Alithinos

Zyrtec or Zyrtec-D works for me when I run out of Xyzal.

She sounds pretty toxic. Friends don't undermine efforts to get healthy and they definitely don't enlist their children to manipulate you. The fact that she's got her kid calling you names is appalling. Anybody who thinks that's appropriate has some serious problems. I have definitely outgrown friends before and wonder if this is what you're dealing with here. It is sad, especially if their kid is so close with your daughter, but I'd rather be friendless than abused. It will most certainly affect your kid's relationship. At the same time, do you really want your daughter to associate with this nest of vipers? The cheating thing just kills me. Having 85% of your stomach removed is akin to having the majority of your troops wiped out to win a war. It helps reset your metabolism (for a short while), which you kind of need. (Also, the surgeons at Johns Hopkins automatically push for gastric bypass instead of sleeve if you have diabetes - has your surgeon gone over the pros and cons?) The emotionally healthy and intelligent are going to get this. Join a support group now and start backing away from the frenemy for your own sanity...

If just one or two of your incisions is red, call the surgeon to make sure you're not infected. If all incisions are red and itchy, you may be allergic to the glue used to seal them. I had that happen; it was awful and is rather common. The doc approved me to take benadryl pills but not for any topicals.

I was told Protein helps with healing as well. I am 5 months out now. My 3 month post op testing said my protein levels were too low when I was shooting for 60 g a day. The surgeon advised me that my goal should be at least 80 a day for a while, and her assistant noted that the patients who stay on supplements long term do better with weight loss as well. So I am having at least 2 unjury shakes a day for the time being...

At two weeks post-op, the last thing I wanted to think about was food. Now that I'm about 4.5 months out, going out to eat just doesn't hold the same attraction for me that it once did, and we were big fans of tasting menus... I kind of get bored when we're out to eat now. Agree with the posters who recommend starting new traditions to celebrate. What about getting tickets to a concert, a show, seeing a comedian, the couples massage idea (massage is great for healing), take a walk on the beach (if you are in Naples, where your surgeon is located) or down on 5th Avenue, which is so cute. That movie theater at the Mercato is something special too. (I have family in Naples - love going there for Christmas.) At the same time, it is normal to feel down and to mourn food a bit, particularly at this time post-op. This is a good time to start new traditions, habits, and to focus on the years you've gained with your spouse as a result of this surgery.

I'm getting to this party kind of late, so sorry about that. For the original poster - I live in NoVA and used Johns Hopkins' Bariatric Surgery Center up in Baltimore because it was a surgical center of excellence (which is what my insurance required) and I knew I'd get excellent care from them. I'm concerned that you're not being provided with good information from your surgeon and would recommend you consider contacting Johns Hopkins to see if they would see you (and if it is covered by your insurance - I realize that this is a major consideration). There is also a group at Howard University that you could check with. My surgeon was Dr. Anne Lidor - she has offices in Columbia, MD. She is great. Yes, it would be a haul to get there, but I do it. Any of the surgeons in the Johns Hopkins Bayview Bariatric practice will be good. I hear great things about Dr. Schweitzer's skill as a surgeon even though his bedside manner might be a bit rough. A colleague of mine used him and has been very happy with his gastric bypass. Somebody else mentioned the quality of your Protein supplements, which is another good point. I use unjury - it was highly recommended by Johns Hopkins nutritionists and I'm lucky enough to enjoy it. I use their protein powders with unsweetened almond milk.

Did your surgeon have you taking something to help prevent gallstones/gallbladder problems post-surgery? Mine has me taking Ursodiol twice a day - I think for at least the first 6 months. A friend of mine who had the same experience as you (and who had the surgery two years ago) was not on Actigall or anything post-surgery. She had her gallbladder removed pretty much at the two year mark and believes she started having gallbladder issues about 6-9 months out.

Except for some fruit, my surgeon and nutritionist said no raw foods for 3 months. They are hard to digest and you don't want to cause issues since you are still healing. 5-6 weeks is too soon IMO.

My energy levels returned around the 3 month mark. The first 6 weeks were pretty tough despite having my parents along for the first three weeks and a very supportive husband. Hang in there. You will notice improvement as you go. I also recommend getting a weight loss surgery specific cookbook. Also, you might consider looking into joining a support group. I dont think they have requirements that you must have surgery at their center and they are usually free.

