scarflady

Check out Chef Dave's "Recipes for Weight Loss Surgery Success, Starting your Journey Step-by-Step. You can get it on Amazon for about $11--has recipes from shakes, smoothies, to pureed (smooth) and on to soft phases of your post op diet.

the first few weeks are the hardest. Try this: the first 15 minutes of every hour, drink one ounce of a protein shake that has at least 32 gms of protein. Either from a powder or ready to drink (Oh yeah, Isopure Smoothies are 2 of my favorites). The rest of the time you can try adding some BeneProtein powder, or Unjury unflavored protein powder to cream soups or lower protein shakes. here's one of my recipes: 1 scoop protein powder in blender with 4 oz plain Greek yogurt and enough ice cubes to make it a smoothie, puree in the blender. You can also make high protein sugar free pudding by adding a scoop of protein powder to your cold skim milk, mix well, then add to your sugar free pudding. (gives you protein in every bite!)

I went with my roomie to Piedras Negras, Mexico to have the sleeve sugery by Dr. Guillermo Alvarez @ Endobariatrics. We flew into San Antonio, their driver picked us up, took us to the border town of Eagle Pass, for an overnight stay, picked us up the morning of her surgery and took us through the border check, to the clinic. At the clinic the nurses did not speak English, but there is an assistant assigned to each of the patients who is fluent in English. She helps with patients, family, etc. They had a couch in the room for me to sleep on and provided a computer with free internet so that I could stay in touch with home. We could not have been treated any better. The doctor knew that I was also a sleeve patient and a nurse in the field of bariatric surgery myself. I was very pleased with the care that my friend recieved and have recommended Dr. Alvarez to others who have no insurance and cannot afford the surgery here in the US.

I had surgery in Novemeber of 08. I started by telling just a few friends and co-workers, including my boss, who I had a close relationship with. I told my coworkers (there were a total of 8 of us who worked together) just before I had the surgery, mainly because I knew my eating habits would be so obviously different when I came back to work, and we all ate lunch together as a group. As far as post op complications: if you are having your surgery in Mexico, I assume your insurance did not cover bariatric surgery, so most will not cover any complications that can be directly related to your surgery. Be sure that you have someone lined up at home to follow you post op, whether it is a local bariatric surgeon (you will ususally have to pay a "transfer fee"), a general surgeon, or your primary care doctor. There are lab results that need to be monitored about every 6 months for the first 2 years, then yearly after that, especially if you are having the sleeve or bypass. Be sure you are compliant with your multivitamins, B12, and calcium post op. Best of luck!

Remember, staying hydrated post op (and forever) is VERY important. The number one reason for readmission to the hospital is for dehydration. You should be sipping some kind of sugar free clear liquids all the time (unless it is meal time). Your goal should be 64 ounces of clear liquids per day. If you commit yourself to getting in around 20 ounces between 8a and 12 noon, 20 ounces between 12 noon and 4pm, and 20 ounces between 4pm and 8pm, that pretty much gets you on track--or you can figure 4 ounces per hour. (that equals out to 1 ounce every 15 minutes). when you break it down, it does not seem so hard to maintain!! Make yourself a schedule that you can check off and it is easy to keep up with. Remember no caffeine for the first 6-8 weeks and no carbonated drinks EVER!! By the way--I am 3 1/2 years out from my sleeve, I initally lost 145 lbs over the first 18 months, and now am maintaining a 135-140 lbs weight loss. My life is awesome!!