meggiep

Yipes I did that in the hospital- well coughed some up0 old dried stuff- expected after the surgery with some people. That he is 8 weeks out- yipes! Hope we hear from him soon!

Yes- better every day! Ill keep starting RV threads in Post op so we can all post!

I put this in another thread and will attach it again- I totally understand your fear but know everything is amplified right now. Letters sound good in your case as yu are not wanting to tell your youngest sons directly. I thin the main reason for writing them is for YOU- to get whatever you are feeling out. This is for you, this surgery is for you and them- remember that! BTW I even told my husbsnd to post here if anything happened. The oddest things came up! It is all normal. "They are such hard things to discuss! It was really hard for me but the night before my surgery I had talks with both my husband and my son. Zach is his step-son and I wanted him to promise to always take care if him like his own- they are close and always have been, for 10 years- but I needed him to promise.Also a silly thing- not to stop feeding the feral cats in our neighborhood! It is odd what will come up. Then I told Zach NOT to think something was going to happen as the chances were uber remote- but that if it did- to remember I loved him with all my heart, would always be with him, and to try to make choices at least considering for a moment what Mama might have thought. This was VERY hard. My husband flat out thought I was almost bonkers to be filled with that much fear. I have had three other surgeries so this was not a new concept. Yet I felt it was needed, and had done something similar before. The interesting thing is that this time was a little bit more intense because my months here on VST have cracked me open in a new and different way. I have always been open, and expressive of my feelings. But one area I had never really allowed to surface, was my pain at being obese. Suddenly among these people here, the feelings started coming, the pain I had lived with for so long. SO having thought I wore as much of my heart on my sleeve as was possible I discovered there was more, hence the heightened talks. Know this- those talks comforted me. I said what I thought I needed to say, at least in the somewhat emotionally askew condition I was in- after 2 weeks on liquids and the night before major life altering surgery!"

That is a bummer! Here is CA Blue Cross is the easiest to get approval from and requires (in my case) only that you comply with your doctors requirements. I'm MeginCA ;-P

I can feel your fear level rising in some of your posts and want to be there for you. I know you are worried about the fibro and how your recovery will be affected but honey you have to look at the many other reasons why you need this surgery. First of all, yes, I did finally have a fibro day- today. I have some achiness in my particular places, but nothing the pain meds did not help. Although I know surgery is in itself a trigger, often, I truly believe my recovery has been well within the nomal range- not as good as the lucky devils who are up and out there working and driving heavy machinery and eating a full diet in three days (exaggerating I know!) and not the ones who on day six are still in a great deal of pain and still not able to get anything down. That means that even with my very sensitive response to physical things because of my fibro I am getting better every day and can differentiate between the effects of the surgery and that of the fibro. I can definitely say I do not feel worse, fibro wise, from this. Now, I was terrified the last few days before surgery, those mortality, life .death things. I think many if not all of us are. I worked it through a that. But please don't worry too much about your fibro- think about what your body will feel like with the extra weight off and not hobbling you and probably causing trigger after trigger! Think about getting off many meds forever- and running, dancing, and playing with your family. Keep your eye on the prize girl. I will be here for you.

I will keep all three of you in my prayers and get ready to see you on the other side! Keep us posted- I will have a Red Velvet (May sleevers) thread in post op - we have all been posting there. Next thing you know you new lives begin!

Hooray! Glad it is behind you and you are doing well- on day six I can say it gets better every day. Kelly isn't yours TOMORROW? Or has your date changed? I will be thinking of you !

