jessiquoi

as a fellow diabetic (i'm Type 1), my first question to you is "how are your blood sugars?" if you're staying on top of them, great. if not, can that be the reason you're seeing double and can't stay awake? keeping your blood sugars optimal is, of course, first priority as being alive is a prerequisite for surgery.

too soon to feel regrets! you have just had major surgery, and you need to allow yourself time to heal. keep reading people's stories. and, you may want to join one of the threads that are just for October sleevers, they'll all be in similar places to you. search for OCTOBER in FORUMS

i think it also depends on some individual things too... like, i'm 57 and i don't bounce back as quickly as i did even in my 40s.... like, i'm a Type 1 diabetic and we don't heal as quickly as others... i feel like Comeflywithme. i want to have my eating down pat before i have to go to work, because my job is nonstop all day and sometimes i forget what time it is, forget to go to the bathroom, eat, etc...

i was told to stay home for 4 weeks. i plan on taking one week leave and teleworking 3 weeks. is that an option for you?

ROFL sorry but you cracked me up. i think we need a "Humor" section in the forums

First of all, losing 53 pounds in 5 months is awesome! congratulations on doing that, especially with the little support you've had. i like that you said you are concerned about doing "normal people things", and that you're reaching out for help. i understand that you have limited resources, so coming to this forum was a great thing to do. you can get great answers here. i think that tracking your Protein intake and your calorie intake for a week or so will help you get a handle on what you need to modify in your diet, if any. people who are exercising heavily will definitely need more calories than people who are not, but without knowing what your intake is, we can not offer concrete suggestions. do you think you could track for one week and then come back and ask for more specific suggestions?

if you have nausea and vomiting, please call your doctor and maybe they can give you something for that. i have read many people getting anti-nausea meds post surgery. you need to keep what little you are getting in you IN you.

walking 8 hrs a day?!?!?! i don't get to do that a week on my job, you lucky person.

strangely, i'm not as afraid of the liquid diet since i had to do only clear liquids for a day prior to my colonoscopy/endoscopy. of course, that was only one day, but during that day i learned that i can be hungry and not die lol. also, i am very lucky that my surgeon only requires 4 days of liquids pre-op. i reallllly feel for you that need to do more.

good luck, i wish you a speedy recovery.

i didn't have an upper gi, but i did have a colonoscopy with my endoscopy, and had to drink yukky stuff for that. it was awful, and i didn't do a great job at it... i had to dilute it way more than the directions called for, and in the end i was still only able to drink half. i'm like you, i have trouble with gagging on yukky stuff, even holding my nose. when i got to the hospital for the tests, the nurse told me not to worry, as long as i drank most of it, and on the final report, it said that i had excellent preparation (read: cleaned out colon). i don't think you have to take a laxative before the surgery, but you will most probably be on liquids only before hand so it probably won't be an issue. just remember you can get through anything and keep your eyes on the prize. i believe it's ok to whine about these things too, so feel free to let it out if you want to.

no after pain either, once you wake up. i had no issue, and i was really nervous about it as well. you can relax about this one.

if you don't want to drink the chemicals in crystal light and get tired of water, don't forget herbal tea. there's a lot of delicious flavors available. my favorite is Tazo Passion. awesome fruity flavor!

i'm sorry that you're facing that. who knows why they are acting that way... but the important thing is that you don't let it get you down! you have all of us for a support group, and we'll understand and echo your feelings every step of the way.

it was a no brainer for me. i was nervous about it too, but they put me to sleep and i didn't feel a thing.

your surgeon had to submit a date of surgery for them to start the approval process, i'm guessing. that's how mine worked. i too got very excited when the insurance company told me my date of surgery was 11/28, but doc's office says definitely no earlier than 11/4 now. still pending approval.

i'm in the same place as you are. i was submitted 2 weeks ago, and have been calling every 3 days. still pending. how frustrating to be so close and yet so far!

this is awesome. i never even heard of butter extract. i am so glad that i looked at this recipe forum!

@@stanpry, no doubt that cooking at home is healthier in many ways... but as an active working woman, previously a single mom, i can guarantee that there will be people who would prefer to purchase ready made food.

i think that for many of us, our weight issues have caused us to be less confident and less able to debate even things we wholeheartedly believe in. i also think that most of us will improve in these areas after losing our excess weight. maybe those of us who are selective about who we tell (myself included) will become more open as we gain emotional strength.

this is one side effect i am looking forward to, and my boyfriend even more! i'm ALWAYS hot now, and i keep the thermostat down to 67 all year round. my poor guy has to sleep with so many blankets, and i sleep without any. it will be good to meet him halfway at the least!

i'm totally interested, and very good at entrepreneurial adventures. i think it's a fabulous idea!

that's great! it's so good to read these first hand accounts from people i've been following since their pre-op journey.

and.... they're still pending! it's been three weeks since i've been submitted. i just got aetna to agree to have their nurse call my surgeon's office to try to facilitate this happening. i've been calling at least once a week. frustration! if i have to have my date moved back yet again i will scream. i'm so stressed about this i have been eating, and i don't want to lose this whole thing by ending up having a net gain. frustrating! so happy for those of you who are having an easier time of this.

@@CowgirlJane, you are never too old. i think the older we get, the better we are at relationships regardless of our weight, just because we're more experienced and wiser. i always hoped but never expected i would find such a satisfying relationship at my age (i'm 57 and we met last year in April). and, we met online. i've been online dating for 10 yrs since i left my husband, and although i always prefer meeting someone organically (ratio of organic:online relationships in 10 yrs = 2:3), online dating has been one venue that i would suggest keeping open. you never know who you're going to meet. i found the key is being incredibly honest in your profile... so honest that you would turn off anyone who isn't going to be in to you. anyway, it worked for me. i'm glad you had fun! before i met John, dating was my favorite hobby.