Creekimp13

Kaydo...it's supposed to aid in recovery after surgery. Boosts your immune system and provides lots of nutrition for rebuilding tissues. My Bariatric groups makes everyone use it the last five days before surgery. Here's the sales pitch on the box: About the product Impact Advanced Immunonutrition Drink is a unique beverage specially formulated with 18 grams of protein and 24 essential nutrients per serving to help support the body's unique nutrient needs before and after major surgery. Impact formulas have been studied in dozens of clinical trials and thousands of patients, and have been shown to help promoted better outcomes in patients undergoing major surgery. it's only to be used under medical supervision. Not something you should drink for maintenance. Just for surgeries. I have no idea if it's good stuff or not...if it makes a difference or if it's mostly hype......but the research behind my center's protocol was developed with University of Michigan (awesome medical research university) and they haven't steered me wrong yet....so I'm doing what I'm told.

Five days to go and I have to give up my cocoa wheats today. This irritates me. But what irritates me more...is that I have to give up 3 of my 5 premier protein shakes and replace them with this horrible stuff called Impact Advanced Recovery Immunonutrtion Drink. It's supposed to aid in healing and have wonderful stuff in it...etc. etc. etc. Which is all well and good. BUT THE CRAP TASTES LIKE ANCHOVIES...because ANCHOVIES are the third ingredient!!!!!!!!!! Three times a day...until surgery....I get to have VANILLA ANCHOVY drinks! YUM!!!! What did I do in a previous life to deserve this? The rings of hell just keep sinking and getting hotter! LOLOLOLOL On the plus side! Yesterday I found out that my surgeon only expects me to be in the hospital overnight, one night. Also...on the day before surgery....I get to carb load with like 30 ounces of white grape juice and take nausea meds ahead of the surgery. Oh! and I get a touch of Xanax while waiting cause I'm a nervous nelly. LOL. I was also informed that I'll be taking 10 sips to drink one ounce of water from a tiny cup every hour after surgery...I'll be taking ten little walks, one per hour after surgery, and will be expected to suck on this plastic thing that's made to help clear your lungs after anesthetic...ten times an hour. Rule of 10. At least they kept it simple? My surgeon gave a really terrific seminar about what to expect, and all of our little "jobs" after surgery to get the best outcome and get out of the hospital. Was very relieved to learn I would not have a urinary catheter and wouldn't have to do any bowel prep. They're telling me they'll get me up to go pee...a good incentive to get out of bed. Also cool...my husband is welcome to stay the night in the room and they'll have a cot for him. I probably won't have him do this cause he'll work the next day until I call to be picked up. Also, my puppy does like to go outside. But I love that he's welcome and that I could change my mind if i'm feeling needy. LOL. Getting VERY close folks! Going to see my nutritionist this afternoon for a class on how to know when to move to the next level or food reintroduction. Have already been told clear liquids and protein drinks only until the one week recheck....but she's gonna talk about the next few stages and give us advice about strategies for what to try first, how much, etc. I met the two other ladies having surgery on the day I am....nice girls! Will visit with them a little more at class today since we'll be roaming the halls at the same time. Also cool...we get a 24 hour/7 day a week hotline for all questions and concerns...that is staffed by my bariatric center. Local people who know exactly what my case is. I loved this. Oh! And my surgeon hasn't had a "leak" post surgical in over seven years. And he's done over 3000 procedures in his career. I feel like I'm in very good hands. Feeling good! (in spite of vanilla anchovy hell) LOL:)

Not everyone who has weight loss surgery has a bad body image. I don't mind how I look at all. My hubby thinks I'm gorgeous and I feel pretty damned secure. It's not vanity with me at all, and it's not about body image. My decision is based mostly on two things... My blood sugar creeping up to pre-diabetic numbers, and the arthritis in my back hurting so awful it was getting hard to be on my feet for more than 30 minutes. My weight had been stable for two decades at about 240-250. I didn't mind being a fat person. I had good energy, my labs weren't bad, etc... But then, I hit perimenopause and my weight went nuts. I gained 20 pounds in two years. My back got severely worse, my fitness suffered because of it, and the sugar started creeping up. I started getting edema in my legs and I could feel my health losing the battle. Something had to give, it was time to take action. Not every fat person loses the battle for stable health. But in reality most do. Being fat increases your chances for cancer exponentially. Blood pressure and stroke risk. Diabetes risk. Debilitating arthritis risk. I wanted to just be fat and enjoy my life.....but it eventually caught me. I'm going through the surgery at 46. I wish I'd done it at 32. As previous posters have said...your choices are your own. You don't have to justify them to anyone. Best wishes, whatever you decide.