ER ASAP. They will work out a payment plan with you. I went about a week after my surgery due to dehydration and terrible acid reflux and it helped get me back on track. It also helped me make sure I didn't have any other issues such as a leak, a clot, etc... Don't feel badly if you need to put the baby on formula - they will be fine. You need to take care of yourself right now.

Hoo boy. This is so common, so do not fret. My doc has me on colace - a stool softener - twice a day. After surgery she advised using Miralax for two weeks to get me straightened out. It is very gentle, but you might want to get some flushable wipes as well.

Ah. Sorry - did not see that in your profile. Try using almond milk (unsweetened and unflavored) instead of regular milk in your shake. Lots of people find themselves lactose intolerant after surgery. If that does not help, you might need to use a different protein shake, such as egg- based instead of whey. Everyone has such individual reactions to surgery. Still good to bring up with your surgeon.

You would feel symptoms of lactose intolerance anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating or drinking dairy. This sounds like something else. Would definitely recommend you have it checked out by a gastroenterologist before you consider surgery.

I had spasms there about a week to two weeks out that would usually hit in the middle of the night when trying to sleep. Landed me in the loal ER to get some some additional fluids, anti-GERD meds and a GI cocktail. It was a combination of acid reflux and gas and it was miserable. My GP upped my protonix script (for acid reflux) to twice a day and I took miralax each day for two weeks as well. Trust me - if things are moving through your system, the gas ain't so bad. Now I'm fine with just colace. I'm 4 months out today and am starting to take two protonix every other day to see if I can get it down to 1 a day. So far, so good.

Also, Johns Hopkins nutritionists did not recommend Muscle Milk due to lead levels - they said it was ok to drink one in a pinch but not every day.

Thanks for the Chike reminder! Their coffee and orange creme flavors are nice, but I think they may have had higher calorie counts. I did not like their banana flavor. They had a sample pack as well.

Taste preference seems to be very subjective. I found nectar too sweet after surgery, but everyone is different. The Vitamin Shoppe had some single serve packets so I could try nectar and jay robb. I also got the unjury starter package prior to surgery. It was good to have a variety while I figured out what would sit well.

Ugh - I tried that New Whey Protein Shot prior to surgery. Found it at the CVS. It smelled like a large, wet, dirty dog and tasted unimaginably worse. The nutritionists at Johns Hopkins do not recommend those. First of all, they are made with inferior protein, so even if it says it has over 40 g of protein, you're not getting the full benefit. 2nd, they add that the human body really can't process more than 25 g of protein at a time. You could still spread it out over the course of a day, but the wet doggyness is NOT worth it. Try Unjury's chicken soup if you want something a bit different. If you can handle whey protein, make sure that the primary protein source is whey protein isolate. You don't want whey concentrate - a google search will explain the differences between the two.

I stopped using a blender within the first week after surgery and now use a shaker bottle, but I also use almond milk and Unjury protein to make my shakes. I found that Unjury foamed less than Nectar and Jay Robb. I could not stand the foam early on.

Were you not taking supplements already? Mine has me on 1500 mg of Calcium, b12 and a multivitamin every day since the surgery. I have my blood draw next week and haven't been taking the multi because I don't like the taste (it makes me queasy). I need to go out and get some different chewables.

I seem to be one of the rare persons that loves unjury. I like them because they are not as sweet as some brands and because they don't foam up as much either. I could not handle thick foam early on! (Note: a Blender Bottle helps.) My go-to flavors are chocolate supreme, vanilla ( surprisingly my favorite), and chicken Soup. I also have the unflavored. Was not a fan of the cheese sauce, but it could have been worse. Their strawberry sorbet is ok too.

The surgeons at Johns Hopkins strongly advocate for gastric bypass if you have diabetes. Bypass is more likely to cure it. Are you talking to a surgical center of excellence for weight loss surgery?

If you have a regular sized crockpot already, have you considered making more than a few servings at a time and freezing the extra? My dad helped me with this right after I was sleeved. We made 3 meals, pureed them to get me through week 4, and froze them into ice cube trays. It gave me pre-measured amounts of high-protein and tasty foods (check out Eating Well AFter Weight Loss Surgery by Levine) that got me through the mushy stage like a champ. Check out the pot roast and chicken and mushroom soup as well as the Chicken Beau Sejour recipes. So handy, especially if you are feeling a little fatigued with going back to work.