Alithinos

I have been adding a couple ounces of no sugar added apple juice to 8 ounces of water with a little ice - it makes it go down much more easily. An ER nurse who had bypass surgery recommended it to me. She also said you could try adding some Propel Zero to water as well.

I'm not a fan of the Protein shots. Not only do they smell like a wet dog, they are not usually composed of a really quality protein, such as whey protein isolate, which should be the first ingredient. Unjury's chicken Soup and their chocolate flavors work for me. The quality of your protein really matters. It took me about 7 days until I was able to get in either protein or Fluid goals, and I even made a trip to the ER on day 6 due to acid reflux and spasms. They gave me an IV of fluids, which helped a bunch. I did feel a bit weepy that day. Other things that work for me include adding a bit of apple juice and ice to my Water. Do you have a decent bariatric surgery cookbook? I like Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery, which was recommended to me by a friend who is two years beyond her sleeve surgery. We made the chicken and mushroom soup yesterday and used ice cube trays to freeze 1 oz portions. We pureed the heck out of it and it is very nice - 26 g of protein per 1 cup serving. I only had half a cup, but it is a start. Each day gets a bit better. Go slow. You may need more time on liquids. Everyone is different.

I was having the same problem at about 4 days out. I'm 9 days out now. Try adding 2 oz of apple juice (no sugar added) to 6 oz of water, and put some ice in it. I received this piece of advice from an ER nurse who had gastric bypass three years ago. I can tolerate it much more easily with the juice. The Propel Zero was way too sweet, and water was too heavy. The NUTs at Johns Hopkins said to try very cold things if you can't stomach room temp fluids. That also works better for me. Each day gets a bit better.

I can tolerate it only if I add a bit of apple juice (no sugar added) to it. I will put in about 6 oz and add 2 oz of apple juice, and then add a bit of ice. It has really helped. I was told to do the same with Propel Zero. I have not tried Gatorade yet.

Was sleeved on Friday and have been having the same problems with reflux, and spasms, I think. It is so bad that I'm not able to get in enough fluids (24 oz yesterday, and that was tough) or proteins. I've got a call into the surgeon's office now... I wonder if going from 1 to 2 protonix will help. I had spasms (located about mid breast bone) that woke me at 5 am even though I'm sleeping with my head and chest elevated. How are the rest of you able to get in fluids and proteins with the reflux?

I was sleeved on the 24th and discharged on the 25th from Johns Hopkins. Getting in both fluids and Proteins has been a huge challenge due to acid reflux. I'm taking a 40 mg protonix in the morning and a 20 mg otc prilosec in the evening. Anyone else find something that works better? I only got in 24 oz of fluids today, but discovered I can tolerate sf popsicles and ice. It took me 2.5 hours to drink an 8 oz Protein shake. Greek yogurt and sf pudding goes down more easily. I only had one dose of pain meds today and am going to try and make that it so that i can maybe have a bm again someday. Can we take Colace yet? Sunday was awful, but Monday and Tuesday continued to improve.

It seems like you should be getting in more water too at this point. I could see 48 oz/day the first week, but you should be at 64 oz now. I wonder if dehydration is causing the swollen ankles and feet for you. I am currently at 264, so I deal with swollen ankles more regularly and am also looking forward to leaving that behind (along with foot pain).

The Affordable Health Care Act ("Obamacare") just recently went into effect. I would agree with SV2 - the law would prohibit insurance companies from not covering you, and I believe there is a limit to how much they can charge you as well. The link provides more information regarding pre-existing condition insurance: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/pre-existing-condition-insurance-plan/index.html

Your NUT is probably correct. Getting to 900 or 1000 calories, at least, should up your metabolism, especially given how active you are. None of us are Michael Phelps, but that guy has to take in 12000 calories a day. Try giving your NUT's advice a whirl for a week or two and see what happens. I realize it seems scary. A lot of people on these boards talk about how upping their caloric intake during a stall seems to break them out of it. Also, have you measured yourself? A friend of mine, who is almost at 2 years past her sleeve surgery date, finds that she continues to lose inches even if the scale seems stuck. She didn't start working out until a year after the surgery and really wishes she hadn't waited. You're on the right track.

This is such a great topic. I won't be sleeved till the end of the month, but am considering a trip to the UK next March or April (I see that you're about 8 months beyond surgery, and I'd be about 6-7 months out at that point). Please post an update when you return and share what else you learned. Good luck with the protein shakes and be aware that European flight security agencies may not be as cooperative as the TSA for your return flight. Are you able to tolerate protein bars?

Wow. You look great and your post really inspires me. I'm scheduled for surgery on August 24th at Johns Hopkins and I hope I have as much success as you. Also, my surgeon only requires the liquid fast the day before as well. Since I figure I'll be pretty tired of shakes after a couple weeks anyway, this was welcome news. Please keep posting updates.

I second asking about Lexapro - the pills are very small. However, I don't know if they can be crushed. You would want to check on that.

It really isn't that bad. Definitely bring a hat to wear the next day. Also, use a hot oil treatment to get the gunk out of your hair - far easier than shampooing 4 times. Unfortunately, I got that piece of advice after I went through it all. Wear comfortable and loose pajamas - I recommend a tee shirt and cotton pants. It will make it easier to get you wired up. Also, if you have to go to the bathroom, it is less awkward when you run into someone. It was a little difficult to sleep with all the wires, but not awful. I was released around 6 am so did go home and sleep 2-3 more hours afterwards. Also, I tend to snore at night (despite the septoplasty I had back in 2010), but they determined that I do not have sleep apnea. Surgery would likely solve both issues.

Congratulations! I'm in the pre-op process currently with Johns Hopkins. By any chance, did you do your surgery through them? If so, I'd be curious to hear about your experience with the staff and hospital. It has been hard for me to pin my surgeon's patient coordinator down...

I see these articles every year, but there are estimates that 80-85% of women are not wearing the correct bra size. In fact, they say that you should probably be measured twice a year. I only go about 12-18 months without getting measured, but can attest that my size keeps changing (since I keep gaining weight). So, when was the last time you got measured by a professional? I find that Nordstrom's lingerie staff are really good, unlike most department store staff. Don't feel pressured to buy from them, but if you don't have a local shop that specializes in bras locally, Nordstroms is a great bet. If you are busty, I'm particularly fond of the Elomi brand. They hoist the girls up! As you continue to lose weight, go back and get remeasured more frequently than twice a year. Here is a link to the Oprah site with some info on this: http://www.oprah.com/style/Os-Bra-Intervention_1

By my calculations, your ideal weight would be around 130 to 135 lbs, right? So you're about 35-40 lbs overweight. At 5'6" and 268 lbs (over age 40 and with a BMI over 40 as well), I wonder why you're going the surgery route. If I only had 35-40 lbs to lose, I'd be ecstatic. In fact, 170 looks really good on me and I'll be lucky just to see it again. Do you have any health problems as a result of the weight, such as diabetes or high blood pressure? Both of these health problems would be good reasons to consider a sleeve. Have you seen a nutritionist or had your thyroid checked? If I were you (and could do the last 100 lbs over), I'd be seeing a nutritionist (seriously can't believe I didn't do this sooner), getting your thyroid checked, getting checked for PCOS (if you have any other symptoms), and getting more exercise (which is hard for me to do at the moment). I think you'll be fine, since people can still eat/eat the wrong things with their sleeve. Further, the sleeve will stretch with time, making weight gain inevitable if you don't change habits. I tend to think of WLS as a last resort, and it isn't clear to me that you have run out of options.