Sorry Mo, hang in there! A delay is a lot better than a "No", and I know a lot of people are struggling with that outcome. Try to count your blessings and be patient. (I know it's way hard, and I sure feel for you)

Sorry Kaydo, that sucks. Will cross my fingers for you that everything gets straightened out and goes through.

Suzy, I feel your pain.

Best wishes on your journey, shay. Using a fitbit and uping my exercise by walking helped me with my diet more than I can say. Best thing to do is to call your insurance and see what their specific policies are. Wishing you a safe productive outcome:)

What Jade said. It's losing the sugar and carbs...that really hurts. it shrinks your liver because it forces your liver to make sugar for your body out of stored amino acids and stuff....it's kinda brutal. Get ready for brain fog.

Congrats!!

Today, I am Indiana Jones But instead of staring into an ancient burial chamber, i'm looking in my fridge. "Shakes. Why'd it have to be....Shakes...."

Just wanted to say publicly that I'd welcome message exchanges with anyone going through this around the same time I am next week:) Want to let someone know how it's going? Bored in your hospital room? Want to compare notes? Want to vent about this crazy process? Message me! I'd love to hear from you. Just click my user name "Creekimp13" (in blue type to the left of this post) Then, when you get to my page, right at the top of the page in the middle (under where is says Bariatric Pal) is a blue box that says message. There ya go:) Might take me a bit, but I promise to respond to all messages. Wishing you all a safe surgery and an excellent outcome!

Oh, I'm doing it, Jade. Just not enjoying myself. LOL. I just thought a really gritty honest post might make folks going through it feel less alone. I never knew I had such a seriously demented psychological attachment to food. Last night I insisted on cooking my husband something...he has been super supportive and said that absolutely wasn't necessary, he's perfectly capable of fixing himself something.......but I wanted to spend time with food even if I couldn't eat it. How messed up is that? I made him loaded potato cakes out of left over Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, with some ham and perfect eggs over easy. And then I used the rest of the batter up making one for my dog. LOL! I dunno...seeing them eat made me feel better. And yes, I'm aware that's probably pathological and I should probably consult a therapist. LOL. But by God...I have not cheated. I'm following my plan to a T. And I'll continue to. Day eight. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tomorrow, I see my surgeon for a final individual consult and a seminar with a handful of other folks having surgery at my bariatric center in the next couple of weeks. Then, Thursday, I see my dietician for a post-surgical diet seminar. Then, the weekend....and Tuesday it's show time! Thanks, Jade, for the encouragment! Wishing you the very best and a great outcome:)

7 days down, 7 to go. Having surgery on December 5. I'm the first surgery in the morning. My liquid diet has sucked. No way to sugar coat that. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I'm incredibly hungry and angry. LOL. And my brain doesn't work. Really horrific brain fog. When you cut out all carbs and sugar, your liver has to kick into gear and make sugar for your body through a process called gluconeogenesis. You NEED glucose in your blood for basic functions. In particular, your brain needs glucose to function. When you're glucose deprived, it can be hard to concentrate, you can need extra effort for decisions, your impulse -control can be worse, and your emotions can be out of whack. I can attest to all of this being true. I'm forgetting everything. I feel foggy, and like I have to concentrate harder to stay on task. Have had headaches on and off and felt really tired. And did I mention I'm really grumpy? Like...really grumpy, and weepy, and kinda...unhinged. (more so than usual!) My particular diet is 5 shakes, sugar free popcicles, sugar free jello, broth, and one 100 calorie serving of either cream of wheat or yogurt per day....for two weeks. Here's a tip: If you're on this diet? Save your one item with carbs (the yogurt or cream of wheat) for just before you have to drive. You'll be more clear headed while driving, and drive safer. I kept forgetting how many shakes I'd had, so I put five clothespins on my kitchen curtains and moved them over to the other side as I drank my shakes. No second guessing that way. It helped. You do lose weight rapidly. I've lost about a pound a day. But again...this sucks so much. LOL. My previous wonderful low fat, low carb, calorie restricted diet seems decadent and indulgent by comparison. I miss my diet food. It was delicious and I'll never take it for granted again. I do feel more prepared for the psychological effects of the post-surgical diet. I already know how hard it is not to eat anything solid...and what weird things not eating carbs can do to your brain. I know how different I feel with my liver making all the sugar I need....and that I'm emotionally pretty raw. I've never done anything like this in my life, and it's pretty intense. While I really hate this diet....there is a certain comfort in knowing I won't be facing these changes for the first time right after surgery. I think it would add stress at a time I want to keep stress at bay as much as possible. I'll have my hands full with learning to stay hydrated. Tomorrow will be the eighth day...over the first hill, and on my way down the slope to surgery...I'm halfway home. Then another couple of weeks until mushy foods get reintroduced. I really never put together that I'd be in starvation mode for over a month. This is one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Congrats! I have mine on the 5th:)

