HDubSleevery

When I was pregnant, they had these great lollipops that helped with nausea. I completely forgot how satisfying hard candy can be since then. I may have to pick up some of these the next time I am out. Thanks for the recommendation!

This is a great list. Thanks!

I have gotten the hot chocolate from Diet Direct and didn't really care for it. It has a weird metallic aftertaste. I did order a sampler from Bariatric Pantry but it hasn't arrived yet. It should be here this week so I will post a review when I get it.

Now to be fair, I have found pros and cons about this stuff. I have found sites that state: "Hydrolyzed gelatin or collagen. These products do not contain all essential amino acids and are not recommended for weight loss surgery patients." I have also found sites that state that these products are recommended for bariatric surgery patients. I KNOW that my doctor would really like me to have whey isolate protein powder but right now that just isn't doable. Perhaps I have developed an allergy to whey? I know that when I drink even a few sips of whey protein, I have hot flashes followed by cold sweat. I have a lot more phlegm in my throat and my mouth goes immediately dry for about 20 minutes. I thought maybe it was dumping but this happens in whey products/mix-ins that have no lactose and no sugars. I am not saying that this would be my first choice, but I am going to try using it as an alternative to getting almost no protein at all until I get to a stage where I can get protein from food.

Here is the link to where I used to get them on Diet Direct. I bought them through Metabolic Weight Loss but then found them a lot cheaper online. http://www.dietdirect.com/proamino-protidiet-drink-concentrates.html

If you've been following me lately, you know I am having nothing but drama around my Protein drinks. I've been getting very little protein every day because of it. Like many others, I was on a wide variety of diets before I got sleeved. One of them required you buy a bunch of their Protein Drinks. They are the liquid Protein that comes in packets that you mix with Water. I completely forgot that I bought six boxes before I quit the program. I found them when I was cleaning the cabinets this morning! I know we should be getting whey isolate protein, but to go from getting almost zero protein to being able to get at least some form of protein AND get more water in is a serious bonus for me. Happy Labor Day!

Maybe you folks can help me. I am 4'10" and have always had trouble trying to find a bike that works for me. I've ended up with bikes made for children which fit my proportions but can't handle my weight. Any ideas?

I love to cook in the crock pot and over the past year I have fallen in love with skinless, boneless chicken thighs. They stay super moist in the crockpot and the flavor is great. (Plus they are cheaper than the breasts) However, I never thought about which was better for me. With the small amounts we are eating, is there a nutritional preference between chicken breasts or chicken thighs? Thanks! HDub

Thanks for the tip about the Crock Pot Girls on FB! There is also a FB group for Skinny Crock Pot. Lots of high protein, low carb recipes with little/no preservatives.

Thanks Megan. I am going to go make something warm and add some unflavored powder now and see how it goes. Maybe I'm just having a pity party, but it's hard to get my big girl pants on at the moment. I have to keep remembering that I have been through a LOT worse than this before and come out the other end better and stronger.

Even though I just posted that I am so frustrated that I want to cry, it will get better. I was sleeved in Mexicali on 8/16 and had no co-morbidities. I'm having a whole different drama right now, but I remember a few days ago being where you are. My stomach incision is almost closed, but it was the only one that had light bruising. It is hard and pink and sore but it is healing up. My drain incision wept Fluid for 10-12 days. It still has a pretty deep scab over it but I am no longer wearing any dressings. It too was pink around the edges but never hot to the touch. I think in my posts it felt like on day 4 I had a turn around for the better, but I am still tired a lot. I also happened to get a head cold this week so that isn't helping. For me I have had a lot of mental/emotional ups and downs. Physically I have had a great recovery considering I had most of my stomach removed. Mentally/emotionally I can have good days and bad days or even good hours and bad hours. It is a huge adjustment. If you have a complication, you will get treatment regardless of where you had the surgery done. The worst that will happen will be you have to deal with some judgmental people at a time when you really just want to be helped. You can always say that you had your surgery "out of state" if people really want to know. There are many people that have their surgery in the USA that have medical issues afterwards that are completely unrelated to their surgery. I had my gall bladder removed years ago and no one blames THAT surgery for any issues that I bring to a doctor today. It should be the same for your WLS. You may be dehydrated but you are getting in a lot of fluids. I'll give you the advice that I'm not following at the moment: Take a deep breath and find something else to focus on for a little while. It will probably help a whole lot. Hugs and good luck, HDub

I've tried my Protein shakes a ton of different ways. Lactaid worked very well for the last couple of weeks but as of yesterday I just can't do the Protein Shakes. I am almost gagging trying to get them in. I have tried half water/half milk. I have tried adding flavorings. It's just not working. I ordered some protein hot chocolate and a nectar sample pack yesterday but it won't get here for a while. I am really concerned about getting the protein down. I tried some scrambled eggs with a little cheese this morning and they were SO heavy in my tummy. I don't think I want to try again for a while. I had some of my mozzarella bake with a little bit of ground up hamburger. I officially do not like ground up hamburger. I may end up being a vegetarian before this is all done. I am feeling so discouraged today. I just want to CHEW something that doesn't make me want to hurl. I am on the verge of tears which I know is stupid.

