Daisee68

I also make my own salsa and it is very easy! I eat a lot of it. Just had some for dinner with cheese and cucumbers. Can of whole tomatos 1/2 jalapeno (with seeds scraped out) 2 cloves garlic 1/2 onion 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp garlic salt 1 bunch cilantro (or I use dried cilantro and just dump some in - 1 to 2 tbsp. maybe) Salt & pepper to taste 1 tbsp. (or so) of lime juice Dump it all in a blender and liquefy. I don't like chunky salsa. I taste and add what I think it needs - usually a tad more salt and/or more lime juice and/or cilantro. The recipe actually also calls for 1 tsp of sugar but I haven't been using that since surgery. honestly it probably wouldn't be a problem since it is such a small amount; I just chose not to.

Following.... I have never been to Trader Joes. They are fairly new to our area, but I saw one today at lunch that was very near my office and definitely want to check it out. Anything chili lime sounds great to me, so I am definitely going to look for the cashews and chicken strips mentioned above.

Wow! That is THE best news you can get - your health! Let's face it we all like the smaller clothes but doctor's giving us compliments on our health and just knowing how we have changed our lives for the better go much much further! Congrat!

. I have been having horrible pain in my stomach, went to the er twice in a month and so far no answers. I am sorry you are in pain and they cannot find an answer. I can tell you that I never had that pain again; however, I did end up having a stricture which I often wonder if that pain was related to somehow. Have you talked to your surgeon? What other symptoms? What tests have they done?

@@Blueeyes66 - then you are definitely going to have to file an appeal and get copies of all the stuff they say they don't have from your doctor. The surgeon has to release those records to you. You will have to send that info with a letter filing the appeal. Annoying for sure. Your surgeon's office should be doing this but if they won't, you will have to. Sorry. Very frustrating.

Don't try 1/2 cup at only 11 days out. That Ricotta Bake is wonderful but it is very filling. Start with 1/3 cup max.

Mine didn't start until closer to 4 months out. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones but no you aren't too far out to worry about it. Sorry.

Sorry but there are WAY too many variables to answer that question. Are you going through insurance or self-pay? If insurance, which company (they all have different requirements). What part of the country do you live in? Which surgery? Do you have a surgeon selected? etc..... If this helps, I first saw my surgeon on Jan 26. I was covered under insurance (Cigna) which required a 3 month pre-op nutrition visits in addition to other things. On my first visit to the surgeon they said probably about 5 months but that was because it was earlier in the year. As you get closer to the end of the year, the surgeon's schedules are much busier as everyone is trying to get surgery in before the end of the year due to deductibles on their insurance. My surgery was June 4. I am in TX where we have A LOT of surgeons. There are some folks on here who have waited a year and some who have had surgery in as little as a month (obviously no insurance requirements or self-pay and in my opinion you cannot get mentally ready for this in only a month). hope that helps!

That should be enough. Have you actually received a denial letter? If so, then your doctor submitted incorrect or incomplete info. You may have to file an appeal documenting everything that is outlined in that letter IF they don't approve. Have you reviewed the details to the Cigna requirements? Do you know that your specific plan covers weight loss surgery? (I was told by them about half of their plans do and half don't.)

@@Dub - well said. And I completely agree on all points. Sad for those that are always looking for loopholes and truly believe therapy should be a much bigger part of this whole thing for everyone for true success.

Hmmm.... good question. I don't know about others, but my contact with my actual surgeon is fairly limited. It isn't that she isn't accessible if needed. It just that I have only spoken to her at follow-ups or when I had a complication (stricture). I use the rest of the team much more. In the beginning, most certainly I followed what my surgeon said I was allowed to have but by week 6, she released me to eat what I could tolerate (of course still on plan). So it has certainly changed as time has gone on. My NUT is my most powerful influence on my actual food choices. (My therapist is #1 for HOW to eat and handling the emotional part of eating.) I would say that this board follows closely as a second as I see ideas from others (both what they had success with and what they did not). But I suppose above all, the actual putting of the food in my mouth is all me! not sure if that actually answered the question or not but the best I could figure out how to respond....

@@2goldengirl - Wow! Gymnast and windsurfer! How cool! I a not that brave. I have had the A/C reduction also on my right shoulder (and bone spurs removed and capsule shift as shoulder was dislocating). Took 3 surgeries. Wrong dr the first 2 times obviously. I was 32 at the time and had pain in that shoulder since I was 19. Appeared to just be some sort of genetic thing because I was never a sports participator. Then about 5 years ago I had a rotator cuff tear on my left shoulder which had to be repaired. Again, no specific injury so they don't know what caused it other than the bone spurs which they removed / reduced. Good news is I mostly have no issues now. I have noticed with weights and certain machines I have to shift the way I do the movement to reduce the stress though. Glad you have sought help for it. That arthritis is tough! My rheumatologist gave me Voltaren Gel for random joint aches. It really helps. Best of luck on your search for the right resistance exercises!

