mousecat88

My surgeon said I can't have ricotta during the pureed stage because it's too thick, unless I add a bunch of water and blend it so it's runny. =/

What is the swallow test supposed to check for? I am scheduled for RNY and they never did one.

This thread is awesome. I need to check out the recipes threads, too. All I can imagine in my future are protein shakes and tiny pieces of chicken. I LOVE cooking, but was scared I'd fall into old habits with cooking way too much food. It's nice seeing what people can do with small portions!

I think FB group for November bypassers would be great!

Had initial appointment June 4th, immediately went over and had the labs and EKG done. Had the ultrasound the following week and the nutritionist appointment. Next week sat through 3 nutrition courses all day. Two weeks later, went back to nutritionist to present her with my food journal and got clearance. Had a sleep clinic appointment where they said I didn't need a sleep study because I had one in 2016 and it was fine. Two or three weeks after that saw the psychiatrist and took the psychiatric test. Week later came back and got the results and clearance from her. My personal psychiatrist gave clearance the same time. Few days later saw the surgeon to schedule my surgical date! Got approval from insurance in 4 days. Surgical date currently 11/1/18. So, that all happened in about a 2.5-3 month time span. I have a nurse telephone consult in two weeks to go over my meds and I have to take a 3 hour online class next week. The following week I have a 1 hour online class and the START clinic for final pre-op diagnostics. And then the day before my surgery (10/31) I meet with the surgeon again to sign the consent forms and ask final questions. Started the pre-op diet yesterday!

The first time I began trying to get RNY, my insurance had a ONE YEAR wait before I could even start the process. They required that I go to a special gym that logged all of my exercises and electronically transmitted it to them so they could make sure I was going to the gym! I also had to lose 15% of my body weight. I made it 5 months in, and had lost NO WEIGHT, and gave up at that point. Three years later, I have a new insurance and it took me three months to get my surgical date. My office has a team of multiple nutritionists, etc, so getting appointments was much easier. Now just waiting for the surgery... Next week I have to take a 3 hour online class with an exam that sums up everything I've learned, and then the week after I have to take a 1 hour consent class with an exam. I have to score an 80% on both to proceed with my 11/1 surgery date. I'm sure it's easy, basic stuff though.

Here's another random question - since I am the master of those! Did anyone notice any dramatic changes in acne/skin clearing up after surgery? Did changing your diet habits have any positive effect on your skin? I get some cystic acne on my forehead (fortunately covered by bangs) and have tried every.single. topical treatment out there. I also get small white-head spots pretty frequently on my chin. I'm wondering how effective a change in diet has been to help with this kind of issue. I was considering scheduling yet another dermatologist appointment, but maybe I shouldn't bother if clear skin may be in my future?

Congrats on getting your surgical date! I think everyone gets a pre-op diet regardless. I don't have a fatty liver at all, but I still have 15 days of pre-op diet. I started mine 6 days early (yesterday, my surgery is on the 1st). I feel less pissy today than I did yesterday. I mean, it's only 8 am but..... lol! You can do it!

That could be possible. I have pretty severe acid reflux issues and usually just let them pass on their own (even though I have Prilosec).

My pre-op does allow for one meal a day! Haha. I am just being a baby. Made it through Day 1 alive. Since I am starting early, I don't have the 3rd shakes (I only have enough for the 15 days, since they are Advanced Recovery shakes), so I had 2 eggs in place of where I will be having my 3rd shake next Tuesday. Figured that was a good substitute. Every day that goes by I will get more confident and it'll be easier! Counting down..

The FIRST thing my surgeon asked me when I sat down for the initial visit was, "You don't want lap band, do you?" and I said no. He replied "Good." There's a reason it's falling out of favor, and there's no way in heck I would get it.

The practice I am going to had three surgeons on staff. I got one that I sort of didn't like, but he had 1000's of operations under his 40 years of practicing, so I felt comfortable, safety-wise. Well, he retired a month into my process and I got his replacement, a much younger guy. I actually like him a lot more. He is less experienced, but is one of the pioneers of robotic laparoscopic gastric bypass and I may actually be the first patient at this hospital to have it done. The practice itself is very thorough. They have several nutritionists, a psychiatrist on-staff, they are a Bariatric Center of Excellence, they have support groups, speakers that come in, they have annual Christmas celebrations for patients, they sell shakes/vitamins on-site, and are very responsive. They are an "all-in-one" place and I like that.