All insurance companies are different. Mine wanted 6 months consecutive with a 10% weight loss before they would approve. I've heard of others accepting some net loss, but no gain. I think gain is going to be a problem for the insurance company. You might want to follow the nutritionists advice and try one more month before submitting. It's important to remember that the surgery by itself will not cause you to lose weight and keep it off....your lifestyle changes, your eating habit changes are the real work and get the real results. The surgery is one tool in the tool box, but not the most important one.

Ugh... Keira, that sucks. Brutal. I wish you the best...and I feel your pain.

I'm on day seven of the liquid diet from hell. (surgery December 5th) I'm hungry and grumpy. I would not wish this diet on my worst enemy. 5 premier proteins, sugar free jello, sugar free Popsicles, broth...and 100 calories of either cream of wheat or yogurt. it's ghastly, and I miss food. On the other hand....i'm waking up almost a pound lighter every day, and it's a good mental prep for the psychological crazy of the post surgical diet. I do feel prepared for what I'm about to undertake.

My regular, wonderful low fat low carb limited calorie diet.....seems decadent and indulgent...compared to the hell of the shakes. I miss my diet food.

I wouldn't wish my two week liquid diet on my worst enemy. It's rough. I'm incredibly hungry, and grouchy. LOL. Each surgeon has a different theory and comfort level about liquid diet before surgery. And some have different rules for different patients based on your body type. My surgeon is one of the stricter ones. One thing the liquid diet does that we don't talk about.......is to cause the people who might bail out at the last minute to bail out sooner...thus leaving time to put someone else in that surgery slot. But it's also really good practice for after surgery. You'll be used to the restrictions and suffer fewer of the psychological crazies on top of the pain. For me, the psychological crazies have been pretty intense. Not eating anything solid for a week has been a serious adjustment.

I'm on day 6 of my pre-op liquid diet. I'm surprised I'm pooping at all, since all I'm eating is jello, broth, fluids and protein drinks (and 100 calories of cream of wheat per day). Recently, I've started having greenish, kinda loose bowel movements. This was pretty alarming to me, cause I've always been told to associate green poo with infection. However, I've done some searches of different bariatric sites and found several people reporting the same weird green poo.......typically around day 6! At one of the sites, a doctor responds that this isn't a problem. Could be caused by bile and vitamins...and that it's fairly common. Has anyone else experienced the alien poo during the liquid diet?

I've got BCBS of Michigan. Did my 6 months and all prereqs, and the insurance "navigator" at my bariatric group submitted the request for me. Got my approval letter within a week! Am set to have surgery December 5th. Feeling excited and ready to go:) Having sleeve.

Hang in there, Dreaming. It took a couple weeks to get my hubby's one nasty polyp cleared when it was sent to the lab (along with 7 other samples). But it turned out ok. Even if you've got something bad going on...it's good that you caught it and are on top of treating it. There are a lot of colon conditions that are "abnormal"...not all of them are life threatening, and many can be treated. Sometimes it's as easy as adding a medication. Sorry for your stressful news. Try to stay optimistic. Wishing you a good outcome. Keep us posted!

My group prescribed a Flinstone's Complete chewable for me.

