makemyownluck

hi! I'm getting sleeved May 2nd. I'm not a vegetarian. However, I cook a lot with meatless products simply because I'm sort of germ phobic about having raw meat in my house. So I limit what I cook with meat-wise at home, but I don't exclude it from my diet completely. I also have a good friend who is vegan, so I've learned a lot of alternative methods to make things meatless so we can have dinner parties. I plan to get most of my Protein from dairy and Protein Shakes. I'm hoping my tastes don't change too drastically because I actually don't mind the shakes and they are a very convenient way to get the protein you need. I take it from your list that you're not vegan. If that's the case, it shouldn't be too much more challenging for you to get your protein than it is for any other sleever.

maybe get some unflavored powder that you can add to anything, like Jello, homemade ice pops made with crystal light - you could also use strawberry powder for either of those. unflavored could also go into soups/broths. i just stocked up for post op also (I start my 2 week liquid diet on thursday), and it included gauze, tape, some anti-septic spray, gas-x strips, biotene mouth spray, milk of magnesia, liquid imodium and chewable Fiber. I also went online and ordered all my post op supplements/vitamins as well. I'M READY! (I think)

just ordered the sample pack from bjbariatrics yesterday. and i got 2 tubs of unflavored nectar from amazon yesterday as well. I've been using the body fortress brand strawberry, and I really like it with some crystal light lemonade or raspberry lemonade. i start my preop liquid diet on thursday... May 2nd is getting closer and closer!! i'm really looking forward to trying the nectar, they have some yummy sounding flavors!

THANK YOU for the tips on the coffee flavored drinks. I've been using a RTD vanilla shake in lieu of creamer for now, but it's not ideal. I got this case of these shakes and I don't particularly like them, so this is the best way I can use them without wasting the money! I'm going to try the sample pack from Big Train. Syntrax Nectar makes an unflavored powder also, I got mine on Amazon. They offer a lower price if you sign up to have an auto shipment - and you can specify if it's every month, 2 months, 3 months, and so on. I think it's $16 or so for a 1lb tub. They offer all the Syntrax flavors as well. I also get Body Fortress brand from Walmart. $16 or so bucks per can. They have a tasty chocolate peanut butter flavor. I also like their strawberry powder mixed with crystal light lemonade. I just ordered some liquid biotin that I'll be adding in with this drink also. It's cherry or berry flavored (not sure which), and I got that from Puritan's Pride. Thanks for sharing all your ideas/tips and things you've learned!

I had it on my diet diary every time I saw my NUT and she never told me to curb it. I agree with other posters that it will depend on how you tolerate it after surgery. Just like anything else, if you can tolerate it, then have it. You won't be able to drink as much as pre-op anyway. I think the biggest concern within a month of surgery is that you don't want to drink a diuretic during that time since getting your fluids in is hard enough right after surgery. I do still plan to drink coffee, but I'll switch to decaf for a month after surgery, then half caf, then back to regular, as I can tolerate.

I'm wondering if I should bring my cell phone? I would love to play my games or catch up on celebrity gossip and these boards, but from what it sounds like, I'll be too drugged up and sleepy to do any of that... should I bring it? or my ipod?

Well, we have different tastes, but I definitely agree that uptempo is best. I'm not a Top 40 person, either, this is more hip-hop/dancy stuff. Here's some of what's on mine: Drake - The Motto KP & Envyi - Shorty Swing My Way Deee-Lite - Grove is in the Heart Kylie Minogue - Love at First Sight Rihanna - SOS, S&M Beyonce - End of Time, Naughty Girl Robyn - None of Dem, Get Myself Together JJ Fad - Supersonic Salt N Pepa - Push It

haha, hair in a towel! Great job!

I get veggie chips, they are sold by regular chips and are wayyyy better on carbs. single serve bags are (per bag) 130 calories, 7g fat, 10 carbs and 1g Protein. And considering post-sleeve you can probably only eat 1/4 of the bag, that's not too shabby when compared to cheetos and potato chips. They make these in chips or straw form - both are good. The chips remind me of munchos, if you've ever had those.

silk makes an unsweetened almond milk that's not bad: 1 cup = 30 cals, 2.5 grams of fat, <1 carb, <1 dietary Fiber and 1 Protein. silk's unflavored light soy milk has 60 cals, 1.5 grams of fat, 5g carbs, 1g dietary fiber/3g sugars and 6 grams of protein, by comparison. I'd rather take the extra gram of fat and skip the carbs and calories, especially if I'm using this for a Protein shake anyway. With that info in mind, which one do you think is better? (i'm a newbie to this, would like some input - also, I don't drink milk currently, so non-dairy options are what I'm interested in)

My MD and my NUT totally have different post-op plans. I called my NUT on this conflicting info and she said that you just need to go slow and only have as much as you can tolerate, so time frames aren't AS important as pacing yourself and going slowly to judge how your stomach is going to react. This response seemed completely reasonable to me. It's hard to get an exact answer on this, every surgeon has different plans - as do different NUTs. But it's your body. Try a tiny bite and see how you do. If you react badly, then you know to wait a few more days to try again. Personally, I'd try the almond milk before the cream of wheat, but I'm pre-op, so what the heck do I know? lol Good luck!

the reason is because nsaids cause ulcers, and with a reduced stomach, it's much more likely to do damage. hopefully with weight loss, you won't need pain medication as much, or at least milder medications will be more helpful. My date is May 2nd. WOOOO HOOOOOO!

that's awesome. When I told my mom I wanted this surgery, she told me she had been thinking about getting the band. I've tried to steer her away from that as gently as possible, but I know she's curious to see how I do with surgery before she makes any decision. I hope to be by her side if she makes this choice too! What a wonderful thing to go through together!! Good luck to her! and to you too!

http://www.bcbs.com/why-bcbs/blue-distinction/blue-distinction-bariatric/bluedistinctionbariatric.pdf that's a list of approved providers, and I just realized Rush University (where my surgery is happening) isn't on that list. Uh oh. Better make some calls tomorrow... Here's the list: Centegra Hospital Woodstock Woodstock Little Company of Mary Evergreen Park Memorial Medical Center Springfield NorthShore University HealthSystem Evanston Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago Silver Cross Hospital New Lenox St Alexius Medical Center Hoffman Estates University of Chicago Medical Center Chicago University of Illinois Medical Center Chicago

looking so cute!! when was your surgery?

