August 2023 Surgery Buddies!

[Anc85 1]

On 8/29/2023 at 8:25 PM, Angela Read said:

Yes I realize I run a low grade fever as well throughout the day but yes I'm still freezing. I'm wearing wool winter socks and a heavy wool sweater.

I had my surgery on 8-23-23 and I’m always cold! Which is crazy because I’m normally very hot natured. But I think it’s from being on the blood thinners.

[Mrsrichards 2]

Hi all -

Had my sleeve the 25th.

Struggling through my second week of full liquids. I can’t stand anything drinkable anymore. Can’t find any Soups that aren’t filled with gross ingredients / fillers / fatty things, either. I’ve been living on FairLife shakes because the Premier Protein ones gross me out, now.

Anyone else struggle like this? I know it will get better but the days seem to DRAG right now and I am over it!

[Maia03 2]

9 minutes ago, Mrsrichards said:

Hi all -

Had my sleeve the 25th.

Struggling through my second week of full liquids. I can’t stand anything drinkable anymore. Can’t find any Soups that aren’t filled with gross ingredients / fillers / fatty things, either. I’ve been living on FairLife shakes because the Premier Protein ones gross me out, now.

Anyone else struggle like this? I know it will get better but the days seem to DRAG right now and I am over it!

Yes! I had my RNY on the 18th. I am over the ready to drink Proteins and all the different ingredients. I am going to experiment with non-flavored Protein powders and adding my own flavors. So, far using the Premier Plant based chocolate powder with unsweet almond milk has been ok for me.

I am on week 1 of soft foods and learning Portion Control.

Hope the struggle ends soon for you!

[jeannettebloom@gmail.com 1]

I had my surgery on the 28th. How are y’all doing?

[Angela Read 11]

24 minutes ago, jeannettebloom@gmail.com said:

I had my surgery on the 28th. How are y’all doing?

I'm great!

Had GB on 8/16. I have energy and on phase 2 of my food plan- soft/puree diet. So far no vomiting, nausea or discomfort at this moment. I tried egg bites recipe on tik tok and canned chicken nuggets. Easy recipe to use and very few ingredients. I'm looking forward to eating salads and sushi in the near future.

Heaviest weight: 260lbs

Weight start of program: 249lbs

Weight day of surgery: 235

Today's weight: 223

I'm 5'3

[Jessicaann1026 2]

I also had surgery 8/28. One week post op today. So far so good 😊

[PennyinAL 28]

On 9/3/2023 at 6:17 PM, Mrsrichards said:

Hi all -

Had my sleeve the 25th.

Struggling through my second week of full liquids. I can’t stand anything drinkable anymore. Can’t find any Soups that aren’t filled with gross ingredients / fillers / fatty things, either. I’ve been living on FairLife shakes because the Premier Protein ones gross me out, now.

Anyone else struggle like this? I know it will get better but the days seem to DRAG right now and I am over it!

Not sure what you mean by gross ingredients? I mostly went with broths and some cream Soups in the 3rd week of Clear Liquids, I'd mix one can broth to one can cream Soup. My fourth week sent me into soft foods which was mostly eggs, ground sausage or beef and some fish. Week 5 I moved into chicken. Chicken being so very dry it seems harder to digest than anything else, ground beef was so much easier. I can't much do the Protein Shakes, the only way I've been able to choke them down is to literally put in a blender with some extra Protein Powder & yogurt and ice and make a smoothie/milkshake thing and top with Keto whipped cream. I use it more as a dessert bc I can't drink all that sweet stuff in the early morning. Not much of a Breakfast person but since this surgery I wake up famished but I guess 3-4 oz only takes so long to digest and if I eat at 7-9 pm by the time I get up at 9-10 am it has been a long time. I got the Walgreen's extra Protein shakes, small town, limited choices around here.

