lisafrommassachusetts

2 hours ago, MsMocie said:

Protein puddings can be bought in just about any store or kiosk. It's just a sugarfree, proteinrich alternativ to puddings. Like chockolate, custard, etc. Would think the options are greater in the US than in the most boring food country of them all, which I live in🤣

I've heard about Protein Jello, I don't know more about this. But one can also have sugarfree Jello. I make jello out of sugarfree limonade and Gelatin. It has a little protein. Usually blend a little keso with vanilla for a "vanilla sause" go go with.

Also heard about tasteless proteinpowder to mix in Water etc. Never tried it.

Soups are liquids so as soon as you are of clears, you can have creamed Soups, but pls don't force if your stomach cannot handle it.

Thank you!

9 minutes ago, Darktowerdream said:

Here’s an example of BariatricPal Protein pudding, butter toffe is pretty good. You can thin it out as much as you like. I’ve mixed with yogurt sometimes and/ Or with unsweetened ripple milk for extra creaminess and Protein instead of just all Water.

https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/bariatricpal-protein-instant-pudding-dark-chocolate

I haven’t tried their protein Gelatin mixes yet

https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/bariatricpal-protein-gelatin-raspberry

it’s very important that since when you first start out your portions are very small to make sure you are getting protein first.

They also have protein Soups including ones with Vitamins. prices might seem higher but your portions are much smaller. Plus you earn points for discounts on future purchases. I don’t buy too often but get certain basics sometimes when they have a good coupon sale.

one thing I wish I had right after surgery is their Protein Shots and protein juice ...

You can get a variety pack to try the flavors. I like pink lemonade.

https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/bariatricpal-15g-protein-collagen-shots-variety-packs

Thank you! I will order some of the pudding and it will be here waiting for when I get back from the hospital. I had already ordered some of their soups; I have cream of chicken and one of cream of mushroom. 15 g of protein, so not as much as the Protein Shakes, but I will need some break from all that sweet taste. Do you continue to use these type of products? I can see incorporating some of these into my work lunches post surgery, for the extra protein.

What are Protein puddings? Also, I bought some cream of chicken Soup off of this site, you mix it with Water. Can you have that once you are off just clear liquids?

3 minutes ago, MOHOJO19 said:

Everyone with upcoming surgery dates; have you tried beef Bone Broth? IDK if it’s the brand my husband bought for me, but it’s disgusting 🤢 chicken broth and sugar free Jell-O is my go to right now!

I have tried beef Bone Broth in a couple of different brands; I don't care for it. I like the swanson chicken bone broth, and a kind I got on Amazon; Kettle and Fire Chicken bone broth and the Kettle and Fire chicken with mushroom. I've honestly never cared for Jello, hoping after surgery I can get some down. I wish there were more interesting sugar-free flavors.

9 hours ago, kdgarcia said:

Hello, I just want to give a little update since my surgery 2/4/20 cuz I know I was always wondering how everyone was after their surgery. My first day was rough! I had a lot of pain and I thought something was wrong since the person that was in the same room I was in was in no where as bad as I was!!! But the doctor told me she was a rare case! I was a normal case! Not that it made me happier but it eased my mind It lasted basically 8 hrs of pain that wouldn’t go away. I did everything to try to make it go away, I walked. Sat up, laid down, hot pads and etc to make it go away and it finally did in the middle of the night. The morning after I was told in order to leave I need to drink 3 cups of Clear Liquids. That was my other struggle. I would take a small sip and I just couldn’t hold it down. I tried for 3 hrs to drink Water or crystal light. Then the nurse came and offered me chicken broth and let me tell you it made a big difference. My stomach was not okay with anything cold but once I tried the broth I was able to take sips often and home I went. It has not been that bad ever since. I can only take little sips of room temperature Water, crystal light just so I can have a taste once in a while and chicken broth. I tried to drink Protein Shake on the third day and it did not feel good at all so I didn’t try until the day after and finally I was okay to take small sips of Protein Shakes. I was okay also with starting the Vitamins but I had to take them a few min apart to let it go down with out it feeling like it’s too much. I told my doctor I was having trouble with the Protein Drinks and she said as long I am hydrated and take my Vitamins and take the most sips I can of the Protein shake and I feel good then I am doing it right. Everyone body is different just to try to get more and more in as the days come. Sorry for my story but I wanted to share my post op Incase in can help someone else. Especially the part with having a hard time with cold drinks. My stomach was more happier with warm drinks.

Thank you for the update!!! It is great to hear things are getting better every day. Keep sharing!

Enjoyed reading through this thread tonight. My surgery is Monday, and having some anxiety and of course the "oh no I'm losing my best friend, food" thoughts. A list is a great idea. In no particular order:

1. Walking with my husband and dog; climbing hills, crunching across snowy fields in the winter, enjoying really long meanders in the woods;

2. Boots. Not the booties I content myself and my too fat ankles and calves with, but real knee high winter boots. Maybe, just maybe, even tucking pants into said boots!

