I am having my plication surgery on Oct 4th, 2011 and I was wondering if anyone had tips or advise on things I should do before surgery, or things I should have ready in the house for after surgery? I am feeling like I need to prepare, but I don't know how!

Where are you going for surgery? I went to Mexico and the meds prescribed there were really expensive, so I wish I'd have got mine back home. I was prescribed Nexium, painkillers (can't remember the brand, but suppository ones will be OK post op) and anti-coagulant injections. Not all docs prescribe anti-coagulants so you should check with yours.

Lip balm is really handy to have for the first few days post op. I really didn't read much post op as I was so tired and sleepy from the anesthetic.

Some sort of chicken broth would be handy. I really went off sweet stuff post op (I've read about this happening to others too), so savory is quite nice. I also enjoyed yogurt drinks when I was allowed full liquids and creamy tomato soup - yum!

HTH

BTW miso's good too if you can't get hold of chicken stock you like.

Wow, Oct.4th is my hubby's birthday Stack up on protein shakes for when you get hangry,Get rid of anything that is tempting in the house because you will get tempted,In the begining lots of chiken broth.If you go outside the US take some broth with you and some protein. And take some loose clothes.Good luck

I am having my surgery at the Northwest Weight Loss Surgery in Everett, WA. I am very excited and just a little nervous! I haven't really talked to the doctor about what pain meds I will be on. I guess I will ask when I have my pre-op appointment. I am a bit worried that the pain meds will make me nauseas without being able to eat solid foods. What was your experience with that? I did find a really good yogurt smoothie at costco! It is made by the same company that makes the Protein shakes. I will definitely stock up on vegetable broth (I'm also a vegetarian .

Where are you going for surgery? I went to Mexico and the meds prescribed there were really expensive, so I wish I'd have got mine back home. I was prescribed Nexium, painkillers (can't remember the brand, but suppository ones will be OK post op) and anti-coagulant injections. Not all docs prescribe anti-coagulants so you should check with yours.

Lip balm is really handy to have for the first few days post op. I really didn't read much post op as I was so tired and sleepy from the anesthetic.

Some sort of chicken broth would be handy. I really went off sweet stuff post op (I've read about this happening to others too), so savory is quite nice. I also enjoyed yogurt drinks when I was allowed full liquids and creamy tomato soup - yum!

HTH

I'm 10 months out and have never felt nauseous nor have I vomited. I was on Clear Liquids for the first week and stayed in hospital for 3 nights post op so I could have longer on the drip, so I really didn't have much to feel nauseous with.

Good luck!

I am having my surgery at the Northwest Weight Loss Surgery in Everett, WA. I am very excited and just a little nervous! I haven't really talked to the doctor about what pain meds I will be on. I guess I will ask when I have my pre-op appointment. I am a bit worried that the pain meds will make me nauseas without being able to eat solid foods. What was your experience with that? I did find a really good yogurt smoothie at costco! It is made by the same company that makes the Protein shakes. I will definitely stock up on vegetable broth (I'm also a vegetarian .

Bekrudz,

As far as pain meds, my doctor gave me hydrocodone in liquid form for pain (I had none). There was also an anti-nausea drug (ondansetron) that I put under my tongue and it dissolved there (that was helpful). I used that frequently for about a week after surgery. He also prescribed an anti-spasmodic drug (hyoscyamine) that helped with my feelings of "something weird is going on with my stomach" while it was adjusting to its new shape.

I think the last two were far more helpful to me in adjusting to nausea and the new shape of my stomach during that time.

I was also given an anti-nausea patch behind my ear the day of surgery. It was supposed to last 3 days, but fell off the day after. My doctor also gave me this bracelet that required me to apply a gel between the bracelet and my skin. The bracelet basically sent an electrical pulse to my wrist every few seconds. I'm not sure how/why that was supposed to help. It was somewhat uncomfortable, but I felt like it helped to a degree. The battery in it lasted a couple of days.

Different doctors say different things about what you can have post-surgery it seems. I was on a clear liquid diet the first week after having surgery. I think I had most clear juice diluted with Water and sugar free popsicles that week. The popsicles were the best part of that week. I loved being able to have something cold.

I liked broth then as contrast in flavor, but I think my stomach had issues with the salt content of "regular" broth. After one mishap, I avoided it entirely. This whole process has made me more aware of the salt content in food (a good thing for me).

Hopefully your doctor has a nutritionist that will have a consultation with you to review what the doctor recommends. Mine gave me a printed copy of what kinds of food I should eat in the first month after surgery.

Wish you the best in your journey.

Thank you!! I didn't think about taking tempting food out of the house! I will get on that right away (my poor husband will suffer though

Wow, Oct.4th is my hubby's birthday Stack up on Protein shakes for when you get hangry,Get rid of anything that is tempting in the house because you will get tempted,In the begining lots of chiken broth.If you go outside the US take some broth with you and some protein. And take some loose clothes.Good luck

I kind of with I was staying in the hospital too! Unfortunately, they will be sending me home that same day! I am going to ask my DR about all the meds you took that worked. I have my pre-op appointment on the 26th, so I am assuming that's when they'll talk to me about drugs! I am also going to make sure I get low sodium vegetable broth!!! I don't want to have those issues!!

Thanks again and congratulations on your success!!!

Bekrudz,

As far as pain meds, my doctor gave me hydrocodone in liquid form for pain (I had none). There was also an anti-nausea drug (ondansetron) that I put under my tongue and it dissolved there (that was helpful). I used that frequently for about a week after surgery. He also prescribed an anti-spasmodic drug (hyoscyamine) that helped with my feelings of "something weird is going on with my stomach" while it was adjusting to its new shape.

I think the last two were far more helpful to me in adjusting to nausea and the new shape of my stomach during that time.

I was also given an anti-nausea patch behind my ear the day of surgery. It was supposed to last 3 days, but fell off the day after. My doctor also gave me this bracelet that required me to apply a gel between the bracelet and my skin. The bracelet basically sent an electrical pulse to my wrist every few seconds. I'm not sure how/why that was supposed to help. It was somewhat uncomfortable, but I felt like it helped to a degree. The battery in it lasted a couple of days.

Different doctors say different things about what you can have post-surgery it seems. I was on a clear liquid diet the first week after having surgery. I think I had most clear juice diluted with Water and sugar free popsicles that week. The popsicles were the best part of that week. I loved being able to have something cold.

I liked broth then as contrast in flavor, but I think my stomach had issues with the salt content of "regular" broth. After one mishap, I avoided it entirely. This whole process has made me more aware of the salt content in food (a good thing for me).

Hopefully your doctor has a nutritionist that will have a consultation with you to review what the doctor recommends. Mine gave me a printed copy of what kinds of food I should eat in the first month after surgery.

Wish you the best in your journey.

I honestly wasn't tempted at all in the early days post surgery...a couple of months down the road is when my cravings started returning, although not as strong as before.