darnlochnessmonster

I haven't been given the official go-ahead for pureed yet, but I can have: strained soups, protein shakes, Danon Oikos Yogurt, sugar-free pudding, sugar-free popsicles. I really, really hated the flavor of the Danon Oikos - they had that "fake sugar" taste - and now it's just normal. Same with the no sugar added carnation. It gives me a lot of hope for a "Fresh start" with food after I heal. I've been using Fooducate to find lower sugar, lower carb, higher protein versions of my favorite foods/drinks/condiments, and looking for "healthified" recipes for my favorite comfort foods (mac and cheese made with greek yogurt, who'd have thunk it?) That being said, I cannot possibly describe the craving I have for a spinach salad with feta and Newman's Own Homestyle Italian Dressing (....never ever thought I'd be saying that!)

I'm also still very, very sore. I've always preferred to sleep on my right side, and I haven't been able to do that yet. Getting myself up and down creates a pulling sensation - not necessarily painful, but certainly unpleasant. I've found that if I hold my tummy up a little when I need to move, the extra (gentle) support makes it a little better. I keep thinking of Winnie the Pooh Bear with his stuffing falling out though As for headaches, that hasn't been a problem for me but I do have some tingling in my right thigh. There's no indication of blood clots (no redness, warmth, tenderness) but I plan to bring it up for extra examination at my follow-up appointment.

Finding drinks you enjoy is hard. I hated the sugar free carnation instant breakfast shakes before surgery, but luckily I find them enjoyable now. I still don't love crystal light, but I'm thinking about getting some Torani Sugar-Free syrups to help mix up the flavors a bit.

Thank you, Mbird. If I could recommend anything else that's been particularly helpful, its my laptop tray and blender bottle. The tray keeps my laptop off my tummy and blender bottle keeps my shakes smooth even if they start to settle due to how long it takes to drink.

One of the ways I'm working on getting everything down is timing out my sips. If I take my first sip at 9AM, I take the next at 9:02, then 9:04, 9:06 and so on until I'm half done. At the point where I'm half done I take a break for 5 to 10 minutes, then start over. With taking pills, I double the time between sips/pills and double the break time. It helps me get over the mental hump of fearing my pouch stretching out.

Hello, everyone! I was sleeved on Wednesday, 4/26 at 10:30AM at Highland Hospital in Rochester, NY. My surgeon was Dr. William O'Malley. I was a bit of a wreck when I went in for pre-op. I was crying a lot because I was really scared of anesthesia. This was my first experience ever being knocked out for more than just a few moments (previously, I've only ever had my wisdom teeth removed). The nurses were really supportive and I had a good experience meeting my anesthesiologist. We discussed getting something to calm me down even before we left the pre-op area - I accepted enthusiastically. I was aware of the "ride" over to the operating room but didn't feel anxious thanks to the drugs. I remember sliding onto the operating table and an oxygen mask coming to my face. After that, I was in a recovery room answering what my pain level was (I seem to have said 7, but I don't remember that at all). Next, I was in my room and it was about 2:00 pm. I struggled hard with nausea. I was warned by my anesthesiologist that I was at one of the highest risk groups for nausea due to the drugs - young, female, non-smoker (I'm 27). He was spot on. For the first night and day in the hospital, I felt nauseous frequently and vomited several times. If you vomit, don't empty your bucket yourself - it's important that your nurses can take a quick look to make sure that what's coming up is innocuous (in this case, a little blood from the tube placed in my throat during surgery and stomach acid). Vomiting was...horrible. Not only is it the regular ick of throwing up, but it was also very painful for my incision sites. I was given meds for nausea and vomiting, but ultimately we discovered that the drug I was given to help the nausea and vomiting was actually contributing. The drug was Phenergran and I know now that it doesn't agree with my system. Once we switched to a new drug, the vomiting essentially disappeared and the nausea improved a lot. The items I found most useful to have with me at the hospital were: Biotene spray with mint flavor (between dry mouth and vomiting, it was wonderful to have), an electric heating pad, my own pillow, new pack of underwear, and my own nightgown. I had also brought my laptop, cell phone, mini toiletries and a few other things, but didn't end up using them at all. My pain control medications (hydrocodone) make me very sleepy, and I wasn't really awake for more than just a few minutes at a time. The fresh pack of undies was great for morale as I needed a catheter for the first 36 hours because I couldn't seem to void my bladder on my own at first due to anesthesia. This process was not at all painful for me, likely because the drugs had me so relaxed. If I'd been more awake/aware I imagine it could have been quite uncomfortable. The items I'm finding most useful at home are my microwave heating pad - I use the Carex Bed Buddy Back Wrap. The warmth is really soothing to the gas bubbles and the gentle weight provides good compression that's not too much or too little. It makes a world of difference and I can't recommend it enough. I was also sent home with 7 different prescriptions - something for pain, nausea, vomiting, blood-clot prevention, vitamins, a stool softener, and another that I can't remember. The blood clot prevention drug is a shot that I can inject into my self in the back of the arm, belly, or thigh. I have an incredibly supportive SO who does this for me. I will need to use it for 10 days. It's not too bad - obviously the nurses were a lot better at th einjection, but for a complete novice it's still relatively pain free and tolerable. I'm hoping to return to my desk job on Wednesday, 5/3 exactly one week after my procedure. However, I'll continue to assess this on a day by day basis.

I have read that waist trainers (any compression garment) can be helpful with chaffing though. Even if it isn't helping you to force your skin into shape, if it's keeping it in place it can help prevent/reduce the irritation of rubbing all day.

I have the same surgery date - I'm nervous too. This part of the process happened really fast for me. I went in for my nutrition appointment on a Monday, got the go ahead, got insurance approval by that Thursday, had my surgical consultation the following Thursday and was put on the schedule for Wednesday 4/26, pre-surgery screening yesterday and now here I am. After a little over a year doing the seminars and nutrition appointments, it felt like it was never going to happen and now it's all happening really fast. Wishing you the best of luck and a quick, healthy recovery.

My procedure is going to be at Highland Hospital in Rochester, NY and I wondered if any of you had your surgery there recently. I've never stayed more than a few hours at a hospital before, and I'm not sure what to expect. If you have answers to any of my questions below, I would be so grateful. 1. What should I bring? I typically don't like to carry around a lot of stuff, and I actually don't even own a purse. 2. How long was your stay for your sleeve? 1 night? 2? 3. Does the TV have a DVD player or cable? Or should I plan to bring a laptop or tablet? 4. Were you alone in your room or with another patient? 5. Any special tips relating to the hospital? Thank you all!

I'm going in to meet with Dr. O'Malley late this week to schedule my surgery appointment, but I want to be able to sit down ahead of time and look at my schedule so I can offer some firm dates/times that would work for me. From your experience with the Highland Hospital Bariatric Surgery center, which days of the week were available to schedule your procedure, and what times? Any info is appreciated. Thank you!

I've been doing a lot of research on ways to help mitigate the loose skin issue because I've been worried about it too. So far, I've been able to come up with (1) Dry brushing skin on a regular basis to increase blood flow and circulation (helps encourage cell turnover) (2) massage, again to increase blood flow (3) castor oil as a moisturizer, (4) compression/support garments just to help reduce possibly painful friction or pinching (5) sunscreen to protect and then, good ol' genetics and hydration.