Wayne Hunt

It's hard for anyone here to give anything but a general response, because everyone's hospital and experiences might be different. I'm 5 days out from surgery and my list might sound scary (and it does represent a huge change for me) but it's really not. It's just a part of all invasive surgery procedures. What I knew about, but find extremely weird to be confronted with now are; The pain coming out of surgery. I have no idea why, but I just never expected a "few little cuts" to be so gut-wrenchingly ouchy... Apparently bad enough to bring out my inner four-letter curse machine while on meds. (a sincere apology to my very wonderful nursing staff by the way) That however is usually well-managed in the hospital and by the time I was sent home, it felt like it would after you fell off a skateboard as a kid.. Now in day 5, most of the pain is almost gone to the point I might wish I could return to work early (out of boredom), but don't... Take the time your body needs to adjust because this is a big, big deal. Just be prepared. Other people might have experienced it differently, but for the first few days, every time I coughed, sneezed, or moved, it felt like my guts were about to burst. They haven't, but I do find it useful to hold a small pillow over my stomach when I cough just to cushion the impact of that action, but it'll be ok.. Suddenly -- at least for a while -- you REALLY aren't hungry. For my post-surgery liquid phase, I'm supposed to be drinking 64 ounces of Water and at least two Protein shakes. So far, I can manage the two shakes (Breakfast and supper) but I *really* don't want them at all. The rest of the day, I'm forcing myself to sip half-dosed bottles of Crystal Light, which are now actually too sweet and make me extremely gassy, but it's still better than tap water... So far, all I can do -- and it's VERY difficult -- is two 11-oz Protein Shakes and about 32 oz of water a day. Take a look at what your doctor recommends for an after-diet. Make sure you have those in abundance before leaving for the hospital. In my case, premixed protein shakes (Premier), a small variety of broths (I recommend boxed, and the Swanson "flavor infused" make for a nice change), Jello, and so-forth. Buy all your post-op meds and Vitamins before-hand. {edit:} Originally I was lamenting not buying "gummie" vitamins, but based on the comments below, I went back and realized that "gummie" = bad... Not allowed by Doctors so... My advice is now this. For the rest of your life you'll be taking vitamins. It might cost you a buck or two more now, but at first buy small quantities rather than Sam's Club size because honestly, you'll probably find one you like better. For example, I thought the taste of an orange-flavored chewable sounded awesome. Now, after chewing the giant pills three times a day for 5 days? Not so much... Speaking of vitamins, be prepared to devote a good portion of your time getting used to taking them on a set schedule. I now have five different types that I have to spread out in multiple dosing schedules throughout every day. Be prepared to sip water or sugar-free Crystal light ALL DAY LONG. In a day, if your doctor is like mine, he'll recommend 64 oz of water a day. Pre-surgery, not a problem when you could drink a 4 oz gulp easily. Not so much any more. Anything more than a sip at a time (at least for me) results in gas and a bloaty stomach... (mild dumping) Lovenox shots. Even if you're in a good way, you will probably end up having to subject yourself to two weeks of self-administered shots to your lower (fatty part) belly. Lovenox is a blood thinner, and helps to ensure that you don't end up with blood clots after your surgery. Bright side is, everyone knows how much these suck, so they've generally made the needle so small that it's virtually painless. For *me* to be able to do it (so far) is one hell of an indication that anyone can do it. Gas... Wow.. Ok. For the first few days at least after the surgery, you're going to be an extremely gassy beast. All of us (as I understand it) are because of how the Laparoscopic procedure works, inserting air/gas into your body cavity to shift/move things around. This might be embarrassing, or you might just take a little pride in "letting 'er rip". Either way, it helps you feel better, because half the pain you feel after surgery is that gas. The other half is caused by the incisions and internal cuts themselves. Walking helps... If you're like I was, walking will help in getting rid of that gas. Trouble is, on Days 1 and 2, they might have to pull you kicking and cursing from your hospital bed to take those initial few hundred steps. Once you can equate the walking to the Willy Wonka soda-room belching, you'll be far more willing to get in a little activity in exchange for a little relief.

My surgery last Wednesday went off "without a hitch", unless you count the pain afterwards as a hitch. FYI, I packed everything in my initial list. Everything I thought I'd need, and everything that others had suggested. In the 2 days I was in the hospital, what did I find useful? Absolutely nothing. Not once, save for retrieving my iPad and iPhone (to let everyone know I was ok) did I even need, or have the opportunity to open my own bag. Not even for clean socks (provided) or underwear (I was always sufficiently gowned and they were uncomfortable to get on and off)... So in the end, it's hard to offer a recommendation because everyone's hospital or coverage is a little different. Being prepared isn't bad, but be prepared to be over-prepared when the time gets here for you. Wayne

