23 years old and my sleeve surgery is in 2 weeks. help!

[Erin414 34]

Hey ya'll My name is Erin, I am 23 years old and I am about to have a gastric sleeve done. I don't know anyone who has had this surgery before so i am reaching out for any friends or anyone who would love to help me and give me advice! I am about to start my pre op in a couple days but all i was told was to buy this Protein Powder i have no clue what else i can eat or do. I am full of questions and really would love positive feedback. ill post some of my questions if anyone has answers that would be great! I am so excited and nervous to embark on this new journey of discovering myself.

What is my pre op diet like? Dr Neil Floch is my surgeon.

How long are you usually in the Hospital?

What should I pack?

Does it hurt?

Anything specific you guys have found that you needed when you got home from the hospital?

What were the best ways to stay positive through the pain?

When did you begin to feel normal again?

Are there certain foods i will never eat again?

those are just a few to start. Thanks so much for reading! GOOD LUCK ON ALL YOUR JOURNEYS~~~

---Erin

[odesa 90]

Hey ya'll My name is Erin, I am 23 years old and I am about to have a gastric sleeve done. I don't know anyone who has had this surgery before so i am reaching out for any friends or anyone who would love to help me and give me advice! I am about to start my pre op in a couple days but all i was told was to buy this Protein powder i have no clue what else i can eat or do. I am full of questions and really would love positive feedback. ill post some of my questions if anyone has answers that would be great! I am so excited and nervous to embark on this new journey of discovering myself.

What is my pre op diet like? Dr Neil Floch is my surgeon.

How long are you usually in the Hospital?

What should I pack?

Does it hurt?

Anything specific you guys have found that you needed when you got home from the hospital?

What were the best ways to stay positive through the pain?

When did you begin to feel normal again?

Are there certain foods i will never eat again?

those are just a few to start. Thanks so much for reading! GOOD LUCK ON ALL YOUR JOURNEYS~~~

---Erin

Hi Erin,

Here are my thoughts but I am a rookie only being 3 weeks and 1 day post op from mine but hope it helps:

"What is my pre op diet like? Dr Neil Floch is my surgeon."

*I had to show weight loss pre op for my insurance to pay. I just did weight watchers and lost about 30 pounds. My pre op was 1 day only and it was liquid only to clean my system. I had to take some kind of Fluid that would ensure a BM at 10 am and at 2 pm. I've read that others did their preop diets liquid like for 2 or even 4 weeks but mine was only 1 day really and it wasn't so bad.

"How long are you usually in the Hospital?"

*I had my op early Wed morning and left at 9 pm on Friday evening. One gal on here said she was home the very next day so I guess it varies, check with your surgeon.

"What should I pack?"

*My doctor gave me a list but my cpap machine and some loose fitting clothes were all I really needed. A friend of mine who had the surgery recommended chap stick cause till you have the upper GUI to check for leaks your mouth and lips can get dry despite the IVs.

"Does it hurt?"

*Yes but the pain meds really helped. I'd say I only felt a really sharp pain once when I walked in the hospital, with the meds it felt more like a dull soreness rather than a sharp pain. However this is not for my first day, I had a much more difficult recovery than others and I was in pain on day 1 but from what I understand my case was unusual.

"Anything specific you guys have found that you needed when you got home from the hospital?"

*Gas X really helped me, highly recommend it. Get liquid acetemitiphen (sp?) ahead of time even though they may give you a prescription the liquid Roxicet made me sweat and light headed, I took only half doses. Also a back scratcher worked wonders for me as it was hard to bend over at the waist and finally I had a lot of waterproof bandages for my incisions or actually my hole in my chest so I could shower and not infect it.

"What were the best ways to stay positive through the pain?"

*I just told myself the destination was the goal not the hard part of the journey. Being on this forum also helps me to not feel alone in the process.

"When did you begin to feel normal again?"

*Good question, at 22 days post op I am not sure yet but I'm well enough to work, just tender at this point, not sore just tender. My doctor told me 4-6 weeks to heal my stomach.

"Are there certain foods i will never eat again?"

*Maybe. Everything still smells good to me except teriyaki sauce, the smell of that made me almost wretch! I'd advise you smell a food first then go from there LOL.

If you check my first post I made a list of some thoughts on the operation for newbies covering a wide range of topics. It's in the March 2014 Sleevers topic forum.

Keep us posted and best of luck to you!

(Edited for formating)

Edited April 3, 2014 by odesa

[NMJG 1,266]

Hi Erin,

Welcome to the community. I will try to answer some of your questions, but the best thing to do is learn how to use the Search function on here. The Search box is on the top right and you can look for all sorts of different topics and read many answers from the history of this site.

What is my pre op diet like? Dr Neil Floch is my surgeon.

Your surgeon will give you a pre-op diet specific to his practice. Not everyone has a pre-op diet, it usually depends on your BMI. People under 40 sometimes do not have a pre-op diet, they just can't gain any prior to surgery. If you do have a pre-op, it may be a liquid diet for 2 weeks before surgery or it may be a low calorie diet for 6 months. It varies a lot.

How long are you usually in the Hospital?

If all goes well, a day or two. If you have complications it could take several more days. If you have bad complications, it can take much longer than that. Most people stay one or two days.

