Pre-Surgery Shopping List

Hello All,

I am two weeks pre-VSG and want to get what I need in place for the first week or so post surgery. I have been trying to piece together items from a number of your posts and am hoping some of you could provide a basic "must have" list to guide me. Due to health issues, I will not be able to send my wife to the store for me so I need to really plan ahead.

I don't want to try to get too much since I don't know what I can stomach once the sleeve is in place. Also, is there a preferred brand of protein powder? I am thinking an unflavored variety that can be added to any number of foods.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Hi Drew,

Be sure to get a schedule or something from your doctor or dietician giving a general idea of how long they will have you in the certain stages. Also check with your doc/ dietician to be clear on what you can have for full liquid, my doctor let me purée like chicken vegetable soup and cottage cheese, ask specifics, some docs only want you eating strained cream soups. For example my doctor only had me on clear liquids when I was in the hospital and then full for two weeks.  If you are on clear when you get out, beef, vegetable and chicken broth, maybe one can of each, you will still be really swollen and won't be able to consume much so a can will last you a while, though you can always use broth in different dishes so extra of that won't hurt. Sugar free Popsicles, crystal light, MIO, dasani drops, all sugar free sweeteners.  Also sugar free jello.Personally I would get just a couple bottles of your favorite flavor to try.  Your taste may change after surgery and you may not be able to tolerate, but at least with the drops you can add more or less.  Also herbal teas are great.  Full liquid would be strained cream soups, chicken, mushroom, tomato basil, cream of celery, unsweetened applesauce, some allow mashed instant Potatos but they are carbs so be careful, split pea, sugar free pudding, milk. Just remember you probably will only be able to eat small amounts of all of these.  I bought a lot of the pre made because they were already in portion containers, I wasted less that way but was a little more expensive. Remember your main goal after surgery is water, water, water, even before protein. Unflavored protein powder is probably a good idea. Unjury.com has sample packs you can buy, I couldn't use the protein powder so you may want to go buy some at GNC , so you have it on hand.  I have read through here they have a 30 day guarantee on all their products,then at least before the thirty days you could return it if you needed to.  Verify with them before you buy it though, they may do the guarantee online as well.  Sorry this is so long....that's all I can think of right now.  Take chap stick to the hospital with you, your lips will be parched and don't forget a pillow for the ride home......best wishes....

Smiles:),

Lisa

I needed childrens tylenol but the super sweet syrup didn't agree much with my tummy.  I was better off with the quick dissolve chewables.   Neither are yummy LOL.  Unjury Protein has a chicken broth that was nice and soothing on my tummy.   If you can use Gas ex drops or strips those might be handy to have too.  A few different 100 percent juices, I can drink white grape juice but not purple grape.  The tummy is really a finicky thing after!

Good luck on your journey!

Thank you both for your replies and suggestions...I am probably going a little overboard with my planning, but I just don't want to miss something stupid that could have been avoided if only I asked the question...

Your first 1-2 weeks will be all about fluids.  Have plenty of water or other 0 calorie drinks.  Have a variety, because your tastes may change for a while after surgery.  (I always drank unsweetened iced tea, but it made me nauseous for the first few weeks after surgery.) 

Broths and sugar free jello.  Sugar free popsicles if you want.  A couple cans of tomato or cream soups in case you get that far along before you can get out.

I'd look online for some sample packets of different proteins.  The Unjury unflavored and chicken flavored are both pretty highly recommended.  

Good luck to you!

GasX

Isopure protein water, 20 oz water 160 cal and 40 grams protein.  You can split the bottle into 4 5 oz servings, it will seem like quite the chore to get it in but remember you need water and protein so think of it as medicine. Sugar free Popsicles, Activia, jello, water water water walk walk walk

A lot of people find having Miralax on hand to be quite useful! I ended up not needing it seems like the vast majority of people do.

I used my heating pad a lot --if you don't have one, might be worth getting one. It can make a sore abdomen feel a lot better.

I also got an immersion blender (for making protein shakes, didn't really care for the ready to drink ones) and used it a ton - still do. I got a 32 oz. Bubba Keg and filled it with ice and water at the beginning of each day and worked on sipping it throughout the day, alternating water for 30 minutes with 30 minutes of sipping things like protein shakes, diluted fruit juice, low sodium V8, Unjury protein chicken soup, chai tea with vanilla protein powder, etc.

I really liked having the V8 and Unjury chicken soup on hand because I got tired of sweet stuff really fast after surgery. Not something I ever thought I would hear myself say but tastes really do change. I even made a "drinkable steak" by using beef broth, Mrs. Dash steak seasoning, and unflavored protein powder. I look back on that now and think it sounds disgusting but at the time it was heavenly. Miso soup broth with unflavored protein powder was another thing I did then and liked.