Webchickadee

I did a quick look online and found a product that might help you get more Protein in without dairy! It's a hemp-based product from a company called Nutiva. You can read more here: https://store.nutiva.com/hemp-protein/ and apparently it's even cheaper if you buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Hemp-Protein-gram/dp/B001JU81ZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1336582480&sr=1-1 I haven't tried it myself (but I might need to after surgery......lactose intolerance could be in the cards for me too!). Just an idea that might work for you!

I'm really hoping that your last statement of regretting your surgery is something you can look back on in a year and say "yes, at the time that was true, but no more"! Once all these crazy complications and hurdles are passed (!), I'm hopeful this will be a good decision for the rest of your life. You just have to find a way to make it through each challenging day right now, so you can get to that happy place.

OMG, you have having the roughest time EVER! I am so sorry you're suffering so much with so many complications and difficulties! Hopefully the dairy sensitivity will pass in a few months and you'll be able to get back to all the diary goodness out there. Good luck and keep us posted. I'm following you closely and praying for a smoother ride for you very very soon!

I think it's probably because we actually consume alot more liquid in the average course of a day than we think we do. Just think about how often you get a pop, a coffee, something to drink with Breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. And of course we have liquids in our meals as well. So plenty of fluids in the course of the average day. Now, we have a tiny stomach, so during our meals, we are not drinking (no room!). We can't just quickly guzzle down a bottle of Water when we're thirsty. We're not drinking the endless cans of soda we were before our VSG, and probably not having as much coffee, tea, etc. either. So we're getting dry.....alot more dry than we were when our stomachs were at our original size. I could be wrong, but this is what makes sense to me........can some of the local "experts" chime in on this?

My surgery is on Monday (14th) and I completely understand your misgivings! I'm in the same boat, rowing with you! I KNOW I need this surgery. I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I am 42 and with a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes and breast cancer, my good health is going to explode into multiple co-morbidities in the next 10 years if I don't do something NOW! I'm not worried about the pain from the surgery (it will be temporary). I'm more worried about the small yet very real chance that something will go wrong and I'll die either on the table or within a few days of the surgery. As I'm going out of country (Mexico) and alone (my husband can't get away to come with me, as much as he wants to!), I don't want to leave my husband with a mess to take care of if I'm suddenly gone! I know it's irrational, since the odds of anything going wrong are so very small. My health is very good right now, and I've chosen a top-notch surgeon. But it's still keeping me up at night! Sigh. I'll probably look back on this in a year and laugh. I'm going through with it..........I just have to get there and on the O.R. table (wish time would move faster!) so I can stop worrying!

Wow, killer morning! But on the bright side, after all that hassle, instead of getting yelled at for being late to your new job, and feeling like you've got off on the wrong foot, at least you now have another week get to into a routine and get some more rest. Try getting up at the usual time you will be getting up for work, all this week. Then you should have your morning routine in a pattern for when work REALLY begins, next week. And you'll have a better idea of how the trains and commute might go also, and can add some extra time into that commute planning for these transit headaches. Good luck!

Hey Raven8888 and 17jrs, I'm a May 14th sleever too! And let me reiterate as well katby, how much I appreciate you taking the time to post as well. I previously had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy after my gall bladder ruptured. So it was a big surgery that has probably left me with a lot of adhesions. My surgeon is prepared for that, but we won't really know how it will go until he's in there, looking around! So I'm a bit nervous, and reading your posts is definitely helping me have a better understanding of how things may go for me in 10 days! Keep getting better........one day at a time!

You look terrific! And I can see the top part of your "six pack" abs! That's is WAY WAY cool! Great job. Keep it up and you'll be at your "goal" soon enough, and there for life!

Funny you should mention that. We went to our PCP on Monday and asked her about getting a vasectomy for my hubby. We don't want kids (I have a 20 yr old stepson and an 84 yr old Dad with Alzheimer's to take care of .........that's got me more than busy!).

