Sleevedreamz

Stuffed jalapenos with shrimp and cream cheese sounds pretty yum. I will have to try that when I get back to solids! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to tolerate anything spicy again so I hope that isn't the case bc I love spicy food.

I was able to walk today! Muscle soreness disappeared just like the anesthesiologist said it would. My tummy is still super sore and swollen so I have a little ways to go until I'm running around again, but definitely glad to make some progress. Hope you start making more progress soon. I know how badly it bites to be down and out. Take care!

I told my husband about these today and he found some at Walmart. I'm going to try a few oz for dinner with a little sour cream and taco sauce. Thanks for the idea!

Well, all of that looking forward to an egg was wasted. lol. My husband made me one scrambled egg this morning after I posted and I started chewing a bite up really good and it just didn't taste good to me at all. I was able to get it all down over an hour, but I think it'll be a while before I try again bc it just wasn't good. I had high hopes mainly bc I am struggling to get in enough protein. I feel like I'm eating all day even though I'm only getting about 10oz of food per day. Just crazy.

I did Insanity once at the end of last year and although it was hard, I loved it. I felt that I was stronger and had so much more energy. I want to do it again also, but I am going to talk to my NUT first to find out how much extra protein and calories she thinks I need to add so that I can do it safely. I don't want to do it to lose weight faster (as someone mentioned above), but bc I want to build up my strength and muscle while losing weight. My worst fear is to lose this weight and still be weak bc that is not at all what I want. Being healthy is the point so while I'm definitely excited to lose weight, I want to build up my muscle mass as I go. If you find anything out, keep us posted!

Just realized I posted in the wrong thread. Oh well. And, it was disgusting. Made me gag.

I was in a similar situation and kept an extra day. Also sleeved on Tuesday. I had a severe reaction to the anesthesia and my muscles constricted and became severely fatigued so I was unable to move at all while in the hospital (other than going to the bathroom which I required my husband to basically drag me there). I also experienced severe nausea and extreme pain in my tummy and specifically the largest incision where they removed my stomach. I have improved since I returned home yesterday, but am nowhere near where I thought I would be by now. I didn't expect miracles, but unlike many people who were up walking, etc. I was just able to walk for the first time today and it was very limited. My tummy is very swollen and tight and my incision pain is almost unbearble. Thankfully I am on pain meds and that is helping me a lot, but I am really hoping to be able to walk a few times tomorrow without feeling like I've been abused. I hope you get better soon as well. Maybe the 4th was just a day for a few extra hurdles to jump through?!? Aside from the pain, I am tolerating pureed food and Water pretty well so there are some small victories! I am glad to see I'm not the only one wondering when the pain will end. Will be glad to feel better!

I definitely felt better today after we made white chicken chili for dinner. It felt more substantial and made me feel a lot better. I have found 1000 healthy recipes that I can't wait to try once I get to regular food. It's amazing how excited I am about eating healthy food. It suddenly all looks so tasty and that is probably due to not being able to have any of it now, but what a blessing it is to look at healthy food and think it looks awesome! I'll have to check that book out as well.

No, we didn't.

Definitely will not miss: *Having to buy less cute knee boots bc the ones I want and love won't fit around my calves. *Crying in the dressing rooms bc I love fashion and the adorable stuff will either not fit or looks disgusting on my body. *Getting extremely out of breath when doing any physical activity and having to skip things I want to do bc I know I can't physically do it anymore. *Not feeling sexy and carefree like I did back when I was thin. Those were some of the happiest times of my life. *Not living my life to its fullest in general bc I am depressed about by health and self image. *Wondering when I'll get diabetes and other comirbidities bc I don't have the dicipline reauired to lose the weight on my own. There are so MANY things I used to do when I was thin that I took for granted and I have truly mourned the life I had then. I have missed some of the best years of my life bc of the weight I've gained and I fully intend to make up for it for as long as I have left! I could make a list that would go on forever.

My favorite so far has been Lowfat White Chicken Chili bc it was packed full of flavor and protein and only took about 40 minutes total to prepare: 4 cans great northern beans, 1 lb. chicken, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced onion, 2 t. Oregano, 2 cans lowfat cream of chicken, 3 cups lowfat chicken broth, 1 can diced green chiles,6 oz low fat/fat free sour cream, and 2 cups low fat monterey jack shredded cheese. Cover your skillet with olive oil, add the diced onion, crushed garlic cloves, chicken (I added whole pieces and cut up later, but you can cut up beforehand if you want), and canned chilies. I set the stove top on about 4-5 and covered with a lid and let all of this cook together. I went ahead and got my larger pot ready and added the beans, cream of chicken, broth, and oregano and let this start heating up on low to medium heat. After about 10-15 minutes (when my chicken was cooked through) I added the skillet ingredients (I cut my chicken up at this time) into the pot so that everything could cook together. I cooked on medium heat for about 30 minutes. At the very end, we added the 6oz of sour cream and the cheese and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes and then it was ready to go. I added about a tsp of sour cream on top of soup right before I ate it and I loved it. I will probably have this again for lunch tomorrow. You could also add unflavored protein powder to this mix and I doubt you'd notice it was there. Good luck!

