SpaceDust

I second what Laura said. In fact, I have a pound of ground turkey that I precooked as crumbles and somewhat generically seasoned in my freezer (it's pretty easy to swing it toward either Italian or Mexican by adding a few more seasonings). I weigh out about an ounce of the turkey and add it to refried beans for my Mexican fix along with a little cheese, or I use it on top of ricotta bake to boost the protein and add flavor.

There is some really great food to be had in Madrid, for sure. Your best bet will likely be tapas plates - most places have a nice variety of options. Do try and have a taste of the various styles of ham that are available - that's one of the things that are typically available as an appetizer or tapas plate everywhere, and the high end varieties are amazing. I think you should be able to find some decent options from a health perspective, as well, but you'll be oh-so-tempted... Enjoy! I was in Spain for 3 weeks a year ago and it was a great trip!

I was told that I could take capsules the day after surgery - in fact one of my medications prescribed by my surgeon is a capsule, and I was also told that if I needed to take Tylenol in capsule form (the same size as my medication, approximately) I could do so when I was ready to stop the Lortab.

I could have gone back pretty easily 6 days after surgery, but I waited until 13 days and probably benefited from the extra rest time. When I went back to work, it was to a brand new job at a new company, and I've been fine.

Sorry, NtvTxn, but I have to disagree a bit with you here. Most of the Protein bullets/shots out there are, to put it bluntly, crap. It may SAY it's got 42 grams of protein or more, and it may even say it's whey protein - yay, right? Nope. Look at the nutritional information. If collagen based protein comes before whey in the list, and if the whey in the list isn't whey isolate, then this is probably NOT a good bullet to do to get the most bang for your buck, as it's likely the large majority of the protein is actually collagen, which our bodies don't use effectively as protein. You may find that only 10 or 11 grams of that protein can actually be used by your body. The only one that was recommended as acceptable to me was one that's called "Yes, Whey" - I think you can find those at some of the supplement/nutrition stores like GNC, but I haven't looked for them myself. Now, if all you need is to get an extra 10 grams of protein, it's your call, but those things taste nasty and aren't cheap. A better option might be to find a way to mix unflavored protein into some of the stuff you're eating - you don't necessarily have to take it as a shake. Think about a Soup, for example.

Is it a six month waiting period or a six month medically supervised diet? For me, it was the diet. It started with the first nutritionist visit and ended with the seventh visit. The visits had to be a month apart.

Nighty-night. I'll be sending positive thoughts and sleeve-sisterly love your way! Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using VST

You may touch on it in your eval, but if you have concerns, make the effort to see your counselor more than just for an eval. Many people find that they have issues that they need help to get in order to keep on the right track, and it's perfectly normal to do so. It might take a few sessions, or you may find that it is more deeply seated or it leads to enough of a rabbit hole that you need more extended help, but I would say it's probably worth it.

The Water is a bit tough at first, but I'm two weeks out and it's a lot easier now! I can get about 20 oz in over the course of an hour without any pain at this point, as long as I take it slowish - no gulping, but I can take a normal swallow as long as I don't try to take three of them in a row without stopping between I did find water a little easier initially if it was room temperature and had a little flavor in it. That seemed to break up the surface tension of the water a little and make it go down more gently. I used bit of something like True Lemon or True Lime (crystallized lemon and lime juices) or a squirt of Mio, or a splash of some apple or cranberry juice all worked. At this point, I can drink plain water with a bit of a chill on it, or some unsweetened iced tea. As far as the nerves, it happens to most of us, even the most positive that this is the right thing to do. I imagine it's even worse when you have kids! Hang in there, and as Dj said, remember why you are doing this. Get the surgery, and give it a few months and you'll be well on your way to being the even more spectacular mom you want to be for your kids. Meanwhile, we'll be here for you, as everyone has been here for us! Good luck in the morning, m'dear. It will go fine, and in a few days you'll be rockin' your sleeve with the best of us!

