Dooter

I got this answer from my friend who was a nurse for many years and saw a lot: Oh, man! This lady is Vitamin deficient! I can't believe they won't run blood test and are too ignorant to know what to test for! They need to check her endocrine levels, Vit A, B's and D level, check her glucose processing (fasting blood sugar) and cortisol levels. These are my initial thoughts..... will continue to give thought to it as we are in the midst of lessons..... She needs to start loading up on Vitamin C, 4,000-6,000 mg a day. 1,000 at Breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. 10,000 IU a day of vit D as well as A to start. She may need more. Taking vit A and D together help balance each other out and decrease toxicity. Studies show that you can take upwards of 50,000 IU's of A a day, but I wouldn't do that without supervision. Vit. A with breakfast. D at dinner (it will help her to sleep). What most people don't know is that Vitamin D isn't just a vitamin, it is a hormone. If you are lacking in D, it can throw everything off. She needs a good B complex to take twice a day. The anxiety/depression should improve as she takes care of these things. I would bet anything that her adrenal glands are taxed. That is why she needs an endocrine panel. The sores should start to clear up as she takes the Vitamins. I am curious to know what her diet is like. Some of this could be related to any meds she might be on? That's it for now. I will keep thinking.

HEYYYY there you are!! Good job!!!

Hey, walking is free. You don't HAVE to belong to a gym. That will save some money and ease your stress in one area. Walking is one of the best things you can do to keep your loss up.

Tea?

I have friends in the medical field. I sent this info. I'll let you know if anyone has a suggestion for what it may be. It's a shot in the dark...

Pickles, celery, carrots, cucumbers....you can munch on those just about all day! Very low or no cal.

It's definitely not a walk in the park. You've committed to a new way of life and now you need to pool every resource your heart and mind have to make this work. Make things ahead of time. Buy things that are ready to eat or drink. Suggestions: Make up a batch of tuna salad or chicken salad and put it in little 4 oz portions in the fridge. Keep some deli meats bagged up in 4 oz portions in the fridge as well, and maybe some string cheeses. They are 1 oz each. Get some low carb protein bars and premixed protein drinks. Keep all of these things ready to go and when you leave the house throw them in a little cooler lunch bag with the ice packs. Get little snack sized baggies and put 4 or 5 good quality wheat crackers in each one and throw one in the bag for a carb boost. Keep low sugar yogurts on hand. Cottage cheese and fruit- portion it all out and have it ready to go. When you get hungry, fill up on things you know that are good for you to eat. Keep the liquids going in as well. Sometimes thirst can mock hunger. Get some sugar free candies to suck on to keep your mouth busy. This helps me a LOT!!! I'm throwing out what I've got here. These are all things that help me. If you are pressed for time, just get it all ready at once, enough for a few days. If I think of more, I'll add on... I hope any of this will be of use to you.

Do NOT get the Bariatric Advantage chewable multi vitamins if you dislike throwing up! They are awful awful awful. I had to give them away. It's been weeks, and thinking about it right now is making my jaw tingle like I'm gonna yak. Their other swallowable (is that a word??) products are fine though. Sublingual B12 and D capsules are fine. Not the big honkin' calcium chewables though. They're pretty bad too.

(scooting over, saving you a seat!!) Go get 'em!!

We'd all be happy to help sweetie- what exactly is your concern?

You know...there are as many different experiences as there are people on this board. There are some threads of consistency, but boy, everyone's body is different and reacts differently, and some start out with conditions maybe they didn't know about that will effect their recovery. I can't believe a group would just freak out on you like that. Weird weird. There are so many shades of recovery here... random thoughts....

10 weeks- one chicken taco. $3.25 (that is, a GOOD taco. not Taco Bell;)

Yep. My life long buddy, confidant and friend--chocolate-- did NOT taste the same to me after surgery. I was cutting cake for people and I licked my finger and I was not impressed. I was actually quite thrilled to not taste what I used to!!! I've actually become quite partial to cottage cheese and fruit. How weird is that?!?

YAAAAAAAAY FOR YOU!!!! FINALLY!!!!

10 weeks today and have gone from a 30 to a 22. It still hasn't quite sunk in all the way. In some ways I think I feel the same, but not really. Hard to explain. I can sit in a chair and touch the floor, so I KNOW things are not the same. I was just telling my husband last night that it's hard to imagine getting down past a 22 because it's been so long. It just doesn't seem real.

I'd say that's a proper attitude! You'll be fine. You'll do GREAT!! The reality of it IS quite breathtaking. Just pray. We'll be praying with you. (right Vance?)

Core Series makes a Protein powder called True Mass. One serving is like...600 calories. My husband uses it to gain weight in conjunction with his workouts. If you have insulin issues however, be careful, because this has some sugar in it. Lots of carbs. Definitely work this out with your doctor!!!

I went through a period like that, a few weeks out, when I thought I'd never get full. I was hungry all the time and sometimes it felt like I could eat way too much. I'm 10 weeks out now, and I think a week or so ago, that finally settled down. 1/4 cup at your stage is perfect. If you can eat 1/2 cup, I would not panic. It depends on what you're eating. As they have mentioned above, a solid Protein will fill you up very quickly. It was mentioned to me that it takes a couple months to get all the Grehlin (hunger hormone) out of your system after surgery. I can believe that. I feel sooo much better now, and satisfied with much less. We went to a Mexican restaurant tonight and I ate one chicken taco and thought I was going to burst! I love it.

I went cold turkey the day I started the 2 week liquid pre op diet. Vicious, raging headache for two straight days, then it was over. A couple weeks out after surgery, I reintroduced my beloved beverage, but only one cup a day. My surgeon said this is fine. (I think it's the first question I asked them, if I could still drink coffee! ) My surgeon insisted on a coffee detox prior to surgery, so I wouldn't be dealing with post surgery issues AND a massive coffee headache and whatnot.

Cheri, try this website: http://www.womentowomen.com/ On here you can more closely pinpoint your symptoms. I think they sell supplements or something, but they have great articles and diagnostic pages that may be helpful to you.

Yes! Protonix IS a good one!

Zegerid didn't help??? Dang, I don't know WHAT to say then! Zegerid was the best thing to EVER happen to my reflux, until surgery of course. Now, I hang out on 1 or 2 prilosec otc per day. Next thing I'd ask is what are you eating and drinking, or what pills do you take? Remember, sugar and fat will aggravate your stomach, as well as sodas and coffee. I drink coffee, but only 1 cup per day. You might want to see if it's anything you are taking in. Sometimes certain Vitamins will do it too.

I keep saying if "sleeve of steel" wasn't already taken, I'd grab it! (not seriously, but you get my point;) Immediately post op: 7 days Clear liquids 2 more weeks of clear liquids that included cream soups and Protein drinks 2 weeks of "blenderized" foods after that then 3 weeks of "soft" foods. I stuck to this plan TO the letter! I didn't mess with this one bit, and I healed so well, that now I can eat salad or other raw veggies, or steak or whatever! I have not found ONE thing I can not tolerate, and Lord willing, I won't. I really attribute this to my sticking to the post op diet I was given by the surgeon. I will feel badly for about 20 minutes IF: I eat too fast, too much, or too big of bites. I really need to learn to slow down. :s

I'll freely admit.... it was 50% vanity and pride and 50% everything else (health, emotional well being, etc..) I was a firm, gym-going hottie in my thin days and have mourned the loss of that for so many years. My life used to be all about me, then it became all about my family, and my looks went by the wayside. Time to reclaim what's mine!!!! YEAH BABY!!! (And my family is very supportive of that;)

VERY good!! Way to go!!