Hello! I'm a brand-newbie and am scheduled for surgery on September 5, 2024. I've gone through 6 months with a dietician, sleep study, endoscopy, all of the usual suspects. Now I'm in the official countdown to actually having the surgery and I thought it might be interesting to hear from some folks who have been through it and what they wish they would have done in this timeframe. Should I be working out more? Is it too early to start a liquid diet? What should I get ready in my house for when I come home afterwards?

Any advice is appreciated!!!

Diane

On 7/12/2024 at 11:30 PM, Arabesque said:

As @AmberFL suggested, I’d start tracking your food intake. You don’t have to do it religiously to begin but just to start the routine & also get an idea of what you’re eating (nutritional value, calories & portion sizes). Then you could make small changes over the next few months like adjust your portion sizes, swap out some cooking styles or ingredients to healthier ones, try new recipes, drop a snack, etc.

Also an opportunity to start to reflect on your relationship with food. Do you eat to comfort or sooth yourself (when you’re sad, stressed, anxious, angry, etc.)? Do you crave certain foods when you’re bored? Are you an hormonal carb or sweet? Do you have any eating habits like always snack at the movies or watching tv or have to have cake or a muffin with your coffee, etc. And so on.

And, yes, start incorporating some activity into your week. Good opportunity to try some different things to see what you enjoy.

You don’t have to embrace everything all at once. Simple small changes are always easier to adopt & adapt to than jumping in the deep end. You have time before your surgery.

Second the advice not to buy up big in Protein Shakes. A temporary change in your taste buds is very common after the surgery and many find a flavour or brand of shake they enjoyed before the surgery in the pre surgery diet is disgusting after. Things can become too sweet &/or salty, the texture can be off putting and for some it’s the smell of certain foods. It can last upwards of around 6 or so weeks.

I’m in Australia so none of the prolonged wait you have to go through. My surgery was not quite 4 weeks after I first met with the surgeon so I didn’t really have time to do anything - lol!

I wasn't happy with the wait, but 4 weeks seems like not enough time. I was ready to go after 3-4 months, but all of the legwork and doctor's appointments took forever. Thank you for the advice!

On 7/13/2024 at 3:20 PM, Bypass2Freedom said:

Constipation has been THE thing that I have struggled with most post-surgery. Pleaseeee get something to help with this before the symptoms of it start kicking in - I didn't do this and boy did I suffer ?

Cleaning the house/flat is definitely a good place to start!

I also wrote myself a letter for like 6 months post-op to open so that I could reflect back on how I was feeling, and the hopes that 'old' me had for 'new' me.

Best of luck!

I made a video and asked myself questions in it so that I could look back and see me and hear my answers. Can I ask what you use for constipation? I only just realized that I won't be able to take the same remedies I have available to me now. Can I also ask what vitamins you take?

1 minute ago, DianeF said:

I made a video and asked myself questions in it so that I could look back and see me and hear my answers. Can I ask what you use for Constipation? I only just realized that I won't be able to take the same remedies I have available to me now. Can I also ask what Vitamins you take?

That is a lovely idea

I use:

• Lactulose: 4-5 5ml spoonfuls per day
• Dulcoease: 1 5ml spoonful in the evening before bed

I have only stopped using these in the last 5 days as my bowel movements are more regular, and to be honest, the dulcoease is very hard hitting, so I wouldn't use that unless you are really struggling with constipation.

Just try and eat enough fibre, and drink enough water throughout the day

Per day I take:

• x2 A-Z multivitamin gummies (even though the recommended is always 1, my dietician said bariatric patients should take 2)
• x1 spray of Vitamin D per day
• x4 sprays of Vitamin B12
• x2 Hairburst gummies

3 minutes ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

That is a lovely idea

I use:

• Lactulose: 4-5 5ml spoonfuls per day
• Dulcoease: 1 5ml spoonful in the evening before bed

I have only stopped using these in the last 5 days as my bowel movements are more regular, and to be honest, the dulcoease is very hard hitting, so I wouldn't use that unless you are really struggling with Constipation.

