armstrong1003

Would love to find a female sleever in San Diego to connect with...anyone out there?

hi ladies! so im 3 and 1/2 months out...what size pill can i drink? i want to switch out of chewables so i want to take a gnc multivitamin but its definitely a horse pill...one at breakfast...one at lunch...is that ok? thanks!

ive been eating both since a month out...i eat salads (spinach, cukes, tomatoes, peppers, oninos) every day...i eat a banana every day for breakfast too...no probs!

Hi friends! So even here in the states, some doctors are ridiculous when it comes to follow-up care. I went from San Diego to my husband's hometown in Texas to get the surgery because it was thousands of dollars cheaper (having a CA zip code brings every cost up!!) and we wouldn't need to rent a car or stay at a hotel because the hospital was near his parents house. The procedure went perfect...the aftercare - not so much. Getting ahold of anyone at the office or getting any sort of guidance is like pulling teeth! So i turn to you - my doctors in proxy! What lab tests did you have to do at the 3 month mark to check that every thing was ok? i know i want them to check my cholesterol but can my doctor check my vitamin levels to make sure im getting the nutrients i need? does anyone have a list of the labs i should get between the 3 and 6 month mark? id be forever grateful!! thank you!!

YOU COMPLETELY ROCK!

At three months i was able to go to chilis - get the chicken club sandwich without the bun and eat about a third of it with a fork and knife. yum!!

I always sip with my food. I guess its different for everyone. I feel extremely uncomfortable if i dont sip. And yes - I use the forbidden straw. It helps the water go down smoother and helps me not to gulp. I eat...take a sip or two...i eat...take a sip or two...etc... It hasn't affected my weight loss or capacity to get in all my calories at all. But like I said - everyone is different. The age old rule applies - do what works for you! Good luck!

B - small banana with 1oz cheese Snack - 6oz yogurt L - Slice of ham, turkey, salami & cheese on a lettuce leaf w/ 1 slice tomato...little pieces of red pepper...light mayo and salt/pepper (sounds like alot but it was all less than 4oz! D - baked chicken w/spanish seasonings (yummmmmmm) and a ridiculously good salad made with balsamic vinegar, raspberry vinagrette, light brown sugar, evoo, spinach, tomato, cukes, peppers, apple and strawberry slices....SO GLAD TO BE EATING SALAD AGAIN!!

So, I eat 3oz of cheese, 6 - 8oz of yogurt and a cup of skim milk with nf powdered milk added to it every day? why in the world do i need to take a calcium supplement????

i dont want to take calcium at all. why would i need to if im getting calcium from my food all day?

You are all amazing and your replies were so honest and insightful! I've never seen a more amazing band of people who truly just want to help each other...thanks everyone!!

It seems like there are many different "times" out there for how long you should wait to eat/drink. I have been doing no drinks 30 min before or after a meal but im reading where some surgeons say wait 90 min after you eat to drink something...that seems kinda crazy to me but now im worried that im not giving my food enough time to go through me before i drink...i would think this would be more of a scientific black and white type of thing since wouldn't it be pretty standard as to how long it takes a tummy to digest before its empty and ready for liquids? then why the many time ranges out there? any thoughts?

Has anyone heard of Proteinex 18? 18 grams of protein in 2 liquid tablespoons. May not taste great but can be diluted in juice. If this is legit this would really help me protein wise...I have a hell of a time getting my protein in...what do y'all think? (google proteinex 18 if you're not familiar with it)...thanks!!!!!!!!

thank you for the heads up! ill check it out!

ive seen those but that would take 6 tablespoons for 25g of protein...vs 3 tablespoons of the Proteinex for 27g of protein...the less i have to drink the better for me!! my tummy is so small and picky!

1 envelope of SF Carnation Instant Breakfast (Chocolate) + 1 Cup FF Evaporated Milk + 1/4 cup FF powdered milk + sugar or splenda to sweeten + heat in the microwave = 32 grams of protein in one sitting with the richest creamiest hot chocolate you'll ever have!! my new addiction!!

Ok...I was sleeved in December...starting solid foods now...and cant believe we are only allowed 3 meals a deal with no snacking...I would think since the meals are so small, we'd need to eat a little more so we're not passing out...and when I say snacking, i mean some fruit or veggies or other healthy snack...i dont mean snicker bars or ice cream (mmmm....snicker bars and ice cream )...or how about a protein drink between meals...why do they say no snacking instead of healthy snacking? i dont see any other way to get in some fruits and veggies on a regular basis if i don't snack on them versus praying i have room for them at meal time after i eat all my dense protein...thoughts??