3. Dancing at weddings and not secretly worrying I look like John Travolta in Hairspray.

4. Not sweating out whether it is a "generous" or a "stingy" booth they are trying to seat me in.

5. Less pain in my knees, and not having to walk down a flight of stairs like a toddler!

6. Being able to walk up 2 flights of stairs without huffing and puffing.

7. Clothes. That I like.

8. Not feeling uncomfortable and self conscious for my neighbor on airplanes, at the theater, or at a baseball stadium (grrr, Fenway!)

This was a great "reset" for my brain tonight.

5 hours ago, NicoleGB said:

I’m one week out and drinking 2 Protein Shakes a day. My mood is all over the place and for some reason I feel I won’t loose weight. I’m getting 60 grams of Protein a day, taking victim and, drinking 4-5 cups of Water and I try to get in some hot broth in the evening

Wow; sounds like you are doing great with sticking with the program.

8 hours ago, ResaRoo said:

I’m having surgery in Toronto, so flying across the country (Canada). If I wasn’t flying, they wouldn’t have been needed.

Ah, that makes sense. Good luck!

1 minute ago, JettK said:

I'm doing really good, drinking my liquids well and slowly taking in cream Soups (1/8 of a cup is all I can get down) but it's oh so good!

Slowly I believe I am learning to know when my stomach is full; I do not want to over eat and get sick!

Drinking anything 30min before and after food, that's different because I would always drink with my food; change is good though

Good to hear it's going so well. I am getting so excited/anxious.

7 minutes ago, divag822 said:

My after diet post op week one is all Clear Liquids. I have all my chewable: Probiotics, (3 per day) Multivitamin, (one per day and calcium citrate w Vitamin D.(3 per day) It was hard trying to so all this chewing and get them all down but I'm progressing. My fav part of the liquid diet is chicken noodle Soup broth, lime SF Jello, and Apple/melon Isopure drink Sipping away at the Water to try and get as much as possible to avoid dehydration. I'm up and moving and able to shower daily. Having to remember to do my physical therapy breathing unit to avoid pneumonia. They said it's better to be consumed with something other than your diet after surgery so you won't be totally obsessed with your diet. So, Netflix, YouTube, lifetime and CNN have kept me company. Hope this helps.

Yes! Sounds like you are falling into a rhythm with all of this. We should all share our favorite "binge worthy" shows as we recuperate!

13 minutes ago, divag822 said:

Congratulations on all the February surgeries. Mine was Feb and successful the biggest issue I have for the las few days has been gas in my tummy. My biggest incision is really sore too. Otherwise, I'm very grateful for this 2nd chance at life to care for my health and body much better than I did before. Not only am I on a new journey. I'm on a mission for Positive change ❤️👌

Glad to hear you are doing well! Your positive attitude is showing through. I'd love to hear how the post op diet is going, etc. I'm so happy to have found this board and this thread of other people on this amazing journey!

On 1/23/2020 at 1:32 PM, eporter said:

you're doing great! It may be easier to buy Protein Powder and mix it with something vs buying the shakes. I ujse Isopure unflavored Protein powder and it's 30g of Protein per scoop. Would last you longer than a package of shakes. Just use the powder once a day and eat the rest of you protein!

I am curious about the unflavored Protein Powder. Can you mix it with Water and/or herbal tea?

30 minutes ago, ResaRoo said:

I’m on Monday, too! It seems like there are a few of on the same day. Wishing you all a speedy recovery! I catch my plane in a few hours. Definitely not looking forward to a week of wearing compression socks. I tried them out for a day and they roll down a little bit but mostly just make the eczema on my legs go crazy.

Good luck! Where are you having surgery? I was not told anything about compressions socks...Everyone seems to have somewhat different directives. Hoping you have a smooth recovery!

3 minutes ago, deej25 said:

My surgery is on Monday too!!

OP, hope you feel better soon! 💕

Good luck! We'll have to share gripes and gratitudes!

Good luck!

It must be very hard to have made this decision and be facing this life change without the support of your partner. I would imagine that is very lonely. I am an old married lady (been married since 1985). This kind of significant lifestyle change is disruptive to our family, even when they stand 100% behind the decision. Perhaps your wife is a control freak, but perhaps she is simply unable to put her concerns into words.

You do use language that suggest there are control issues, e.g. that you did not tell her until you had a surgery date because she would not have allowed you to get that far in the process, or afraid to say 'my body, my choice' because it would not go over well. At the risk of stating the obvious, you don't seem to have a whole lot of emotional intimacy in the marriage, and you surely don't seem to be able to communicate with each other. The years with small kids, big bills, exhaustion, and work/life balance issues are hard on EVERY marriage, now you are throwing in surgery and lifestyle change issues. Yikes!

I know you have a lot going on, major surgery, new baby on the way, small child at home, but I hope that you and she can find time to go to a good marriage therapist. Along with getting physically healthy, it is my hope that you are able to be emotionally healthier, and that you and your wife find the joy and love that brought you together in the first place.

Good luck!

