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Things you wish someone had told you?



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I am going to Dr. Boreland March 3rd in Louisiana. I was wondering what are some things you wish someone would of told you to bring? I will be staying in a hotel there for 3 days.

Alos anything else you might add you wish someone would have said.

I have read a lot of the forum, but Im sure most of you did as well and still there were things you wish someone would have said.

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I wish I would have been ready for the back pain I had after surgery. Not that there would have been anything I could do about it, I just I would have been mentally ready. The pain meds were a blessing. I have a bad back (arthritis) to begin with and laying on that operating table for 2 hours really messed me up.

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All I needed was clothes, chapstick, and a pillow (to hold over my stomach on the way home) phone/charger (also brought an extension cord which came in handy because of my back pain slept in recliner and needed the cord to reach my phone) anything else I packed I didn't use.

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Oh...and a bath robe. You will have to walk the halls and the hospital robe is far from flattering :-)

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I was just going to mention that! I had a shawl I wrapped around my butt when I walked but I wish I'd brought a robe. Also had a pack of wet ones to wash my hands and face. The other suggestions are great too. My lips got quite chapped.

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Eye drops. I was so dehydrated my eyes stung. They couldn't give me anything without an order. I wound up using a saline iv flush.

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Ipod or some sort of music devise, magazines, very loose comfy clothing for ride home, and definitely a pillow for ride home

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I took my own meds (I do this instead of waiting for them to bring them) I take them when I need them..I took my own heating pad, gas x strips, chargers,ipad,phone,chap stick an everything else I usually takel I always over pack! but the heating pad, gas x strips an chap stix was my TOP priority..the heating pad really did help me. I put it on my chest after I got in room from PO...:)

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anything else you might add you wish someone would have said

@@Joey Jackson

hey Tex

welcome welcome to the board :)

and you made your first post too

the rest will be a sinch ;)

i wish someone had told me i wasn't going to wake up post op 105 lbs gone :blink:;)

it took almost one year for that accomplishment ;)

but it was worth the wait ;)

good luck with surgery :)

speedy recovery

kathy

Edited by proudgrammy

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I wish someone had told me that the leak test was no big deal AT ALL, I was so afraid of it (that swallowing the relatively large amount of liquid all at once would hurt or make me sick) it was about 3/4 of an ounce and went down just fine.and was actually quite pleasant because I hadn't even had an ice chip in something like 27 hours.

Huge yes to the chap stick, heating pad, extension cord and phone charger, earbuds, a notepad, a favorite pillow from home, I also brought a small personal fan because I am always hot, that is going away quickly since surgery but I did use it the first two days and it felt lovely..

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I was in and out within 6 hours so I didn't need to bring anything with me. I wish I had known how painful the gas pains would be when I woke up. My left shoulder and neck were killing me! Also, I wish I had taken two weeks off work instead of just one. Lastly, the drainage tube is sooo annoying but it didn't hurt a bit when they removed it. Good luck!

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Thanks so much for the answers, it has been helpful

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Eye drops, cell phone charger, ear plugs, (I had a horrible roommate), extension cord, gasex, chapstick, a robe if you like, but you can put a second hospital gown on backwards to cover ya butt. I also brought yoga pants and cozy socks. The hospital socks are rough! A small pillow to brace your belly for the ride home. Went home in the yoga pants. I was only in the hospital 24 hours. I def overpacked, but that's how I roll!

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I took Chapstick (which is really important since you can't drink anything the day of surgery. Your lips get really dry!) I also took my phone, charger, house shoes, robe, toothbrush, tooth paste, hair brush, gas x strips, listerine strips, headphones, extra underclothes, sweats, baggy shirt, bathroom spray (after surgery your urine and stool smell really really bad), my favorite blanket, and one of my soft fluffy pillows. The hospital beds are horrible especially for me since I have chronic back pain so taking my own pillow and blanket help. Hope this helps. Good luck!

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Definitely chap stick and eye drops. I don't really recall much of my time in hospital but definitely slip in shoes/slippers. I could not bend, so loose clothing and slip on shoes are a must especially with all the up and down and walking they make you do. good luck

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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.
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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.
      · 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.

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        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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