I'm NOT trying to scare anyone here, but I am getting a little nervous with my surgery slated with tomorrow. Based on the other thread here, I've been watching (or at least trying to watch) the "Fat Doctor" (UK) videos on YouTube. What has me freaked out at the moment is that the surgeries they seem to do pretty much show people being cut open like a fish, all yucky and stuff. I'm very unclear on why this is, but the only thing I'm HOPING is that this is the difference between an "open" Gastric Bypass and a "laparoscopic" procedure (with scopes and stuff)..? I was under the impression that this procedure was essentially five incisions and a lot of little "bots" and "scopes inserted to do all the dirty work, not the whole "open heart" look... Watching the episodes has been very informative and helpful, but it's also got me completely freaked out... Please help "de-freak" me out... Wayne

Hi! I -- like a lot of others -- use MyFitnessPal.com to track what goes in, what I weigh, my measurements, and other things. I'm not trying to advertise for them, but I really like the work they've put into such a great project. Their web site is pretty much where you go to get your printouts and reports, but if you have a smartphone (Android or iOS), you can use their app to add things in from anywhere you happen to be. It also allows you to scan barcodes of food to instantly look up and add the item. Best of all, it's free and it's very, very easy... You just have to be absolutely honest with yourself and not "cheat" (meaning, you need to log everything that goes into your body... Wayne

Thanks for the replies. A bit nervous about it all at this point. I keep thinking "what the bleep are you doing?" And such, but I'm hoping everyone is right about the recovery process (for me)...

My Surgery is on Wednesday, which means I've technically been on the Protein diet for 11 days. In that time, I've cheated three times, but each time, in a VERY small and hopefully controlled fashion (small plates, eating very slowly, quitting very early). When I went to the hospital training session last Friday, everyone in the room mentioned it and what we were told was that the diet is necessary and prescribed for most, by most doctors, but they understand that you just have to "do the best you can". Wayne

I'm in the midst of list making, packing, and last-minute prep shopping for a Wednesday afternoon surgery. Distracts me from being overwhelmed by it all at this point... Wayne

I'm currently in day four of my "Bariatric Advantage" diet (my doctor abandoned "Medifast") and here's what I'm going through. I'm supposed to be drinking four shakes, one of their little chocolate bars for a snack, and one thing of Soup per day. The powdered soup is too horrid for words, and will probably be tossed as far as my arms can throw... That being said, the shakes as I've made them (Bariatric Advantage is powder, mix yourself) are following the directions of "2 rounded scoops to 8 ounces water". By the time I shake them, then add ice to cool, the entire shaker is full and it's very, very thick. I start at 7am, and between sipping (not chugging) the shakes, the bar for a snack, and soup for dinner, I find myself physically full until bed time. Between 3 meals and Snacks I'm supposed to be doing six a day, but I can't even do all six because I'm too physically full (if not just overly excited to get this all over with). What I find however is that the mental aspect is biting me hard. The mental notion that -- even though I'm not hungry -- I should be hungry because it's "Breakfast time", "lunch time", or whatever. Right now, for me, I'm fine hunger wise, but fighting the battle of will with myself over breaking the diet. 47 years of crap eating habits are hard to break overnight.. Rejoice in one thing... (Our respective) surgery will get here and pass, and (we) are hopefully doing this will all the right motivations in mind, so as someone above me offered, "keep your eye on the prize" and all will be well. Until then, if you find yourself concentrating on being hungry, make it a point to get up, move around, or find a project to distract yourself with... You can also call your doctor if it's really bad and see if they can offer any recommendations. Best of luck, Wayne

I went through mine a couple of months ago now. Actually two of them. One was for the doctor's office, one was the insurance requirement. Essentially in both cases, the psychiatrist sat me down, asking about my history, my environment, my support system (aka friends/family), my habits, and whether or not I truly understood the life-changing nature of it all... Even though my heart and mind are in the right place, I left feeling as though I had completely blown both because I life a thousand miles away from any friends or family, and I have terrible habits. That being said, I've got multiple "co-morbidities" and I've bounced up and down 75 pounds probably 3 times in the last three years, so I *know* and accept that life has to change. Surprisingly, Tuesday I call the insurance to check on the status of the Approval, got an e-mail approval notice 5 minutes later, and 10 minutes after that, a call from my doctor's office to let me know I was being scheduled for April 2nd (2 weeks). My point (sorry) is that if I can go through what I imagined to be 2 completely blown psych evals and come out fast-tracked, then it's really not a problem. My suggestion would be to let the interviewer lead with the questions, listen carefully and weigh what she's saying, then give her the best, most honest answer you can. You could patronize her, but that may not be in your favor since the entire doctor's office will use that information to know what to look out for to help you be successful... I'm now day four into my liquid protein diet (good shakes and protein bars, HORRID soup) and I'm equal parts gung-ho and terrified.. BTW, not that it matters, but My "last supper" was my favorite cheeseburger, fries, and 3 giant cookies at the Alamo Drafthouse while watching the 300 sequel Wayne

Just discovered this forum, and I'm slated for April 2nd. Equally gung-ho and terrified.. Wayne