What to pack

[LadyJh 7]

what should I pack for the big day & my stay over. I’m having RNY on April 8th I can’t wait & a little anxiety

[DanaC84 1,116]

Congratulations!! I’m so happy for you. I wouldn’t over pack. I brought slippers but never used them (they put socks on me) . I stayed in my hospital gown til I went home. Bring super comfy, loose clothes for the ride home as well as a small pillow to hold against your tummy. Phone, charger, chapstick , toothbrush/toothpaste. Congratulations and best of luck! It will be here in no time 👍🏻

[zombieskayer 84]

Don't over pack! I brought super easy comfy clothing, slippers and my phone charger. I brought my laptop and never ended up using it because I was so tired the night after surgery and in the morning it was just me zooming around the surgery floor walking. I didn't use my slippers they gave me socks and I ended up doing that. Pack light and simple

[LadyJh 7]

Thank you zombieskayer & Dana C84 I appreciate how well you both responded. I won’t bring much sounds like I’ll be busy sleep or walking lol

[DanaC84 1,116]

10 hours ago, LadyJh said:

Thank you zombieskayer & Dana C84 I appreciate how well you both responded. I won’t bring much sounds like I’ll be busy sleep or walking lol

You’re welcome. Forgot to say hairbrush but I’m a messy bun girl so 🤷🏼‍♀️ Post op ask for a couple of ice packs to lay on your sternum area and your belly button incision. It really helped me.

[GradyCat 3,695]

You won't need much. I brought pajamas but never needed them; stayed in hospital gown. Mostly chapstick, comfy clothes to ride home in, and phone charger and phone.

[MrsGamgee 756]

I'm also starting to think about what I'll need to take, and I'm not planning on taking much. I'm supposed to be in for 2 nights, so I'm bringing pjs/slippers (cheap so that I can toss them on the way out of the hospital), phone & charger, and chapstick. My paperwork also said to bring all my current meds (everything I take daily). I don't know if you're like me, but I'm planning on taking a book. May or may not feel like reading, but something to distract me when I'm not up walking around.

[LadyJh 7]

Thank you, you are hilarious in saying you throwing your stuff away. I plan to take a book and as little as possible things that I need. Someone else said thy give you socks so I may just let wear them.

Edited March 28, 2019 by LadyJh

[MrsGamgee 756]

I mostly meant the slippers. There's something about hospital floors that skeeves me out.

[LadyJh 7]

MrsGamgee I agree about hospital floors

[Frustr8 7,886]

@MrsGamgee, I have missed you so! Hope things are good in Red Deer Alberta and happy that time. and Provincial /Canadian National Health care says it's Time! Now please update us all of the doings as they occur. So so happy it is finally😷 time!😜🌈

[MrsGamgee 756]

@Frustr8

Things are indeed finally moving forward. I had to absent myself from the boards for a while as I was getting very discouraged that everyone I knew here was getting their surgeries while I was still treading Water. But I have a date now and am preparing to begin my pre-op diet (phase 1 of 2) next week. 49 days and counting!

Is it safe to assume that things finally got sorted for you and you are now on the losers bench?

[Frustr8 7,886]

