Orchids&Dragons

Slider foods go down very easy. They basically "slide" through your pouch and don't trigger restriction. This is why we're told to focus first on the dense protein.

So sorry to hear you're struggling. Are you on anything for nausea?

I did not have an endoscopy or a sleep study.

@BetterBelizeIt The feelings that you're experiencing are very normal. The comparison to first-time parents was spot-on. You can prepare as much as you want, but until you have the actual experience, you don't know $#@!. Surgery doesn't turn us away from our long-time coping mechanisms (i.e. food). It makes it more difficult to over-indulge, but certainly doesn't prevent us from doing so, especially once we learn how to eat "around" our restriction. I'm sorry that friends and family have not been there for you. Some react out of jealousy, others mistakenly think that you now look down on them. Avoid them for now, maybe they'll come around in the end. But you need to do what you need to do and surrounding yourself with supportive people is important. This site is absolutely amazing for that kind of support. Seek out and connect with others who are at a similar phase of weight loss to you and support each other. If you have a local support group, go and meet others who've gone through similar challenges. One-on-one connections can't be beat, imho. If you have access to a therapist, by all means take advantage of it. The results may be mixed, though. My experience has been that therapists who don't work with a lot of bariatric patients tend to lump us in with other "eating disorders" and I didn't find that helpful at all. There are also some books that may be of help to you: The Emotional First Aid Kit is the only one I can bring to mind right now, but maybe others will add favorite helpful books that they've read. Please reach out by PM if you'd like to talk more and good luck on your journey. Btw, where are you in Texas?

Awesome! One more milestone ticked off your list!

You know me, the complication queen. ? But the final straw, when I quit work, was not wls related.

Best wishes for an uneventful surgery and a speedy recovery!

Me, too! Planning laser hair removal.

Welcome to Texas!

Sour Patch Kids! I once ate so many that I burned a hole in my tongue! Was that enough to stop me? Nope! Just started chewing them on the other side of my mouth ?

Hadn't even noticed until you mentioned it! No judgement here!

Congrtaulations! Very inspirational!

I think it looks amazing on you!

Best wishes for an uneventful surgery and a smooth recovery!

Do you add something to give it the "tang" of cream cheese?

That's one reason they harp on about your calcium supplements. It's very easy to become calcium deficient. Plus, if you develop GERD, the acid can bathe your back teeth and damage the enamel, too.

Yes, your swelling has subsided. You're doing fine ?

Pain meds tend to block you up pretty badly, so you'll be happy you don't have a poop backlog to process! Anyway, best wishes on your surgery and hoping you have a speedy recovery!