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Bufflehead

Pre Op
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Everything posted by Bufflehead

  1. Bufflehead

    Slow weight loss

    Myfitnesspal counts your protein (along with calories, carbs, etc.). I am no expert but I would definitely suggest going back to measuring your meals and logging everything. As for water, I find I drink more if I can mix some Crystal Light or Hansens Naturals in with it. I basically have something to drink with me always, except during meals and for 30 minutes after. I try to just drink from that as often as I can. You have lost a ton of weight since starting this journey and I think you should be proud of yourself! Keep working at it and the weight will come off, sooner or later.
  2. Bufflehead

    Drinking...

    I drank a lot of skim milk, kefir, low sodium V-8, hot tea with a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk, broth, and diluted cranberry juice the first couple of weeks after surgery.
  3. Even when you aren't walking, doing something like rocking in a rocking chair can help a lot. Any kind of movement is good.
  4. I'm about 6 1/2 weeks out and just transitioned to soft foods (anything I can cut with a fork, excluding any starchy veg or grain-based food) a couple of days ago. It depends on what I am eating -- somewhere between 2 & 3 ounces, usually closer to 2. So that sounds pretty similar.
  5. My minimum post-surgery (on full liquids) was 64 ounces of fluid and 60 grams of protein. If something has both protein and fluid (protein shakes, skim milk, etc.), it counts as both. I didn't do breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I drank small amounts throughout the day. Typically I filled up a 32 oz. Bubba keg with water and ice and sipped that throughout the day, and made up the other 32 ounces (or more) with a variety of protein shakes, broth, skim milk, V-8, light fruit juices, and G2. Are you on Myfitnesspal or a similar site? If not, you should be -- you can track exactly how much fluid and protein you are getting every day and see if you are on track. You can also friend people there who have had VSG and check their daily diaries to see specifically what they are doing.
  6. Bufflehead

    Surgeon talked more about lap band!

    I didn't have the EDG, but I had an upper GI series. I was diagnosed with a small hiatal hernia, which was probably causing the minor, occasional issues I had with GERD. My surgeon said that my sleeve surgery would be a great time to fix the hernia, and he did. I haven't had any troubles with GERD since my surgery. I take my PPI's religiously.
  7. Bufflehead

    post-op prep

    This is a copy & paste from a post I did a couple days ago under the "Recommended products from Amazon" topic: Looking back at my order history I got: Cuisinart mini food processor KitchenAid immersion blender Mini ice cube trays (for little ice cubes, best for mixing in shakes/smoothies) Premier Protein chocolate drinks Wellesse liquid multi-vitamin, Calcium, & Iron Lots of Kindle books and instant movies/tv series to stream while home recovering heating pad chelated zinc supplement (to prevent hair loss - chelated zinc is easier on the stomach than zinc glutonate) 32 oz. Bubba Keg -- I fill it with water and ice each day and sip, helps get in my fluids Fusionbrands poach pods - for making perfect poached eggs Omicron wrist blood pressure monitor - all patients on HBP meds are required by my doctor to monitor their blood pressure 2x/daily after discharge Syntrax Matrix and Syntrax Nectar protein powders (Matrix = mint cookie YUM), Nectar = Fuzzy Navel, Roadside Lemonade, Lemon Tea) Food thermometer (to make sure hot drinks are the proper temp to stir in protein without curdling it) Fuzzy anti-skid socks for use in walking slippery hospital hallways The three things I would have gotten if I didn't already have them were a digital kitchen scale, a good small blender, and mini-muffin pans (to make the "bites" recipes from the World According to Eggface blog -- she has tons of great post-surgery recipes!). Good luck to you!
  8. Bufflehead

    IM GOING BALD!

    I came into this game with a lot more hair loss than most vsg patients experience after it. I just had surgery last month so I haven't started surgery-related hair loss yet, but I am sure it's just around the corner. Now I can pretty much hide most of my hair loss with Toppix or Nanogen, but if I lose more, I'm not going to be fooling anyone other than myself. So I have an appointment here tomorrow: http://www.hairforwomenhpi.com/ they do custom hair pieces and wigs for women. Supposed to be one of the best places in the country. I may need to sell off some of my investment funds to be able to afford it, but I think it's worth it. I'll be sure to report back (I have mixed feelings about this, hence the conflicting emoticons)
  9. Bufflehead

    Grams of protein

    My minimum is 75 g and I usually get between 75 & 80. I'm on puree stage.
  10. I had to push my seat in my car forward this weekend so I could more comfortably reach the pedals and steering wheel. My seat has been pushed all the way back for forever! Guess my butt is getting a little smaller.
  11. My parents gave me a sizeable gift certificate for Amazon pre-surgery to help me get the things I needed. Looking back at my order history I got: Cuisinart mini food processor KitchenAid immersion blender Mini ice cube trays (for little ice cubes, best for mixing in shakes/smoothies) Premier Protein chocolate drinks Wellesse liquid multi-vitamin, Calcium, & Iron Lots of Kindle books and instant movies/tv series to stream while home recovering heating pad chelated zinc supplement (to prevent hair loss - chelated zinc is easier on the stomach than zinc glutonate) 32 oz. Bubba Keg -- I fill it with water and ice each day and sip, helps get in my fluids Fusionbrands poach pods - for making perfect poached eggs Omicron wrist blood pressure monitor - all patients on HBP meds are required by my doctor to monitor their blood pressure 2x/daily after discharge Syntrax Matrix and Syntrax Nectar protein powders (Matrix = mint cookie YUM), Nectar = Fuzzy Navel, Roadside Lemonade, Lemon Tea) Food thermometer (to make sure hot drinks are the proper temp to stir in protein without curdling it) Fuzzy anti-skid socks for use in walking slippery hospital hallways All of the stuff I got was prime-eligible by the way. Quick delivery and no shipping costs!
  12. Bufflehead

