KarenLR75

Woohoo! In addition to a 'July surgery sibling', we are 'same day siblings'! Are you on your pre-op diet yet? Seems that diff dr's vary between wanting their patients to start 3 weeks before surgery date, some are 2 weeks...some are 10 days...and I've heard of a very very few that required no preop diet.

Sleek Arms Challenge - Done Single chest press pulse was shockingly..."felt"... I could feel muscles in upper arms burning after just 3! Man, I am so out of shape. I cannot get down on the floor for the Half Cobra or Up Up Down Downs - I think I'll pull some arm exercises from the other sets. Picture - Flowers: Our hydrangea went nuts and then my youngest daughter took some pics of our local wildflowers...

This is one of my greatest motivators. I want to be able to go, do, travel and enjoy vacations. I've wasted so much of my life. By the way, that pic you posted is absolutely gorgeous. I've always wanted to try a zipline but knew I am simply just too large..that and I'm afraid of heights! I love riding horses but abandoned it for same reasons you mentioned.. Is it too late to join the July challenge? I really don't do 'instagram' and I realized after I read thru this all, that I'm sitting here passively waiting for 'surgery' to happen to me on 7/25. I was...I guess this sounds kind of stupid/obvious...startled into realizing that I could actually do the arm exercises. I don't have to wait for surgery to start things that need to become my 'new habits', 'my new ways to cope', my new ways to care for myself...

@Sharon B A - wow, that is so cool....I love that whole area (the Solana area, trophy club in general..Roanoke has GROWN SO MUCH, etc. I live in Keller so definitely close! So will your surgery be in Irving? I know you are having surgery..what, 2 days before me on 7/23? Let's stay in touch! We are 'July surgery siblings' after all And we are all dodging funnel clouds, high winds and other crazy things together up here in North Texas!

I completely understand. I posted a HUNGRY/HANGRY topic last night as this has become so very hard. I know we can get through it, but this is harder than I expected and I've done the pre-op diet before for 13 days.... It is hard trying to go to sleep with true, almost unrelenting hunger pains...and wake up feeling the same. I can deal with them much better throughout the day as I just try to focus on something else. I haven't had any real desire for sugar free jello but maybe I need to eat some anyways. I have found, and don't know if there is any science behind it, but warmer things (protein soups, protein cocoa) send to content the vast abyss that is my stomach moreso than cold things (protein shakes)...

LOL, just found the topic you started 'Update on Barry'. I'm all caught up now!

Oh my gosh...If I were further south in TX or LA, I'm so focused on my sugar free or 'sugar grams greatly reduced' popsicles, I might be tempted to rent a generator to protect my 'stash' All kidding aside, I've been through typhoons before, one of which had winds that were in the Hurricane Harvey realm so I understand. Our gulf coast areas here in the South have become experts at preparing (as much as one can) for these things. Those of us further north of the gulf...worry over everyone each time though....

LOL, I swear it has been this way since the long ago days when I was a kid...whatever your favorite flavor is...you get 2 of...and whatever your least favorite is...takes up about 70% of the box it seems

Oh my gosh, I just realized you posted and then thought..."what is the situation with Barry?". I haven't turned on my TV yet. I've been thinking about you and hubby and praying that Barry kept going down in potential 'threat' level...so maybe it would just be a slight enough (one can wish!) to also not contribute to any more flooding (I know wishful thinking, I'm sure). I always worry about LA and the TX Gulf coast areas (esp Houston) after what both states have gone thru in the past. My fave place to go in TX - Port Aransas still has not recovered from the horrific damage of Hurricane Harvey.

The no sugar version are the ones I'm eating. They are 10 calories...in the end it seems that most liver shrink diets are largely based on or at some point...being on mostly liquids...and under 800 calories (maybe more for some ppl) as it is the extreme low calories that I've heard ultimately help to shrink the liver (anyone with a greater understanding, feel free to let us know more) I'm unsure if the 'things that are being consumed' play a larger role in the shrinking of said liver or not. My dr doesn't even have the 'clear liquids phase'..for the 2 days prior to operation. I have the Popsicle brand as well and sometimes i alternate, but the Outshine ones taste so much better. My pre-op plan allows for a protein bar 2 x's a day up until the day before surgery which I am not doing. I figure the Outshine bars have to be a better 'closer to full liquids' choice than those bars even though that is NOT a requirement of my pre-op diet. I do understand that for other people, they all have diff pre-op diets. When in doubt, ask your dr's office - mine knows I eat the Outshine popsicles

Yay, Texas! My surgeon is Dr. Chad Carlton (he's way up in Frisco) but operates @ Baylor Trophy Club thankfully. Who is yours?

Was going to clear this with my dr but have seen several people recommend taking Gas-Ex to the hospital. May just keep some in my purse from now on. Also have seen a pillow recommended, especially to cushion your abdomen on the way home. J actually bought some new, easy to get into PJ's...taking them to hospital as I hate hate hate those dang gowns. I always feel self conscious walking in them. If nothing else, I'll wear the PJ's home!

Oh my gosh....YESSSSSSS! I have both 'kinds' too. I'm like 'I'm splurging...I'll walk back and forth more to burn those dang 10 calorie popsicles".....they taste so much better!!