I hadn't thought about that! When msaprildawn mentioned she hadn't lost inches, I assumed she was taking body measurements! But based on clothing (especially + sizes), there is alot of variability with each size. For example, I think I could be +/- 20 lbs before I would have to change from my current size 28 (!) down to a 26, or up to a 30 (not going there ever!). But I think this shrinks as the size shrinks. I'm pretty sure as you get down in the lower 20's and high teens, that 15 lbs will force a change in size, and then the lower teens it's probably 10 lbs, and so on! I have a skinny friend who gains 5 lbs and complains that her clothes don't fit anymore (I think she's a size 2 or 4).

Right there with you! My hubby and I have talked about it and we're both looking forward to positive changes too!

Who would have ever guess that "play more hopscotch" would be one of your NSVs? LOL

Fantastic!

Don't forget, we have fat distributed all through our bodies. And most especially important, within our torso, around our vital organs! This is the most dangerous fat! So if you're losing weight, you're possibly losing it "internally" in a way that isn't being reflected on the scale, but is an important contributor to your improving your health! Also, it is possible (hopefully not!) that you're losing muscle in a larger percentage than preferred. Muscle is more dense than fat and therefore causes more weight loss, with less of an effect on inches. Basically, if you lose a certain volume of muscle, it may not be reflected in lost inches as much as if you lost the same volume in fat, but the scale will go down. After all, a pound is a pound, whether it is fat or muscle. But they look very different on the body! The best way to combat muscle loss is to make sure you've got sufficient Protein in your diet (which helps build muscle and guard aroud loss) and to regularly participate in rigorous exercise that not only builds your cardiovascular system, but also builds muscle (weight lifting, etc.). "Stay the course".......you're doing great!

My husband is already anticipating the "libido reawakening" LOL

Woohoo!

I've been thinking about this myself, and most of the time, the kid's menu is not food I would be interested in eating (and possibly not geared towards our optimal post-surgery eating habits either). So rather than use a restaurant card, I think I will probably just order my usual meal and eat the small portion I'm able to...then take the rest home! My husband will probably eat the left-overs, and I can probably get at least one more meal out of it before I get bored eating the same thing!

Just be careful with not paying the debt (hopefully you won't be asked to, as you'll win the appeal!). You don't want to hurt your credit rating. $2K will seem like a pittance if you need credit in the future and can't get it because they've messed you up!

I'm from Canada and we have national health care here (though each province runs it individually). I'm going to Mexico for my surgery because the wait list here is 5-7 years (!) and they only do the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (which also bypasses part of the intestine). But all that being said, I still am EXTREMEMLY happy to have our national health care. I would never run into this kind of bureaucratic lunacy. Why would you think for a second that your anesthetist (that' what we call anesthesiologists in Canada), or your nurses, doctors, etc. would NOT be covered by your insurance, if they approved you to go to the hospital where they work! That's nuts! I'm really sorry you're running into this nightmare. However, the $2K is a small price to pay for the fantastic new you you're going to enjoy for the rest of your life! That's why I chose to self-pay ($6K plus flights and other expenses), rather than wait another 7 years to have a surgery I don't even want because that's the only one covered. Try to look on the positive and remember, it's for your health. And you're worth it! And that you've learned a valuable lesson about looking into ALL the loop-holes in the future, no matter how nutty they are!

Just as readyforachange says, I weight myself in the morning right after peeing. I am naked except for my underwear, and in our house, we use the Wii Fit rather than a scale. It keeps a full history of weights and BMI's over time. Sometimes it's nice to see where you were a month, or a year ago. I'm having my sleeve surgery in 12 days (yeah!) and am currently on Day 4 of the 2 week pre-op liquid diet. I'm tempted to weigh myself in the evening too (especially since I've been really hungry!), but I'm rejecting that that thought. It's only going to mess with my head. Our weight can fluctuate wildly during the day for a number of reasons (fluid balances, sodium intake, etc.). Keep your time of day consistent, and try to keep all other variables as consistent as possible too (approach it like a science experiment!). First thing in the morning after peeing means there's been no food or fluids for 8+ hours, so very little to cause dramatic day-to-day changes (other than your REAL weight changes!).