Little Green, I feel your pain. Sticking to my diet and changing my eating habits has been a mean angry beeyatch for me. LOL. After a lot of years of losing and regaining 50 pounds (plus a little extra, why not?)...my bad back, climbing sugar numbers and a cancer scare (I don't have it, thank the gods) finally forced the issue. Somthin gotta be done...I ain't happy like this. I just hit that...Ah crap, moment. Some people call it an Aha! moment. I think they're liars. LOL. For me, it was definitely Ah crap! One thing I noticed at a bariatric group support meeting...is that people lie a lot. The psychologist running the group asked, "What have you done this week to boost your activity?" And people's responses were: "I've done three hours of circuit training and cardio daily, when I'm not running marathons with disabled children and teaching the homeless to jog to keep warm" "I built a home gym and have networked with friends to workout together every day after work with a healthy recipe exchange. I've also joined a rowing team and take salsa dancing lessons three times a week." "I ran a triathalon, climbed Mt. Everest, and built new organizers into all my closets for the new clothes I can't wait to buy!" ....and I'm kinda lookin around at this group of 250-500 pound people thinking to myself... These people know the right answers. They've studied this. They are REALLY knowledgeable. (but are they seriously doing all this crap they say they're doing?) Then the psychologist asked the room, "What BAD eating choices have you made this week?" And I piped up, "One night I got really desperate and stupid, woke up at 3am, and slathered a piece of white bread with butter and put chocolate sprinkles on it and ate it in the bathroom." People looked at me in horror and laughed nervously. Psychologist, "Anyone else?" Crickets. Thanks guys. I'm the only freak here. Right. That's why most of the folks in this room have to buy two seats on the plane. LOL. (I didn't say that, of course) So yeah...I get it....this stuff is hard. A lot of fat people are perfectionists. They don't like to talk about being imperfect. For some, it's really hard to admit when they've been human, caved into the addiction, and had to get back up again. And I think that's the key....learning to get right back up after you did something stupid....and do the right thing again. Not hating yourself for it. Not beating yourself up. I'm not saying you shouldn't be accountable to yourself. Not saying that's a license to not improve. Just saying...accept that you're imperfect. It's ok. The best people aren't perfect. It's ok to struggle every single day, and make the choice to keep working. Now, to answer the question myself... I'm making some "good progress changing my eating habit" (I hope you read that in Dr. Nowzaradin's voice...cause that's how it was in my head) The fitbit has helped me A LOT. Making substitutions for things I really love to eat and can actually tolerate...has helped, too. I'm a carb ***** (rhymes with war)....but I've switched my carbs to low glycemic carbs, and I'm mindful of eating more protein. When I'm having a carb craving from hell....I have protein pancakes and can keep it at bay. I love my smoothie maker. Frozen banannas with cocoa and splenda and almond milk....saves me from most stupid impulses. When I "Need" pizza...I grab a California Kitchen four cheese pizza and dress it up with mushrooms, green peppers, onions and diced Canadian bacon. Half the pizza is about 470 calories. I have it with a big garden salad and life is good. I have learned to cook a lot of Thai and Chinese. I limit the rice to a quarter cup, and indulge in all those great flavors...garlic, ginger, coconut milk, curry, fish sauce, splenda brown sugar. Peanut butter chicken veggie soup is a staple at my house now. All my sandwiches are on pumpernickel. All my cheese is reduced fat swiss or part skim mozzarella...or cabot's 40% cheddar. Avacado toast with a poached egg, and chai seed pudding are staples in my diet. When I need my chicken nuggets, I make them with shake and bake. One think I think dieters do...that hurts them long term....is eating foods they hate. I refuse to do that anymore. It's harder to find stuff that's legal that you love....but I think that's a big key. You need to be happy. Exercise, which has always hated me....has become a lot of fun with my fitbit. Just upping your steps a hundred here and there feels like an accomplishment. You can start really slow, and you can walk absolutely anywhere. I've worn out the carpet in a loop around my house. LOL. Be patient with yourself. You can do this. Sometimes it takes a little longer to "get there". And sometimes even after we've gotten there...we spectacularly screw up and have to get up and try again. Just keep getting up. Wishing you the very best.

I'm gonna hang out with my fantastic hubby and daughter who is home from college:) Daughter is doing some homework (premed major, always working) and hubby had to run into work on an emergency....but we're expecting to be able to be together at noon and do something fun:) Daughter's highschool boyfriend is coming over later and we're gonna have a Twilight Zone marathon and maybe play a board game. Yep, we play board games. Cause we're goofy that way. And I love it. We are a culture of nerd people. Kiddo and I hit the sales yesterday and got a gift for hubby, and some awesome Columbia waterproof 30 below warm boots to wear walking through campus all winter. She walks to campus and all over the place....Ann Arbor is a pedestrian town. Got a great deal on the boots, and took Grandma with us. My mom is a crazypants. The nut doesn't fall far from the nut tree. Was a good time:) Day five of the liquid diet from hell.....I will be good. Drink my repulsive shakes, eat my repulsive jello and broth....and keep my eye on the prize.