Kim_8

Don't you hate it when.... You're 3 days post op and decided it was time to take Milk of Magnesia (laxative) and then every toilet in your house backs up? This was me this morning... I loaded up on Milk of Magnesia. So, it's 2:15PM, time to go to the bathroom, and guess what I find??? The toilet is backed up. I plunge, and plunge, then try to flush. The Water comes all the way to the top. So quick like a bunny, I disconnect the water sprayer in the tank... then I walk out of my bedroom and my daughter is standing in her bathroom plunging with towels around the toilet. Then the shower and bathtub starts backing up. Meanwhile - remember I took Milk of Magnesia and we have NO toilets... so then I start getting sick to my stomach and decide one of those suppositories for nausea is in order because I REALLY don't want to throw up - and besides that where would I do it? Now there's something about the suppositories that makes you have to go even worse I guess - I'd never had one before! UGH!!!!!!! WHAT A DAY!!! :doh: Plumber is on the way.... A new "don't you hate it when" thread anyone?

Hi Lisa, Congratulations on setting a date! Great site with great questions / answers from real experiences - I found it invaluable! Best Wishes! Kim

Hey BJ - hope all works out well for you! Congratulations on setting your date! Kim

Wow - I like the green sweater with the scarf and only $12.49! Oh, oh - I feel a shopping day coming on. :-) Thanks for the link! I book marked it.

Yes, thanks Nikki - what was I thinking? 26K for drugs? *laughs* Sus - If it's on my "approved" list then I'm eating it! :-) I just thought I'd share my post op diet... it's interesting to see the differences in them... I'm typing directly from my instructions. I'm so sorry you're on Clear Liquids only! I promise not to complain about the baby food anymore! :-) Post-Op Diet The following diet is recommended to help recover from the procedure, optimize fat loss and overall h ealth, and to minimize potential muscle wasting. In addition, the post op diet is divided into three stages to help prevent dislocation of the band, pain, and vomiting and to allow gradual adjustment. Stage I (Days 1-14) Meal 1: 1 serving of one of the following: yogurt, sugar free pudding, applesauce, warm Soup or broth, or baby food Meal 2: 1 serving of Myocel (protein shake) Meal 3: 1 serving of one of the following: yogurt, sugar free pudding, applesauce, warm soup or broth, or baby food Meal 4: 1 serving of Myocel (protein shake) Meal 5: 1 serving of one of the following: yogurt, sugar free pudding, applesauce, warm soup or broth, or baby food Meal 6: 1 serving of Myocel (protein shake) Stage II (Days 15-30) Meal 1: 1 serving of one of the following: yogurt, sugar free pudding, applesauce, warm soup or broth, cottage cheese, oatmeal, grits, V8, or baby food Meal 2: 1 serving of Myocel (protein shake) Meal 3: 1 serving of one of the following: pureed meat, pureed vegetables, pureed fruit, pureed soup, mashed potatoes, or V8 Meal 4: 1 serving of Myocel (protein shake) Meal 5: 1 serving of one of the following: pureed meat, pureed vegetables, pureed fruit, pureed soup, mashed potatoes, or V8 Stage III (30 Days +)Meal 1: This will be a cheat meal so we recommend 1 serving of whatever the patient is craving (breads, Pasta, pizza, baked potatoes, sweets, etc.) Notice: Check tolerance levels by taking small bites at first. Meal 2: 1 serving of Myocel (protein shake) Meal 3: 1 serving of any type of lean meat or fish (chicken, pork, turkey, ham, steak, etc.) 1 serving of green vegatables (lettuce, peas, broccoli - only the buds, green Beans, spinach, etc.) Meal 4: 1 serving of Myocel (protein shake) Meal 5: 1 serving of any type of lean meat or fish (chicken, pork, turkey, ham, steak, etc.) 1 serving of green vegatables (lettuce, peas, broccoli - only the buds, green beans, spinach, etc.) GOLDEN RULES FOR POST OP DIET: 1. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly (5-10 minutes for each bite) 2. Stop eating once fullness begins (the patient should feel pressure or a sense of fullness) 3. Avoid fibrous foods (asparagus, pineapple, rhubarb, oranges, and dried fruits, etc.) 4. Do not drink while eating (allow 15 minutes pre or post meals to consume coffee, tea, crystal light, etc.) 5. Do not return to eating after drinking 6. Check tolerance levels by taking small bites at first.

