ShoppGirl

I wonder if it would be cheaper to just mail a box ahead to the hotel with your Snacks and supplements than to have to check An extra bag if you are like me and won’t have the room for all that. 😂. I would’ve suggested Amazon if it was within the US but I don’t know the cost or shipping time for international orders. I know that I would prefer to just have it with me or there waiting for me instead of wasting vacation time shopping for necessities. Plus I assume the brands we are familiar with would be expensive to buy there.

I had this same question. I talked to the dietician and forgot to ask her about that too. I am contemplating the Sadi which is low carb. She told me to get 45 from starch and 45 from fruits and veggies then says 1/4 to 1/2 cup of each per meal but didn’t specify net or total carbs. I’m thinking my requirement is total carbs though because if 1/2 cup of pineapple has 15g which is a higher carb fruit so even that three times a day is only 45 total grams of carbs. If it was net carbs it would mean I should be able to have more than 1/2 cup I would think. I think where it really matters is on processed stuff. Hopefully I remember to ask the surgeon on Monday.

9 minutes ago, ChunkCat said:

I have awful veins, they are tiny, like to hide and roll and refuse to comply. There is no difference in the hunting game based on weight, I was told it is hereditary and that makes sense, far as I know all the women in my family have tiny veins. Hydrating helps but if it is hereditary nothing will change it, it is how your body formed in the womb. I usually look bruised and battered after they get done with me. I had surgery last week and both my hands are black and blue because they insisted on trying my hands first and my hands NEVER work. I'm going to start forbidding them to do it, it takes a month for them to heal and it hurts like hell. We forget that as patients it is okay to tell someone they can't do something to you.

Anesthesiologists are the best at finding a good vein, but most good hospitals have IV teams that can come and do it with their sonograms too. I don't let anyone try on me more than twice. Two tries and they have to go find someone else to have a go because by then they've lost confidence and their odds of finding something are nil. My record is 8, thankfully the IV team finally arrived to end my torture. 😂

I think you’re right after they try and miss it’s like they are nervous and they are less likely to get it after that. I don’t think I’d let them try 8 times unless it was life or death. A lady today that used to work at hospital said they have topical stuff and a shot they can use to numb the area but you have to ask for it. That doesn’t help with the bruising or the pain after it wears off though

2 minutes ago, Shanna NYC said:

A good phlebotomist once said it's not about what you see, but what you feel.

I don't have any medical issues that relate to vein issues, but many many times it was a hunt for a vein to have my blood drawn. I've been poked up to 3 times and have had to have blood taken from the top of my hands on several occasions and once from my wrist (do not recommend that one hurt like a /@%$*).

On the day of surgery, the anesthesiologist also poked me 3 times before finally placing the IV and that was with the use of a sonogram thingy(?). I won't lie, that hurt like heck - one because i'm already not a fan of needles and two that one is larger than a standard blood draw needle. Thankfully that was honestly the worst part of my entire in hospital experience start to finish.

I was also told that drinking plenty of Water helps a lot to plump the veins and I have found that has worked. Obviously that won't always be fail proof when you are restricted from both eating and drinking several hours beforehand.

Oh and nothing really changed for me from before or after major weight loss as far as visually finding veins. I've just been lucky the last few blood draws to have someone who knows how to feel around for a good one and only poke me one time.

Yea they just had to do the wrist on me this morning. Wasn’t pleasant to say the least. I am sorta dreading surgery day when, like you said, I will actually be a little dehydrated because they had a hard time even after me forcing down three extra bottles of Water this time. I don’t recall it being an issue for my sleeve. I guess I had someone good. I am starting to think that’s what it all boils down to. Most anyone can get it with good veins but anything a little harder takes someone with more experience. I am starting to develop an anxiety to needles that I never had since this vein issue. I used to be fine as long as I didn’t look at it but now they always ask me if I’m okay. Idk if it’s just because I look in distress or if they just know they are torturing me. 😂

23 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

it never occurred to me that all my lab results are stored somewhere accessible that i could peruse through at leisure!

i've always just accepted what they told me (since i've never actually had any issues that were unexplained to me).

i should ask my doc how i could access this info....

