so excited RNY next Tuesday - any words of wisdom?

 Just  got the call, surgery next Tuesday. Can't weight ( ha ha - catch the pun?)

Cant wait - 3 nights in hospital, any words of wisdom?

Hoping 3 weeks should be enough time off.

3 weeks will most likely be fine for your recovery. I was very fortunate in that regard and hope you will be too!

As for the hospital: Travel light. Take a pair of supportive slip on sandals or Crocs for your walking, especially if you are prone to any foot or heel pain. Those floors are unforgiving and you will be walking a LOT! But I'll never forget when I was a newbie, reading someone here who was taking their laptop, scrapbooking supplies, and a needlepoint project or some such thing to the hospital....no kidding!

And wisdom for later on: Be patient with yourself. We all want to have our surgery and discover that the weight is gone overnight....or even better, yesterday. It doesn't work that way. It's a long haul, and if you follow the rules, you will happily discover that it works out in the end.

lip balm. that's the only thing I really needed that the hospital didn't have. If you would feel more comfortable with a favorite bathrobe or a pillow, take it. 

I slept, then walked, then slept again, so I really didn't need anything. The day I left I amused myself by watching a little daytime tv.

good luck

Congratulations on getting your date- just around the corner too!
I took off 3 weeks and that worked fine for me. Just depends on the person, some need more, some need less.

My best tips are follow your doctor's plan, be prepared for common stalls (like around the 3 week mark) and don't compare yourself to others. Use the weight loss graph here on OH to record your weight and watch that line going down, down, down. Take monthly pictures along the way and save 1 pair of pants and a shirt from now. You'll be amazed when you try them on and you're swimming in them down the road. Try to mentally prepare for things like head hunger and hair loss so they are easier to deal with. Come on OH often and read, read, read. Never feel like any question is too dumb to ask, but also remember the "Search" box at the top of your screen. Many questions have already been asked and answered many times if you look! Best of luck to you as you begin your journey!

Rhonda

Congratulations!
3 weeks should be plenty of time off. I went back after 1 week and a day, but everyone is different.
For your hospital stay, you really don't need anything, you will most likely sleep the whole day of your surgery because of the drugs and then the next day you are still groggy.
Be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions, like "omg what did I do?" "how am I supposed to drink?"
Honestly it might be a tough few days, I said "might", again everyone is different.
Any questions you might have after surgery, just come on this site, the people are amazing and you will find just about any answer you need.
I am sorry if I sounded to negative, but this is just from my journey so far.  Let me say this, it totally gets so much better and will be so worth it all.
Enjoy the ride!

 Thanks, hey what % of people loose hair? not everone does right? I know it's stress related as much as diet related (protein).
Sounds like a very high percentage

I have heard that some people lose "some" hair at about 3 months or so.  One good reason to get all of your proteins in.  Also, Biotin it great for hair and strong nails if your Dr. says it's ok. 
From all I have heard and read about, people do not lose "all" of their hair, just a little.  Of course any lose is major to us though!
Make sure you take in as much protein as you can and take all of your vitamins, it is so important to stay healthy!
So, try not to stress and look forward to a new you! 

 All you are going to want to do in the hospital is sleep.  I didn't even turn on the tv the first day.  I took my ipad and phone with me.  The only reason i did that was to let people know that I was fine.  Make sure you start walking when they tell you to.  It helps keep the blood flowing.  I had 4 weeks off because of the nature of my job.  My advice is to take your 3 weeks if you can.  The liquids will be tough to start, but they will get eaiser.  

My advice is to walk a lot... even little bits... in the hospital.  Where I was no one came and told me to walk. I mean they told me after the surgery, then gave me meds that kept knocked out most of the tiem so honestly I didn't even think about getting up.  I guess I expected nurses or something to come say "time to walk now".  That didn't happen and I ended up getting fluid in my lungs and having to stay an extra day.  Easy fix... breathing exercises and walking more.