Bufflehead

I'm not a medical person but I can tell you I wasn't feeling nervous before my surgery, but kind of numb and like I was on a speeding train and couldn't get off if I wanted to. Does that make any sense? Anyway, I declined the Versed (tranquilizer) shot in pre-op because I didn't feel like I needed it. I did fine with my recovery and no one in the hospital pre-op area thought it was remarkable that I wasn't nervous or freaking out before my surgery. I was educated and ready to go.

I think most surgeons have good insurance coordinators who know how to present the package correctly, and you can't do much more than sit and wait. I know that's tough! PS you have a great name

Try eating slower and eating less.

Accidents might result in a tracheal tube to help with your breathing, but that goes into the lungs, not the stomach. There is no reason an EMT is going to give you an emergency stomach tube to start feeding you on the roadside or in the ambulance.

Just be careful about the temperatures when adding protein powder to hot cocoa, soup, etc. Most protein powders will curdle if you put them in a liquid over 130F, so using a food thermometer is critical. You can also try mixing the protein powder separately with lukewarm water into a kind of slurry, and then stirring that into the hotter liquid. That sometimes prevents curdling.

Food that mashes down into a tiny pulp and slides through your stomach without engaging your restriction. My dietician said (jokingly) it is everything that starts with a "c" other than chicken or cauliflower: cake, candy, cookies, chips, cupcakes, (ice) cream, etc. Basically if it is carb-heavy or sugar-heavy it is likely to be a slider food.

Start an account on myfitnesspal.com and practice logging everything you eat Get a digital scale and practice weighing and measuring your portions Stop distracted eating: no eating with any lighted screen where you can see or reach it (tv, phone, tablet, computer) -- no distractions allowed other than company. Only eat sitting down at a table. Not standing up, not sitting on a couch, and definitely not in your car. Teach yourself to eat slowly -- I used the Eat Slower app for my phone to do that Take up a hobby that involves your hands: knitting, woodworking, anything along those lines.

You should be fine. I had no trouble taking care of three cats and a large dog completely on my own after surgery. I took my dog for four short walks every day and she was in heaven.

Hi Kat, You can buy protein powder samples lots of places. I would recommend that you plan to keep sampling after surgery, because many people find their tastes change after surgery. So don't invest in a big tub of something until you can confirm you like it after surgery. Here are some places to buy samples: http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/protein-powders/protein-powder-samples-1-serving.html http://www.mybariatricpantry.com/Bariatric_Protein_Samples_s/35.htm However, if you are looking for something to make hunger go away, I'm going to suggest something different -- lean protein and green veggies. You'll find them more filling and less caloric than most protein shakes. If you are hungry, have a hunk of roast chicken breast (no sauce!) and a big plate of broccoli. If you don't want dry chicken breast and broccoli, you aren't actually hungry, you are just experiencing a craving or head hunger. One of the most important things you can do pre-op is to teach yourself what hunger is and how to deal with it in an appropriate way. Sometimes that appropriate way is just learning that it is okay to be hungry. You CAN wait until your next scheduled meal, although it is unpleasant, you aren't going to starve to death. I really recommend the Beck Diet Solution (you can probably get it from your library). Another thing you can do (if you haven't) is set up a myfitnesspal.com account and get in the habit of measuring your portions and logging all your food. Going for a walk or getting some other light exercise every day is another way you can prepare for your post-op life that is free. Also, practice not drinking with your meals or for 30 minutes after. Download the "Eat Slower" app (free) for your phone and teach yourself to eat slowly. Make small dietary changes such as kicking carbonation and all liquid calories to the curb -- except any protein shakes you may be sampling, of course. I really do think that the most important changes you can make to prepare now are to work on general behaviors and your mindset around food, rather than trying to figure out what protein drink you might like -- especially since you may well find that your tastes are completely different post-op. But the behaviors and habits you can teach yourself now will really help you, and you can do those for absolutely no cost.

@@jane13 If I remember right, Unjury and Syntrax Nectar are 100% whey protein isolate, Syntrax Matrix is whey protein concentrate, and Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard is a mix of whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate, but more isolate than concentrate.

I like Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, Unjury (especially the Chocolate Splendor flavor), Syntrax Matrix, and Syntrax Nectar Sweets. I like Chike too, but all the brands I mentioned do have lower calories, lower carbs, and more protein than Chike.

If it were me, I would take the earlier date. Honestly, in my opinion, things like what you might need to explain to people and where you would exercise shouldn't really be factors. Getting healthy as soon as possible should be your no. 1 priority. You will be much happier on your trip to Paris if you are slimmer and more active rather than trying to comply with a pre-op diet or something. I don't understand your timing though -- if you have a late December trip to Paris planned, you'll be less than two months post-op, not three months out. Anyway, I would if at all possible hire a babysitter or caregiver to help with your child and around the house for the first few weeks while you recover (rather than have your husband take time off) and go for it ASAP. Tell your professors a bit ahead of time that your doctor has scheduled you for surgery and come up with a plan to make up any missed classes, labs, etc. I am a professor myself and this is not an unusual occurrence -- I and all of the colleagues that I know put our students' health first and want to do what we can to help and support them. Good luck!

