Orchids&Dragons

Sounds good! Could you post another link, please? I tried to find it in your previous posts, but was unsuccessful. Thanks!

Yup, fluid retention and swelling. You drop the fluids fairly quickly once you leave the hospital, but the abdominal swelling can take as long as a month. Relax, it's all good. And congrats on your surgery!

You could try the Listerine breath strips. Or are they too hard on your new stomach?

Wow, you were beautiful to begin with and now you're stunning! AND rocking a bikini! Congrats!

Did you drink it plain or with some artificial sweetener? You might like to try some of the flavored teas like raspberry or cinnamon-apple. They are very nice with a little sweetener and you can drink them hot or cold.

Then sugar-free cranberry juice should be ok, but start with a small amount. It may be too acidic in the beginning.

Good luck with your coming surgery! My advice on stages 1 and 2 is stock up on variety. Different types/flavors of shakes (Premier Protein are my fave), decaf coffee/tea if you drink them, several different broths, a few different flavorings for water, some skim or low-fat milk, sugar-free jello, etc. You are going to get bored, believe me. This will enable you to mix it up some.

Most cranberry juice has a lot of added sugar to it. What does your diet plan say? All my liquids had to be sugar-free.

Have you talked with the surgeon's team? Pain in that area could be from a leak, although that's not terribly likely since you're not running a fever or feeling ill, otherwise. Hope you feel better soon.

92 pounds in 8 months - Fantastic! Congrats!!

Start with things that are quite smooth, Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, peaches canned in their own juice, etc. Gradually build up on the texture scale. You'll do great!

You should have plenty of great fish options, too! Have fun!

Since you already realize how important therapy will be to your health and success, I think you're golden. The surgery will help get the weight off, the therapist will help you appreciate the new you. Perfect! Good luck!

That is wonderful, congrats!

Hey! Don't pick on my fantasy life! Oh, and I managed a scrambled egg the other day! Only got a little bit stuck! Woohoo! My excitement bar is set pretty low!

You know, in general calling someone a "gutless wonder" is an insult, but in your case . . .

Well, since they try to make the healthy versions look as much like the originals as possible, I'm not sure my inner craving demon can really tell the difference. But, I have to admit, since I'm still on soft foods, I do spend a lot of time fantasizing over the healthy foods I will eventually be able to eat. Guess I'm a masochist. Right now, I could just about kill for a grilled chicken salad, or a 1/2 slice of cauliflower-crust pizza!

Congrats, you look fantastic! Thanks for sharing your inspiring success story!

Every day

That's why I'm on the internet sites drooling!

You'll be great. It should be easy to share such a positive, life-changing experience. Just don't be shy about saying "I don't know" when you don't. You can't be expected to have encyclopedic knowledge although some people expect it.

Good luck!

Oh, wow! You look awesome and feel great, too! Congrats!

Congrats! and here ya' go-

Broth gives you the impression that you've had a meal. Sugary drinks don't do that for you. Sugar-free jello counts, too, and gives your stomach a bit of feeling of "fullness"