SassySenior

Excellent point, Ubesleevable. I understood that from the get go that it has to be CLEAR liquids. That counts out all shakes that I know of. For sure, all teas are OK, all drinks like Crystal Lite, probably coffee w/no milk or sugar. As you say, liquids that are clear, that you can see through. I have to do this for 2 days before my surgery. I'm on my pre-op diet now ... just starting 2nd day ... and starving. But I'm going to eat meat and veggies for one meal a day. Wow - I just noticed your date is 2 days after mine. I'm being done on the 1st.

Mea culpa.

Mea Culpa. Sorry, folks. I guess I came across too harshly. <insert guffaws here>. Sometimes I get carried away by my line of thinking and wind up not saying exactly what I meant. It reminds me of a saying by Robert McCloskey: " I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." What I meant was see if this topic has been previously covered by someone else on this site or another site. I was suggesting just research. The main reason I wrote this is that it seemed (from my perspective) that some people were being harsh and negative. (Something that I clearly cannot relate to. ROFL The other reason I wrote this ... and I'm sure you can all understand and sympathize ... is that it was Day One of my pre-op diet. Enough said?

Daydra - The saying "be careful what you ask for" ...: comes to mind. And "sometimes people talk just to hear themselves speak." Sorry, but all these disparate comments would be enof to push me over the edge. I don't think anyone has replied that really knows what's going on with you. But I'll bet you can find someone here or on Obesity Help that had a similar experience and might have some valid information to offer. Rather than ask randomly for others to give their .005 cents worth, my suggestion is to go in search of answers. Do your own research and see if you can find another sleever who's had a similar experience. I really don't know a whole lot about the sleeve, even through I've been researching WLS for 10 years and the Sleeve for 2. But one thing I have learned is to "seek and you shall find" ... to go in search for the answers rather than invite others to imagine what the problem and solution might be. You're a smart lady, so I think you'll figure it out ... and I totally understand your reaction to your doctor. I doubt I would have been as composed as you. I hate stupidity, and sadly, we have an abundance of it in society. Hang in there.

1gorgeousgodzilla - Thanks for the advice re: posting pics. Since I don't have a phone, I had to take a different route. In the reply bix (where we "Reply to this topic," click on "More Reply Options" (right next to the POST button). This will open up another reply box where you can add an attachment. I can't wait to try it. Also to enable the full reply features when sending a reply or a message, go to the top left corner of the Reply box. There is an icon for "image" which looks like it might be for adding pics (haven't tried it yet). The icon is located in the middle of the line that has Bold, Italic, Underline, etc. on it.

I'm with you. I don't know how, either. I'll let you know if I learn how to do it, and vice versa. Great question!

I Have a Surgery Date. I am leading off the month of November by having my VSG done on the 1st. This final announcement has been a long time coming. I don't know why I had to have soooo many problems trying getting this surgery scheduled. In March, it'll be 3 years. Initially, I was going to get the lap band, and I went to a seminar by Dr. David Provost in 2010. He had been referred to as the best WLS surgeon around. At the time I weighed 425, so I certainly wanted the best. I jumped through all hoops, completing my 3 mo. diet a year ago in October. Along the way, I had to put off surgery twice. I waited 1 ½ yrs. for Medicare to approve the Sleeve, which they finally did in Feb. 2013. One of many wrinkles popped up, and I had to redo cardiac tests and get a cardiac clearance in February. For some reason, the results and clearance were lost until August 2013. Once found, my surgery was scheduled for Sept. 23. I did the 2-week pre-op diet and went to a Sept. 20 pre-op visit. That's when the surgery stalled again. My doctor had a meltdown when I told him I was still taking Ibuprophen. I didn't know I was supposed to stop before surgery. His reaction was so severe, I considered changing surgeons. So I attended another doctor's seminar on Oct. 4. Yesterday, I finally learned that I would have to redo the 3-month "medically supervised" WLS diet if I went with the new surgeon. In the interim, I also continued to reschedule the surgery again with my original doctor in case I went that way. Long story … shorter ... I am going with my original surgeon and beginning another pre-op diet Friday. Even this week, another major wrinkle cropped up when my BFF, Martha, voiced displeasure at the dates I had scheduled. To please her, I rescheduled all the dates for the Nutrition Seminar, pre-op visit and surgery. The new dates conflict with my SAT scoring, but that is what I had to do to Iron out this last wrinkle. I'm beginning the pre-op diet on Friday, and scoring the SAT at the same time. It takes 100% focus to do this work, so I can't imagine how I'll be with so little to eat. food for thought, and all that … My life has been filled with stress for a while now, and I don't do well under stress. Often, I get sick and wind up in the hospital. But so far, so good. The side effect, though, is that it's been difficult to get everything done to prepare for the post-op. I don't have my Vitamins, and all the foods (liquids) I need. P.S. I just lost 3 lbs., for a pre-op loss of 49 lbs.

