4ALongerLife

Are you a sadist? Girl.... hang in there. You're still funny - and gawgeous as eva. Puffy faced or not, your soul shines through the pc screen via your posts. I love reading them. Oh and a snocone sounds decent maybe? I love the SF blue bell bullet popsicles too

I didn't have vomiting (they put a sticker behind my earlobe, like a dramamine or something to combat that). But for my "L" word (leak) I had pain in my left side - severe pain. It was an abscess of Fluid that went into my diaphragm. Are you running a fever? What did the CAT scan show? Anything? If you get to feeling worse, I say go to the ER (esply if you are running a temp ok?). Hang in there and pls keep us updated. Best to you... and am praying for you for that as well!

I've experienced a few bumps in my WLS journey road. Whenever I was diagnosed with a leak/abscess, they also saw something abnormal in my xray. It turned out to be nothing. Please relax and get that CT done asap.... and know you have one more person here praying for you as a good friend, even though we've just met online. xoxo

Um..... I had a leak and asked this question in one of my last office visits. It can happen for longer than you think, I am not sure when you are "out of the woods." Mine happened right after my surgery as my tummy didn't like the staples and had necrosis away from the suture line, making an opening. I found it as it was extremely painful in my left arm and left flank/side and I was spiking a temp. For a while, I said I was stupid for doing this surgery. I paid out of pocket for it all and I'm worried to say the least on the bills for my pneumonia stay in the hospital after surgery and for the leak/abscess. However, it's like 1% that this happens to. Please know it's rare to have complications from all that I've read. It DOES happen, but it's rare. Would I do it again? Yes. Yes. Yes...... I've struggled for almost all of my lifetime with my weight (it started young) and I've always been larger than average, but not huge. I just want to be normal, to go into any store and buy something off of the rack to wear and feel ok about what it is and how it looks, to be in pictures with my family again....but more than anything, more than any money in the world, I want to be healthy so I can live as long as possible for my son. So would I do it again? YES, YES, YES. Feel free to write me/inbox if you have any questions or want any input from me. I wish you the best of luck - to all of you!

Sweetsusie, come move in with me! (she's a certified chef, hellllloooo) A great site is "the world according to eggface" just google it and you'll find it! She's got soft food ideas and Protein ice cream recipes. Susie, you ought to end up doing something like her site!

I retract that 1200 cal statement. Depends on what food stage you are at. I can't see full liquids coming close to that so pls consult your dr. My apologies on having said that!

What about reverse fit jeans? I had a friend who had an hourglass shape and she got 10R's whenever she bought britches. Yep I said britches.

Ok I retracted my go for it. Stick to your phase 1 diet. And I'm still working on my cues myself hon. It's not easy so far (or hasn't been for me). But in time, it gets easier. Call your dr. and see if you can add in protein. I just wonder, they cut out the gherlin but when does it 'kick back in'? Or is it just head hunger?

Congratulations on your decision! I didn't tell anyone at first, but then slowly I told one, then another and I was surprised how accepting most were - even my in laws (who are in their 60s and I assumed they would be against it), they were very supportive. But my decision was made much like yours. Good luck to you in your WLS journey! Oh and 'come out, come out where ever you are!' (don't be a stranger ok?)

Ponyup, do you have a whole foods there? My dr's nurse suggested cioppino Soup from whole foods and it's FULL of flavor. I'm in soft/pureed and it's like real food! lol... it is real food, but with some flavor and consistency. And mmoral, yes I did get hungry in b/w those phases, it started back then but I'm having some head hunger too sometimes. Handling it all is a struggle, but we will get there.

Girl, I'm there with you. I feel like I'm eating all day but how am I supposed to only eat 3 meals a day and one snack minimum???? AND I am not getting enough calories. I'm soooo there with you! Wait will you still lose weight having that few calories though Forensikchic? Well I guess so, you've done it... I thought I would go into starvation mode and just stay there, holding onto every lb.? Glad to know that's not the case, phew.

Soft food stage.... and pureed if you want to puree it! (yuck)

I just love you Lissa. You are awesome! Thanks for sending out more positive vibes in the world. (I sound like a hippie huh? I'm not but.. there's so much negative around us, thanks for giving something different and btw, glad you are ok!)

Great question! I'd love to hear the answers too on this as I'm trying to progress from my paper into the next stages and struggling on when to eat what! Hollirose, congrats on the intake on fluids! You have me beat by a long shot, wtg girl! Now I wanna be like you!

