ange117

Mine isn't optifast, but normal protein shakes and small spinach salads! How are you doing with day 1? I'm chugging water to fend off the physical hunger, but my head is throbbing!

So I recently ordered the Bariatric Advantage chewy bites 500mg in caramel, and I have to say -- they taste great! But they are incredibly sweet, and I'm little worried about how I'm going to tolerate eating 3 of these a day. I've heard great things about the lemon ones, however. For those of you who've tried both -- what do you think of them?? I know the lemon chews only have 250 mg of Calcium, but they're significantly cheaper. Are they better/less sweet so that I could tolerate taking twice as many or would you recommend chowing down the least number of chews I can??? lol Being able to get back on pills will be a wonderful step in this journey!!

I went with

Excited and terrified, tbqh. lol I just bough a bunch of Protein powder and my first month's supply of chewable Vitamins, which made everything more real. I'll be starting my pre-op diet next week and I'm struggling not to mow down everything in sight as a 'last meal' lol. I think it'll be easier to manage once I break this sugar addiction. >_< But mostly, I'm really excited to get this strain off my back and hips. I'm not even 27 years old yet, and I feel like I'm 55. It's time to feel healthy again. What about you??

Surgery buddies!!! I am also set for RNY on 4/4/16, down here in Rochester, NY.

My biggest fear is malnutrition down the road... Neurological damage from vitamin deficiencies, osteoporosis at an early age, being stuck getting iron transfusions for the rest of my life... I'm facing my surgery date now (4/4) and I actually put the entire process off for almost 6 weeks just to talk myself into it. I don't have any comorbidities right now, so I'm really scared to trade off my weight for other health issues.

Do any of you guys use PillPack for your Vitamins? I'm going to be having surgery soon and I'll be using chewables for the first few weeks, but I know I'm going to be look at switching to pills ASAP. Their selection seems to be pretty good, with very reasonable prices. I like that they break them up into little pouches with the time--easy to take today's pills and pop them in your purse! But does anybody have any experience about their reliability and customer service???

HIV PEP is known to cause a lot of nausea and unpleasant side effects. It's usually prescribed with zofran or another anti-nausea medication. Can you infectious disease specialist or surgeon get you a script for something to help while you finish out the course?

I am a huge fan of the unjury, but I cannot stand the strawberry flavor. The chocolate splendor is my go-to and the unflavored is excellent in things like sf pudding, broth, etc.

My psych eval was completely painless. I am on anti-anxiety meds and was seeing a therapist before I started the wls journey. Mostly she just wanted to talk about what I see as my strengths and weaknesses going into the process, and how I plan to deal with my struggles and the emotional ups and downs that will inevitably come post-op. Just be honest. The eval is not there to be a roadblock, it's there to make sure you're mentally healthy enough for this journey.

That sounds a lot more like a nerve issue as a result of the back surgery...

This sounds a lot like lactose intolerance. Do your protein shakes contain whey, particularly 'whey protein concentrate?' Or are you making them with regular cow's milk? Whey protein isolate, rather than concentrate, is almost completely lactose-free. You could also try making them with lactaid milk or soy milk. I would check with your NUT, or your surgeon if you're really concerned, and see about switching to a lactose-free shake. That might take care of all of your symptoms!

Sorry for misunderstanding; my post-op instructions include pudding and yogurt as part of the 'full liquid' diet--to begin immediately upon discharge from the hospital. But my point still stands--can you try mixing it into only a tablespoon or two of a Protein shake, instead of the whole thing? It'll be much easier for taste to get it down in a few mouthfuls instead of a whole shake, especially since you can't chug anymore.

I am still pre-op, but I did a lot of crushed pills in my early teen years because I was crazy stubborn about swallowing them lol. Rather than trying to get through an entire Protein shake mixed with medicine, I would try getting the crushed pill down with as little food or liquid as possible. Think maybe a small bite of applesauce/pudding/yogurt, or maybe a tablespoon of a Protein Shake. That way you can get through the icky taste much more quickly and don't have to suffer through sipping down an entire 8oz protein shake that tastes like gross medicine.

Not all surgeons require you to stop taking the pill, but if you're on a combined birth control pill (one that contains both estrogen and progesterone), many will require you to stop taking it 30 days before and after surgery. This is because estrogen slightly increases your risk of blood clots. I spoke with my gyno about this as I'm currently on a combined pill to manage painful ovarian cysts. She said once I meet with my surgeon, she'll either give me a big shot of depo to cover me for three months, or we'll switch to a progesterone-only pill. (I'm hoping for the depo!) So talk with your gyno and surgeon and see what options you have! They might not even require you to stop.

