Sharon1964

I have a desk job. Sleeved on a Saturday, home from hospital on Monday (nausea issues kept me an extra night), back at work that same week on Thursday. I worked a few hours (payroll for staff was due), then went in every day after that, leaving an hour or so early for about a week. I would have gone nuts if I took 4 weeks off.

That is awesome! You can do this!

Okay dude, that's what, two or three times in one thread? That was happening on the "punish me" thread. I see a theme.

Oh geez. I thought you were declaring that Dub gets PMS, not PMs. I was thinking, "Duuuuuude! My crush is crumbling away! Say it isn't so!"

I ponder the possibilities of how much more effective my weight loss coaching sessions with my NUT & Psyche could have gone.......... I think you've stumbled onto something that is pure genius! So WLS can really mean, "we love sadism"! LOL!

Just checking back in to see how you're doing. You can do this!

Someone shoot me a message when we get back to the whips and leather outfits. Or when someone posts a pic. Cuz you know this thread is nothing without pics. Just sayin'.

I need to get in on this somehow or I risk losing my membership in the meanies clique... You... you... hmmm... wait! I got it! You should demand a full refund immediately and tell your surgeon to put you back the way you were! That will show them!

IRS Publication 502 covers acceptable and unacceptable medical expenses. Click here. The only thing I saw about overseas was regarding medications imported and medications consumed in a foreign country. Airfare and lodging are allowable medical expenses too (up to a certain amount). *************************************************************************************************** Medicines and Drugs From Other CountriesIn general, you cannot include in your medical expenses the cost of a prescribed drug brought in (or ordered shipped) from another country. You can only include the cost of a drug that was imported legally. For example, you can include the cost of a prescribed drug the food and Drug Administration announces can be legally imported by individuals. You can include the cost of a prescribed drug you purchase and consume in another country if the drug is legal in both the other country and the United States. *********************************************************************************************** I would speak to an accountant who is knowledgeable in medical tax matters.

If it relieves the pain, yes. Appendix pain would start on the right. Eventually it mirrors itself to the left. Did it go away? Did you call your doctor?

You could check to see if it's a hernia. If your toilet is in a small room, that's a good spot to try. Sit on the toilet, reach up over your head, bend to the right and slightly to the back, and use the wall to help you (walk your hands along it). Bend as far as you can - really stretch. If that relieves the pain, it's a hiatal hernia. Not a doctor, yada yada yada.

Trust me, it's totally up to the surgeon. My surgeon says, if you can lose weight on your own you wouldn't need me. That means no requirement to lose weight before surgery. My insurance had a 6-month supervised diet required, but no requirement to lose weight. I was on a full liquid diet the day before surgery. That's it, one day.

Mine's actually a v-pap, or variable pressure. Supposed to adjust automatically. Still have dry mouth.

I wouldn't take the kiddo. What if he suddenly develops a case of "mommy-and-only-mommy-will-do?" I'm thinking that happens around his age. Imagine him screaming his head off relentlessly until YOU hold him, no one else will do. Now imagine trying to recover from major surgery. Just don't do it.

My surgeon's program says no Snacks. HOWEVER, on the rare occasion that lunch doesn't agree with me (i.e., comes back up), I do have a snack an hour or so later. A wedge of laughing cow cheese. sugar-free Jello. A slice of lunchmeat. Some cucumber slices.

I think the section should be the very first one at the top of the main page. Don't put FAQs all over the different forums. When you sign up to be a member, you should receive a message and a link to the FAQs with a big START HERE notation. Make the FAQs read-only. People should not be able to post questions or comments on them.

Don't worry, you've got this! I had my gallbladder out years ago. It took a full year to get back to normal. I developed lactose intolerance, and things that never bothered me gave me heartburn (like peanut butter). Eventually all that went away. Having your gallbladder out at the same time as getting the sleeve seems like a major win-win to me. You'll be taking an acid-reducer, which will help prevent the heartburn, and you can use almond milk or lactaid milk to avoid dairy problems. If you're the cook of the family, make sure you have a week or so worth of frozen meals prepared ahead of time. Package some individual Snacks for the kids, like cheerios or crackers in little containers, so when they need something it's all ready. Put sugar-free Jello cups in the fridge, and the kids can get one for mommy when she needs one.