Linda, Welcome to our group. We are thrilled that you’ve joined us. Our group is small and intimate because we don’t promote it. So you kind of have to find us … which you did! Hubby can join, too, because this is open to all. We’ve had a couple of guys join, but never stay, it would be nice to have your guy bring that male perspective. Meet (in alphabetical order) … Cheryl … who’s dropped an amazing 90 lbs. and manages to keep temptation at bay and hold her own, no matter how much her hubby tries to go back to old ways. She’s a very sweet and thoughtful gal. Coco, a/k/a Connie, drops by occasionally, and always has something interesting to contribute. Faye … our youngest boomer, has dropped 75 lbs. and looks amazing! She is working on a master’s degree, married for 5 years to her love, Tony, with whom she dreams up gourmet delights. Then there’s Jean, our own nurse, who loves spending time with her granddaughter, Hailey. Retired from a career as a nurse, Jean has a hidden spirit of glee and is very active responding to posts. I recently nominated her to be a VP of something (can’t remember what, Jean probably doesn’t either.) <laughing> And me, Sassy, who started the group and gotten close to several members. Aside from my dry wit, which gets me in trouble a lot, I am a retired freelance writer. Right now, I earn extra money scoring the SAT from home a couple of times a year. You’re our 28th member, and if hub joins, that’ll make it 29. Do you have a surgery date yet? .As you can read in the post below, I am just announcing mine. Note: Be sure to click “Follow this topic” at the top of every page so you can be notified when new posts appear. Go into your “settings” (top right under your name)and check the box for “notifications by email.” When you come online, you’ll see your name and to the left are several icons. One is an envelope, and the other is a person. Both will have red numbers when you have either a personal message or a notification to read!

Hi Linda & hubby from Florida, I hope you can find your way to our thread called "Boomer Chat Room." If you click on "Group Discussion" from the Baby Boomer's Home Page, it's under a Purple Banner that says "NAVIGATION." Group Discussion is the second item on the list. That's where I am going to post my reply. I have revamped the site somewhat from it's original design in February. Now, we "chat" on any topic in the Boomer Chat Room. See you there.

We all have fears, before and after surgery. I have some serious fears -- I'm worried about surviving the surgery. All doctors I've talked to have told me I'm a high-risk patient -- one who could have deadly complications.For example, my PCP wanted me to have a chemical stress test. There is, however, a risk that this test can cause a heart attack to occur. The doc's rationale - this test will indicate what might happen during surgery. She says in the cardiology lab, their better equipped to handle it. My reasoning is I want the surgery very badly. So, I don't want to do anything that might cause my surgery to be postponed indefinitely or not occur at all. I figure if I'm going to have another heart attack, I want it to occur during surgery with the finest surgeon in the Southwest, And in a hospital, there's bound to be someone around to help out if I need it. The complications that could happen are also scary.But the bottom line is ... I can no longer stay like I am. My fear of having to live my life as it is now is substantially worse that taking the rare chance of a complications with surgery. I have waiting a very long time to get the surgery, and I am very close to getting a date.I totally trust my surgeon. I did extensive research prior to choosing him. No matter what other surgeons I visited, they would all recommend him because he is the top doc. He's the surgeon other doctors send their problem patients to. I know of several lives saved by him when their initial surgery with another surgeon was a disaster.Speaking of disaster, I somewhat avoid reading the Horror Stories from people who've had serious complications. But I usually pull my head out of the sand long enough to learn what I should know about what could happen.I know of two people here who have had life-threatening complications. One is called "Horror Stories" and the other is written by paigeelaine, if you want to look them up.Those are my fears. What are yours?

I was given a prescription for Lovenox, which was going to cost me $350. I applied for Extra Help from Medicare, was approved after 2-3 weeks, and now the price to me is $6.

