Kristy29

I am flying to Japan in a couple of weeks, and I was told that I do need the shakes during my flight. I was told I am not to eat anything during the flight, but since it is such a long flight (14 hours) I will need to have some nutrition while in the air. I could bring the powders, but I don't like them. Also, I got a note on a prescription pad from my doctor saying that I am required to have liquid tylenol with me at all times. I had read that you can take up to 4 ounces of non prescription meds, but the liquid tylenol only comes in 8 ounces so that's why I got the note. Do you think it will work or are they going to toss it anyway?

I'm from Bushkill PA, which is in the Poconos. I work at CVS as a cashier.

So I recently went on a little vacation, and I guess I ate a lot of salty food. Yesterday and today when I've woken up, my feet have been swollen, and I gained 6 lbs from where I was before I left. I didn't eat the best foods, but I didn't eat enough to gain 6 lbs in two days, plus I did more exercise (walking/hiking) than I have done at all since surgery so I'm pretty sure it's Water retention. Is it ok to take a diuretic for a couple of days. I just want to get back to where I was before, and stop the swelling. Yesterday I drank a ton of water and I plan on doing so again today but it obviously isn't helping.

Well I wasn't thinking about getting unfilled because of flying, I was thinking about it because if I were to get too tight while in Japan I do not know if there are doctors there who can treat me. As for there being doctors in Japan, I am sure there are some in Tokyo, but I am going to Okinawa and I do not know if there would be a doctor there. As for taking liquid meds, I was told that for the rest of my life, any medicine I take needs to be liquid, chewable, crushable, or smaller than a tic tac. All pill forms of tylenol say do not crush or chew on them.

So in one month, I am going to Japan. Right now I have 4ccs in my band. I was told by the nurse practitioner before I even got my band that I shouldn't eat anything while flying because the band can get tight. She also said if going somewhere without any lap band facilities, they would completely unfill me. Would you get unfilled? I have looked online and I can not find any doctors in Okinawa that do lap band, so if something were to go wrong while I am over there I might be in trouble. My other question is, the flight is 14 hours, and I have read on here not to eat 1 hour before or after the flight, which would make a total of 16 hours with no food. Is there any way I can take Protein shakes with me? Can I get a prescription for them? I can not go 16 hours on only Water, I will be miserable and I am trying to make this as easy on myself as possible. Also if I do get unfilled, would I still need to follow this restriction? Lastly, can I get a prescription for my liquid tylenol? I did read that you can take non prescription liquid meds through security, but only up to 4 ounces. The tylenol bottles only come in 8 ounces, and I don't want to risk going on a plane for that long with no pain meds. I really hate this no liquid restriction, it is turning into a huge pain in the butt for me. Before it was annoying, but now it's bordering on dangerous. :biggrin:

At 4 days post op, I was still on clear liquids. I didn't start drinking anything other than tea and water until 5 days post op. When drinking the clear liquids, I took small sips and drank 1 ounce over 20 minutes like I was told to do. It sounds like you are drinking too much too fast. You should still be swollen in there, your surgery was very recent.

No. The weight they take at your first appointment is the weight they use to determine eligibility. My doctor requires that all of his patients lose 5% before surgery, because it shrinks your liver and makes the surgery much easier and hence much safer. If you do not lose you keep seeing the nutritionist until you do. I lost 15 lbs before surgery.

I had surgery on a Thursday. Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun I was on clear liquids only, using a medicine cup and sipping slowly. Monday I started protein drinks and was allowed to move on to a bigger cup. I started with 3 ounce bathroom cups so I didn't forget and gulp too much at once.

It's funny you ask this, because I was wondering the same thing. When I had my EGD prior to surgery, the surgery center called me the next day to check on me. And for that I was only out for 5 minutes and it was a small test. After my surgery, not one phone call. Not the doctor, not the hospital, nothing. I had an appointment with the doctor 5 days post-op, but this was my first surgery and a lot could have gone wrong in 5 days.

I was released same day, but my hubby did fine. He waited in the waiting room during surgery, and they had a tv in there and he also had his laptop and I am sure he was working. After he came in my room, he slept in the spare recliner, better than I was sleeping actually, lol. He didn't eat anything until the afternoon when I forced him to go eat. He also helped me to walk the halls and then took me home. He has ADD but since he had his laptop, tv and a place to take a nap he was good.