Patti - Congratulations! I'm glad you had such a good experience! Welcome Home and Best Wishes! Kim

Nikki - thanks for the advice. I'll lay off the pain meds and see if that helps! Gas X isn't doing the trick so far.... but I'm game for anything right now... I appreciate the help. Kim

:wow2:

Susan - Yee haw - more hydrocodone! :bounce: Crunches? Oh yes, just did 3 reps of 100 on the ab lounger. Oh wait - I sold my ab lounger in a garage sale two years ago! :-) I did really just go for a walk down the street and back and even walked semi-not-turtle-like. You know I have to wait till dark to go walk though - I made a spectacle of myself that first night and figured best to stick to darkness for the walks for now. Yes, I'm ready to get off my back! I'm a stomach sleeper and hate this! Ok, so I tried baby food tonight - there's a reason babies can't talk I think. I choked about 1/2 of it down but am so full all the time I can hardly eat. I'm doing good to get in 400 calories a day (and that's making myself eat when I don't feel like it). Trying mainly to get Protein in with shakes - not doing so good. Ok, like I really can't believe I'm complaining about not being able to eat - what am I thinking???? :-)

Wow - 23 lbs! That's great! Congratulations and welcome! Glad to hear from you! Glad everything is going well....

Anthony - thanks for sharing! I just bought a set of 4. That will be perfect for work! And anything that makes less air right now is good with me! Kim

Congrats! Best wishes for a safe surgery and a speedy - gasless recovery! :-) Take Care! Kim

Kelli - My dad has sleep apnea and the CPAP has really helped - quite a contraption to go over your head at night, but he's sleeping better than he has in years.

Randy - I went and did a search on this and it seems that it's about how the body processes the different types of protiens - more or less efficiently. Animal Proteins seem to be the best - although any Protein is essential. See excerpt below. Patient Education for University of Utah Health Sciences Center Protein Controlled Diet Protein is an important component of many foods. Protein is needed to maintain body tissues in good health and to replace cells that are normally lost each day. There are two types of protein, high biological value (complete) protein that comes from animal sources and low biological value (incomplete) that comes from vegetables and grain products. The animal proteins are better utilized by the body than vegetable and grain proteins. A protein-controlled diet has been planned so that the majority of protein is from animal sources. Diets containing 40 grams protein or less are usually nutritionally inadequate. Vitamin and mineral supplementation is recommended.

Mandy - I love the one about the plane seat! I have a funny story about my mom and dad on a plane trip.... For my 30th birthday I went to Las Vegas with a big group of friends including my mom and dad --- my mom and dad are both pretty darn overweight - my dad in particular. Now my dad had a really hard time sitting in the seat and told the guy next to him they were going to be good friends by the end of the flight (as his stomach is sitting in the guy's lap). The guy was not amused. So, for the trip back my mom and dad got to the airport really early to try and get the two person seat by the wall (all the others were three across). So we're all sitting watching when my mom and dad went to sit down. My dad sat first and my mom couldn't fit in, so they both stood up and butted up close to one another and tried to wedge themselves in at the same time. I can't tell you what a picture that was - we were all laughing so hard we thought we were gonna pee. The flight attendant gave me and my friends a firm scolding and was horrified that we were laughing at this poor couple! It was my mom and dad after all, so we thought it was ok. Anyone else that laughed at them I would've punched out. Extra weight is a terrible thing! These NSV's are even better than weight loss! How encouraging! I'm banded now in hopes of getting my dad to follow in my footsteps. I worry about him constantly and think that this is his only hope! Congratulations on your NSV's - you should be very proud of yourself!

Sherry - I use a blender for mine. A little skim milk, then add the powder, mix, then add a little ice and a teen bit of artificial sweetener and mix again. Also I found that 1 1/2 scoops works better than two for me - cuts down the protein, but at least allows me to get it down. Plus - thank goodness, after surgery the other day I bought 2 more jugs of the shake stuff. The last one I got was called Myocel - just about made me throw out. The new stuff they gave me this time is called ReclaimRX. Calories = 195, Fat =7, Protein = 21. I find this MUCH better! I haven't tried the vanilla yet, but the Divine Double Chocolate is really not bad - almost like a milkshake! I can't imagine trying to mix with a fork - ugh - try the blender - or a wand would work, too! Good luck with the upcoming surgery!

