Penpen

I was told the exact thing that Tiffykins was told. In fact, I was told that my stomach would hold up to 4 oz. and nothing more at this time. My bougie size was 32. Tip: My husband and I decided we needed an easy guage so we weren't having to measure out everything and we weren't messing up all the dishes. So we went to Walmart and found the little 4 oz. or 1/2 cup canning jars. They're awesome! If you fill them to the top they are exactly 4 oz. Then to heat anything up, I boil a small pot of Water with my little jar of food/soup in it. Also, you can store any leftovers you have and then you have a meal ready to go for the next time.

I was prescribed Nexuim granules. You mix it with one teaspoon of water, stir, then wait about 3-4 minutes. It turns to a gel that looks like snot. I know, gross! Due to that fact, I can't handle the texture. So I mix it with about 2 oz. of grape juice after it has gelled. It makes the texture bearable. I'm about to have to change to something else because 30 days worth was $60 with insurance. Ouch!

Wow! Y'all are throwing in some really great information and options. Thank you. I actually had one of the Viactive chews today that I had before surgery. I didn't plan on using them long, just long enough to get the calcium citrate ordered. I didn't know.

Can you give me an idea of your typical day eating? When do you add the carbs in? With meals or just in-between? When I eat my meal, the only thing I've been able to in is protien.

I'm so sorry for all the pain your in and all the trouble you're having with your surgeon. He sounds horrible! You should definitely get a second opinion and I wouldn't let that man touch me again! It's sounds like he doesn't know what he's doing and that he doesn't have a caring bone in his body. He sounds mad or as if he doesn't believe you....he's not sensitive at all. Be done with him! Find someone that will take the time to figure out what is going on and will care enough to treat you like a human being. Hang in there and keep us posted!

Hi all! I need opinions and advice on calcium citrate chewables. Which ones taste the best? And where do I get them? Thank you.

Oh, I forgot ... you can sip on skim milk to add a little protein and calories here and there.

I'm worried about you. You need more calories. I'm just now getting some of my energy back and I'm up to 500-700 calories a day. I'm 3 weeks, 4 days post op. It's really super hard to get there because there's just no room in my new tummy and my appetite isn't there at all but I make myself eat or drink something. Just a couple of ideas: I have these 4 oz. canning jars (4 oz. all the way up to the rim) that I bought at Walmart and I use those because they are 1/2 cup and that is the maximum my stomach can hold at one time. Depending on what I am eating, sometimes I can eat all of the 1/2 cup ... sometimes only half. You can set a small pot of Water on the stove and stick you jar of food in and heat it up slowly. Or if you can only eat half at one time...you can stick the remaining half back in the water and keep it warm until you're ready for it again. Walmart also has the 2.6 oz. packages of tuna in water. They are very soft and easy to get down. When I put it in my little jar, it goes about 3/4 the way up. Then I take Minute Maid Premium 100% Lemon juice (here's a link: http://www.walmart.c...-Juice/13908197 ) which can be found in the frozen food section and I soak my tuna in it. Then I eat it. I get 18 grams of Protein and around 100 calories. Not many calories but you can add things in your day....like....apple juice, apple sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, potatoe soup, scrambled egg, etc. If you're still having problems with some of the soft foods, try to puree a can of black Beans (drain them first), a can of chicken broth, a little bit of salsa. Then heat up 1/2 cup and put a little sour cream on top. It's really pretty tasty. Another idea is to scramble an egg and add thinly sliced ham lunch meat that you've cut up real tiny. That's very tasty, too. I feel like I eat the same things over and over again and I get tired of it but I know I have to eat to stay healthy. If you find something that doesn't go down good, wait for a week or two before you try it again. Last night, I baked a piece of tilapia fish. Even though it was fairly soft and easy to chew up, it felt like it was getting stuck in my lower esophagus. I walked for 10 minutes last night trying to get comfortable again and thank goodness that worked. So, I'll stay away from it for a while. You could even try some canned chicken with light mayo and melba toast. I haven't tried it yet but that is on my list of things that I can have. I understand about the Protein shakes. I'm soooooooooo sick of them. But you have to find at least one that you can half way stand and just drink it. That's what I do. Believe me, I don't want to but I make myself because I know that if I don't...I will have problems on down the line. I drink Syntha-6 chocolate Milk shake flavor. It has 200 calories when mixed with water and 22 grams protein. I can't remember the carb count off the top of my head but it is low. Sometimes I mix 6 oz. skim milk and one scoop of the protein powder. Then I poor 4 oz. into my 4 oz. canning jar and put the rest in the fridge. After I drink that, I wait about an hour and drink the rest. That gives me a total of 28 grams of protein. Also, keep in mind that your body will only absorb 18-22 grams of protein at any one time. So, it's okay to split up a Protein Drink or even a meal....just make sure you finish them sometime during the day and still get whatever you need in the rest of the day. Do you get up early? Just wondering....if you don't maybe try getting up earlier so you have more time to get in what is required. During the week, I get up at 6:30 a.m. with my husband....even then, I have a hard time getting everything in. This is hard but you have to do what you have to do to stay healthy. I just reread your post...about only being able to take in 1 oz. at a time. Sorry...I went on about 4 oz. You need to call your surgeon. That doesn't sound right. I know that sometimes 2 oz. feels uncomfortable to me depending on what I am eating but I know I can fit in 1/2 cup of food or drink at one time.

