Advice for the upcoming sleevers!!

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

Hi Kids!!

I want to start this out by saying CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME!! With that out of the way, I would like to offer some advice that I found to be extremely helpful when I was going through all of this back in July! First, as hard as I know it is, try not to get too worked up the days before surgery. Your anxiety gets the best of you, and your hormones go all crazy because of it. This can cause some emotional distress, and make you grumpy, when you don't really have to be.

Second, when packing for the hospital, don't go crazy. Chapstick is a MUST, a small firm pillow, clean undies, and a change of clothes. You will be in a hospital gown the entire time and it really is the way to go since they will be coming in and checking you regularly. Third, remember, you WILL feel like crap for up to 3 weeks after surgery. You may have pain, you may have gas, you may not be able to keep anything down. You will have a hard time getting your fluids in, and you FOR CERTAIN will not meet your Protein requirement. IT'S OKAY! Just try to get your fluids, and walk as often as you can. Even when you REALLY don't want to, walk a bit. It really does help! I'm 7 weeks post op and down 56 pounds!!! While this seems to be an extraordinary amount of weight loss, I never thought I would be one of the ones that was so lucky. I was miserable the first 3 weeks and wondered if I had screwed up, but at the end of the 3rd week, I was in an innertube floating down the river rapids in South Texas!! I wish you all the best of luck and am happy to answer questions you may want to send to me in a personal convo, that you may not want to post on the board! Keep on smiling!!!!

[KristeyK 3]

THAT is some excellent advice you gave! I am heartily jealous over you tubing the Guadalupe! MAN I miss doing that! (Well, I assume the Guadalupe, that's where we always went.)

[Buckeye Girl 8]

Congrats on your success!

Thank you for the advice and words of encouragement. My surgery is this Saturday so right now I am struggling with the pre-op diet. I get very hungry, sometimes shaky and other times nauseous. Any advice for the pre-op diet? My BMI is 42.

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

Everyone's pre op diet is different based on what the doctor requires. Mine was a 7 day liquid diet.. I became a Jello junkie. broth has a lot of sodium, and while I drank a ton of it the first 2 days I gained 5 pounds in Water weight! The shakes are a good source of supplementing a meal. It sucked bad! Had my boyfriend not been around to stop me, I don't know that I could have done it.

Congrats on your success!

Thank you for the advice and words of encouragement. My surgery is this Saturday so right now I am struggling with the pre-op diet. I get very hungry, sometimes shaky and other times nauseous. Any advice for the pre-op diet? My BMI is 42.

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

It WAS the Guadalupe! We stayed at a beautiful German bead and Breakfast off the river, and had an awesome 5 hour float/ rapid ride! It was a wonderful weekend!

THAT is some excellent advice you gave! I am heartily jealous over you tubing the Guadalupe! MAN I miss doing that! (Well, I assume the Guadalupe, that's where we always went.)