Tracy46545

Joon, This sounds great....I intend to have butternut squash for my first mushie! I know it will be a comfort for me. Tracy

AJW, The first time I used Miralax I had great results (pardon the pun). It really worked for me. However, it seems to rapidly lose it's effectiveness. I had better luck using the Special K Fiber Water packets. One of those a day in a 20 oz bottle of water (I used the ice tea flavor) ...and I stayed fairly regular. (Another plus is that it also has 5 grams protein) Again though.. that was with the lapband..not sure if it would be different with the sleeve. We simply have to figure out how to get in 25-30 grams of fiber daily and that's difficult on such limited portions and on such high quantity of Protein. Honestly...fresh veggies alone won't do it...you need whole grains to provide the "bulk". Legumes, Beans etc...are a godsend for people that are constipated. pumpkin puree nearly always helped too. Intake of the proper amounts of water is vital. Tracy

Christmas Day will be my first day of full liquids...My Christmas wish is that I'll tolerate that first full liquid and be well on my way to recovering from a tough surgery. Tracy

probably doing nothing wrong...there are times that the chat feature just doesn't function as well as it could. Try again another day! Tracy

Very wise advice. Glad you're feeling a bit better and best wishes for a speedy recovery. We all know that this surgery is not without risks but it still surprises some of us when there actually are complications. Being alert to fevers and unusual aches or pains is VERY important! Tracy

Ditto to what Norma said. Those food choices are almost guaranteed to make you hungry again immediately! High carb foods ZOOM through the system very quickly and leave you even hungrier. I think when you add Protein into your diet (pureed at first) you'll feel more satiety. Protein supplements can be added even into CLEAR fluids so there's no reason not to use them. I'm with Norma on the questioning of that doctor...that particular food plan seems totally whacked! tracy

For those of you that like oatmeal or cream of wheat but tend to regret the high carb load with little Protein...here's a way to fix that up! cook your oatmeal (I use long cooking Quaker Oats or McGann's Steel Cut) For Cream of Wheat I use Arrowhead Mills Bear Mush (less processed than the regular cream of wheat). when it's done cooking, remove from the heat and stir in a well beaten egg WHITE..(use the white only, it has the highest portion of protein and the least amt of fat). The egg white will cook in the hot Cereal and make it nicely creamy. Tastewise you will not know it's there but you've just added 3.5 grams of protein! Great for people that can't tolerate eggs otherwise.

I think you should follow at least the "spirit" of the guidelines given to you by YOUR surgeon. They have their reasons, and whether we consider them valid or not, if you trusted him/her enough to cut you open...you should also trust their advice on when to start back on real food! Tracy

"what Norma said....lol" I'm paying a bit more than that because it's a revision surgery....but I wouldn't think of going anywhere else. Tracy

Glad you liked the Spaghetti squash Chancie! That's my supper plan for the weekend...3 meals using spaghetti squash.. lol Tracy

Jenn, force yourself to get up and walk every hour. Baby yourself the rest of the time but keep on sipping...experiment with warm fluids, maybe sipping warm tea will be easier. From what I understand this is the hardest part of recovery but you WILL get through it! I doubt the hair loss this quickly is a result of the surgery...perhaps stress in general? Keep checking in here with us..we want to know how you're doing! Tracy

Chandra, Glad you're home and the surgery went well. I've never heard of having to have injections for blood thinners after surgery. Everyone says drinking is hard, my friend said it was like trying to swallow gravel! ... so just sip...(think in teaspoons) ....decide what works best for you whether it be room temperature, cool, cold or warm drinks. Keep yourself comfortably warm and don't be afraid to use a heating pad on the shoulders or chest to ease that ache. Walk at least every hour even if it's just from the front door of your house to the back door! This will help move that gas they used to inflate your stomach, up and out of your body. (the reason your shoulders and chest will hurt more is because the gas moves UP and out of your body...). I would stick to liquids only...probably too soon to even nibble the Jello. You're on your way now and you can do it! Tracy

roasted (mashed) butternut squash with pureed chicken in it...that's what I'm planning for mushies! Tracy

I'm told you count the day after surgery as day one. And the following is directly copied and pasted from the info Dr. Aceves sent me to prepare for post op. "1) For the first 10 days following surgery, nothing other than Clear liquids and a Protein supplement should be consumed. ABSOLUTELY no solid food!!! Clear liquids consist of Jell-O, sugar-free Crystal light, Water, and broth. A high quality protein supplement such as IsoPure or Whey protein should be used in order to obtain approximately 70 grams of protein per day." Since it specifically mentions whey protein as being acceptable, it should be fine if added to water and not in a milk based shake. You could flavor it up with some Crystal Light if you need to. Enjoy.. (lol) Tracy

Delite... Tell me exactly what your doctor prescribed for a pre-0p diet. Perhaps it can be modified or we can suggest some really appetizing ways to make it workable for you. Wipe your tears and spring into action. This is all about YOU! TRacy

you know...Godiva chocolate is really good in a situation like that. Only buy one piece though.. lol. I know...I'm bad! Tracy

Let's face it .......the "smaller" portions on resturant menus are not all that great. Everyone suggests ordering off the kids menu.....um...no thanks...everything there is high carb and fried! When I go out, I order regular food, but things I know will reheat well. (or even freeze well). Or I order things that I can re-make into a different dish. I live alone and can't count on anyone else to eat up the leftovers. It rather takes the joy out of eating out. Tracy

Steph, I don't expect a "cure" by having the VSG ....just an ability to get my hands back on the reins! Quantity is a real issue for me. tracy

Just wanted to mention this. You know how when you open a can of pumpkin to use a couple teaspoons and then wonder what to do with the rest before it spoils in your fridge? I spread plastic wrap on a cookie sheet. Spoon out teaspoon or tablespoon dollops of the pumpkin onto the cookie sheet. Freeze When frozen, roll up the dollops, plastic wrap etc and put into a freezer storage bag. Thaw each dollop you need to use on the countertop for 15 minutes or so. No waste, and individual portions! tracy

I'd like to see a regional thread. This one will be for Sleevers from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. Great way to relate to people experiencing our own weather, time zone etc. while dealing with pre and post op questions, comments and successes! Tracy

by the way...doctors sure are different for all these procedures. I can eat the night before (anything I want) and can drink up until 10 p.m. Someone else mentioned having to have a laxative for three days prior to surgery day and only clear fluids for three days prior....not me! (thank goodness, that would totally ruin my vacation prior to surgery!). Tracy

I just ate 3/4 bag of potato chips with french onion chip dip.... Hi, My name is Tracy and I'm a food addict. (sitting back down now) December 14th can't come soon enough to suit me. Tracy

Chandra, I'm not sleeved yet, but you're going to do fine. Anyone from Midland can handle this ....it'll be easy-peasy.....lol. Ok....seriously.. just follow orders and realize you can tolerate anything for a short time. Please post when you get home and let us know how you're doing! tracy

Jenn100, warm socks sweetie...layers, heating pad...whatever it takes. Force yourself to do some walking to stimulate circulation. Many others report highly sensitive sense of smell and intolerance of sweets so you're right on track!!! You can do this! Take short walks, short naps and sips of Water frequently. You've got this...you can do it. Encourage your body to heal, don't be shy.. ask for a back rub from someone that loves you. and last but not least....one day at a time! Tracy