That is an interesting concept- in fact after my surgery (wow- a week tomorrow- gotta look for your post from then and compare!) I remember thinking- well of course it slows down for a while- I just lost 18 pounds in two weeks BEFORE ! It is also why I consider day one of my liquid the start of my surgery. As for the carbs- I do believe (time will tell!) the we have a real honeymoon period where the restriction is major and I want to optimize it. I have never counted carbs before though I did Atkins YEARS ago and I remember now it was pretty good for me. The first You Tuber I watched back in February-Juliarh- has done 30 (I think net) carbs a day and she has lost over 120 pounds in 8 months. Not fat, , just carbs and protein and Water. I want to do that so at first I am going to have her be my sleeve icon. Given we know our sleeves will indeed be larger- and knowing I was brought to this drastic point by my own ability to subterfuge myself, I NEED to maximize this loss and not give it too much time so I hope to be near goal before my honeymoon is over- plus that will get the habits I want to really be in place. In the past before starting a "diet" I always felt defeated before I started. This time I know I have the best tool I have ever had. I want to ROCK it! HOWEVER- if this mini cupcake thing works too- I am ON BOARD! Cake is my THING.

It worked anyway I am at six days. 1. In post op the first day it was not so much regret as my brain and body scrambling to understand the severity of what had happened- which nothing can truly prepare you for imo. During that confusing and difficult series of impulses- wel, I would describe the thought as WTF? rather than regret. 2. Not an issue yet but bread is a trigger food for me so I will do without for a long long time- and I have heard rice is tough so any food I have heard described thusly will wait even longer. 3. I have slept on my left since coming home- it faces in to the bed where my family is! (DH and dog) It is a little incomfortable but is also the side I always sleep on. I switch back and forth from left to back. 4. I have had diarrhea a couple of times as well as a tiny amount of what I guess you would call poop (plop ;-P) but have not had to strain. Sure hopes that continues.

They are such hard things to discuss! It was really hard for me but the night before my surgery I had talks with both my husband and my son. Zach is his step-son and I wanted him to promise to always take care if him like his own- they are close and always have been, for 10 years- but I needed him to promise.Also a silly thing- not to stop feeding the feral cats in our neighborhood! It is odd what will come up. Then I told Zach NOT to think something was going to happen as the chances were uber remote- but that if it did- to remember I loved him with all my heart, would always be with him, and to try to make choices at least considering for a moment what Mama might have thought. This was VERY hard. My husband flat out thought I was almost bonkers to be filled with that much fear. I have had three other surgeries so this was not a new concept. Yet I felt it was needed, and had done something similar before. The interesting thing is that this time was a little bit more intense because my months here on VST have cracked me open in a new and different way. I have always been open, and expressive of my feelings. But one area I had never really allowed to surface, was my pain at being obese. Suddenly among these people here, the feelings started coming, the pain I had lived with for so long. SO having thought I wore as much of my heart on my sleeve as was possible I discovered there was more, hence the heightened talks. Know this- those talks comforted me. I said what I thought I needed to say, at least in the somewhat emotionally askew condition I was in- after 2 weeks on liquids and the night before major life altering surgery! I am glad if I helped you in any way at all.

I will keep you in my prayers and put a nice cozy pillow on the losers bench for you!

There's a distinct difference between a sore throat and "puking and vomiting" - (your words) - with just about everything that passes your lips. First you asked about sugar....then we digressed to nothing with artifical sweetener will do. The aftertaste is too horrible...obviously developing a taste for it is out of the question. Water makes you 'puke' - seriously now, really??!! All this from what? Yes, dear- really, And I am not the only one by a long shot. Again- my experience- and just because it is not your experience does not merit a "really?". That is where the nasty part comes in. Please do NOT insult me, or try to....I am not dialing "it" back at all. I stand by every single thing I said. Call a spade a spade, a quack a quack, I don't give a rat's rear end where he/she is located. If starting solids a few days after having 85% of your stomach removed is common 'over there' - then YES, I will shout it and post it.......QUACKS!!!!! If we have doctors here that do that.....then, quack, quack. BTW, they've been doing this surgery for years and years...before it was being done for the first part of a 2 part WLS (DS) it was being done, (removing all or part of the stomach) for ulcers and cancer. My step-mother had a large portion of her tummy taken out over 30 years ago.....weight loss was just a bonus, she lost 45 lbs, not that she needed to....and remains thin to this day. I remember exactly what it was like at week 1 and week 2. I sat around with a heating pad, walked a lot around the house; tried my hardest to drink HALF the Water they wanted me to. Slept with a flat pillow under my tummy because it hurt to turn over. Stopped pain meds after a few days. I only took it at night anyway. I really had no issues except getting enough liquids in. I felt good except when I coughed....I needed a pillow to hold against my tummy. Every day I felt better. My memory sucks, but I remember....I also remember giving birth to my children. Yes you remember what it was like for YOU. You had few issues, your pain passed quickly, etc. But there is a big group of others with their own experiences and if you can;t see beyond your own to feel compassion for theirs don't bother. I really don't agree with you, I don't think I'm arrogant, but that doesn't offend me. I'm pretty thick skinned. I've said what works for me. Take it or leave it. People ask for advice, I can only tell you my story. Some times people ask questions and they really don't want answers....or they already KNOW the answer. An arrogant person never sees themself as arrogant- that is part of what arrogance is! You also say "people" when you very lightly veil that you are meaning that person. Yes, I wanted answers, I didn't already know the answer, and I got answers. NOT FROM YOU.