Try adding unflavored protein powder to anything you are eating whether it be broth during your liquid phase or soups, etc. during and after your pureed phase. I am only able to eat about 4oz per meal and I'm in the pureed stage so I'm trying to eat soups that have meat, cheese, and beans (chicken chili, broccoli cheddar, etc.) as well as cottage cheese and skim milk which also has protein. I am probably not getting it all in (I'm only 3 days out) but I am sure trying to make sure everything I put into my body is loaded with protein. Good luck!

My favorite so far has been White chicken Chili bc it was packed full of flavor and Protein and only took about 40 minutes total to prepare: 4 cans great northern Beans, 1 lb. chicken, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced onion, 2 t. Oregano, 2 cans lowfat cream of chicken, 3 cups lowfat chicken broth, 1 can diced green chiles,6 oz low fat/fat free sour cream, and 2 cups low fat monterey jack shredded cheese. Cover your skillet with olive oil, add the diced onion, crushed garlic cloves, chicken (I added whole pieces and cut up later, but you can cut up beforehand if you want), and canned chilies. I set the stove top on about 4-5 and covered with a lid and let all of this cook together. I went ahead and got my larger pot ready and added the beans, cream of chicken, broth, and oregano and let this start heating up on low to medium heat. After about 10-15 minutes (when my chicken was cooked through) I added the skillet ingredients (I cut my chicken up at this time) into the pot so that everything could cook together. I cooked on medium heat for about 30 minutes. At the very end, we added the 6oz of sour cream and the cheese and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes and then it was ready to go. I added about a tsp of sour cream on top of soup right before I ate it and I loved it. I will probably have this again for lunch tomorrow. You could also add unflavored protein powder to this mix and I doubt you'd notice it was there. Good luck! Rach

Are you still in the pureed stage or have you graduated to regular foods? I am still so unsure of what is and isn't safe in the pureed stage and I would love to have an egg that isn't blended into oblivion.

I was sleeved on the 4th also! I have been trying really hard to come up with a new dish every day for puree so that I don't end up going crazy from things being too bland. So far I've been sticking to homemade Soups so that when they are blended it doesn't feel as though things are way different than they were before. It is a mind thing for me so having "soup" would naturally be creamy and I don't feel so weird about it plus my family can have the same thing (without blending). I am only eating about 4oz per meal (sometimes only 3 bc 4 can make me feel too full at the moment). The great thing about it is that even using fat free and low sugar and sodium ingredients in the house is eating healthier and no one has noticed a difference. I was always cooking before so I feel like it's important to continue to try to keep things somewhat normal while making much healthier choices. My husband is always super honest and he has loved the food I've come up with both nights. The only difference right now is that I had some complications to the anesthesia so I am currently immobile so I have had to sit at the kitchen counter and walk my hubby through the steps to get the food made. Maybe a chef will be born...lol. And, although everything I've used is lowfat, etc. there's no way I am getting too much sugar, calories, or fat since I can only eat 3-4 oz and both of these meals are full of Protein and can have unflavored Protein powder added if you want more. All that said said, we made broccoli and cheese Soup yestereday and white chicken chili tonight. So far, the white chicken chili was my favorite. Posting recipies below: Broccoli Cheddar Soup: (1/4 butter, 1/2 chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup skim milk, 1 can fat free Campbell's broccoli/cheese soup, 2 cups fat free chicken stock, 1 bag of steamed broccoli florets, 8 oz fat free sharp shredded cheddar, and pepper to taste. (the recipe calls for salt but I left this out so that it's healthier and I couldn't tell the difference.) Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat, and add in the flour, stirring constantly. Add milk, can of soup, and chicken stock. Bring to almost a boil. Then add the broccoli and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the cheese last and then give it time to melt before serving. White Chicken Chili: 4 cans great northern Beans, 1 lb. chicken, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced onion, 2 t. Oregano, 2 cans lowfat cream of chicken, 3 cups lowfat chicken broth, 1 can diced green chiles,6 oz low fat/fat free sour cream, and 2 cups low fat monterey jack shredded cheese. Cover your skillet with olive oil, add the diced onion, crushed garlic cloves, chicken (I added whole pieces and cut up later, but you can cut up beforehand if you want), and canned chilies. I set the stove top on about 4-5 and covered with a lid and let all of this cook together. I went ahead and got my larger pot ready and added the beans, cream of chicken, broth, and oregano and let this start heating up on low to medium heat. After about 10-15 minutes (when my chicken was cooked through) I added the skillet ingredients (I cut my chicken up at this time) into the pot so that everything could cook together. I cooked on medium heat for about 30 minutes. At the very end, we added the 6oz of sour cream and the cheese and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes and then it was ready to go. I added about a tsp of sour cream on top of soup right before I ate it and I loved it. I will probably have this again for lunch tomorrow. Anyways, sorry this went so long, but I love when people give me ideas so I wanted to share what I've done so far. Rach

