lollyfidy1965

My initial leak test didn't work, because my sleeve was swollen shut completely. The following day, however, additional X-rays showed that some of the due had moved through, an there was no I indication of a leak.

Its nice to find someone "from home"! Be warned...the liquid Zantac has a strong flavor to it...not quite sure how to describe it. LOL When I take it, I follow it with my applesauce/Actigall mix, and the applesauce cleans the taste from my mouth in one bite. Its not as bad as liquid Colace (which was truly revolting), but its definitely a face twister. LOL

You might try the Prevacid solutabs, instead of pills...they dissolve quickly in your mouth, and are orange flavored (not hideous).

Zantac is available in a liquid, and Prevacid is available in a "solutab" (orange flavored). I don't know about others. (I take both Zantac and Prevacid, and have had no issues with acid since starting the cocktail.) The Actigall I mix in unsweetened applesauce, and can't taste anything from the medicine (I use 1/3 of an individually packed cup of applesauce with each dose of Actigall.) Check with your pharmacist about liquid/chewable/solutab options for prescription meds....he/she should be able to tell you if they're available. (Walgreens has been very helpful to me.) Best of luck! Laura

Find out whether or not you are, definitely, and call your surgeon and dietician if you are. I wish you the best

At almost 12 weeks post-op, I'm averaging between 550 and 650 calories a day. My protein intake is between 80 and 90 grams/day. I still supplement with a protein shake every morning (chocolate Muscle Milk lite...only 100 calories in 8 oz, and 15 grams protein), and have a Gelatein 20 every day or two (4 oz has just 88 calories, and 20 grams of protein). The majority of what I eat, throughout the day, is protein based, because my capacity is still relatively limited (I can only eat around 2 oz of dense protein (meat) at a time). If I manage to get 2 oz of meat down, I may have a couple small bites of a non-starchy veggie....I never make it to anything starchy.

If anything, my taste buds are crazy sensitive to flavors, since my surgery. Bland things taste beyond blah. Sweet things are revolting (even simple carbs, like rice or bread). Flavorful/savory things taste amazingly good. Plain chicken does nothing for me...but add a little teriyaki marinade, and I'm all in! What are you mixing your crushed meds in? I use unsweetened applesauce, and haven't had any problems with the meds overtaking the flavor of the applesauce. Perhaps you could mix them in something with a little more flavor...sugar-free Jello, or tuna salad, etc. I hope you find a solution fast! Laura

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Hmmm....you certainly COULD do this...but, in my experience (and with my nose and taste buds, which are running in hyper-drive since surgery), I'm thinking the applesauce might not have enough flavor to cover the "yeasty" flavor/smell of the unflavored protein. Perhaps you could doctor it up with a little cinnamon, to give it a little more flavor? It'd be worth a try....but buy a sample of the unflavored powder to try, before investing in the mumbo jumbo bucket. LOL Also....and forgive me if I'm stating the obvious...make sure your applesauce is unsweetened. Laura

Hello, fellow Bostonian!! Congrats on your new journey! Laura (Arlington, MA)

I ordered mine from the manufacturer....www.unjury.com

Not in your hands.... ;-P

I've found the unflavored Unjury works in just about anything that has its own flavor....soups (cream of tomato, beef broth, chicken consommé, etc), hot tea, hot coffee...its all good...as long as the mixer has a relatively strong flavor. I do really like the chicken broth-flavored Unjury powder...particularly if its mixed in chicken broth, instead of water. Just remember....make sure the liquid is less than 130 degrees (F) before mixing the powder in..otherwise you get protein goop! LOL

My surgery date was June 19th. I was in the hospital the first week post-op, and have lost 50.8 pounds since the 26th (I was jacked full of IV fluids the first week post-op, so I start my timer from the 26th, when I got home). My total weight loss (from my highest weight, at the end of March) is 103 pounds! Yay us!!

check with your pharmacist to see if any are available in chewable or liquid form. If they are capsules, can you open them and mix the content in something like unsweetened applesauce. (I do this with one of my meds...Actigall...it works well, and doesn't taste bad at all.) Everything I take is either chewable or liquid (except for the Actigall). When discussing meds with my dr, that is the first question I ask...is it available in liquid or chewable/solutab/sublingual form, or can it be dumped, or crushed, and mixed in applesauce). Your pharmacist will be able to tell you if something can be crushed, opened and mixed, etc.

