MicNic

Well, had surgery on Wednesday. I don't remember much about that day except that I was not as friendly as I could have been to the nursing staff's suggestions to get out a bed to use the restroom and to their annoucement that I would be getting my blood sugar checked every 6 hours. You may not know this but I HATE shots! So it was a bit of a shock to me that I would be getting blood thinners injected into my gut every 8 hours while I was at the hopsital. Luckily, they didn't hurt much (burn just a little) and must have worked great from the brusies all over my belly! My surgeon is Dr. Fearing with Mally Weight Loss. She is so incredibly nice! She was also very kind to my family and made sure to answer all of their questions and explained everything in good detail. I am now sitting at home (would rather be in the hospital) blogging while I wait for a nurse to call me back because I need help figuring out when to take what med. I am so tired, I feel like I have slept non stop for the last few days. Feels pretty good to sleep! The worst pain so far is getting up and sitting down. I didn't really think a head that my bed is high and climbimg into bed really isn't an option tonight, neither is lying down straight and trying to sit back up- OUCH! So I am camping out on my couch. I feel like this is rambling and I am having toruble keeping my eyes open so I am going to set my alarm for 3 hours and take some more medicine! Take care!

Good luck you two!

Well, met with the surgeon and did pre-op appt at the hospital. I am getting so excited! I am so hoping that it goes easy afterward. I have had my gall bladder out (15 years ago) and had 3 kids.. how hard can this be.. right?? haha. I am older now- I think it might be a little different then I remember! I am waiting for my unjury protein supply to show up today. I ordered a sample pack so that I can try it out and the unflavored protein. I figure since I like the portein shake I drink, maybe I could just add a little extra protein to it and it will be prefect! I am hoping that I loe the chicken flavored protein as much as the people did in the reviews. I plan on trying out all the flavors and then ordering the big bags of what I like. Bad part is that it take 4-5 days to get here. Surgery is schedule for 9a on the 17th. I keep wishing it would just hurry up and get here and then I see my list of to dos and I realize I have way more work to do then I have time. Probably good because it keeps me busy but bad because this site keeps pulling me back! It's like facebook only with less drama! Anyway- all is well here- just counting down the days!

So I am having surgery on Nov. 17th and while I am so ready to have this done, I think if it was scheduled for Dec. I would have to wait until the New Year. It has nothing to do with food. It has to do with family traditions. See, I don't know how I am going to feel after surgery and my kids are out of school for Thanksgiving week so I talked to my mom and she is taking them for fall break and fixing them thanksgiving dinner. Now I can rest and re-coup without having to feel pressure to preform tasks I am not ready for. But in Dec we have school programs, setting up the tree, decorating the house, christmas shopping, etc. Since I don't know how I long or hard the recovery from surgery will be or if the post op diet will drain my energy for a week or two- I wouldn't want to risk it. My family is very supportive of my decision and they understand that when my life changes- all of our lives change. They are already complaining that I won't stop for a Snacks like I used too. I tell them to get over it but that is snacks.. not christmas/family time! I think if you are really excited about it, you might be able to set it all up so that you will get through Dec with the surgery just fine. If at all possible start shopping for presents now, maybe set up for Christmas right after Thanksgiving, pretty much just move things up so that you can be sure to take a week off to focus on you after the surgery without guilt. I wish you the best of luck with whatever date you choose!

Is there anyone out there that doesn't have a weight goal? The people in my life that know I am having surgery keep asking what I am hoping for. My answer is always, to be here when my grandchildren are! I just want to be healthy. They ask what size I want to be. This question always stumps me. I don't have a "size" I want to be. I usually just say smaller. I know what I want.. I want to be able to go into a store and pick up an outfit for a wedding or a party without having to go to Lane Bryant or Catherine's. I want choices! I want to wear matching pj"s with my girls! I want my boobs to be much smaller! I don't have a weight and I am afraid that if I have a "goal" that I will freak out if it looks like I am not making it. I have been reading and reading on here. I am READY to get on with life after surgery. I like the idea of a 3 bite rule for sweets (sometimes you just have to have a bite!) I feel so empowered already and I haven't even had the surgery! It is just the fact that I know that I am doing somethng about my health and in turn it will make a difference in the health and well being of my family! I am so impressed with all of you guys. It is really nice to know that there is a place that I can go where my craziness is understood! I am looking forward to our "friendship" for many years to come!!

