Hello everyone: This has been such an informative group. My surgery is scheduled for mid-July and I am reading a lot of recommendations on various posts about what helped post-surgery --- I was hoping for a concise list of items (i.e., heating pad, body pillow, liquid Tylenol, liquid Gas-X, sugar-free popsicles, etc). Anyone care to share what helped them the most post-surgery? Thank you in advance!

I would recommend a few bottles of clear protein drink. I had 2 bottles for the day of my surgery to drink but as it turns out my body can not process protein powder even 6 days after surgery! I would also recommend something to take up your time. If you like to read? draw? make sure you have those things available when the hunger pain kicks in you will want ANYTHING to keep you distracted

Thanks Sol: thanks for the advice. Six days out? How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain? Hunger pangs - I though the LB got rid of those?

nice one

what helped me the most was (patience)

its major surgery so its gonna hurt, be sore, be uncomfortable, gas pain, maybe shoulder pain, going #2 alot or some not at all...what you need is to be realistic the first month after surgery..its about healing your insides and not losing...stay off the scale, learn your body, sip and rest and just sit back and wait for your body to change.....and while you do that, let your mind change from yeah, maybe i can do this to YES I WILL do this.....hang in there...sounds like you are all set.

As for me I could not stomach the thought of drinking anything. I only got a few tiny sips of water down the first couple days. Not to scare you but the gas pains were so intense I couldn't think about anything else. So my advise is to have the following handy. 1. The prescribes pain meds. 2. A very comfortable chair or couch to lay in. I couldn't lay down at all because of the incisions. 3. Gas-X. I used the chewable kind and they seemed to help a lot. 4. Comfortable clothing. I spent the majority of the first week in basketball shorts and an XXXL t-shirt. 4. WALKING. This is the #1 cure for the gas. As hard as it may be try to walk as much as possible. All these things were crucial to my survival after surgery. Hope this helps.

Thanks Sol: thanks for the advice. Six days out? How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain? Hunger pangs - I though the LB got rid of those?

hunger pains are def there! I think that was the biggest misunderstanding about my surgery. Six days out and yesterday was terrible I have already gone through " what have I done" and " i wish I could take it back". I dont know if I am an exception but my pain has been very bad. The pain from the surgery is ok, it can be handled but in combination with gas, back pain, and the pain of hunger (which I found out I have never experienced true hunger until now) it really has been a few days out of hell Tuesday and Wednesday all I did was cry. This might be because MY BODY isnt tolerating food well. I get pain just from drinking milk and chicken broth. I can literally only handle Isopure clear Protein drinks. I have been in so much pain my doctor prescribed more Lortab, I just picked that up yesterday and can feel an immediate difference. We all have different pain thresholds and it ight be that I am just a wussy. You wont feel any hunger pains after you get your first fill but that is 4-6 weeks AFTER you heal from surgery. Essentially my stomach cant handle food but still has the appetite from before surgery. Its a hard place to be in.... I am still trying to be excited for my band and think about the future but I really do hope this pain subsides soon

hunger pains are def there! I think that was the biggest misunderstanding about my surgery. Six days out and yesterday was terrible I have already gone through " what have I done" and " i wish I could take it back". I dont know if I am an exception but my pain has been very bad. The pain from the surgery is ok' date=' it can be handled but in combination with gas, back pain, and the pain of hunger (which I found out I have never experienced true hunger until now) it really has been a few days out of hell Tuesday and Wednesday all I did was cry. This might be because MY BODY isnt tolerating food well. I get pain just from drinking milk and chicken broth. I can literally only handle ISOPURE clear Protein drinks. I have been in so much pain my doctor prescribed more Lortab, I just picked that up yesterday and can feel an immediate difference. We all have different pain thresholds and it ight be that I am just a wussy. You wont feel any hunger pains after you get your first fill but that is 4-6 weeks AFTER you heal from surgery. Essentially my stomach cant handle food but still has the appetite from before surgery. Its a hard place to be in.... I am still trying to be excited for my band and think about the future but I really do hope this pain subsides soon[/quote']

Oh gosh! I'm sorry to hear that SOL. From what I've read, it doesn't seem like the pain you are experiencing is really the norm post-op (and gosh selfishly, I hope so!) I hope you are talking with your doctor a lot about it and not trying too hard to "tough it out" on your own. Please keep us posted on how you are doing... it sounds like today is showing a sign of improvement for you. I hope that continues for you.

Oh gosh! I'm sorry to hear that SOL. From what I've read, it doesn't seem like the pain you are experiencing is really the norm post-op (and gosh selfishly, I hope so!) I hope you are talking with your doctor a lot about it and not trying too hard to "tough it out" on your own. Please keep us posted on how you are doing... it sounds like today is showing a sign of improvement for you. I hope that continues for you.

My triage nurse is definitively going to know by number with how much I call them. I think I found out part of my problem today though. It seems that I have become lactose intolerant which is why any dairy (Soups, protien shakes) is making me sick and in pain. I am going to be testing this theory out the next couple of days. I hope it is just a phase because I LOVE milk and cheese

I think everyone covered it. Main points for me was the gas-x. I got the kind you just put on your tongue and they dissolve. I also agree about big comfy clothes. And as much as you wont want to, walk walk walk. I would just do laps around my room or up and down the hall. I wasn't walking outside but I did walk and it did help. Good luck!