2goldengirl

Are you measuring and logging your food? Did your surgeon/RD/NUT give your portion sizes to follow? What makes you think you are "eating too much"?

Too old to make new friends? I can't count the number of dear friends I've made since I was 38! I'm sorry you're feeling lonely, but this statement really shocked me.

When they wheeled me into the OR I said "let's get this party started!" Everyone cracked up. How can you not have a good surgical experience when your team is all smiling? OK, so the robot wasn't smiling. Design flaw, that. Relax and enjoy the anesthesia-enabled sleep. We'll all scooch over on the Loser's Bench to make room for you! Let us know how you did!

Breakfast doesn't have to mean breakfast food. What about Soup? I love soup at breakfast. Preop I sometimes had a salad with an egg on it and a vinaigrette. A cheese stick might work for you - with a slice of deli meat wrapped around it? I agree that trying different way of cooking eggs may work for you. One of my first real foods postop was a soft-boiled egg, and I swear to you, it was a little bit of heaven. My sleeve isn't in favor of the idea of scrambled, though. This past weekend, I poached an egg in about 1/4 cup of tomato sauce (Pasta sauce). It was amazing!

Honestly, you need to follow your postop instructions. You say you "just couldn't deal with nothing in there anymore" - are you hungry, really? Or is your head saying "hey, I haven't had anything to eat! I want something now!" Because this early out, I nearly guarantee this is your head, and not your stomach, talking. Your stomach has been sliced and stapled. It's very, very tender and swollen. It needs to heal and it can't do that if you're shoving food into it before it's ready. Truthfully - what do your postop instructions say? Clear liquids? Full liquids? Stick to the plan. Your surgeon has given you instructions. specific ones. They are about healing after surgery. This is not a diet you can cheat on, the stakes are far higher here.

It entirely depends on your program. Some surgeons emphasize a very low carb approach, others don't. Mine doesn't, she gives me a Protein minimum and a calorie range. My carbs these days come from dairy and veg, mostly dairy such as yogurt and cottage cheese. I don't have much room for veggies yet.

Here's the reason they can't tell you when it will be: The new doctor needs to go through a credentialing process to be approved by the hospital to do surgeries there. That process includes the hospital's credentialing folks to verify all his licenses , certifications, and his education, but then a hospital committee meets to formally make a decision. Those committees generally only meet monthly. The surgeon's office only has control over how fast he gets his application in to the hospital. After that it's all on them. The process is actually a protection for you as a patient, even though it's totally frustrating.

So far, we're saving money, chiefly due to not eating dinner out, as we'd done 3-4 times a month. Yes, I'm spending $$ on shakes, (I'm < 3 months out), but having those around keeps Huz from fast food. And because my portions are so small, even though I cook a lot of Protein, it takes me a while to eat it!

Remember why you're on liquids - for healing. giving your sleeve adequate time to heal can mean you have an easier time advancing in future. After all you went through to get surgery, I'm sure you can hang in there one more day!

He's scared, and he's taking a hamfisted approach to telling you he's scared. You're both scared. Which is completely to be expected. That said, that doesn't make his words or his approach anything like helpful. Is it possible for the two of you to sit down calmly and talk about what each of you is scared of? OK, he's scared of losing you. and you're scared of everything that comes along with staying obese. It's your body, and your decision - which is hard for a lot of spouses to accept, because it's a life-changing decision that will change their lives, too. It's downright mean to use some of the words he's used, however "didn't try hard enough". As if! "Easy way out" As if! I hope you can work this out together.

You don't have to say anything other than "I just have a little something I need to take care of". Because I offered nothing further, people have known not to press for details. I wouldn't dream of letting anyone from work visit me in the hospital. I didn't tell anyone from work what hospital I was even in.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you - and your surgeon! But you're in the home stretch. Probably you will just need some repeat lab work is all. Nothing compared to what you've already done. Hang in there!

PJ pants for walking the halls. I didn't use slippers, I used the slip-on shoes I went to the hospital in. Lip balm. Facial moisturizer and hand cream - my skin gets super dry in hospitals and hotels. A pen or pencil and something to write on the track your fluids. One thing I brought home with me - a bunch of the little plastic medicine cups. They were very handy for measuring my Fluid intake.

