MinaT

Surgery is hell on the body, the heart, kidneys and organs. Being overweight we are already at a disadvantage. Losing weight prior to surgery is healthier for you in the long run. I have had several open surgeries and several laparascopies in my lifetime. I have had sepsis due to adhesions wrapping around the intestines and somehow it ended up into my cavity. I went in for a regular laparasocopy....outpatient and ended up in the hospital two weeks with a complete hysterectomy and bowel resection. I only had to do one day Clear liquids. I hemorrhaged after I got home and spent another few weeks in the hospital. I went home with a catheter, my kidneys for some reason couldn't be jump started and sorta forgot how to work properly. I had to take pills to numb my kidneys because it hurt. It makes sense not to have solids hanging out in your stomach or your intestines prior to surgery. When they split the stomach for the sleeve, if it's not empty and has food in it, the stomach they take out has to be put into a bag and pulled through your cavity. Shrinking your stomach in advance of surgery will cause for a smaller opening. I am grateful I am going to have to do the 14 days of hell with only pre-op shakes. I hope it's going to set me up for the best possible outcome. As far as leaks, imagine having food particles in your tummy and having a leak. Also the shake fasting will cause less stomach gastric juices to form, which also would be better during surgery. I'm not a surgeon but this stuff makes a whole lot of sense to me since I have been through surgeries that make you clean yourself out prior to surgery and some that didn't. After all the years of dieting, knowing what it is like when you shrink your tummy when you diet, and knowing when your tummy seems to be a bottomless pit. A shrunken stomach has to be a whole lot easier to deal with than one that has had no shrinkage in advance. I don't think 1 or 3 days is long enough to shrink your stomach, but I could be wrong. I know that I am one of those that get the 1-10000000 issue or complication, so I have to be ever so vigilant. I have had RSD, I have Lupus, Narrow Angle Glaucoma, Open Angle Glaucoma, Trigeminal Neuralgia caused by a 3mm tumor on the root entry of my trigeminal nerve, Lupus, Endometriosis, Diverticulitis, I get polyps, Raynauds, I worry about leaks the closer I get to surgery the more scared I am. Then again, someone that only has to fast one day may do better than me. Who knows. It's like smoking...there are people that can smoke daily and live to 90, there are people that get lung cancer from second hand smoke. Everyone is different, I guess following your doctor's advice is for the best.

New Directions, Hot Cocoa, it's okay, it's not gag me horrible. I have been used to taking the Pure Protein 100% Whey Protein for breakfast with skim milk and love the stuff. The hot cocoa wasn't horrible, it just wasn't mixed with skim milk and it was a bit thinner than I like. I'm not a hot chocolate drinker, so that could be the issue too. With healthy4life we pay $200.00 for the 14 days of Protein shakes, soup, pudding, cocoa. Each one has to be mixed with Water. I bought two boxes (7 each) of the variety pack. This is the shakes that we have to use. I am not huge on pudding, so I will try it, if I don't like it I'll probably switch out the meal that has the pudding for a regular Pure Protein shake mixed with water and take Multivitamins that day. I will do that sometime this week because I have to quit all Vitamins one week before surgery. I'm a bit worried about the cream of chicken soup, but I can do this.

Congrats and good luck to you.

Congrats and you will reach that goal in no time! My first goal was 275, 250 and now it's 220, 200 and the 199 and then every 10 pounds from there!

Congrats on the date. Good luck to you Gene and Healthy Mama, June 4th here. Nervous and excited at the same time!

One of the best ones that I have tried is Pure Protein 100% whey Protein Frosty chocolate. They have big jugs of it, it has 25gm of Protein. You can purchase it at Target and a few other chains. I use the magic bullet to mix it and it doesn't taste bad. My doctor set us up with something called New Directions and gave us 42 individual packets of things, with variety and it was $200.00 for the 14 days of it, but I really like the Pure Protein 100% Whey Frosty Chocolate.

Congrats, I'm sorry your sister is having a hard time. I think it is probably harder on someone that has never had any stomach surgeries before, so I wish her well.

I had my Type & Screen test today, which is the very last blood work I needed before surgery. It has to be done within 14 days of surgery and they gave me the wrist band that I need to put on before I go to the hospital that morning, so I am all set. Had my second shake and since I never eat lunch, I'm full right now, I'm just hoping it doesn't make me too hungry later. I am weird, the more I eat, the hungrier I get. Second shake was the strawberry with lots of ice in my oh so awesome Magic Bullet, wasn't too bad, glad I ordered an extra box of Strawberry flavored. I have decided that since the Hot Cocoa wasn't that good, I'll make it cold next time with ice. I'm actually full right now, because I normally don't each lunch. I did the meal plannings for my husband and son this week and I decided to cook mostly food I don't really care for anyhow, like hot dogs, mostoccoli, pork chops and I am making chicken this weekend, I'll make it plain and not the way I like it which is marinated in FF Italian Dressing. Making all the side dishes they like and I don't like too, so they get to finally eat macaroni & cheese. They seem excited, because they know they will eventually get pizza and Brats which are things I never make. I believe I'll be fine during the week, weekends will be rough because my husband is a muncher and he seriously Snacks and eats all weekend.

I'm so sorry you are having so many issues. My best suggestion for you is to give it a week or two without weighing yourself. Give yourself time to heal, you have been through a whole lot more than so many people here. Your priority should be trying to get your fluids in, your protein in, and healing from surgery and healing from everything else. The weight will come off, but the stress you are under because of the complications are too overwhelming than to sit and worry about the scale right now. It will turn around eventually, right now getting healthy in your body and your mind is important. Eat and drink right and leave the scale alone until the clotting issues and the water retention issues are out of the way. Sending prayers your way.

Good Luck to you and it's natural to be nervous but remember to be optimistic and think of this as something positive. Positivity goes a long way to recovery. Best wishes and will keep you in my prayers.

Going to town functions like 4th of July, farmer's market, high school reunions, parades (I missed 20, 25, 30). Going to concerts & sporting events (the chairs too small). Not having to buy my clothes from Woman Within, Roaman's. Wearing a pair of jeans, shorts. My neck being longer again, and not having to wear my hair long to not look so old. I look great in Pixie's but my neck and face has been too big.

I definitely don't want to be the one that has to say....I had to reschedule after my Dr. closed me because I didn't follow his instructions, I would be too humiliated and embarrassed to come here or admit it to anyone. I would hate to see someone read all the stories of cheating and getting away with it, and be the one that loses out on the surgery because I read everyone else get away with it. I started my 14 day pre-op 3 shakes a day today, I don't get any solid food. Just sugar-free Jello, sugar-free popsicles and crystal light. I know I am going to want to cheat, but if I cheat, that to me is setting me up for the ability to cheat in the future, the cheating and overeating is one of the main factors that got me to this point in my life where I feel a surgery, which all surgeries are dangerous, is my only way off the diet roller coaster. I'm not preaching, I'm trying to get it in my head that just because other people cheat and get away with it, doesn't mean I could or I should.

Good luck!

I have been on Omeprazole for about 6 years, it doesn't seem to cause me problems, it makes me feel much better. The Carafate is a liquid form and it works when I do have a bad issue.

Wow, what an absolute nightmare and yet, you are blessed that you survived this. A positive attitude and knowledge will go a long in succeeding with your surgery. Most important thing is to be healthy. I'm glad your new surgeon is going to take care of you, and he knows what he's going in to with your adhesion issues, scar tissue and I'm sure he'll be sure to make sure there are no more hernias and that surgery was done properly. My thoughts are with you and you are having Tuesday after my surgery and I will be sure to say a prayer for you and I look forward to hearing your updates.

This is something I was worried about myself. I have carafate and Omeprazole - 40 mg 2'x a day prior to sleeve. I seriously hope it doesn't get worse after sleeve.

You have been through so much since surgery and 42 pounds is awesome for the complications you have dealt with. I'm a water chugger too. I can go through an entire bottle of water at night, and sometimes refill it in the bathroom sink if I get up and I'm thirsty. I am pretty sure I drink about 5 or 6 16.9 bottles of water a day and yet. The sip and not drink or chug is going to trip me up I think. I am going to start practicing sipping and drinking out of a class instead of the water bottle for the next two weeks. Good luck to you and I hope things smooth out for you soon.

Thank you Lissa, you are really so helpful to everyone here, and I am grateful for your insight and concern for everyone. You truly are a blessing here.

I have a bad habit of explaining everything, in detail. Sometimes I don't realize how wordy I really am. I'm not sure if it's because I've been shut in for so long, or the fact that I type over 100 wpm, or my mind races faster than my chubby little fingers can type or that I need information & details from others and it's my way of giving what I want or expect. Each step of this journey since November I learned a little bit more and a little bit more and I really truly feel like I would have loved for someone at the medical group I am with to actually lay it all out, step-by-step so that there are no shocks or surprises. I noticed today that when I post or answer someone's post or question that I use a whole lot of words and use a lot of details to get to the point and it sort of made me laugh. I probably am like this in real life, because I talk almost as fast as I type, but not as fast as my brain races. I have a habit of blurting everything out pretty quick. I am sure it's kind of annoying to some people, but it's the way my weirdly wired brain works. For those of you that don't mind my novels and can actually get through any of my LONG posts, thank you for your patience.

Oh gosh, I had something like this similar happen to me recently, I was told I need a H-Pylori breath test done, but before I had it, I would need 2 weeks off my prilosec first. My surgery is June 4th. Biggest issue is, if I had the H-Pylori bacteria, I would have had to go on 14 day antibiotic treatment first, which would have postponed surgery and everyone has taken off for the surgery already. Luckily, they switched the breath test to a blood test, and I tested Negative. Sending prayers that the blood work will be on time. They are probably doing a Blood Type test and a clot test, to see how fast your blood clots, which only takes a day to get back, so it should be in the next morning, especially if you are having it done at the same place you are having surgery. Best of luck t o you.

Congrats and good luck.

I have been on a diet since November and tonight was my last dinner before I start pre-op shakes on Monday. I had Steak, some vegetable fried rice, a few sips of Miso Soup, a tiny sald at House of Kobe a Japanese steak house. Tomorrow I will be careful with what I eat, because if I overeat tomorrow it will make Monday's 3 shakes only brutal. We are not allowed any solid food for 14 days prior to surgery, just 3 pre-packaged shakes that we add Water to, decaff tea, crystal light or sugar free popsicles/jello. I can do this!!!

Good luck to you. I think if you stick to it strict now you should be fine. I'm starting to get a little nervous about my start of the pre-op shakes. Monday starts my 14 days of 3 shakes, sugar-free jello/sugar-free popsicles (both have aspartame which cause me headaches) and decaff tea & crystal light. I was provided 42 individual packed shake mixes. I was advised very strongly by surgeon & preop nurse to follow it to the T. I have lost 60 already pre-op since November, but today my son and husband treated me to a nice dinner. It was my last hurrah before Monday. I had a Protein shake for Breakfast, a little bit of Isopure to taste for lunch, I exercised about 45 minutes and tonight we went out to House of Kobe a Japanese Steak Hibachi house and I had a little fried rice for the first time, steak and even a little peppermint ice cream. I feel a bit stuffed though I only ate about 10% of my rice and just a little ice cream. I'm going to try to get more cardio in tonight and tomorrow I'm going to eat light so Monday isn't so brutal on me. I pray the next 14 days go quick. Again, good luck.

Ah, I wish I could handle sweet 'n low, equal or splenda. I have to be careful and though I will have a crystal light now and then, if I drink or eat more than one thing a day that has sugar substitutes it gives me a migraine and many of them cause me belly aches. This is pre-surgery...ugh. I have been able to handle the Truvia though, but it's really pretty expensive. I wish the price would drop and more things were made with it.

Besides being a paralegal, I also have my cosmetology license. hair loss can happen at about 3-4 months out. It doesn't mean you are going to go straight up bald though. Your hair may become more fine, and it may break a little easier, etc. To combat that, make sure you get your Protein and Water in and you take your Multivitamins daily (I am going to use Optisource Chewables 4x's a day, sublingual b12 and Biotin. Biotin has been proven to help brittle hair & nails. In combination with the protein, and keeping yourself dehydrated, it's a good tool to help you. The reason why at 3-4 months this happens is just like what happens to your fingernails if you get sick, you don't notice them become brittle with ridges and waves until it grows out to a certain length, just like hair. Surgery itself is hard on the body, but you can do things before and after to lessen the affects of it. It stands to reason that perhaps if you can skip blow drying, curling, straightening your hair once in a while, that will help out. Also make sure if you go swimming to deep condition before you go, use a leave in conditioner, do some deep conditioning treatments. I also suggest try to avoid harsh hair clips, rubber bands and hats during for the first months. Not saying you can't get your hair done and do all this, but be gentle on your hair when you can and get your protein and water in.