Lanette

So happy for you!!!!! Congrats!

Whoo hoo! Had a similar experience in my closet Sunday. I put on a pants suit for church that I knew was a size 18 I had kept from a million years ago. The top had a little wiggle room but the pants were snug....zipped up but not that comfy. Decided to wait a week and try again. Then when I took them off I noticed I had the wrong pants and they were 16's!!! I totally cried too! I found the matching pants and wore that size 18 bad boy with comfort and wiggle room! Got to love those NSV's!! SO happy for you and your size 16 self!!!

If you go to www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com she has great recipes for protein ice cream. I made key lime flavor tonight and a peanut butter and chocolate yesterday. The recipes take 8oz milk and TWO scoops of protein powder. So even if you are only getting in 1/4 cup you are still getting 13 grams of protein (I use Bluebonnet) from the powder plus what is in the milk. Even more if you are adding PB2 for the peanut butter flavors. I am having a much easier time getting these down (thinned out as more of a shake consistancy since I'm on full liquids) than a traditional protein shake AND I'm getting twice the protein.

Not gonna lie....I'm a nervous wreck tonight. I honestly didn't think I would be. This time tomorrow night I will be sleeved! Hubby and I are driving in tonight (live 2 hours away) so I'm sitting here in the car going through every emotion possible!

You are correct about the hospital rates for hotels. This time we did a priceline the day of (couldn't make up my mind whether to go the night before or get up early). We got a Cortyard by Marriott for $50! I have always gotten great price line deals when it is the day of. I travel to a lot of hospitals for work so I get the hospital rate a lot too. Most only contract with a few and you have to know which ones. When traveling for work I usually do this b/c I need the guarantee of having a room and I want my points! (priceline=no points) I did my surgery at Summit Medical Center with Dr.Travis Goodnight (Van Buren, AR) Cannot say enough positive things! It was a great experience. Good luck with your upcoming surgery!! Where are you having it done? Please keep us posted and let us know if there is anything we can do to help (answering questions, etc)

I hear ya...my hubby got me my all time favorite cheese soup and also a crab bisque. Both are heavenly but way too rich for my tiny tummy.

Hey guys...just wanted to update here since a few of you have upcoming surgeries. I will say that Thursday (day 3 post op) was by far my hardest. I was still on clear liquids and was having a hard time with drinking anything b/c everything sounded horrible, taste horrible, made me gag, etc. I never did actually throw up, but boy I could have. I took my phenegran and pain meds and slept the rest of that day off and prayed Friday would be better After that things really started looking up. I only tell you guys this to say that you need to prepare for a rough day....whether it's day 3 or 4, etc. Just know ahead of time that once you get to full liquids it gets SO much better. I'm already able to drink so much easier without every drink causing gas pressure and can finally get in some protein. Just remember what everyone says about walking. Get up as soon as they will let you and increase the time every chance you get. Let us know how things go on the 8th and the 11th!!

Someone started new thread today that rates powders. I added BB to that list and took the time to get off my rear to look up the specs and post them. might want to check out that list as well. I did my first attempt at ice cream today using my BB powder and it rocked! I did 8oz skim milk, 2 scoops of powder, 3TBSP PB2, 1TBSP SF Caramel syrup. I saw a similar one one egg face and tweaked b/c I didn't have vanilla syrup or SF chocolate. Anyway, it turned out to be very yummy. I only got 1/2 cup down as a milk shake, but hat gave me 26 grams of yummy protein. I froze the rest for later. good luck finding one you like!!

I'm surprised Bluebonnet isn't on there I think it tastes awesome....very fine powder and not grainy at all. 1 scoop = 26P, 3Carbs, 116Cal. Ingredients= whey Protein isolate, natural vanilla flavor, stevia extract. It is micro filtered, no artificial sweeteners/flavors.

Is your phase two considered anything hat will fit through a straw or full liquids? That's the phase I'm in and I need ideas as well.

This is the only brand of protein shakes I have found that I can tolerate. I actually enjoy them. I felt like the specs were good and they were very fine and didn't taste gritty at all.

Can I ask when you all started hitting your protein goals and were you as strict about carbs during your liquid phase? I am starting full liquids tomorrow and it just seems like so many things we can have (warm cereal, soups) are full of carbs. To be honest, I have felt like I'll be able to get most of my protein in with my shakes but I really want some real food (malt o meal) tomorrow morning after the week I've had on clears! Then I step back and ask myself "WWTD" (what would Tiffykins do?) LOL! All joking aside, I don't want to cheat myself out of weight loss and I want to be as successful as I possibly can be.....but I feel like I have been more in survival/healing mode rather than losing mode. Make sense?

