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Well now THAT made me throw my head back laughing, and I don't laugh like that for just anyone!

You certainly like to pass the blame off to people on the other end of the phone line, don't you @@KindaFamiliar? This makes 2 days in a row you realize. I am quite interested to see what you'll say tomorrow. Meanwhile, the perfectly nice people in the thread can't wait to see your face! Granted, maybe your face smothered in arse cream, but your face nonetheless!

Yeah this Kotex thing appears to be taking over your thread. Talk about peer pressure. Don't cave in! Remember that this experiment is completely and entirely yours... BTW...still waiting on proper pics. What's the excuse today?

Hmm...running late, huh @@KindaFamiliar? A likely story. You DO realize that an experiment without photographic evidence isn't going anywhere, don't you?

You look beautiful @@Katy2051 ...congratulations!

Unfortunately you are correct. Any stretch mark assistance would need to be preventative. You'd have to slather on your oils and lotions to keep the skin supple BEFORE it stretched out. Once the marks are there the skin is already damaged and scarred, and they are going nowhere. Like any other scar the appearance will improve with time, but nothing will make then go away.

An IUD was my surgeon's top recommendation for birth control, so I'm sure there are no worries about loss of effectiveness. I was told the only method that could be a concern after WLS is the pill, and even then only because of possible vomiting issues (the tablet is tiny enough to not be of concern otherwise). As for chocolate protein, I highly recommend Unjury. They have two chocolate flavors (classic is a lighter chocolate taste, splendor is richer) that are absolutely delicious. They are truly indistinguishable from chocolate milk. In the winter I even drank them warm for hot cocoa.

What I do with mine is pull it up on my laptop and rotate it there. It shows properly on the computer, but I know it's going to load weird anyway, so I go through a full (yet seemingly needless) rotation there and then somehow it uploads properly. Works for me anyway. I don't get it, but it is what it is.

It's not a stupid idea, but I'm not sure it's one that I would want to do myself. I'm all for intensifying the pre-op diet if you're up for it, but I question the timing. The thing is, it's always the first few days of a newly restrictive diet that are the most hell-ish. Personally I feel that by tacking on a couple of liquid diet days ahead of your requirement, you're giving yourself the worst part of the diet on the worst days. If I wanted a couple of liquid days I'd move them to the end of the diet. Of course this is all easy for me to say. I lucked out with a surgeon who required no pre-op diet at all, save for liquids the day before. And not even clear liquids!

@@KindaFamiliar Aww. Funny AND sweet. Alright, I admit it...I MAY be stalking you a little.

Suuuuuure...that's why it took SEVENTEEN more posts for you to get around to me! Oh yes. I went back and counted. I don't think anyone will deny your mad attention-seeking skills. Your list of stalkers seems to be growing... I don't know about this one. Unlike you, I'm not sure I'm brave enough to be posting any kind of flabby skin pics. Not even in the name of science. If you want to see what's under my clothes you'd best...well...nevermind. After all, we've only known each other a few weeks.

And I, as usual, am opposite. I was 5'6" in my 20's, so that was the height I would give when asked. When my height was checked at my first WLS appointment, I was clearly 5'7". It would seem that my posture has improved over the years.

@@KindaFamiliar First off, your threads are hilarious. There is almost nothing you type that I don't enjoy reading. However, if you'll forgive my hyper-analytical brain possibly raining on your parade, I'm not sure this would be an effective long term treatment. I believe that the effects of a hemorrhoid cream are only temporary. It may tighten as long as you apply it regularly, but you're not likely to reach the point of it "working" and no longer needing it. I could be wrong of course. I often am. I'm certainly no doctor! That said, I think I might try it on the little bat wings I'm forming when I go sleeveless as we head into warmer weather. Can't hurt anyway.

Of course I don't hate you. I'm glad that not everyone has such a trying experience!

Holy crap, that tool put my cup size at a DD! Nooooo way in hell is that accurate. I'm currently wearing a C in the band size it recommended and believe me, there is room to spare in those cups.