I know- some both chocolate AND splenda. He doesn't know. SO we have a very careful cleanup routine.

The pup wants tastes of my Protein drinks and he can' have them. It's killing him! SO I make sure I rinse my mouth carefully so the kisses are not lethal! Oh my son- I don't know if you could see well enough in the video how long his eye lashes are- it is freaking unfair! Big long thick lashes around big brown eyes. I have that to a degree but women are always telling him how unfair that is! He really has a great heart too.

LOL! My release from the nastiness was to go post for you over in pre-op! xoxoxo

"he did nothing to your throat" Your words- your "advice" was that there must be a medical problem if my throat hurt when I swallowed. I have read countless times how many people come out of surgery with very very sore throats. When you say "reputable" doctor your opinion is obvious. Then you add quack to the mix. Don't try to dial it back as if you were not insulting the policies of a reputable hospital. Compared to many surgeries this is newer than some- and obviously from the extremely different approaches of all the different doctors even at centers of excellence- there is no one approach. We each have to weigh the different options and find our own way. I did NOT come here for sympathy- I came for GOOD ADVICE. I don;t even want sympathy- I am a very lucky woman to have had this surgery and to be given a chance to go for life. And to have it covered by my insurance too All I got from you was rudeness, superiority, and an inability to see beyond your own experience to that of another. Another word for the ability to do that is compassion and I think you need to practice it. Have a look, truly, at all the posts you made in this thread from telling me I did not prepare adequately for my surgery, to telling me my throat would not hurt after surgery unless I have a medical problem, to this last choice bit. I started this thread for some comments and advice. I got great advice, but NOT FROM YOU. Instead of being willing to look inward at your own self you just have to keep leveling out the same harshness. You really seem to have forgotten what life was like in the first week.

Wow Tiff- every time I see your story I know I can get though all of this!

New pain we did not expect! Intersting. Pasquini you need a ticker! Here is the way to get one if you do want one... Ticker Tutorial

