SURGERY DATE!!!!! and questions for you....

Well, at this point the nursing is only for Nap and bedtime. I feel like we will probably have to wean bc of my supply dropping. I am nursing an 18month old, so it isn't like a newborn or even an infant. I will ask though, but if I have to stop, I have to stop. It was never addressed in our seminars, etc, just pregnancy. I will see what I can find out at my preop. Thanks for the heads up though. 

Also, I will have to go in and read your blog/profile. Thanks for sharing!

Great questions!  Please keep in mind that I'm only about 19 days post-op, but I'd like to help where I can:

- Anyone not using bariatric specific vitamins and calcium citrate? I'm finding them quite pricey. Will non-bariatric vitamins suffice? Stories or advice welcome. - - - This is one of those things you can't really skimp on and have to make sure the vitamins are the exact specifications that your doctor recommends.  However, that said, you might find your cheapest at a discount store or online.

-Lessons/advice you learned the hard way you'd like to share? - - - - I need to slow down when I'm eating!  This is a hard lesson to learn.  We get so used to eating quickly that it's hard to slow down.  Your new stomach is not only smaller, but it takes longer for the food to fill it up (or, it's like the food takes longer to get packed in there, if that makes sense) so you really do have to take a bite, let it settle, wait a bit, then take another.

-share your recovery stories or where you're at in your journey - - - - I'm still in the soft proteins stage of the diet.  The recovery (for me) went much smoother in terms of pain and return to normal life than I'd expected.  At my weight loss clinic, they usually say "We prepare you for the worst so that the reality is usually much easier." Emotionally, it's tricky.  I talk a lot to friends and family, come here about every day or two, and find that I'm thinking a lot about how I identify myself now that I'm changing a lot so quickly.

-How soon (pounds or percentage of weight lost)  did you need new clothes or see changes in your clothes? How soon did others start to notice? - - - - I think this will be different for everyone, and different depending on where you generally tend to lose weight quickest on your body.  For me, my belly is the first place to go, so within 10 days, I was taking out some old shirts that fit again.  I'm at the point now (close to 30 lbs down) that I'll need to take out some of the old pants, because these are getting too baggy.

-how soon (pound or percentage of weight lost) did you have pain relief from chronic pains such as back or joint pain? - - - - This is a huge plus - you're going to find this relief almost immediately.  As soon as some weight comes off, which will be rapid, the strain on your joints and back lessens and relief begins.  Look forward to WANTING to walk, it's such a nice feeling.

--Please share anything else you wish someone had told you before, during, or after the process. - - - - Something silly: The night before your surgery, you probably won't be able to eat or drink after 8:00 pm.  This can be ROUGH.  Just prepare yourself for this mentally and try to get to bed very early that night.  It will help get you through the evening.  Keep some good people around you the day of surgery, and feel free to tell the staff that you're nervous.  They will smile and say "Yes, we understand, and we're here to help you."