learn2cook

Best wishes and a speedy recovery!

I had a chart from the doctor office that said the same, two weeks for each stage. I found I had to go slower and spend 3 weeks for each stage. I agree with trying one food at a time. The dietitian kept suggesting scrambled eggs for soft food, but I got foaming and it got stuck. Later I found out eggs and chicken are the most common things to get stuck at first, lol. Now they are my go to proteins, so you can try stuff later after more healing. Reach out to your team if something seems painful or you can’t keep liquids down.

You are in THE worst of it and almost done. Everyday you will feel better and better. I kept a journal to look back upon to remind myself of what I had overcome, and the improvements I had made. If you dislike writing do a little video journal for yourself. I found a hobby too, and lots of non food rewards. You are a butterfly coming out of a chrysalis! This yucky part is almost done. Of course if you continue to have pain and can’t swallow liquids, call your doctor immediately! I took longer at each stage too:)

I saw a talk show in the 1980’s that was about that, I think it’s a normal concern. Reality is you are more likely to be stuck far from your goal due to unhealthy habits, or age, or genetics, or years of yo-yo dieting altering your body (or some combination). Only you know how much thought space your worry takes up. Thankfully there’s help for mental glitches that may seem to be on repeat! Start with your team, and keep asking. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists helped my family get connected to help.

Jeanniebug that was a great article! Thanks! It explained several things I was wondering about like why we should not drink water before and after meals, and why my doctor is so adamantly against caffeine. It also linked the hypoglycemia to dumping syndrome. This has helped me, thanks! My inner Hermione thanks you too, lol research…

About 7-8 weeks in, you will wake up feeling absolutely wonderful, you really will. Now a year later, I kind of miss the not hungry feeling.

Congratulations on your new home and your WL journey. It sounds like you’ve got two kids with sensory issues around foods, my son has ASD so I can relate. You just got to take care of you. The old saying about putting your own oxygen mask on in the airplane before you help other people is true. At first my family ate separately, but we all got over that and we eat together now. I just measure my portions out. The kid eats what he wants, some kid version of what I have like dinosaur chicken nugget when I have chicken. He has veggies on his plate that he might pass on, but he’s being offered healthy choices. He likes the veggie catchup and eats enough of that to qualify as a vegetable. He also started drinking a splash of coffee in a protein shake for breakfast! You just balance as best as you can, but take care of you first!

Not a doctor, this swallow study could find it. Try tracking the pain. I had/hernias and endometriosis so the come and go is endometriosis or lady issues. A constant pain can be more hernia like. Pain in the large bowel can feel very specific to to one side or the transverse, a colonoscopy could sort that out. Keep asking questions and don’t wait, my dad died of colon cancer (glad your white blood cell sounds ok), maybe it’s diverticulitis?

Congratulations on your loss! I like to get my nails done, or visit a friend out of state. I’ve rejoined yoga, and tried balance boarding, and went to Great Wolf Lodge as rewards. Try something you’ve been curious about, pink hair? Or keep it simple like download a new song.

I had/have that happen periodically. I fix it a couple of ways. One is to drink a cup of milk (your choice) and one or two prunes. It’s the electrolytes you are after. Another choice is a cup of V-8, or some Gatorade zero. They all work well in the middle of the cramp or to prevent them. I find the milk works fastest in the middle of cramping, like 15 minutes. You are almost to surgery, great, you’ve got this!

Welcome! I think you will find many helpful people on here. There are mens only threads and sleeve conversations et. Al. Just go to furum to find different topics and ideas. Congratulations on getting a surgery date!

That’s a good question. Did you find an answer? It took me a whole year to get a surgery date so I wouldn’t worry too much. Just keep taking care of yourself. I have found these things tend to work themselves out no matter the worry or no worries we put to them.

Yeah, my surgeon was mostly concerned that I could get my liquids in. I found low salt bone broth and 2 cups was 20g of protein. It was so comforting all warmed up. Just keep trying and drinking. Warm drinks like herbal tea felt good too.

