BryanInStPete

I had my 7 week post-op follow-up yesterday. I am down 4 pant sizes and 65+ lbs since July 4th. I am still doing very well - energy is high and feeling great. I have had a couple "slimming" incidents over the last 3 weeks but mostly due to eating too much too fast. I hope everyone is doing well and mentally prepared for Thanksgiving! Take it easy on the stuffing!! :-) Sharing a little before and after pic of me wearing the same shirt.

I am two weeks post op - which means it has been over two weeks since I have had any solid food. My doctor has me on full liquids for 3 weeks post-op which means I have another week before I can start the pureed phase. LOL - I realized that the highlight of my day is eating my chewable Vitamin twice a day! I am counting the days before I can "eat" and not "drink" my meals. Speaking of liquid diet - I have also realized the lack of chewing anything quickly leaves a film on my teeth and I find that I am brushing my teeth three or four times a day (I'm a neat freak about my teeth anyway) but all those Protein drinks, Soups, etc. really seem to build up a film quickly. And my last liquid diet blues rant....I never realized how many damn TV commercials there were for pizza, fast-food, and chain restaurants until the last few days. Ughhh! :-)

Best of luck. I'm a little over a week post-op and I already notice the difference physically. Sending good vibes and hoping your recovery goes smoothly.

Hi All, I had my surgery on Thursday, 10/15 - late in the afternoon (2PM). I stayed in recovery until 8PM when I was moved to my room. I was able to do a walk down the hallway and back at 10PM and began drinking Water as soon as I got into my room. I am thrilled to say I have had absolutely no adverse reactions. Sure I would get a little fluttering in my stomach and tad bit of nausea but never came close to feeling like I needed to throw up and the gas pains were minimal - I never exprienced the gas pains in my back or shoulders that others warned about. I was sipping decafe coffee, chicken broth, and Jello for Breakfast the next day and did two more strolls down the hallway. I was discharged at 4PM the following day and opted to walk out vs. using a wheelchair. I will admit that walking out of the hospital and into my house wore me out and made my legs weak for about 24 hours. I have continued to follow my doc's orders and diet. I began full liquids on day three - again no problem or reactions other than a little fluttering in my stomach which I took as a sign to stop eating. I've been eating cream of wheat (mixed with unflavored Protein poweder), greek yogurt, protien shakes, and homemade blendered tomato Soup (with protein powder). I even took a small trip to the grocery store (didn't drive) yesterday. Again it wore me out and I napped for 2 hours afterwards but then had plenty of energy after the nap. Overall I am extremely pleased with how my body is responding. I am giving a lot of credit to the fact that I am sipping the Isopure bottled clear Protein drinks for my main liquid intake - I even made jello and popsicles out it. I'm taking all my suppliments too. The only odd side effect I've had is taking my cholestrol meds - I take a lot - 3 different prescriptions but 6 pills in total. The first night I took them I spaced each pill out by 10 min but that didn't seem to be enough time as I was burping up a bad chemical/medicine taste about 30 min after taking the last pill. So now I spread them out throughout the day and have not had that problem. What about weight you ask? When I got home that next day I got on the scale and I was 5lbs heavier than when I went in for surgery - realizing it was mostly trapped gas and all the IV fluids in me I didn't freak out. As of today I am 5 lbs lighter than the day of surgery.

I'm less than 90 hours away from my surgery. Now that the surgery date is getting closer I have shared with more people than I originally have told when I began my pre-op diet classes and appointments six months ago. I am getting the same response from everyone - basically that they think I don't need the surgery. I have yo-yo'd up and down between 275 - 315 for the past 5 years with all the negative effects to my health that go along with being 100 - 120 lbs overweight. Has anyone else had this reaction from family and friends? How did you handle it? That aside I am looking forward to a healthier me in the weeks, months and years to come!

Thanks for the feedback. I too am often frequently upgraded and I am going to miss my Snacks, drinks, and sometimes meals that go along with the upgrade. For my first trip I decided to not stay at the typical higher end hotels my firm puts me up in but looked for one with a small kitchenette/microwave/frig so I can prepare my shakes and soft-food vs. relying on room service. I have thought about the fact that my expense report will be smaller on trips now since I won't be eating out as much. Too bad I don't get a travel per diem otherwise I would be making some extra pocket money on these trips! :-) Curious if you have had any troubles with TSA if you take a small amount of Protein powder in your carry-on?

My surgery is in four weeks and I am wondering if there are any business travelers like me that have gone through surgery? Curious to know how soon after surgery did you feel comfortable taking a business trip? I average 2 - 4 business trips a month, usually gone for 2 to 3 days at time. I plan to take a week off work and my first post-op trip is planned for 5 weeks after surgery. My Doc said that shouldn't be a problem but I am a little concerned about not being able to eat and drink the way I should while traveling. How soon after surgery have any of you traveled and what lessons do you have to share with me?

I have been using the Isopure Zero Carb powder and pre-bottled Protein from GNC. They too are pricey and I hesitated before purchasing it ($50 for large container of powder and $45 for a dozen of pre-bottled) But after I thought about it I realized these are replacing meals and $3.75 a bottle of Isopure is 1/2 or 1/3 of what I typically pay for a lunch. Just something to think of when experiencing sticker shock. BTW - The Isopure bottled drink is 40 g of protein and 160 calories. Because it is "clear" (meaning you can see through the liquid) and no sugar my Dr. said it would be a good drink for me to sip those frist weeks of post-surgery. The Alpine and Green Apple flavored bottled Isopures are my favorite.