Just try and eat enough fibre, and drink enough Water throughout the day

Per day I take:

• x2 A-Z Multivitamin gummies (even though the recommended is always 1, my dietician said bariatric patients should take 2)
• x1 spray of Vitamin D per day
• x4 sprays of Vitamin B12
• x2 Hairburst gummies

I haven't heard of hairburst, but I'm looking it up now! One of my fears is losing too much hair. I hadn't heard of the spray vitamins until I started this forum. It seems like a great idea. My friend had WLS and had to have a blood transfusion due to her anemia, then they put her on injections of vitamins because she just couldn't keep them down. How often do you still talk to your dietician?

4 minutes ago, DianeF said:

I haven't heard of hairburst, but I'm looking it up now! One of my fears is losing too much hair. I hadn't heard of the spray Vitamins until I started this forum. It seems like a great idea. My friend had WLS and had to have a blood transfusion due to her anemia, then they put her on injections of vitamins because she just couldn't keep them down. How often do you still talk to your dietician?

They are yummy! I also am scared of losing hair, but from what I gather there isn't much we can do about preventing it - but it'll only be temporary if it does happen I just take the gummies to make my hair in a better condition as it is now!

Definitely! I think some vitamins like B12 & D, the absorption is actually quite poor in tablet form, so the sprays help with that!

Oh bless her I know that can happen with some people!

So I paid privately in the UK, and it is a 2 year package of aftercare that includes:

• 1 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 4 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 8 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 12 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• nutritional screen blood test 10 days before 6 month appointment
• 6 month post-op appointment with a dietician
• 9 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 12 month post-op appointment with a dietician and a follow-up with the psychotherapist
• 15 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 18 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 21 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 24 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse

On 7/12/2024 at 7:53 PM, ShoppGirl said:

You can do it with Decaf immediately post surgery until your allowed caffeine too. Mixed with the shake it’s not as off tasting.

So does the decaf coffee help stimulate bowel too?

Just now, Kristina14 said:

So does the Decaf coffee help stimulate bowel too?

Honestly I never had any serious issues with constipation so I can’t really answer that for certain. Now that you put it in my mind I may notice a differnce but honestly I didn’t pay too much attention the few times I had it. I will say that some doctors say no to decaf even immediately post surgery though so be sure to check.

1 hour ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

They are yummy! I also am scared of losing hair, but from what I gather there isn't much we can do about preventing it - but it'll only be temporary if it does happen I just take the gummies to make my hair in a better condition as it is now!

Definitely! I think some vitamins like B12 & D, the absorption is actually quite poor in tablet form, so the sprays help with that!

Oh bless her I know that can happen with some people!

So I paid privately in the UK, and it is a 2 year package of aftercare that includes:

• 1 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 4 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 8 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 12 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• nutritional screen blood test 10 days before 6 month appointment
• 6 month post-op appointment with a dietician
• 9 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 12 month post-op appointment with a dietician and a follow-up with the psychotherapist
• 15 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 18 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 21 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 24 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse

I love this and love this and love this plan! I kind of get the feeling my doctors are in at the beginning and then you're off on your own afterwards. It makes me a little bit nervous. But that feels like a good plan. I have good insurance, but I need to be more proactive in MAKING appointments instead of waiting until I NEED them.

On 7/13/2024 at 9:10 AM, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

Don't overthink it. We tend to want to over-prepare, pack too much, stock up way too much, read every single thing we see online and then obsess about any negative thing we see. You're ready. You've finished all the hurdles, you've been approved, you have the date. There's not a lot you can do 2 months before your surgery.

Maybe start looking at different food tracking apps to see which feels the most user friendly to you. Look through youtube to find some good GENTLE workouts for the first 6 weeks post op and save them to a private playlist for yourself. Make sure you have some loose clothing for after surgery. I bought one of those big, cure jugs that is 64fl oz so it would be easy to measure how much Water and fluids I was taking in (admittedly, at first I was barely getting in 3-4oz at a time, but I quickly worked my way up and was glad I had that because it was cute and convenient).

Make sure you have plenty of Miralax on hand and possibly, if things are really plugged up, a laxative/stool softener combo. And I made sure when I was drinking broth, it was Bone Broth because it has more Protein. That's really it.

