thesuse2000

Talk to your doctor. Not sure if you're talking about constipation pain or something else. Better to be safe!

Check out this thread: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/181994-the-official-what-you-will-need-for-your-gastric-sleeve-surgery-thread/ Stuff I had: Protein shakes/powders, various other liquids per your doctor's post-op diet - I had V8, chicken broth, pureed Soups, crystal light. books or other things to keep you entertained. Chewable Vitamins. Wishing you the best with your surgery!

You're both super cute! Congrats on your success and positive attitude through all the rough patches!

I have no personal story to share, but I've fantasized about becoming a wedding cake baker/decorator! I hope that you're able to continue doing it without it negatively impacting your success with the sleeve. My hunch is that you'll be able to make it work, with just minimal tasting for flavor.

Hi - I haven't participated in one of these yet, but excited to join in! I'll look out for the tips and such. I'm not sure how to play...

HW - 264 SW - 243 (lost about 15 on pre-op diet) CW - 235 Sleeved on 6/16 Happy!! Go back to work tomorrow, but will work remotely at first. Start mushies tomorrow, so want to be home for that, so I can take my time and see how I react to foods. Overall I've had a great recovery and I'm so glad I did this (and that the worst is behind me now). Feeling excited and hopeful about my future - less worried about sickness/early death - looking forward to being more active, social, fashionable and more. Yay us!

See what you can do to add in a few more calories. If you're feeling healthy (as mentioned) I wouldn't drive yourself too crazy with it. I imagine that in time your weight will stabilize in the right place.

I was very similar to you. Down 3 the first week. I was down 5 the 2nd week though. Everyone is different, but we will get there! I don't feel worried about it - I'm down about 23 pounds this month with pre-op diet, so that's more than I've ever lost in a month. And I fit in my smaller jeans now (ones I was wearing are too baggy now). All good!

Hi there - I looked at your profile and you're 5' 2", so at 99-100 you're actually just barely underweight. The bottom of the normal BMI is 18.5. According to this calculator, you just need to go up to 101 to get to an 18.5 (normal) BMI: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm I am very much not in your shoes, but I can empathize with the fear of regain. Perhaps you can increase your calories just a smidge, by 50 calories or so and that will help put you into a healthier weight category without you having to change the routine that you're comfortable with. Wishing you well in achieving/continuing your new healthy life!

Wow - you look great! Thanks for sharing!

I'm planning to buy myself some beautiful jewelry along the way - one nice piece when I hit the halfway mark and a really nice one when I hit goal. Whatever works to incentivize you sounds great to me!

what were the previous weeks like? Perhaps you had a big loss and then things stabilized a bit... or if the losses have been very low for a bit, perhaps you do need to consider lowering your calories just a little. But I'm guessing it's just a little water retention or something and next week will show a loss again. Hang in!

I start purees Monday too. Pasting below some of the ideas from my surgeon's office. This in addition to well mashed tuna or egg salad, pureed chicken with mashed potatoes - anything the consistency of applesauce. 2, 3 and 4 look pretty good to me! 1. Sweet Ricotta Cheese: Part Skim Ricotta cheese, Splenda, Cinnamon and Choice of flavored extract like vanilla or Almond. 2. Noodle-less Lasagna: Part Skim Ricotta Cheese, Ragu, Low fat Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese. Microwave one minute. 3. Burrito-less Burrito: Refried Beans, Taco Sauce or Smooth Salsa, Low Fat Cheddar Cheese. Microwave 1 minute. Top with tablespoon of Low Fat Sour Cream. 4. Deviled Egg Salad: 1-2 Hard Boiled eggs, Low Fat Mayonnaise, Low Fat Vegetable Cream Cheese. Mush well with Fork. Must be moist! 5. Protein Shake: Scoop of Protein powder (i.e. Body Fortress Premium whey Protein Powder, 8 Ounces Skim or 1% Milk. shake or Blend with ice. 6. Protein Pudding: In a blender put 2 1/4 cups of Skim or 1% milk, 1 package of Sugar Free/Fat Free Instant pudding and 3 scoops of protein powder. Divide into 3 servings and enjoy as a meal.

Sorry for all the stresses in your life. I can relate to some extent as I care for my husband who has a debilitating neurological condition. He's more able than your husband I think, but I do all the cleaning, errands, etc as well as being the only earner. It's hard to make time for oneself, but we must take care of ourselves in order to continue to care for our loved one(s). Are you tracking what you eat? It doesn't take too much time and is so helpful in helping understand what's going on. if you do see a nutritionist it will help them better understand what's going on as well. Myfitnesspal is a great tool. It could be that you're eating too little, or maybe not the right foods. If that doesn't feel doable to you, consider sharing a typical day's meals/snacks here and I'm sure people will be able to provide some suggestions that might help. Wishing you the best in finding ways to take care of yourself!

i was totally nekkid under my gown for mine. can't say if that's universal or not.

Funny - that's something my grandma did, but I didn't know why... but she did struggle with her weight, so that may have been it! It makes sense that perhaps our stomachs empty out into our intestines sooner if the food is liquified with the help of water. Not sure about that, but maybe...

Welcome - and congrats on your decision! This site has been so very helpful to me all along the way too.

Wow - congrats!! That's amazing progress for anyone, but perhaps more so or a revisioner. I'm 1 1/2 weeks out from band to sleeve - hope to be doing as well as you in 7 months!

Oh - that's frustrating. Any other good surgeons in your area? End of august seems like plenty of time to get things worked out (pending surgery date availability). Looks like you need to babysit the surgeon's office for sure to make it all happen. I wish you the best in making it work!

ooh - thanks ladies!!

I just read through the info in your post in more detail... the thing I had going for me is that I did lose 70 pounds originally with the band and regained after a slip, and continued night choking even after revision surgery... so I may have passed the rules about having complied with my first surgery, where that might be more of a fight for you... but talk to the office and see if they have suggestions for you - they just might! Perhaps your great commitment to the medifast diet will help. I hope so.

I was a revision from band to sleeve. Frankly, I'm not 100% clear on how the office presented my case to my insurance company (I thought it best to stay out of it), but they are pros and know what they're doing. If you go to a big bariatric practice they will be able to advise you. They'll probably send you for tests, like an esophogram and/or an endoscopy to look for evidence of damage/complications. I know for me it was "good" that my BMI was over 40 when I started the insurance process - at least with my insurance, they said that even if they don't cover it as a revision it should be covered as a new surgery with a BMI over 40. But it was covered as a revision. Good luck!

the rule i was given for liquids is that if you can drink it through a straw, it's okay (but you shouldn't drink through a straw). So I think strained potato soup would be okay - you just might need to thin it out a bit with some chicken or veggie broth. That's what I've been doing with my various puree soups.

I'm on day 9 of post-op liquids and was getting sick of eating the same thing every day (Protein shakes and thinned out pureed veggie Soups with unflavored protein powder). On my way home tonight it dawned on as I passed an Indian restaurant that mulligatawny would be a good option - and oh my god, was it ever! Probably not everyone's taste, but for those who like a little spice and flavor it is heaven! (especially when you're limited to liquids). Anyone have other good ideas for liquids to keep things interesting?

I did a 1000 cal/day pre-op diet. i started 3 days early to get the worst days over with on a weekend, and to also give me a little leeway in case I went over a little during the 2 weeks at client dinners and such. I lost about 15 pounds total in that period. I've only lost 3 pounds since my surgery just over a week ago though, and I see lots of people who lose 10 pounds or more in this time. Alas, overall, I'm happy with what I've lost this month!