I love reading all the responses! I really was thinking something was wrong with me last night after I ate a piece of fish. It was so uncomfortable. I got up and walked for about 10 minutes and that did the trick. But I did tell my husband that I think I may lay off that particular fish for at least another week...go to something softer. It scared me! I didn't really feel it in my stomach so much but in my lower esophagus, close to my stomach. It wasn't major pain, just uncomfortable. I feel as though I can feel my food sliding down my throat very, very slowly...then when it reaches that point right before my stomach, it feels as if it stops. Ugh! My husband thought it maybe had something to do with the fact that the surgeon also repaired a large hiatal hernia and that maybe the food going down was irritating it. I don't know but it doesn't feel good. Tiff, thank you for jumping on here. It's so nice to hear from someone that is further out. And all the new post oppers...thank you, too...it's nice to know that I'm not the only one in this boat.

I know how you feel. I'm 3 weeks, 3 days post op and I don't have much of an appetite at all. In fact, sometimes food completely repels me. Then other times, just like Disney said, what's cooking smells awesome...then one or two small bites, I'm done. I'm excited that food isn't what I think about all the time...but then again, it seems like I'm made to think about it all the time...does that make any sense? I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I have to purposely eat....I don't think I enjoy it so much anymore...well, I know I don't. Quick question, do any of you ever feel like it takes forever for the food to go down your esophagus? I don't think my food is getting stuck...just slow moving. I think because I'm not drinking while I'm eating, it just doesn't want to go down. It feels uncomfortable and sometimes it feels like burps get stuck or something. I hope this will pass.

I'm 23 days post op and the scale only shows that I've dropped 7 pounds since surgery. I can tell that my clothes are loser and my feet, knees, and hip don't hurt all the time. I'm thinking that since I lost 25 during my pre-op diet that lasted for 3 1/2 weeks that now my body says, "hey, it's time to stall." Then I have moments were I don't think the surgery is working at all. But I know that I'm not eating enough to gain anything and that with all the huge changes my body is going through, it's probably freaking out and hanging on to whatever it can. I don't know! It is frustrating even though I know this is a process. I hope that some of the people that are a lot further out will chime in here and tell us their experience.

Hi Vanessa! I think feeling scared and nervous before surgery is perfectly normal. I didn't have dreams like you but I had moments of panic. I would think, I'm in perfect health but I'm overweight...am I ruining my health? Also, will I die years earlier than I would have because I can't eat enough. Also, I would wake up in the middle of the night and think I may not be alive much longer. Also....lots of also's...lol.....I thought of writing letters to my family because I thought this might be it for me. Even after surgery, I had a few nights were I wasn't feeling not so hot because I had no energy and I just felt sick...so, I was afraid to go to sleep because I was afraid something was terribly wrong and I wouldn't wake up in the morning. Now, I am 22 days post op and look back and think...hey, I was never close to death....never close to anything serious. Yes, this surgery is major but it's a rather safe surgery compared to others. Yes, I wasn't feeling good and I had NO energy at all but it came with the surgery...nothing unusual. I think we are all scared of the unknown! This has been really tough to go through...all the changes, everything...but I don't think I was ever in danger. And yes, I would do it again. I have blogged about my journey since preop if you are interested...blog is below with my signature. Nothing exciting....just my feelings and experiences. You will be okay! You won't feel great....but you will be okay! It's okay to feel nervous...it comes with the territory! Hang in there!

No dark rooms! lol That cracks me up! We've tried to get pregnant for probably the last 3-4 years and absolutely nothing happened. I was able to get pregnant extremely fast with my son back in 2002 but of course, I only weighed about 230. Now, that's a whole lot, I realize but after I had him, I gained and gained. I think my weight is what kept me from getting pregnant because nothing else could be found wrong. Now, because I've had this surgery, I don't want to get pregnant. And because I'm 37 years old and my baby is 8 years old now...I just feel like I'm getting too old and there would be too big of an age gap. I think I would freak out now if I got pregnant. But the IUD is going to cost around $500 because I was told that I have to order it myself. Then the dr. office will file the insurance but it will only cover a portion of that. UGH! Oh well! I don't know if that's the route we'll go but I hope because none of the other options sound appealing to me.

