I had surgery on 10/22. Thought I would share a few things I learned to help others before surgery.

-stick to your pre-op diet. Don't cheat. I had two weeks of only liquids, stuck to it and my liver was still big. Luckily doc could still do it.

-if they offer a binder to wear after surgery, take it. If not, ask for one. I could not believe the difference it made. I wear mine even when sleeping. Makes turning over much easier.

- gas-x strips will be your best friend. Pack them to take with you to hospital.

-walk, walk, walk, walk. As soon as you can. Bug your nurses if you need help getting up.

-ask your doc if you can take crushed pills (any of your regular pills) in applesauce. My doc suggested Greek yogurt and I couldn't do it. Was way too bitter. Applesauce made a world of difference.

-if you are a side sleeper, I found putting a pillow under my belly while sleeping helps a lot.

-to stay hydrated, I take 3 sips every commercial while watching TV. I sure don't want to end up back in the hospital for dehydration.

-it may be tough to get your Protein. I have no appetite. I freeze my shakes and eat them like ice. Helps some.

I know I'm just a few days out, but these are some important things I've learned. Hope it helps someone else. So excited for my new journey!

Great tips, you didn't say how your pain is coming along? How your doing, gosh just sleeved. I have2 more days.good luck in your journey

Glad you made it through the gauntlet. I agree with your comment about meds and applesauce. I get the 50 calorie packs of applesauce cups, but found out that strawberry or blueberry flavored works even better.......especially for my stink-a** horse pill Bariatric Advantage AE multi-Vitamins that I have to take. I pulverize them with my mortar & pestle and put the result in applesauce. I have even taken regular low-sugar applesauce and added an apple cider drink packet. I take them before bedtime so that the applesauce can help as a natural laxative.

Pain is really not bad at all. I had the morphine pump in the hospital that I used a lot. Doc sent me home with this really cool pump that I just remove when it's done. She said it helps the incisions. I have only taken pain meds twice since I've been home, and last night was more to help me sleep. I'm sore getting up and down, but it's not painful. Oh, one thing I didn't realize was how sore my entire body would be. Not my surgery sites, just my body. Like I had worked out really hard or something. But that's better today.

Thanks for sharing

Good idea to freeze shakes. Could put them in the do it yourself ice pop kits.

Thanks for giving back to the community.

I was wondering how I was going to take medication. Thanks everyone.

@@puttingme1st

What was your pre-op diet?

Great tips!

Can I ask how much you were weighting, in regards to your liver being still to big?

My preop diet was protein shakes, sugar free Popsicles, broth and water. I weighed 314 on surgery day. My doc said my liver was probably even bigger than that before preop diet. She said my stomach was huge, too.

I had surgery on 10/22. Thought I would share a few things I learned to help others before surgery.

-stick to your pre-op diet. Don't cheat. I had two weeks of only liquids, stuck to it and my liver was still big. Luckily doc could still do it.

-if they offer a binder to wear after surgery, take it. If not, ask for one. I could not believe the difference it made. I wear mine even when sleeping. Makes turning over much easier.

- gas-x strips will be your best friend. Pack them to take with you to hospital.

-walk, walk, walk, walk. As soon as you can. Bug your nurses if you need help getting up.

-ask your doc if you can take crushed pills (any of your regular pills) in applesauce. My doc suggested Greek yogurt and I couldn't do it. Was way too bitter. Applesauce made a world of difference.

-if you are a side sleeper, I found putting a pillow under my belly while sleeping helps a lot.

-to stay hydrated, I take 3 sips every commercial while watching TV. I sure don't want to end up back in the hospital for dehydration.

-it may be tough to get your Protein. I have no appetite. I freeze my shakes and eat them like ice. Helps some.

I know I'm just a few days out, but these are some important things I've learned. Hope it helps someone else. So excited for my new journey!

are you freezing the shakes in a tiny ice cube tray? All great ideas!

My preop diet was protein shakes, sugar free Popsicles, broth and water. I weighed 314 on surgery day. My doc said my liver was probably even bigger than that before preop diet. She said my stomach was huge, too.

I hadn't though of the liver still being big after pre-op...but I'm convinced that my stomach is huge too. I could eat so much more than I actually do. I've seen people have their surgeon take a pic of the removed portion.

I appreciate your feedback, question in regards to the size of your stomach and liquid diet. I understand the reasoning why you do the 2 week liquids, but if your stomach will be empty between 2-4 hours after you eat, wouldn't that help with the surgery?

You can't always count on the stomach being empty at that point. Plus the items would be still digesting in the intestines.