Interesting week this week...called my insurance company, they don't know about the surg. yet, and found out that they're going to probably cancel it in January. Called the surg. and got a surg. date of Feb 16. I'm pretty excited but didn't expect it to come so soon. I thought I'd have all my testing completed this month and then have a few months to think about the surg.

Now I'm trying to break my worst habits early....big one is drinking soda. Can you drink caffeine after RNY? Too lazy to look at me stuff right now...but question just popped in my head. Don't know how I'll work the nightshift without some form of caffeine but heard that caffeine withdrawl is awful after the surg if not addressed prior to.

Need to start getting a shopping list together: protein, vitamins, liq. tylenol, sugarfree jello & ice pops, etc. Any advice would be great. Any suggestions on good sites to find protein stuff or on a good brand? I think a variety pack would be the best bet right now.

I haven't got all my tests done....just have the surg. date because of the insurance issue. Wish me luck that I pass all of those not to mention getting the insurance approval!

Deb

Deb, congratulations !!!!

I think your doing it very smart by trying to break those habbits NOW instead of later, your gonna do wonderful, I just know it.

You'll be in my prayers

How exciting for you, congrats!! I remember when I finally got my approval and went through all the classes, they wanted to schedule me for less than a week later... EEK! I felt so unprepared! They ended up giving me about 3 weeks. It was so fast, but it was a good thing!

Anyway, I think different surgeons have different opinions on these things. All the surgeons where I had RNY said ABSOLUTELY no soda EVER because of the carbination (also no ibuprofen, or citrus.) I have a friend who had RNY and lives in a different state who drinks diet soda, which surprised me since my surgeon was so adamant (but I am off of soda and it's been great, so I have no desire to start again.) I guess her surgeon didn't see it as a problem.

Also, the surgeons where I had mine done all said NO coffee, because of the acid in it, and 2 said no tea (but my particular surgeon disagrees and thinks tea is fine.)

So it is interesting how different surgeons have different philosophies. Sounds like Pookie's thinks coffee is fine, so maybe it's something you just have to look into and research for yourself. It would be good to hear your surgeon's thoughts and why he thinks what he does.

True enough. Right now I don't drink coffee....but I'm a soda addict. I intend to give it up completely...no diet, no real stuff. Can't see going through all this and then picking up one of my worst habits. Just heard that if you don't stop caffeine prior to the surg. you can have massive headaches. I was wondering about green tea. I don't drink that either but if I need caffeine it might be a better choice than coffee...at least there are anti oxidents in it.

Not sure what I"m going to do about the anti inflammatory though. Maybe I'll PM P38 and see what he did after surg. I'm hoping that I'll be off the medications for my back pretty soon after surg. Already looking for the liq. tylenol like Pookie suggested .

Hey, anyone start a vitamin and protein powder regimen prior to surg. I've read some post on Obesity.com from people who start using the protein a few weeks prior to surg.

Deb

Congrat, Grasshopper!!!!! I know that you are really excited! I know I was when I got my surgery date. I also had RNY. I drink coffee occasionally now, and was a big coffee/and soda drinker before surgery. Everyone is different, but my experience after surgery was that I didn't really have caffine withdrawl. Probably because of the pain meds that I was getting. I was a Soda addict as well, and I was really worried about how in the world was I going to get over that. But, you know what? I didn't even want it afterward. Since surgery, I have had thoughts in my head that I wanted a soda, and I've tried it a couple of times, but now it just tastes like drinking a cup of sugar and it doesn't taste good. It's also is uncomfortable going down and in my stomach. Don't worry about it. You will know what I mean after you have the surgery. I know you think right now it will be impossible to live without it, but it isn't a hard addiction to give up afterward, honest. I tried several times to give up soda before surgery, and wasn't able to. Now after surgery, I have had a only a small part of a soda twice since surgery and it's been 4 months. I'm so happy for you! Feb. is right around the corner.

Congrats on the date.

Again I use ole Alvin as the poster child of what NOT to do after surgery! His doc said no soda, but he didn't seem to hear that part!!! But I made such a big scene, he gave it up and started drinking fruit juice. Now what has he done? He buy club soda to mix with his fruit juice. I give up, I'm not his mother!!! But as long as he keeps up his exercise, he is able to keep his weight off.