Well, things are going better. Still haven't been able to eat the protein shakes from GNC but I am doing great on a different kind of shake. So far down 13 lbs in a week. Hope the liver is down too! Tomorrow I go see the surgeon and then to the hospital for pre-op blood work. I can't believe that I only have one more week! While I thought this would be faster (private pay), I can not complain! I haven't had to jump through hoops like most of you to have the surgery or go through months of dietian appts and psych appts!! I can't even imagine how you guys did it! I have waiting! : ) Anyway, I will let you all know how tomorrow goes! Good luck to all of you hard-working people that are using your tool to better your lives and your families!! And- just in case she reads my blog.. Mommyoftwo (I think that is your name) your 3 month pics are awesome and SO motivating!! I was looking at them thinking.. 3 months..WOW! She has good genes! I really do appreciate all of you that post the pics that remind me that it really is possible!!

Oops! Blackberryjuice had the 3 month awesome pics! Congrats!!!

I can't be a mentor but I would love to talk and compare stories! I can also text, email, skype, etc! Hope you find someone with experience to lean on but if you are looking for someone that is where you are.. I have surgery on the 17th so we will only be a couple of weeks apart! I have LOTS to lose... : ) Oh and I am in Kansas. Mic

OMG yesterday and today were awful! I told you guys yesterday that I had a new protein shake from GNC, the one that tasted like cherry cream soda- well it didn't agree with me. Actually nothing has been agreeing with me! I talked to the nurse and she said to try switching my birth control pills to nights and try to get down as much protein as I could. I told her that I just couldn't do the shakes right now.. did anyone else get sick during the pre-op diet? I was sick with a little 36 hour stomach bug 2 days prior to starting the pre-op diet and I think the illness and the protein shake just don't agree. I will not be drinking those GNC shakes again.. I HATE throwing up. Yeah, I know might need to get used to it for a while but here is the deal- I have had three kids and with each of my kids I had morning sickness that lasted all day (and night) for 8 very long months. Yes, each kid! So while I can do it, I prefer not to! Anyway, on my pre-op diet today I had a steak with steamed broccolli and lots of tea and water. No protein shake. I took my BC pill tonight. I guess we will see how it goes. I feel like something is wrong. In October (when I was going to do the lapband), I was on the shakes for a week- no problems.. I mean NO PROBLEMS! This time it is just different. It is like my stomach knows I am getting ready to get rid of it and it is trying to punish me. Did anyone else have issues like these? The nurse said to stay low fat, low carb, high protein this weekend and if I can't keep a protein shake down on Monday to call the office. I have a pre-surgery appt with the surgeon on Wednesday to go over everything. I am so nervous that with all that is going on they will postpone the surgery or worse we will go ahead but they will find that my liver has not shrunk enough to do the surgery. I am private pay- I can NOT mess this up, you know? Just hoping that with a break this weekend, maybe it will all fall back into place , my stomach will settle, and I can do so well during the next week that there are not issues with the surgery or my liver! Thanks for listening, if you have any thoughts I would love to hear them!!

Yesterday I had the EDG and all went well! I have a small hiatal hernia, but nothing he said I needed to worry about for now. They did a biopsy to ensure that there is no infection, is that normal? I also got word that they needed to change the date of my surgery from Nov. 15 to Nov. 17th. Not a big deal but I do wish it was moved up instead of back! Currently, I am drinking a fruit punch protein shake from GNC. It taste like a cherry creme soda (without the bubbles!). Not bad, not thick (thank goodness!) I am feeling kind of yucky today. Hoping that goes away soon. I caught a little flu bug over the weekend and I think it is still running its course! I have been reading the forum and the blogs. I am so thankful for this site! I feel like I know what to expect so I am better able to plan ahead. My kids are off from school for the entire Thanksgiving week, after reading that I may have a hard time swallowing, need to walk but it might be painful, and just in general need to focus on me- I was able to work it out to send my kids to my moms for the week! Without all of you, I wouldn't have known what to expect and look for and the kids and I would have had a very rough week. Plus this way my kids still get to eat Thanksgiving dinner while I am sipping water and protein drinks! : ) I wish all of you a great day full of weight loss! Oh yeah- according to my scale I have lost 7lbs in 3 days. I love water weight!! hahaha