First off, apologies to all for being absent lately. I have run into a serious wrinkle in my SAT work, and it has all my attention til I get it fixed. Jean, I knew it was your birthday and kept waiting until I could send you a "proper" greeting. That will have to wait. In the meantime, congratulations on making it another year. ha ha ha. That's my improper reply. Cheryl, please put your posts in this thread so all can see and reply. Good job, though. That's all for now. Later ... That's Ms. Sassy to you. LOL

I did not mean to insult Brits and the like across the pond. But in the U.S., we use Standard American English. For us, it's whine. If we were to adopt some of your catchy lingo, we'd have a lot of explaining to do, i.e. the loo. When in America ...

Since Madame Reverie posted her pet peeves, I just have to add one of mine. First, let me explain ... I am a writer and editor. All kinds of errors leap off the page at me -- just like nails on a chalkboard. Spelling errors are not unique, except perhaps regarding editors who never make any. Yeah, I do sometimes type faster than my brain can spell. But ... voilà ... there is something perfect for all Internet users. It's called "ieSpell" and you can download it safe and free. You can use it for anything online, including email. Once downloaded, you can find it under the "Tools" menu. So please, let ieSpell correct your errors so you can spell whining as it is meant to be spelled vs. "whinging," which is a whole 'nother word! Thank you and good night.

It's brave of you to expose yourself and be honest about what's going on. If it were me, I wouldn't tell the doctor. I had an experience recently when I was 2 days before surgery and my doctor flipped out, mainly because I didn't know to stop NSAIDS but also because I told him I had a bite of a brownie. In my case, the NSAIDS was certainly a problem, and surgery would have to be postponed a week. But his flip-out was so bad that I wasn't sure I wanted him be my surgeon. Doesn't sound like you've done all that much to be beating yourself up. And you have a whole week to turn that around. I feel for you about even doing a week-long pre-op. My plan, this second time around, is to do the absolute best I can. My doctor will know by my weight loss whether I've been dieting. You can't reduce your eating drastically and not lose weight. There are two things you should do. One is stop beating yourself up. The other is use periods to end a sentence. It's hard to figure out what you're saying when all the words run together. Good luck. Do your best, and think twice about "true confessions."

I have been that depressed several times in my life. Once, a friend of mine literally had to drag me out of bed, pick something to wear, clean up my bedroom and get me out of the house. Here's what I learned that you can use, too. 1) If you can't do it for yourself, ask a friend to help you. Do a search online for mental health in your city or county. Call 411 and ask them if there is a number to call for this information (we have a 311 where I live). 2) Mental health counseling is free in each state, usually listed under the Department of Mental Health and Retardation - MMR. I found the one in my area and I go there. 3) Search for "Pastoral Counseling." Another counseling source. If you do a little research, you can find free help. Before you can be successful with the Sleeve or anything else, you must first get your head meds straightened out. 4) Look at it this way, it's a medical, not a personal, problem Your head is sick and needs medicine. 5) You must act. Get someone to do the research if you can't. You owe it to yourself, your husband and children(?) to get the right medicine to heal your head. 6) I know it sounds crazy, but it's not your fault. Your head is sick, so stop blaming yourself. 7) Make a pact with yourself to do one small step at a time. I did this once, in a deep depression. It took me 1 1/2 years to crawl out of my hole - with a lot of help from doctors, counselors and friends. I finally got on the right medicine, and I never get depressed any more. 8) I also promised myself that I would keep that door of depression closed. I do not indulge in any negative thinking. If I get a negative thought, I slam the door shut before it can take hold. I control my thinking by switching instantly to an island scene, where I'm lying on the beach, relaxing. 9) You’re worth it. Deep down inside, I think you’ll find that you agree. Good luck, honey, and keep posting. In fact, there’s probably a group on here for people with depression and bipolar issues. If you can’t find it, send a message to Alex who owns and runs this site.

Macy - If it ain't broke, don't "fix" it.

When is your surgery? People usually meet with the anesthesiologist just minutes before surgery. Do you have a CPAP device or anything that would require advance consultation? I think it would be a plus. Hopefully you'll get better drugs this way. The first time I had anesthesia, I had a great experience, no nausea and woke fairly quickly afterwards.

