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I stopped at the Dollar Tree tonight after work and happened upon a couple of items I added to my surgery prep box. I found little packets of Peanut Butter powder, pouches of salmon, and a kitchen strainer. They also had some Protein Shakes and electrolyte Water but I don’t know enough about either to buy any. I hadn’t really thought about that store as a resource for stuff I might need/want related to the surgery so I’ll definitely check back. And at $1.25, I’m not out much if I don’t like or need it.

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You will likely not use a lot of what you are buying. Just follow the meal plan your dietician has given you after surgery. A lot of those "electrolyte" Water items have tons of sugar. Get into the habit of reading labels. Get with your dietician to find out what your numbers are going to be. For example what is the total grams of suger PER DAY to target. While you are prepping for your surgery start logging in your food into an app or diary of sorts. Speak to you dietician about the macros (calories, total fat, carbs, sugars etc) you need to focus on and practice do this. I bout a bunch of stuff I ended up given to a food bank because 1. the site of it made me nauseated (your reaction to food changes after surgery) 2. I stocked up on popsicles because I am not very good with water. glad I did that.

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I imagine your Dollar tree shops are the same as the Pound shops we have in the UK. If this is the case then you can never find the same thing twice. If you are pre surgery just buy a few things, as another person says - you may find the taste disgusting after surgery.

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Dollar Tree finds are so fun! I wish I liked salmon, mini packets would be handy for snacks! It may not be the best place for electrolyte waters though as stated above, check and see if they have sugar in them. I have some that don't but they were pretty pricey and not from the dollar store. Who knows though, you never know what brand you are going to find at Dollar Tree, sometimes you luck out!

As for Protein, it is the same thing, check the sugar, cheaper formulas often use sugar to sweeten and that will ruin your low carb efforts. Also check the protein source. If I recall correctly bariatric patients tend to do best on whey protein isolate or whey hydrolysate because they are gentler on the stomach and absorb better. Plus they should be lactose free, lactose intolerance is common after surgery as your stomach heals...

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Oh, I have met with my dietician. She recommended a cookbook that has some full liquid recipes, a couple of which include powdered Peanut Butter, so I was excited to find that at the DT - I know it’s expensive. My dietician was also excited to know I really like fish because she said that’s usually well tolerated, so I stocked up on salmon packets. I didn’t read the labels for the Water or the Protein Shake because I don’t like sweet drinks NOW so don’t anticipate drinking them after either, but noted them there.

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    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
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    • BeanitoDiego

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    • ChunkCat

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      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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