My surgery date is May 2nd, I start liquids on the 18th. I'm dreading this more than the actual surgery! (kinda) I plan to exercise. The weather has improved so much in Chicagoland in the last week that I plan to go walking the trails at a local park. I go to the gym early in the morning because I hate going after work when it's super crowded. I can hit up the trails in the afternoon. And I can resume learning guitar at night! I also plan to get a good puzzle to work on.

I'm an ex-smoker of cigarettes, and I encourage you to quit. I'm sure you've heard plenty of lectures, so I'll spare you. As Mickey said, lots of surgeons will test you for nicotine to make sure you've quit. It will slow down your recovery and make you way more susceptible to post-op complications, like blood clots - which could easily kill you, even MONTHS after surgery. Try to embrace this change for a new, healthy lifestyle by giving it up completely. But if you can't do that long-term, you simply HAVE to give it up in the short term for this surgery. Try the e-cigs if you reallllly have to have a cigar a month (or much longer, if you can) post-op. You'll really do yourself a favor if you quit, tho. (maybe this did turn into a QUIT SMOKING lecture, after all. sorry bout that! lol) They do make nicotine-free e-cigs. The testing they do to make sure you've quit is looking for nicotine, so that might work if you absolutely have to have something to puff on. Good luck!

It's actually normal to gain/lose that much from day to day. You can be more or less hydrated, have gas, maybe ate more salt the day before... this is why it's better NOT to weigh yourself every single day. I know it's tempting, but don't go there. Use it for informational purposes only - not daily validation that your diet is working. Do what you're supposed to with diet and exercise all week, then see what you've accomplished at the end of the week. If you do it weekly, you'll see your progress more clearly and you won't frustrate yourself seeing the day to day or even hour to hour changes your body goes through. Using it every day creates an emotional attachment to that number, to feeling the success every day or disappointment when it doesn't change or goes up a little, and that's not what the scale should be used for. Good luck!

You look SO FANTASTIC!! great, great job with the weight loss! If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? Your before pic looks a LOT like I do right now, and I'm so concerned with loose skin. You look really good, tho - just curious how you're doing with that. I think age plays a huge factor and I just can't decide if 32 is "old" when it comes to this.

I've read numerous times that the Protein "shots" are no good. They have protein from Gelatin or collagen which are not absorbed the same way as whey protein. Protein powders are NOT regulated by the FDA, so these companies can use a very small amount of whey protein, then call it 42g of whey protein w/o penalties. So you have to be very careful with what you're using. Atkins shakes are lower in protein than a lot of other good options. My NUT specifically told me not to use those, or Ensure or Special K shakes, they have too much sugar and not enough protein. Body Fortress powder comes in a variety of flavors and can be found at Walmart for $16. unjury can be purchased online and has unflavored and chicken Soup flavored powders so you can have more variety, those sell for $20-23 per container. Premier shakes are sold ready-to-drink at costco and Sams and have 30g protein per container. Any of these would be a better source of protein than the Atkins shakes. Good luck to you, I hope you find something that meets your needs!

Take some Vitamin C, Zinc, Echinacea and drink some tea... REST UP!! Don't let the sickness get you!! Hope you're feeling better soon and can still have surgery as planned!

Hey guys! I'm making my list and checking it twice for my post-op Vitamins. I've been using a complete Multivitamin for years, but it's a huge pill, so I need to switch to something chewable. I've looked at gummy vitamins at the store, but they are expensive for what you get. Considering my normal vitamins are $8 for a 3 month supply, paying $10 for a one month supply is outrageous to me, and what I've looked they have less vitamins per serving that my current generic vitamins. But looking around, I'm just getting confused about what I need to be taking, and where to get the most for my money... So, please, tell me what you're taking, where you get it and how much it costs. I'm a 32 year old female, what do I need to take? Here's what I was planning for: A multivitamin Biotin B-12 sublingual Calcium with Vitamin D I'd also like suggestions for the calcium/vit D, because I'm not taking that currently, so I don't know what to look for or how much to take. Do I have to take chewables forever? Or can I go back to my pills when I'm fully healed from surgery? Thanks all for the input!

Congrats! I had about the same recovery time you said when I had my gall bladder removed a few years ago, so I'm glad to hear that this will be very similar recovery. I remember it took me about 2 wks to actually lay in my bed again, I had to sleep on a chair nearly upright for a while. There's really no comparison to a good nights sleep in your own bed! I'm glad you're back to being comfortable again!

Welcome!! I'm getting sleeved May 2nd! It's been a long road for me, lots of issues with insurance at first, but then I switched insurance and it's been smooth sailing. I've had surgery before (gall bladder removed 2006, laparoscopic) so I'm not too concerned with the surgery itself. Like you, I'm nervous about all the permanent changes to come, but so excited to see the weight finally come off!! I've never been skinny, so I have no idea what that even looks like on me. I can't wait to be able to shop for clothing because I LIKE IT and not just buy things because they actually FIT. Good luck to you! We're on our way!!!

nice! LOVE your hair color, btw.