CrankyMagpie

This may not be relevant for photogirl, since her question was specifically about restaurants, but we've wandered into "you can do other things to spend time socially" territory, and I just want to bring up my new favorite "meet friends and hang out" alternative: coffee shops! And tea shops, too, of course, if you have them. Sharing a beverage with someone is as good as sharing a meal, I find.

My team doesn't require that we stop coffee, either. It's fine. The diuretic effects are strong for people who don't drink coffee much, but if you're a regular coffee drinker, the effect is minimal. Acid is a concern, so I went ahead and weaned myself off. I mean, I was still having two cups of tea for caffeine as of yesterday, so maybe that past-tense verb isn't accurate. Anyway, when I venture back into Coffee Land, post-op, I'm going to start with cold brew concentrate or pick up one of the low-acid coffee blends they sell here. (Though I'm not sure? if any of them are bird-safe? I'll have to look into it.) One added benefit of not drinking coffee is that it's easier to hit your goals with hydrating fluids, early on. So, if your team doesn't ban coffee, you aren't alone. And you can decide how you want to handle that!

My liquid-only diet is only a week, so (I am not a doctor but) I would guess you can still salvage it if you stay liquid-only from this point forward. I know it's a scary option, but to be certain, you could always ask your team?

That's going to vary a lot by state. It's cheaper in Las Vegas, I hear, but here in Pennsylvania a self-pay surgery is going to cost me around $12k for the sleeve (which is an easier surgery to perform, so RNY would cost more; sorry, I'm not sure how much). That includes one night of hospital stay and the surgeon's and anesthesiologists' fees, plus 1-2 post-op visits. It doesn't include any of the required testing or the required meetings with the nutritionists and psycologist beforehand, but a lot of time insurance will help with those things, even if they're not covering the surgery itself.

Updated list of October sleevers' surgery dates. Reminder: don't quote this whole post to get met to add you; just @ me or really just comment in this thread, and I'll see it Oct 1: @aapb79Gmail.com @chicagogirl74 @chuckwalsh @clara1900 @irishgal21 @JennieJuniper @momofmjbm @Red Alicia @Yare_2018 Oct 2: @cindy t @Deanayeah @Lizzieming @Marla522 @nikoleroze @Oct517 Oct 3: @boringtessa @crankymagpie @mamadownsizing @sekud02 Oct 4: @AriesMary25 @btrfly @kerbear1980 @rnchaveri1 @sleevemebaby7781 @swisskath Oct 5: @Suesloosinit Oct 8: @Crystalmartin82 @jhojho90 Oct 9: @bigcurt @mailchickie76 Oct 10: @busyforever @fandangle @MeeAhhh @oct102018 Oct 11: @aussie Ange @healthygirl05 @kathy060464 @UncleBeezy @willowfinely Oct 12: @afer0841 @zpratt Oct 14: @katiemarie22 Oct 15: @allyb15 @annaisbananas @MegsNiko (or maybe the 17th?) @recreating_courtney Oct 16: @2shea @beccaconaty87 @br3n @Thisismytime Oct 17: @Chello219 @JustKeepSwimming @OpsMatt Oct 18: @shazz73 Oct 22: @clb164 @kimberlymi @laceco Oct 23: @kdiddle31 @tahoegirl96118 Oct 24: @Beachladee3 @GirlShrinking @tuttlemomma Oct 25: @AndreaK. @kiwiangel23 Oct 29: @jflower88 @kjallen Oct 30: @sleevegirl88 Oct 31: @relaxrelaterelease

Bone broth has extra collagen and nutrients, compared to standard broth. But standard broth is fine, too.

A lot of my surgeon's patients order strained chicken noodle soup at a local restaurant chain during the liquid phase. The restaurant doesn't mind taking the noodles and meat out and just serving you the broth (hey, it makes some other customers really happy to get the extra!), and you get the full flavor profile and some of the comforting aspects of chicken noodle soup without anything that might hurt you. In the puree stage I'd be tempted to make my own, instead, and to use veggie noodles instead of, you know, pasta noodles. And then run that through a blender, of course. You can also buy chicken noodle soup mix from this site, I think? and from DietDirect. That'll have more protein than Campbell's.

If it does, you can add some salt to your diet to help mitigate it.

When you say "brush," do you mean that literally? Do you use the same kind of brush as, like, a back brush, or something else? I'd love to transition to natural deodorant!

Oh bother, it won't let me edit the older post, with the list of surgery buddies. But I'm updating my list and will post it again in a few days! (For those of you who just got here, scroll up, and you can see if you have surgery buddies who share a date with you. Oct 1, 2, and 4 are especially popular days!) My update: in an attempt to maybe make the liquid diet (starts Wednesday) easier on myself, I went ahead and cut out carbs, besides the ones I get from broccoli and cauliflower and the little bit of milk I put in my tea and coffee. If I can get into ketosis before I drastically cut my calories, maybe I won't be so hungry. I'm making sure to get enough salt (mmm, dill pickles, I will soon miss you) and to hydrate really well, to help ease the transition. I've also been taking walks (short ones--my arthritis is not better since I've had to be off my meds and supplements), which is supposed to help with "keto flu," too. Whether that will matter or not remains to be seen, but I feel good about doing something to try and help out future me. We've got this, friends!

