heynowkc

I have BCBS through the state (not federal) and while there was a change of staff at my surgeon's office which caused a delay, my surgery was approved instantaneously over the phone. Most offices fax it in though, so you will have to wait a lot longer if that's the case. I specifically told my surgeon's office (after all the delays) that BCBS will approve me instantly over the phone if they wouldn't mind calling instead of faxing, luckily there was someone in the office who knew about that and she got it done.

Hi there. I am having surgery on the 17th and I am curious what you veterans use to drink out of after surgery, especially since you'll have to carry your Water with you everywhere. It's just not convenient for me to have an open glass/cup everywhere, but most of my water bottles at home have some sort of straw which I know is not allowed. I know someone mentioned using a tervis tumbler with the sip style lid, and I do have one of those, but I find them less than optimal and am wondering if anyone's found other options that they like. I know we are not supposed to drink from straws, but I have at least 2 camelbak water bottles with the bite-tip that doesn't allow much, if any, air through. (Plus they have the nice feature of being guaranteed for life.) Has anyone had any luck with those? Does your doctor say it's okay? (I have my final meeting with the surgeon on Thursday and will definitely ask him then!) Also, does anyone take their doctor's recommendation of buying small toddler-size plastic plates and flatware for eating after surgery? I am thinking of purchasing some of amazon. Does anyone find this helpful? What did you use?

Yeah I was told that the no straw rule would be a lifetime change, but I was also told just this week by my dietitian that some people do eventually go back to drinking with straws and do ok, it's just not recommended.

@@Kindle You're right. I am probably going to weigh myself every Wednesday instead of every day after surgery, but after two solid months of almost daily movement on the scale, I am kind of addicted to getting on every morning and patting myself on the back. Probably not the healthiest thing in the world. I know all about stalls so I don't think that will bother me post-surgery, but just to be safe I definitely should cut out the daily weigh-ins!

@@jennhartt Oh! Haha. That makes much more sense! We all have occasional late night typos!

@@Megan00 Next Wed, the 17th! Very excited!

There is nothing I hate more than having to spend the night in the hospital. The constant wakings, the uncomfortable (not my) bed, the pre-dawn morning bloodwork, the IV, the "this is what prison feels like" unsettling feeling washing over me, etc. That's why I was thrilled when my surgeon told me that most of his patients go home the next evening. But I just got my official "surgery time" today (I had forgotten to ask about it before) and discovered I will be going into surgery at 2:15 PM. I'm pretty sure this means my chances of being a "one-nighter" were just demolished. What do you guys think? What have your experiences been if you've had a "non-AM" surgery time?

@@Megan00 I've lost maybe 12-15 on pre-op diet so far with 5 days to go. I forget, what day is your surgery? I just had my final pre-op visit with Dr. Halmi and the dietitian yesterday.

Wow. You are like the poster child for instant recovery! @@CheleLynn45 Hey, were surgery time buddies (lol). That is good to know! Thank you. Guess I was worrying for nothing!

@@jennhartt I feel dumb for asking, but what's PBS ice?

@@Kindle That's so fast! Wow! @@BLERDgirl Hoping I have no pain the same as you! Crossing my fingers!

I was going to buy a set of ice cube trays because I was told they were good for freezing pureed foods, but I actually found a set of 2oz babyfood freezer containers in a tray, you can remove them and they have a lid and are microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe. Those will be great for me when I go back to work and am on the mushy/soft food diet. I also got a set of toddler plates/bowls/cups/flatware super cheap (yes, at amazon). I'm sure they'll come in handy. I ended up going with a Thermos Water bottle that @@Inner Surfer Girl suggested in the duplicate post! I got it here: http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Nissan-Intak-Hydration-Bottle/dp/B001EGGQB6/ in magenta (for some reason the cheapest color, lucky me). What I like about it is that it's got a pour spout (obviously) and has a flip top with a button mechanism so I won't have to unscrew it every time I need a drink when I get back to the gym. Very convenient. It also locks in 2 different ways so it doesn't accidentally come flying open in your bag and spilling water everywhere. Plus there's a tracker built in to the lid so you can track how many bottles you've had that day, which is very convenient! Definitely recommend for others looking!