Water - right now by marking it off and setting my phone every fifteen minutes- but eventually will use a 32 ounce camelback I have and make sure to drink two of the a day when I can relax- i am six days out. When I relax I wont write it down any more.\\ I use fatsecret to log intake- record all food and have chose (they let you choose) calories, fat, Protein, carbs, Fiber, and net carbs. I plan to count net carbs so that is why I do that. That will help me weed the good from bad carbs! I have the app on phone and iPad and use it on the computer too! MY fitness pal bugged me with telling me I am eating to little - I wish I could program it for my own needs since obviously sleevers are different!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate this! I love hearing about the European approach- and am sorry another poster had to be so arrogant and demeaning to you and call them quacks . I figure we all find our way on this journey with a lot of help along the way from doctor, support groups, forums, friends and family. In the end we disseminate everything we hear and choose our own path. It is probably frustrating to most of us that there is not ONE true way- an exact pre-op and post-op path to follow to weight loss nirvana. By providing the general approach in Europe you have greatly enriched my choices! Thank you. I remember! You are right, now that I am experimenting with where I go from here in terms of my choices I will have another look at the shake you love and the xylitol. We can all use some choices! Than you. Seriously- did you read this? You actually called the doctors in Europe quacks because of their approach to this surgery? Seriously? American arrogance personified. BTW- how do you think the bougie gets in to your stomach? Do some research. How about this video - Check that out at about 2:45 if you do not want to watch the whole thing. Many surgeries pass a scope or tool through the throat. Lots of people awaken with a huge sore throat. In addition , pain swallowing and drinking is VERY common after surgery. No, I do not have a medical problem with this. It is now day six and I am drinking fine, if slowly and small amounts. Truly, I will as kindly as possible say I do not need any more advice from you.I am very pleased you reached your goal and are easily maintaining. You have done well with that but you do have a way of being rude to people while also trumpeting your success. I do not find it helpful so for me, at least, it is not needed. Peace.

Not voting yet because I am only sixth day- but I sure hope you are ok- please let us know!

Aren't we all? I feel like, even though I find the powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury unflavored palatable, I don't care for the fact that it is only 20 grams in 2 scoops. Is there a palatable unflavored powder with better Protein stats? I simply have to add too much of the unJury and it takes away a lot of the flavor of the Soup to which I add it.

Alright peeps- my day six- I got almost 80 ounces Fluid in yesterday! WOO HOO! Not so good on the Protein but I am still figuring when to do it and what. I have a 30 gram chocolate with decaf drink in the am and then will either do an isopure or another drink afternoon and broth with protein tonight. I figured out a pattern so today I really do think I will meet my docs 70 grams. It really helped me when someone posted that you should not worry about protein for the first week or so. That gave me permission to not feel guilty! I still feel quite weak at the end of the day- also at first in the morning before I get fluids or protein in. I take my acid pill first thing every morning and then a shower while my DH gets hot tea, Protein Drink, propel, and Water all ready for me. This morning I tackled my hair- a total mess as I put it in a band and left it be until today (yuck). Unfortunately I got so weak during the rinsing of the conditioner I almost could not stand. So I need to be mindful I am not quite over it. OK RVs- off for a walk! Tell me how YOU are!

You are so lucky! That pain drinking was...well, a pain! I am glad you are doing so well- that is great. I do not think drinking a quantity means your sleev is not small- Fluid is so different from food. What a great tip that things that taste weird might taste better in a few days. Good to know. Keep posting!

Hooray! I love picturing you love sisters racing each other in the hall. Please keep posting here- it is really for May sleevers- and not just for the TEN that I know to have been on May 9th. It becane Red Velvet after the giant triple layer one I made to eat during my last supper days! I want to know about yo two every day! HI Karen- so glad to see you here! one thing I have realized is the post op experience runs a huge gamut and all (or mostly all) is normal. I found yesterday the day that suddenly I could drink without pain- I pray your day is soon! Before that it was a miserable thing trying to get it in.The swelling- I think. I now set my alarm on my phone to go off every 15 minutes and drink 2 ounces. My post op stuff recommends that and that has really helped. Even being able to drink easily now (no pain- still not too much at once) I will slip behind on quantity if I don't do that- maybe you can try that, I am weak still- so that seems normal. Keep posting so we know how you are doing1 Congratulations on being post op! You are kinda right- I don;t hate you but I just envy you! 3 weeks of clears and Protein Shakes loo high above me... Apparently lots are reporting those periods- I am menopausal so at least that is missing... encourage you to find some protein sources that work and get in the habit to ensure you don' burn muscle instead of the squishy parts! Keep posting! OK babe you have given me the nerve to try the grape isopure sample my nutritionist gave me! Hope I like it. Glad you are doing well! I think it will get better for us every day. Kepp posting fellow RV!!!