stay in the hospital gown the whole time you are there
9. pajama pants if they make you stay in the gown u might want to wear some because they make u walk every 30-60 minutes around nurse station and halls
10.clean house before surgery all laundry especially if u don't then the second u start feeling better u will want to do it and i do not recommend it because it will make you hurt plus u aren't supposed to do that kind of stuff for about a week. ( my husband was supposed to do it for me but he never did so 5 days out i had to clean because all dishes clothes and every thing else was dirty) i was in bad pain from cleaning)
11. ponytails or hair clips pain med make face itch
12. some kind of sippy cup bottle or one with a straw mine is 54 oz so i drink one a day and I'm constantly drinking it helps because you r used to taking big drinks and it will hurt if you do and also if you get one with a straw take a sip and let it sit in mouth b4 swallowing to make sure u aren't sucking down air bubbles you do not want to add more gas because u will have plenty from the surgery. remember right after surgery to sip if they give u a drink do not gulp because it will hurt badly or so Ive been told. i was warned prior to surgery
13. gas-x strips some people say they help and others they don't.
14. stool softener it will help the gas move out of your body and keep u from being stopped up because anesthesia and pain med will do that. you do not want to have hard bowls because you will have to strain and it will hurt you tummy
15. if u have a cell phone don't forget charger
16. books cards or games on phone or Nintendo dsi because u wont sleep much or people I've talked to had trouble and by the time u finally fall asleep they come in for something usually its to walk or check temp and bp
17. no one told me you will run fever after you get home so FYI u might get a fever don't panic its normal but if it gets up to 102.8 to 103.0 then its time to call Ur doctor and let him know just in case
18. if you have small kids don't pick them up on your way home if u can have someone watch them so u can have peace and quit with no one waking u up to walk or check Ur temp and bp or kids wanting to talk snuggle jump in bed throw fits or whatever wait until the next day
19.do not stock up on protein drinks because Ur tastes might change.. mine did not but i know people who have had that happen and they threw out a lot of money or had to carry it all back to the store. worst case u could end up like me and become lactose intolerant i can not have any type of milk or ice cream i get dumping or vomit but they do have muscle milk and it is soy protein but those make me sick too. so i would just buy 1 box of Ur fave kind and see how it affects u
20.if u r a person that has to wear a bra i would suggest a sports bra that snaps buckles or zips in the front because u shouldn't be reaching 2 Ur back and because a regular bra isn't very comfortable. i would just get one if u decide to buy one because you will only need it for the first week or so
21.crystal light is very good to mix and it counts as your 64 oz of liquid a day that's what my nutritionist said anyways and your protein shakes do not count as your liquid so u have to drink those and 64 oz of Gatorade water crystal light etc.
22. u might lose more or less than what u expect in the first month i lost 25 but my sister has already lost 15lbs in 8 days so everyone is different. she was worried it was to much to fast but if u think about it u go from a bunch of calories to pretty much non for the first month the u start adding things back in so Ur weight loss slows down a little
23. in case u haven't heard yet there is something everyone calls the dreaded 3 week stall it can start at two, three or four weeks and it is where Ur scale will stay the same and don't worry you will go back to losing it just takes a couple days to two weeks from what I've read its normal every one goes through it for the most part.. and I've also heard that even if the scale stays the same u may be losing inches
24. buy a tape measure one u use for sewing so u can measure ounce a week or month however you'd like to do it but then if you stall for a week and then go back to losing u can measure and see if you have lost inches so you wont be as sad for stalling this will not be the only time you have a stall unless Ur a very lucky person.. if u don't go back to losing in two weeks and Ur inches aren't moving i would check my diet call my nutritionist to see what is wrong
25. keep a food journal write down how much liquid and what kind then write down the type of food you ate and how much (example 1 baby carrot 3 green beans or .2 oz apple or .5 baby food) this way if you stall you might be able to find out why and take it to your nutritionist
26. get a digital scale in my opinion its better than the other scales because u are eating such small portions that you wont have to count the tiny lines on a regular scale when u r farther out u can use it for Ur meat but Ur soups will be measured 1/4 cup its just easier in my opinion which everyone is different so to each is own
25. when you fill your liquid pain medicine ask the pharmacy to see a list of their flavors so u can pick one and add it. it will cost extra but its like two dollars the pain medicine is very gross and i didn't know u could get it with flavors but i just found out from my sister that you can hers is bubblegum and yes its still a little yucky but no where near as nasty i think it helps some
OK so there was one more thing but i cant remember so if i think of it ill post it later and if anyone reading this has some better ideas please feel free to comment because id like to hear what other people do or did. i know y'all don't need my permission sorry just getting tired
i hope this helps you or anyone else *****ads it
congratulations and good luck to you...
