cookies

How often did you get up and walk during the night? And you were up and walking right after getting to your room from recovery? I hope I can do that.

Just buy salad/dessert plates. They're half the size.

I saw an ad for this about a month ago and it looks like so much fun. Someday I hope to do it (although I'll be walking, not running, due to bad knees). I also found a Zombie 5K which looked like fun, too.

I think with BCBS it depends on your individual policy. I'm with BCBS and they do not pay for any type of weight loss surgery--at all--with our policy.

I'm not at this point (yet), but I had a question. If we are at the point where we can eat mushies, in general, are people allowed to have oat bran? Because one or two tablespoons of oat bran cooked in the microwave with a bit of milk has definitely taken care of this problem for me in the past. Tasty, too. I just don't know if bran would be considered too "rough" for our sleeves.

Yep, botox will take care of it. I'm like you. I don't have any wrinkles around my eyes, everything else is nice and smooth...and I have "the elevens" between my eyes. And yes, I'll be getting botox on them one of these days. Right now, I'm sporting bangs, so it doesn't bother me as much. Makeup won't do anything, and don't waste any money on miracle "cremes" that say they'll do it either; they really don't work.

Yeah, normal. In fact, when I had my lapband surgery, on our list of "things to bring" to the hospital were feminine products because surgery causes the blessed event to arrive early for some, or spotting for others. And sure enough...day three there she was... lol.

I'm getting a revsion and my surgeon said there was no way to know about scar tissue until he's "in there". So, while I'm hoping for an all-in-one procedure (removal of band and the sleeve), if there's too much scar tissue, he'll close me up and I'll have to do the sleeve in a couple of months. Yeah, from what he said, there's no way to know ahead of time.

(whoops, it printed twice, so I'm erasing this one)

Caffeine stimulates the appetite as well; something we're looking to avoid after being sleeved.

Thanks for this post. I never think of blood clots being in areas like that...and so far from surgery, too. I hope you recovery quickly.

Oh yesssss... You're body is now getting no caffeine, no sugar, and is switching to low carb. Plan to feel like crud for a few days. I'm day three in and still have my headache. The good news is this too shall pass. When I've done high-Protein liquid diets in the past at around day 5 or 6 it seems to resolve and I get tons of energy. I'm hoping that happens here.

I'm currently on a mostly-liquid pre-op diet (two shakes, one Protein bar, and a "sensible meal"). I'm using the nectar Protein powder, although I do have some Premier shakes I could switch to. Anyway, I'm having some issues that I hadn't expected. After drinking a shake I am extremely nauseous for about an hour. I'm a little concerned because if this is happening now, when my stomach is whole and not recovering, what will happen after I'm sleeved? Yikes. Has anyone else had this issue? If so, how did you solve it?

I don't think NSAIDs are as big of a deal as far as MedicAlert bracelets go. In an emergency, they're not going to be giving you NSAIDs. By the time you're taking anything by mouth, you should be conscious and able to say, "I can't have NSAIDs". It's the NG Tube thing that I'm worried about. If unconscious, I would want to let them know that they can't do a blind NG Tube.

I feel like I've gone crazy preparing. I have different types of Protein (shakes, powder, hot chocolate, Jello, pudding, broth -- I don't know what will taste good after surgery...lol), a heating pad, Gas X strips, Gatorade and Propel, baby spoons, small plates, crystal light, my Vitamins, and liquid Tylenol. I hope that's all I'll need.

There are stacks of acid relief meds out there. There are plenty of options. Just call your surgeon, explain the situation, and ask for a different med -- preferably one that is generic. Other PPIs (of which one is Nexium) include Omeprazole (Prilosec and a generic version), lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (AcipHex) and pantoprazole (Protonix). Maybe get some prices first and then ask your doc if any of these might be appropriate.

Do you have a home? A home equity loan might work.

Hoarding is a mental illness...one that you can't "fix" for him. If you want to be a help to him and the others in your life you have to prioritize yourself first and take care of yourself. This seems like a very tough situation.

May 22nd for a revision. I'm hoping they can do the two procedures in one. We'll see.

I'm sure I'll be an anxiety-ridden mess once this settles in and hits me, but right now I am so excited. I finally have my surgery date (revision) set for May 22nd! I start my pre-op diet this weekend (basically, as soon as I get to the grocery store). I was actually hoping to be doing all liquids (I find it easier than having to navigate the weird world of food), but I'm doing two shakes, one Protein bar, and one "sensible meal" a day. Should be do-able. My schedule has suddenly become jam packed with support group meetings, pre-op testing at the hospital, a surgery education appointment, an appointment with my surgeon to discuss pre-op testing results, an IVC filter placement date and all the rest. I have the feeling I am going to be a very busy girl until surgery...ha!

Maybe it's just because I'm a wimp, but I think I would be one hell of a squeaky wheel if I was under a ton of pain after the surgery and none of the meds were working. I mean, sure, there will be pain--it's a major operation--but you shouldn't be in that much pain that you feel it's excruciating or something. There are plenty of different pain killers out there. I'd definitely be on the horn to the surgeon and asking for something different. They really don't want you in a ton of pain. People recover better if they have their pain under control and are able to move around and do their walking to relieve the pain, etc.

Yeah, I'll second the Premier Protein shakes. I've been taste-testing in preparation and it's the best I've found so far. And I love most brands of the high protein, sugar-free hot chocolates that you get from bariatric places. For some reason they have less of an aftertaste for me.

I think you're smart to start walking now. I really need to do the same thing. My knees and back, though...ugh. BUT, it's not like they're going to miraculously improve the day after surgery when I have to be walking, so I should get it started now. A good reminder.

Not true. One large egg has nearly 7 grams of protein. Four grams of that is in the white, 2.7 grams is in the yolk. One cup (8 ounces) of egg whites (only) has 26 grams of protein and just 2 carbs. And yes, the protein in eggs is incredibly good for you and the amino acids in eggs are 100% bio available.