So i've been thinking...do you get your own hospital room at the Vic or do you have to share? Is it even an option to get your own? Do you get your own bathroom or is it a shared one?
Thanks!
J.

Great question...What time do you have to be there? which surgery are you having..?  I picked the sleeve...but i'm thinking now..do they take the other part of the stomach out or just leave it in you?  doesn't seem like a good idea to leave but what do i know..lol how long before surgery did you start  "preparing" and buying things? just some random things that have been going through my head

for the hospital room.i shared but others had their own.it depends on your insurance.
@grneyedgrl75 dont buy tooomuch stuff.your tastes changes after surgery.and what stuff do you think you need to buy.
i had the rny so i have my old stomach still its just off to the side.as for the time my surgery was at 1030 so i had to be there by 830 but they will tell you when you do your pre op appt at the vic.the bathroom also depends on if you have a roommate or not.
sondra

i ordered the book weight loss surgery for dummies...lol  i was just thinking stuff like a drink blender or magic bullet, whey protein powder, vitamins, things like that...i'm just making notes right now and working my but off to get those last 15lbs off before i see DrVergis on the 1st of dec. but it's nice to know ....just kinda bouncing thoughts onto the screen..lol  What's the difference if there is any between the RnY and the VSG?

 i wouldnt buy protien powder. i did that and i can barely drink it.like i said before your tastes changes.the difference between the 2 is that one they make a new stomach aka pouch and the vsg is they cut out most of your stomach.if you look here on OH there is a forum about the difference

sondra

I had my own room...I asked for it when I had my preop assessment. My insurance didn't cover it so it was around $80 a night...but TOTALLY worth it! My hubby was able to sleep with me and my visitors could stay a bit longer. I had my own bathroom...awesome b/c they have to measure your "output".
If you ask for a private room, and one is available...then you'll get one. I was lucky b/c my surgery was very early (7:30) so I was one of the first surgery patients out of recovery and onto the surgery floor.
Newfie is right...your tastes will change. I made the mistake of buying 3 cases of chocolate shakes for after surgery from Costco...and now I can't use them. I used to like them but now I'm tired of them and wish I hadn't bought so many!!!
Also...a blender is good to have for before and after.
When it's time to "stock up" for after surgery, you'll want to have sugar free pudding (in refrig. section at superstore), yogurt (that isn't too sweet...I made the mistake of buying the "dessert" fat free yogurts and couldn't stomach them...just keep it simple fruits)., applesauce (unsweetened with out big chunks), frozen berries. to mix with shakes..but not raspberry or others with seeds...unless you use a "loose tea" strainer to strain out the seeds. Your stomach won't be able to handle anything with seeds.
You'll likely be on this diet for at least 2-3 weeks after surgery.

The RNY is when they "reroute" your intestines to a small stomach pouch. The rest of your stomach and intentines are out of the way, protected by other organs and "kept healthy" by constant blood flow in that area.
The VSG is when they remove something like 80-90% of your stomach and you're left with a 'tube' or cylinder shaped stomach.
The potential side effects of RNY is 'dumping syndrome'....which apparently only about 1/3 of patients have. I haven't had it yet...maybe it's too soon for me.
The possible side effect of VSG is acid reflux...so if you want that one, they will insist you get a special test (barium swallow)  done to see if you may experience this.

You have to also remember that this is a 'pilot' program. So the surgeons may want you to have a certain one if you fit their criteria. I thought I was going to have the sleeve, but my surgeon wanted me to have the RNY. If you meet certain criteria, they may need to fill a 'gap' in their study.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for all the great answers everyone!
I go to the Vic on Monday morning to meet with the anesthesiologist and have my blood work done. Maybe I'll mention the room then. I know when I had my first baby I had to share the room and I hated it, even though I had the coverage there were no single rooms available. With my second child I was lucky and got my own. The best part was going to take a shower and no one to worry about coming in, etc. My surgery on the 7th isn't until 10:30 so please keep your fingers crossed for me.
I haven't bought too much stuff in advance. Just some light cream soups/clear soups and sugar free jellos. I have an individual drink blender that I use now for the shakes. 
As for vitamins, etc, wait until you meet with the NUT. Other than being overweight I dont have any other medical problems, as I don't take any meds for anything. I know I have to be on alot of vitamins and some are tailored for me as I don't produce enough zinc and vitamin b12. I'll be taking 8 pills a day for the rest of my life. As for the whey protein, I was told to try to buy beneprotein as I will need to get 60 grams of protein in each day.  The NUT calculates everything specifically for you. It's based upon your blood work, your current weight, bmi, etc. To try to figure it out now would be a waste of money for you. I am scheduled to have gastric bypass surgery but I was told by Dr. Vergis that if once he got in there if he couldn't perform the surgery would I want the sleeve. I'm good with either one. Not sure why he wouldn't be able to do the bypass, but hey I'm not paid the big bucks to know that.
So I'm still doing the shake only thing and I can honestly say I have not cheated so far. Although I am having fantasies about food. Oh my gosh. Foods that I didn't normally want or were not my fav I am totally craving.

I did not have a private room. I spent my two days in the hospital in the OSA risk room (obstructive sleep apnea) because my oxygen levels dropped while in surgery. They continued to drop for my entire stay every time I dozed or fell asleep so I had to remain on oxygen until I went home. There were about 6 of us patients in there and we all shared the same bathroom. It really wsn't that bad in there but when you go in do take a set of headphones to drown out the noises of other patients. One night I had a really noisy neighbor so I slept while listening to music. I bought a magic bullet before surgery and I absolutely love it. As I am a single mom with no one around me to do anything for me I did buy whatever I thought I would need after surgery. I had to as I would have had no way of getting the things I needed. I stocked up on boost, costco premier chocolate protein drinks, vanilla and chocolote whey protein powder. My favorite before surgery were the premier chocolate and they still are, provided that they are mixed with a cup of milk. I have also used the whey protein powder for years as my breakfast. I figured if I didn't like it anymore then I would give it to my dad who now uses it or my son who got me started. As it turns out none of my tastes for anything have changed since surgery, everything tastes just as it did before. I don't however really have any desire for unhealthy food choices, except the yummy homemade cookie I ate at work today. Working in a school is sure to test my will power as someone is always leaving us treats on the table. I also stocked up on sugar free jello, sugar free pudding, yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, broths, etc. If I hadn't like them my kids would have eaten them. Basically I made sure that I had enough of the aprroved items that are in our book from Laura in the house to at least get me through the first two weeks home. Everyone is different, some will have changes in taste others won't. If you are able to have someone shop for you then it would be best to have a couple items to try. 

wow..thanks everyone for all the information!! it's been much help. 

I got my own room when I went. My cousin who went last Monday had to share a room with 5 beds. They told her getting private room was conditional on how you made it through surgery. All that did was make me qurstion what went wrong with me to have a room to myself.

Mich