4ALongerLife

How exciting. Truly! Congrats to you and your wife. I wish you and your missus quick recoveries, great experiences throughout this journey and years of living much longer & stronger. Congrats to you and your family... God bless.

I'm not sure nutritionally what you actually are getting from it, but I don't think it's weird. Maybe ask your dr. about this though. Input is always good.

Best of luck to you all! I know you are so excited, nervous, jittery, can't wait... etc... remain positive through it all and god bless each one of you.

Thank you everyone for your posts... I sound like a freak'n cheerleader or something lol... I am always so thankful for all of your posts, truly. You guys make me smile, TY TY TY TY TY and may you all be blessed for your kindnesses. My apologies... I haven't checked in here as I have been on conf calls, "working from home" but not taking on tasks just yet. Not till this "hunchback of notre dame" aka "botched boob job" of a piggy back drain (I stuff it under my shirt to go "out" in public so those are the two names my family and my dr. have given it lol thought you might have a chuckle at my fortune/misfortune he he) but once this drain comes out, then I will take on work as before. TODAY was a good day but I wish I had checked back here sooner. Grrr. I was just gonna say 'screw it' (pardon the language) on the Protein. OMG those bullets now, I open one and smell it and immediately my throat contracts and I just have to breathe and keep swallowing not to wretch. I WILL try the Isopure. You know I used to work out a LOT but I never did Whey because I didn't need to gain. I remember seeing IsoPure but never really looked at it. So ty for the tip! For the lady that is the RN that posted.... bless you for saying what you did. I've had a few ppl in my ears about 'you sure you dr. didn't mess up'. Yes negative nellies, I am sure (pppthhhh). My dr. is wonderful and I would recommend him to anyone and everyone - he's had the surgery himself and he has years and years of experience. He's really been a champion to help my worries on the medical bills and has been ever so patient with my sometimes anxious, overly worried, crazy self. He's truly got my confidence and faith (and I generally don't give that easily). I have to admit that I've stopped taking my flagile by mouth. Side effects, enough said? (I believe I will be "allergic" to this forever more....or so might be my story... I hate lying but omg the side effects of this stuff, jeesh) I'm still on clear liquids (since 3/5 essentially) and worry about losing my hair. I'm taking Biotin 5000 mcg a day but.... lord knows it grows hair right where I didn't intend. lol I am also losing still very fast. I don't mean it as a complaint, but it scares me is all. I lose about 5 lbs every two days. I'm almost 5 lbs from going under 200 (jeesh). I never intended to go through it this way, but then again, it's so weird to be this small again (so quick). I just hope I can advance my diet soon and that I can make it work. I truly appreciate you all.... your input, your support, and for the time you spend in responding. Thank you guys so much. Hope you all are having a ROCKING week!

You look amazing! Congrats!

I'm worried now on losing my hair as I'm on a clear liquid diet now for 4 weeks (due to complicaitons and issues from my original surgery on 3/5). I can't quite get the Protein bullets down (they are disgusting) and prior to surgery, I've taken Biotin for a long time. I'll have to go back to it (as I've slacked) and check out the mcgs. Thanks for all of your inputs on this subject and I have to say to "The *Coasting* Super Moderator, holy cow your before and after pix. Wow. Good luck to you all on this journey and thank you for your input!

All of your jitters are perfectly normal. I know I couldn't even think straight before mine. I didn't want to tell anyone what I was doing - I was honestly ashamed that my weight was as bad as it was and felt ashamed that I couldn't "get it in control" by my own efforts. I've lost and gained 60 to 80 lbs many times before in my life, but as I get older, it's harder (esply with this lovely hypothyroid). With all of that being said, I had complications after my surgery (no you won't have these! you will be ok) but I have since told people what my surgery was for and I am rather shocked at the way that it is accepted. With so many commercials and billboards in today's society about this as a way to battle the obesity that is plaguing our country, I guess it's being more accepted? Just stand firm in your decision. This is for YOUR health. Be proud of yourselves. This is not an easy decision, it's not the "easy way out" and you CAN use it as the tool it's supposed to be, just follow what your dr. says. Please do your breathing exercises, advance your diet as instructed in the ounces suggested... and stay positive! Use this opportunity as a way to regain energy and live life to the fullest. For your daughter, tell her all will be ok, this is for you to be around much longer for her. Best of luck wished to you all.

Thank you NiseeG! Are they clear liquids? I am not advanced to full liquids (i.e. milk yet). So if these are clear and ok to swallow then woo hoo, prayers answered. Those protein bullets are 42g to 50+ depending on the type you buy and I was doing what I could so I wouldn't lose my hair but omg last night I couldn't do two a day (they are so syrupy and thick tasting to me). And now choking down vit water with protein powder... ugh. C'mon milk stage! lol... ty for the tip! I have to end this note with... thank God though that I'm better than I was and thank you for your help, concern, support and prayers!

Thanks all for the prayers (for certain) and for the healing, positive thoughts. I went to my dr. yesterday and he took my PICC line out of my arm (the line that went into my arterial vein/in my heart) and my JP drain in my belly. I STILL have the accordian/piggyback drain in my diaphragmn but he wants to watch that for one more week to see if I'm having anything come out of it. So far, it's nothing and has been for the last 2 days (which my first thought is yeah! that means the abscess is clear? idk but i'm hoping). I'm on Clear liquids still this week and need to increase my Protein in my clear liquids. If you have tips on this, please let me know. First, omg those protein bullets are NASTY. My dr. said try to do 2 a day. I can usually suffer through one in the early morning whenever my tummy's making all kinds of sounds, but I tried an acai berry bullet last night (from Vitamin Shoppe) and I was SICK ... I did one ounce from it and thought I was gonna hurl. This morning I took some vitamin Water zero and mixed it with my procel powder (a Protein Powder my dr. gave me that he liked). It's only 5 g protein a scoop, which I mixed in 14 oz. liquid, but I'm trying to think how else to get more protein into my clear fluids.... as well as get more clear fluids into me. Dr. said 4 oz an hour, but I have to be diligent or I lose time and can't make it up. (I'm trying not to be dehydrated.) But that's my update............ and truly, I thank you all for all of your support and positivity. Truly, thank you!

Good luck to you! Stay positive!

congratulations! wish you success on the road ahead!

Thank you all that replied .... for the support, for the prayers, for the concern. My mom died in 2008, my father in 2009, so the only way that this "dream" was possible for me was receiving some life insurance money to pay for this. After my parents deaths, at the way that my siblings acted, I no longer have family. I DO have one wonderful husband and a gorgeous son. Thank God this experience has proven that I am blessed with them, again and again. I do feel better today. Sorry my post was originally written whenever I was feeling a bit down. This surgery was supposed to be a 3 day experience. IDK how I'm going to pay the hospital and dr's bills, but it will all work out I guess. Funny how God does that ..... isn't it? My dr. was Dr. Harry Meyers and I honestly think he is a great dr. He's had one other leak, back in 2009, but nothing to this extent. I just think I was the 1 out of 100 odd cases that occur. (I swear "murphy's law" sometimes rules my life, lol) Thank you all again for your support. I go to the dr. this afternoon and I'm hoping that he sees progress is going well.

Thank you both for the support, I truly do appreciate it. I will keep you guys updated. I am supposed to go to see my dr. Monday afternoon.