DeniseNCC1701

LOL! My sleeve did that with cottage cheese of all things.

Congratulations on the start of your journey! Positive thoughts being send your way. I wish you a great surgery and speedy recovery!

I asked my surgeon if he could put Vitamins in my IV, and he did. I believe it helped with my recovery. The first few days home were rough, but by the 4th or 5th day, I felt much better. Heating pads helped with the pain in my left shoulder. Bring something to keep you entertained and distracted at the hospital. I bought slippers with me. And yes, get used to sipping Water all day long! It's something I'm still trying to get used to. Be well…

1. I'm trying to do the no Water 30mins prior, during and 30mins after a meal.… Yep, it's lifelong. It's something most of us have to work at to "learn". But from what I understand, it's critical to success.
 2. I tried a shake this morning (1 scoop of whey chocolate powder (30g of protein) and 8oz of chocolate almond milk). … I'm partial to Isopure Protein water (the pineapple is my favorite). It does have an aftertaste, but it packs a protein punch, which is much needed, especially when you're in the liquid diet stage(s). For powder, I like Eat the Bear brand. It’s a little on the sweet side, but it dissolves quickly and smoothly in water, and the taste is OK. I’ve also recent purchased Garden for Life Raw Protein in the Chai Tea flavor. Don’t really care for it, but I do half and half with the Eat the Bear powder. It is based on sprouted seeds and has some Fiber, which I could use right now. 3. Is there no snack between meals ever? In a perfect world, Snacks should probably be protein based (sardines, jerky, small amounts of Peanut Butter, greek yogurt, cheese sticks, etc…) I think you’ll find your hunger greatly diminished, and the need for a snack might subside a bit. 4. I'm switching to decaf so I can get used to no caffeine. I’ve been having caffeine since a few days post-op, though it’s 1 medium Dunkin in the morning (with cream). Herbal tea, water, Isopusre and water flavored with True Lemon/True Lime make up the rest of the day. 5. Do you have to puree food the 2nd week? The thought of eating pureed chicken or tuna makes me kinda sick lol... I had 3 days clear liquids pre-op, than 1 week clear liquids post-op, second week full liquids, and pureed foods starting week 3. I couldn’t wait until I was able to have scrambled eggs. I’ll be on purees until April 20. Pureed chicken breast isn’t that bad if you puree it with chicken stock and serve it up with a dollop of mushroom gravy. My doctor allows for white fish, flaked (doesn’t have to be pureed), so I enjoy that too. Liver pate has become a new staple for me. Best of luck to you!

6-8 ounces? Wow! I can only manage about 3-4, 5 on a good day. Don't try to force it, that's for sure. Maybe stick with cream Soups, cottage cheese, and the softer, more "liquidy" things for a few days? Be well…

I had (and continue to have) diarrhea issues too, especially if the food is too rich. Cottage cheese in particular goes right through me. I mentioned it to my surgeon last week, and he didn't seem concerned at all. He said my plumbing is still sorting itself out. He also said taking Immodium every couple days would be OK to keep things in check. Hang in there, I hope it gets better (for the both of us!) Be well…

My surgeon had me do a 3-day clear liquids pre-op. I did low-carb(ish) on my own for about 10 days before, but I didn't go crazy. As for returning to work, I had my surgery on Mon 2/24 and was back at work full time the following Monday. I have a desk job, which helped.

No reason you can't have dinner for breakfast! I've had tuna fish salad, pureed soups, miso-egg-drop soup. Maybe beans? tofu smoothies? Chicken salad?

Yep, had that happen to me too, when I ate broiled fish too fast. Caught me completely off guard. Someone around here always says "Never trust a burp". Amen to that. Be well…

Lookin' good! Congratulations!

That's amazing! I think your time is quite respectable!