No, you can't stretch a sleeve. You do develop a tolerance to eating more food, over time, but it's the receptors changing how they process fullness, not the stomach stretching. More info here (the title is deliberately misleading; the video talks about how "stretching" isn't a thing):

I posted in the other October sleever thread (the one that is labeled "2018," which will make it less confusing if we stay in touch through 2019, which is why I stopped posting over here in this thread until now) with a list of the October sleevers and their surgery dates, so people can know who their surgery buddies are.

I've started a list to help people find their surgery buddies. This is supposed to just be sleevers, but I bet some others snuck on. It's supposed to be all the October sleevers, but I'm 100% sure I missed some, and some don't have dates yet. Let me know if you aren't on the list and want to be on it, or if you're on it but want to be, and I'll edit this post! (Please please please don't quote the whole post; just type "@CrankyMagpie" to get my attention. I mean, also, I'm following this thread, so I'll see it even if you don't @ me.) Oct 1: @aapb79Gmail.com @chicagogirl74 @chuckwalsh @clara1900 @irishgal21 @JennieJuniper @momofmjbm @Red Alicia Oct 2: @cindy t @Deanayeah @Lizzieming @nikoleroze @Oct517 Oct 3: @boringtessa @crankymagpie @mamadownsizing @sekud02 Oct 4: @AriesMary25 @btrfly @kerbear1980 @rnchaveri1 @sleevemebaby7781 Oct 5: @Suesloosinit Oct 8: @Crystalmartin82 @jhojho90 Oct 9: @bigcurt @mailchickie76 Oct 10: @busyforever @fandangle @MeeAhhh @oct102018 Oct 11: @aussie Ange @healthygirl05 @kathy060464 @willowfinely Oct 12: @afer0841 @zpratt Oct 14: @katiemarie22 Oct 15: @allyb15 @annaisbananas @MegsNiko (or maybe the 17th?) @recreating_courtney Oct 16: @2shea @beccaconaty87 @br3n @Thisismytime Oct 17: @Chello219 @JustKeepSwimming @OpsMatt Oct 18: @shazz73 Oct 22: @clb164 @kdiddle31 @kimberlymi @laceco Oct 23: @tahoegirl96118 Oct 24: @Beachladee3 @GirlShrinking @tuttlemomma Oct 25: @AndreaK. @kiwiangel23 Oct 29: @kjallen Oct 31: @relaxrelaterelease

Oh, yeah, sorry, I definitely seemed to hand-wave away stalls as if they all have an explanation, there. Definitely, there are just normal stalls in weight loss, too. In my experience, they usually map to my body re-configuring where its inches are, but that may not be universal. And ketosis-while-also-taking-in-carbs is definitely a thing I know less about than I should, @sillykitty -- I mean, I know it's a thing? Long distance backpackers experience it, as do bariatric patients. But I don't know anything else besides "it's a thing." Thanks for the additional info about ketosis, too, @FluffyChix!

People talk about how they gain weight immediately after surgery (not everyone, but some folks). People talk about how, when they switch from liquids to purees they gain weight (again, not everyone, and I doubt many people fall into both groups). And everyone just nods their heads and says "yes, that does happen, don't freak out, stalls are normal at this point." I think some folks even have said "that's water weight, chill." (Usually more nicely.) I think the difference has to do with whether or not your body enters ketosis before surgery -- those of us on protein drinks and no juice or anything else with sugar will almost certainly be there after a week or more of that diet* -- and when you leave it. Switching from glycolysis to ketosis comes with a steep drop in water weight. (It takes more stored water for the body to perform glycolysis.) Don't get me wrong: you also lose fat, but not all of the miraculously fast loss you see is fat; anywhere from 3-8 pounds is water. Those pounds will come back as soon as you leave ketosis. Sorry. I know that's a bummer. The upshot is, if your IV bags have any kinds of sugars in them, or if the nurses give you juice in the hospital, you'll see that regain immediately after surgery, even if you were fully hydrated beforehand. (Maybe you would, a little, anyway, as your body does what it needs to do to heal from surgery.) If that doesn't happen, but you get home and start drinking juice or normal Gatorade or something, 1) that's probably not the best possible habit for the long term, and 2) you'll get that water weight back then. Or, box number three: if you are only drinking broths and protein shakes and not getting any carbs to speak of, it'll happen when you transition to purees -- refried beans, apple sauce, yogurts, etc. will have more carbohydrates in them, and you'll get your water weight back then. In my experience with coming out of ketosis (pre-WLS), my body only actually gains a tiny bit, but it "stalls" for 2-3 weeks before it goes back to losing normally. So, I think that's at least part of what is happening with the weird post-surgical gains. Before I stop writing this already very long post, I want to point out that ketosis is NOT the same thing as ketoacidosis, and you are not in danger if you go into ketosis. The transition is unpleasant (though making sure you're extremely well hydrated and you've got enough electrolytes, including especially sodium, when you cut out the carbs will help ease it somewhat), but once you make it, you should find you aren't as hungry anymore. I don't know whether there's any special benefit to staying in ketosis for the week(s) after surgery, before transitioning to purees, but speaking only for myself, I'm inclined to try, in the hopes that I don't end up super hungry while I'm only taking in liquids. (I don't get much say about what goes in my IV bags or what the hospital tells me to eat, so it may not be up to me. We'll see.) Public Service Announcement: Please do not buy ketone measuring strips unless you need them for your diabetes. They are getting harder for diabetics to find, because keto nuts are using them up. You don't need to measure the ketones in your pee if you're dieting. It is unnecessary. (Is your breath disgusting? Great, you're in ketosis.) Spread the word to your keto friends, please. *I only say "almost," because there are apparently a lot of people who get their broth by straining chicken noodle soup and not eating the noodles or the chicken. I don't know how many starches end up in a broth that had noodles cooked in it. Also, strained cream soups are allowed on my pre-op diet, and those will have a higher carb content than your average protein shake. We're allowed to use milk in our protein shakes, too, which could be enough to stave off ketosis. Also, I think the nutritionist allows G2, and that has some sugar. So it's not definite? But it's likely.

