What to expect at the hospital

[Phynale 9]

What a great post. Thank you for all of this information. I look forward to hearing more updates.

[Good apple 29]

Thanks for sharing, it was a really informative post!

[trekker954 421]

I was surprised you had staples removed. these must not be the internal ones. My surgeon sews AND staples the stomach. He does not leave drains in either. Just wondering where were these staples that were removed the next day.

[Bacon-n-Limes 64]

The staples were external on the incisions and were surprisingly big and scary looking. They cut them in half with a nipper and pulled the halves out with a twist and a rug.

I'm pretty sure the surgeon said that there were also staples inside that they left in. I'll have to ask.

It's been almost 4 weeks and the scarring is very minimal. One just looks like a little scratch.

[Bacon-n-Limes 64]

All the prep I did at home was NOT helpful. I bought some Soup, but only ate one can because I didn't enjoy how salty everything tasted. (The low-sodium broth was better, but I didn't need a whole carton of it.)

Popsicles were my staple - I made my own out of Kool-aid powder and Splenda. I slso got too much Jell-o and never touched the boxes of pudding I bought.

The liquid phase, while it seemed like forever, really went by quickly. If I had it to do over, I'd get two cans of Soup, two boxes of Jell-o, two boxes of pudding... Just two of whatever is on your list that you'll like, and then wait to get the rest. You're going to want to get out of the house and trip to the store for a few things is sufficiently tiring. Plus one can of soup is like 6 meals.

Tip: I stocked up on those little 4-oz. condiment-sized containers that Rubbermaid and Glad make and portioned everything out into those when I made something. I write what it is on freezer tape.

This has been helpful. I grab a Breakfast and a lunch from the fridge and toss them in my bag for work. No guessing on size and the prep is already done. It's helped me get an idea of what 1/4 cup looks like.

By the way, if you slip up and eat something not on your list, it's not the end of the world. Some people get upset that they "cheated." I needed to eat a cocktail weenie with barbecue sauce at my company holiday party. I chewed it well and enjoyed it thoroughly. The world did not end, the Bariatric Police didn't raid my home, I didn't get sick from it, and it has more Protein than the ambrosia salad that I would have loaded up on presurgery. (French fries might be something to avoid for a while, just sayin'.)

My point is that you don't benefit from beating yourself up for testing your sleeve. If you eat something you shouldn't, it'll be okay. It will either be a nonevent, or you'll feel really crappy for several hours and you probably won't do that again.

I'm starting soft foods tomorrow and will share how that goes.