2 minutes ago, mommy_vsg said:

Yes, it gets better as time goes on. My recovery was rough as well. My husband had to help me with every thing from sitting up, getting out of bed, the bathroom, and showering for the first week or so. By the 3rd week I could do everything by myself and had minimum discomfort.

So great to hear. Your weight loss is really impressive! Any tips for post-op diet stages?

4 hours ago, Fiddles said:

So happy to hear you are all doing well !! It only gets better from here!! Going in on Monday 🙏 and feeling positive

I'm Monday, too. Good luck and we can maybe share recovery tips, gripes and victories. How long will you be inpatient?

12 hours ago, JettK said:

Home for day two post and this morning I am sipping my first small serving of Protein drink! It taste So good! Lol, pain for me has been nile to none at all; I still have the pain patch behind my ear so maybe that's why.

They started me on the small 30ml cups in the hospital as well and those do help me keep up with my Water demand.

Over all experience, I'd do it all over again I feel fantastic other than a little it drowsy none and then so of course I nap! Dr sent me home with the liquid codein/advil medicine and it tastes like robitussin, not sure to liquids for meds but I took it before bed last night just in case and it must work but I was exhausted and I slept a solid 7 hrs! Haven't done that in a few weeks!

If anyone has any questions just let me know; it is interesting to me all our recoveries and meal plans after surgery are so different. I had to wait 48 hrs before anything to drink other than water; Crystal lite or the Premier Protein Water (which is great and has 20g of protein) so as I said at the top of my post this little 4oz of shake I'm sipping is so good! My biggest thing now tmi, is I've not had a BM which I know its because of nothing but water in me so this Protein will help, not feeling constipated so I just need to let my body and nature take its course!

So happy everything is good so far and very appreciative of the update. I'm scheduled for Monday! I was delayed a week due to the flu and I feel pretty ready at this point, but nervous, too of course.

Can you tell me about the Premier Protein water? Does it taste actually like water?

1 hour ago, divag822 said:

I’m just ready to heal. My energy level is good. I was able to eat a chew multi Vitamin and kept it down. Day three, just feeling uncomfortable, not really a lot of pain. Just sore. Today I ate Isopure, chicken noodle Soup broth, lots of Water sips. My body is definitely healing and I’m not as Leary feeling today as I was day one, thank God. Also, walked three flights of stairs day two to get into my apt. I was shocked that it wasn’t that bad.

Great news! And very encouraging for this of us waiting in line! May your healing continue.

18 minutes ago, *aqua* said:

• I'm 2 days post op. Just removed my drain today, and I got broth. That seemed to be a big deal. So, YAY! I did my barium swallow, and saw my tiny stomach. The surgeon said it was "pretty". I have a taken a shower, and I feel a solid ok.
• Yesterday was a little rough. I could not hold down fluids very well, and my IV infiltrated. I didn't walk enough. I did not have enough fluids, but today I seem on the up and up.
• I leave tomorrow morning to go back home. I am going to take it nice and easy.
• Lets get ready to SLENDERIZE!!!!

Hooray for a "solid ok"! Hope you get some good sleep tonight and a safe trip home tomorrow.

You say bragging, I say inspiring. Congratulations!

Holy cow! No wonder you are nervous! Have they put you on a pre-op diet? You might want to call ahead and check on a few things, and by ahead I guess I mean tomorrow because you don't have anymore time.

1. Should you be on a pre-op diet? If so, and you are not, then they should reschedule;

2. Do you need clearance from a primary before the surgery? Any pre-op lab work? (I had to have blood work done)

3. What about after surgery; Can some consults be done by phone; or can you do the post op follow up appointments where you are?

4. What is there general idea of post op stay.

5. Can you travel 7 1/2 hours after surgery? I have a 2 hour commute to mine, and my doctor told me a few things, like bring a firm pillow (like a couch throw pillow) for the car ride; if I start to feel pain/nausea stop and hydrate and walk a bit.

GOOD LUCK! Lots of folks on here have travelled abroad for the surgery, so you may hear from some of them.

1 hour ago, TheAngryMeow said:

Funny enough, I had considered doing that yesterday but didn't want to annoy them. I'm fearful they will just tell me to go take a hike. I'm going to make one more phone call tomorrow and if I don't have some sort of answer, I probably will go down there. It's just super unprofessional and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I mean, it's literally their only job!

Persistence. It is so hard to be persistent and advocate for yourself. Back in the 70s the feminist movement actually had "assertiveness training" sessions for women, because we are socialized to be too dang polite for our own good! (Must have worked with me because I am a trial attorney....). We mistake asking people to do their job or at least offer a cogent explanation of what the problem is, with being "annoying", or, gawd forbid "pushy". Good luck!

I have not gone in yet (surgery this Monday) but my neighbor gave me a suggestion for my hospital stay...ear plugs and an eye mask. I had an eye mask from flying, and my husband picked up some ear plugs for me at CVS. Also, on the February Surgery thread someone said they had wished they bought a wedge pillow for when they got home after surgery.