When I asked about birth control, I was told not to start anything until after surgery because they will make you stop taking them 2 weeks before surgery. I'm looking at getting an IUD so I don't have to deal with all the side effects.

I definitely dread the thought of losing my hair. Like others have stated about their hai, mine is down to my rear and is very shiny. That has been the one thing that I've gotten compliments on over the years. The thought of parting with it...well, it freaks me out. My hubby said he'd love me even if all my hair fell out. I just hope it wouldn't make me want to hide from the world again. Also, I had my nutritional class for soft foods stage this past Monday. I asked the dietitian if there was anything I could take or eat to keep it from happening and if making sure I get all my Protein in would ensure little to no hair loss. She said there is really nothing you could do. That the anthethesia would actually cause hair loss but that even though it would be noticeable to me, it probably wouldn't be to others. She also stated that if I start losing tons of hair where it is noticeable to others that that would be a sign that in the first few months, I didn't get enough protein. Well, I will enjoy my hair while I have it and try not to worry about it.

You're welcome! Yes, I'm now 3 weeks out and I would have to say about the hardest time is the first month. But just so you know, today was better than yesterday. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, I'm starting to focus in on losing weight not just Protein and liquid intake. Stay encouraged as you're going through, that no matter how bad you feel, that most new days will seem better than the last in one or many ways. I'm so happy that I had this surgery. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Better than Richard Simmon's shorts....lol

So glad you are home and are doing good. Stay on top of your pain meds and you should do good. You're on the losers bench! YaY!

I had the same pain that everyone here is talking about. But by day 13-14, it got worse. When I had my 2 week post op visit/nutritional class, I mentioned that I was in worse pain than what I had been. They asked me if I had more active than the rest of the post op days. And I actually had been much more active because I started having some energy and just feeling better in general. They said it was perfectly normal. I'm now 20 days post op and it still hurts but mainly when I bend or sit. Also, I had found out at 8 days post op that they actually cut through about 2 inches of muscle. Then they use some type of gadget to stretch that area to get the stapler and your stomach through. Ouch! I'm so glad I didn't hear about this until after surgery.

Try mixing with grape juice. I had to crush a pill yesterday and then mixed it with the grape juice. I couldn't taste the pill. I was doing kind of the same thing with my liquid pain and nausea medicine when I was still on them. I would drink a little of the medicine. Then I would swish grape juice around in my mouth and then swallow. Grape juice has such a strong flavor that it really covers up some of the nasty stuff we have to take right now. Good luck!

I'm so sorry! Get to feeling better.

You're welcome! I remember the wait. It's almost unbearable but looking back now, everything really happened super fast. I bet it will happen for you too. Thank you! Yes, everything is going fine. It hasn't been easy but things seem to get better with each new day. My big struggle right now is that I'm sooooo sick of the Protein shakes. But after tomorrow, I start my mushy stage which means some real food. YaY!

Thank you so much for the encouragement. This was exactly what I needed to hear. I'm almost 3 weeks post op and I'm very much struggling with the Protein. I had a mini meltdown today because I just didn't think I could take one more Protein Drink. My husband gave me a pep talk and reminded me that tomorrow is my last day of liquids only. Of course, now I'm up late trying to catch up on protein...ugh! Thank you again!

I have UHC also. I had my first appointment with my surgeon and thought they sent for ins. approval right away but found out later, that they sent it out a week later. They actually told me that when I called to check on it about 2 weeks after the visit. There must be some reason it takes them that long to send for approval. I was also told that legally the insurance company has 30 days to reply. But if I remember right, it took almost 3 weeks for approval. Also, I checked our UHC account online nearly dayly and nothing ever showed up. Things didn't start hitting our account (reports, claims, etc.) until after surgery. I'm 19 days post op. I hope this helps. I actually blogged my timeline if your interested in seeing it. My blog is right above my signature.

I am now 19 days post op and have just started to feel somewhat normal but am still tender in the tummy and am still on my full liquid diet. I can't imagine hopping on a plane a couple of days after surgery. The hospital stay for me was 2 1/2 days. When I got home, I rested a lot just for the fact that I had absolutely no energy which I'm sure was due to lack of calories (less than 500 a day) and not being fully hydrated. Oh and the nausea medication and the pain medication, made me whoosy, too. I'm not on meds anymore but I still get tired easily now but not like I did a week ago. If it were me, I would consider rescheduling. Just my opinion!