SqueakyWheel&Ethyl

Ha ha! I JUST purged my closet and am about to start on my dresser! Three garbage bags full of clothes to donate to Goodwill!

Love the recipe sharing. Thanks! But how does it taste? If I feel like I have to hold my nose to choke it down, I won't even want to try. But if the flavor is pleasing enough, I will try it and the recipe in your signature, too.

Me, too. And when I get bummed, "Ethyl" (my alter-ego... my body after surgery) whispers to me, 'that was a part of our past life. Remember? The life that didn't work for us? That's a toxin that hurts us. Those old memories will fade with time. We just need to turn our focus back to our new life - our rebirth. If we expect good changes, we must also expect habit changes. We ain't goin' back!"

Great! I wish more people would blog their happy stories. We need to hear these. Thanks for sharing yours.

I'm having this same issue. Looking forward to more comments. I just remind myself that if I did chow down it would just make me sick. And, I go look for protein. Seems after I drink a couple of ounces of a protein shake, that urge dies down.

You embrace faith. So, you already know that it all happens in His perfect timing. Perhaps, this reschedule was part of His Plan. Perhaps, it was done to avoid some problem you don't need! Perhaps, the new date opens the door for something wonderful to happen in your life... For your path to cross with someone special who otherwise would have never met you. Hold on, my friend. God has a Plan for you and this reschedule is a part of that. It will all fall into place and you will succeed. Keep having faith.

Today is my Day 10 post-op. I went back to work yesterday, prematurely. I tolerated the surgery well and am adapting to living with a feeling of heartburn in my sternum with each swallow. AND, for now, I'm okay with all that. I'm having a hard time getting the anesthesia out of my system. Historically, it's taken months after general anesthesia for me to feel 'normal' again. Thanks to my liver disease (PBC and NASH), my liver drags on processing toxins. I rarely drank before I knew I was sick, because one drink would make me really buzzed. Dental numbing would last hours longer than they would tell me to expect. Pain pills were always knocking me out. With some out-patient procedures, there were several times they were about to admit me because they couldn't get me to wake up. This forum is great for offering support to us. I hope I can meet others with liver disease (especially PBC or NASH) and those with problems with anesthesia to compare notes with and share helpful hints with.

Where does one find collagen to buy? What stores? Or off the Internet?

Strongly recommend Nexium, Protonix, Prilosec, or something comparable for post-surgery. Birdie, THREE protein shakes a day? THREE?!? How? I'm lucky to get one down over the course of a day. I balance them with cream soups made with double milk. Managing to meet my protein requirements that way. My dr has me on full liquids for three weeks. Then, purée. Can't wait. I can have scrambled eggs on the purée diet!

Thanks so much for all the helpful feedback. I LOVE THIS SITE!

51 years old. 5' 7" here. 253 starting weight. Sleeved 04/17. I'm taking full advantage of this site. Check out my before pics and read my blogs. I'm here if you need an ear.

I am Day 9 post-op. I had (still have) SEVERE GERDs pre-op for years. Have been on Nexium, but the surgeon switched me to Pepcid which was a TOTAL WASTE. I asked if I could go back to Nexium (left voicemail with surgeon's nurse). My pulmonologist that put me on it said I definitely need it, but to ask the surgeon. Surgeon's office never called me back. So, I went back on it and feel better. I've been opening the capsule and pouring it into pudding to swallow it. Not fun. 1. Is Nexium TABOO with VS? 2. Are capsules TABOO with VS? What are the ramifications for swallowing capsules? 3. If you take Nexium, do you just swallow the capsule, or take it another form? Thanks for all the advice!

Trust me. You won't feel satisfied at that particular moment. Why wouldn't you get the clearance from your PCP? That's usually one of the easiest things to check off your to-do list. My Medical Clearance from my PCP was 1 appt, including an EKG and blood draw in the office at the same time as the appt, along with the PCP's routine 5 minute exam. I was in and out of there in less than an hour. PCP sent the Medical Clearance to the surgeon that afternoon. Hope you get it quick, too.

A few years ago, I was down and discouraged about something I can't even remember now what it was. My mom, my best friend, said "just keep swimming, just keep swimming ..." And I laughed through my tears. It became our mantra. We would say it to each other. Especially while she was in isolation at MD Anderson with leukemia. And, later, at home while I held her hand. Those words just became our way of encouraging each other. Earlier today, I was wishing I knew how she felt about what I put myself through with this surgery. She was speaking through you. You don't have to believe it. I KNOW IT. Thank you for saying EXACTLY what I needed to hear tonight.

I dropped 16 lbs pretty fast, but have stalled the past couple of days. I logged my intake today (and for yesterday) and see that I had 18 gm of protein yesterday, and 300 cal. Today, I've had 39 gm protein and 629 calories. Is the stall because I UNDERSHOT (by accident) the past couple of days and Ethyl (my body's alter-ego) switched to survival mode?

Anything in liquid form counts toward your total fluid intake. 64 oz is recommended daily (preferably water, not coffee, milk shakes, of as, etc). For this plan, i was told to make sure you get in at least 48 oz total daily. 64 is the goal. Counting just water? Then count just water for logging water. Use common sense on what is water. WATER!

I'm on Full liquids for 3 weeks. Can't wait for scrambled eggs in the purée stage.

Let me introduce myself. I'm Squeaky Wheel. Otherwise known as "THAT PERSON." Had I not been That Person, I would have never had my surgery. Nobody CARES about your needs but you. You don't have to be mean. But, you MIGHT have to be assertive. Look at it this way. You're playing their game by their rules and doing everything expected of you to get approval. The insurance company works for your company. They are expected to do their job. If their rules states you qualify, and you have met all the criteria (their rules again), then they are expected to respond in a timely manner. So BE That Person. And Rock On.

GIRL POWER! Yea!

Bless your heart. It's tough enough to do what we do, but to hurl AND try to do the math on it, too? Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Your records aren't going to be scrutinized enough for that small portion to matter. No worries. Cut yourself a break.

That is a significant change! Way to go!

I can relate to your frustration. Fortunately, my surgeon's office runs like a well-oiled machine. My problem was my insurance company resisting to admit they would cover it. I suggest you just take over your checklist of things to do. Call your insurance company yourself (basically, just do her job) and send her copy on whatever must be kept in the surgeon's file. When you have everything done, THEN, camp out in her office while she faxes everything to the insurance company's Medical Director (the final approver). That's all she will be needed for. I did all the leg work myself and would just copy my Drs office on all of it. Sometimes, it's less stress to just do it all yourself. Good luck.

I have a handicapped little sister who is tube fed and takes in 24-32 oz of liquid nutrition daily. I track her water. At the end of every day, she should have taken in at least a total of 64 oz of liquid. I apply the same principal to me. 64 oz of fluid minimum daily.

Are we talking about less than 50 calories at question? Or less than 10 gms of Protein? And how do you know that you retained exactly half? I say record 1/2. It isn't like we are on a 3,000 calories per day diet.

I would be surprised to hear anything less than enthusiasm about the Mexico experience. There are so many who chose it, and obviously a competitive market for it internationally. If I wasn't fortunate enough to have double coverage, I would have probably gone that route, too. If I were a surgeon in a foreign country wanting to get a piece of the US VS surgery profits, I'd certainly put together a package that would be a far more appealing experience for the person shelling out the money.