The Icy One

Good luck with your surgery! I'll be keeping good thoughts for you.

I don't see why not... As long as you are doing sugarless. If in doubt, call your surgeon's office and ask but I'll bet it's okay. I'm not a gum chewer, myself but I am hooked on sugar free mints. I nommed on them during my pre op and had no problems.

The best answer I can give you is call your surgeon's office and ask. Never start any new, major change post op without getting direct approval from your own doc. He/she can best guide you.

I like some of the answers, above. If someone is rude enough to ask questions about something that is none of their damned business, slay 'em with snark. You owe no one any explanation. Your body, your business. If you want to share, do so if not, don't.

Yep. Slowing down is tough for me, too. I was given a kit that included a one minute hourglass. I can use it to time out my bites when I find myself bolting my food. That hourglass is a huge help to me. Take a bite, chew, swallow and flip. Let it run out, I can have my next bite. Best thing ever.

Don't forget stool softener. If you use narcotic pain killers, you will probably need them. Something that you can mix into Water is good. Colace makes a powder that you can stir into water. It is clear and you can't really taste it. If you want a recliner for your recovery, you can rent one for a couple of weeks or a month. If you decide to obtain a recliner for your recovery, get one that has an electric leg/foot rest that is operated with a push button. You don't want to be stressing your abdominal muscles trying to get your feet up and down. Don't forget to stock up on rubbing alcohol, gauze 4X4 pads, skin friendly tape for incision care. You need to change your bandages twice a day until your sutures/staples come out. DO NOT use the big, waterproof bandages. They will totally rip your skin to shreds. (Ask me how I know. ) And be sure to change where you put your tape, from time to time to make it easier on your skin. It is perfectly okay to shower with your incisions uncovered, anyway. Just be gentle when washing and patting them dry. Good luck with your surgery.

No lie, the pre op diet blows! I had to do three weeks and I hated every. Minute. But every time I thought I'd go out of my mind and head to the drive through at In-N-Out I would tell myself that if I messed up, I might end up waking up after my surgery with no band. That wasn't going to happen. Remember, the purpose of the pre op diet, torturous as it is, is to shrink your liver so that it is safe for your surgeon to get in there and successfully place your band. Just remind yourself of that, and that it's just temporary. It will all be over, soon. Hang in there! You'll be done with the pre op and banded, before you know it.

Congrats on five ponds! That is five you won't see again. And yes, stay off the scale. You are still in recovery and heal mode and your number is going to fluctuate. It's normal. I didn't step on a scale until I had my first aftercare appointment, a month after my surgery. I was weighed at the doctor's office two weeks out, but I didn't pay attention to that number.

Good luck with your new start, JThompson and welcome to the forums!

Congrats on your surgery and your loss!

Hi and welcome. WLS, whichever procedure you ultimately decide on is a huge step and not one to take lightly. Band, sleeve, bypass, switch... There are so many factors that go in to making the right decision for each individual and we all must, MUST shut out the external voices that try to sway us one way or the other and focus solely on what WE want. What is right four our own body, the way we eat, our lifestyle, personality, how we feel about aftercare commitment and what we can live with regarding having something implanted in us or losing a piece of ourselves. These are all huge considerations and once done are permanent. Personally, I chose the band because I loved the idea of a tool that can help me, a volume eater with portion control, bite size and bite spacing. Those are my biggies. The band is very good for people like me. I also love the band because I didn't have to lose part of my stomach, and I am a MAJOR control freak and I love knowing that I can control my tool, adjust it to my exacting specifications and make it work perfectly for me, and me alone. I also don't mind the whole aftercare process. I don't find it a burden and my insurance covers the cost so it all works for me. But again, that was my personal process and I would not expect anyone else's to be exactly the same. And yes, I love my band. Before you commit to having your surgery think long and hard about what YOU want. What YOU need and what whatever surgery you do eventually have will do for YOU. This is YOUR body. It doesn't matter what some doctor thinks or wants you to have and, (I may get some pushback on this one) it doesn't matter what your husband thinks, either. He is free to express his opinion but he needs to take a step back and give you the room to make this very major and very important decision for yourself. Then he needs to step back in and, regardless of the choice you make, be fully on your side, completely supportive and ready to cheer you through, every step of the way.

Little cheats happen. I think that surgeons know that they will and build them in to the pre op plan. I ended up eating raw almonds a few times and one day, for some inexplicable reason, in the last week of my pre op, (mine was three weeks) I lost my sh*t, grabbed a pound of sliced deli turkey we had just picked up at the store, that day and stood over my kitchen sink and grubbed down every morsel as if I were a starving refugee. If I thought I could digest it, I'd have probably eaten the bag, too. A little part of me feared that my idiotic stunts would hurt me, but everything was fine. I lost nine pounds on my pre op and my surgeon was able to place my band.

Yepper. But hey, a loss is a loss is a loss. We don't sneer at it.

Hottie is always a plus!!! WORD.

Grits already? Wow. Don't those first mushies taste so good?

I was also allowed to put frozen fruit in my Protein shakes during my pre op diet if I wanted it. I had it off and on. I had two Protein Shakes and one lean and green meal for three long weeks. I thought I was going to go out of my frakking mind. My anesthesiologist was not only a total sweetie, he was also a total hottie!

I rather like the idea of being Secretary of State.

Hee! Hee! Just having at you.

Heating pad. Just don't cook yourself. And a bit of Motrin. (Get your surgeon's okay on the Motrin, first. Some are okay with it, some are not.) Those really helped me with my shoulder discomfort. It was the worst part of my post op. Seriously. I LIVED under my heating pad.

Slinks off to be unfunny, somewhere else. *forever alone* 3:)

That tight feeling is normal, it is swelling from the surgery. If you had a hernia repair, it will be a bit more intense and last longer. I was swollen and kind of tight for nearly two months. Which was kind of great, I stayed Green for all of that time. I'm gad that you're feeling better and having less pain.

I'm glad that you are home. Not happy to hear that you are still having difficulty breathing... Your lungs should be clear and you should be breathing normally, by now. I am worried about you. Have you spoken with your doctor about your breathing? It is nothing to take lightly. Especially post surgery. Pain is different for everyone. Take your meds as needed and walk, as much as you possibly can. Staying active, not letting yourself get stiff and seized up really helps to keep you more comfortable.

Looking good!

Woo-Hoo! NSVs feel so good, don't they? You have worked hard for this. Savor it and look forward to the next one.

I don't do bread. I have read too many horror stories and I would just as soon avoid the dramz. When I start craving on bread-like substances to the point where I neeeeed something of the sort, I go for Melba toast or a corn tortilla... Maybe a few crackers. These things go down just fine for me and satisfy my insane bread cravings. Kinda. Sorta. In a way. I Love, love, love bread. I admit, it is one food that I miss so much. Sometimes my husband will bring home a loaf of fresh, warm artisan bread to munch on and I will just stand in the kitchen and hold the loaf up to my face and inhale that rich, warm, yeasty, bread scent. Ooooooh.... Yeah. I know.