[Victoria Wank 18]

3 hours ago, PennyinAL said:

Not sure what you mean by gross ingredients? I mostly went with broths and some cream Soups in the 3rd week of Clear Liquids, I'd mix one can broth to one can cream Soup. My fourth week sent me into soft foods which was mostly eggs, ground sausage or beef and some fish. Week 5 I moved into chicken. chicken being so very dry it seems harder to digest than anything else, ground beef was so much easier. I can't much do the Protein Shakes, the only way I've been able to choke them down is to literally put in a blender with some extra Protein Powder & yogurt and ice and make a smoothie/milkshake thing and top with Keto whipped cream. I use it more as a dessert bc I can't drink all that sweet stuff in the early morning. Not much of a Breakfast person but since this surgery I wake up famished but I guess 3-4 oz only takes so long to digest and if I eat at 7-9 pm by the time I get up at 9-10 am it has been a long time. I got the Walgreen's extra Protein shakes, small town, limited choices around here.

As far as chicken goes, dark meat is much moister than white meat. Pieces that have the bone in and skin on tend to be more moist, especially if you bake them. You can take the skin off afterward if you want.

[Victoria Wank 18]

3 hours ago, PennyinAL said:

Not sure what you mean by gross ingredients? I mostly went with broths and some cream Soups in the 3rd week of Clear Liquids, I'd mix one can broth to one can cream Soup. My fourth week sent me into soft foods which was mostly eggs, ground sausage or beef and some fish. Week 5 I moved into chicken. chicken being so very dry it seems harder to digest than anything else, ground beef was so much easier. I can't much do the Protein Shakes, the only way I've been able to choke them down is to literally put in a blender with some extra Protein Powder & yogurt and ice and make a smoothie/milkshake thing and top with Keto whipped cream. I use it more as a dessert bc I can't drink all that sweet stuff in the early morning. Not much of a Breakfast person but since this surgery I wake up famished but I guess 3-4 oz only takes so long to digest and if I eat at 7-9 pm by the time I get up at 9-10 am it has been a long time. I got the Walgreen's extra Protein shakes, small town, limited choices around here.

As far as chicken goes, dark meat is much moister than white meat. Pieces that have the bone in and skin on tend to be more moist, especially if you bake them. You can take the skin off afterward if you want.

[BrandNewMe23 1]

Can we have Campbell’s broccoli cheddar Soup?

what about shredded cheese? ?

i am at a plateau on week 3 and I’m just trying to experiment on what works and what doesn’t.

[Victoria Wank 18]

1 hour ago, BrandNewMe23 said:

Can we have Campbell’s broccoli cheddar Soup?

what about shredded cheese? ?

i am at a plateau on week 3 and I’m just trying to experiment on what works and what doesn’t.

Check your Constipation. I found that being backed up often accompanied a stall. You’re in the 3rd week, which means you’ve been consuming only liquids. You don’t have the Fiber intake you used to.

[PennyinAL 28]

On 9/2/2023 at 6:50 AM, Anc85 said:

I had my surgery on 8-23-23 and I’m always cold! Which is crazy because I’m normally very hot natured. But I think it’s from being on the blood thinners.

I took blood thinners for almost a year post heart stents and they never seemed to make me feel cold, I have also been hot natured my entire life. About 10 years ago, I started having MAJOR heat issues. They kept saying it wasn't a thyroid issue bc I was "low normal" not actually low. After years of being miserable and making everyone around me freeze all the time, I finally got a gyn to give me thyroid meds and voila! it helped. It was almost a miracle. I'd been on HRT for a long time, tried every menopause solution I could try from natural crap that did absolutely nothing but make the folks who sell it a bunch of money to prescription hormone pills. Yes, I was menopausal but that wasn't the main issue.

It was the thyroid.

Now, after this surgery, they said my thyroid was too high and that my hormones would reset themselves. I quit taking the Levothyroxine med, 3 weeks post-op my thyroid had dropped to a below normal low. Started back with meds. I also developed a rash on my throat around my thyroid area, Nephrologist said he didn't know what it is so I'm going to a regular md tomorrow at a walk in type clinic since I don't actually have a regular physician, I've been seeing a NP when I have to be seen for the last several months bc it is really hard to find an actual doctor who has openings! I'm really, really fatigued again and have been back on meds 10+ days I guess it is now. I mean EXHAUSTED. I've actually been getting much more exercise than normal but can barely walk across room smh.

