Hey there!

My surgery is 4 weeks away.

I am wondering what I should go ahead and purchase ahead of time. Or what I should stock up on.

I know the obvious protein drinks and vitamins but wanted to see if there is anything else that y'all know of so I can be as prepared as possible.

Thank you!

Find your surgeon/clinic's post-op food list and buy stuff that's on it. For me that meant high protein milk, plain greek yogurt, pre-made smooth soups (the campbells gourmet cartons were great!), plain instant oatmeal, and popsicles. Also consider getting rid of stuff that's gonna tempt you unnecessarily. Don't have your favourite cookies in the house waiting for when you're going crazy with your fiftieth bowl of pureed soup! Remove the temptation! LOL.

I also would suggest investing in a plug in heating pad. That thing was SOOOOO nice on my belly when I was all full of gas and in terrible pain. I didn't go anywhere without it! You could get one of those microwavable ones, too, but the plug in one lasts alllll niiiiiight.

Other suggestions: comfy stretchy pants (I had the same belly I did when I was 6 months pregnant after my surgery!), a bralette without underwire (I had an incision right below my boobs that my bras absolutely tortured!), a compression shirt or tank (you may or may not like the extra support but it's good to have in case... the first week I felt like my guts were gonna fall out every time I walked and the compression helped!). Biotene dry mouth spray for before you're allowed any fluids to help with the dry mouth (just check with your medical team that you're allowed it.)

Don't stock up on anything. Buy one of things, because I found after surgery my tastes changed. All those brown sugar high protein oatmeal packets were WAY too sweet to tolerate and I had to go out and buy plain ones instead. Shakes I used to love were suddenly intolerable. Etc.

Don't stock up on anything.

Do get a good scale

Get an app to track your food. Try a few and see which one you like.

Start weighing an tracking your food now, so it is a habit.

@teacupnosaucer made great clothing and heating pad suggestions

Gas x is good to have

I made sure to have a lot of those little 2oz plastic cups (for jello shots) because that will be the standard meal size I'll be having for a loooong time.

I didn't stock up on too much food because I was told my taste buds would change. I did get a couple boxes of the sugar free Popsicles and sugar free pudding.

I actually just posted a youtube video on my shopping haul if you want to take a look at it.

Hope this helps!!

Chapstick. You will definitely need it after surgery. Your lips get ungodly dry.

Everything tea cup said for sure.

I wore my own clothes starting from the evening of surgery and I really think it helped put me in the mind frame of independence and getting out of the hospital.

Biotene spray for the hospital. My mouth was so dry from the scopolamine patch they used (to help prevent post-op nausea) and the Biotene was a lifesaver. I'd read the tip before surgery and hadn't really believed it but I got so uncomfortable I asked my mom to run out and get me some and it made a huge difference. I was a believer after that!

The best thing I got for the beginning was a plug in warmer for coffee mugs. I had a really difficult time drinking anything but chicken broth right after surgery and it allowed my soup to stay warm while I was sipping it.

When I transitioned to purées, I used a little dish meant for dipping bread in oils as my "plate" and it fit perfectly on the warmer. It took me a full 30 minutes to eat a single scrambled egg and using the warmer kept it from getting cold and gross.

I agree with not stocking up too much on protein shakes or jello before surgery. You may find your tastes change. I was stuck with 3 cases of Premier shakes that I'd tolerated before surgery and couldn't stomach afterwards.

Good luck!

I was shopping 2 days after the sleeve. I have thrown out so many protein shakes that I stocked up on. I have so many cans of soup. I bought expensive protein bars that went in the garbage. Ugh! Do not stock up. Do not buy 24 of anything. I never had pain or needed pain pills or a heating pad. We are all different. Walmart is close to everyone so I wouldn't buy unless I needed something. Good luck. Toss the bra completely as you rest after surgery.

@teacupnosaucer: Thank you for all your advice. I will definitely invest in a heating pad. I don't currently own one. I'll have to check out the Campbell's gourmet cartons, I've never heard of those. I've definitely got to figure out what soups I can have. My surgeon said any "cream of" soups except potato. I have several pairs of leggings so I'll be sure to wear my loosest, most comfortable ones while recovering. I need to look into the compression tanks. those would be great. I had planned on asking for one of those abdominal binders at the hospital, but I'm sure a compression tank would be much more comfortable. I lived in my abdominal binder after my csection so I definitely know I do NOT want to feel that again!

@OutsideMatchInside: Thank you. I have a digital postal scale... think that'd work? lol. Also, what food tracking app is your favorite? I've used myfitnesspal in the past and usually do good with it as long as I remember to sign in and log every day.

It stopped letting me do the tagging thing for people... so I just want to say thank you to everyone.

I will definitely get some gas x and I make my own chapstick so I will make sure I am stocked on that.

I'm glad I posted this because I was planning to go to sams and get 3 cases of Premier Protein shakes. lol

I'll try to get a couple of each one that was recommended that way if I don't like one version, I have other to try afterwards.

Luckily, anything I get that I don't like will probably get used by my husband or son. My son loves the protein shakes and my husband will eat and drink just about anything. He is no where near picky. Unfortunately I am... so it'll be interesting.

I use lose it premium

I would go slow on buying cases of protein shakes. I had some go bad and the money went down the drain. I also bought protein bars I bought from Amazon, two different kinds, which neither my husband or I liked, and they went in the trash. As far as protein powders and shakes, do look at the expiration date.