Beni

In my opinion go, please don't cancel. The last thing you want is to be isolated. If all else fails, eat before you go and explain your gallbladder is giving you the hardest time and eating any fat seems to set it off. Gallbladder attacks apparently are the worst. Read up on it. You are trying to see if it will calm down and you don't want to take a chance. Let them believe you can't pick anything from the menu because it all has too much fat. Hello most restaurant food is too high in fat anyway. They'll believe you. Order a non chunky soup if they have and eat a couple spoon, if not, Water with a lemon twist. At 3 1/2 weeks you do not want to take a chance, right?

Joy, Yes, the social eating thing is also one of my big worries. For example, I will be 4 weeks post surgery at Thanksgiving. We go to a friends house. She is an extraordinary hostess and goes all out with decor and food. There are at least 20 of us and 20 side dishes besides turkey(s), ham(s) and roast(s). It is an amazing experience worthy of a magazine spread. Martha Stewart doesn't hold a candle to this event. Well, I won't be able to eat a thing at 4 weeks. I may stay home with a last minute case of the flu because I cannot deprive my family of what is the nicest invite of the year. I also go out to lunch with friends a lot. Salads are huge. A 1/2 cup worth of food is so silly of an amount, you can't even pretend you are watching what you eat. I won't be able to clear a 1/4 of the plate. How am I going to handle that? I have no idea! I do think Amy has a great point on checking out the menu ahead of time. I think it will remove the stress of the decision making process. Someone at a support group meeting said she orders an appetizer, sometimes with a side of steamed vegetables. She also says she focus all of her attention on talking to others at the table. As long as she is talking others don't seem to notice she is eating like a snail. Clever! Another lady said she tries to split meals with a friend. Another that she asks for a take home box and immediately removes half of the food from her plate. This would work with family but I thought it would be odd with friends. After writing this post I have come up with a mini plan - remember there is always a protein choice and something vegetable/fruit. Stay away from carbs. No dessert either 1. Invite - focus on helping the hostess and talking. If need be move around the room to different locations. Place a salad on the plate and arrange things to fill plate visually. 2. Out to eat - choose what you are going to order ahead of time. Again talking lots between bites Look at the bright side ladies, everyone is going to invite us more because we are going to be helpful, talkative and fun, not to mention drop dead gorgeous in our slimmer bodies. I will remember the patch behind the ears and mention it to my doctor. Sounds like a great idea. I too wake up nauseated.

I didn't ask my doctor too many questions about diabetes because I had so many other questions. I had two pages and even skipped a few because it was an embarrassment of questions. Please let us know what they say. It's fascinating stuff.

Wow what a day Amy!

Sounds like a plan. You will do fine. It's just the pre-op jitters. The liquid diet seems straight forward: 90 grams of Protein and 64 oz of liquid and whatever else you want in the "Full liquid form." The 3 day: only Clear liquids without sugar. sugar free Jello, clear broth and the like I like your chai idea. I'll get some. Please let me know if the Protein shakes are okay. Lots of people hate them. Is the

Nervous, neh. Not a tiny bit. But wait, is my nose growing a little longer. The apples I used were golden delicious but yesterday I also bought gala and mackintosh. I am going to do different types of apples just to have different flavors to try. Another Bariatric Pal mentioned she does a grilled peach that tastes like a mini apple peach pie. I have read that fruit is too high in sugar especially in the beginning but apples and peaches because of their high pectin content seem to be better tolerated. Even more so, if they are cooked. I am not sure if it's true but I'll give it a try. My thinking is, if I have a few go to special food items for those not so good days, I will be okay. We shouldn't overload on artificial sweets either. Just now and then. I will check out the choc syrup, books and the foodie site, great ideas ladies. I love how we are pooling ideas together. You all rock!

Also look at the National Institute of Health website (NIH)and Journals such as New England Journal of Medicine. Fantastic studies! FYI: I happen to know someone who had a bypass because of diabetes (severe case). He was not overweight. My understanding, there is something about the gastric bypass surgery that helps diabetes. Something about the duodenum bypass. Of course, diabetes remission is not guaranteed but the prognosis is good. You may want to ask your doctor.