It depends how far out from surgery you are. You can't take NSAIDs (most over the counter pain meds) a week before surgery. Tylenol (acetaminophen) is fine. The others are hard on your stomach and interact badly with blood thinners. If you go RNY, you actually can't ever have NSAIDs again. If you go VSG (sleeve), you eventually can, but different surgeons clear you at different points in the process.

Providence Hospital is accredited, but that might be new? https://www.facs.org/search/bariatric-surgery-centers?page=1&n=25&state=AK

Hmm, so having a cookie over the holidays might be OK, but we need to really buckle down for the first quarter of 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4422859/ (In plainer English, it appears that the speed of people's weight loss in months 3-6 is a solid predictor of how much weight they'll lose total, independent of other factors.)

Also, trans people weren't "born" one gender and "became" another. They were always the same gender, no matter what their body might have looked like. The term you want is "assigned," as in "assigned male at birth" or "assigned female at birth." The term you want for someone who has transitioned (whether medically or by clothing choice or any other way) is "male" or "female" or whatever gender they tell you they are. And while we're here and talking about this, it's never OK to ask someone if they've had surgery as part of their transition. What's in someone's pants is not anyone else's business.

*cough* Excuse me for pointing this out, but there are more than two genders. By rights, I shouldn't post in either place, but while my gender isn't female, that's where society puts me more often than not. So that's the room where I post. I want to not have to put "female" or "male" on my profile. It's infuriating. I'm neither. If that means I eventually lose access to The Gals' Room, I can live with that. Maybe this should be its own topic?

Looks like someone maybe forgot to collect data in Alaska. (I know they have at least one surgeon there. Remember that guy who was all "Ugh, MY WIFE got surgery and now she ISN'T HEALTHY"? She got her surgery done in Anchorage.)

I did go ahead and order a heat pad based on this thread. My PA said not to bring one to the hospital, but it didn't occur to me I might want one at home. Thanks, @Oct517! Just for a sense of what an anxious, over-prepared person might do: I have my normal selection of protein powders, several pints of homemade bone broth (still in the freezer for now), four boxes of store bought no-salt-added bone broth (I bet I add salt), 20ish Powerade Zeros (I drank a few already ), some of those powdered soups you can get from here and Diet Direct (broccoli flavor), a backup box of sugar-free popsicles (I'm already eating those, because they are very good ?), some boxes of sugar-free jello, a container of liquid protein that you add to water, and various water flavorings, some with electrolytes, some with B vitamins, some just plain. I also drink a lot of herbal tea and decaf coffee, so that'll fill in around the edges of the other stuff. The only thing in that whole list that's at risk of going to waste if I don't use it right away is the powdered soups. Those are really hit-and-miss, taste-wise, and I know that I, too, will be hit-and-miss in the taste department for a while; there's no predicting. But if I don't like those soups by themselves, I can always wait until I can have veggies and put some real broccoli in there to try to save it. That's worked for a different brand of powdered protein soup in the past.

The nutritionists have had me following some of the post-op rules (final phase, I mean) since June, but the liquid diet is only one week for me. 4 protein shakes or strained cream soups and unlimited broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free jello, protein water, and water. The final day is clear liquids only -- broth, sf popsicles, sf jello, and protein water. My surgery is October 3rd, so I start next Wednesday.

That's really exciting, congrats!

I wouldn't change my whole way of eating based on a single documentary. I trust Scientific American, and they excerpted this article (and linked to the whole thing), talking about the things "What the Health" gets right, versus what they get wrong: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/prevention/what-the-health-documentary-a-review Time, too, is generally considered fairly reputable: http://time.com/4897133/vegan-netflix-what-the-health/