Miss Mac

After I asked my PCP if I would be a good candidate for weight loss surgery, he referred me to the bariatric clinic at Loyola University. We had been discussing for a while that my back problem was actually a front problem, It was just time to do it if I wanted to ever see any improvement in my health. I am now 12 days post op, and I am already feeling better.

To clarify...my directions say "1/2 cup diluted unsweetened fruit juice (limit to one serving per day" When I took it, it did not cause a problem. No harm, no foul I guess.

Prune juice always does it for me Since surgery 12/23/2013 I have been taking 2 Colace per day, and am putting Benefiber in my beverages. Only once have I resorted to diluted prune juice. It' s all better since stopping the liquid Hydrocodone for post-op pain.

I'm only 11 days post-op, but I am counting on it. If nothing else, I will be more flexible and not so fatigued from hauling this pony I am using for a belt. Plus, my bariatric physician changed my depression med from Sertraline to Buproprion (generic for Wellbutrin). One of the welcome side effects of Wellbutrin is that many people feel more uhhh frisky. I am ok with that.

My NUT told me to eat Greek Yogurt and to substitute it for other things like mayonnaise. She also wants me to drink low fat milk instead of almond or soy milk. Unless your NUT is going to come to your house to be kitchen monitor, I would just go with what dairy I can keep down, and then just tell her what she wants to hear. In the meantime, I would seek a 2nd opinion from a different NUT.

My plan is similar to yours. Sleeved on the 23rd, came home Christmas Day. I am on full liquids / pureed foods until Sunday, then I can start soft foods on Monday. So far, I have not had any problem with vomiting, dumping or stricture...I have just been eating very carefully. I also have a follow-up appt. on Monday, so I am sure that progression to soft foods will be discussed. My plan calls for two weeks of soft foods, then on to regular food. I ate 1/2 scrambled egg yesterday and did all right. Come Monday, I will probably eat normal kitchen food, run through the blender like mashed potatoes - just not watery like purees. I will also still be cautious about anything very spicey.

CHAPSTICK...Of all the things I packed, Chapstick is the thing I used most.

My guilty pleasure was spaghetti and meatballs. Nothing on my plan said that I should not have tomatoes, so I took a chance and ate some with ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan. When I get to soft foods, I will make some the regular way and mush it up. I agree with CrissyRing77 about bananas. The baby food bananas tasted like rotten bananas. When I go back to fresh, I will have to be very careful. Bananas are a slider food for me. I could eat 6 a day pre-op.

Are you putting them through the blender? I had to stop because it had too many bubbles in it.

When I was a teenager I was anemic and anorexic. Down the street was a Mexican neighbor, and twice a week she would mince up some calves liver and make me tacos or tostadas with the liver mixed up in her usual ingredients. That beat having to take B12 shots. She was so good to me. She loaned me her double satin wedding dress made in Mexico City when I got married at 19 years old.

Last time I was in a size ten was in 1985. Last time I was a size eight was 1972.

I am going to go for a pair of white skinny jeans, size 8 petite. I am in size 20's now.

I was just sleeved on 12/23. I did not have to have a band or drains. I was sent hope with adequate pain control, which I only needed for a couple of days. The steri strips fell off on their own on Tuesday, and today I am not wearing any bandages at all - just loose clothing so that the incisions can get some air as they heal. The hardest part of all of this for me was not the anticipation of the surgery, but the scheduling of fluids, Proteins, and what can I eat this week? yes, Desert Pixie...stand on the edge of the cliff and fly. We will see you on the other side of the losers bench.

Coincidence: In my fridge is pistachio pudding made with unflavored protein powder added. I also swirl in a little bit of SF whip cream.

I am 11 days out from surgery on 12/23. I will admit to eating some baby food items.

I am 8 days post op. I have the patch, too....so, no nausea for me.

Well, I've lost 30 pounds so far. I cannot imagine carrying 3 ten-pound bags of potatoes strapped around my waist all day. No wonder I could barely walk. 50 pounds lost will feel even better.

The sublingual B12 that I pick up at Walgreen's is NATURE MADE. It has 1000 mcg and I got the cherry flavor. For real, it melts under your tongue in seconds! Nature Made products are often in their weekly ad and come "buy one get one 50% off"

Hot Flash Woman is Cold Woman now. I thought the hot flashes would never end - it's been 12 years. I will count this phenomenon as a perk. Today I am toddling around the house in flannel pajamas which I had bought years ago but could never wear. I even had an extra blanket on my side of the bed last night. Last winter I slept with a window cracked open.

I am leaving behind 100+ books on diet, nutrition, weight loss, and every fad trick that came across on the talk shows. They are packed and ready for the Veterans' charity truck to come by. I am leaving complacency behind and taking pro-active responsibility for my health. I am leaving behind - the food Network. I just can't watch all those food shows anymore.

My stated goal is also 135 for my 5'4" frame. Just got my sleeve 12/23/2013. My family has always used the "big boned" excuse to justify morbid obesity, but I know from my high school weight of 108, that I am not big boned. I really would like to get to 125 so that I can have a few pounds of buffer zone for weight fluctuations. No one can tell you at what weight you feel healthy.

Catheter, no drains

Right now I am sipping on Unjury Strawberry mixed with Crystal Lite Lemonade. Also, I put their unflavored protein in my food.

I have never told anyone this before, but Happy Hogmanay to you, too!

My experience goes back to 1973 (when I was 21), but I doubt gallbladders have changed much. My pain was in my back just below my right shoulder. Unconsolable knife stabbing pain that was so bad that all I could do was lay on the cold kitchen floor to get relief. Finally ended up in the E.R. one day, where they gave me a fatty creamy liquid meant to soothe ulcers. That threw my gallbladder into full-on spasms and emergency surgery (back when they cut you half in two). My gallbladder had burst in the ER thanks to a rapid misdiagnosis, and the surgeon had to go fish for stones everywhere. I agree with the others on this forum.....fatty, greasy, creamy, or rich foods will assault your gallbladder right way. That's the bad news. The good news is that gallbladder surgery is done laparoscopicaly now, with minimal invasion, small incision, easier healing, quicker discharge from the hospital. One thing my primary physician has taught me is not to get "Google-itis" when symptoms come up. A while back, I thought I had a shoulder injury from exercising, and I put Ben Gay on it. That just made it burn plus hurt. When I finally gave in to go see him, I was flabbergasted at his diagnosis - shingles. So what I am saying is that it's time to call your doctor when you aren't sure what something is....good luck and get well