What would you do different?

[406sleever 15]

I will be having surgery in 11 days! And I'm wondering what you would have done differently during your recovery period? I live alone and I'm wondering what should be prepped in advanced, near your bed, or what didn't you expect when you got home? I'm know it's not going to be all rosy, but looking back, what would you have done differently to make that recovery time simpler, more relaxing - I don't even know what word I'm looking for - but I want my recovery period to be as stress free as possible.

Thanks for any input!

[fat_free 463]

@406sleever. The one thing I would do differently was to not stock up on too much. My taste buds went crazy and things I used to like I could not stand the taste of. I had bought lots of sugar free fat free puddings, Syntrax Protein drinks, (all different kinds of flavours) only to find out I could not stand them after surgery. So moderation. It's really not that long before you are mobile enough to get to a store. By my bed I kept my large container of Water measured out. That way I knew how much I had to get in at a minimum for the day. Then I used the small Dixie cups to sip from and made myself sip through one every 15 min. This worked out to getting my full 2 litres (approx 8 cups) in by the end of the day. I really didn't keep much by my side as I want to make a point of getting up and walking to get things as much as possible. I did keep milk, juice, broth and Protein Drinks available but to be honest everything tasted so sweet to me that I couldn't stomach much those first few days. Once I started feeling up to heading out to the store I would go and pick out a few new items to try if my things weren't working out. Tried sugar free fat free pudding, Greek yogurt (plain sugar free) once I moved to soft foods...7-10 days out ( I actually don't remember the exact time frame from Clear liquids to the next stage).

All the best and welcome to the losers bench

[GibbsGirl 483]

fat_free said it all. I had too much Soup, broth, and yogurt on hand, our church food pantry is stocked up now. I did great with the sugar free pudding and Jello, but your taste buds are insane.

[cindyw41 761]

Get a body pillow if you're a side sleeper. It was a life saver in the early days. If you have a sonic near by grab a bag of ice. It is great for munching on.

I also made too much Jello, got too much pudding and yogurt.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

My only real"horrible pain" moment was when I went home and decided to lie down in bed. Turns out the surgery had caused my ab muscles to be sore and that was a scream with pain, don't do that moment. My do over would be...start with the recliner.

Christmas was 2 weeks after my surgery and I decided to treat myself to a bunch of Peanut Butter blended in my chocolate shake. My body was NOT ready for that and I"dumped" - thought I was going to die. So, I wouldn't have anything too sweet or high fat until things have settled down. Trust me, you don't want to experience that!

[Sophie74656 1,572]

I would say make sure your chores are done pre op. Have a bunch of clean laundry and whatever cleaning done ahead of time so you can relax. Have some soft loose clothing. And be aware that it might be painful to sleep in your bed. I had to sleep in my recliner for a week because laying flat in bed eas putting pressure on the incisions. Also be prepared to have absolutely no energy. Until I was alowed to have solid food i was always exhausted. I needed a nap just from walking to the bathroom

Personally i had minimal pain, just soreness at the actual incision sites especially the main one.

[Jessee3897 114]

Recliner = best thing ever. Also I got a heating pad. Although you shouldn't use much on tummy, it was just a welcomed feeling for my back as I slept in a different position the first few days.

Sent from my 6045O using BariatricPal

[Jessee3897 114]

Oh and have all your chargers and plugs already in the socket. And invest in a bottle (can get from hospital) to use to clean your lady bits so you don't have to bend.

Sent from my 6045O using BariatricPal

[406sleever 15]

Oh and have all your chargers and plugs already in the socket. And invest in a bottle (can get from hospital) to use to clean your lady bits so you don't have to bend.

Sent from my 6045O using BariatricPal

I had forgotten about that!! Very good point!! Points! The charger is a great one too!

[Dub 9,922]

You ask very similar questions I asked and was very glad I did.

I bought a very comfortable & supportive recliner a couple weeks before surgery. I slept in it the first several days home from the hospital. Sure made it easier on my umbilical hernia repair that was also performed during my sleeve surgery.

New Balance slip on sneakers that I could simply step in & out of were worth their weight in gold.

[406sleever 15]

@406sleever. The one thing I would do differently was to not stock up on too much. My taste buds went crazy and things I used to like I could not stand the taste of. I had bought lots of sugar free fat free puddings, Syntrax Protein Drinks, (all different kinds of flavours) only to find out I could not stand them after surgery. So moderation. It's really not that long before you are mobile enough to get to a store. By my bed I kept my large container of Water measured out. That way I knew how much I had to get in at a minimum for the day. Then I used the small Dixie cups to sip from and made myself sip through one every 15 min. This worked out to getting my full 2 litres (approx 8 cups) in by the end of the day. I really didn't keep much by my side as I want to make a point of getting up and walking to get things as much as possible. I did keep milk, juice, broth and Protein drinks available but to be honest everything tasted so sweet to me that I couldn't stomach much those first few days. Once I started feeling up to heading out to the store I would go and pick out a few new items to try if my things weren't working out. Tried sugar free fat free pudding, Greek yogurt (plain sugar free) once I moved to soft foods...7-10 days out ( I actually don't remember the exact time frame from Clear Liquids to the next stage).

All the best and welcome to the losers bench

Thanks for the great advice!! I have been worrying because I don't have much to "eat" setup for after. Unflavored protein is about it, so it makes me feel better that this is the way to go! I also like the water idea.

Thanks again for the advice! I know that moving will be the best thing for me to do, so having to get out of the house will be a GOOD thing!

[406sleever 15]

Get a body pillow if you're a side sleeper. It was a life saver in the early days. If you have a sonic near by grab a bag of ice. It is great for munching on.

I also made too much Jello, got too much pudding and yogurt.

How would you use the body pillow? And I'm going to stock up on ice! Hadn't thought about that!! Good for swelling. Thanks!

[406sleever 15]

You ask very similar questions I asked and was very glad I did.

I bought a very comfortable & supportive recliner a couple weeks before surgery. I slept in it the first several days home from the hospital. Sure made it easier on my umbilical hernia repair that was also performed during my sleeve surgery.

New Balance slip on sneakers that I could simply step in & out of were worth their weight in gold.

I've hear of people using the recliner, I have a CPAP machine that I'll need for nights, but I wondered if my recliner wasn't the best place to be during the day. Good to know that sitting up is more comfortable. Thanks for the info!!!

[Ruth1ess 494]

A long cord for your phone in the hospital so you can charge and play at the same time!

My bariatric wish list on Amazon is here: (surgery in about a month)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1P2TEKL60HGEA/

I'm keeping this list to keep track of all the good ideas and things I want to make myself more comfortable before and after surgery.

[Dub 9,922]

There are other things I wish I'd done differently later on, too.

Primarily.......I wish I'd carved out a minimum of 6 months of time that I blocked off and refrained from making ANY other life decisions and just spent that time working on me......my health......my self-improvement and getting my feet firmly planted on the ground.

There are so many changes that will come to you so swiftly that it will make your head spin. Stay grounded and keep plowing away with your progress.

Some of what I've learned has been very painful to discover but facing it will lead me to a better result that's in line with my original reasons for having wls.....simply getting healthy.

Giving in to temptations along the way seems to easily draw me off the path I need to stay on.