Hi Joy, My doctor recommended the bypass as well. I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally find someone with a doctor who only requires the 3 day clear liquid diet. I was about to lose my mind. Mine requires the same. Everyone seems to be doing the 2 week and these two other doctors I saw one required 2 weeks and the other 4 weeks. I too am thinking of doing the two weeks anyway. I certainly will cut refined sugar. The last thing I want is to go through is sugar withdrawal as I recover. I do know what you mean with not having energy to do the things you would like to do. I have two boys still at home ages 13 and 16. I feel like I am running out of gas. I used to muscle through with sheer will power but these last two years I have noticed even will power is not enough. Do you know what to do for the 2 week diet?

countrysweet, Why do you think your husband doesn't want to join you? There must be a reason and he is not sharing it. Ask him, in a gentle non-confrontational manner. Tell him you are just trying to understand where he is coming from. I say this because I usually don't ask my husband "the why of things" very much but I have lately. I have been amazed at some of the answers. They are not at all what I expected. Is he exhausted, overwhelmed, uninterested in the actually activity you are doing or plain lazy? You see there maybe a way of getting him involved if you dig a little deeper. You may have to be clever. Just a thought!

Hi, I am all for celebrating and the 100 lb mark is down right a miracle in my book. Do you have the flu? Hope you feel better soon

Keep us posted, you are not alone!

You guys are funny with your Chipotle talk. I am sure you will be able to eat some of it someday but not for a while. I can just imagine when you get to that time and you order a burrito, look at the size and burst out laughing because it will look enormous. I hope I can be the fly on the wall when you do it.

We can now dream, with our eyes wide open. There is a future!

Hi, I just had an idea. I made some simple apple sauce (no sugar). There are plenty of apples right now and at great prices. All I did was peel and chop, add a tiny amount of Water and cook on low heat for 15 minutes with the pot lid on. I added a dash of salt too. Then using a wire whisk I just blended the whole thing right in the pot. I cooked it a little longer because it was a bit liquid. I am wondering could I add some of that no favor Protein powder and have a comforting meal for after surgery. I could even warm it up a little. I am freezing a whole bunch in baggies. In half a cup portions, of course, for our new tiny tummies

Hi Ginger, I was looking at your before and after picture because I was wondering what 50 lbs plus weight loss would look like. You look amazing and I think you look at least 10 years younger. Way to go!

Hi Joy59. You are an inspiration. Raising your two grand daughters is a huge task to take and this surgery will take some recovery time. So glad your daughter is supporting you. What kind of surgery are you having? I am sure I have seen it in one of your previous posts but I just can't remember. Our weight height and weight is not too different. What weight goal do you have? I know I have 150lbs on mine but I will be blasting fireworks when I get bellow 200lbs. As you know all the weight exhasts me. There are days I feel like a 80 year old. Are you supposed to do a two week pre-op diet?

Hi readyforitnow. I by no means have medical training but I wonder if Gastric Bypass has the same potential effects that it has on type 2 diabetes. I know they don't do this in the US but I have lived overseas and I know some people have gastric bypass, even though they do not have weight issues, just to get remission from diabetes. Worth asking your doctor.

So glad you are doing okay. You are an inspiration.

You are right, great blog. Thank you for sharing.

Welcome AuriP I am so glad you found us. Please we would love to have you. We are all in this together. You are a busy mom with 3 little ones. Please reach out for support if you can. Remember you shouldn't drive for 5 days or pick up the kids for a while. The 8 year old will be helpful but the 15 month not so much. I am sure you can do it, after all you gave birth and then went home to take care of two kids with this last baby. But don't over do it. I am saying this to you as much as I am to myself. I have a tendency to think I am super woman. Lols! I have 3 kids too but mine are older. The 16 year old the other day made a joke as I was trying to rush upstairs to get something I needed before we left the house. He said "There goes mom faster then the wind." He was, of course, was being sarcastic because with my weight I am so slow. I want to be able to go up the stairs not at the speed of a 80 year old. By the way I found 2 other laddies with October dates as well I am following but I am not sure how we can post on the same thread. I think it would be awesome if there was a little group of us, don't you think?

