Miss Mac

I just recently got switched over to Bariatric Advantage Multi EA, a combination multi and all of the other supplements I was taking, except the Calcium. It is a horse pill as round as a dime and as thick as a pencil. I could not swallow it whole, and I could not swallow it cut in forths because it got caught in my throat both ways. What I ended up doing is taking it during the night with blueberry flavored applesauce. That seems to be working.

Yes...details please. I am just gobsmacked at all of the doctors we hear about that leave their patients so unprepared over such an important issue. Please call your doctor for a clarification. That being said, I was sleeved last December. My post-op diet was fast tracked, I was released to start full liquids as soon as I got home on day three. I was allowed purees at 1 1/2 weeks, soft at 3 weeks, and whole foods at 4 1/2 weeks. Your doctor may not want you to proceed that quickly, so please check to get some peace of mind.

My daughter who is not sleeved has children 6, 3 1/2, 14mo. We were talking about bariatric hair loss the other day, and she said she had hair loss with all three of her children. But it grew back nice and thick. She said hers was mostly around the forehead, raising her hairline a bit.

There are grocery stores about anywhere there is town (well, except for a resort I went in Wisconsin on a business training week - the nearest grocery was like twenty miles away). Use your Google head to locate grocery stores along the path you are traveling. Last year (pre-op) I took a three day trip with my daughter. She is a vegetarian. If we stopped at McDonalds, we both got salads and I had chicken with mine. Yes, I had a few of her fries and did not feel bad about. We got Thai takeout, and she got her usual noodley something and I got a dish that was mostly veggies. We ate a small family restaurant and she got a Portobello mushroom salad, and I got a grilled Portobello sandwich. We took Snacks in a cooler: cheese, fruits, coconut Water, plain water, etc. We also packed dry snacks like Protein bars, Peanut Butter crackers, and nuts. Your best advantage will be to plan ahead, so that you can have some control. You might be able to eat similar to what she eats with modification to suit your post-op concerns. Also, if you can anticipate what places you might be stopping, plan your eating around what they offer, supplemented with the O K goodies you bring. And if you have a couple of fries, who cares. Relax and enjoy your trip!

Please understand that when I comment on relationship questions, I come from the place of having thrown two jerks to the curb. It's been shown by other posts on this site that this surgery inevitably will have some kind of impact on personal and business relationships. That can be good if the people you care about are supportive and rejoice in your improved health and longevity. It can be rough if those around you are unsupportive and challenge your decision to have bariatric surgery. As a woman fully grown, you should be able to stand your ground and not let anyone run interference on your decisions regarding any aspect of your healthcare. My mean o;' rotten second ex-husband did everything he could to prevent me from going to the doctor for medical care. If I made any attempt to lose weight, he would respond with pies and cakes and Crispy Cream donuts. He even told me once as we sat down to dinner that I ruin every meal with vegetables. Don't let it happen to you. It's YOUR body, so he needs to either get on board with the surgery or get out of your way. Arrange for someone else to take you to the hospital and be your voice while you are there. Once you have the surgery, what can he do? You can't undo a sleeve or bypass. If he is a jerk and feels threatened that your sexy self will leave him in the dust, then all the more reason to handcuff him to the kitchen sink pipes while you go take care of business. If his reluctance is out of fear of losing you to drastic complications, then you need to educate him on the subject and let him know that a healthier happier you will live longer and feel better. He will have you around much longer to enjoy your companionship. Don't let him or anyone else diminish your decision to be in control of yourself. You need to be the Roadrunner, going where you need to go and doing what you need to do, no matter how many obstacles Wiley Coyote puts in your way. Now march in there Young Lady (with a poncho on) and let the proverbial s**t hit the proverbial fan. Be strong. Stand tall. And take charge of your health and your future. If he doesn't like it, oh well. Walk out that door and go get healthy! We will be rooting for you to be confident and powerful!

Fish oil pearls did it for me. Miss Tummy gives them right back. I even froze them thinking that would be better. Wrong.