It’s usually the doctors who belong to larger like hospital groups from my experience that have online portals.

Thank you all for your replies. It sounds like I’m going to have to go back since it’s so different for everyone. I was hoping it was just a couple extra tests I could ask the NP to add on easily. It’s always such a big deal cause I had a lymph node biopsy under one arm which rules that out and my veins in the other apparently Aren’t great anymore.

sorta wondered if it was just the girl at my primary dr at first because the issue started when I started doing it there but I can’t see any veins in that arm anymore either. She had someone else helping her today and between the two of them they found one (the third try) and told me to remember the location of it cause it was a good one they said.

My friend told me that if I go to hospital they have actual phlebotomist that know stuff that the nurses do not though so if he does order more I will just ask him to send the order to the hospital this time. I am curious to know if this hard to find veins issue coorelates with weight. I am hoping maybe it will get better after surgery. Wishful thinking probably.

After googling I guess this may be a difficult questions since it’s so specific to the patient but Does anyone remember what labs they ordered for preop? Was it just the normal CBC? Or was it all the Vitamins and extra stuff. I have to go back to my PCP again tomorrow morning because they couldn’t find a vein when they tried on Tuesday and as I sit here I’m thinking that probably in another couple weeks I am going to have to go through all this again. If I had thought of it earlier I would’ve called but I have to be there at 8 am and if possible I will ask them to add whatever the surgeon will likely require.

Do you spread out the Calcium into a few doses separate from the Multivitamin? That’s the only thing I can think of to help. I believe calcium is known to cause Constipation as well as the Iron so if your getting both at the same time it could be too much.

I am interested in hearing about this too. I’m curious to know if they do the same thing for sleeve??

3 hours ago, WarrenInEC said:

Yes, I am pre-op for a revision to my RNY. I am having the TORE procedure done to restore the size of the pouch outlet and the dimensions of the pouch itself.

Congratulations on your upcoming revision. What exactly is the TORE procedure? That’s another one I haven’t heard of (there are a lot more options than I realized in WLS). I am looking to get a sleeve revised to SADI and I’m wondering if they will do anything to my sleeve since it’s probably not the same and I never felt like it was as small as others described to begin with. . Also, do you have a surgery date? have an appt on the 30th with the surgeon to tell him if I want SADI or bypass and to ask my questions and I’m getting a bit nervous about him setting a date. As much as I want to get this behind me and start my journey I am nervous about making this decision and it being so real if I have a date. It’s weird because I wasn’t nervous at all about the sleeve. But I guess it was much safer than a revision procedure. I am just nervous and there doesn’t seem to be many people to chat with about it. How long has it been since you had your first surgery? Sounds like it was a bypass? Were you happy with it?

I am so thankful for this tip. Not just because of how it will fit in fridge but how it will fit in my cooler. My friends and I like to do lunch while we are out shopping and them big styrofoam containers don’t fit in my everyday cooler. I have the containers by “easy lunch boxes” I ordered On Amazon. I have the square ones with four compartments and the rectangle ones with three. I just tried the rectangle and it fits perfectly in my cooler. I just put one in a bag in my trunk and when I looked it up to post the name here I just found that now they have rectangle ones with five compartments which I think will be even better since I am one of those weird people that don’t like their food to touch. lol. Anyways, Awesome tip!! Thanks again.

Them tests and being off PPi’s for a week do not sound like fun. Hopefully all that is a means to an end, though and you get scheduled for your revision very soon.

chips are slider foods. Most people can technically eat more of them than other foods and anyone can eat a pretty good bit when they are “grazing” Which is eating little bits multiple times throughout the day. Try really hard to avoid grazing because that will can definitely get you into trouble.

Not sure if you’ve seen me on here but I had sleeve three years ago and I lost a quite a big chunk of weight but I did regain my weight just as fast. I was able to eat more than I expected at every stage but even still if I had been eating healthy options three times a day that would not have allowed me to gain the amount of weight I gained.

