[dowsx4]

my sister is having the rny surgery in september and i am trying to find some info on the best things i can do to help her before and after surgery. She also suffers from fibromyalgia. I am just trying to prepare for things she might need and need help with after surgery. Thanks in advance.

[debkay]

Hi Julie, what a great sister you are, thinking this far in advance.

Is your sister planning to have the lap or open? Has she found a support group in her area? If she has, may I advise she start attending as a pre-op.

Let me say this before Jiff does what is her protein drink of choice? If she has not found one, now is the time to start looking. As a new post-op it will be difficult to get all of your protein from food, a good protein drink is a must.

Will you be staying with your sister after her surgery? My hubby was my rock when I first came home, from my initial surgery.....I don't know what I would have done without him. I slept in a recliner for a couple of days and he slept on the couch to assist me if I needed him.

Way too early for the brain to kick into gear........there are many other things, but right now, they are just not coming to me.

Back later

[jiffypop]

wow.... lots of people looking at this question but only deb and i have comments????? come on, lurkers, put in your two cents!!!!

first of all.. what deb said.

and here's a bit more.

i couldn't tie my shoes for a couple of days. it hurt to bend over. that also meant that someone else had to clean the litter box. it gets better after about 3-4 days.

drainage from the lap wounds. some folks have a lot, others don't. you COULD use gauze pads, but i found that sanitary pads worked much better. they adhered to my clothes, and stayed in place, and were much more absorbent than the gauze. and best of all, no tape [i'm allergic to tape].

she'll need lots of clear, SF, non-caffeine liquids without bubbles. chicken and beef broth count. crystal light and other powdered drinks like that. tomato soup is ok too, especially if you melt some cheese into it.

she'll also need to get up and move. she can't sit around. walking around the block counts. so does marching in place.

big first postop week's major no-nos include: juice, sugar in any form. fruit, veggies, carbs [bread, potatoes, pasta, rice]

clear liquids generally for the first week.

[dowsx4]

Thank you for your info. She is having the open rny. she has been waiting over a year for her turn at surgery. I am not sure if i will be staying with her yet or not. She has 2 kids ages 10 and 8 who will help her alot with getting things and her significant other will also be with her. I plan on going down during the day at least for the first days until she is moving along well on her own. I would appreciate any more ideas anyone can offer.

[Luna3]

tomato soup is ok too, especially if you melt some cheese into it.

See we were told a HUGE NO! to both of these!

Absolutely NO Cheese for the first 4 - 6 weeks, as it will somewhat reform in the new stomach pouch and can actually clog up the tiny opening. They told us it is just to thick. They had just readmitted a woman who had melted cheese and drank it! It actually formed a mass in her stomach and they had to reopen her. Two surgeries in 2 weeks!

Tomato Soup has too much sugar per John's Doctor?! John is still not supposed to eat this.

Each doctor really seems to have their own rules. You really need to speak with your sisters doctor to find out what she can have.

I would say plan on just clear liquids.