Every day I eat great food. Just in the smaller amounts that Miss Tummy can process. And I am here to tell you that potato chips and Twinkies do not qualify as great food. Tonight for dinner I had 1 1/2 oz of chicken grilled outdoors, 1/3 cup fresh broccoli with cheese, and four cucumber slices that came from our own garden produce. Wednesday night I had 2 oz. grilled steak and a few fresh greens Beans prepared from our garden produce and 1/2 plum tomato. For lunch today, I had 1/3 cup of homemade chili with 1/2 ounce of cheddar cheese. If I want a turkey sandwich, I will take a leaf of endive or lettuce, I will put mayo on there, but just enough to say I did, add 1 1/2 ounces of sliced turkey, and 1/2 ounce of Swiss cheese, and a thin slice of tomato. Roll it up and ta da, a turkey roll-up that tastes just fine. My boyfriend is the cook in this home because he is so much better at it than I am. (He cooks, I clean up. Compromise - fair enough deal) He respects my restrictions and adapts his recipes to what I need. For example, he makes Breakfast omelet quiches. He eats the crust, and I don't. There is nothing that I eat that I do not want to eat. I just don't eat it in addition to the manufactured crap I used to. We eat well, but we just modify quantities and content to meet the requirements of my program. Less food does not have to mean worse food. As a matter of fact, many of us since having the surgery and eating more nutritiously are dropping meds as well as pounds, and coming off of diabetic medications as well. I just got blood work results yesterday, and I found out that I am no longer pre-diabetic. All of my values were in the normal range. Yeah, the surgery may cramp your style for a while, but your body and it's internal systems will thank you right away.

pills post op have been no problem, until today. I got some bariatric Vitamins prescribed by the doctor to eliminate all of the other supplements I was taking (except calcium). I opened the bottle any saw they they are as big around as pennies and as thick as a pencil. I took the first one and it got hung up in my throat. I kept taking small sips of my shake until it finally dissolve enough to go down. That was uncomfortable, so I located my pill cutter and cut several of them in four pieces. I will have to take four pieces for a dose, but at least they will go down now.

Don't know until I get them. I was attracted because of the cola flavors and then saw all of the others. They are liquid drops and come concentrated in squeeze bottles of various sizes.

Due to body dysmorphia, I was down 40 pounds before I felt like I did not need those same clothes anymore. I was fortunate enough to be able to pass them on to one of our sleeve sisters here on the forum who was in need. But altogether since my surgery, I have had three closet flushes. Those items that she declined I set out for a charity truck that comes by every couple of months.

I found a website for a company called Cappella Flavor Drops. They make 50 flavors of unsweetened drops that you can add to Water or your shakes. These are the flavors I bought, but they have so many others: Cola, Cherry Cola, Peach, Pina Colada, Concord Grape, Boston Cream Pie, Apricot, Orange Creamsicle, and Cherry. I paid $32.90 plus postage for seven flavors. I am hoping the cola flavors will help with the absence of soda pop. I was thinking with the plain cola flavor I could add a slice of lime for that Lime Coke flavored. When they come, I will let everyone know if it was worth the money. If you want to check them out, they are at capellaflavordrops.com

There are two ways I make my smoothies. If I want something creamy, I will use chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla Protein powder and almond milk. If I want something lighter, I will add a fruit flavored Syntrax to Crystal Lite lemonade. The grapefruit with lemonade tastes like Fresca (my favorite which I drink when I am in a deep funk about soda pop). Instead of lunch today I had a shake made with almond milk, chocolate protein, 1/2 banana and one tablesoon of Peanut Butter, but the weather was cool here today, so the shake did not feel haevy. On a hotter day, I will have a lemonade based shake. Somwhere soon into my post-op, I came across some cranberry-grape Protein Powder which I mixed with sugar free cranberry juice. This and the lemonade based ones are a lower calorie choice for me.