I hope you have been decaffeinating yourself gradually. If you haven't, whatever you do, don't eliminate caffeine overnight or you'll end up with a beast of a headache for several days. But you may find that some of the things you think you can't live without are very live-without-able postop. for exmple, I loved my coffee (decaf, but I loved the taste and aroma) and my wine. At 6-1/2 weeks out, I had my first cup of coffee (decaf) yesterday, and another today. I don't love it the way I once did. I had about a tablespoon of wine at a dinner on Friday - meh. It's a little disorienting that these things no longer appeal to me! I predict you will do better than you think at the preop prep. It's a mind game.

Fatty liver disease is very common, especially in those with obesity. It makes sense that you'd have fat everywhere, including your liver, right? The long-term danger is that the fat can cause scarring in your liver, which can ultimately lead to liver disease and failure. Anyhow, the whole "preop liver shrinking diet from Hell" is based on getting glycogen, rather than fat, out of your liver. Glycogen is a stored form of sugar that holds four parts Water for each part glycogen. That makes your liver easier to move out of the way during your surgery. I'm convinced (just my opinion, mind you) that the 2-week period is a holdover from when GBP was what most people were getting. There is a need to clean out the bowel where bowel surgery is involved.

You won't mess anything up with liquids, they slide right on through. At 6.5 weeks out, I've never had any hunger. I eat because I know I have to. Yep, it's wierd!

There is so little padding between my knees that they knock together when I sleep and it hurts (I'm a side sleeper).

We can't help you without more to go on. What do the instructions from your surgeon say, exactly? Postop instructions vary widely. You could be on either Clear Liquids, full liquids, or even purees at this stage.

HR doesn't get hospital records. That's what I posted - HR only gets two statements from your doctor, neither of which have a diagnosis on them, neither do they say anything about surgery, for that matter. And if she "yaps" about anyone's PHI, that's a felony.

All your empolyer gets is a statement from your surgeon (in advance of your absence) saying that you will be physically unable to work from Day Y to Day X. Period. When you return, that same doctor gives you a Return to Work clearance stating you may return to work and any restrictions, if there are any (e.g., no lifting X 3 weeks) or "no restrictions" if there are none. That's it. No HIPAA violations.

My mouth is watering, thanks! I tell you truly, that soft-boiled egg was the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted. It was just exactly what I wanted, and my sleeve (which was being very cranky at that point) liked it just fine.

Cottage cheese was the first, then a soft-boiled egg, then refried Beans. fish after that (cooked in sauce in the oven). Good luck!

I hate to tell you this, but CPAP makers aren't seeing a "great decline in sales". The use of CPAP is on the rise, because sleep apnea affects upwards of 20% of the population, many, many of whom are of normal weight (my pulmonologist, for example) and many, many of whom have not yet been diagnosed. Case in point. I do not snore. Other than headaches and my weight, I did not meet the profile for sleep apnea. I scoffed at my need for a sleep study but my surgeon wanted one anyway. Imagine my surprise when I was diagnosed with sleep apnea? My problem is hypopnea, which doesn't cause snoring, any may very well stay with my after I reach goal weight. DME manufacturers don't drive the increased incidence of sleep studies, pulmonologists do. And in a lot of cases, that's a good thing.

Congratulations! It all seems a lot more real once you have a date, doesn't it? Don't let the nerves throw you. After so long prepping, the idea of actually DOING the surgery can scare you. My personal theory is that after months of chasing down specialist appointments and testing and this and that, there is nowhere for all that energy to go except to escape into anxious-land. Breathe. Do some nice things for yourself - go for a walk, have a pedi, go through your clothes and sort the sheep from the goats - I'm sure there are things in all of our closets that we've outgrown. Sort them by size and you'll have an idea of what you have as backup as you shrink. I did some batch cooking ahead so Huz would have something to eat while I was on liquids. hang in there, you're in the home stretch!

What you are clearly not hearing from us is that what you know as your reality now - what foods you most enjoy, for example - may change dramatically postop. The foods you think you can't live without may be foods that simply don't interest you postop. You can't base your decision about surgery on that. Instead, I'm going to challenge you on something. You mentioned that your wife has reached her goal, and now that she has, she would like for you to have surgery so you can both have a healthier life. Think of this. Your wife has no doubt, radically changed her relationship with food, if for no other reason than having to account for foods that no longer agree with her post-GBP. And she lives with a husband who at the age of 45 is seriouly obese and who shows more interest in hanging on to his wings and pizza than he does in investing in your mutual future. When your health fails due to your obesity, who do you think will be left taking care of you? She will. WLS changes relationships. some for the better, some for the worse. Maybe what you need to listen to is why she wants you to conquer your food issues. Leave the word "surgery" out of it if you like, but understand that the imbalance between you is growing, and in your hands.