I’m not going to lecture you. I can’t solve your problems. I got help for my family emotional problems by utilizing psychology today.com and found a therapist locally. Covid emphasized so many existing problems and like you, I reached out for help. It really worked and I can only encourage you to keep reaching out, be persistent because you are worth it! Even bringing these things up to your PCP will get the ball rolling. You can ask for a social worker to help you navigate the many specialists and paperwork you will need. You can ask for group therapy which is often cheaper and helps you make friends. Some people have tried OA to meet like minded people and support for weight loss. Meeting with real people locally is important for community. You are not alone, we all get in these ruts.

If you couldn’t cite Wikipedia or TikTok on a term paper why would you believe they are reliable sources now? I found I have more cavities, but there are reasonable explanations. One, menopausal hormone changes make women more susceptible to cavities due to dryness of the mouth. Two, weather/climate change is causing more allergies and mouth breathing. Three, cheap US dentists when on Medicaid use cheap filling products that don’t last more than two years, not many dentists take Medicaid anyway so you’re kind of stuck with who you find. Four, yeah the hernias and GERD caused lots of regurgitation. I never had a cavity until I was 44. Not everyone has the same experience. I can honestly say that the bypass and hernia repair have corrected the terrible GERD symptoms! Teeth I’m coming after you.

My non-scale goal was to be able to work with special needs students in public school. It requires lifting and chasing, so even with credentials earned during shut down, no one would hire me. I got the job. I’m loving every minute of it!

I love how you own it. You did it!

Congratulations on the weight loss! I have saggy boobs now that most of the weight is off, so I get the rashes too. Like above posters said, figure the root cause, get the particular thing that treats the cause. I have used Triple Cream, from the baby isle, for extreme situations. For basic prevention I have found anti perspirant deodorant (expensive) or cheap drug store/chemist petroleum scented with lavender works well in all the skin on skin situations that cause rash. Both my mother and grandmother were nurses and said during the 1960’s to “never use powders ‘down there’ if you’re female because it causes cancer in people with vaginas.” So use the cream of your choice. Anti fungals for feet are the same as for privates. The private version is 2x stronger and the men’s is the same as the woman’s but cheaper. Also Dollar Tree version works fine too. Sorry for the long message. Unless you have surgery or have great genes or youth, the saggy skin still makes rashes. Don’t use powder near your vajaja, Congratulations on your weight loss! I hope you find relief soon, and you are not alone.

I spent 11 years with a PCP who flat out refused me to have WLS. He actually was disqualified from practicing in MA. My first visit with the new doctor, she said “yes “ and was supportive the whole way. Switch doctors!

“I agree on the not worth the calories anymore statement.” I’m with ya sista! Happy birthday anyway!

I’ve always had a big butt, and it used to embarrass me. Dating changed things so by the time I was 20 I loved my big butt! I have used it for years to hold doors open. Last week doors literally slammed hard on my ankles and calves. BB is slipping :0

I used that wait time to loose weight and develop hobbies so that the actual surgery would “lock in” that pre-surgical weight loss. Maybe it’s just magical thinking, or not, but it worked so far. I ended up waiting 11 months to have surgery from meeting my surgeon. You’ve got this!

I got/get that too. I have one prune with 4oz of milk to keep it away. I take magnesium in the evening as well. Bananas would do, or 4 oz of V-8, just make sure it’s potassium with calcium and magnesium. The sport drinks like Gatorade help but I find them very salty, but you may need that salt if it’s been intensely hot (as many on here have been experiencing lately.)

Yes, I understand the relearning to name feelings. Therapy helped with that. You may need more mental health work if you have a history of trauma, or a difficult situation like raising a special needs child. I found new hobbies like others have said on here. In the winter I crochet. In spring pickle ball is a great game and social too. I’m looking at sit on type kayaks now, or a paddle board. Find hobbies that keep your hands busy and your mind engaged. Oh, I like goofing off on my guitar too! When I look at my older relatives that seem to be aging successfully, I see that they are always busy doing interesting things, AND some of those things are helping their local communities too. Nothing beats seeing a homeless guy wearing a scarf, hat, and mitten set you made! It’s nice to stop thinking of feeding myself inwardly and then help others outwardly instead. BUT, if you were never nurtured properly to begin with in life, you may need to do the therapy work to heal yourself first before knocking yourself out to help others around you. Only you can answer that for yourself.

I use Noom to help me get back on track. Your tool still works, you will have to do the work too. You CAN do it! It’s mostly being mindful and logging food.