Amazing! Would love to see some pics if you have time to post.

I have had a relatively easy time so far but today was horrible. I cannot seem to get ANY protein in and I'm not hitting my 64oz of fluid. Everything is making me gag and I mean EVERYTHING. I've tried jello, broth, Isopure, tea, etc. I am feeling horrible and can't go to full liquids until Sunday. I don't know if I can take two more days like today. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone know if anything at smoothie king could be considered clear liquid? Was thinking they could add some protein in to whatever I get there.

Do you remember what they mixed it with? I know the strawberry Protein powder is high protein and only 1 gram of carb. Just wondering what you mixed it with to make it yummy but still carb/clear liquid diet friendly.

Thanks so much guys....today has already been so much better. I woke up at 2am and took my PPI then instead of waiting until 7am. Then when I woke up at 7am my stomach wasnt so bad. I decided not to take my pain meds today b/c I think they were upsetting my stomach as well. Got some French onion soup from a local restaurant and strained it so I could just have the broth. It was so much better than my other broths I've been trying to get down. Anyway - so far, so good today. . Thanks again for all the support.

Surgery was at 7:30am this and Dr. Goodnight said it went great. Had some hefty pain when I first woke up, but GasX strips seem to really be helping that. I have mainly been complaining about that "cotton mouth" feeling. I found something GREAT at Walmart and they have really helped with the dry mouth thing. They are made by Halls. SF "Refresh"candy/cough drop...says "mouth watering" on the package. Will post more when I'm not so sleepy, but cannot say enough grat things about Dr. Goodnight and the great team at Summit Medical Center. He took a pic of my stomach for me after taking it out. I'll try to figure out how to upload it soon.

Just checking in....surgery was Monday and got home yesterday afternoon. So far, so good! Pain has been very manageable. Main issue has been getting all my fluids in. I feel like every drink I am full and bubbles come up as the liquids go down. SinDLou- so very sad to hear about your loss. What we are going through is stressful enough...I cannot imagine adding a death in the family on top of that. Saying a special prayer for you today.

Just went in to update my ticker and I am down 39.2 lb since starting this journey. Last Easter I was over 300lb (had stopped weighing), then was 290 when I started my 6 months w/ PCP in June. As of 2/14/11 (surgery consult day) I was 270 and today I am 250.8!! Can't wait for it to start coming off even faster but it sure does feel good to have the victories now. Only 4 more days to go!

Tiffani- I just added you as a friend...just clicked on your name and it gave me the option. I also emailed you.

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement. I am very happily sleeved and have had a great day all in all. Surgery was 7:30am. I had a decent amount of pain waking up but they got itunder control pretty quickly. I have felt pretty great the rest of the day with a lot less pain meds. Have my leak test at 7:30 this morning (Tues) and on to clear liquids if that goes well. Then hopefully home tomorrow afternoon. So far, so good! Haven't even THOUGHT about food today or felt hunger in the least. So ready to be a few months out and totally settled in to my sleeve. I will say that I had been reading a lot of the stories about rough surgery days and had myself all nervous. That's why I wanted to post tonight and let people know what a positive experience it was. Now if the next 5 days will go this way! drifting back off to sleep.....cya!

I did not have a drain (or a catheter for that matter). I have loved, loved, loved my GasX strips, Auquaphor Lip balm in a tube, Halls brand hard candy (called "Refresh" - SF and claims to be mouth watering....and IT IS), and obviously my iPad. Hospital gave me a pillow for a gift so I didn't even need mine. Ironically though right before I read this my nurse was looking for a safety pin for me and couldn't find one. She wanted to pin the pull rope, for the light above my bed, to my bed in case I needed to turn it on in the night so I wouldn't have to reach. I will say that I put on the lip balm right before going back to OR and told my husband to reapply first thing. He did and so far my lips are not chapped one bit. Feeling great overall so far!

I am so excited that my pre-certification packet has been submitted! I have heard that others with my insurance have had great luck with approvals, so I feel very hopeful. We had to submit a scheduled date to the insurance company on the Pre-Cert. SOOOO, I am scheduled for March 28, 2011!! I am SO incredibly excited and ready to start this journey. I have been SO impressed with Dr. Travis Goodnight and his staff and cannot say enough good things about them. They have been SO patient with me and my 10 million questions. I have LOVED reading all of your stories and I cannot wait to share my own. I look forward to getting to know all of you better and going through this exciting life change together. P.S.....now to just figure out how to create a neat little BMI ticker thing!!