Well, I'm definitely not getting to chew anything since everything is the consistency of baby food, but I know it could be worse which is why I felt bad complaining at all bc I know there are those of you out there who are suffering way worse than me. I'm sorry. I know I'm lucky bc my doctor only required 1 day of full liquids (day before surgery) and then after surgery I had nothing for that day, Clear Liquids the next, and onto pureed foods right after. So, I know I'm fortunate. I am coming up with things with flavor, but the it's the consistency that is killing me. Good luck dear. Drinking meals since August 20th...that sounds impossible. You are clearly amazing!

I have never drank coffee before, but I am trying to find creative ways to get my Protein in so I had my hubby go out and buy some decaf earlier and I am going to try to do a cup in the morning with vanilla whey protein and some other added sugar free flavors. He bought sugar fee caramel and chocolate syrup so I'm hoping I can make that a tasty way to get in protein first thing in the mornings. The Protein shakes are so much that I can't get them all down so if I can get a bunch in in a small cup of coffee I'll be thrilled. I know my mom would die without her coffee so for those of you who really need it, I hope you can make it work.

My mother was very unsupportive. She didn't say it was a quick fix (which sucks that yours did), but she just kept saying things to scare me. "What if....you get stomach cancer later on, die, have problems, etc. etc." However, my mother has never been supportive of anything or decision I've made so I am pretty much used to it. She is not educated on the matter and therefore she just says things she shouldn't say. She did the same thing when I became pregnant. I had back problems so when I got pregnant instead of being excited (like a normal person would) she made negative comments and really took the joy away from me. A few weeks later I lost the baby and I thought I may never forgive her pessimistic attitude towards everything. I realize every situation is different, but as you've said, you are your own woman and you are making this decision for you and for your happy and healthy future. Perhaps mom needs to go a few weeks without hearing from you in order to have time to realize that you have no space in your life for negativity. I completely understand being concerned, but sometimes I just don't get why people can't just be happy for other's decisions, etc. You have to do what is right for you and it is hard to want that approval and not be able to get it. You'll be in my thoughts as you undergo this transformation. I had my surgery Tuesday and I feel so excited for what the future holds.

Oh no! What symptoms were you having? These two things (leak and clot) are my biggest fear. Everytime I eat I'm just worried I'll tear something up. I hope you feel better soon.

Ask your doctor if you can have the dissolvable gas-x strips. I took a couple of those and they really helped. After I took them I was able to get most of it out without much discomfort. Good luck!

Thanks. Ironically, I actually read your post a couple of days before my surgery and just read it again to remember exactly what had happened. Compared to your complications, mine are probably a cake walk, although it doesn't feel like it right now. I was sent home from the hospital last night (against my husband's wishes) bc truly I just think the nurses I had didn't want to deal with me anymore. I had a horrible experience with them and will be writing a formal complaint once I have enough strength to do so. Because my reaction to the anesthesia is rare and they had not seen it before, they wanted me to wait long after I was in pain to give me pain meds, etc. I have never felt more discriminated against in my life. Aside from that, I am still "bed bound" so to speak only bc I can't get up on my own. I am able to get to the bathroom with my husband's help so I try to do that every couple of hours. I'm having to stay in our bonus room and sleep in a recliner bc we don't want to take the chance of my dogs jumping on me. I am able to hold down puréed food and liquids though so aside from the reaction to anesthesia I am doing fine. I have had no other complications and I feel as though I have enough energy to exercise, etc except for the small issue of not being able to move my body due to fatigued muscles. haha. Sounds silly I know, but I'm trying to give people a feel for where I am. It is sad that I had a perfect surgical experience and then had the random side effect to the drugs. I'm still on pain meds for the muscle pain and tummy discomfort. Taking 7.5 lliquid loratab about every 4 hours so that is helping some. The main thing I have to do is just be patient bc with the muscle involvement I have to wait for my muscles to heal themselves similar to after working out except I would have never been in this shape after workign out. I think in progressing nicely and since this is like 1.5% I think everyone else may be safe from this complication this month. So, really hoping everyone else goes out and has an amazing surgery and recovery experience that would make me jealous! Thanks again to everyone for checking in and reminding me that I'm not alone. I am lucky to have a husband who waa able to take off work and is bending over backwards to meet my every need right now and we don't have kids yet so I know I have it good compared to you guys who have a family to take care of. Hope everyone has an amazing weekend! Rach