Lookin' good! And I have (almost) the same numbers as you do…LOL… race you to the finish line! Be well…

I bought some popsicle molds. I puree fruit, add a little Splenda (for now, later on I want to wean myself off of artificial sweeteners), and freeze those bad boys up. YUM. Low calorie, and fairly low carb in the whole scheme of things. Be well…

I was hysterical in hospital. I looked at my Pop and said "oh dear G*d, what HAVE I done?". He looked me in the eyes and said "You did what you had to do". I had a similar melt-down a couple of days later. I would speculate that we all go through that. I feel much better now, and I wish the same for you both. When I get sad and regretful, I dig deep and reflect on how I got to be so big and what motivated me to make the decision for the surgery in the first place. It keeps me in check. Even at this early stage of the game, I get sad sometimes that I can't go home after a hard day of work and feast on $40 worth of Chinese take-out. But I know that this an old demon living in my head beefin' and screaming' that he's not getting his way anymore. I tell him to go suck it. Be well…

I'm just short of 4 weeks out. I agree with RJ, seems like you can take a bit more, but if your hunger is satisfied, carry on! You're going to do great… Protein first, carbs later. Be well…

mmm… homemade chicken Soup from Mom. Nice! In the early days post-op for me, I found I could tolerate liquids much better if they were hot. Sip that broth and herbal tea! Be well…

Welcome to the loser's bench! Maybe heating pads will help? I know they helped for me when Gas-X and Prilosec did nothing. I'll be a month out on Monday, and still have a hard time getting in all my Water. It's tough, especially in the first few days, but outside of week's time, I'm sure you'll find you can take in more fluids. Be well…

That's very exciting!!!!! Congratulations!

It was three weeks for me. I was able to skip the psych and nut consults. Be well…

My surgeon must be the exception to the rule. He cleared me for any exercise I wanted at two weeks, bless him. I've been attending boot camp (good heavens am I out of shape) and I've been fishing. Be well…

I had a lot of pain in the recovery room. I don't remember much other than crying out "pain! pain!". Such a distance memory now. The nurses must have thought I was out of my mind. I had one night in the hospital. The first few days home were rough: I had a hard time breathing, I coughed a lot which hurt as well. I was wondering what in heaven's name had I done to myself. I took the Percocet, which helped a great deal. I walked. Slow. I slept on the sofa propped up with pillows. I was freezing all the time (still am, actually). On day 5, it was like someone flipped a switch, and I woke up realizing I felt ALOT better. I was back at work a week after surgery, and started attending boot camp the following week (with my doctor's clearance, or course). I'm one of the lucky ones, and I am counting my blessings. Be well...

Hello everyone! I'm just over 3 weeks postop, and have been doing well. I'm trying to be careful not to compare my results with everyone else, and when I feel discouraged, I acknowledge that my own journey is unique and is just beginning. I know that if I stay true to the plan (and myself) the results will follow. All my friends, family and co-workers know that I've had the surgery, and I've gotten support from those that are most important to me. However, there is a part of me that is stressed about having to deliver results. And fast. I feel like I have to "perform" now. And I feel that if I don't loose huge amounts of weight, my efforts will be deemed not good enough, and that I am a failure. It's self-sabatoge at it's best… it is the story of my life and part of the reason I got to almost 400lbs! I see it starting already, and I am determined to not let it get the best of me. (breath… say to self "trust the process"… lather, rinse, repeat) I will be seeing a therapist about this (and other things) this week, but I'm curious if anyone else feels this way? And how do you deal with it? Be well...

I would speculate that he's just looking out for you. Stress tests stink, I know. When my EKG came back abnormal, I had to have one... and not the treadmill one, the other one where you're injected with drugs to raise your heart rate. No fun. But they have to be sure your heart is OK for surgery. I imagine it goes under a great deal of stress when your under. Best of luck to you, and be well...

Awesome. I need to print this too... right on the fridge it goes.

Thank you for all the responses! I had my first session with a psychotherapist, and I'm looking forward to working with her to address this issue. But it's nice to see I'm not alone in my thoughts. I've been weighing myself every couple of days. I will limit myself to 1x/week for now, and try not to obsess about the what the scale says. And about the other people expectations? PdxMan said it well... "We often believe others have greater expectations of us than they actually have." Amen to that. Be well…