LVikingFan

I must be strange, but I actually like Isopure. I would use it to get all of my protein but the cost is prohibitive. I do like it VERY cold. I don't think diluting it would reduce the amount of protein as long as you drink the whole bottle. I also drink protein shakes made with whey protein. They do have a lot of calories, but my doc says I am losing just fine, so I am sticking with them,

Remember you have to put something in to get something to come out. Most of us have been on a pre-op LIQUID diet! Then how can you forget that wonderful day of "cleansing" the day before surgery, then of course nothing to eat the day of surgery and then those three tiny cups of liquids that are our first meals. Our colons are very long tubes and it going to be quite a few of our meals to fill it up enough to produce a BM. And even then they are pretty watery. And I so agree with the term "never trust a fart"! My wife is still pretty unhappy with me about her down mattress cover.

My bill was $75,000 for the hospital with an overnight stay. I haven't seen what the insurance is paying, but they made me pay $1,900.00 the morning of the surgery. I had to pay my doctor $1,250.00 and the anesthesiologist $300, all up front. I just got a bill today for my pre-op lab work (that I thought was included in the hospital bill) for $250. But I think my life is worth whatever the price is.

No soda! Try Water that is just slightly warm, not cold at all and just barely sip. Start with just a shot glass and take at least an hour to drink it Sugar free Jello is also good. Don't give up, in a few weeks you will be SO glad you did this.

My surgeon also does laser lipo. I really haven't heard a lot about it. I am still early in the game, just sleeved at the end of July, but I can tell that there is going to have to be something done about my belly. I have lost about 50 pounds and there is just this big pouch hanging there. Being a guy I can pump up my arms and legs and hide stuff there, but there isn't any six-pack on my stomach, it is an entire cooler! So back to my original question, what about laser lipo??

Thanks so much.

I am taking a liquid multi-vitamin, liquid calcium (that also has multiple vitamins in it) liquid zinc, chewable vitamin C, subligual B12 and liquid fish oil twice a day. I want to add iron but my surgeon says no pills until a least 3 months out and I can't find a liquid iron.

Has anyone found a cookbook with recipes for those who have had bariatric surgery? My wife went to the bookstore looking for one and the clerk just laughed at her saying a cookbook for people who can't eat would be an oxymoron. Wifey was more than a little ticked off.

I have a Kitchen Aid mini food processor that my wife picked up at Target for $40. It is super easy to clean, it chops up the ice and really makes my protein shake taste like a milk shake. Only problem was that it only came in red at our Target so my wife decided to paint our kitchen (it has been decorated with John Deere and painted bright green and yellow for years!) to better coordinate with the food processor!

It is totally normal to be freaking out. It is a big life change and not to be taken lightly. The reason we have all done it. (I am 3wks post op now) is we want to be around for our families and to be healthy. I was pretty calm about it but my wife was the one who freaked out in the waiting room while I was waiting to go back for my surgery. Now that is all over and done with, and I must say I am having a perfect recovery, no pain, lots of weight loss and just the problem of hiccups the day after surgery, she has been super supportive. Don't be scared just thnk of this as a new beginning of your life and try to imagine how you will be a year from now.

I have never felt full or had pain from eating (3wks out now). I am really careful to keep to my 2 oz of food. I bought some demitasse spoons instead of baby spoons, they look slightly more adult. My problem is that I drink too fast. Before surgery I would drink 4 liters of soda a day. I live in Las Vegas, so hydration in the summer is critical. Any suggestions to slow down the drinking? I try to think sip, sip, sip and I only use a little juice glass, but before I know it my 4 ounces is gone in 5 minutes.

This might sound stupid, but I have no idea of my bougie size, I am not even sure what it is. Is this something I should ask my doctor about?

The swelling from the gas they use for the surgery was gone pretty much in the first couple of days. By 6 days you will actually start to look smaller due to actual weight loss! There is swelling inside the actual sleeve that will last for up to three months (according to my doctor) and that will let you be able to eat a little more than you can in the beginning, but it is certainly not something that you can see from the outside. Congratulations on the upcoming surgery, can't wait to have you join us on the "losers bench".

Pop as in soda pop? That is a big no-no. The carbonation will expand and stretch out your sleeve.

Thanks everybody, I will just be patient and hang in there. Today I started pureed food and it seemed heavenly. A real scrambled egg! Cottage cheese! Tuna (And I don't even like tuna!)

I think that anything that would just slide down without having to chew, jello, pudding, cream soup etc. I have to admit my brain went instantly to those wonderful little mini burgers though.