Thanks for remembering, Jean. I promise to give details later. Right now, I am super busy training for my upcoming SAT project. I just finished practice scoring. Now I move on to passing 2 out of 3 qualifying tests. Once that's over, I'll have more time. I intend to provide full details. That is ... if anyone other than you and me are still on this forum. I appreciate your posting a lot, especially now that I'm tied up. SouthernSoul and Cheryl - I'm glad you've checked in and post occasionally. The goal is to have someone respond to every post so that Jean, as she put it, doesn't feel like she's talking to herself. I'm very concerned about getting this group active. FB is shutting down pages people with animals have put up in their name. And they're doing it with no notice. Somehow they're concerned this hurts advertising. It seems to me there's a chance they'll do the same thing with private groups as well. While it will take a while to grow our group (and part of that is my fault because I am picky about who becomes a member), it will in the end be all worth it. But we can’t do it without you. Are you willing to hang on until it’s more active here? For sure, you can be part of the solution.

Hi Everyone, I've posted one or two recipes here so far. I think having a separate thread with just recipes would be good to have, so here it is. dinner Bell- What's on your plate tonight?!?! FAST, nutritious comfort food. Easy Peasy Italian chicken Sauté 3 red potatoes, diced 1 onion, diced 1 chicken breast, diced Mrs. Dash Italian seasoning Dried parsley, salt & pepper Dice 3 red potatoes and one onion. Sauté in a little olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasonings. Take those out and set aside. Toss in one diced up chicken breast, a little more EVOO and Italian seasoning. When chicken is cooked through, combine all and top with a little dash of parsley.

Hi Everyone, I've posted one or two recipes here so far. I think having a separate thread with just recipes would be good to have, so here it is. dinner Bell- What's on your plate tonight?!?! FAST, nutritious comfort food. Easy Peasy Italian chicken Sauté 3 red potatoes, diced 1 onion, diced 1 chicken breast, diced Mrs. Dash Italian seasoning Dried parsley, salt & pepper Dice 3 red potatoes and one onion. Sauté in a little olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasonings. Take those out and set aside. Toss in one diced up chicken breast, a little more EVOO and Italian seasoning. When chicken is cooked through, combine all and top with a little dash of parsley.

We grew up in an era ... women especially ... where we often looked to someone else to do what needed to be done. At that time, men ruled the world. They knew it ... and we let them. So what does this all mean to being a Boomer?Being a Boomer in the 21st century means that we've weathered the war ... of feminism ... of equality ... of being our own source of self esteem. And men have become our partners.I started the group so that Boomers could speak out about what's going on in their life, what our concerns are, how we're feeling whether pre-op or post-op.Since I'm not always around to amp up the interest and activity, I have to trust that the rest of you will run with the ball when I'm not around. I would definitely be here if I could. Lately, however, I'm been submerged in a project that has garnered all of my time. The intensity is going to last for another week. After that, the pressure will be off, and I'll have more time to interact in our group.In the meantime, I ask all of you ... can you pick up the ball and run with it? It's ony a week. I hope that you want to keep this group on top of your pile and will contribute and share with each other. That's why the Chat Room is open.Also, we're ready for our first male member to speak up. Don't worry, we'll stop talking long enough for you to do that.

Jean ... Sorry, I don't speak Pig Latin. teehee. What on earth does that mean?

BEET chicken salad Saw a recipe for this "yummy beet chicken salad" in another post here. It sounds good so I copied it for reposting here. Problem for me is I love beets, but hate blue cheese (and feta) cheese. What do you think I could substitute instead? And what does Tsatzik sauce taste like? 3 oz. chicken (I use canned chicken for convenience). 1 small beet sliced into cubes. 3 slices of cucumber cubes. .5 oz. blue cheese crumbles 1 tbsp Tsatziki sauce (we made a vsg friendly version) Throw in a bowl, mix and enjoy. The only thing that is missing is some farrow or quinoa to round out the nutrients. I failed to locate some to add. The original poster said he found himself wanting to prepare it this morning instead of the usual quick lean Protein (eg. chicken) grab.

Faye ... quit bragging! LOL Congrats on taking charge of that nasty scale. Cheryl & others who can't/don't eat beef. Have you tried ham? There's a special business here that only makes honey ham. It is incredibly delicious, cooked to perfection, practically falls apart with a fork, and is not salty at all. They only sell pretty big sizes, but it lasts a long time and/or you can freeze it. It is pretty pricey, but is better than anything you can get anywhere, including in your own kitchen. That's what I intend to eat post-surgery. I already got a friend to split it with me. Just something to consider. I'm also gonna try pork roasts. You know, the kind they sell in rolls. I don't know the fat or calorie count, but doubt it could matter much, considering how small a portion we eat.