Back~To~Amy

Good luck and congats to making it to your surgery. I just looked and there's an empty seat on the bench for you.

I joined in April and already have over 500 posts. I think that answers your question. :-)

Wheetsin nailed it. It really depends on your doctor. You got good advice to call your doctor if it isn't in the list. Fruit wasn't on my list but I was told I could add 1/2 cup fruit or 1/2 a small banana to my smoothies. That being said, I never did. Good luck.

Hi SpecialK and welcome to VST. You will live it here. Everyone is so supportive and helpful. Do you live in the DFW area? If so, we are starting a support group of DFW sleevers and right now we only have one guy, DadTo2 (Eric). If you'd like to be part of our group, send me a pm with your first name and email address. We would love to have you.....I'm sure Eric especially. Best of luck to you on your journey!

Welcome to VST. You will find a wealth of information here and tremendous support. It sounds like you are well on your way to your surgery. Best of luck to you in your journey.

Very true analogy.

I'm so toying with the idea of not weighing till next Monday. It will take great restraint and I'm not sure I have it in me.

Thanks for the laugh. I've been gaining and losing the same 2 1/2 pounds for quite some time so I know how you feel! I lost my appetite and I hope I never find it again.

Yep, your answer is protein. Also, make sure you aren't drinking 30 minutes before or after you eat.

My scale was on the lower end of the range I've been swaying back and forth in. I hope that's a good sign that this stall is over.

Ice from the fast food restaurant Sonic. It's really small and easy to chew.

I don't think they do anymore. However, CVS makes their own brand of adult liquid painkiller similar to the liquid Tyelnol.

Sorry you are having a rough time. What you are experiencing isn't true hunger although you think it is. Others have given good suggestions. I only have one to add about the chewing. Get you some Sonic ice. It helped me with the need to chew and to get in more fluids. You don't wanna end up back in the hospital due to dehydration. Hang in there. This is only temporary. Oh, and don't cheat. It could cause a leak which can be dangerous and it would for sure keep you on liquids longer.

Prior to surgery, I heard talk about not drinking 30 minutes before or after eating. I understand the reason for that. I also heard about taking tiny bites and chewing your food to mush before swallowing it. I've been trying to do that but catch myself taking normal bites and swallowing then before they are mush. Why is it we are supposed to take tiny bites and chew them a gazillion times? Thanks!

There was a pic floating around awhile back that showed the difference un the various bougie sizes. You'd be surpried how very little difference there is in them. I think the bougie size we refer to is in millimeters. So a 34 bougie would be only a tiny bit bigger than a 32.

Welcome to VST! Yes, this place is full of very useful information and great support. Good luck on your journey!

Just an FYI......Emily is a Weight Watcher. She does have lots of awesome recipes that are high in protein though.

I don't know about the approval time as I did cash pay. However, I do know about the incisions....at least mine. I had surgery June 5th and I had 5 incisions which are all healing quite nicely. Good luck in your journey. I hope you get your approval quickly!

Hi. I am very sorry that you lost your mother and that you are feeling all alone! The people here can be very supportive but it doesn't always make up for real time support. You might want to make a post in the part of the board where you can meet someone in your local area. There may be someone in your area that you could connect with in real time as well as the support you can get here too. Best of luck to you in your journey!

I have you Janet and everyone else so far.

I am 32 days postop and only on my 11th day of being off liquids. The amount I can eat varies just as it did preop. However, even the varying amounts are small by "normal" standards. I don't really measure my food by cups. The way I measure depends on the type of food. For example, I make a scrambled egg with a small amount of cheddar cheese. I can usually eat half to 3/4 of it before I am full. With lunch meat, I can usually eat about 2 oz. of it with maybe a bite or 2 of applesauce or other canned fruit. For a snack, I can usually eat 1 to 2 cheese sticks. One of my favorite "meals" preop was cheese and crackers. I can usually eat 1 to 2 slices of cheese with 4 to 5 crackers. Also, one of my favorite meals now is tuna fish. One of those really small single serve cans makes 2 or 3 meals for me now. Oh, and the other day I was out running around and needed to eat. I got 1 chicken plank from Long John Silver's and that was plenty. As far as drinking, my doctor said no liquids 30 minutes before or after I eat. I have always been someone who drinks a lot all day long....especially with this 100 + degree weather. I'm still struggling with this rule. Good luck to you on your journey!

Hi Natty and welcome to VST. After surgery, the primary focus of your diet will be getting in sufficient protein and eating lower in carbs. I would imagine juice is very carb heavy. However, that being said, I don't worry too much about how many carbs I eat. I eat such a little amout of food now that, by virtue of eating a lot of protein, my carb count doesn't get that high. I don't see why you couldn't incorporate a protein powder into your juices. I wouldn't just juice without protein powder though because that is just liquid calories without our VSG'ers most important nutrient, protein. Best of luck to you on your journey.

I had my surgery on the U.S. my follow up visits are: 2 weeks 6 weeks 6 months 1 year Annually after that

Thanks. I decided it was time.