zephra

At least yummy to me. I have been having so much trouble drinking those Protein drinks after surgery. Tonight I went to Walmart and came across Odwalla Protein Monster chocolate protein. A serving is 8 oz and had 18 grams of protein. Downside is the serving size is large and it has 25 grams of sugar but for an occasional treat, it was not too bad. I think I could even beef it up with one of the premade whey shakes and it would still taste good. My other is for the coffee lover. This one could be warmed up or put on ice. Bolthouse Farms Perfectly Protein Mocha Cappuccino. There is 10 grams per 8 oz serving but again, lot of sugar. Damn...didn't see all the sugar till I got home though I did note that they are from apple juice and organic cane juice. I was way too excited over the protein. I found both a Walmart in 1 qt containers by the orange juice section. I think I will call the company and see if they make a sugar free version.

You know, our PA told us that your body can only use 30 grams of protein at a time and consuming more than that was a waste. I have never heard that before and need to research it. What if you drink (pr eat) it over a long period of time?

Isn't that him on the billboard just outside of Forest Park Med Center? I didn't notice him being good looking but you can bet I will be taking a second look just to check.

I have the class on Monday and after that I don't know know my next appointment. Please do keep in touch.

I was going to say not much to do here other than shop because of the heat and then I noticed you were from AZ so I think you understand about heat...but seriously, there isn't much to do other than shop and eat. Lots of that here.

I am in the same boat and am forcing myself to choke down a shake a day. It takes everything I have not to throw up and honestly, I feel like doing just that right now just thinking about it. Monday I get moved on to the next stage and I hope to add high protein things to make up for the loss I am having now.

I almost hate protein at this point. I get close but have yet to get it all in. I have been taking an Atkins shake and adding a scoop of Isopure. That is 40 right there. I usually get 3/4 of it down before I decide I just can't stand anymore. Are you coming to the class on Monday? I would love to meet you. I think the doc did a bang up job as far as pain goes. Once I get these staples out I will be a much happier camper. I long for cream Soups.

I wish I was at 100% too. I think I am around 75% as well. I still get tired quickly and don't have the energy to do much but i did go for a long walk this morning after sleeping for the first night since surgery 10 days ago and I think that helped a lot. I do feel hunger, especially in the mornings but I remember a lot of people saying a PPI seemed to help the hungry all the time feeling.

That is pretty much how my family eats now. I have not cooked since a week before the surgery. I secretly admit I love not cooking. And next time we go visit my in-laws, I will be sure to bring something I can eat.

I don't know if it is hunger or desire but I want it bad and I have to tell myself why I can't have it over and over cause...I don't always want to listen the first few times.

We went to visit my in-laws last night and they are Pakistani and cook the best food. I have explained this surgery to them more times than I can count but when we got there, she had cooked Tandoori chicken and rice. I just about died smelling it and then they kept trying to get me to eat some. I blew up a little and told them I would love to eat some but I really didn't want to end up in the hospital for it.

I was able to sleep on my side the first night in the hospital but it was tough and it involved a lot of pillows. At home I sleep with 6 to 7 pillows still. As for drinking, it is still very hard for me to get my protein in because it does not taste good to me anymore. I choke down as much as I can. Water is a little different. I invested in a Camelbak cup from Target. I can drink from a straw without the air. It has made a world of difference in my water intake.

I made it to the store today though I mostly sat in the garden section while the kids gathered food. I did purchase a camel cup today. It allows you to drink from a straw without all the air. It has made a world of difference in getting liquids in. It killed me to pay $14 for one cup but I thought being hydrated was more important.

I am one week out today and it has been a rough week. Even though my stay at the hospital was good, I now wish I had stayed one more day cause I had a hard time taking care of myself when I got home. I felt tired and weak and ran a low grade fever. I could only walk a few feet before needing a rest. I went back to the doc yesterday to make sure I was not harboring an infections and it was all clean. I am just dehydrated. So today I actually feel a little better and walked around the block. I am down 19 pounds since I started the whole process May 1 and I am down 4 pounds since surgery. I was a tad bit frustrated when I met someone who had surgery the day before me and she looked like a breath of fresh air, all make up and pretty clothes...talking about shopping all day. She kept telling me it was all in my mind and that I had to have the right attitude. I wanted to slap her with my right boob. You cant attitude a fever away.

Like crap! I feel terrible. I am dizzy and weak and sometimes feel like I am getting the flu. I didn't think I would feel quite this bad. I am not getting near enough Protein in because everything, and I do mean everything, tastes terrible. I cough up phlegm (so sorry) at least once a day and that makes my stomach hurt but I have decided to stop the strong narcotics because they make me sleep all day. Someone tell me this is normal and say something encouraging. How am I going to eat protein when it makes me gag now?