I was really amazed that when I was moved to soft food, 1/2 of 1 scrambled egg made me feel like I had just a 1/2 a large pizza. It is a weird feeling to get used to. The main thing is to relax and let your body tell you what you need, like pain meds, water, jello, and most important, rest. After a few days you will start to feel like a new person. So happy for you and welcome to the loser bench. We keep getting smaller to make room for new losers..
Happiness depends upon ourselves!!
My surgery went fine but when I woke up I had pretty severe gas pains from the inflating they do. The only way to get relief is to "walk it off," but that's quite uncomfortable, but you've got to do it. Not everyone experiences the gas as painfully as I did - and truthfully, it was far from the worst thing I've ever had to deal with. It was a surprise though - no one had told me it might be that bad.
Once home, all went well - minor discomforts that come from the operation, but nothing that a pill wouldn't take care of.
Pre-op advice: Exercise as much as you can before the surgery; then, following Dr.'s advice, get back to exercise as quickly as you can post-op.
Record every bite you eat honestly - exercise every single day - esp.on the days you don't want to - and the weight will come off amazingly fast. Oh, and "stalls" (or as we call them, "plateaus") are just your body adjusting to the new regimen - keep on, keeping on and the weight will come off - promise.
I'm not yet 6 mos. post-op and I'm down 133 lbs. - sleevie helps a lot, but for me, consistency of diet and exercise remain as the key elements for major weight loss. Good luck on your journey.
Pop-Pop
Once home, all went well - minor discomforts that come from the operation, but nothing that a pill wouldn't take care of.
Pre-op advice: Exercise as much as you can before the surgery; then, following Dr.'s advice, get back to exercise as quickly as you can post-op.
Record every bite you eat honestly - exercise every single day - esp.on the days you don't want to - and the weight will come off amazingly fast. Oh, and "stalls" (or as we call them, "plateaus") are just your body adjusting to the new regimen - keep on, keeping on and the weight will come off - promise.
I'm not yet 6 mos. post-op and I'm down 133 lbs. - sleevie helps a lot, but for me, consistency of diet and exercise remain as the key elements for major weight loss. Good luck on your journey.
Pop-Pop
I just got home from the hospital yesterday and agree with most of the great suggestions from the other posters.
I'd like to add that it's ok for you to TAKE YOUR TIME with medications, drinks, protein shakes, etc. You aren't going to want to do any damage to your insides post-operatively, and your belly will thank you with less pain and gas if you just sip your fluids slowly.
I didn't have any liquid medications in the hospital or postop-- all of mine are capsules, except for the pain meds, which are tablets. I've been splitting all of my tablets and taking a decent amount of time between each half (like 5-10 minutes), and the same goes for the capsules. I'm having so much upper gas (burping) that I don't think I could manage any other way (I feel like a baby who needs to burp after every two ounces of liquids!).
Also, when the lower gas comes (what a relief it will feel like!), you may want to sit on the toilet. This is especially true if you're taking a stool softener like docusate/colace. I was surprised that I had a small BM so soon after surgery, but it's all very welcome as constipation is AWFUL.
Be sure to do your incentive sprirometry (deep breathing exercises) in the hospital every hour to avoid pneumonia, and while you're at it, bring the little gizmo home with you so that you can do the exercises at home. They're just going to throw it away anyhow when you leave and you may as well benefit from it-- pneumonia is a post-op complication you really want to avoid.
Walk walk walk walk. Even if it's slow. Even if it's not so far. Even when it hurts (that's what pain meds are for-- don't be a hero and try not to take the meds!). Walking helps with healing, prevents blood clots from forming in your legs, and really can help metabolize/break down the surgical gas they pump into your belly for the laproscopic procedure.