When I had that feeling, it was too much acid. I talked to my doc and he said to up my Nexxium to twice a day for 5 days. It got rid of the problem. Now I get a pain in my chest if I overeat my sleeve or take too big a drink. It is a different kind of lump than the acid lump though. The overeating lump seems to have more weight to it.

An update...I got my Vitamix a few days ago and have been using it at least twice a day. Of course the first thing I made was ice cream for me and the baby out of frozen fruit and milk! Mmmmm it was so good. I've experimented and made some stuff that sounded good at the time but tasted pretty cruddy. I did make myself a pumpkin spice smoothie that was pretty good AND good for me!

I looked at financing, but in the end it was easier and a better interest rate just to use some of my savings and a credit card. The credit card gave me a 2% interest rate for 18 months so hopefully I will have it paid off before interest hits.

From start to sleeve for me was about 3 weeks. It probably would have been sooner if I didn't have to make travel, work, and babysitting arrangements.

LOL! Does that make us "sleeve cousins"?! The dayquil worked wonders but it was a little difficult to get down. The dosage was supposed to be 2 fl oz but I had to sip it over a 15 minute period(G-R-O-S-S). I got about an ounce and a half down and felt off-kilter for about a half an hour. I think the thickness of the liquid along with the meds were a little tough on the sleeve. The neat part was that I could feel that "menthol" feeling all the way down my throat and into my abdomen. It was like having a dose of internal vicks vap-o-rub. It seems nasty to think about it now but it felt great when I was so congested.

You recognized it and can move on. Congrats on seeing it for what it was, owning it, and getting back up on the sleeve.

I started feeling this today. I have like a sharp, crampy feeling right above my belly button and sometimes to the right of it. It isn't my incision so I'm not sure what it is. It doesn't happen all the time though either. Weird.

My doc says it varies by individual. He says you can have it in the full liquid stage but if you find you are having issues with acid, you should avoid it until later. I don't like tomato soup, but I found some fantastic chilled gazpacho at Fresh Market. It is a little spicier than I expected but man it was SO good and a great change of pace.

The diarrhea was pretty normal for me. Fluids in, fluids out. I am on day 18 and I've had my highs and lows so far. I did have a drain in the hospital but it was removed on day 3. The soreness in my abdomen improved greatly once they took it out. It was like whipping off a band-aid really fast except there was no lingering stinging afterwards. I did clears, full liquids, and I advanced to softs/mushies this evening. Technically I am not supposed to advance until Monday but I don't want my first experience with soft food to be at work! I am taking it really slow. The sip, gurgle, burp has been pretty normal for me. Usually when I first start to eat or drink something, I'll get a burp. My thought is there isn't much room for gas AND food/drink so I'd rather have the gas out. I had a small issue with acid/heartburn about 7 days out. I talked to my doc and he had me double to Nexium dose daily for 5 days and quit drinking citrus juices (i.e. lemonade) and the problem has cleared up. Good luck! It does get better with each stage. The sleeve is definitely a practice in patience.

Oooh the dehydration could be a factor. Between the head cold, the Nyquil, and an experiment with the blender and a decaf coffee smoothie last night I may have needed some fluids. I had some applesauce, some watermelon, and some yogurt today so I think things settled down later in the morning. The GREAT news is that I finally get it! I made a variation of Eggface's ricotta bake for dinner and put two tablespoons on my plate. I was thinking a tablespoon would be about an ounce. I ate half of what was on my plate and I got that "don't eat another bite" feeling. I used to have a problem with binging so I really had to think about not putting the next bite in my mouth. My brain said "do it" and my stomach said "don't you dare". I cleared my plate and have been fine ever since! I am gonna count this as an NSV. It was the first time that I really felt like I was having a normal meal since the pre-op diet. I can see light at the end of the tunnel and it is SO great! (I have a 2 year old and so I use the same plates and silverware that she does. It helps me feel like I am having a "right size" portion. LOL!) This board ROCKS!

I got up this morning and tried to have my regular Protein shake and after one three sips "sleevie wonder" said NO! I tried a smoothie made with fruit and Water and it didn't taste good either. I made some Ginger Peach tea and was able to sip that just fine. I had some yogurt mid-morning and it sat just fine. Anyone else have this happen? (I've been on a stall for about a week, so I have been trying to up my protein intake but this isn't starting off so well.)

You look fantastic! Are those your little ones in the pictures? They are adorable!

I got the liquid Dayquil and the clouds parted, my ears popped, and I could breathe for a few hours until it wore off. Thanks for the ideas!