Susan-031314

Thanks Lipstick. I love the visual.

I've seen a similar post about a best friend with a little more time. Turns out that best friend wanted to know more about the surgery after she saw how successful it had been. I'm not saying that this will happen, but know this is your journey and your cousin must travel hers. Know too that in the short-term, you will likely not be able to count on your cousin..... Maybe someday. In the meantime, we are here.

Menjaz, I know the fear. Right now, 6 weeks out, eating large is a major impossibility, but I fear that aspect in the long-term. I've been a boredom eater, and any size chip bag could be a single serve for me. Not to mention, at a gathering of friends or family, the food is great and plentiful. I will have to remember to control my servings in advance and consciously eat and focus on enjoying my company.

Welcome RedsMom! Ask away. There are also numerous support groups throughout the Metroplex, each with a different personality. I really suggest that you hook up with one or more. Who's your Dr? And where is your procedure to be?

Don, not being judgmental, but you need to the pros for help, and you MUST help yourself. You could do serious damage to the staple line with that volume of food. Don't put yourself into a situation where you have that amount of food in front of you. Set down with only the serving that your nutritionist suggests, of the approved foods and try to eat slowly and learn a new feeling of full and a new feeling of satisfaction. You can do this, and it WILL take significant effort on your part. Truly wishing you the best,

I probably won't like some foods. I'm just back to trying solids, so I don't know yet. I didn't start this with the intention of not eating any certain things in the future. I intend to use my new tool, nicknamed "teeny tiny" tummy to help me control my previous overheating habits. I did have a couple of food funerals for big portion, heavy meals. Steak and taters will be different. Likewise chicken-fried entrees may not fit into my future.

Mine was more like 2 oz measured cooked cereal to 1 oz milk. My Dr's rule is "If you can pick it up with a fork, it's too thick."

Oats fill me better than wheat. I would make a hearty serving from the box directions using water. I would then divide by 4 for a serving. 3 go into the fridge for later, then I add milk to make my serving runny or thin. I feel so much more satisfied when I set down with my small serving in a small bowl and I can eat the whole thing. I also like having 3 servings handy and quick in the fridge. This has been a go to for me.

Amazing. You looks like a whole different person. I bet you feel like a new person too.

Chiming in here too regarding the lunch meat. In general it has too much salt. Salt on my throat burns as it's tender from reflux. You might try upping the water, reducing anything with salt and using a liquid antacid to make sure you aren't feeling an irritation and thinking its hunger.

My surgery was on March 13 also. I hit 35 lbs today and felt really good about it. I agree that your Dr was on the wrong track. If you lose a huge amount in one month, it stands to reason that you will have a slow on. I think it's all relative...

Add me too!! 4/21 242 Goal 230 Stretch 227

Mylanta liquid is my friend for burning stomach, just a small slow sip works like magic for me. Hard to do but more liquid helps the nausia. Some days my vitamins still don't set too easy.

Water will help flush bulk on out, but as long as you are working the program, it's working on you. I usually find that when the scales don't move, there is a bigger change in my size. Grab some pants that were too tight a couple of weeks ago and check the fit. The scale is an important tool, but it's not the only measuring tool to focus on.

I hate to suggest that you push the surgery back, but you might think of the cruise as your farewell to large servings and do this before your surgery. I only say this as 3 weeks is really pushing it if you plan active activities on your trip. Likewise, should you be on a boat and need medical attention, it might not be the care you would receive from your own local medical team. Also at 3 weeks, you would not be clear to enjoy all the foods that you would enjoy more either before or further out from WLS. At 3 weeks I was still on full liquids only.

There needs to be a class on drinking and swallowing. To swallow less, I consciously draw liquid down the side of my tongue to swallow. Sounds strange, but it works for me. I think I've had a problem with gulping for a long time.

Wow, a place I haven't seen in about 30 years!!!! Congrats, I hope to join you soon. July, maybe August..... Keep up the good work!!!!

I had a little of that in my first week post surgery. Like you described, I'd wake up early morning unable to get back to sleep. I bought children's dissolvable Tylenol, much easier than crumbled tabs. My insomnia got better quickly. Occasionally, I wake with a burning esophagus. Sometimes I reach for a wedge pillow, I also will take a small sip of Mylanta (CVS generic) just to coat my throat.

I've done this numerous times as I would do drastic diets in the past. I think the strict diet throws the body into a shock or shut down mode. Keep moving and keep your extremities moving..

I applaud that you are asking questions in advance to get more information. Like most Drs. lists, mine says "Make smart choices". My Dr's list also says avoid soda, beer and other alcoholic beverages along with gum and straws. In discussion, he really wants patients to avoid carbonation. Good thing for me, I enjoy a good whiskey ????. At 5 weeks out, I have no desire for carbonation or alcohol, and trust me, I to had that heavy addiction to Diet Mountain Dew all day long and more than an occasional beer in the evenings. I always had a tin of gum in my purse and variety in my desk drawer at work. Those are gone now replaced by breath strips, spray and tictacs. I will have to judge in the future how to live my life in moderation, which I've proven in the past is quite difficult for me. I started on this path with my new teeny tiny tummy with the goal to be above average with my weight loss and retention of that loss for the long-term. If that means no more beer or Mountain Dew for me? Well then so be it. I choose to do without and excel in my goals.

No catheter, I did have nose tube and IV. I also had a drainage tube that I kept for one week attached into my abdomen. No gas pains at all. I received Valium as soon as I got to the hospital to ease jitters and from there all was good. I had OnQ nerve block as well. I hope for you the same pain-free experience I had. Oh, 2 nights in the hospital and nothing but children's Tylenol since. Worst I had was soreness around my largest incision.

I've always been OK with just Pepcid, but I'm on double my old dose now.

I wish I did. I'd love to hear what your nurse suggests. Mine is not constant, but more often than I'd like. I've yet to lose my cookies, but still not a good feeling....

I'm better at visuals. From the fridge, grab a lb. of butter and a lb. of lean meat. The volume of the meat is going to be smaller. You've replaced butter from your legs, replacing it with lean muscle mass. Way to go!!!!

Mylanta, just a tiny sip, chewable Gas-ex. I'm not sure where the weakness is coming in. I see you had a cold sore earlier, right? Tonight's symptoms may be a carryover from the crud. Get better soon!!