I've been wondering about this as well. myfitnesspal.com is telling me I'm not getting enough. But as soon as I have a few days where I have gotten enough calories, bam I lose weight. How many calories is enough? How do you do that and stay on 3 meals a day whenever I can't get that much into my pouch at one time. This is hard right? Any advices?

psst, hey ... add me too pls! 4ALongerLife

Well I DID regret it for a minute. I told my husband, at my worst, please take me home and leave me in a field to die. Ok that's a bit meladramatic right? I was really at my wits end (durn hospital wanted to put me in a nursing home for a half a second grrrr). But yes Artsy, I had a second surgery on 3/20 to restitch my pouch as a staple came loose due to my stomach skin not liking the staple in that place (essentially). (side note, where you been artsy???) I'm watching my progression back through the foods - I'm on a soft diet right now. Last week I did pureed and I was having some feelings that weren't good in my tummy whenever I would eat. Best description that I can give you is that it felt like my tummy was a wash rag being rung out whenever I would eat. The good news? I don't feel that way this week. Mind you, I've been eating a lot of cioppino Soup from whole foods (it's supposed to be fullll of Protein and lowfat as it's tomato based, also is very tasty/full of flavor) and alot of other soft foods still ... but I had chicken breast (about 3 oz) at lunch for my second time in the last few days and no issues. So whomever prayed and got it to God, thank you. My tummy's making some weird sounds and it worries me, but I've decided I'm just going to use my energy to remain positive instead of worrying. Sorry that was longer than intended btw, brittcherry, you are doing wonderfully! congrats, you loser!

I highly suggest myfitnesspal.com. It's made me 'see' why I get stuck - I'm not eating enough calories a day, I'm not getting enough Water in, I'm not exercising enough... etc. I use it on my iphone and so far, I'm enjoying it. Except today I did almost 4 miles on the elliptical and then weights... burned 580 cals and by 6 pm was at a caloric deficiency. Grrr... myfitnesspal.com has helped me to "get" that. Make sure you get in your water (or liquids in) and try to get in at least (now don't quote me here ok but...) 1200 cals a day (I believe). Otherwise, I think your body thinks it's starving and holds onto every lb. I'm not 100% on the 1200 but I am thinking that's right (ask your NUT if you have one pls). You have to have more caloric intake if you are active or your body goes into starvation mode (who knew? yeah we all did but we thought we knew better huh?) More calories? How? Full liquid diet or any of the other stages except clears: Protein in your puddings, greek yogurt, shake for b'fast/shake for lunch, regular dinner, add an egg for bfast. Great recipes on the world of eggface too, try some of those perhaps! Clears ... .not applicable to you but I had to do this... miso Soup, cytosport whey isolate drinks, Protein powder in Jello, protein powder added to soup, unjury chicken soup....not many options on clears, but just adding it, just in case! My only question is... if I stick to three meals a day and one snack, how in hades do I do this? Good luck to you and appreciate the advice from anyone myself!

Go to the dr., go to the dr., go to the doctor - or at LEAST call pls. Better to ask and be sure than be sorry later on. Good luck!

i didn't realize that 3 oz of chicken had 30 g of protein. i'm living via myfitnesspal.com and let me tell you, i am loving it. thanks for posting these tho!

brittcherry i've had aspiration pneumonia and a leak/abscess. as of last week, my dr's nurse said i might be experiencing a stricture (narrowing of the opening into my stomach's pouch) which might be due to the 29 days i was on Clear liquids, trying to let the leak/abscess heal up as i had another leak after my second surgery. lol. i am not acting as a spokesperson for anything am i? just know, i don't regret it. i DID for a minute. i wallow in my issues sometimes with all of it, but i'm a work in progress/under construction....

My dr. said I could have sherbert. It's not exactly like ice cream, but it cures that craving. Ask your dr. ok? And for the crunch, try reduced fat nabisco ritz crackers. Per my dr's info (yes, check with yours) there are 3g of fat in 5 crackers, so I can have 5 (my limit on crackers is a 3g fat threshhold). Ok it isn't the cure all, but hope it helps. It DOES pass. And eggface's website rocks! The hard part of WLS is we didn't fully realize how food was used in our lives. You are grieving the death of a comfort in your life. I sound freak'n nuts, find the shock paddles for my ECT therapy... but seriously, this is a HUGE change in your life. Be easier on yourself ok? My hubby doesn't eat a bunch of carbs thankfully so I can only empathize. Noooooo instead he's a size 30" waist... yeah he got there whenever I went on weight watchers, years ago. Hang in there mama! Good luck, from another crazy witch out here is WLS land. xoxo

OMG lol.. and hey btw, I had my South Park shirt on in the gym. Sidenote: I don't think that the christian bookstore really cared for it tho... c'est la vie! Take some shaking pix! It might just turn your hubby on... "hey babyyyy" lol picking... you are too much!