I started the liquid diet about a month ago when I was going to get the lapband, about a week into it I found out about the gastric sleeve and decided to have that instead so the liquid diet was put on hold until the VGS procedure could get worked out. Anyway, yesterday I started the two week pre-surgery liquid Protein diet and I am having a really hard time drinking the shakes this time. Serious nausea! I stopped by GNC to pick up some Isopure by Nature works (or something like that) hoping that maybe not having to swallow the thick Protein shake would be helpful. Anyway, those aren't too bad with a ton of ice! But they also had some prtein shakes that they recommended for people needing to increase their protein. Here is the information... I have a call into my surgeon to see if it meets the requirements of a low cal, low fat, high protein shake but I figured you all are the experts on how to make it 4 weeks on this stuff.. just let me know! Thanks! Amount Per Serving % DV Calories 280.00 Calories from Fat 10.00 Total Fat 1.00 g 2% Saturated Fat 0.50 g 3% Cholesterol 20.00 mg 7% Sodium 250.00 mg 10% Potassium 350.00 mg 10% Total Carbohydrate 7.00 g 2% Dietary Fiber 1.00 g 4% Sugars 2.00 g Protein 60.00 g 120% Calcium 280.00 mg 28% Micronized Amino Acids: 8.50 g ** Glutamine (as whey Protein Isolate and Micronized Glutamine) ** Arginine (as Micronized Arginine and Whey Protein Isolate) ** Leucine (as Whey Protein Isolate and L-Leucine) 7.70 g ** L-Carnitine (as L-Carnitine L-Tartrate) 500.00 mg ** Amino Acceleration System: 239.00 mg ** Carbogen ** Aminogen ** Patented Bioactive Polypeptide enzyme ststem ** Enzyme Matrix ** ** Daily Value (DV) not established Other Ingredients: Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Hydrolyzed Whey), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Polydextrose, Lecithin, Cookie Bits - (Dextrose, Salt, Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Sodium Bicarbonate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Flour, Palm and Palm Kernel Oil Blend, Soy Lecithin, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)), Titanium Dioxide, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium

Hey Dawn, Wow small world! I have my endo set for tomorrow (and I am nervous!!) and my surgery is also set for Nov. 15th! Today they were talking about possibly needing to move it back to the 17th but I haven't gotten the final word. So it looks like we will be ding this together! It will be fun to compare our progress.. good luck tomorrow!

Hello Marliee, I don't know the answer to your question but I am also currently on the liquid diet and I feel for you! My daughter's birthday is Nov. 8th and I promised her that I would eat a small dinner with her and have a piece of cake. I started the liquid diet early so that I could hopefully make up for the birthday dinner. I do not think you are less serious about the surgery just because you want one last meal. I think everyone is going to have to deal with this differently. I would hope that one meal wouldn't be the end all if you have done what you were supposed too. I am sure that you doctor would also understand, you might give him a try. Chances are you won't want to eat that much anyway. I started the liquid diet about a month ago when I was going to have the lapband and when I decided to switch to the sleeve the surgeon told me to go eat and not to think about the diet again until we got everything set up. I spent the next 3 days feeling like a mental case! I had just spent a week on liquids only and now I could eat? Should I be careful? Would it mean I wasn't serious if I didn't keep it up? In the end I decided that I have the rest of my life to worry and be careful so I took my surgeons advice and ate when I was hungry. I had Thanksgiving with my family a month early (just to make sure that I got some because at the time we were not sure when they would be able to schedule the surgery). I hope you talk to your doctor, I would really hate for it to be something that would mess up all of your hard work. All the doctor's are so different! Mine is fine with it because it is just one meal. Good luck!

This is the information for the Bariatric Advantage Meal Replacement that my Dr reccomends.... Nutrient Amount % DV Calories 150-160 Protein 27 g 54% Carbohydrate 8 g 3% Fiber 5 g 20% Sugars 0.5 g Fat 1.5-2 g 3% Saturated Fat 1 g 5% Vitamin A 50% Vitamin D 50% Vitamin E 50% Vitamin K 50% Vitamin C 50% B1 50% B2 50% B6 50% B12 50% Niacin 50% Biotin 50% Pantothenic Acid 50% Folic Acid 50% Calcium 15% Copper 50% Iodine 50% Iron 35% Magnesium 20% - 24% Phosphorus 15% Zinc 50% Potassium 190-230 mg 7% Sodium 320 mg 13% Selenium 50% Manganese 50% Molybdenum 50%

Good Luck! I will be having the surgery in 2 weeks and I can't believe that after a week you went for a hike!!

Hello! I am new to all of this- I was set to be "banded" on the 29 of Sept. but talked to a few people on lapbandtalk.com and found so many that had switched over to the sleeve. My insurance won't cover this so for me, finding the correct procedure the first time is so important. I have been one this site off and on for several days now and I am amazed and excited at everyone's results. I know that it is going to be a rough journey but you guys are helping me see the light at the end of the tunnel! Anna- You look simply amazing! You have been so supportive of others here and your kind heart shows. Congrats on all of your success and it keep up the good work!