I have had many people ask me, directly, about how I've lost so much weight so quickly. (Do you think they wouldn't wonder how I've dropped 100+ pounds in a couple months???) I have been very honest in responding...partly because I want to help dispel the stigmas associated with having WLS. I am very clear about HOW I've lost the weight though....I've worked hard at the gym, each and every day, and I've been eating between 550 and 650 calories/day since my surgery. The surgery itself didn't make me lose weight. My behaviors (both before and after surgery) have caused me to lose weight. People seem to understand that the surgery wasn't a "quick fix" when I go into the detail behind my behavior changes. And, at the end of the day, people are amazed that I've lost so much...and thrilled for me to be getting healthier. That's all that really matters. Best of luck! Laura

Yep! I have!! Congrats!

The day following my surgery I was taken for a leak test. My sleeve was so inflamed, the dye wasn't able to move into the sleeve...at all! I was taken back to my room, the NG tube was reinserted (for another 4 days), and was given the time needed for the inflammation to resolve. When the NG tube was removed (the second time) I was able to sip Water with no problem, and was sent home 1.5 days later. This does not mean that you have a leak. It means that the lining of your sleeve is inflamed, and needs to be given time to heal.

If you're not drinking Protein, how are you getting enough protein every day? Have you had your diet advanced to eat solid foods already?? (I was still on full liquids at 8 weeks post-op.) At nearly 12 weeks post-op, I'm not able to eat enough "real" food to reach my minimum protein intake for a day. I still supplement with chocolate Muscle Milk lite, and Gelatein 20, every day. The short answer to your question is...yes, it IS harmful to not get adequate amounts of protein every day (75-90 grams/day for me). And, yes, it IS harmful to attempt getting your protein from sources you've not yet been cleared to consume. If you're cleared for solid food, then its fine, as long as you're able to consume enough to meet minimum protein levels.

This is another example of different surgeons giving different information. Mine instructs to not attempt any pills/tablets/capsules for at least a year. Personally, it'll probably be a lot longer than that before I try something that isn't chewable, sublingual, or liquid. I hope you find a solution!

As with everything on here, it seems every surgeon/nutritionist has their own approach to things. I've been taking the sublingual for 11 weeks now, and my B12 level (drawn yesterday) was 1056 (the high end of "normal" is 900). No problem at all.

YAY!!!

I started a sublingual B12 (from Celebrate) when I came home from the hospital. At first I was taking at night, so I didn't notice much difference. When I switched and started taking it first thing in the morning (along with my chewable Flintstones Complete), I noticed a definitely increase in my energy during the day! My vitamin "snack" is the first thing I do when I stand up in the morning...never miss a dose!

I keep my carbs below 30 grams/day, and have beautifully steady weight loss since surgery (June 19th). I found a Lean Cuisine yesterday...steak portobello with broccoli...that was really quite good! AND...it had no noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, etc...no garbage starchy carbs in it at all! It was 160 calories, with 16 grams of protein, and 12 grams of carbs (from the broc, and whatever they used to thicken the gravy)...and it was more than enough for a meal (it took me an hour to finish it LOL). THAT kind of Lean Cuisine is, in my opinion, fine. Its been recommended to me (by both my surgeon and nutritionist) to avoid anything with starchy foods (the rices, potatoes, noodles, etc), so most of the "quickie" meals (like Lean Cuisine, and even the Weight Watchers choices) are off-limits for me. I will be getting more of the one I tried yesterday, though!

I, too, was told no soda (or any carbonated beverage) ever again. Not a big deal for me, since most diet sodas are sweetened with aspartame, and I'm unable to eat/drink anything with that nasty chemical in it. (It gives me wicked bad migraines.) I do miss Jones' diet cherry soda (sweetened with splenda), but not bad enough to risk the issues outlined by my surgeon (see AKSleever's response...I got the same information). Develop a taste for something else....I love 4C flavor packets in bottled water, and enjoy both decaf hot tea, and coffee, much more than before surgery.