My bariatric center does not recommend any specific brands of Vitamins, as long as you meet your daily recommended amounts. I'm really looking to try the costco vitamins for cost efficiency and convenience. I know lots of people here talk about using them. Which ones do you recommend? Do you prefer the name brand or kirkland? Do they actually seem to measure up to the bariatric-specific manufacturers?

Did any of you struggle with night eating syndrome, or getting up in the middle of the night to eat?? This is something I did as a kid, and then not for years... until recently. I think it's the stress of prepping for surgery/all the appointments/etc (not to mention I'm applying to graduate school at the same time....). But I'm really worried about how it's going to affect my surgery process. I have an appointment with my therapist on the 19th--I'm going to come clean to her first. I'm almost positive I don't meet clinical criteria for night eating syndrome (I work with the diagnostic manual, so I'm very familiar with it), but I am occasionally getting up to have a small snack at night. While I remember it, I'm still very sleepy and have nearly no control at that time. A few nights ago it was a handful of pretzels. Last night it was about 5 marshmallows. Overall, I'm not eating a lot of calories, but I'm really concerned about what'll happen once my stomach literally cannot handle anything of texture/size. I'm contemplating buying some cupboard locks for post-surgery, but I'd prefer to get this under control now, when I don't have to worry about complications to my pouch or gaining all the weight back. Anyone have similar stories who can share their wisdom or encouragement?

Oh, I'm in no way resentful that they want the tests--in fact, I feel better knowing more about my health going into this. I was just worried that my lack of symptoms would cause insurance to deny the test and I'd get caught in a loop of needing a test, but not being able to get it covered. If it turns out I do have sleep apnea, it'll be all the more motivation to follow the rules and get this weight off. I'm 26; I want to know what healthy feels like.

I am also pre-op with borderline low B12 (mine was just over 200) and have been taking 1,000mg daily for the past couple of weeks. The b Vitamins are Water soluble, and therefore most of the excess is excreted in your urine. It's very difficult to build up a toxic level in your body. Check with your surgeon for sure, but I would try not to stress yourself too much in the meantime.

It got approved!!!!! I'm so shocked, but also excited. I get to go pick up the equipment tomorrow morning. This is my last hurdle before I can meet the surgeon! Even if it turns out I DO have sleep apnea, at least things are still moving forward!

I second the pyridium, if you can take it. The cranberry pills work 'in theory' because they contain an ingredient that keeps bacteria from sticking to the bladder and urethra lining. However, as you mentioned, several studies have found that cranberry juice and cranberry pills don't contain nearly enough of this ingredient to be effective. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence for cranberry, but the science just isn't behind it. Pyridium (generically known as phenazopyridine hydrochloride--the active ingredient in Azo that you can find in any US drugstore) is actually an anesthetic that coats your bladder to relieve pain. It also turns your pee neon orange, a normal and expected side effect. It is a very small pill with no capsule, so if you're allowed to take pills at this point, I don't imagine swallowing it would be a problem. Is there an on-call nurse that you can reach through your program to see if you would be allowed to take this over the weekend until you can be seen? The box will tell you not to take it any longer than two days--this is because a UTI needs to be treated with antibiotics and you don't want to go that long with an untreated infection. Alternatively, they might just recommend that you head up to an urgent care for a urianalysis and antibiotics. If you can't take oral antibiotics, they might give you an injection and call it a day. I'd give them a call, if not tonight, then first thing in the morning. UTIs are no fun.

Assuming your bariatric center is part of a hospital, check into their financial assistance programs! I work full time but still qualified for an 80% reduction, which means I only pay $500 of my $2500 out of pocket maximum for the year.

Wouldn't you know, I've been second guessing myself on that answer alllllll day long......

No, I don't care if it's at home or in the lab. The doctor recommended the at home study because I don't really have any symptoms of sleep apnea, and she basically said it seems unnecessary to have me stay overnight in the lab. My question is mostly if anyone was denied for a sleep study completely. I'm worried about getting caught in a place where my bariatric center requires one, but my insurance refuses to cover one because it's not "medically necessary" given that I don't have any symptoms.

In my personal experience, it really depends on the cocktail of drugs that the anesthesiologist uses and the amount of pain meds they give you in recovery. I've had two other surgeries that both lasted about 3 hours each over the past couple of years with completely different experiences. For the first one (on my tailbone), I was wide awake and walking around about 2 hours after my surgery. For the second one (on my legs), I was completely knocked out by the pain meds and it took me about 5 hours just to wake enough to sit up and get moved from post-op. I don't think it's unreasonable that you could get to walk together, assuming your surgery happens on time, but I wouldn't get too determined to do it and end up disappointing yourself, either.