I'm scheduled for RNY on 7/25! Was originally scheduled for a sleeve on 7/1 but I changed dr's @ last minute and new dr felt I absolutely should be doing RNY instead of sleeve. So now on 2nd round of pre-op dieting. Congrats to all the bypass peeps already done in July - I hope your recoveries are going well!

Congrats on getting a date! I'm scheduled for 7/25 so we are both in the same week! I definitely understand 'scary excitement'! I am so very happy for you!

Oh my gosh...AWESOME JOB and in under a year!! You definitely should be very very proud of yourself!

Dang! Was going to reply YESSSSSS! Then i realized I'm Week 4!! UGH. Sorry, that probably didn't sound gracious...I'm still "GO WEEK 3 PEEPS!!!"

OK, was on Day 13 of pre-op diet when I changed dr's. Had 2 or 3 days off...and back onto pre-op diet. By time surgery date comes around, I'll have been 'pre-op'ing for 30+ days. WHY is it harder this first week of starting again...than the ENTIRE 13 days I had been on it before. I was never as hungry as I am now even though I'm following same pre-op. I am not having the 1 lb a day loss I was having during my first pre-op attempt. Is it my body resisting me playing starvation games already...or maybe my mental mindset? Probably both. Trying to think, within the bounds of the pre-op items I'm allowed, if I can come up with some happier combination where I won't feel within an hour the deep growling, grumbling and that sick/nauseated feeling you get when you haven't eaten. My mind and/or body thinks it is not getting ANYTHING. I'm guess I'm surprised that I"m struggling already on just...Day 7 or 8 of my 2nd pre-op diet. The Premier shakes that usually always keep hunger at bay are not working, sugar free popsicles and jello...my body has its 'BS detector' out in full force...I think it literally just laughs when I desperately grab them from my fridge/freezer...like 'Yeah, right...not having it..nope...give me some REAL food'. I had done Keto for 15 months prior to mid-June when 1st pre-op started so I don't think I'm detoxing, etc. And I work such long hrs that I have often relied on Premier Protein drinks to keep me satisfied for HOURS upon HOURS. I even tried some Bariatric Fusion bars my dr's office uses...nope. The soup I ordered from bariatricpal isn't cutting it for more than an hour and it has always been very satisfying..plus it tastes good..but tummy still not happy (tummy going to be REALLY unhappy on 7/25..lol). I will say the Cocoa Variety pack from bariatricpal is the ONE thing that literally seems to make my stomach happy this time around still! @Alex Brecher I ordered more boxes and am giving you a pass on harassing you about API's, etc. to resolve the auto-renewal items in 'cart' situation since you are still recovering from MAJOR DANG surgery! Besides, I gotta have more cocoa!! (and my point total will continue going higher which is GREAT!) Ideas anyone? So bizarre!!

Sale? Hopefully like somewhere we might have in common between TX and NY...Hhmmm..Sam's club? Kroger? LOL about your Mom's comment!! If I'm ever in NY, I'll know who has the market cornered on them!

OH my gosh, logistical nightmare! Been through that once...crazy, crazy, especially while in pain/agony although I get the sense that you still cracked jokes Love it!

I LOVE your sense of humor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH my gosh, I haven't even read your entire post...I was so shocked by seeing the subject line and it NOT being Alex's thread..and saw your name..and I thought "what in the world is going on to our people??!!" LOL - now i need to go back and read your thread. @FluffyChix , @Orchids&Dragonsand @Frustr8 - you are THREE of my fave ppl on these forums...and there are many many others that I already feel invested in...like part of a family. Frustr8 & Orchids&Dragons - you both are NOT allowed to have 'require' sudden emergency surgery/etc., ok?

Oh yeah....urinalysis too...but no upper GI, no x-ray, no pulmonary test. Interesting that they did a chest x-ray... And I've been changed to a gastric bypass now instead of a sleeve so I was even more surprised that the hospital didn't want anything further but was glad not to have to do 2 pre-op visits!

YAY! I have been thinking about you and your hubby!! Glad to hear you are home. Man, sorry about the hernia! That had to have been a rough period - those first 2 days! Am glad to hear the pain has not been a big deal! So happy for you both!!

They just checked my weight, blood pressure, asked if I had any sores/rashes..if I had been out of the country, etc. I also brought in all the meds I take on a regular basis..also brought along supplements & they weeded thru those and told me to discontinue most of the supplements (except my bariatric multi-vitamin, calcium, etc. type things). No more gingko biloba for a while but that is fine. One of my prescription meds, they don't carry @ the hospital so I'm to bring that with me. They gave me some Hibiclens wash (wash they use in the hospital) to 'shower/bathe with' the night before surgery (and the 'night' before that as well). They took the usual 5 to 6 vials..basically like what you'd get at your primary dr's office - whole CBC panel, etc. They talked the time I should report prior to surgery, etc. Most of the time the pre-op visit is a fairly easy thing and I've always had the luck of having nice ppl. Oh, and they talk about any monies you are going to owe, how you are going to pay, etc. but they did not take the payment then.