Born in Missouri

Are you a grazer? Have you had any major life changes in the last few months?

Assuming one's hunger is only satisfied by what's in the fridge. One really needs a sign on every cabinet!

Does this site have a glossary? The words / phrases HEAD HUNGER and SLIDER FOOD were new to me before I arrived here.

Still, it's not right... particularly when the OP adds this statement to their post: "Please be respectful and honest if responding (: " Okay, CashmereAndBones. We were respectful and honest... what say you in return?

Pregnancy-stretching and the pouching that occurs postpartum is the only skin sag that I am actually proud of. Of course, breastfeeding is probably the single most amazing experience ever. Freud's penis envy is ludicrous. A woman's body is the body to envy!

Say what about the points earned and the store? I haven't been paying attention. I didn't think those points had much value. Do they expire over time? I thought I had some points, now I don't see any. I've enjoyed helping people, too, but it seems that there's usually a surplus of people offering the same advice. I still find it odd that people tend to post questions that have been answered repeatedly in the archives. When you're new and don't know how the site works, that's understandable, but sometimes the same questions show up next to each other on the topic list. Google has a mountain of information, often from researchers or medical professionals. The one thing that people can't get elsewhere, though, is what initially brought me here: a kind word when someone is anxious. A word of congratulations when someone hits a milestone or overcomes an obstacle. And, of course, we all need those words of best wishes as our surgery date arrives. Yes, that human connection was the thing missing for me. I still have no friends in real life, but I've found that people here are eager to listen and be as much a friend as is possible considering the medium. I guess the important thing is finding the right balance. It's my choice whether to comment or not, visit or not. Choice is a powerful thing.

Right now, at one-month post-op (and starting during the last few months of pre-op), my daily life has been all about my surgery and protein and fluids and exercise and this forum. More and more, I’ve been actively seeking diversions from this focus. Not food-related diversions, though. . My career requires a tremendous amount of creative focus, so I need to be able to break away from “this WLS life” that has been taking center stage. Does this make sense? I intend to follow and keep up with the various lifestyle changes that I’ve committed to, but it’s becoming too much of too much. Visiting this site multiple times per day is bordering on an addiction. . For those who frequent this forum, how do you maintain the focus and stamina to comment day after day after day? Given my short window of participation here, I’m not convinced that I’d be missed much.

@macadamia. Opioids, like morphine, often result in itching. That doesn't mean that your're allergic, though. Sometimes, especially when given intrathecal morphine (delivered directly to your spinal fluid), the drug overexcites certain receptors that would be less affected if given in a different way (orally). I take 300mg of morphine daily. In the beginning, I had an annoying itch, but my body eventually got used to the medication. I've been a morphine patient for several years. Opioids can cause what's called a pseudo-allergy. Think of it as a side effect like dizziness or nausea. "Patients and providers often associate pseudo-allergy reactions to opioid analgesics as true allergies. True allergies to opioids occur in <2% of patients. An incorrect diagnosis of allergies may lead to delays in treatment and unnecessary drug avoidance." https://www.pharmacytimes.com/contributor/jeffrey-fudin/2018/03/opioid-allergy-pseudo-allergy-or-adverse-effect Let doctors in the future know that you've had some itching with a pain pump. Don't just say, "I've had itching with morphine." Yes, switching to hydromorphone (Dilaudid) generally helps. "Itch with epidural morphine may be troublesome but is apparently reduced with switching to the use of epidural hydromorphone. Oxycodone, oxymorphone, or fentanyl could have been chosen instead of hydromorphone, as they may cause less histamine release." https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(98)00115-8/pdf

My youngest son prefers homemade noodles with the broth. I'm a scratch cook.

I agree. I bought way too much bone broth and now I'm having a staring contest with the stuff every day. Turkey, chicken, beef... I want none of it. Maybe I can sneak it into my 19-year-old son's meals. He'll eat anything.

Food makes more sense. Sometimes the answer is tooooo obvious. D'oh.

