Racewalker48

Did your doctor offer you something to manage the pain and nausea?

I purged as I transitioned from winter to summer this year clothing and donated the majority of my clothes to either Goodwill or the Salvation Army. The more expensive stuff I sent to a consignment store. I continue to lose, so I purge every time I try on clothes, if they don't fit, I put them in a pile for Goodwill or consignment. Everything else is thrown away.

Glad to be able to help mamie60.

So far, I have had only one moment where I considered telling a co-worker that I had WLS, but I thought the better of it. She asked me what I was doing to lose weight to give her some pointers. I told her how I eat (5-6 small meals per day with a focus on Protein, etc) and exercise, and that was it. After that encounter, I am determined not to tell anyone at work I had WLS, only that I changed the way I eat (which is true), and this is only if they ask me how I lost weight. This was a very private decision, and I want to keep it that way. If pressed, I will politely state that I don't want to discuss it. The workplace is a mine field when it comes to this kind of thing. Some may support, others may criticize, you just can't predict the response.

I can now walk down an commercial airplane aisle without turning sideways.....

I took my pain meds as whole tablets without problems early on. I used chewable Vitamins per my surgeon, and transitioned to tablet vitamins after about 2 weeks post op. Your surgeon may have his/her own protocol for how they want you to handle pills versus chewables versus liquids.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that will get rid of stretch marks or tighten sagging skin. Many opt for plastic surgery to remove excess skin.

I drove once I was completely off narcotics,which was after about a week. Angela

I didn't bring much, just a change of underwear, the clothes and shoes I wore to the hospital (I wore them home), my phone and charger. I walked the halls with a second hospital gown as my robe, which worked just fine. Less is better, and since I stayed only one night, I didn't even take a shower there, just a sponge bath and brushed my teeth before discharge. My hospital told me not to bring money or valuables, just my ID.

While weight training will help strengthen and rebuild muscle (we lose muscle mass with weight loss), there is not much that can be done with loose skin. Muscle can fill it out somewhat, but once that skin is stretched, it generally doesn't come back. Many people who undergo WLS will consider plastic surgery to deal with loose skin. With that said, as many posters have stated, a personal trainer can help with establishing a routine for you based on your goals.

My surgeon did not limit my food intake for any particular foods once I was eating solid foods and taking in at least 64oz of Water per day. I like the fact that the ice-cream in the photo has 7 grams of Protein. With that said, you will have to consult with your surgeon/nut to determine their views on your new found treat.

You are very early post op, so fatigue would not be unusual. You were under anesthesia, and everyone recovers differently from this, so be patient and try to keep moving. You are also not eating a lot of calories. Your energy will come back.

As soon as you surgeon clears you to exercise. That may be a couple of weeks. Mine cleared me after 4 weeks for any exercise (I was not allowed lifting >40lbs in the first 3 weeks).

I am also not hungry 4 months out. I am taking advantage of this time to reset the way I view food since I am not a slave to my hunger right now. I eat to survive, not because I am hungry and try hard to stay on my every 3 hour eating schedule. There are times when I can't eat all of my 4 oz meal, but I don't fret. I supplement with Protein shakes on those days to keep my protein intake at least 80 grams/day. That way, I hope that I will be less likely to snack and graze later on, and maintain good nutrition. Keep in mind that because we can't eat no where near the calories we did before surgery, it's even more important to eat good quality food and eat it regularly, regardless of whether we feel hunger. For me, skipping meals is not an option.

My surgeon cautioned me to make sure I always get my Protein first and then, if there is room, eat some salad greens. Because of this, I don't choose salads unless they have protein on them. I eat the protein first, then the salad greens. Unfortunately, I end up leaving most of the greens on the plate. I love salads, but rarely eat them for this reason.

My boyfriend and I choose our restaurants carefully since surgery, so that we both have healthy choices for food. We both like sushi, so I will have tuna tataki and a little edamame and he will have sashimi. He hasn't had surgery, but eats a lot like I do for other health reasons. We don't eat out as much as we used and and we both take at least half our food home when we do. This for me is funny since I have never liked leftovers. Now, I just think of leftovers as the next 2 meals for me. It's amazing to me now when I look at a plate of food, who much we both used to be able to eat. Now I eat a fraction of the plate. We haven't eaten out with friends yet, but I have eaten out during business travel and take my food back to my hotel room with me. We have plenty of healthy choices for restaurants where we live, we just choose to drive past the Five Guys Burgers, buffets and other fast food places now.

I also have United Healthcare PPO and needed a surgical clearance from my internist. He was the one who referred me to my bariatric surgeon, so he has been involved all along. I see him every 3 - 6 months because I have hypertension and he will be getting my lab results once I have them done.

I use Isopure zero carb whey Protein. I get it from Amazon.com

Attached is a link from the American Heart Association for more information. There is a section that talks about your risk of developing hypertension, which may in part answer your questions. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/High-Blood-Pressure-or-Hypertension_UCM_002020_SubHomePage.jsp

My calves were quite large, so much so I gave up on wearing long boots as I couldn't find any to fit me. Now that I have lost weight, my calf width (along with the rest of me), has decreased a lot, but my legs are by no means skinny.

What does your surgeon and/or NUT say?

Do you mean creatinine levels, as in kidney function?

I wear pink and white nails and painted toes and my hospital was okay with that. As another poster stated, the staff need to be able to see your fingernail beds to determine blood flow. They can still check your O2 saturation (Pulse Ox) with the sensor over acrylic nails, but each hospital does things slightly different. I actually received information about this during my pre-admission hospital visit. It was in the paperwork I received.

My favorite is Isopure Whey Vanilla powder.

You will need to ask your surgeon. My surgeon recommended no flying for 2 weeks. Every surgeon has their own protocol post op.