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Surgery Tomorrow, What Do You Wish You Wouldve Done To Prepare Before Surgery



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I'm so nervous for tomorrow. I've been waiting for about 4 years for this. I can't believe it's actually happening! I feel like my life is just about to start. So what are something's I can do to prepare for tomorrow that you wish you would've done? Things to take to the hospital, or things to get from the grocery store?

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If I had to do it over...

I would have prepared my environment better. The emails would be caught up, the laundry folded and put away, the house **** and span, bills paid ahead, more groceries stocked, etc. I would have been sure I had nothing that was pressing or required of me for a least a few days if not more.

Otherwise I believe I was ready medically, mentally, supportive and education wise.

Best of luck to you

the Laughing Cat

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I would have asked for Pepcid and Gas-X sooner!!! Pick up both of those at the store :) Buy a BUNCH of G2 Gatorade. Put an extra pillow on the bed in case you have middle of the night heartburn and need your head raised to help keep it down. Research ways to season your postop broth if you have to drink it.

Good luck!!

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get some baby wipes....they are nice for when you need to freshen up.

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How long before they let you take a shower? I didn't know we had to wait to bathe.

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My doc made me wait 3 days.

I don't know if all docs do that.

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gas x, my hospital gave me warm adult wipes, a little mirror. I wore a large dress/darcheeci so there would not be any bands on my stomach.

Everything I bought I did not have time to use because when you got up you only went to the bathroom and the nurse had to stay with you. They gave me lemon large qtips to wipe my mouth because of dryness. I went in to surgery 12:30 and was out the next day at 4:30pm.

I would say to get the nausea patch to save yourself nausea that worked out so well and one of the nurses gave me that tip and she said if they ask you if you ever experience motion sickness say yes and they will give you the patch. I did need nausea meds, on my first walk, but I think the nurse was walking me too fast and again when I got my upper GI the next day and the barium drink made me feel nausious.

a wash cloth to put on the end of the band they have you put on your stomach because the velco gets stuck and is hard to separate from the stomach band. Because the stomach band is layed under when you are in laying down, and at the hospital they strap you up with the stomach support band while you are laying down, so when you open the support band you can put a wash cloth on the end to avoid the hassle of the velco sticking to the support band. You will see how strong the velco is and what a hassle it can be.

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I did not have to wait to bathe at all. I think it depends on the surgeon and what kind of stitches they use maybe?

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I have to say extra pillows were my main need. My saving grace:) since I'm home, gas X melt aways have been very good to me too:)

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Well I had a reply ready but I see today is your surgery date so I'll just say good luck!! Get up and start walking immediately, I did and I never had any gas pains whatsoever. Take the nausea meds that they will give you for the first couple of days post-op even if you're feeling okay. I came thiiiis close to throwing up only two days post op which would have been dangerous. And that nausea came on out of nowhere. Scary.

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Take to the hospital, baggy clothes, gas-x strips, chaps stick, your own pillow!!!! (for at the hospital and to hug on the way home)

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thanks for the tips, having surgery aug 28th...

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • bellaamey

      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
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      1. This update has no replies.
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