Just did a tuna salad tonight for the first time. Instead of mayo I used a wedge of Laughing Cow French Onion, plus a dollop of spicy brown mustard to go with the albacore tuna and of course relish (mine was dill relish, because that's just how I like it )

I just hit two weeks out, and for me it depends on the sort of food. I'm on soft foods since the weekend. I can manage only an ounce to an ounce and a half of dense Protein like chicken thigh. I can do a quarter cup of something like Shelly's Ricotta Bake. However, I can do almost half a cup of something like greek yogurt. I'm averaging 500-700 calories a day, and expect to stay there for a few more weeks, at least. I'm not QUITE as organized as DonRodolfo, as my schedule doesn't allow QUITE that level of precision. However, I do get some protein in every 2-3 hours, and I'm generally having 5 mini-meals a day, usually slightly heavier in the mid-day. For example, this is what my meals looked like today: Breakfast: 1/2 cup 0% fat greek yogurt with 1 T. apple butter mixed in Mid-morning: 1 Premier shake (takes me about an hour to finish) Lunch: 1/4 c. Shelly's Ricotta Bake plus about 1/2 oz. of ground turkey and onion sauteed together. Note that this did take me a bit to eat and was pretty much the max amount I could have eaten without pain. I may drop the amount of the ricotta bake down by a tablespoon next time so I can still add the turkey and stay comfortably under that max point. Mid-afternoon: 1/2 c. 2% cottage cheese (not gonna do fat free cottage cheese, that's just not good!) Dinner: 1.5 oz canned albacore tuna in Water, 1 Laughing Cow French Onion wedge, a tsp of spicy brown mustard and some whizzed up dill relish, mixed up as a tuna salad. Total calories today, 554. I might have some SF Jello or a half of a Syntrax nectar Protein Shake in a little bit, but right now I don't feel the need.

I put on 12 lbs in the hospital, but I'm now down 10 lbs below my surgery weight, and 12 days out from my surgery. I know some people do seem to hold onto the weight from the IVs longer, though.

That depends on the diet plan your NUT or your surgeon provided you. The diet plans can be quite different from surgeon to surgeon and from patient to patient.

If you don't have any kids, you'll probably be just fine. My husband worked from home the day I came home from the surgery, but honestly I didn't need any help - I was up and down the stairs in our home with no problem, and when I was tired I curled up in the bed or on the couch and snoozed as needed. That first day home I was still on clear liquids, so it's not like preparing my meal was any issue, but I'm sure I could have managed.

Well, if you have a GNC or Vitamin Shoppe somewhere nearby, or some other similar store, the Isopure clear drinks will fit your liquids diet retirements (they ate absolutely clear of particles and they aren't thick) and they have 40 grams of Protein in each 20 oz bottle. They're expensive, no lie, but a bottle a day might help you get through the rest of your Clear Liquids. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using VST

My surgery was scheduled for July 24th, but some upcoming changes in my life dictated that I get on the train a little more quickly, or put it off till this fall (which would have really devastated me, since I've been mentally preparing for so long!). I love the people at NWWLS in Everett - Leigh worked to get me in on July 2nd, and I'm extremely grateful to her for putting up with my frantic calls Now the surgery is oh-so-real - I'll be starting my pre-op diet on Monday, and I'm determined to stick with it and lose 10 lbs.

I weigh every day, but if you would be inclined to worry about stalling I would recommend doing it no more than once a week, or even less often than that. I'm a geek and my husband and I are both into tracking stats and identifying trends. I'm also not upset when the numbers bounce a small amount or stall, as I know from past experiences. I was a tiny bit shaky the first day or two because I was on Clear liquids, but once I switched to full liquids on day 4 I was no longer shaky. I am still a little easily tired, but that is the result of having major surgery, and my body is still using a lot of energy to heal. I could have easily returned to work last Monday, though. I'm just going to bed a little earlier Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using VST

You should be able to find individual cheese slices/string cheese at the convenience store, as well. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using VST

Hey, that was basically how it was put to me at my Dr. appointment earlier this week. When I start soft foods I might want to be somewhat cautious and start slowly to avoid an upset tummy, but other than the stuff I'm told to specifically avoid, if it smooshes with a fork it's fair game for me to try it. He did say I'd probably run into stuff I'm not quite ready for and aren't comfortable yet, but just come back to them again in a few weeks. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using VST

I doing great, thanks! Just finishing up my full liquids phase and getting ready to move to soft foods this weekend. Very little pain left - a small amount in my left shoulder and my incisions are still a bit tender. The weight is dropping slowly but surely, between .5 and 1.5 lbs per day. I'm getting at least 60 grams of Protein and 60 oz of Water a day at this point, though I think the protein will get harder as I get into the denser protein. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using VST

Premier can also be found at costco - they carry both vanilla and chocolate. They only come in cases, but if you try it and don't like it I believe Costco will take it back. Additionally, I have found Premier 4 packs at some of the local groceries here. Kroeger affiliated stores may have it, as well as Safeway. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using VST