Just an update: It is April 28th, and I've finally had my Mirena inserted. All of you ladies who said it was no big deal must be made of cast iron! It was not as bad as an endometrial biopsy for me, but damn that hurt. A lot. I tried to get the OTC muscle relaxer the doctor had suggested, but upon asking the pharmacist it turned out that it was not OTC at all, so I settled for taking an oxycodone before hand that was leftover from my last D&C. They obliged my request for the use of anything they had to help numb me. The nurse was told to keep a wastebasket within easy reach, as I tend to vomit when I'm in a lot of pain. It was a good thing I'd mentioned it. I did indeed need it. The measuring rod came first, which made me scream. I remembered @@katanne mentioning that this was the worst part for her, and I thought that if this was the case for me as well then it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Unfortunately it was not. The insertion was far worse for me. I screamed. I bawled. I vomited. I forgot how to breathe. Yes it was relatively quick, but in my case it was also relatively extreme. IUDs must definitely be very different for women who have been through childbirth. It is now 7 hours later, and the cramps are still quite strong. I'm definitely far more comfortable up and walking around than I am sitting, as sitting too long puts pressure on the pelvis and causes my uterus to spasm randomly. All in all, as much as it sucked, I still believe it was worth it. I would absolutely do it again. I'm just glad I don't have to for another 5 years!

I'm with most of the people here. Pack light. I packed like I was going away for the weekend, but I only used the following: Cell phone and charger Lip balm Hand sanitizer Gas-X strips hair clip My own pillow (big pillow snob right here...) A small travel pillow (to hold against my tummy to support it as I got in and out of bed) That was it. Everything else came home with me untouched.

I have to agree with @@KindaFamiliar - it's all so subjective. On a side note: $AU120 a WEEK?! That's over $90 USD (yes, I googled the conversion)! Sh*t Australia is expensive... It will depend on what your tastes in food are, what you can tolerate, how far out of surgery you are, where you shop, how you shop, etc. Without pulling up actual receipts and invoices to verify, I'd estimate I spend about $80 per month on Protein powders/shakes/bars and supplements, and maybe another $100 or so on actual groceries. It should be noted that I go out of my way to save money. I buy what I can on Amazon (where virtually everything is much cheaper). I buy a VERY complete Multivitamin that eliminates the need for a couple of extra supplements. I use a vacuum sealer and chest freezer to my advantage so I can cook in advance and buy groceries in bulk, then portion things off into individual servings and store for future use. Again, the cost is going to vary quite greatly from person to person. But regardless, it will almost certainly be less that you've spent before surgery. I know mine is!

I like this. I think I'll be copying you. [emoji1]

@@sallo Honestly, I'm glad I dump from rice and Pasta. I was a raging carb addict, and I am convinced that those were by far the worst contributors to my weight gain (especially pasta - I think I ate it every day). If I could have selected what I dump on, those definitely would have been my choices!

@@looking_forward I don't know if the people from this thread are still around, but I'll talk to you! I'm not exactly a Hamiltonian, but I am from St. Catharines originally, so just a hop east of you. In fairness though I'm not even there anymore as I'm currently residing in North Dakota, but I just felt compelled to reply to someone so close to home. ???? Congrats on your surgery! I'm glad your recovery is going smoothly so far. I myself had RNY in January, so if you have any questions or just want to chat, I'd be happy to oblige. Take care.

Welcome to the group Mike! We're all happy to help in any way that we can, so don't be afraid to ask your questions and tell us what you need.

Then I'm glad I did...

I have dumped 3 times in my 3 post-op months. The first was from tomato Soup 2 weeks out. I didn't read the label (which was especially silly since I've ALWAYS been a label reader) and ended up grabbing one with high-fructose corn syrup as the third ingredient. Surely the crushed saltine I'd added didn't help either. Oops. The second was from 'tasting' rice as I cooked it, trying to get the seasoning right. I didn't intend to have any with my own dinner, but I didn't want to serve it bland either. It took a few too many adjustments, resulting in more than the one or two tastes I'd intended. That was by far my worst dumping episode. I ended up sleeping on the bathroom floor because I literally did not have the strength or energy to make it directly across the hall to the guest room. My final dump was from Pasta. Plain, salted, al dente pasta fresh from the pot has always been a weakness, and I had a weak day. A few too many 'tastes' and here we go again. I've never dumped from volume, and seem capable of handling reasonable amounts of fat and sugar. My issue seems to be with starches.

When discussing acceptable foods for the pureed stage my nut did mention that some patients like to just use baby food. However we both agreed on the "...but why would you want to?" front. You'll get much better flavor and nutrition by preparing a few things yourself. I made purees of each chicken tenderloins, crab meat, black beans, and sweet potatoes at this stage, and they were so worth the effort.