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surgeons do vary. At my clinic, both sleeve and bypass people were on the same plan. They had us on purees as soon as we left the hospital, but they changed that (I had my surgery nine years ago) and now they have to do a week (or maybe two?) of liquids before moving to purees.

i brought a whole overnight bag filled with "supplies" and barely touched any of it (including my toothbrush! hygiene be dammed when you are groggy and in pain lol) what i DID actually use were the following: 1) my crocs (any other slip on shoe would do)...for ease in putting on and off for walking the halls for exercise and going home in. 2) Biotin (the moisturizing throat spray, NOT the supplement). ugh, my throat was so sore when i woke up. i specifically asked the nurse to have it available to me in the recovery room, and used it throughout my stay. 3) lip balm...your dry lips will thank u. 4) small pillow to hug against you for the car ride home. those bumps on the road were killer. also useful to squeeze when u cough. everything else stayed in my bag. including my phone surprisingly. didn't even care to use/look at it. good luck! ❤️

for some of us it's a chronic problem. I take a capful of Miralax every morning to prevent it. Others take things like stool softeners, magnesium tablets, or Smooth Move tea. Whatever works!

There are quite a few rx options to get you to go. Once you do go I recommend taking a soluble fiber daily to prevent this from happening again. They sell a generic for benefiber at Walmart and you just mix a spoonful into a drink. You may want to run by your team to see if they agree but it worked for me to prevent constipation. .

Thank you for your kind response! I don't believe I gave myself enough time to adjust to this new lifestyle. I first met with my care team in January and then had surgery in March. This is all so new and honestly i'm excited for myself and know i can overcome these cravings. I'm so glad i found this website to be able to connect with others as well as read other stories...it gives hope.

Hey @jparadigm, I wanted to say I am sorry to hear that you are struggling. I do think however that these feelings are entirely normal, and from reading others who have posted in these forums, a lot of people do go through this. Dealing with our relationship with food is one of the hardest things to do, but as you know, is a key part of working with the tool of surgery. I think your idea of maybe seeking some help from a therapist/counsellor would be a good idea. I am pre-surgery, but I have therapy every week and my main focus at the moment is around my relationship to food. I would say however, try not to beat yourself up too much, as this can do the opposite and not motivate you at all. You're still healing, and that takes a toll on you mentally and physically. This is all new for you. Maybe start a journal and when you are feeling those cravings, write down what it is you want, and how you are feeling in that moment - try and pinpoint exactly what feeling is driving those cravings, sit with it, be interested in it. Hopefully that may start to give you that time to acknowledge how you are feeling before any incidents of deviating from your current food plan. Then think maybe about something else you can do that will give you that hit of dopamine! Either way, speaking to someone about how you are feeling and seeking to address your relationship with food will be key, and you have already taken that first step in admitting how you feel here and seeking help. Be kind to yourself x

The only thing I can add is that an extra long charging cord came in handy in my hospital (although some say it wasn’t necessary at theirs). Also pajama pants were good to slip on for walks since the hospital gowns open in back. I did see some people with two gowns on (one forwards and one backwards) I’m guessing because they didn’t have any bottoms. Like @NickelChip, I wore the same thing home i came in. A pair of comfy Track pants and a tee shirt. I just brought fresh underthings. I bought my tablet as well so I could read (download a couple books ahead of time) but a regular book would be better since things do get misplaced and stolen sometimes and you will be separated from your stuff. They put mine in a locker during my surgery and beought it to me once I was in a room. I also wished I had brought a sleep mask for my surgery. They closed the door and it was dark but I had to leave the bathroom light on so that I could find it. I brought one when I stayed with my husband in the hospital and it was perfect for that same light. I also bright headphones because I played Netflix at night when I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to disturb anyone else but the nurse informed me that others couldn’t hear my tv if I wanted to use that. In terms of toiletries, I brought them all but I wasn’t allowed to shower before I left so maybe just a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and some baby wipes/ face wipes and dry shampoo or a hat if your super oily like me. I was told not to bring my meds except for one that they didn’t have at the pharmacy. Kinda makes you wonder why you can’t just bring them all instead of laying two prices but that’s another story. I did put a pillow in the car that my husband would be picking me up in. Ooh and they should tell you not to wear jewelry or bring cash. They have to inventory everything you bring and they actually thanked me for packing light.

You will be wearing a hospital gown and given non-slip socks, so all you really need is to wear something to the hospital that is comfy with a stretchy or loose waist you can wear home, and bring clean undies and socks. Also bring a toothbrush, travel toothpaste, hair brush, deodorant, chapstick, and lotion. Don't bring meds or fluids as they will need to administer those to you and record them in your chart. But check on this because if you are taking something unusual, they may want you to bring it. In my case, they just gave me my daily thyroid medication from the hospital pharmacy. Bring your phone and charger and a book, maybe headphones if you'd rather listen to music. Hospitals are kinda gross, so the less you bring, the better. I had an incident where my IV came unattached and I ended up with watered down blood everywhere, which would have ruined any pillows or blankets from home. Oh, I brought a small pillow for the car ride home that is made for abdominal surgery (search Amazon for hysterectomy pillows) and can velcro to your seatbelt for extra comfort for your incisions. It was nice but not 100% necessary. For home, I had a weighted heating pad that I loved for sleeping. You will also want a bottle of liquid adult strength Tylenol at home for pain.

yep - I think a lot of us how are a few years out can relate to this. I, too, thought I'd conquered all this. It's a lifelong battle.

Got my surgery date 9/26/2023 yeahhh!