I am actually excited about not overeating. It's altogether not a good thing. You feel terrible anyway. If this will be the tool to achieve it, I am all for it. My 21 year old once told me as I was eating the last bit of leftovers - "mom you are not the trash bin." It stuck with me. So true! I am expecting my "no hunger" feelings after surgery to help with family meal cooking. I will also try to figure out how to eat dinner. I find dinner time to be a little stressful. I am trying to keep food warm, getting everyone to the table. By the time I seat down I am not feeling calm. If I am stressed I tend to eat fast. What about you? I also have a hard time keeping everyone at the table for 25 minutes. I am constantly going, "No, you are not excused." The boys want to eat and run. It annoys me to death. The extra stress makes me eat faster, I think.

How are you doing 4mickeymoose? 33 lbs is impressive. How is your recovery going? Any advice? My bypass is October 28th and there are 3 other girls I follow with October dates. We are all trying to ready ourselves for the big moment.

You have a full house even with the two at college. I am sure they keep you very busy. By the way my daughter (21) almost went to Grinnell College. She was accepted but decided to go elsewhere. I know what you mean about the nausea. I had that too. With my kids deliveries as well. In fact, with my first, I convulsed out of control. After going home with the baby my worst pain was my stomach. I was mad. I remember thinking, lots of other places are hurting, I shouldn't have this horrible tummy ache too. I think it was a reaction to Pitocin. Not the same as bypass but it was pretty memorable. I know I didn't like it one bit. Everyone seems to get nausea with RYN though. It makes sense, your stomach will not be happy. I guess that's an understatement ..... Thanks on the e-mail offer, but I think, I will stick to what the doctor says. In for a penny in for a pound. It was a brief consideration. How do you handle cooking for your family given our dietary restrictions? For you it won't be too different from the lapband. I am a bit worried about that. dinner time is the worst for me because usually there are leftovers and second helpings. This weekend there's a request for apple pie from my husband.

Oh, on the skin issue. I know time helps reduce this. At first our skin won't look great, I am sure. I had a friend who lost a lot of weight and her face looked a bit like a droopy puppy's face but a year later she looked great. The human body is amazing. In any case, a year after reaching goal we can examine the situation. We may require plastic surgery. Before that makeup and clever undergarments may have to be our best friends.

Hi, Our post-op diets look like they are the same but my pre-op diet is different. My doctor only has his patients do a 3 day Clear Liquids diet, if upon examination, he estimates your liver is of a size he can move it over easily. Apparently, I have a small liver. Who knew there's something in me that's small, I'm shocked! He tells me he used to have everyone do the 2 week diet as well but he didn't notice any difference in outcomes. Sounds great for me but now I worry and wonder if I should do it anyway. The NUT said the two week liquid pre-diet is mostly to get the patient to get used to what life after surgery will be and to check for a patient's ability to comply. Apparently some patients after surgery eat too soon and the wrong things to the point they cause harm to themselves. They bust their pouch. This is mostly on the compulsive eater side of things, I imagine. I would be so afraid of causing my pouch to burst I probably would side on the opposite side of caution. Something else to worry about, sorry! I have 3 kids and the youngest is 13. I have not told anyone except my husband. At this point I have not decided if I will or not tell them what kind of surgery I am having. Obviously mom will be going away for 2 or 3 days and she will come back not in a mood for running laps. I have to come up with an answer for that. The good thing is we both have had anesthesia and did okay. I had two Novasure procedures aka endometrial ablation. My periods used to be too heavy. I started a list of Protein drinks I noticed on other posts. I would like to buy a variety to test. We should compare notes when we get to that point. After you see your NUT and I see mine. It's next Wednesday for me. This is when all the pre-op stuff is discussed. How did your body handle losing so much weight when you had the band? Where you super exhausted? I imagine it must feel strange to be starved of nutrition. I know you don't feel hungry but hello, your body is getting a lot less food then usual. It must feel different, right?