APRILDEE1

Just finished final pre op appointment. Tomorrow is pre op labs then Wednesday is full liquids until midnight then Clear Liquids until arrival to hospital Thursday 7am for surgery at 9am. I have been looking for a thread from pre op to post op instead of having to jump around. So I am going to track my journey on this post and hopefully make it easier for the next person. I have stocked my frig and my pantry with clear liquids ready for week one. I am more excited than nervous. I have already purchased and received all of my Vitamins which are a combination and are as follows based on content and what I personally need: BariMelts calcium citrate, Jarrow B12 sublingal 500mcg, Bariatric Complete by Pro Health.
I took everyone's advice and have a freezer full of SF popsicles, Gas X, and Biotene dry mouth spray for post op. I bought Premier Clear Protein from costco but they also have it on Amazon. I bought Bone Broth that has more protein then plan broth so I feel ready. I am open to more suggestions to make this experience as good as I can!
I am so thankful for this forum because it has provided support and answered to a lot of my questions!
Stayed tune for updates on my adventure

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I have a few friends and family for support but I have no one who has been through or is going through this process so this has been wonderful!

Yes this is a great team Dr Higa and Boone who are doing my surgery train surgeons all over the world so I feel confident in their care and the Fresno program has nothing but a good reputation. All that being said I did call and ask...they say gabapentin will help with the pain and the doses the night before and the morning of are to " pre load", I am also allergic to Ultram which is their usual go to which is why the Celebrex.

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I have a few friends and family for support but I have no one who has been through or is going through this process so this has been wonderful!

I’m not a medical person but it seems odd they’d prescribe Celebrex as it’s a NSAID which we’re not supposed to take after surgery (damage to the stomach lining). Tylenol doesn’t have blood thinning qualities so it’s the only over the counter pain med you can really have pre & just after surgery. But it does cause issues if you’re diabetic. Ask your medical team why you have to take them before you go to hospital? Any benefits would have worn off after 3-4 hours & I don’t think any of them are cumulative. I didn’t have to take anything. The hospital provided all the meds I needed pre & post surgery but I’m in Australia so it may be different here.
Good luck with your surgery.

Do you have a "mychart" or "patientgateway" type system where you can send a message to your provider? I would ask them through the system or call or email them to ask your questions. I know it's so hard when we get excited to ask questions, and sometimes we just don't think of them at the time!
I haven't heard of Tylenol causing issues if you're diabetic - I work in oncology clinical research and I know patients with diabetes are prescribed high doses all the time. (But again, I'm not a doctor or nurse.)
Celebrex is an NSAID but some NSAIDS are safer for the stomach lining. Gabapentin is good for nerve pain but I'm not sure about single dose usage, as I haven't seen that. Gabapentin is the only one that I would say has side effects you would likely notice, and it would likely be sleepiness, so don't drive after you take it.
Good luck!

I had to take several meds once I was in the hospital. I do not remember what they were- it was 5am and I was not paying attention.
I had to drink a bunch of liquid Tylenol. I have always hated grape flavored anything and of course it was grape. Plus I've never been good with liquid meds. I was gagging through it. 🤢 The nurse apologized for torturing me, lol.

I was given pain meds at the hospital, on arrival, and I had to put a nausea patch on the night before.

Was not a part of my experience, but there might be good reasons why they recommend it as part of yours. Do you trust your doctor otherwise, feel comfortable with credentials, team, facility? Good reputation, etc?

Had my surgery 3 weeks ago and my doctor is the medical director on gastric surgery in tampa Florida(he knows a lot) and I had to take gabapentin, advil and nausea medication. It helps a lot with the pain after surgery.

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Congrats. 🎉

congrats! stock up on sugar-free popsicles

Need tips and advice for first week post op

Need tips and advice for first week post op

Here you go! https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517
Can tweak the toppings too! It's a bariatric favorite!

💪you got this

Not sure about
Not sure about Bypass but you will probably need dry mouth spray when you wake up from surgery

You will likely need much less than you think especially if you are having surgery close to home. If you are traveling over an hour for surgery you may need more that one change of clothes, pillows for the ride/flight.
My all time favorite suggestion: body wipes. You will have a lot of people touching you over the course of your time at the hospital but you will not be able to bathe.

you'll probably only be there for one night, and you'll be sleeping most of that time. I really only used my phone when I was awake, so that and a phone charger for sure. Some people also take along something like Biotene spray, because dry mouth is a common complaint after surgeries (and dry lips, too - so some people take something like Chapstick along)
Take baggy, easy to get on & off clothes for the trip home (I just wore the same thing that I wore TO the hospital). I took toiletries (deodorant, tooth brush, toothpaste), but it turned out I really didn't have to because they gave me all that at the hospital.
other than that, you're not going to need much. You won't be there very long, and as mentioned before, you'll likely be sleeping most of the time.

Also interested:)

New here...I wish I found this place sooner! They submitted request for authorization yesterday looking at 4/14 for possible surgery.

Nothing is impossible to eat after sleeve. I have tried literally everything I ate before surgery....but my daily diet has changed significantly.
Things I've eliminated from my diet: white sugar and white flour. I do eat a small piece of birthday cake on a very rare occasion....but I keep treats like this super rare, and try to limit the serving to about 200 calories. Over about 200 calories of refined carbs at a time makes me a little nauseated, so I avoid it. It's also a poor food choice. I don't do it often. Special occasions only. (and NOT during loss phase....in maintenance phase)
I love sugary things, but a little goes a long way. Once in a blue moon I'll really want something enough to have it....and I have an incredibly small amount and I'm done. A little one inch piece of donut. A Tablespoon or two of ice cream. As a rare treat...it's great, but it takes very little of these to feel satisfied now. And again, it's not a regular part of my diet. For sweet stuff, I love fruit. I eat a lot of frozen banana smoothies when I have a sweet tooth craving.
My surgeon's diet had potatoes and Beans on the post surgical diet in the first month. In fact, thin mashed potatoes were one of my first foods after surgery. I eat a ton of carbs, but they are not processed carbs. Whole grains, oatmeal, regular and sweet potatoes, beans, legumes. I get half of my protien from plant sources, and these unrefined carbs are a big part of that. Beans and potatoes and whole grains have quite a bit of protien and Fiber. (I know a lot of surgeons do Keto based diets...I'm thankful mine is NOT one of them)
I do eat 60+ grams of protien a day. Tons of fruits and veggies.
If I eat rice, it's brown rice for the extra protien and fiber.
I do eat 25g of fiber a day, which is tougher than it sounds!
There are plent of things you shouldn't eat. You shouldn't eat very fatty foods, or highly refined carbs, white flour, sugar, etc. You know what you shouldn't eat.
You shouldn't eat too many calories. Figure out a good calorie target with your nutritionist and balance your day.
There will be a million opinions about what you should and shouldn't eat. Talk to your dietician. Eat foods you enjoy. Balance your diet for good nutition and energy.
But yep...I can sneak a little of anything in that I really want to try again.....I just don't really have the need to do it.
You just need to stay aware of what you're eating...balance it...get the nutrition you need...and keep your calories reasonable. (I eat 1600 a day in maintenance)