Congrats! That is a HUGE hurdle and will come in very handy post-op when you have to do same. Best of luck on your surgery. You've got this!!

It gets better but it is part of the process to chew everything very well. And back to your other post, you shouldn't be chewing right now. Sorry but you have to let your stomach heal. You have to find someway of getting Protein. Have you tried adding Protein powder to your pudding that NUT allows? I use Precision Engineered whey Protein Isolate and even my non-WLS friends at work comment on how good it smells - especially the vanilla. I add the vanilla powder to yogurt (not sure if you can have that yet) and chocolate powder to my sugar free Chocolate pudding. You have to try some other brands and add stuff to them - PB2 cover a lot of flavor if you like Peanut Butter. Any of the Sugar Free Torani flavored syrups help a lot. Premier Protein ready shakes is like drinking chocolate milk. Try those if you haven't. And drink all of them from a cup with a lid so you are not smelling it. Keep trying.

Ask for Vicodin/Hydrocodone. It does not have codeine in it. Only problem is you have to go get the script. They cannot call it in, so you will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, take half a dose of what you have. Sometimes that helps. The med could just be too strong for you. And definitely take it with nausea med. (If they didn't give you one, tell them you need generic Zofran ODT - which means it is sublingual and gets working fast instead of having to go through your stomach.) And what Dub said, walk, arms above head, use Gas-x and heating pad. Try yoga child's pose (basically on your stomach on your knees with arms stretched out in front of you - google it if that doesn't make sense. ) Now having said all that, what you are going through emotionally is VERY normal. Most of us have the same reaction. I remember getting home from the hospital and just thinking "what the heck have I done?!" But as @@Ashlegal said, truer words have never been spoken than "it gets better everyday". You just have to get through this first week or so as best as you can without dehydrating, so sip sip sip!

Have you been to PT for your shoulder? If not, I would consider doing that because they can help you with the correct motions. Having had 4 shoulder surgeries myself, I know that certain movements can do damage. Impingement can lead to tears if you are not careful (and sometimes even if you are). You should be able to do bicep curls and tricep extensions without too much issue. You likely can do chest press too, but just be sure your hands are positioned far enough apart to work your chest only and not stress your shoulder. Also rows would be good to strengthen your back and shouldn't stress the shoulder. I would be careful with the planks and pushups. I did those as rehab to surgery but it really hurt prior to. Other than that, try and focus on your lower half - lunges, squats, etc. BUT walking is one of the best things you can do for the weight loss and for your heart. Good luck!! Don't make that shoulder worse and don't stress about the exercise. Do what you can and it will work!

Nearly all (if not all) gain weight right after the surgery due to fluids from the hospital and swelling. That part is totally normal. The rest sounds like the gas they used during surgery trying to escape. It is good that you went to the ER just in case, but especially since you said it is easing up now, it very much sounds like that is what it is. It is an odd pain that the pain meds cannot touch. You have to walk, walk, walk. At day 5 it should start to ease up a lot. Try using a heating pad on your back/shoulder. That will ease the pain sometimes. And try Gas-X if you haven't. It does not work on the kind of gas they used to expand your stomach during surgery but it does work on the intestinal gas. If it doesn't ease up more by tomorrow or you need peace of mind, call your surgeon. There is always someone on call. I am not a medical professional, but I can only speak from my experience. Hang in there!

Low Vitamin D can cause low energy but certainly lack of food would as well. Why us she not eating all day until dinner? That is just a vicious cycle Thatcher have all lived thru and screws with metabolism not to mention health. Did she tell the Dr how much protein she is (or in this case is not) getting? With that much loss that quick and little to no protein and no exercise, she is losing muscle mass and can eventually lead to her being much more weak and I'll than she realizes. Is she going to therapy? If not I strongly recommend seeing an eating disorder specialist.

@@Blueeyes66 - that's ridiculous! Find a new surgeon.

Yay! It's so great when you find something you can eat comfortably at that stage!

A very tiny amount of butter or Pam spray (butter flavor).

Congrats!

​You surgeon may have one - especially if you are using Center of Excellence. Having said that, I use an AWESOME group of nutritionists who only work with WLS patients. They don't take insurance but they do everything over the phone and charge a very reasonable price for the 30 minute consult. I changed surgeon centers because I felt the NUT was not right for me. I'd be happy to share their info with you if you like. Just send me a private message if you want their contact info.

What a great idea!!! And @@gpmed - LOVE IT!

Laughing Cow cheese? I hate it pretty early. I do think I tried it during pureed in very tiny bites.