Call your surgeons office and ask if they need to check your blood.

I called mine about the thyroid issue, they told me to see whomever I see for my thyroid normally.

I'm kind of like "Why am I bothering to follow up with surgeon's office if they're going to tell me to go elsewhere when there is a problem?" bc they want me in his office every 3 months and quarterly blood work as well. Seems a waste to pay a specialist co-pay and for additional labs if they don't actually deal with any problems that arise.

I know people on here apparently have a ton of variations in the type and amount of care they can expect from their surgical staff, some have WHOLE TEAMS and some of us get the girl who answers the phone who works part time....no consistency in care so you definitely have to be prepared to be your own advocate and researcher and a host of other things.

Call Dr, see what they say, if you don't like or aren't satisfied with the response, call your primary care dr if you have one, if not go to the walk in clinic or an ER. Our local ER is just plain scary so if I don't get a satisfactory response on mine tomorrow I'm probably going to drive to an ER in Huntsville, AL, about 45 miles away bc it is just plain scary that we seem to have gotten all the folks who got the D's in coursework. Some may be nice but I am not getting a warm, fuzzy feeling....

[Peggy Anne 9]

On 8/29/2023 at 10:43 PM, Angela Read said:

Can I vent? I'm tired of injecting myself with the blood thinners medications. I have a 30 day supply and I am on day 13.

I had to do injections for 2 weeks and bailed after 10 days. I feel sorry for you. For the first week or so my belly was so swollen I couldn't ever feel the shots, but soon after they started burning and ouch.

[Peggy Anne 9]

On 9/3/2023 at 10:17 PM, Angela Read said:

I'm great!

Had GB on 8/16. I have energy and on phase 2 of my food plan- soft/puree diet. So far no vomiting, nausea or discomfort at this moment. I tried egg bites recipe on tik tok and canned chicken nuggets. Easy recipe to use and very few ingredients. I'm looking forward to eating salads and sushi in the near future.

Heaviest weight: 260lbs

Weight start of program: 249lbs

Weight day of surgery: 235

Today's weight: 223

I'm 5'3

Wow you're doing really well. I've been struggling to eat due to the nausea constantly. My GB was on the 14th.

[Peggy Anne 9]

On 8/29/2023 at 10:38 PM, PennyinAL said:

Hi Peggy Anne,

I just couldn’t do puréed meats or much of anything puréed, thankfully it was my 4th week and I survived on the eggs then cream Soups and ground sausage.
having meatballs with a brown gravy and mash potatoes for dinner.

I’m happy to say that it was my first full day away from home for dr appointments and I left at 9 and got back at 9 pm and I had

Breakfast was 1/2 small Wendy’s chili

lunch Popeyes 1 chicken strip with red Beans no rice small

Early snack dinner Jacks chicken finger and a small mash w gravy

Having a very light dinner so it was fairly easy and happy no problem with the chicken.

about to see where my calorie count is at

I’m happily retired for six years now.
what kinds of crafts?
I like to do some crafts I see on YouTube videos and am threatening to turn one of the spare rooms that I have a bunch of craft items in into my craft room but haven’t had time since we bought this house in February.

wishing you great success with your show!!!

Hi Penny,

How's the thyroid doing? I read your post seems you're having issues with getting proper help. The place I got my surgery is pretty much no help at all. I have a monthly appointment and all they seem to want out of me is raving reviews. I'll review once I'm completely done with them.

Sure hope you can get the help you need.

Crafts - Currently I'm prepping for a craft show end of Nov. I've been making lightbulb ornaments for the $5 gifts and I'm making some really neat clay and decoupage ornaments that will be more expensive. I'll also make the string trees. Haven't finalized my to do list yet. Still struggling to feel good and not sick at my stomach all the time.

How many weeks were you when you were able to eat regular food? The thought of anymore pureed is disgusting to me.

Hope you get some good results soon.

TTYL

Peggy