It's probably even worse because I don't *have* to start the diet until next Tuesday. So I'm like... well... maybe I should just start then. But I have been eating SO terrible, that I wanted to start now.

lol! i was so enthusiastic going into this, knowing I would/will feel better in a few days.. but I am ending Day 1 and this super sucks. i have THE FIERCEST craving for spaghetti. also pork lo mein. I'm still at work, but want to crawl immediately into bed and take sleeping meds so I don't have to feel hungry/have cravings and can just sleep til tomorrow. rinse, repeat until my surgery. ugh, and don't say the cravings go away. i was on a strict low-carb diet for 5 months last year (lost 60 lbs) and those intense carb cravings NEVER went away. need to find a way to not mentally dwell on them, but i sit and just envision the taste in my mouth and it's like a drug. this is going to be a long 20 days...

Yeah, I think if it was in my thigh or something it would freak me out less. I know it's subcutaneous and I'm not like... piercing my muscle, lol, but my poor sensitive belly fat! Maybe it's different because it's surgery on an organ, but when I had my massive breast reduction (8 lbs of skin and fat removed) and some other very lengthy stabby procedures, they all said the risk for a PE decreases dramatically after the first 72 hours or so (and I'll be in the hospital nearly 72 hours with the gastric). Is the needle skinny and tiny or gigantic? The older I've gotten, the harder it is for me to deal with needles. I used to be morbid and love watching my blood being drawn, but now it makes me want to black out.

I think the issue is if you swallow it? ... which I notoriously do. Just wanted to know if it would come out the other end! lol.

Did yours have a ton of double/triple negative questions and weird questions about poets you've never heard of? LOL. "I don't never not drink." Ummmm.

My surgeon said I will have to give myself injections twice a day of blood thinners for two weeks post-surgery. The first surgeon I saw (same practice) said I didn't have to, but he retired half-way through my process and the new guy said I did. When I had my lab work, my blood... viscosity... was thin. And my general health is basically perfect. I've had major surgeries before and never had to give shots, so it's weird. I am actually more nervous about that than the surgery. I've never given myself shots before, especially in my torso. The idea makes me squeamish. Doesn't it get very bruised? Do you switch sides each time? To hammer home my fear, my friend's gf just died from blood thinners. She had a pulmonary embolism and they gave her blood thinners and she hemorrhaged and bled out. I'm sure she had other things going on, of course, but now I am scared of blood thinners. Doesn't your body need to clot to heal itself?

I haven't had the surgery yet, but I can tell you what I am 100% bringing (I will be there 2 nights/3 days): loose fitting clothes, my own slippers, cellphone charger, toothbrush/toothpaste, dry shampoo, hair brush, deodorant, and a book. I anticipate I'll be sleeping a lot when I am not up walking, though.

Since my surgery date is November 1st, I'll be the test subject for this thread. hahaha. I started the pre-op early. Today is my start. Starving. But I gotta just deal!

Yeah, they gave me like a 200 page manual on the do's and don'ts of exercise, mental health, diet, etc... but no mention of gum.

My surgeon doesn't use trains for WLS... but I DID have a drain when I had a lipoma removed from my neck. It doesn't hurt at all getting it taken out. Just weird sensation/pinching. I had them take it out early and I regretted it, because the area filled up with fluid and I had to have it drained with a needle which DID hurt. =/

You look awesome! I'm about to turn 30 and having my surgery right before my birthday. My mom's been steadily losing weight over the last few years and hoarded some of her larger clothes, so I'll be wearing mom-clothes for a while. Fortunately, she is quite a fashionable 52 year old. lol! I also saved some clothes from 10 years ago when I was 6 sizes smaller in the hopes that some day I could wear them again - welp, soon enough, bag of hoarded clothes! haha. And people told me to just get rid of them. PFFTTTTT.

I am pre-op and going through my desk drawers and kitchen, purging some things I won't be able to have for at least some time (donating to happy coworkers)... and I have a lot of gum, oddly. I *think* I read somewhere that you shouldn't chew gum after surgery because if you swallow it you can't pass it? Is that true? Sorry if silly question. Also, can you have mints after surgery, or do they cause you to produce too much saliva?

I had my breast reduction in January 2017, before I decided on having gastric bypass. I went from an H to a D cup. I wish I had done it 10 years prior. I had IMMEDIATE back and ribcage relief. I could BREATHE easier. I became like an inch taller! lol. Honestly, if I was allowed, I would have had them take them off entirely. They've caused me nothing but pain my entire life. They removed EIGHT POUNDS of fat. I am scared that I am going to now have gastric and they will shrink and get saggy again, but what can ya' do.