When I was waking up in recovery, on my back, I reached over, grabbed the bedrail, and pulled myself onto my side. It felt so much better than laying on my back. I've been sleeping on my side since the first night in the hospital.

Meh. The class was good in that they handed out the post-op eating plan, and talked about that quite a bit. They went over stuff I already knew, about reading labels and whatnot. They also stressed that the doctors in my group don't want you using Protein shakes - they want you eating "real food", and don't worry about getting enough protein in until you are eating food again. At my preop appointment the NUT gave me the diet plan for the first week (which strangely wasn't on the documents I already had) - dilute apple, white grape, or cranberry juice by half with Water, and drink 45-60 ounces of that per day. That's where the carbs are for the first week. At my one-month post op appointment, she was pretty useless. She put a set of measuring cups on the table and told me to pick out which one represented how much I was eating at each meal. I said "one-third cup". She again wanted me to pick one out even though I told her I was measuring my food. Seems like a script she didn't know how to get away from. Thankfully I don't have to see her again. When I see the nurse practitioner for followup visits, we talk about food and nutrition then.

Do you have a friend that can come over and teach you some cooking basics? I buy Swai fish fillets (it's a very mild white fish). Heat a pan on the stove on medium heat, melt a tiny bit of butter in it, put in the fish fillet, sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cook a couple of minutes until the bottom is lightly browned, gently turn over and cook the other side. One fillet is two meals for me, and you can reheat in the microwave. If you want, you can put a spoonful of cream cheese in the pan after you take out the fish, melt it, stir it around, then pour the sauce on top of the fish. Ready-made frozen meatballs can be heated in the microwave. You can put a tablespoon of ready-made Pasta sauce (alfredo is usually lower in carbs than marinara) on it. I like Hillshire Farms kielbasa. They have turkey varieties if you want lower fat. Slice it on the diagonal and heat it in a pan (with or without butter) until the edges just barely start to blacken. This is something else that is easily reheated. Kielbasa is technically already cooked, I just like the texture better after it is cooked in a pan. For a slightly more advanced dish, thinly slice an onion and put it in with the kielbasa. Cook until the onions are "carmelized" - they will be completely limp and brown, and will add a sweetness to the kielbasa. I take precooked frozen shrimp to work and run them under hot Water to thaw, then mix a little mayo and a little ketchup for a dipping sauce. Edamame can be found with the frozen vegetables. You can get a cooked rotisserie chicken at many grocery stores (costco usually has larger and less expensive ones) and that will make a number of meals. I also like tuna salad on cucumber rounds.

Okay, then, color me shocked that is allowed on your pre-op diet. You did post in pre-op. I can understand it post-op as you can't eat that much. And I said nothing about chunks. Most liquid pre-op diets don't allow cream soup, which is why I suppose I was concerned you were encouraging other people to do it.

Also try different temperatures of fluids. At first, warm was all I could handle. Cold made my stomach cramp up. Thankfully that stopped after a few days.

I must be reading the wrong threads, because I don't see the meanness or bitchiness. Unless.. oh... maybe it's me. Never mind.

So, bacon, cheese, potatoes liquefied. Nope, doesn't count as liquid diet. Go back and read the documents your surgeon gave you on what you're supposed to be having and stick to that.

Okay, you have a goal. The next step is identify the obstacles, and then plan how you can conquer them. If you go through a fast-food drive thru on your way home from work, put your purse in the trunk of your car. Put a big sign on top of your purse that says something like NO! DON'T DO IT! MAKE THE CHOICE TO SUCCEED! That way, if you do stop at a fast food place, it's not as easy as it was. You have to stop and get out of the car to get your purse out of the trunk. Then you have to see that sign you put there. All of that gives you more time to rethink your CHOICE. Good luck!