This is great advice! You're absolutely right about overthinking. I'm kind of feeding my anxiety by over-researching, but it's better than feeding my face! haha! I'm taking it all in. I'm a pretty patient person and I like to hear a lot of differing opinions before I make up my mind. I'm definitely going to take your advice on measuring out my water. Especially because you have to have so much afterwards and can get so little at a time. How soon after did you start gentle workouts?

One of the things that I feel helped me the most was cutting back (or completely cutting off) some food/drink items that I knew I'd have the hardest time missing post-op. When I tell you I was addicted to sparkling water and diet soda, it's no joke. About a year before my surgery, I started a month-long test for myself just to make sure I could give up the carbonation -- and never went back. If you have any specific foods that are triggers for you, maybe try reducing them beforehand (or cutting out a few) just so you aren't going straight from your regular diet into the liquid diet.

1 hour ago, DianeF said:

I love this and love this and love this plan! I kind of get the feeling my doctors are in at the beginning and then you're off on your own afterwards. It makes me a little bit nervous. But that feels like a good plan. I have good insurance, but I need to be more proactive in MAKING appointments instead of waiting until I NEED them.

Maybe set reminders in your phone calendar for like 5 months, 11 months, 17 months, 23 months, etc. To schedule such appointments. Hopefully they can get you in within the month. And if possible just ask your surgeon for a list of labs to ask for at your primary doctor at your annual appointment.

19 minutes ago, JennyBeez said:

One of the things that I feel helped me the most was cutting back (or completely cutting off) some food/drink items that I knew I'd have the hardest time missing post-op. When I tell you I was addicted to sparkling Water and diet soda, it's no joke. About a year before my surgery, I started a month-long test for myself just to make sure I could give up the carbonation -- and never went back. If you have any specific foods that are triggers for you, maybe try reducing them beforehand (or cutting out a few) just so you aren't going straight from your regular diet into the liquid diet.

I did this too and it seemed to help make the liver shrink diet easier than others described. I think we need to name this week too. ?

8 hours ago, DianeF said:

How soon after did you start gentle workouts?

You have to start walking right away, before you even leave the hospital. For the first 3 weeks, the walking is plenty. It's about increasing the amount you can walk. Around week 4, I started doing the treadmill on a lower incline (not completely flat but a lower incline) and a normal walking speed. I also started doing arm workouts (without weights). I started doing mild step ups, and increased walking even more. At 6 weeks, I started increasing the incline on the treadmill, added low weights to my arm work outs, and added the exercise bike. At week 10, I increased the weights and started doing more strenuous workouts and small hikes. At 12 weeks, I started core work and increased the workouts more. i also do beginner pilates, but I only just started that.

I wish I had stopped smoking long enough. I would also be rested before surgery instead of going to hospital after work.

I wish I ate more of the things I loved pre-op LOL!!!

Nah jokes aside, WLS is a tool that we utilize towards - hopefully - permanent life changes, if you see it as a means that'll all it'll ever be, if you see it as an effective tool, it will get you where you want to be.

I would say, clean up your act, get moving, change your daily habits and get into the fat loss mindset. This doesn't mean going completely cold turkey on everything, but whatever bad habits that led you to needing the surgery in the first place need to be thought of and turned around.

I didn't need a liquid diet, my BMI was on the lower side and I worked out consistently my entire life so I didn't much change anything and boy I wished I changed some things because dealing with the discomfort of the surgery, the huge changes in your diet and all the restrictions afterwards is no fun all together. I wish I cut back on caffeine (I had caffeine a week post surgery because I had terrible headaches), I wish I cut out diet soda prior to WLS because I love diet soda so very much and it was tough to think that I can never have this without any mental preparation beforehand.

I wouldn't change much else because fortunately for me, I had a good experience post op, the weight dropped off very quick, I never threw up or had severe food aversions and have very effective restriction. But I also had a very balanced diet and workout regimen before WLS and that helped me tremendously and I know that might not be the case for everyone. Also, prepare yourself for a new life and new you, it's cliché but it's very true.