I'm on Day 2 of my pre-op diet. My surgery date is also May 14 (hello Sleeve Sister!). I'm finding I'm quite hungry, but it gets better if I drink a glass of water. I found some Mio water flavour enhancers at the grocery store yesterday (had read about them on this forum, but I was doubtful I would find them here in Canada....and I was VERY happy when I saw them in-store!). I just keep thinking.....only 13 days until surgery. I can do ANYTHING for 13 days. Seems to be working so far. Plus seeing some weight drop off is helping too! I lost 3 pounds this weekend (2 days of smaller portions, sensible eating, and 1 day of liquid diet). It's not much, but it sure helps to see the scale going in the right direction! Hang in there. With only 7 days to do the pre-op diet, you'll be fine. Focus on how great it will be to finally permanently lose the weight! In the end you won't even remember those 7 pre-op days.

Apparently the "Week 3 stall" is well documented on this forum and many others. I think it's probably your body finally going "woah...what's going on here?" and slowing down to take stock of the situation. Hang in there....I've read that it passes.....just how long it will take varies with each person. Only 13 days until my surgery.......I can't wait until I'M 3 weeks post-op! LOL

From what I've been reading (and that's alot from many different sources), the range is 0.4-1.1 g per lb. of ideal body weight. That is quite a wide range and depends on whether you are doing alot of resistance exercises (free weights, or machines), which tend to build muscle, as opposed to aerobic exercise (running, swimming, etc.) that are more edurance and build less muscle. So, for example. If your goal weight is 150 lbs you should consume between 60 g of Protein / day (not actively building muscle) and 165 g of protein (if you're on a heavy weight lifting program). I like the fact that this range helps you understand how much protein to take for you individual target weight, rather than just saying EVERYONE needs 80 g of protein a day. We're all different sizes, participate in different levels of activity/exercise, etc. So I would say if you use this range and adjust based on your activity level, you should be in the ideal target protein range.

Hi Teambrown! Keep up the good work. It is helping, even if you don't see it on the scale. It also helps to keep a record of body measurements. Sometimes the scale is stubborn, but the inches are falling off! As well, if you are exercising (and you are!) you are possibly losing fat, but replacing it with lean muscle. This means your scale might not change, but there is a change going on inside you (for the better!). Lean muscle is more dense than fat, and weight more. So if you lose fat, but replace it with muscle, your scale may say you've gained weight, but you've lost fat and become healthier! It's very very hard not to compare yourself to others, as you can see from comments here in the forums. But in the end, this is your own, unique journey. Your progress will go at the pace your body decides. Just stay on track, change up your exercise routine to prompt your body in to change, make sure you're getting at least 64 oz of fluids and lots of Protein. The weight will drop over time, and may come off in a bunch when you least expect it! And with your being down 21 lbs in 11 weeks, you're still at basically 2 lbs / week loss, which is alot better than you were doing before you decided to have this surgery, no? Another positive to slower weight loss is that it gives your skin time to "catch up" and regain elasticity, so you're less likely to end up with saggy skin. Look on the bright sides dear.........and just KEEP GOING!

Wow! Really sending you healing vibes! I have to admit, I'm a bit frightened now. I'm scheduled for May 14, and this is just the sort of scenario I'm subconciously worrying about! I'm in generally good health, so I think things should go fairly well, but as you say, complications can happen to anyone! From what I've read, portal vein thrombosis occurs in approx. 0.7% of patients (that's REALLY low!), so you've been amazingly unlucky to be in that group. But also amazingly lucky to have survived and be on the road to recovery! Keeping you in our thoughts. Focus on improvement and I hope to be reading more good news from you in the coming days/weeks.