Just eat about half the soup and you should be fine.

0 hours or days of regular help at home needed or planned for. I was fine. I did have my housekeeper come for an extra visit to take care of the heavier chores and change the kitty litter while I had a lifting restriction. She usually comes every other week and I had her come every week for the first four weeks.

Not sure what your plan calls for, but this seems awfully early to be experimenting with any sort of crunchy food. If you are allowed crunchy food, try making cheese crisps or sliced pepperoni crisps. If you aren't allowed crunchy food, put some salsa on top of refried beans, a poached egg, or stir it into your scrambled egg. This might be a good time to break mental habits like salsa = crunchy fried carb laden foods that will derail your weight loss.

1) My insurance requires a 6 month diet. I just had a baby this past December. I'm a diabetic so I had to follow a strict diet my while pregnancy. I saw my endo once a month. My question is, do you think this will count as my 6 months or will I need to start over? That really depends on your insurance company. Just based on the fact that most of them are unreasonable and strict, I would say plan for another 6 months of a supervised diet and if it turns out you are wrong, then you can be surprised and happy. Your surgeon's insurance coordinator should be able to give you more definitive guidance. 2) After my baby was born I ballooned in weight and it hasn't stopped. I've gained 60 lbs since then. I want to stop gaining and hopefully lose before my surgery. What kind of diets did people follow pre-op? (Not the 2 week liver shrink one) High protein, low carb, track EVERYTHING on MFP, no drinking calories. 3) After your insurance approved the surgery how long did it take for you to get the operation? I had to wait three weeks for my surgeon to have an available slot. 4) Last one! I'll need to pay 30% of the surgery plus my deductible. I'm getting the RNY. How much was your surgery cost (before insurance)? Did you need to pay it all upfront? And how did you afford the part insurance won't pay? I had the sleeve so I doubt the costs are similar. And I vaguely remember looking at the total pre-surgery cost but didn't retain what it was, so I really can't help there. With all my co-pays, deductibles, uncovered parts, etc. mine came to about $3,000 out of pocket, and I paid about half before and half after. I scrimped and saved for it and also put about half on a credit card.

Early on the only fruits I ate were berries, maybe an ounce per day. Later I added apples (maybe a half apple per day). That's about it during weight loss. For veggies, I will eat just about anything other than potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, and corn (which is actually a grain, not a vegetable, anyway).

That depends on your surgeon/dietician's plan for you. It certainly wasn't allowed on my plan -- I was on liquids and even when I moved to pureed and soft foods, high-carb, high-calorie, low-protein, low-nutrition foods such as rice were not allowed. My advice would be for you to have a protein shake and get some rest, you are still recovering from major surgery -- but I am not your doctor or your dietician and you shouldn't be taking advice from me or any other internet stranger. My real advice is that if you are unclear as to what is permitted on your eating plan, get in touch with the medical professionals who are caring for you. Good luck!

@@Babbs lol I do too. I have to weigh cheese when I eat it because I always want to eat about 2-3x more than I plan to.

I do a low-ish carb diet. I have meat and/or eggs and green vegetables at virtually every meal. I do moderate dairy: yogurt, whey protein powder, grass-fed butter, and occasionally small amounts of cheese. I eat fruit and nuts as snacks (in addition to jerky and more green veggies). Excluded: grains, starchy veggies, dairy milk, alcohol, beans and legumes, and sweets. I make rare exceptions on special occasions, but they really are rare. This particular plan works well for me because if I eat sweets or other carby foods my cravings go absolutely insane. This diet keeps them in check.

You can't treat throwing up blood with prayer. You need medical help or at least consultation for that. Call your surgeon. I know it is the weekend but he should have an after hours answering service that can get in touch with him.

Does your plan call for eating pizza at five weeks post op? My dietician would have horse whipped me, but I guess all plans are different. Working out is great but IMO not if you use it as an excuse to eat crappy food. If you need more food, maybe try something healthy like a tablespoon of almond butter or adding a couple of avocado slices to your bread-free tuna melt.

lip balm, a long charger for your phone, and a soft cotton sports/leisure type bra (no underwire) that fastens in front. And no matter how many helpful replies you get here, pack about half as much as you think you need. This is major surgery, not a spa vacation, and the hospital will have what you need.

@@Cdominguez no it isn't okay unless your doctor or dietician signs off on it. Internet strangers can't give you permission to eat off your dietary plan.

Most plans say you can have as much liquid as you can comfortably tolerate. Be careful and don't overload on high sugar/high carb items like fruit juice or whole milk, or high calorie items like "meal replacement" type protein shakes. Did your team not give you any guidance on what you are supposed to be drinking or the amounts? I had a big binder of info with permitted (and forbidden) liquids, daily targets for calories, carbs, fat, and protein -- do you have anything like that?