Top Suggestions - ThinnerTimes

FitGator · 12-22-2006, 11:02 AM

Hello Everyone - I am down to less than a month to my surgery on 1/16/07. I wanted to post this question to all of you who have been there and done that.

Can you share with the forum what the best suggestions to follow for when you get home after surgery.

I do much better when I make a list a follow it and thats the reason for my question.

For example, what do you need to have at home, what types of drinks, etc.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Thanks again.

Fit Gator!

kittens4 · 12-22-2006, 11:43 AM

I bought a lot of stuff I really didn't use...but here's what I had.

Protein powder for shakes. I have Isopure & Walmart brand. I prefer the Walmart brand to anything else...and it's cheaper!
Sugar free popsicles...as many as your freezer will hold! You will go through a lot of those for sure!
Sugar free pudding (I never ate it, my husband had to eat it for me)
Sugar free jello (I did eat that)
Decaf tea & diet Cocoa & Sugar free Carnation Instant Breakfast are good to have around. I can't drink plain water..for me things go down easier if they are hot. Also have crystal lite on hand.
Optisource vitamins (they are a chewable vitamin made especially for Bariatric patients. Walgreens sells them. You chew them 4 times a day with food. They cost around $28 a bottle, but it's all you need...much better than having all those bottles around and trying to remember to take each one)
Soups & broth

That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure I forgot some things...but I'm sure someone will be along to give you more ideas.

lealphachienne · 12-22-2006, 12:33 PM

Hmmm...i only had my vitamins...I made my hubby at the time go out eah day and get stuff....I didn't want anything leftover cluttering my pantry...plus, I went to soft foods the day I got home.

pambragg · 12-22-2006, 01:15 PM

My biggest warning for pre-ops is if you are given a binder make sure you wear it religously til you dr says to stop. I really feel that this is the reason I had such a problem with hernias....not supporting the area like I should have done. Best wishes.

mzliz · 12-22-2006, 06:39 PM

I agree with Elaine, except I was able to have leaded coffee but SF creamer. I also use the optisource vitamins. Lots of Broth, SF Popsicles. I had surgery on a Wed, by Monday I was on Cream soups, that was great.
Good luck to you and I did keep my binder at arms reach during the first week.

ladytonya · 12-22-2006, 07:19 PM

I bought tons of protein before surgery that now completely turns my stomach. Your tastes may change after surgery so don't load up on protein! Also, your stash should depend on what your doctor orders for immediately after surgery. I was on liquids for two weeks, so I had my protein plus Crystal Light, chicken broth, and popsicles. I'm not allowed yogurt until pureed stage and I'm still not allowed Jello until soft foods. When I go to pureed on Monday, the only thing I can have is protein. I would take it one stage at a time! For vitamins, I ordered mine from Bariatric Advantage, but I know a lot of people like the Optisource. I ordered the multi-vitamin, calcium, and sublingual B-12. THe only one my doc has me on yet is the multi. He'll start the others after my 1 month checkup.

Good luck with your surgery! We'll save a space on the loser's bench for ya!

cnvh · 12-22-2006, 09:26 PM

As for food, don't go overboard on ANYTHING, because no matter how many times you're told how little you'll be eating after surgery, you don't quite believe it... until you get home and realize that you can't even finish a single-serving cup of SF jello at one time.

(I've been home for two weeks and I've yet to finish a 6-pack!) For protein drinks, try to have a selection of samples on hand if possible-- what you like now, you may HATE later. (Happened to me!)

Before surgery, I picked up these great tiny storage containers by Rubbermaid-- they hold 3 oz. when full, so I know I can fill it up about 2/3 full, and that represents a "serving" for me. They work so well, I went out and bought a second box. (Very handy for measuring out food to take with you to work, to visit friends or family, to store those jello leftovers, etc.) The Target where I live sells them in the store, but you could also order them online; here's a link: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B0004F7HH0

One thing I should have had more of when I got home was band-aids!! I had the lap procedure, and they didn't put in any drains, but one of my incisions decided to "drain" on its own (unfortunately, the one right behind where the button on any pair of pants would be)... before I left the hospital, the resident snipped out the internal stitch so it could drain freely... my other 4 incisions had little "steri-strips" on them, but the draining incision was kept covered with gauze bandages and tape, which had to be changed frequently.

The drainage had pretty much dried up by the second morning that I was home, but I had to keep it covered with a band-aid for at least a week, and I was changing it 2-3 times per day. The best band-aids I found were the big fabric brand-name Band-Aid ones-- they let the wound breathe enough that it was able to heal well. I still put one on in the morning when I get dressed, simply because the waistband of any pair of pants rubs directly on it.

Also, a small supply of sterile wound dressings and medical tape would be good to have on hand at home, too, plus exam gloves if anyone plans to help you with would care after you leave the hospital... better safe than sorry as far as germs and infections are concerned!

cnvh · 12-22-2006, 09:30 PM

Oh, and I forgot to add, at least a half-dozen baby spoons... Our program suggests you use baby utensils early on to "train" you to not eat too much at one time, and I found that to be very useful... haven't gotten sick yet, woohoo!

The only problem is, finding baby utensils that don't LOOK like they were made for a baby-- because you probably don't want to be eating your meals with a Spongebob Squarepants spoon.

aesidwell · 12-23-2006, 01:14 AM

I'm going to chime in with a need entirely different from food, storage, or any of that "practical" stuff - all of you covered it so well!

(BTW --> those tiny gladlock/tubberware type containers that only hold 3-4oz? BRILLIANT and life saving).

Stock up on "food" to feed your soul! It's a traumatic surgery and having things around you to do and watch will make the healing process that much more pleasant. Get some books you'd like to read and haven't had a chance to yet, movies - old favorites or a few you've been meaning to try, some yarn for knitting or crocheting, etc. etc. I cannot stress how much this helped get me through my first month, especially since I couldn't take out my emotions on food, or sometimes just needed to be distracted from the fact that I felt like crap!

And on the plus side - you can ALWAYS gorge on books from the library and movies from blockbuster with no ill sides effects!

(Provided you bring everything back on time - of course!!) If you need suggestions, feel free to hit me up! I'm a complete book/movie whore.

lealphachienne · 12-23-2006, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnvh

The only problem is, finding baby utensils that don't LOOK like they were made for a baby-- because you probably don't want to be eating your meals with a Spongebob Squarepants spoon.

Hey..I like SPongebob!