Ah Mrs Gamgee there are good and portions to My story. Lets see if I can summarize. Received my RnY on September 5th 2018, wonderful pain free surgery with a great surgeon, what more could I want? And for the first 2 weeks things were wonderful. At the end of the First Fortnight of my joy, I sensed I wasn't healing quite as expected. And being as I can be a "squeaky wheel" I started my "squeak" campaign. I called so frequently they grew to recognize my voice. And the nurses I talked to had varied answers- I was just swollen inside- I was expecting too much too soon. One even stated " I have degrees, I know what I am talking about, you're just worryIng too much!" Finally, I suspect to shut me up they scheduled an endoscopy for October 12, so I was about 6 weeks out, and who was right? ME ME ME! I had developed a stricture in my pouch , it was barely draining anything coming in, this partially explained why I was frequently puking up everything but thin liquids, and I had ulcerations in both my pouch and the section of small intestine, the jejunem, that my pouch was trying to empty into. MS Nurse might have all the degrees,but,i have lived in this body a good many years, I knew it wasn't doing right. My doctor's partner does the endoscopies, at first it was every other week, now I have moved out to monthlybut I still am not quite fixed. The 28th of November I was hospitalized for Protein anemia and malnourishment. I simply could not ingest enough protein on such a liquid diet, the ulcers not only were not healing, I was developing more in my small intestine, pretty sick little puppy, I was. So the afternoon of November 29th a PICC line was inserted in my upper left arm and I started TPN supplemental feedings, at first 24 hours, as I began to respond , 12 hours on, 12 hours off daily. And the line remained in place until February 26th 2019. I had been released after a week so,learned how to do my feedings with my son's assistance in the,home. And I really got used to having it,named it Catherine the catheter, and I learned to bypass all the liabilities, wore my pump and feeding bag in. a black backpack. Sure my weight loss almost screeched to a halt because I was on 1400 calories daily, I didn't care because I did feel better with. the 12 feedings, and I only had to attempt either one protein. shake meal or brothes once daily. Actually cried when it was removed. And I have started losing in earnest again, lost 30 pounds from February into late March, my weight is now 234.6, down from mid 260s when line removed. And I have been going through testings quite often this early part of 2019. Saw my cardiologist in January, she asked if I would mind having a MRI,just make sure everything okay. Sure I'm a pretty compliant person, no problem. Well in due time, a MRI was scheduled at her main hospital, she is in a different health system than my surgeon, most all mine now are either local or at Ohio State. she is affiliated with Trinity Health that,owes Mount Carmel so I had to go to Mount Carmel East, they sent me a pile of paper work to fill out and bring to the hospital. And there in Black and White is the reason this is being done. I have a thoracic aorta aneurysm and they are making sure it hasn't enlarged to a critical point where it will rupture or need surgery. It is especially upsetting since my son died at 31 from a ruptured aortic aneurysm, his was closer to the heart, but it means what we felt was a freak occurance, may have had a genetic component, another thing to know my genes may have killed my baby. Well it is stable, but they discovered I also have a renal cyst, didn't say which of my 3 kidneys it is on, would suspect one of the left ones. Called my urologist office, they aren't too worried. Then , as result of having weekly blood draws , which I had all the time I had the PICC. line, I am seriously deficient in Iron. Enough that I had to have an iron INFUSION. Then I had an episode where I could not turn my head, barely could move my neck, so we had to rule out meningitis. And the Cat Scan showed only severe cervical arthritis, But it also showed I had a thyroid nodule big enough for concern, so more testing there. Turns out I have multiple ones in both lobes, but the one that caught their attention is 1.8 cm, they would like to wait until it gets 2 to 2.5 cm. before we do more. Then you throw in pneumonia which hospitalized me for 26 hours until they could find the causative agent, an shoulder joint with inflammation and irritation, and had to have Fluid drained. Orthopaedic says it is time to remove the titanium plate and 12 screws he put in right arm 9 years ago when I fractured the humerus. 9 years ago, should be outpatient surgery, that was 3 weeks ago, when I see him April 1st I am going to tell him schedule ASAP because I have not been pain-free , not even one day since then. It is impacting my quality of life severely, can't sleep without pain meds and That's Not Good! And on April 12 I have another endoscopy, an EGJ, can't be EGD because my duodenum was bypassed and then last day of April is my bariatric surgeon appointment. And these are the HEALTHY- EST. Times of my life? Not too sure of that!
Maybe thinking about your future surgery will take my mind off of me? Sure worth a shot!

[MrsGamgee 756]

Oh man, Frustr8! What a saga! Holding you up in prayer... and your doctors! You and your chipper outlook are miraculous!

[LadyJh 7]

Frustr8! You have been through so much and I know it can’t be easy, but you sound so strong and it seems like you are staying positive through it all. Just remember God’s got you covered and may angels surround you every step of the way, I’m praying for full recovery, and this, what your going through will be a testimony. Hold your head up, this too shal pass