WildGrits

@@Spiceyfrog Yeah no problem. Just PM me and I'll get back to you.

I think you answered your own question.

Switch to a pea Protein like Spirutein. Lots of places sell single serve packages so you can try it before buying a whole can. It's not at GNC but it is at Vitamin Shoppe.

Those panic attacks are nasty stuff.

I would say for me I force myself as soon as I get home from work, to grab my dog and hit the park. I walk at the fastest walking pace I can for about three miles. Dog loves it. By the time I am done, feeling really good. Do that exaggerated breathing in through the nose out through the mouth. That does wonders for me. I do look like a nut but it does help.

Good luck.

I would say it has been my experience that smoking herb helps for a day or two but then makes the attacks worse. So I wouldn't advise that long term.

The answer to that question really needs to take into account what people do for a living.

At the time of my surgery I was working 13 hour shifts as a programmer. I took a month off and glad that I did because sitting in a desk chair for that long gets painful.

A lot of people here say they were ready to go back to work in a week. I still had drains and was actively vomiting a few times a day a week later.

I would suggest expecting to be out 4 weeks, longer if you work on your feet or lift. If you feel better then go back early and save your time for the plastic surgery. That surgery was WAY WORSE.

I second sugar free popsicles. They are a life saver. The first year I was eating about 6 a day. They helped with the pain.

I got my first set of Bariatric Vitamins second hand. THANK GOD I DID!!!! They were disgusting!!!!

I found the prenatal gummies or the hair and nail gummies have a ton of Vitamin b's and Biotin.

At this point I don't take any Vitamins. I rock all my blood work so I don't need them.

Scheduled for next month to have a Breast lift and fill along with a Fleur De Lis TT. Insurance covered the Pannus removal part and the rest will cost me 13K.

I am in the process of interviewing a few of the more popular PS in Tijuana that have been used by folks on this and other boards.

For those of you who have done this already can you tell me how you traveled and where did you stay post-op? Also what were your opinions of your choices?

I will be traveling from New York.

I found the easiest meals to eat while still healing were extremely wet. If I had chicken I found that rotisserie chicken went down pretty well. Pork was the hardest because it is so lean. For pork I used the crock pot.

So my meal would consist of my meat, mushy frozen veggies and mashed potatoes. I was never a fan of mashed potatoes until I had my surgery.

It's been awhile since my surgery so I don't remember measurements. But try to eat your meats first.

If you really can't stomach any shakes, ask your Dr if you can add yogurt to milk.

You are far from alone. For me the Roux en Y was the first step for me. I knew I was going to need PS before I was complete. When I told my mom I was have surgery, that was her only thing she went to was her worry about all the skin.

My arms are fine enough for me not to play with. My thighs could use some exercise but the "National Geographic" boobs and the incredible amount of skin on my belly have got to go. I am the oldest of 4 girls and the mom of two. We all are over DDD size. It's part of my identity. Although at a size 34 being that big would be silly to me, I cannot be under a DD.

I have had decent success with the neck and chin sag with Avon products.

For me, I was 135 at 20 years old. In my head somehow I must have thought that once I lost the weight I would be 20 again. Surprisingly I am not.

But I definitely understand where your coming from.

I cannot remember if I had a cath or not. I went home with my drain and they removed it the following week. I hear that for my PS I will have a drain again. What a PITA that thing is.

Say it with me everyone "KETOSIS"!!!!!!!

Are you thirsty? Do you smell bad to others? Does your pee have a strong odor? And does your mouth taste like nail polish remover?

You can thank KETOSIS. It's the body dumping acetoacetate AKA acetone, the active ingredient in nail polish remover.

Don't worry, it doesn't last forever.

Great to see people years out and see how they are doing. Great pics too. Congrats or both your successes.

People will notice way before you do.

Today I don't feel any different. I take up less chair, I can move better than before, but when I look in the mirror I still have tons of belly so I feel exactly the same. Even though I have gone from size 28 to an 8 it's a head game.

Get back in contact with your NUT. They can give you the best possible diet to move things along.

I had many plateaus. I did notice that during times of slow loss, my skin shrunk up, so that was a plus.

I know it's hard to believe but it will get better.

I found that I get tons of pain from the pain meds. It's excruciating and in my left side, belly, and back. Come to find out its and intolerance to codeine and morphine. I had a bit of relief if I took tons of Gas X.

I would suggest trying Tylenol and see if it gets better. Like one morning take Tylenol instead of the pain med you are using.

Push!!! Be a bug. Be a royal pain in the A$$!!!!

Call everyone everyday. Make them sick of hearing your voice.

I had a NUT holding me back. I had done all my steps and this Dr was not signing my clearance sheet because he wasn't getting around to it. Not just mine. He had a stack on his desk. I was two months later than expected having my surgery because of him. At the end of this story, my surgeon decided to no longer send his patients to him because of his behavior. So at least no one else in my city will go through what I did.

I totally agree with ArmyWife79. Switching to Water isn't gonna do much in the end to get the weight off. Stick with the Milk. The key is to not let yourself feel hungry and still get all the nutrients you need. Remember that you will be having major surgery and your body needs to have everything that helps you mend. So don't skimp.

Pre-op and the first month of post-op I used Spiru-Tein. I liked them because you didn't need a blender just a shaker bottle with a whisk ball. They have bits in them. So the Pina Colada has bits of pineapple in it. And the cookie Dough has bits of dough in it.

Good luck on your journey. It has it's ups and downs but in the end it is worth it.

I think it will just come with time. There is a lot of angry tissue in your body after the surgery. It takes months to be healed. If you are like I was, there is no point in pushing yourself or else you will be in pain and pain means your body is not going to heal correctly.

I don't know how far out from your surgery you are but I would just stick to the suggested foods that were given to you by the center you are working with.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the difference between 20 and 30 grams of Protein. IF over the course of a day you are getting 60 - 80 grams in total you are doing good.

Thirst is one of the symptoms of Ketosis.

Has your blood work come back normal? I'm a year out and find that getting my fluids is the hardest part of this. I'm just starting to feel thirsty again.

I'm speaking as another Duodenal Switch patient which is a completely different weightloss surgery than the gastric bypass or any other surgery.

We need a dedicated locked out forum to prevent dangerous advice from the other surgeries. I know you are just trying to help but really it's not helpful for DS patients.

WOW!!!!!!

As with any advice, all should be taken with a grain of salt. To suggest that anyone who has not had the same surgery should not be allowed in a community forum is rude. Yes all surgeries come with different restrictions, but so does each person. No two people have the same medical and not many folks on this site are actually professionals offering professional advice.

I have to say that in the time I have been on this message board, this is the first time I have felt insulted.