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/15-worst-health-diet-myths

If you're counting carbs, this isn't a good choice for you for sure! But right now my NUT told me to stop counting carbs and just get in my Protein...and since protein powders make me nauseous, this is a great find for me.

I also heard if you like your chocolate cold and add 1/4 cup of eggbeaters (which you cant taste when mixed in), you add another 7 grams of protein which will bring your total to 39 grams of protein in one yummy cup of chocolate milk! i definitely wouldnt go the hot chocolate path if i was adding egg...yuck! lol! but a cold frosty drink with a little eggbeaters goes a long protein way!

1 envelope of SF Carnation Instant Breakfast (Chocolate) + 1 Cup FF Evaporated Milk + 1/4 cup FF powdered milk + sugar or splenda to sweeten + heat in the microwave = 32 grams of protein in one sitting with the richest creamiest hot chocolate you'll ever have!! my new addiction!!

omg! so glad for your input!! i thought i was the only one who thought the drinking schedule was bordering ridiculous if you stray a bit!! id be lost without the site and all of your amazing stories...thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i dont get it...why do we have to wait so long to eat something thats good for us? i cant eat mashed up bananas on mushie or throw some red peppers in my magic bullet with eggs and cheese to whirl up an omelet? is it a person to person case (eg; if you eat it and your body is fine its ok for you?) Is there a list somewhere with guidelines of when you can eat what? i never got that from my surgeon...

Ok...here are my questions: FYI - im 2 wks post op and on mushies... 1. how much liquid can you drink in one sitting at this point? how many sips or gulps can i take? also, how long do i have to wait to drink more? when do the liquids leave my tummy so more fits in? 2. when do the crazy tummy noises stop??? the doctor said i should take prilosec for a month...should i do it for longer if the noises continue? 3. whats the difference between mushy food and solid food if you chew chew chew both? wont solid food become mushy once you chew it to death before you swallow? 4. will i ever be able to eat a salad before my meal? before surgery, we'd have salad before our main course for dinner...it seems my tummy will always be too small to do both? and in the mushy stage, can i have cold non pureed veggies like red pepper strips, spinach or cucumbers if i chew well? 5. how do you know when you're full. i just stop eating because im scared of throwing up but i dont know what "full" feels like with the sleeve. 6. splenda can be gross to me sometimes...is it really that bad to add a little bit of reg sugar to my oatmeal? 7. how is it possible to drink 64 oz a day while having to stop a minimum of 30 min before and after each meal (and also including the supposed 30 min it should take you to eat your meal)??? how often and how much do you drink during your day? ok. im done ranting. thank you sleevers!

This is definitely the question I wanted answered before I was sleeved. My surgery was on Dec. 21st so I am on day 7 today and i feel great! But just yesterday, i was still feeling kinda yucky...day 7 was definitely my sweet spot! The pain was never more than a 2 on a scale from 0-10 at the hospital (good drugs!) and when i got home and i ran out of my precious vicodin , the pain went up to a 5 or 6 at times but only when i overexerted myself (which meant simple things like turning over in bed, getting up from the couch or even washing my own hair). I was also having nausea. I went for my post op appt yesterday...my doctor prescribed me some anti-nausea stuff and that has helped alot (btw, you can ask for a prescription of this before your surgery so you have it ready...it can be in a small pill form...thats what i had). today, i would say my pain is at a .5 when im just sitting and a 1 when i have to move around...i wouldnt even call it pain...maybe just soreness on a couple of the incisions and discomfort because of my constant bubbling stomach. I havent had children so I have nothing to compare this to but i thought it was going to be a million times worse than what it was. But for sure, everyone's experience is different. I was expecting crazy back and shoulder pains from the gas and got none of it. I was expecting soreness and discomfort from the drain tube but the doctor never even left one in. I have to say that my surgeon seemed exceptional in his work and came highly recommended and i think that his expertise also has contributed to a whole lot less pain and side effects. (His name is dr. ganta from austin texas....owner of AIBL if you want to google it). And in the spirit of tmi - i felt so good this morning that me and my hubby had some great sex! oh yeah - day 7 is definitely my sweet spot! Good luck on your sleeve! You'll do great!!