I suppose I am feeling better. Instead of feeling like I am in the middle of having the flu, I feel like I am recovering from it. My Protein and Water intake is better but still a bit below 40 oz. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and they will up me to 64 oz. How the hell will I get all that in? But I do see progress every day, even if it only is a little. My family is causing me the biggest stress right now. My husband decided it was a great time to work overtime leaving me home with the kids. Now the kids are old enough except for the 5 year old to handle things and to take care of me but they are very selfish creatures. I came down stairs to the kitchen looking like a mess and a 5 year old throwing a fit because he wanted candy. When my daughter texted me (visiting a friend) and asked if she could use the last $40 I gave her for necessities to purchase video games, I went off. And then when I went for a walk and saw the yard that I have worked very hard to replant, dying and needing to be mowed badly, I just wanted to cry. It's almost as if they are waiting for me to get better so I can do it all. It is hard to concentrate on getting better when you get no relief from your daily chores.

You were able to go to the store??? I can barely make it from bed to couch without feeling like death. I think a lot of it is the drugs given for surgery and recovery. I hope they are out of my system by tomorrow cause I am so over feeling like this.

Tomorrow is my day. I am so happy it is finally here. Wish me luck

My niece threads and it HURTS. Especially around the mouth. I never noticed it lasting longer though.

As I get closer to my June 9th date my emotions change from day to day...even hour to hour. It feel very unreal for me at this point and maybe that is why there is no fear at all about having some guy who I only met once or twice cut out a large part of my stomach. I think that is a little of it. But mostly I feel like I have educated myself by reading and talking to others who are on the other side of the process that I feel like I know what to really expect and, for the most part, how to deal with any issues that come up. However, being self pay and having 4 kids and a limited income, I have been dealing with guilt over getting myself into more debt to pay for this surgery. On one hand this feel very selfish but on the other, I know it will improve my health and that will benefit everyone in my family. Hurry up June 9th.

I have been working at it for 2 weeks + now and have been stuck at 7 pounds for at least a week of it. I am not sure why but I am getting a little worried that I wont be able to lose the other 8 I need to before surgery on the 9th of June. I have 1 to 2 Protein shakes a day and 1 to 2 healthy meals. I had to stop drinking crystal light because it made my throat so raw that I have still not gotten my voice back. My calorie intake is 800 or below. What the heck am I doing wrong? The only thing that I can see needs improvement is adding a little more exercise I have 16 days left...

Well, I had heard that the doctor was pretty strict about his orders and I was ordered to lose 15-20 pounds. I had visions of his canceling my surgery because I didn't lose enough and I just don't think I could handle that. The 500 calories a day did not bother me at all. I felt very satisfied on that amount as long as it was Protein. However, I have been doing low carb now for 3 days and yesterday, I mowed the grass and had to take a nap because I have NO energy. I lost 3 more pounds as of this morning but I forgot about the lack of energy that I experience before with Atkins. I plan to add a piece of whole wheat toast to my eggs today. I read a few people who would add healthy carbs in the morning felt much better. So the scale is moving again after almost 2 weeks of stalls and I can breath easier. I am down 9 pounds so I only have 6 more to go in 2 weeks. Thanks for the comments. Now I am going to change my ticker :001_smile:

I went in wanting the band too but after talking to Sandy (whom I think is awesome) I changed my mind. I hear a lot of people talk about Doc D's poor bedside manner but I found him to be very nice. He held my hand at one point while we discussed how I was nervous about taking care of my kids after surgery. He has such a great reputation as a doctor though and totally trust him. I was very pleased by the office staff. SO friendly and Trevor was great. Are you drinking those shakes he sells in the office? I bought a box of assorted and don't think I will use them. If you would like them, let me know. The only concern I have is the cost. I am self pay and I took out a line of credit for this. I want to pay this back myself and not take any money from my husband. More of a pride thing I think. But I am a Real Estate agent and only in the business for less than a year and my client base is not large yet. I only get a pay check when I sell a home and I don't see one coming for at least 60 days, maybe more... But the bills never stop do they? My husband just went perminate with his job and will be getting insurance, Blue Cross, but If I could get them to okay the surgery I am sure there would be at least a 3 month wait and more than likely longer. I want this done yesterday! I am having surgery June 9th. I will keep the room clean for you since you are next. Please keep in touch and let me know how you are doing and I will do the same for you.