I gained my weight by sneaking in the not so healthy foods from near the beginning since I was eating so little i thought it was okay because I was still losing. When my hunger came back my portions got a little bigger and eventually I was eating bigger portions of less that ideal food more often than prescribed. Since I never really took advantage of that honeymoon phase to actually change my eating habits to healthy foods this is when things went off the rails. The surgery will not do all the work.

My recommendation is to take this time where your tool is really working for you to try out some new healthy options and recipes and find a variety of things that you like so when the actual hunger comes back you will have changed your habits.

I would put a call into your surgeon and see what he/she thinks. Better safe than sorry.

Make sure when you take your Vitamins that you are not taking them WITH food but rather AFTER food. I used to take them with the sip of my Protein Shake in the morning. If I took it before I got all the shake in my stomach it would come right back up. I also used the ProCare Health one a day. They are reasonable and you can set up auto shop so you don’t really have to think much about it. I got mine one bottle ahead so when I opened a new bottle I just made sure I had received the next one already and I always had.

4 minutes ago, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

Thank you! I asked because Most I've tried I didn't care for..I'll give them a try - thanks again.

Of course. I hope you like them too. They also have single options you can pop into the microwave. They are kinda expensive for one serving so I’ve not tried them yet but they had quite a few options available.

Are you able to fit into a smaller size, maybe. Shopping for. Smaller size and knowing that it’s just a matter of time before you get to shop for more really soon may help (even if it’s a thrift store since they won’t fit for long). Also There is a post about non scale victories that will give you a lot to look forward to. But biggest thing if you haven’t thought agout it already is to think about why you are doing the surgery to start with. A non scale goal of sorts.

8 minutes ago, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

What Keto muffin mix did you end that's "super good"?

It’s Dunkin Hines Keto friendly. Made with almond and coconut flour. I don’t have the package for the muffins but I have the brownies here to try. They are two grams of net carbs, 0 added sugars and 3 grams Protein. It’s kinda high in fat like most keto at 10 grams but has suggestions for ingredient swaps which would reduce that some (I made it the normal way).

8 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Oh, I use scissors to open them 😁 & either pour the contents into other containers or use those clip seals (love my IKEA ones). Some of those zip seals are impossible to open - those teeny tiny tabs you’re supposed to pull to reveal the zip. I had a skin graft on my dominant hand thumb & have reduced sensitivity which makes it harder to grip & yank. My seed mix comes in the worst one & second is the bag of my washing powder pods.

if you mean PODS for the clothes washer, I still have yet to figure out that childproof bag, I just cut it open and dump them into a plastic container the moment I get home from the store. I want to know who has found a trick to opening the cartons of Protein Shakes though. The premiere Protein at least, If you buy the 12 pack it comes in thick cardboard with the flaps glued down with some super ultra magic glue that takes tremendous hand and finger strength to pull apart. I aways think to myself that in a few more years I will truly not be able to do this for myself. Maybe a butter knife would get it started now that I sit here and think about it but of course I’m too frustrated in the moment to think of that.

I found some Keto muffin mix at the store and they are super good so I’m scared to leave them lying around. lol. Has anyone ever put muffins in the freezer. If so, do you just thaw them on counter or in microwave?

I’m thinking I would go to the er too. I know it’s not fun but better safe than sorry. Hopefully they run some test and tell you your fine but they will probably also give you some fluids (if you need them) and help with your Constipation which will get you feeling better sooner anyways. Plus, peace of mind is valuable.

This situation is a catch 22 because no one knows exactly what the insurance requirements are and no one will tell us. The dieticians job is to help you lose weight, period. Whether that’s in your best interest or not is where it gets tricky.

