Help with preparing for RNY

Hello everyone. I will be having RNY in about 3-5 months and would like to know if I need to buy anything special. I know I need to buy a blender for the protien drinks but can anyone think of anything else I might need? I am on a budget and like to buy things with sales and coupons. So if I see something on sale I would like to buy it now instead of waiting plus when it gets closer to my surgery I will have to pay for my pre-op testing and such so I am trying to spread the cost of things out.  So any advice on protein mixes, vitamins and anything else I might need would be appreciated. Also I dont drink any type of milk so any ideas on protien powders that are good for mixing with water?

good luck to you.  I am no means an expert in anything, but my surgery is Nov 1.  I am way too lazy to make my own shakes, so i have been experimenting with various ones.  I am partial to the pure protein because they have a replaceable cap and it will take some time to finish one off in the beginning.

Your dr/nutritionist should have given you a list of supplements to take.  I have b12 sublinqual from shoprite (nature made, i think).  I have gummy multis from Target.  I am a bit worried about those bc they are hard to chew down to nothing.  I also do a chewable calcium (carbonate i think is better than citrate but someone will correct me if i am wrong).

WHen you get home you will be on all liquids so i would get broths and sf popsicles.  Not sure how long sf jello lasts.  you are pretty limited in that respect so get what you need before you come home. 

Blessings!!

Gummy multis do not nave all the nutrients you need.  They are missing some of the B vitamins and some minerals like zinc, copper and selenium.

Are you having RNY?  If so, calcium carbonate will not work for you.  You will not absorb it because you won't have enough stomach acid.  You'll need calcium citrate.

Did your doc or nutritionist give you a list of supplements to take?  Did the list include gummy vitamins and calcium carbonate?  If it did, you're definitely gonna need to educate yourself about the correct supplements!

HI Kelly,

Yes, the nutritionist told me the gummy ones were fine (they were on a shelf in her office).  Do you have a particular kind of multi you use?  I am having RNY.  Will ask again tomorrow when i see her about the citrate vs carbonate.  

thanks for the info.  i appreciate it.
Catherine

Any adult multi with 100% of the RDA of most stuff in it is fine.  I use ENS from Celebrate, but something like Centrum will work fine too.

I am so disappointment to hear your nutritionist things gummy vitamins are OK.  I assume that means she is not familiar with the guidelines issued by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.  I wonder about her qualifications.  Is she a registered dietician?  Nutritionists are not required to have any formal education in nutrition and are not regulated in any way.  However, registered dieticians must have a college degree in nutritition and are regulated.

i am too.  she is the nutritionist in my surgeon's office.  

Thank you so much. I will be picking up the broths, popsicles and jello. I am pretty sure they all last a while before going bad.

Not that they are really expensive but I bought baby spoons and I use them to eat almost everything-it is a constant reminder for me to not take too big of a bite.  Also some really small gladware cups/bowl that do not hold more than 1/2 cup and a couple other small plates or bowls so you don't have to eat out of enormous looking plates and bowls.  Also make sure you have measuring cups and measuring spoons.

You might want to buy a food scale for weighing how many oz of meat you are eating when you get to that stage of your diet-you don't need that right away...

Other things I bought:

Nectar Medical Unflavored Protein Powder
Nectar chocolate truffle Protein Powder
Sugar Free Chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast-I am unsure if this will taste good with water...
Gas X chewables or strips have been a must for me!
Reusable Water Bottle with Measurements
Bariatric Advantage Calcium Chews in caramel (yum)
Bariatric Advantage sublingual Vitamin B12
Cream of wheat or rice for full liquid stage
A comfortable robe for the hospital b/c you will be up and walking a lot

I have a friend who had surgery before me and gave me a serving of each of her protein powders to try before I bought my own.  Someof the bariatric food/vitamin websites have sample packs you can buy.

Also, Celebrate vitamins has a free sample pack of supplements and vitamins that you can sign up to get on their website, worth a try.  BariatricChoice.com has a bunch of good products and you can sign up on their website for a free catalog.

Hope this helps!

Yes Kady!!!
This helps a lot. Thank you so much. I would hate to have to buy all of this at the same time I am paying for my copays and the $1500.00 I have to pay to the hospital. I am going to start buying these things a little at a time. I am especially going to get the sample packs. Thanks for the tip about the robe. I have two at home but of course they are ratty looking and comfortable for home but not to be seen in by others.

You're welcome, I am glad to help!  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me on this forum or message me anytime...