DeLarla - I did a search on calculators for ideal weight based on body frame. Here are your results with a large frame - I saw some that were more complex, but for a basic 5'10" large bone structure, here's what I found.... Now, I of course think I would be dead sexy at 175 and I'm only 5'2". I would say whatever makes you feel good - you know when you're able to wear the clothes you want and you can excercise like a normal person and not be winded out.... I vote for the 175 for you and think you would look absolutley thin! My mom is 5'7 and when she got down to 175 she looked wonderful! I understand the man hands thing - Mine are WAY bigger than my husband's! What I'm doing with a 5'2 body and size 9 shoes and man hands, I don't know! Good genes I guess :-). http://www.freedieting.com/tools/ideal_body_weight.htm <table align="center" bgcolor="#fffff1" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="small" align="center" bgcolor="#dedede"> IDEAL BODY WEIGHT CALCULATOR</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="small" align="right" width="33">Gender: </td> <td class="small" align="left" width="199"> <label> <input name="sex" value="M" checked="checked" type="radio"> Male</label> <label> <input name="sex" value="F" type="radio"> Female</label> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="small" align="right">Frame: </td> <td class="small"><select name="frame" size="1" class="small" id="frame"><option value="S">Small</option><option value="M" selected="selected">Medium</option><option value="L">Large</option></select></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="small" align="right">Height: </td> <td class="small"><input name="feet" class="small" id="feet" size="3" maxlength="1"> Feet <input name="inches" class="small" id="inches" size="3" maxlength="2"> Inches</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="center"><input value="Calculate" onclick="calcIt()" id="Button1" name="Button1" type="button"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="center">Ideal Weight Range 161 - 165 pounds 73 - 75 kilograms </td></tr></tbody> </table>

Thanks all of you for the encouragement and words of wisdom - even you Randy :-).... itching you can't get to with nails - sounds like great fun! Tell Ms Joy to hang in there... this too shall pass....

Susan - I'll give you $26,000 for your refill on that brown bottle :-). I know - I thought the same thing when I looked in the mirror (and took that picture of you)... all that money for this? My stomach is bigger than when I started. I used to have nice soft squishy stomach - now it resembles a 9 1/2 month pregnancy and is hard as a rock! This isn't what I was thinking for rock hard abs. I am down a couple lbs tho - so progress! I'm about to wake sleeping beauty (DH) up and send him out for that Milk of Magnesia!

Hi Susan - Of course I just got mine yesterday so it's still pretty swollen, but I can definitely see and feel it. I wouldn't say sticking out on side or anything, but definitely a big lump. Kim

Hi Debbie - Congratulations on your weight loss! Welcome!

Sus - I went into admissions at 9:30 am, into surgery at 10:30 am and out the door at about 2:00 pm.... quite a whirlwind and a really crappy drive back home - I'm about 45 minutes from the Surgery Center. Was glad to get home and lay down and SLEEP.... I think I would've been out even sooner if my blood pressure had been behaving. Crazy technology these days - doesn't seem quite possible to have something like that done and be in and out that fast!

ok - you guys are making me laugh :-) ouch again! needed that though! I'm glad you're sharing your big brown bottle - mine's almost gone... speaking of wusses! ok - so we're off and running - 50 pounds in 3 months? go Candace! To do that I'd have to lop off one of these big sagging... TMI :-). Anyway, feeling more human today - still have the gas though and port incision / right below it is REALLY tender. My stomach is so distended I think one of those thing from Alien may jump out at any moment. Took off the bandaids to reveal the lovely looking cuts... plus the big bump where the port is. Prrrreeeetttttyyyyy.... goes great with the big ol stretch marks though! Hugs to you all! Thanks for the laughter! Kim

Wow Randy - tell her congrats! I am two weeks behind her and was at the Surgery Center of Richardson yesterday to be banded - were you there, too or at his office? Small world anyway! Ok, so MsJoy is now my role model for my two week milestone! Please let her know I'm happy for her! Kim

Hey - congratulations! I'm with you on the pain meds - hang in there! The last thing on my mind right now is food as well! My thoughts are with you for a speedy recovery! Take Care of yourself and give that husband a big kiss for being so sweet!