Lea Anne

I was on another blood thinner, Lovenox, for 2 weeks after surgery. The shots werent too bad but the bruising was terrible. I'm not qualified to handle needles!

I do a 50/50 mix of Welch's 100% grape juice and water...maybe about 6 oz and sip on it. It gives me a little boost but also curbs nausea almost better than the zofran.

chocolate pure protein or muscle milk. i get them from WalMart.

Thanks! I had mine april 26th so i'm just over 4 weeks out. Dr. Cahill is a great surgeon and in his program, you have 2 weeks of clear then 4 weeks of protein shakes before starting blended soups, yogurt, etc. So there are days that i'm absolutely sick of the shakes and I've resorted back to chicken broth for something savory. I totally agree that it's HARD!!!!!

yes, it surely does suck and i hate being hungry. but down 5 pounds is great! congrats and just keep doing the liquids. they suck but they work!!

people and their opinions and know-it-all attitudes never cease to amaze me. you did what's right for YOU and not anyone else.

Has anyone else experienced pain in one or both of your hips after surgery? I'm 4.5 weeks post op and I have pain that I never had before. I'm down 50 pounds and you'd think that would make it better for my bones and joints! It seems to get worse every day - at first it was just my left hip the last 2 weeks and now my right hip hurts. Maybe just because I'm overcompensating...I don't know. I haven't done any exercise except walking and even then, I'm not walking all that much. I've tried tylenol and icy hot rub. They help a little but I'd love to know the cause. Thanks!

Mine wasn't too bad - lasted about 1.5 hours. Lots of questions about my past (eating disorders and behaviors, any history of self harm, abuse, etc.) They need to make sure that you are emotionally stable enough to handle the outcome. And, they want to make sure that you have a support system -- this is so very important!!

This may not be the best advice but try not to worry so much about your pre-op diet and focus your energy on post-op. I lost 18.5 pounds in the 6 days before surgery when I started the Protein drinks and Clear liquids on the day before, so in my opinion, you have a little "wiggle room". I'm sure the doctor would not agree but the way I look at it is this: I've made this decision and I'll follow your instructions to the best of my abiltiy, but I'm human and have an overeating problem. It took me much longer than 2 months to learn the bad behaviors so you can't expect me to completely change in 2 months. Plus I had to quit smoking on top of it. (I still yearn for a cigarette, diet coke and regular coffee and hope the cravings go away eventually!!) It's good that you are being mindful and making healthy choices, but my personal addmission is that I lived it up in the months before surgery. I ate what I wanted, whenever I wanted. It was my "good bye" to unhealthy food and eating habits. I was stressed about the surgery (and my upcoming move and wedding) and being a stress eater, I pigged out on several occassions. But I also started to incorporate the healthy options and found a good balance near the end. You'll find that balance, too. And for now, don't weigh yourself every day. Maybe a couple times a week. Save the daily weigh-ins for when you start the liquid diet just before surgery and you'll be amazed at the results. Oh, and one more thing...I gained 13 pounds the day of surgery. They pump you full of fluids so that you don't dehydrate post-op. I weighed 8.7 pounds more when I left the hospital than I did when I checked in. Just keep that in mind for afterwards and know that it will come off plus more in a week or 2. Good luck and try not to stress so much!

Hello I had my surgery on April 26 and I've lost 44 pounds. Overall, I feel pretty good. I have occassional nausea and diarrhea which is so annoying because my doctor said I shouldn't take any Immodium and it makes going to work really tricky! Has anyone else had this problem? I had a very awful first 36 hours and even said I wished that I hadn't done this. I was in so much pain, very nauseated and couldn't breath well. I was miserable but felt some relief after my drain was removed. Part of the problem in the hospital was that the surgeon, his team and some of the nurses were great. The CNAs, however, were less than satisfactory. I received very little assistance when trying to get out of bed and get to the bathroom. Maybe they were trying to make me do it on my own, but I felt very unsteady and worried that I would pass out or fall. But, I never did and I'm still alive and kicking. I feel good about the weight loss, but I'm mourning the loss of food. I've read other people's posts and they identify food as a friend and something that has always been there for them. I can totally relate to that because food has been my coping mechanism since I was 5 years old. At the support groups that I attended pre-surgery, people said that they weren't hungry so being around food wasn't a problem. I haven't been that lucky. I have had a couple of crying fits and I knew that this was going to be an emotional journey but I didn't think that I'd cry so easily. Thank goodness that I have an amazing support system, including a fantastic therapist to help me through the tough times. Now I can turn to this group, too. I'm so grateful to have found this place!