I was very calm on the day of my surgery. I actually looked forward to being put under. The anesthesia used nowadays doesn't make a person nauseous or sick as it did in days past. I actually play a game when they put the mask over my nose and mouth in the operating room. I tell myself that I have amazing super-duper superpowers and that no gas or whatever can knock me out. I AM SUPERWOMAN!! Of course, you fall asleep without even realizing it. It's unbelievably fast. Instantaneous. You are barely able to finish counting to even five. And when you wake up, you're in recovery .... wondering what happened and disappointed that you have supercrappy superpowers. If you can tolerate the IV being put in your arm, that's the worst part. Truly. The anesthesia is nothing. The operation is nothing. You'll be fine. Believe me. Your surgery day is a day for you to celebrate. Take photos. You'll regret it if you don't.

@heyprofessor I stocked up on bone broth and peach Jell-O before my surgery. (Peach is the only flavor I can tolerate). I still have a lot of it left. Fortunately, the bone broth is in that shelf-stable packaging, so it's fine sitting around. Now that I'm almost one-month post-op, I realize that I bought too much bone broth and Jell-O. It's hard to even look at the stuff now. Ick.

Nature’s Bounty protein shake is a cheaper alternative. I found it at CVS. Some people claim that the vanilla flavor tastes like cake batter. You can mix it with almond milk, soy, or coconut milk. It doesn't have as much protein as Premier but it is loaded with vitamins, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. You can find soy milk at Dollar Tree in shelf-stable packaging for a dollar. Surprise! I prefer soy milk packaged this way because it's ready when I am. Mix and match protein powders. You can mix the vitamin blend one from Nature's Bounty with other protein powders with a higher protein content. Sprouts Farmers Market has an amazing collection of protein powders. Whey protein is the highest quality of protein, by the way. I like goat whey myself. I looked up Dollar Tree and Sprouts and both stores are located in Maryland.

What do you mean by "I've tracked my foot?"

I never crushed or cut in half any of my pills. I took my horse pills whole, even from day one post-op. I was never told otherwise and I didn't feel anything unusual. That said, I wouldn't recommend this. I suppose I was lucky. I'd prefer not to rely on luck, however. Had I experienced a complication, it would have been all on me.

I was told to follow my normal routine. These articles may help to answer your questions, too. https://www.sleepdr.com/the-sleep-blog/can-i-take-a-sleep-aid-or-sleeping-pill-before-my-sleep-study/ https://www.sleepresolutions.com/blog/how-do-you-prepare-for-a-sleep-study

@CashmereAndBones According to your profile page, you've returned to read these comments. I hope you've had a chance to take all of our well-intentioned words to heart. I don't know why you haven't reposted since. Did you not receive the answers you wanted? Are you feeling disheartened now and reconsidering surgery? Come out of the shadows, friend. What's on your mind?

As bad as you feel now, oh how great you'll feel later. I know pain. As a chronic pain patient, I live with pain daily. Most people have a hard time understanding this, but I actually welcomed my post-op bypass discomfort. Anything to minimize and distract my pain receptors from the horrible pain I feel in my right ankle daily. I take 300mg of morphine on average per day. When you are asked by the hospital staff about your pain, don't try to be a hero. You deserve to be as comfortable as possible.

Did you scare the becheezits out of your cats and daughter while you were writhing in pain on Sunday?

PrettyKitty, When taking any pain med, which includes Tylenol, always start your next dose about a half to one-hour before your previous dose wears off. For example, if you take one Tylenol every four hours, try taking the next dose at 3 1/2 hours. Are you taking tablets or capsules? If tablets, you can cut the pill in half and take half at the 3 1/2 hour mark, and the other half at the prescribed time. The purpose of this overlapping schedule is to prevent you from having to wait for the medication to kick in. Don't wait for your body to deplete the effects of your medication!

Some of your vitamins can discolor your urine, Vit C in particular turns an orangey-gold. Did she say to look for a bloody tinge?

@Ylime The pre-surgery liquid diet is NOT THE SAME as the liquid diet that's required after surgery. The pre-surgery diet is high in protein and supplies your body with minimal carbohydrates. This puts your body in ketosis. Ketosis enables your body to utilize the fat stores around your liver and spleen as an energy source. This leads to the shrinkage of the liver and quick weight loss. The shrinkage also allows for easier access in the abdomen during the procedure. It wouldn't hurt to try the diet for a few days. I'm surprised by the number of people who aren't required to follow this diet. The reasoning behind it makes a lot of sense. Why not try it?

@blondechic OMG. According to your profile page, your surgery is today, July 10th!! Best of luck to you. Let us know how everything turns out, how you feel, etc.