cajun

I drove the day after I got home from the hospital, which was 5 days post op. I went back to work after 2 weeks. Once started on mushies, my energy was much closer to normal.

Hang on to that doctor...2 hours spent with you? He's worth his weight in gold.

Awesome DeeDee. ;cool beans!

Welcome to the loser's bench! Be very careful with advancing your diet prematurely. Cottage cheese and peaches and milk (even blended) are not clear liquids...if you don't take it slow as prescribed by your surgeon, you risk creating a potentially life-threatening leak. Did your surgeon advise you of all the reasons for the gradual advancing in the diet? I know it is hard to tolerate clears for a week but it is essential to give the staple line all the time it needs to heal. We'll all be worried about you! You can do it...just read all your surgeon's instructions and follow them to a T. Call him if you have questions. Don't risk ruining your sleeve and endangering yourself. We'll cheer you on when it gets hard...keep in touch with the forum and you'll get a lot of helpful advice.

I got mine from Walmart. shows Wt, percent water, and percent body fat. It also saves data on up to 2 users. Under 50 bucks.

Last I checked my Cigna would not cover VSG. Considered it experimental. I was self pay and really was glad that I did not have to do the 6 month wait, multiple evaluations/tests etc, then choose a surgeon that they had on their list. I wanted to "get er done", and choose the surgeon I thought would do the job well. Am glad I did.

AWESOME, NORMA! YOU ARE DOING GREAT! Soon you'll have a "new" revised knee as well as a new tummy. Not to mention a brand new bod! You are going to be one awesome chick!

Not meaning to be a philosopher or anything, but I don't think any amount of cosmetic surgery can bring happiness...it just might us feel better about ourselves...my personal thought is we need to be happy before we have any fixin up done...then we will just be more happy. Some people are never happy and any amount of change or good fortune cannot make them be any different. I'm sure we all know some people like that...sad to say. It may sound strange, but I did not think of myself as fat until the last several years when my weight began to interfere with my activity. As long as I could keep on doing what I wanted to do I was ok with it. If asked my weight I would alway say, without thinking, 160...then I'd realize it was really 260...it's a part of the subconscious denial process I guess. I just kept perceiving myself as the 160 pounder...honestly. It is wierd. I always "carried my weight well" until this past year...and when that changed, I began to face reality. (an early grave if I did not find a way to fix this problem). One of my physicians suggested bariatric surgery and I said "no thanks". But I am grateful that he put that "bug in my ear". I began doing some research, found this forum, and the rest is a very happy history. What a diversion from the cosmetic surgery discussion...anyway, just thinking out loud with my friends here. Thanks for listening.

I love theJay Robb chocolate, and I mix it in 8 oz lactaid milk. I also add a splash of banana extract. Tastes great. 33 gms Protein per shake!

U'i, It's not so bad really. The apple juice flavored dye (Water soluble, not really barium) was a 6 ounce glass and I was told to drink it in one hour on the day after surgery. I almost finished it, one tiny sip/burp at a time...it was sweet/sour and kinda strong but not unbearable. Then the next day I drank a different water soluble dye, about two sips only, and watched the flouroscopy take pictures of it going through my sleeve. It tasted nastier than the other stuff but it was just 2 small sips so tolerable. I really think those liquids had the laxative effect, causing the "purple peacock poop" for several days after i got home. Cleaned me out really good! Really, those events were not so hard. The hardest day for me was day two when I was feeling good and walking all around, not asking for pain medicine because I 'felt good", but then it hit me in the afternoon...I had a "meltdown", was hurting and nauseated all of a sudden. I received pain medication and nausea medication immediately when I asked for it, but should have asked for some sooner...it was my own fault. Just thought I was invincible I guess. We nurses are the worst patients!

Lib, how are you doing. I recall that you had a kinda rough start.

I was still having some post surgical diarrhea spells at that time, and was tiring easily, taking naps. I would have been miserable myself, at Disney that soon. And mad that I could not do all the things I wanted to do there because of needing bathroom and rest breaks. Just me. it was hard to get in all the fluids, and walking around at Disney would have meant I would need even more fluids...nope, could not have done it comfortably.