On one hand If you are in a supervised weight loss program (the six month requirement by a lot of insurances) they are trying to see if you can lose the weight on your own before they approve it. So in theory if you lose too much they could deem you not a good candidate for surgery. On the other hand, every pound you lose the heathy way should make you that much more fit for the operation (not if you malnourished though). Plus, if you really can lose it without surgery obviously not putting your body through surgery would be ideal.

if the dieticians way is something you have never tried before and when you try it you feel like you can do it, losing weight without surgery is obviously preferred. BUT, just because the insurance company sees progress and decides that you should be able to lose it based on the trend doesn’t mean they are right (they are not doctors and should not be making these decisions IMO). I know myself I have probably lost 1000 pounds in my life but that’s because I have always lost a few and gained them back but never got near a healthy weight. Whether you have tried everything, including the dieticians way, only you know.

I had sleeve three years ago and my high weight was 235 and I’m taller than you. So I was lower BMI as well. On surgery day I was 220ish and I was fine but I did not start losing until my pre op diet began. During my 6 month supervised diet I did follow the diet they set out for me to the best of my ability BUT the cheat days basically offset my progress so I didn’t really lose anything.

Now I am considering revision and there is not any weight requirements as far as I know but I started at like 245 this time anyways so I’m not as afraid to lose a little. I asked him what I should do and he said to keep my Carbs below 40 for now (I am most likely having the SADI so carbs are gonna be most important post surgery). Well I am losing but less than a pound a week so no one is raising any eyebrows at my loss.

Anyways If I was in your position I would reduce my calories by like 100 at a time and see how I felt after a week adjusting to that. (Mayne you can get to 1200 with the dieticians help and maybe you decide that you want to try it once the dieticians way before you decide). On days like you four hour swim I would ask the doctor their opinion because 1200 calories does not seem enough for that level of activity.

I think if it was me, I would stick to eating healthy choices for now. Try out new, healthy recipes and get used to the food you will need to eat post surgery. I would try to get to the 1200 because they are the dietician but portion wise I would cut my calories slowly to get there and see how my body reacted at each stage. (Just be honest with yourself about whether you really need or just want the calories) if I was really losing more than ever before and it seemed like something I could sustain, I would then re-evaluate whether I should be jumping into major surgery just yet. But if I decided that i couldn’t do it on my own and for sure wanted surgery i would talk to my doctor about how much they would like to see me lose to be fit for surgery.

17 minutes ago, Clueless_girl said:

Ooh i LOVE quiche! I would love to see the recipe for this!

I got it from a bariatric cookbook on kindle so I’m not sure how to link it but it’s basically just a scrambled egg with cheese and veggies and or meat mixed in that you put into a muffin tin and bake. It tastes different that scrambled egg though. If you have kindle it’s called the bite sized bariatric cookbook. If not, mix 4 eggs with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk. Then mix in 2 cups chopped boccoli and 1 cup shredded cheese bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes in greased mini muffin tins. Having done it once already I think I would pour the egg in first then add the veggies and cheese to the muffin tin so that they would be more even.

12 hours ago, Wellington4321 said:

Your information on the SADi is mostly inaccurate. I had it in 2014 and can eat a horse every day and not gain weight (caveat that you'll need to poop out a horse everyday). There is virtually nothing off limits if I am willing to put up with gas and bloating that eating in excess will cause. I lost about 152lbs over a year or so, and after an initial regain of 25 to 30lbs, I stabilized a few years out. I eat a lot of good quality foods including potatoes but also plenty of ice cream and chocolate. The ice cream, onions, and carbonated drinks all cause gas. I've probably developed some level of tolerance after eating so much of it.

The Sadi is an awesome option from my experience so I would highly recommend you seriously consider it. Also fewer Vitamins and malabsorption issues.

Interesting to hear the different experiences. I am supposed to speak with the dietician this evening to get hers as well. Idk if I can deal with the gas and bloating but I think trying to avoid those things should keep me on track to eat better.

20 minutes ago, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

Wow, what a horrible experience for you! I'm sorry you went through all that. Hopefully you're doing better now.?

Its amazing when you start putting things together despite knowing WLS is life changing - it is in more ways than we can imagine. Thank you for sharing!

Ooh yea. I am doing fine now. Thank you for asking. I haven’t needed any more NSAIDs. I gained my weight back and I’m facing revision to a surgery where even occasional NSAIDS are not okay though so this is on my list of questions to ask about.