aBetterRay

First week back to work has been interesting. An meeting with my cardiologist on 06-25-12 led to a reduction of my BP meds. Tuesday I began solid foods. I tried hot dogs, chili, hamburger, potato salad, imitation crab, almonds, cashews, fruit smoothies, puréed stew, cantaloupe. It's been a mixed bag of success & failure. Most went down ok, as long as i kept the portion very small, chewed to a pulp, and held back fluids. However, almost everyday brought nauseous feelings, at home and work, and the end of the week caused me to leave work due to loss of food. This is hard, and very frustrating, but I need this tool to get things improving on my health. I daily recognize how much I enjoyed eating, large quantities of delicious food. I have to accept that I have sacrificed so much to better my health. I don't know how my ability to tolerate quantities and types of foods of my past will proceed, but I have already made a commitment to explore all possibilities as long as I respect my new stomach, and stay as true as I can with my goals. Most importantly, I couldn't get thru any of this If it weren't for Kellylynn, my love, my life, my friend. Her strength and experience in dealing with her own health issues spill over into my life and journey with hope and encouragement. Together, we tag-team our way thru some very similar conditions. We support each other, and we are both strengthened daily in our efforts. I Love You, Kellylynn. Thank You for everything...

Are you getting the Twinlab Calcium Wafers 120 count? How many Mcg Calcium Citrate are you recommended daily? My doctor suggested 1500 Mcg daily.

Well, I see a bit of variation between doctors. If you contact your doctor, he may suggest less food, depending on your procedure and situation. Never hurts to ask. I hear so much about the stretching of the pouch, and I really want to avoid that. I chose this type of surgery to motivate me to restrict my intake. I'm in a whole new realm of food intake, and this is only the beginning for me. Hopefully after a year, I will have a better relationship with food and nutrition. I hope the same for you...

Congratulations! I'm so excited for you. Just a note: steer clear of the SpongeBob Square Pants chocolate Lagoon Cream-of-Wheat. I really enjoyed the fruit flavored packets of oatmeal, the first batches I puréed further in my Magic Bullet. I was sad when I didn't respond well to the liquid Yogurt, but when we return to Fresno, I'm honing to give it another try. It's just so yummy. My Pregresso Tomato Basil Soup became my instant pizza-flavor replacement during the full-liquid stage. I've got 2 weeks on the soft & Puréed foods, and I'm at a very satisfied level.

At this level, the soft and puréed meals, it was recommended by my doctor that I consume 3 meals per day, each meal fitting withing 1/3 of a cup maximum. This is allowing my digestive system to acclimate to the re-introduced foods, while minimizing the stretching of my new pouch, as well as training me to get accustomed to eating smaller portions. I thought it would be impossible to get used to eating such small amounts over the course of about 30 minutes per meal. Thankfully I am getting used to the new regamine, this from a person,who just a month ago, would consume an entire family size meat-lovers pizza in a 30 minute sitting, chasing it down with 2 liters of Pepsi. No one is more amazed than I.

First day of soft food diet. What a wonderful day. I got re-aquatinted with 2/3 of a hard boiled egg at breakfast, 1/4 cup cottage cheese at lunch, and 1/3 cup delicious mashed potatoes for dinner. No rejections, all accepted with my tiny new pouch. Plus, I put 1-3/4 miles on the treadmill this evening, and I'm tired, but feel good about it. Small steps, big changed, positive results. It's all good...

Over-inflated...Pop!

POP! Goes my Ego...

It's like I told the doctor: "You can mess around with my perfectly functional digestive system, you can even fiddle-fart around with any hernias you find lying around. But, Keep Your Hands Off My Funny Bone!!!"

Sounds very much as my diet schedule. I move to puréed foods on Wednesday. I just made an appointment with my cardiologist for June 25th to reevaluate my blood pressure meds. I hope your initial liquid regamine has gone well. I'm going to take advantage of the gym here in San Luis Obispo to do a little cardio, treadmill, elliptical, bike. My clothes are getting very loose... Hurrah!!!

All good suggestions and precautions...

Yes, please. I'll take that recipe, or a link to it. Thanks.

Correction. Can not tolerate liquid yogurt. Makes me ache. Might be the small amount of sugar. Silk is good, as is applesauce, oatmeal, and cream of wheat. Tomato Basil soup is a go, and I will delve into Split Pea soup for dinner. Still enjoying the Popsicles, pineapple-orange-strawberry Dole juice is my taste buds new friend. Soft foods to start Wednesday, and my mantra will be Mashed Potatos! Mashed Potatos! Mashed Potatos! (hopefully)

Working my liquid diet program. Found that I can tolerate liquid yogurt at this time, aches my system.

Kidney aching on right gets intense. I think I slacked on fluids yesterday, so I began focusing on more H2O, and I walk around the house for about an hour to work everything thru. After getting a noon nap, kidney ache all but gone. More fluids and rest put the aches to bed. Better now, and looking to dinner. Now that I'm working into my full liquid diet, I'm gonna introduce one new food type a day, and see how my recovering digestive system accepts it...

Congrats. We are wishing you the best on your return home. Remember, take it slow and easy. Talk soon...

Ohhhh, my... The catheter!!! I had blocked that out. (squirming)

Ice Chips are your friend ( silly spelling thingy) - Don't Laugh!

It's great that all went well. They also found and fixed a hernia on me, so I imagine that may be common. Keep it under 15 mph in the hallways, and don't be surprised if it hurts to laugh, so don't let anyone be funny around you...enjoy your stay, watch for the male respiratory therapist ( he had some oddly personal stories to divulge), and remember, I've chips are your friend...

Good luck. You ate on our minds as you go into surgery. We'll be here when you emerge from the veil of anesthetic bliss. Remember, this is your time. Don't rush to satisfy anyones needs but your own. Take it slow and easy, and we'll talk soon. God Bless...

I postedthe results of my post-op. that is a very early surgery time. That might be a bit early for us, so we'll lift you up in prayers and good thought as you do your thing tomorrow morning. I wish you the very best of luck, and we will wait patiently for your post- surgery updates. Take it slow, no hurry, this is your time. And remember, ice chips are your friend.

Went to my first post-op appointment today. Numbers look good. I lost a total of 26.5 lbs in the 8 days following surgery, which is great, taking me down to 373 lbs. tonight I advance my diet to full-liquid, adding soups, v8 juice, cream of wheat & oatmeal, liquid yogurt, sugar free applesauce, and soy milk. I also partially start my regimen of chewable vitamins. This time next week I progress to a soft food diet, considering all goes well this week. My exercise plan has increased, and hopefully by my next appointment on June 20th, I'll be enjoying the pool and hot tub. It's all good!!!

I agree - what ever your doc told you, use that...

My pre-op appointment, 1 week before surgery, covered all I needed the days leading up to surgery. Dr Boone asked that I go liquid diet 2 full day before surgery, mainly to give more room inside me for his work, and to reduce the size of my liver prior to surgery. My surgery was 11am on tuesday may 29th, and Sunday noon may 27th, I only had broth, Water, Jello, and popsicles, basically what I'm on now. From midnight before surgery, I had NOTHING, and when I woke at 5am I took my Blood pressure meds with a tiny sip of water. That was it, until I was out and had my first meal at the hospital, which is the same as I'm having now...