I am so weak and tired. I feel even worse than I did last week, I am taking all the vitamins, getting my 64oz of fluid and all the protein but I feel awful. I had been walking every day but today I couldnt even do that. I saw my surgeon and my PCP yesterday and told them both but neither seemed very concerned. Is this normal? When will I get some energy? What good will be being thinner if I can't get out of my chair?

I was on over 200 units of insulin a day. I saw my PCP yesterday, 12 days post-op. He took my off insulin completely! I had stopped Metformin just before the surgery and he said it can go too! Just taking Onglyza and Glimipiride for this month and he said they will probably go at my next visit next month. That alone has made the surgery worth it.

Mushies starting tomorrow for me. I can't wait.

My surgery was originally scheduled for noon but an emergency came up and it was postponed until 6pm. Since I still had my tummy I was starving and so thirsty. They had me in the pre-op area all that time, so they did eventually start my IV so that helped a little. My wife and daughter were able to stay with me so we talked and tried to forget how long we were waiting. I eventually fell asleep so I guess they just sat there and watched me. Finally a nurse from the OR came and talked to me. She told me that they would put in a catheter while I was in the OR. (Wasn't too thrilled to hear that) She also told my wife the surgery would take about an hour (it was three hours and my wife was scared because it was taking so long) More waiting then finally the anesthesiologist came, he tried to take a life history while they were trying to roll the bed off to the OR. I wil be honest the guy was a real jerk, but he put me to sleep and I woke up, so that is all I will say about it. They gave me a shot of Versed just as I left the pre-op area, so I really don't remember much until after I got to my room. They took the catheter out in the recovery room and I was still pretty groggy so I barely remember it, They took me to my room and my wife and daughter were there waiting for me. I was scared to even more because I figured it was going to hurt. It was 11pm by the time I got to my room and I just wanted to sleep. The nurse had lots of questions, but thankfully she let my wife answer them. She did tell me that at 2am I was going to have to get up and walk. My wife was able to stay in the (private) room with me. At 2am the nurse and an aide came to get me up. I was laying on some sort of a bariatric mattress that they blew up and kinda just sat me up. It didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. I was a little unsteady from lying down as long as I had (14 hours at that point) but I was able to walk after a few minutes. The nurse let my wife take me on a stroll and I made it once around the nurses station, clutching my dance partner the IV pole. One turn was enough! While we had been gone the nurse took the blow up mattress off my bed and had given me nice clean sheets. I figured while I was up I would use the bathroom too and had no problem with that. After I was back in bed the nurse asked me about my pain level. I was pretty uncomfortable, not awful pain, but not comfortable. She gave me a shot of demerol in the IV and it was back to dreamland. I woke up about 4 hours later and my wife suggested another walk. My doctor told me the more you walk, the less you hurt. This time I made it 3 loops and back to bed without pain. Around 8:30 I went down to x-ray for a upper GI to make sure that I had no leaks. Passed with flying colors and was told I could eat. I was a little worried about it, but it slid right down painlessly. Then, the only problem I have had with the entire thing happened. Hiccups. They were incredibly painful and would not go away. They gave me the liquid Lortab and I just fell asleep, still hiccuping. They came and went over the first two days and the doctor said all I could do was take the Lortab and ride it out. Finally after about 24 hours at home they finally left and have not returned.

I am almost two weeks out and I have been doing great. Minmal pain the first two days, been able to eat and drink according to what is on my current diet plan. (Can't wait for something I can actually chew. How the hell are you supposed to spend thrity minutes eating Jello and Soup?"?") My question is this. Just above the incision where they took my stomach out there is a kind of hard swelling. It doesn't hurt or anything, just sort of weird. Anybody else have this?"

Las Vegas here too. I am only a couple of weeks out and thanks to the pre-op diet down almost 45 pounds. Went to a play last night with the wife and fit into the seat. These are the things that mean more than the pounds on the scale. Just bought a shirt in the regular guy department too.

They put mine in after I was out in the operating room and then removed it right before I left recovery. I was so doped off they could of cut the whole thing off and I don't thnk I would have noticed.

Our wedding anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks and every year we celebrate by going to a very nice restaurant. We also usually take our annual vacation over this time too. Since I just had the surgery and it also exhausted all of our extra money she is getting no vacation and no nice dinner, I want to do something special for my wife. Any ideas She has been really supportive and I know she was very reluctant for me to do this. Since it is done and over she has done everything to help me out.

After 10 days of a liquid diet the bowel prep wasn't all that bad. I have to say I am glad I did it because the morning after surgery having to have a BM would not have felt good at all!