Buy a water jug that has lines to measure out a liter (like a Nalgene bottle or something similar). You can get them inexpensively from any store (sporting goods places, Walmart, Target, the grocery store, etc.). They really help you keep track of how much water you've taken, especially when your head is a little loopy from the anesthesia and pain meds.
GOOD LUCK!!
I'd like to add that it's ok for you to TAKE YOUR TIME with medications, drinks, protein shakes, etc. You aren't going to want to do any damage to your insides post-operatively, and your belly will thank you with less pain and gas if you just sip your fluids slowly.
I didn't have any liquid medications in the hospital or postop-- all of mine are capsules, except for the pain meds, which are tablets. I've been splitting all of my tablets and taking a decent amount of time between each half (like 5-10 minutes), and the same goes for the capsules. I'm having so much upper gas (burping) that I don't think I could manage any other way (I feel like a baby who needs to burp after every two ounces of liquids!).
Also, when the lower gas comes (what a relief it will feel like!), you may want to sit on the toilet. This is especially true if you're taking a stool softener like docusate/colace. I was surprised that I had a small BM so soon after surgery, but it's all very welcome as constipation is AWFUL.
Be sure to do your incentive sprirometry (deep breathing exercises) in the hospital every hour to avoid pneumonia, and while you're at it, bring the little gizmo home with you so that you can do the exercises at home. They're just going to throw it away anyhow when you leave and you may as well benefit from it-- pneumonia is a post-op complication you really want to avoid.
Walk walk walk walk. Even if it's slow. Even if it's not so far. Even when it hurts (that's what pain meds are for-- don't be a hero and try not to take the meds!). Walking helps with healing, prevents blood clots from forming in your legs, and really can help metabolize/break down the surgical gas they pump into your belly for the laproscopic procedure.
Buy a water jug that has lines to measure out a liter (like a Nalgene bottle or something similar). You can get them inexpensively from any store (sporting goods places, Walmart, Target, the grocery store, etc.). They really help you keep track of how much water you've taken, especially when your head is a little loopy from the anesthesia and pain meds.
GOOD LUCK!!
~~Emily~~
I'm so excited for you!
I read the long list and its great but I brought extra things in the hospital when I had my son and it was a hassle. I slept so much from the anethesia while I was there I didn't need lots of things. I think getting my period the morning of allowed me to be prepared with pads, panties and yes, I used tampons after surgery they wouldn't let me before).Chapstick is needed. I also brought crystal light individual servings to add to water.
The nurses are nice and bring ice water. Room temperture water is best on the new tummy. They don't understand. Ask for it.
The things I wish I knew. I bought Calcium Carbonate chewable tablets but learned that Calcium isolate...hmmm citrate (i get confused) is best. So I use these and then buy what I need.
I wish I had bought some Unjury unflavored protein because you can mix it with coffee, crystal light or jello. I still haven't tried it yet but it sounds like it would be an easy way to get in protein while having a snack.
I wish I had invested in a mini blender or mini processor. When I tried to puree some foods in the beginning, they still had chunks and i had to eat around them.
That is all. Went easier than expected. Good Luck!
I read the long list and its great but I brought extra things in the hospital when I had my son and it was a hassle. I slept so much from the anethesia while I was there I didn't need lots of things. I think getting my period the morning of allowed me to be prepared with pads, panties and yes, I used tampons after surgery they wouldn't let me before).Chapstick is needed. I also brought crystal light individual servings to add to water.
The nurses are nice and bring ice water. Room temperture water is best on the new tummy. They don't understand. Ask for it.
The things I wish I knew. I bought Calcium Carbonate chewable tablets but learned that Calcium isolate...hmmm citrate (i get confused) is best. So I use these and then buy what I need.
I wish I had bought some Unjury unflavored protein because you can mix it with coffee, crystal light or jello. I still haven't tried it yet but it sounds like it would be an easy way to get in protein while having a snack.
I wish I had invested in a mini blender or mini processor. When I tried to puree some foods in the beginning, they still had chunks and i had to eat around them.
That is all. Went easier than expected. Good Luck!
HW: 399 SW: 380 CW: 305 GW: 150
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