Hi. I work at CVS as a cashier. I was banded on August 26th, and didn't go back to work until September 13th. I didn't want to go back to work until I was eating again, since while I was on liquids I was so weak. I started eating on Friday, and had to go visit my in-laws over the weekend so I started on Monday. I would suggest you take 2 weeks off, it is hard to stand on your feet after surgery. I was still getting tired even more than a week after surgery, and like I said not eating really makes your energy levels plummet. As for not being able to take time off work, this is surgery. Whether it's voluntary or not, it's still surgery, and I'm pretty sure it won't count for the blackout period. My store is much more lenient on vacation than most (I was allowed to go to FL to see my parents on December 23rd last year) but they let me go with no problems. The same week I had my surgery the only other cashier went back to college, but they still let me have off. Have your doctor write you a note and they have to give you the time off. If you've been working there for more than a year then they are required to give you unpaid time off through the Family Medical Leave Act, it's the law.

My doctor said I could drive after 3 days. I didn't drive until way after that, but only because I don't like to drive. Since I wasn't working, the only places I went dh was with me so he drove.

So since I am diabetic I see my pcp every 3 months. I saw him in May and told him I was having the surgery and got a letter. Well I went back yesterday, and I had lost 30 lbs since I was there last, and my bloodwork was fantastic. In May my HbA1C was 11.5, normal range is under 7. Yesterday it was 6.7!! :thumbup: He was so impressed, and he couldn't believe my number was that low especially since it's a 3 month average and my surgery was only 2 weeks ago, so most of it was from the pre-op diet. He has been on my case for years about taking my meds and eating better, and now I'm not even taking meds but my sugars are so good. He doesn't want to see me for 4 months, and if my sugars are still good he will put me on 6 months.

Yeah, I wish it worked as a good sign that I am full, but it's usually not for a good 20-30 minutes after I'm done eating. I haven't figured out what my full sign is yet.

Well, they are no longer painful since I've healed from surgery. But I have noticed that about 20 minutes after I've eaten, I will hiccup once. Very strange...

The thing that got me through it was the Unjury chicken soup flavor. It tastes like a cup o soup, and is soooooo good after only eating sweet things.

Hey all. Glad everyone seems to be doing good. The first week post op I lost 10 lbs, but now in the second week I think I am the same. It sucks. I have been eating Protein Shakes and Soups, and my calories have mostly been around 700. Yesterday I went down another pound, but then started on mushies so my calories went up to 1200 and today I went back up 3 pounds. It sucks because I have an appointment today. I swear that every single time I have gone in to be weighed I have been up 2 or 3 pounds on my scale that morning. It's like some cruel joke, lol.

Well, yes, I totally agree with you. I think it is common knowledge, but that's because I know it. I do think that even when things are supposedly common knowledge, that doctors should still discuss them, because there are people out there who don't know, so assuming they do know could end in these kinds of situations.

Well, the contract was a general contract about the surgery, but it included the part about the birth control. They don't want us getting pregnant until after we are done losing weight. If I were to get to goal in say a year and a half though, I'm not going to wait because I signed the contract. I also know that losing weight won't be an automatic cure, but I think the woman on the show should at least have been told it was a possibility she could become fertile. As a result of her not believing she could become pregnant her child received no prenatal care and his life was put in jeopardy as a result.

I am watching the show I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant. There is a woman on there who had irregular periods and never could conceive a child. Then she had gastric bypass and lost weight. Then she was rushed to the emergency room with severe stomach pains and found out she was 35 weeks pregnant and in labor. She kept insisting it was impossible because she tried for 15 years and was unsuccessful. When I went for my initial seminar and consultation, they told me 20 times that losing weight would most likely make me fertile. They told me about women who return a few months after surgery pregnant. They also made me sign a contract saying I would use birth control for 2 years. I think that her doctor was irresponsible for not telling her that losing weight might resolve her fertility issues. Did your doctor talk to you about it?

I have found that the ready-to-drink ones are better tasting than the powders. One I recently found at Target is Pure Protein, I like the cookies and cream. Also the Unjury chicken soup one is really good. It tastes like a cup o soup.

Aw man, Zen, you are on purees already? I'm jealous. I am still supposed to be eating only protein shakes and clear liquids until Friday, but I admit I've had some soup. Can't wait until the next stage which includes cottage cheese, runny eggs, and yogurt, whoohoo.

And they almost fit! I could wear them now, but they'll be even better with 5 or 10 more lbs gone. I don't even like them that much, but I like that I could wear them if I wanted to, lol.

It is not considered to be part of a low carb diet. I don't mind not being able to drink it, but I miss eating cereal. But then, cereal isn't part of a low carb diet either, lol.

Well, my doc says no milk at all so you are better off than me.