My first husband of 23 years was not a d**k to start with, but he turned into one. We got married too young - I was 19, he was 20. As we grew into mature adults, our interests became miles apart. he was not a smoker, but he became a prolific cheater. My church upbringing had trained me to "pray and stay", but when Aids became a serious topic, I could not continue because of risks to my own health. I left with my clothes and my dignity and our daughters (ages 15 and 17). Guess what? He helped us pack. Then he asked me to make him a sandwich before I left. My last words to him were "Make your own damn sandwich!" I filed for divorce (pro se - no lawyer) from another state and got the divorce without any trouble. My second husband of 10 years was a d**k from the start but he hid it very well. He quickly become controlling and soon we built a new house ten miles out in the country down a gravel road in between the corn and the Beans, 1/4 mile from a paved road. He even isolated me from my family for that time. I believed that because he did not hit me, I should just "pray and stay". But the psychological abuse became worse. The verbal abuse went from privately at home to publicly everywhere we went. I began to think I deserved being treated badly because that is the way that two husbands perceived me. Then it got to where he was throwing things at me and eventually threatened my life - big concern as we had five loaded guns in the house because of his paranoia. I slept with my clothes on, never knowing when I might have to flee. I even thought that maybe I should just walk into the swamp that was on the property lne and drown myself because when he kills me that is where he would ditch my body anyway. Even though my name was on the mortgage, it was HIS house and HIS furnishings. He was a smoker, too and was not about to quit because of anything I said. With the help of my employer, I left from work early and went to a womens' shelter. They helped me get a professional's perspective and file for divorce and the county paid for it, since it involved life-threatening abuse. The sheriff arranged for me to get my stuff while he was absent from the house. Once again, I left with my clothes and my dignity and my life, and never looked back. I moved 250 miles away. After that, I took a two year break from relationships to get my head together and decide who I am when no one else is deciding when to eat and where to go and what to watch on TV. I did not know who I was after going from Daddy's good girl, to first hubbys door mat to second hubby's slave (that's a sad story not to be told here - I escaped from a psycho-savage and lived to tell about it), I went back to college and finished my degree at the age of 54. I reconnected with my daughters and have them and a sister nearby to give me that family closeness that I missed out on for ten years. Eight years ago I met an amazing gentleman who treats me like the queen of the universe. He is a gift and treats me so well. My family includes him in their lives and my grandchildren crawl over him and love him like a grandpa. He smokes and I don't like it, but he has not asked me to change and I have not asked him to change. We have accepted each other as we are and it makes life so much easier. Now, I have said all of that to say this: You have to pick your battles. Cheating is a good reason to leave. Abuse is a good reason to live. You have to decide if the smoking itself is the reason you want to leave, or are their other legitimate deal-breakers building up? Have you outgrown each other? Do you argue constantly? You have already said that you guys do not communicate for days. It sounds to me like their is a volcano of hurt and emotion boiling under the surface. Does he still love you or are you just used to each other? Do you still love him? If not, then you have to quit thinking "I live him, so why does he treat me this way?" and start thinking "Why would I live someone who treats me this way?" When I was at the doctor to have an injury treated, I told him the truth about where my injuries were coming from and he asked me "Then why are you still there?" So I am asking you to consider this: Chill out and make up until after your surgery. You wouldn't be the first couple to search back and find that common ground that brought you together, then build a compromise you can live with. Maybe he can smoke outside on nice days. Get Hepa filters for your furnace. Get those smoke grabber machines (some are small - hubby #2 and a couple of them that were attached to ash trays, and if he was using that ash tray, he would turn it on) There are smoke killer air fresheners. There are any number of ways to reduce your exposure. I even put a small fan by my side of the bed so that when my dear sweet boyfriend lights up, it will blow the smoke right back to him. Then when you have your surgery, you will know exactly how he feels about you. Let him take you to the hospital. Will he stay while you are prepared for surgery? Will he hold your hand when the nurse puts in your IV? Will he be in the recovery room when you come to? Will he come to your bedside as often possible to be your voice when you are weak from the anesthetic and stress of surgery? When you get home will he do the laundry, make Soup for you, go shopping to get things that you need for proper recovery? Will he be sensiitive about what he eats in front of you while you are adjusting to your new tummy boss? (and your tummy WILL be your new boss). Will he pick flowers from the garden (or the flower case at the store) and bring them to your bedside? By the way he treats you, will know what you need to do when you are strong enough to do it. But, in order for him to properly express how he feels, you need to remove the frustration factor. You have to know where you stand when you are not in his face about the smoking. You have to clear the air, so to speak. So, go back to your wedding day and look for clues that will help you find your balance and then decide if your marriage can be saved or if you have to step out and do your own thing. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I wish you good health and good luck.

Once when I was on the Atkns Diet, I lost 50 pounds. What I did was for every pound I lost, I saved back a one pound can of food. When I hit a major stall and gave up, I gave the cans to an organization that was having a food drive.

My plan says no fluids 30 minutes before or after, BUT........if I eat something a little spicey I will have a small sip of Water just to rinse around my mouth. One of my issues pre-op definitely was drinking a pint of soda or sweet tea with a meal which does extend the stomach. I do not want to extend Miss Tummy because I want her to stay tiny and easily satisfied. Yeah, I don't like adjusting to some of the rules either, but you gotta do whatcha gotta do.

