imagine.dream.inspire

Has anyone else experience redness/dryness around their incisions? I do not think that I have an infection but it seems like the skin is irritated. I am wondering if it is the tape. Its itchy and a little painful. Edit: Forgot to mention that I still have the surgical tape over my incisions and I've been instructed to change the dressings from the incision where my drain was. That is where I have the irritation. Its not on the area but around it. Could I be allergic to the adhesive?

Thanks everyone. The skin all around is still irritated. Seems to be drying out so now it is itchy. I switched to paper tape and that makes a huge difference. It was starting to hurt with the regular tape already. It was sticking to my skin hard and leaving me red. I am going to apply some neosporin on the irritated parts (not near the incisions) to see if that helps healing. Don't want to end up with marks either.

My doctor has me on clear liquids for 10 days, thick liquids for 10 days, soft foods for 10 days and then solids after that.

I've been using regular plates and utensils but just today was thinking that I need a small bowl and plate. Eating is partly visual for me and seeing the smaller plates fuller will make me feel like I am eating a good size portion when in reality it is a small portion. Of course I am going to listen to the physical cues from my stomach but it is also mental for me.

I was the same way. I felt so swollen that it felt uncomfortable. It was from the gas that they pumped into me during surgery. In a way they inflate your belly to get better visuals and be able to work around. It will go away soon enough though.

I make my own broth. For chicken.....water, chicken thighs with skin & bone, cilantro, chayote, zucchini, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, tomato bouillon, small amount of tomato sauce....I cook it slow until the fat melts and all the flavors combine and then I strain it. Same with beef soup except instead of the chicken thighs I use shank w/bone and marrow. Sometimes i'll replace the tomato sauce with some bay leaf and oregano, especially if I am making a seafood broth. I simmer shrimp tails first before adding in veggies. The key for me is cooking everything slowly for a long time. I like homemade stuff a lot better but I do have a few backups. I went to walmart and was able to find miso soup in their asian section. Also egg drop soup mix which you are supposed to add an egg to but you can have it without. It has 3 small individual packs per packet. I also got some ramen soup and took out the seasoning packets. They are very salty so I used only a small amount. These are my backups.

That is good to hear. I hope I encounter some supportive men. I never knew how many people had WLS until I started to browse ObesityHelp. It was eye opening.

How long should I wait before I reintroduce lemon juice and hot sauce? I am on thin liquids right now. My doctor said that I could drink natural vegetable juice. I am really loving it but it would be yummier with lemon. Do you think it would be OK to use a small amount or would it be too soon? How about hot sauce? (Mild, not too spicy, something like Tapatio) Would that be pushing it?

Thank You. I added some lemon and a very small amount of hot sauce to my vegetable juice today and my stomach seemed OK with it. :biggrin0:

I didn't poop right away. What with fasting the day before surgery and then no Water (or food) the day of surgery until the following day. After that you'll be lucky if you can get down 1/2 of the liquids they bring you. Not much to, umm, poop out. :biggrin0: I can't imagine wiping the day of/after surgery. My stomach was so bloated from the gas they pump you with and so sore. I didn't even attempt to the first time I had to go and instead used the removable shower head to help with cleaning the area. They had administered a blue dye the day prior for a leak test and then the day after gave me solution for a 2nd leak test. That did it for me and gave me blue diarrhea. LOL I didn't go again (had no need to) until I got home and by then I was able to go back to wiping normally. I just make sure to be careful since my incisions are still closing (inside and out)

I hope that I do not experience hair loss. As it is I already lose a lot of hair and my hair thinned out from unbalanced hormones. My hair is fine already. Can't imagine that it could get worse. I think at that point I might start to show my scalp! Not good at all. Extensions anyone? Will make sure to eat all my Protein and start taking my Biotin again.

Welcome. :biggrin0:

Was pointing it out in case anyone wanted to do a search for them and the different flavor combination tried/tested. There are lots of websites/blogs of people who have used the oopsie rolls in Desserts and very creative recipes. People searching would yield more results with the name that they are more commonly known as. That is all. Was just trying to be helpful.

That is wonderful. Congratulations. :tongue_smilie:

Wow I had no clue about alcohol. My doctor didn't mention alcohol at all. Are we supposed to avoid it? I am not a regular drinking and only drink a few times a year but when I drink, lol, well, I DRINK! :tongue_smilie: I assume that is not something I can do anymore? What about 1 mixed drink. Would that be OK? I only do mixed drinks.

These are called "oopsie rolls" They are a variation of Atkin's revolutionary rolls The person who came up with them made a mistake while trying to make revo rolls that its why they got named OOPSIE rolls. Lol.

I haven't heard of it but will pay attention next time. I honestly never feel full/stuffed or like my sleeve can't take in anymore. Its quiet the opposite and I worry that I can take in more liquid when compared to others. 2 oz in 15 minutes is way too little for me. I could probably do double that. I try to do it slowly because I have to and I don't want to mess with my sleeve but its just not cutting it for me right now. I know it'll be different when I get to solids. I might feel fuller then. As of now, its not happening. I don't try to see how much it would take for me to feel full though. Don't want to play with fire.

Thanks. I'll look the hypo-allergenic tape. :tongue_smilie: My skin is just irritated all around from the tape I use now. Some of the areas are drying up as well and that causes itching. The redness is the painful part. Its tolerable but enough to notice. More like a sting.

I confess that I am missing solid food and am obsessing about eating and even considered chewing food and spitting it out. I haven't and am still on thin liquids. Sticking to it.

Thank you. I do think it is the adhesive on the tape that is causing a reaction. I was inspecting my skin in the mirror and the pattern follows that of the tape.

Count me in. Plain water feels too rough going down. I do better when I drink the water mixed with crystal light.

I can't imagine drinking a regular shake either. What I do is use a lot less Water. I dissolve the Protein powder in a small amount of water and then add a little more water and sip sip sip. On average I am using only 4 oz of water and drinking it over a 30 minute period.

You have to sip all day basically. I have yet to reach 64 oz. I did try to get in the protein grams my doctor asked me to but I just couldn't since I am suddenly very sensitive to smell after surgery. I have since stopped worrying about it and just focused on walking, resting, and drinking water. Since I am past day 5 I am also now allowed to have flavored protein with water. That is how I get my protein now.

Are you ready to make the necessary changes after surgery not only with habits but psychologically? Can you commit to it for a lifetime? Do you know why you gained weight and (if emotional) are you ready to deal with it? Ask yourself that. And based on the answer, that tells you if you're ready for surgery. The physical surgery is only the start. Having surgery is a big step and one you should consider carefully. Do not let your age discourage you. If you are ready, and regular weight loss methods are not working, I think you should have surgery. You can enjoy your young adulthood as you should and not struggle like most of us did. The key is IF you are ready and only you can answer that. Best of luck. Keep us updated. We are here to support you.

I agree. Stay positive. Visualize a good outcome. I was also excited and nervous but kept stopping, closing my eyes, and breathing deeply and then telling myself to let all my worries go. You will be fine. Just follow your pre-op instructions. Get good sleep until surgery and try not to stress too much. If you don't already do so, start exercising. It helps with blood flow. As Immore said, do some shopping for post-op food. That helped me a lot. Good luck. I am really excited for you. :biggrin0: