Bufflehead

I used to have to buy a second seat whenever I flew. Asking for a seat belt extender was the least of my problems! When I get tempted by sweets and nutrition-free carby foods now I make myself remember exactly how it felt when I had to explain to ticket agents and flight attendants that I was boarding with an "extra seat." Ugh!

Definitely sign up for pre-check, that is about the best $80 I ever spent. Also, make sure you join the frequent flyer program of every airline you fly on. Enrolling in pre-check doesn't guarantee you'll get pre-check status for every flight, and being in the frequent flyer program really increases your odds on that front.

You definitely need to talk to your surgeon. With the tubes that go into your mouth and down your throat during general anesthesia, the health of your mouth and teeth is vital information for your medical team.

I did not have anyone at home with me and did not need anyone. I am glad I was alone -- I didn't want anyone interrupting my naps, disrupting my habits, annoying me while I was trying to read or watch tv or whatever.

I agree, blowing 300 calories on a protein shake maybe not the best way to keep satisfied. You could eat 9 ounces of chicken breast instead!

First, your stomach is still healing from surgery and may not be sending proper signals to your brain. So, measure/weigh your food and stick with that for now instead of expecting a physical sensation. Runny foods like egg whites may not engage your pyloric valve and go right through anyway, so again, you may not feel full until you are eating more solid foods. Don't look for your old feeling of "full" -- that may never come back. Watch for a feeling of slight pressure or tightness and stop immediately when you feel it. Also, look for emotional/psychological cues about losing interest in food. If you get to the point of burping, hiccuping, runny nose -- you've eaten too much and are irritating your vagus nerve. Take note of how much you ate and make sure to eat less next time. Chasing "full" is part of what got me morbidly obese, so I have worked very hard to just let go of that idea. Instead, I look for satisfied.

@@rhansen7 I'm glad you were able to get it checked out and that they have a plan for getting you better. But I am so sorry you are going through all of this. I hope it does get better soon.

No, as long as you stay within your calorie range you'll still lose. Your kidneys will get rid of the extra fluids.

I don't even remember most of the stuff you are talking about it. It seriously isn't a big deal for the vast majority of people. Remember, they give you drugs to calm you down pre-op and for things like endoscopy so you really won't care much then. Post-op, they load you up with high quality pain killers. Take your prescribed pain killers as long as you need them and you will be fine. PS what is really painful is what comes as the long-term result of morbid obesity. Try having a heart attack or just walking on severely arthritic knees for the rest of your life. THAT is painful and there really isn't any medication to fix it particularly well.

If apple sauce is allowed on your plan, it isn't "cheating." Apple sauce was not allowed on my plan on full liquids (or even on purees, because it is so high sugar, high carb, and low protein) so if I had done it, it would have been breaking the rules of my plan. I hate the word "cheating" for going off-plan btw. Cheating is doing something wrong in order to gain an advantage and better your position. Going off plan does not gain any advantage or put you in a better position, it's an act of self-sabotage.

How many calories and carbs are you getting in each day? If that's on track, I would say, just stay off the scale for a few weeks and when you get back on, you'll very likely find the stall broken. Exercise has very little to do with weight loss -- food intake is much more important. http://www.vox.com/2016/4/28/11518804/weight-loss-exercise-myth-burn-calories

When it was time to stop losing weight. Seriously, I've been around wls message boards for a long time and "I started eating crackers" is about the most common way I've seen to start off the posts that are headlined something like "Help! I've started gaining weight again!" No one actually needs crackers. The only thing they are good for is adding more calories (and cravings) into your diet. My advice -- stay far away, at least until you are well into maintenance.

lol, I would have had to forge a letter from a "support person" as I didn't have one. Maybe I would have written one from "Ellie" (my dog), she was my biggest support system.

I think most doctors do it because the acidity is tough on the healing, tiny stomach. Don't let anyone tell you it has to do with dehydration, that's a myth (at least for people who are used to coffee, it doesn't have any sort of a dehydrating effect). I think it can also be a big source of liquid calories (terrible idea) unless you drink it black. It is hard, ngl! I went three months post-op without coffee and then reintegrated it back into my diet. I always drink my coffee black so it doesn't harm my calorie or carb counts for the day. I drink more black coffee than anything else -- I rarely drink just plain water -- and I am happy and healthy and hydrated

It's definitely better to rely on measured portions, IMO, than a physical signal. If you get to the point where you are getting a runny nose or hiccups, it means you have crammed your tiny stomach so full of food that you have irritated the vagus nerve, which runs across the top of the stomach. Eating so much you are suffering from nerve irritation might not work so well long term. For me, the old pleasantly satisfied feeling of being full is gone, I guess forever. When I am not sticking with pre-measured portions -- for example, at a restaurant -- I watch for a slight feeling of pressure in my chest. When I feel that, I stop immediately. Earlier on, having had enough food was more of an emotional response than a physical one. I would just at some point not want to eat any more. The feeling I look for now is not "full" but "satisfied." Eating until "full" is part of what got me to morbidly obese, so it is a habit I have worked very hard to break.

Yes, you do need to demand something . . . I would demand in-person follow-up. Maybe you have a stricture?

Call your surgeon's office, explain what happened, and see what they want you to do. If you had surgery out of the country, call your PCP or go to an urgent care center if you don't have a PCP.

myfitnesspal

Immersion blenders are super easy to use and clean, and they are MUCH cheaper than bullet type blenders. On the other hand, they really don't handle ice well, so if that's important to you, go with the bullet. You can get good deals on EBay.

When can we go swimming after surgery? I am going to the beach in mid-July which will be about a month after my surgery. Will I be able to swim? Definitely a question for your surgeon -- their advice tends to vary and you want to check in with yours specifically.

I have some family medical history that makes the sleeve a better choice for me. Otherwise, complications with the bypass are minimal and I would have likely chosen the bypass.

I told my employer after I had been approved but before I had been scheduled with a firm date. I knew the general range of when it would be, though. I did not tell them what kind of surgery, just "surgery." I was out for two weeks from my desk job -- it probably would have been better for me to take three, I was still pretty exhausted and out of it at two weeks.

1. I have read that gas pains are pretty severe after surgery. Is there anything I can do before surgery, or during recovery, to help alleviate the gas pain? Some people have recommended gas relief strips, while others have said they don't work. Also, people keep mentioning shoulder pain with gas pain? Can someone explain this to me? Before surgery, no. Recovery: WALK and WALK MORE. When you are not walking, sit upright -- do not lie down unless you are asleep. Try to be sitting in a rocker or glider and rock back and forth. When you rock forward, cross your arms across your abdomen and lean forward into the rock. My surgeon said gas x type strips and meds are useless: they are formulated to relieve the symptoms of intestinal gas, which is a completely different thing than surgical gas. Surgical gas is placed into your body cavity (not your digestive tract) to blow everything up and make maneuvering around easier. The surgeon will try to get as much out as possible before closing you up, but at least a little will usually linger. This gas tends to migrate up -- towards the shoulder, top of the back, and neck areas, which is what causes you pain there. Heating pads on the affected area can help make you feel better too. 2. I have also read that constipation after surgery is a real pain in the ass (pun intended). I read somewhere that maybe taking stool softeners a day or two before surgery would help soften it up for after surgery. Can anyone attest to that? I didn't suffer in that area so I can't really speak to it -- but my instinct says leave well enough alone. Some people suffer from diarrhea after surgery, and taking stool softeners would just make that situation worse if you are going to end up that way. Just keep on top of the situation, and if it's been a few days, get started on the stool softeners and Milk of Magnesia before you end up impacted and having a stranger's fingers having to dig you clean in the ER. 3. How soon after surgery can we start to have sex again? Of course I will be asking my doctor as well, but would like an estimate. Also, how soon after surgery can I have oral sex with my hubby? I know we aren't supposed to drink out of straws after surgery, and that "act" is sucking. Would that cause any issues, or should I wait to do that? (Sorry, I know, very personal) You can have sex whenever you feel up to it. Just be careful if your abdomen is sore and make sure you use positions that don't hurt you. As for the second part of that question, as a gay woman, that's the last thing I'm qualified to answer so I'll leave it to the experts (definitely not me). 4. For the first two weeks after surgery, what should I stock up on? Right now, I love Premier Protein shakes. I like all three flavors, so I will be getting that. I also just ordered a sample pack of unjury to see if I like that as well. I know I'll also need broths/bouillon. I'll also be making sure I get my Water in, which is a struggle for me since I am never thirsty (unless I'm eating something salty). Any tips on that? I found "diet" cranberry juice blends were good -- the tartness was welcomed in place of so much other sickeningly sweet stuff. Likewise, V8 -- if you have trouble with sodium-sensitive blood pressure you would want to watch your intake there, and use the low sodium variety, but otherwise it's a good option. G2, Powerade Zero, Lifewater Zero, and Hubert's Diet Lemonade were also good choices for me that helped. 5. Do I need a wedge pillow? Some people have recommended it. I didn't need one, but I can see that it could be helpful. 6. Last but not least, any last minute tips? Do's and Don'ts? Anything that you wish you had known before surgery, or anything you think is worth mentioning? Don't overpack for the hospital. You don't need stuff like a robe or PJ's or whatever, just use the gowns they give you. If you are more comfortable wearing a bra, get a soft, cotton, fasten-in-front leisure bra (no underwire!) or two for use in the hospital and a few weeks after -- many surgeons will leave you with an incision right at the bra line and believe me you don't want an underwire or even a regular bra pressing up against it. Good luck!

I used Wellesse liquid mutlivitamins for the first several weeks. They taste fine to me, but better if kept in the fridge. You can also dilute them with something like G2 or Powerade Zero or even water if the taste is too strong. The best deal I found was on Amazon, especially if you have Prime and can get free shipping. I took one regular dose in the morning and one in the evening, to end up with a double dose for the day. My labs were always excellent.

@@LMSWNYC I am sorry, I never kept track on a weekly or monthly basis of weight lost. I figured that would make me unhappy because I would always feel like I wasn't doing as well as I could in terms of speed of weight loss, and I knew that what I should be focusing on was how well I was complying with my plan (what I can control) not how fast I was losing weight (which I cannot control).