I like the Okios fat free plain. Much more dense and smoother than Fage. I love it. I add some Stevia sweetener and some blueberries for a treat. It also goes well in Soups to make them into a "cream soup). Lots of protein!

You are doing great. Soon your knee will be fixed and you will be feeling so much better. Hang in there.

I just did not worry too much about protein in those first days, but focused on getting in the necessary fluids. I was able to add a little Isopuke to my vitamin water, but I don't know if you could tolerate that. Avoiding dehydration early on is the most critical thing.

We seem to be having more people on the forum who are having serious problems following their diets, and I think some of them are not aware of the possible serious complications. There are also some who don't seem to be aware of the importance of choosing a surgeon who has performed a sufficient number of VSGs to be an expert. * "Complications rates have been shown to be higher and weight loss was less adequate in locations where the experience was less than 300 patients". I hope that everyone who has had complications will post their story in the complications section so those who need to learn about what can happen will have a place to read about this, and learn more. Maybe the information will help someone else avoid some of the serious and life-threatening problems that others have faced. Some of our posters have had the courage to report that their complication was not the surgeon's fault, but theirs, because they did not follow the surgeon's recommendation. I hope others will follow that example, and help others who are struggling.

Welcome to the loser's bench! We are glad to have you! Post any questions or successes or worries and we'll listen and try to help if need be. Soon you'll be helping others who come along behind you.

It's VERY important to follow your surgeon's plan. If you don't think you can even before starting this process, maybe you are not ready for this right now, and need to do some reading about what happens to people who have complications. The preop diet is meant to shrink your liver so the surgeon can work safely in that area...if it is in the way there is a higher chance it will be "nicked" and you can hemorrhage. At best this can be managed with blood transfusions (do you really want that?). At worst, hemorrhage can cause death. How badly do you want to lost weight? What sacrifices are you willing to make for a BRIEF period of time, in order to reach your goal?

I needed a seat belt extension almost every time I flew once I was over 250 lbs. You can ask when you get on the plane and pass by the flight attendant, or when they pass down the aisle. They are very discreet and will "slip" it to you quitely. Don't worry about that. Just be glad that the home flight will be the LAST time you will ever need one! That made me so happy! The seats that are hard-sided (bulkhead seats) are very uncomfortable. If you can affort to upgrade to first class, you will be most comfortable of course, but that is not possible for most of us financially. Often a last-minute upgrade is a lot cheaper than buying first class to start off though. I've paid as little as $70.00 for an upgrade. It helps if you are a frequent flyer on that airline.

kEEP YOUR HOPES UP!

I actually started a presurg diet in mid August, so the weight loss began at that time. I'm a bit hesitant about using compression garments because of the increased risk of compressing blood vessels, and possibly increasing risk of blood clots. That's one potentially lethal risk factor post sleeve, and especially if you get dehydrated. I'd rather just be who I am, flab and all, until I get it taken off surgically. I am starting to "grow wings" as I lose in my upper arms. :crying::blushing:

We've not heard from you since the beginning of the month. Just wondering if you are in the hospital somewhere?

Actually about 90% of the Influenza A in the US now is H1N1, so if you've got the flu, you've probably got H1N1. The nasal swab only tests for whether you have the flu, and whether it is Type A or Type B. To further type it for possible H1N1, the specimen has to be sent to a special lab, like the CDC. That's not done too often.

That's great. Nothing like knowing how to work the system. San Antonio is so beautiful...I know you will enjoy living there.

A lot of people have problem with milk post-vsg. Once your surgeon clears you for full liquids, you might try lactaid milk...just a little...and see if it agrees with you. it works fine with me. I use it to make my Protein shakes. A lot of the initial weight loss is due to all the IV Fluid they pump into you in the hospital. It comes out in a couple days. But the first month will be your fastest weight loss, for most people anyway.