What should I pack?

There is a great list of what to pack on here - do a search on "What to pack" and you'll see it.

Does it hurt?

Well, yeah, it's major surgery! Of course it hurts. They give you pain meds, though. I recommend getting off the morphine and vicodin as soon as possible, though, because it causes severe Constipation that is really painful after this surgery. You get over the pain in a few days.

Anything specific you guys have found that you needed when you got home from the hospital?

Protein powder, Crystal Light, comfy clothes that don't bind around the middle.

What were the best ways to stay positive through the pain?

The pain meds help, as does walking to get rid of the gas build up, not to worry, the pain is really the least of it IMHO. You'll be too busy worrying about getting in your Water and Protein.

When did you begin to feel normal again?

6 weeks post surgery, but I'm a lot older than you. I think you'll bounce back quickly.

Are there certain foods i will never eat again?

Carbonated drinks. Caffeine. You may find other things that don't agree with you specifically. Of course, there are lots of people here that still drink soda and caffeine on a regular basis, but for your best chance at success, it's best to avoid them.

Good luck on your journey

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

@@Erin414 welcome to bariatic pal

What is my pre op diet like? Dr Neil Floch is my surgeon.

I'm not sure what your exact surgeon does for a pre-operative diet but it seems most do the very low carb diet to shrink the liver. It will decrease your risk of having your liver nicked or cut during the procedure and knowing how dangerous that is hopefully it will help you stay on target. Usually 30 total grams or less of carbs is a very low carb diet. If you eat carbs make them count. Eat carbs high in Fiber and are nutrient dense.

How long are you usually in the Hospital?

I was in the hospital for 4 days and 3 nights and seems to be around average hospital stay time.

What should I pack?

Here is a link to answer this question: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/181994-the-official-what-

you-will-need-for-your-gastric-sleeve-surgery-thread/

Does it hurt?

Well it hurt me, I'm sure you will get a whole many different responses. I have a high tolerance for pain and my post op was very uncomfortable. I got sick a few times but hey, surgery isn't pleasant. I'm sure you will be fine.

Anything specific you guys have found that you needed when you got home from the hospital?

Yes lots of sleep. Heal well and try not to do too much immediately post op. I also found out I needed a LOT of patience. The weight is going to come off but on its own terms, not yours. Celebrate every pound as a victory and if you stall you will definitely need patience then. One last thing you will need is willpower to stay on course. You have a window of opportunity, use it while you have it. Lose as much weight as you can in this time. It's usually about 12-18 months worth of time. The first 6 months are the very best.

What were the best ways to stay positive through the pain?

I always thought into the future and knew that the pain of today will be the pleasure for tomorrow. Yeah, I was right. Nothing worth doing is ever easy!

When did you begin to feel normal again?

It took me about to the 4th month before I started to feel normal. Low intake of food and struggling to get Water in left me feeling tired and admittedly a bit cranky, but I got over it eventually.

Are there certain foods i will never eat again?

No really there aren't any foods you won't be able to eat again, but there will always be foods you SHOULDN'T eat. Find out what those foods are. They are called "trigger" foods and when you hear your brain tell you that it's okay to eat it, Celebrate, make yourself happy, etc do not listen. It will get you to feel okay with eating other things that will hinder your weight loss.

Wishing you the best

Irene

Edited April 3, 2014 by LilMissDiva

[Reviewer 20]

Hey ya'll My name is Erin, I am 23 years old and I am about to have a gastric sleeve done. I don't know anyone who has had this surgery before so i am reaching out for any friends or anyone who would love to help me and give me advice! I am about to start my pre op in a couple days but all i was told was to buy this Protein powder i have no clue what else i can eat or do. I am full of questions and really would love positive feedback. ill post some of my questions if anyone has answers that would be great! I am so excited and nervous to embark on this new journey of discovering myself.<br><br> What is my pre op diet like? Dr Neil Floch is my surgeon.<br> How long are you usually in the Hospital?<br> What should I pack?<br> Does it hurt?<br> Anything specific you guys have found that you needed when you got home from the hospital?<br> What were the best ways to stay positive through the pain?<br> When did you begin to feel normal again?<br> Are there certain foods i will never eat again?<br><br><br> those are just a few to start. Thanks so much for reading! GOOD LUCK ON ALL YOUR JOURNEYS~~~<br><br><br> ---Erin

How long are you usually in the Hospital?

I was in for 24 hours

What should I pack?

Pillow, toiletries, blanket, gas x strips, home medications, cpap, robe, slippers, comfortable clothes for ride home. Phone charger, glasses,

Does it hurt?

Only pain I've had during this journey was a really bad bout with Constipation about 5 days after surgery.

Anything specific you guys have found that you needed when you got home from the hospital?

Benefiber and a good stool softener.

What were the best ways to stay positive through the pain?

Keep your eye on the goal. You will be healthier!

When did you begin to feel normal again?

About a week after I was feeling pretty good.

Are there certain foods i will never eat again?

I can probably eat just about anything but I choose not to. I just don't crave those foods anymore. I sometimes think about them but then it just goes away.

[mentalistfan 189]

Why didn't your nutritionist not tell you about the Pre-op diet? That should have been discussed!