@@Inner Surfer Girl This is what I ended up buying! It is absolutely perfect. I really wanted something easy that I could later take to the gym that I wouldn't have to unscrew every time I wanted a drink. This is so convenient! Thank you so much for the suggestion! I like that it also helps you keep track of your intake!

Hi there. I am having surgery on the 17th and I am curious what you veterans use to drink out of after surgery, especially since you'll have to carry your Water with you everywhere. It's just not convenient for me to have an open glass/cup everywhere, but most of my water bottles at home have some sort of straw which I know is not allowed. I know someone mentioned using a tervis tumbler with the sip style lid, and I do have one of those, but I find them less than optimal and am wondering if anyone's found other options that they like. I know we are not supposed to drink from straws, but I have at least 2 camelbak water bottles with the bite-tip that doesn't allow much, if any, air through. (Plus they have the nice feature of being guaranteed for life.) Has anyone had any luck with those? Does your doctor say it's okay? (I have my final meeting with the surgeon on Thursday and will definitely ask him then!) Also, does anyone take their doctor's recommendation of buying small toddler-size plastic plates and flatware for eating after surgery? I am thinking of purchasing some of amazon. Does anyone find this helpful? What did you use?

@@Kindle Thank you!

@@altraoiche When is your surgery?

@@LightlyMyDarling Thanks! Maybe I will be able to go home earlier. But you do have a good point about the IV pain meds being a big help!

Are you allowed cough drops post-surgery? I tend to get a sore throat/dry mouth when I have an IV, especially if I'm on antibiotics or pain meds. If not, maybe chloroseptic spray would be ok?

@@jesshero I was the same way. My head was spinning for at least 24 hours after getting the news. I had a bunch of pre-op appointments I had to organize with my work schedule at that point but I'm all done now! Visit with the doc/nutritionist & picking up my pre-op diet products last Thurs. Had my nutrition class on Monday. Had my final visit with the surgeon and the dietitian today where I picked up my post-surgery vitamins, and this morning I also had a pre-surgery phone interview with my nurse from the hospital, and now I just have to wait for surgery day. Totally stoked! Good luck to you!

I have only tried chocolate, vanilla and orange cream. The vanilla and chocolate are both good. But I am not so hot on the orange cream. I REALLY wish I would have gotten banana instead. The orange is not terrible but it's not something I look forward to either. If I mix one scoop of it with one scoop of the chocolate it's not bad though. I actually like that this brand seems thicker than most shakes I've tried. I'm going to have to consider the costco brand of pre-made shakes.

@@jesshero I thought I was "cutting it close" by getting my date (Dec 17th) exactly 2 weeks before surgery. But one week? Wow, you must be elated! I'm right before you. So excited. I have no advice other than follow your doctor's instructions exactly! Are you doing a pre-op diet?

@@BLERDgirl This is ace advice.

No problem!

@@Dee951 Well your pre-op diet sounds amazing! Haha. Some of us are on very restrictive mostly liquid diets (around) two weeks prior to surgery. My surgeon requires the use of Bariatric Advantage Protein powder (for shakes), bars, and another of their protein powders for soups. I'm allowed three 8 oz shakes, 1 bar, and 1 soup per day. Plus an optional banana and up to 3 servings of sugar free jello/popsicles. So for many folks it's a very restrictive diet (calorie-wise). @@Dolce_xxv That sounds terrible. I am not familiar with the product but I would try calling your surgeon's office to see if you can get more help. Does your surgeon's office have a dietitian? If they're the ones giving you the brush-off, I would call back (or have someone call for me) and have a very specific list of questions that I insist get answered before I hang up.

I am so jealous! You have no idea!! I normally don't work nights, but I do "close" our library one day a week and since it is nearing finals week, we are open an hour later (10PM), I knew my night would be really tough, but adding the extra hour was even more difficult. (The worst part is I am doing it again tonight because I asked a co-worker to let me close so I could have my final visit with my surgeon this morning.) I couldn't tell you how to get through them except to maybe sleep longer and spread out your meals more.