    Worried about Quality of Life PostOp

    I do think those weight charts are accurate (for most people, bodybuilders, for example, are a different story). Your friends trying to tell you they are not accurate for "today" sound like they want the medical establishment to just give up and declare everyone who is overweight is now "ideal weight!!!" so they (your friends) can feel better about themselves. My dad is 6'1 and if he gets over 185 he starts to look pudgy -- and he's 78. He usually keeps it down around 178 and looks great at that weight.
  13. I like the lighter flavors and textures. My favorites are the Syntrax Nectar fuzzy navel, roadside lemonade, and lemon tea; the Isopure Peach Mango (cut 50/50 with water or citrus mango flavor G2 Natural; Unjury Chocolate Splendor (I mix mine with Hood Calorie Countdown nonfat and sometimes add in either some peppermint extract or some PB2 chocolate), and the Premier Protein chocolate. If I'm in the mood for something thicker and sweeter, the Syntrax Matrix mint cookie flavor is my go-to.
  14. Bufflehead

    Pre op liquid diet

    I lost 16 lbs in two weeks on my pre-op diet. My diet was not a liquid diet. I kept calories under 1000 calories per day and got at least 90 g of protein per day. NO carb-rich, sugary, or fried foods permitted.
  15. The 4 oz of water per hour is a minimum floor, not a maximum ceiling (at least for every surgeon's plan I have seen). If you can do more and it doesn't bother you, go for it! No gulping though. And you may want to try variations on water -- warm tea (I found mint tea particularly soothing), G2, Powerade Zero, etc. They all help keep you hydrated.
  16. Bufflehead

    Sweet taste

    I had that problem too. I agree that the Syntrax Nectar flavors are not quite as sweet -- the Roadhouse Lemonade and Fuzzy Navel have a bit of tartness to them. I mixed a small amount of unflavored protein powder with my V8. Also the Unjury chicken soup was a godsend for me. Good luck to you!
  17. My surgeon says if three days go by without a bm, it's time to call in the cavalry -- milk of magnesia (use the smallest dose listed on the bottle). And I know a lot of people just do one dose of Miralax every other day, or a half dose every day, to keep regular. As far as incisional pain -- I had nasty pain from the site where my drain was. It took just a little over two weeks to completely resolve, and the nurse at my two week post op visit told me it takes some patients up to a month. And some patients have no incisional pain to speak of (LUCKY!). I hope yours goes away quickly. About moving early to purees -- yes I have heard of some surgeons doing that. Mine isn't one of them, by a long shot, but I know other very well respected surgeons who do.
  18. Bufflehead

    Cooked veggies

    My dr. says no cooked veggies until two months out and no salad or other raw veggies until six months out. But what's really important is what YOUR doctor says . . . did they give you a booklet or something for guidance?
  19. Bufflehead

    What Foods/Supplements Are Worth the Money?

    I really like the Syntrax Nectar powders, particularly the ones that mix well with water. I get tired of the thick, sludgy shakes mixed with any form of milk. My favorites of their flavors are Fuzzy Navel, Roadhouse Lemonade, and Lemon Tea. I use the Wellesse liquid vitamins - the multi-vitamin, calcium, and iron. I think they are great. They are not specifically bariatric formula so you may need to take a double dose. I have heard great things about Ostrim ostrich jerky but I'm at least four months away from being able to eat jerky and haven't tried it myself.
  20. Bufflehead

    Telling family

    I told my parents, three of my four siblings (I'm not close to my brother), and my oldest niece. Other than that only two close friends, one of whom happens to also be a work colleague. Anyway, when I told my family, I just sent them a group email one week before surgery. I live over 2,000 miles away from my all of family so telling them in person was not an option. When I told my family, I asked them that if they wanted to talk about it with other people, to keep it in the family or very close friends and keep it off of Facebook. I didn't want to ask them to keep secrets from other family members -- that's a tough position for them to be in -- so I left that up to their discretion.
  21. Bufflehead

    getting the vertical sleeve approved

    Your surgeon's insurance coordinator is going to be the most important person who can help you with this process. He or she should be familiar with all the major local insurance carriers, know their requirements, and know exactly how to tailor your insurance submission for the best chances of acceptance. That is the person who will put everything together and actually make the submission. As far as I know, things like personal letters only come into play if you have been denied and are appealing the denial. I never even saw my insurance submission, so I can't send you anything helpful there. I had a sit-down meeting with my insurance coordinator at my intake visit and we went over all my requirements in detail and set up a time-table for getting everything in. When it was all in, she submitted everything and I was approved in under 24 hours. So when you do have your appointment with your bariatric team, make sure you ask lots of questions about how they manage the approval process and what you need to do in order to have a successful submission package. Meet with the insurance coordinator if possible. I guess that's my best advice. Good luck to you!
  22. Bufflehead

    Unjury Chicken soup...... HELP

    I find it stirs in smoothly if I keep the water under 130. Between 130 & 140 is still too hot.
  23. Bufflehead

    Sleeping positions?

    I don't think it will affect anything. As long as it is (relatively) comfortable for you, you should be okay. It took me about 2 weeks to be able to sleep in any position other than my back, but then everything was good I'm not a doctor but I'm figuring that if my surgeon didn't put anything about sleeping position in his 70+ page manual for sleeve patients then I should be okay with sleeping in any comfortable position. Every other possible thing is covered I think!
  24. Bufflehead

    Getting Prepared for Surgery

    I love Unjury, especially the chocolate splendor and chicken soup flavors. I also really like the strawberry sorbet.

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