Seerae3

I haven’t taken any essential oil supplements but I have continued to diffuse and use oils topically daily since surgery. DoTerra make a blend called DigestZen that completely knocks out any nausea I have! Highly recommend it

I had a similar experience, a clothing funeral. I packed up all my work clothes and gave them to a good friend of mine. She was very happy to get them! The daily wear and older comfy clothes I donated to goodwill. I’ve been losing fast so nothing fits for very long, I’ve been hitting up the thrift stores and consignment shops for items here and there. I’m not ready to spend $$ on new clothes that I will shrink out of. Congratulations on your achievements! Keep up the good work.

I have a desk job (mostly) and I was off for 3 weeks, that was plenty of time.

My surgery is Jan 8th and I'm planning on sleeping in my recliner for as long as it takes.

I am scheduled for Monday January 8th! I'm excited and nervous. I would be interested in a Facebook buddy thing

Also measure everything to the ounce! No guessing on serving sizes and change things up. Your body gets used to things pretty quickly, so try different types of exercise, different Proteins, different carbs. I got stuck in a habit of eating the same thing every day because it was easy, but I stalled out. I had to change things up.

Your body thinks it's starving so it's hanging on to everything it can. I just got through a month long stall and FINALLY hit my pre-surgery weight loss goal! It was terrible. I was exercising, sticking to plan, everything 72 ounces of Water a day. And I took someone's advice and had a "cheat weekend", I didn't go overboard but added about 200-300 calories a day more for those two days, it reset my body and then once I was back on track Monday BOOM the scale started moving again. Try a cheat day or cheat meal, trick your body into thinking it's not starving anymore. Good luck!

I want to enjoy the outdoors again. I want to go kayaking and camping. I want to be able to fit into a regular bathtub. I want to ride a roller coaster again and fit, fly in an airplane without asking for a seat belt extender. I want to own shoes with shoelaces.

Hi PaulaUSN,

I asked the same question a while ago and the best answers I got in my opinion were a long charging cord for your phone or tablet, and a good lip balm because your mouth will get dry. Other folks mentioned warm socks for your feet, and your own hairbrush. Another poster mentioned bringing facial wipes or baby wipes for your face to freshen up and another lady used dry Shampoo for her hair. My surgery date will likely be in December so I'm preparing as well. Good luck!!

Thank you all for your comments and insight, I truly appreciate all of it. I have an extra psychology appointment next week already scheduled and my wife and I continue to talk about things as they pop up. We're planning on sticking to a paleo Keto style diet after surgery so by proxy she'll be eating more healthy. I am the cook in our family so like another person said, if I'm on a diet everyone else is too!

My wife is not open to a second opinion at this time, we have Kaiser and it's kind of a united front with their team of surgeons. Mexico is out of the question, too risky in our minds. I think my main concern at this point is not how to get her surgery done but how do we move forward together when I'm the only one having surgery. I don't want us to fall into the " high rate of divorce after weight loss surgery "crowd. We have a great relationship, really open and good communication so we've already talked a lot about it, I'm just looking for any insight from people who've been in similar circumstances. Thank you all so much!

18 hours ago, DSDS said:

@Seerae3 mentioned their "spouse," NOT their "husband."

Thank you, yes my spouse is a woman. We are wives. I typically use generic/neutral terms when posting in forums. Not everyone is accepting and I'm not here to fire up any grand debates, just trying to get advice. Thanks!

On 10/8/2017 at 6:56 PM, Berry78 said:

It is disturbing to hear a surgeon say a bypass has a 50 percent chance of making GERD worse. From everything I've read, it's simply not true. A bypass usually fixes GERD, and in a very small percentage it doesn't.. like 5%?

You can look around for more info. As for the smoking, I really couldn't say.

But, if he isn't a surgical candidate, maybe he can still join you in a lifestyle improvement. My hubby did just that. He started when I was 3 months postop, and has been working hard at improving his diet. He has lost about 40lbs in 3 months!

Sorry I mistyped, the surgeon said the sleeve would be a 50/50 outcome of making the GERD worse.

The reasons the surgeon gave against RNY was that the risk of ulcers is extremely high and could be life threatening in someone who is a smoker, my spouse quit about 6 weeks ago in prep for surgery, the surgeon said they like to have someone quit smoking at least 10 years before they would consider RNY. And the bypass was questionable because of the severe GERD, the surgeon reported that with GERD the chances after bypass of it getting worse is about 50/50, so he didn't recommend it but would go forward if that's what we wanted (with further testing like endoscopy and looking for a potential hernia).

I want to live long enough to see grandkids, I was tired of being sick and tired all the time. I was missing out on my own life.

My spouse and I both got referrals for bariatric surgery within a month or so of one another ( I was first, then my spouse). We have worked through all the preliminary steps together and it's been a real comfort having someone I love and trust by my side for all the steps so far. I was looking forward to us doing this whole adventure together, getting healthy together and we had already talked about things we wanted to do once we got this weight off. Friday my spouse had a pre-surgery consult with the surgeon and the surgeon did not recommend any surgery options for my spouse due to smoking history and severe GERD. I am disappointed but I am still moving forward with my surgery. I am worried that the changes my spouse has made will fall away and this disappointment will be a set back to a new healthy life. Does anyway have any advice or are you in a relationship where one of you has had surgery and lost weight and your spouse is still obese? I'm just worried that this will negatively impact out relationship. I have requested an additional appointment with the psychologist in my program to address my concerns.

thank you

Thank you everyone for your advice!!

Sacramento, CA here

I had gone through all the prep work 18 months ago, lost the weight for pre-op, jumped through all the hurdles of classes, and dieting and psychological exams....got all the way to getting a surgery date. Then I let my doubts get the best of me and I called it off. I regret that decision. I regret that decision daily, but now I'm back in the program working my way through everything again. This time I have no regrets. Hang in there, doubts are normal, being scared is normal, this is a big life changing decision. But you've got this! You won't regret it later.

Just now, ignatius1580 said:

Heating pad is a must, it alleviates the soreness of your incisions and warms up your core. I am 12 days out and still use it.

SW: 481
CW: 425
GW: 230

Sleeved 8/9/2017

thank you!! I have one for my neck, shaped like a donut, but looks like I'll need a flat one for my tummy.

5 hours ago, crocodoxie said:

Love my Blender bottles for my Protein Shakes. Love my heating pad. And most of all, a good sense of humor! Oh...and if you have bathroom issues, dear goodness, it's a journey. It took me FOREVER to go -- Smooth Moves Tea is the only thing that helped when DuraEase/and Miralax did nothing. I have baby spoons as well, to make sure I take tiny bits of food at a time, and forces me to eat slower. So glad I did that.

What does the heating pad help with?

I have an old fashioned one as well, looking to upgrade

I have an idea of the things to bring for my stay in the hospital but I'm sure I haven't thought of everything. What in your experience was something you wish you had brought, or were grateful you did bring?

I'm looking to set myself up for success after surgery. What have you found to be "must-haves" after surgery?

I've had some suggestions like a scale, an air fryer, etc. But I'm sure all of you have some excellent suggestions.

thank you in advance!

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