Wait......she is 86 and your brother-in-law has no conscience about taking her money? I am guessing he is a least 50 years old. You not only need to have a heart-to-heart with hubby about your family funds, but your brother-in-law, too. Your hubby can't forget that there needs to be some back-up funds for your own household, plus college for your teenagers. I admire you for understanding that teens need their parents' time and attention now as much as when they were little. My girls are grown now, but I can tell you that they need you more than they will admit. And, if you allow them to have friends over under your supervision, you will at least know who they are with and what they are doing....even if it costs you extra for groceries.

Even though I have lost over sixty pounds, my belly still dominates the mirror image. I used to think that my full length mirror must be a circus mirror, so it got put behind the door where I never have to see my full reflection. But now that this old gal is shrinking, I have gotten bolder with looking behind that door. Today, I even put on a elt with my house dress just to see my waist. I do not hate my mirror anymore.

If you don't get any more clear instructions on the pre-op liquids, here is the break-down of what is required from Loyola University Medical Center: 1) 4 1/2 cans of "High Protein" Slim Fast daily OR 2) 5 1/2 packets of "No Sugar Added " Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink with fat free or 1% milk daily. OR 3) 5 individual cartons of Atkins Advantage daily OR 4) 4 1/2 bottles of "Glucose Controlled" Boost daily. Notes: a) Each selection is approximately 800 calories and 60 grams of Protein. These instructions also allow Crystal Light, Water, decaf tea, sugar free gelatin and sugar free popsicles. c) Paragraph about diabetes: **If you have diabetes and are taking oral medications and/or insulin, you will want to discuss this with the doctor who manages your diabetes. You may also choose to use products that are NOT "low carbohydrate" versions. Make sure to monitor your blood sugars more closely as this is a very drastic change in your diet. Call your doctor if you experiencing high or low blood sugars. Caveat: My bariatric team is not your bariatric team, but you asked, so I put this out there as an example. It worked well for me, but your mileage may vary. Good luck with your surgery.

I used to manage a hospital cafeteria and the gossip about patients as the staff passed through our lines was just horrible. It was an issue in elevators, locker rooms, hallways,and restrooms too. HIPPA laws were just taking ground, and I was so glad. Once HR put its foot down about consequences, the situation greatly improved.

Voltarin cream works for me too. I got it on prescription from my orthopedist. Since losing my first 60 pounds, I do not need it nearly as much.

I don't mind the camera so much now. There are so many pictures of me and my siblings growing up, but very few pictures of Mom because she was embarrassed to be the biggest one in pictures. My daughters and grandkids will now have some pictures of me to show to their grandkids. In have even volunteered for a few pics and can't wait to renew my driver's license in December with a new photo on it.

Ii have been having hot chocolate at bedtime and have been fine. Peanut Butter is another story. I waited until I was on regular foods, but I still can only have about a teaspoon at one time. That is because it gets hung up in my throat, and then I do not have the stomach capacity to wash it down.

Yep, the belly goes out kicking and screaming.

The hair loss thing is a real crap shoot. I am one of the lucky few that at 7 months I have not had any noticeable hair loss. It feels thinner, but I never had any strands in the shower or clumps fall off....just a few strays around the house. I I got a fresh haircut recently and my hairdresser said that my hair looked healthy to her (I am 62). The ironic thing is, I do not know what I did any differently than anyone else. Granted, my Protein was elevated from 60 (1st month) to 70 (second month) then 80 (third month and forever). I am taken the Biotin, too, but 20,000 milligrams a day. Some tablets only have 325, but I found a 10,000 milligram at Walgreens and take two every day. If that's the clencher or just expensive pee, I don't know. Also, I have never heard this mentioned, but I do admit to eating way more red meat than chicken. just guessing, folks, could it be the Iron in the red meat???? Who knows. I was prepared for the hair loss however, and had bought some bandannas, girly baseball caps, and even a sleep cap. For those of you who have not reached the hair loss stage yet, I wish you the best. All you can do is take your Vitamins and supplements, follow your teams plan, and get in all the sleep and protein you can. You need it anyway to keep up your strength and prevent muscle loss.

Mine sounded like a dinosaur fight for the first week, then it calmed down considerably.