So i went to my dr tuesday and got this whole thing set up. Im having the Realize band place in january, and i was wondering if anybody wanted to give me some pointers on what to do before surgery to help prepare myself? any suggestions welcome.

Thanks, Ashley:thumbup:

I would suggest that you purchase everything you'll for after surgery a little bit at a time before your date so you'll have it on hand. Also try out different brands/flavors of protein supplements/powders/liquids now so you will be aware of what you like and don't like. Then stock up on it. Many of the bariatric type websites sell small variety sample packs for that very purpose.

I also filled my post-op prescriptions the week before surgery so I wouldn't be without them. I had everything I could need in place and it avoided a lot of anxiety post-op.

I also put myself on a liquid diet pre-operatively even though my surgeon didn't require it - it helps to shrink the liver so they surgery is easier and safer. It also got me used to the liquids before hand.

I bought gladware containers in the 1/2 cup size so I could "pack" my lunches for work. Also I got a good blender and J.C. Penney's version of the "Magic Bullet" for preparing protein smoothies etc...best thing I ever did!

At Wal*Mart I found "measuring glasses" that were clear with red writing on them...they are actual glasses with a 5-6 oz capacity. I was able to know exactly how much liquid I was drinking and didn't have to drink out of the measuring cup, or have more dishes than I needed!

Also, I would highly recommend taking a small stack of the med cups from the hospital...they put them on my bedside table when they gave me the Carnation Instant Breakfast to drink in 30cc increments. They handed me a 4oz glass of the Carnation in skim milk and I waw to measure out a med cup (30cc or 1 oz) every hour...so I took the clean ones home with me and used them and washed them out - because the first week - I was only allowed to have just that...30cc per hour. It made things alot easier!

Hope this was helpful...

Hey! I'm scheduled for January too. Perhaps we can encourage each other. The tips from Mary Kay Lady are really helpful!