DebLynn

Today is day 5 post op and my first day back home after surgery. I had surgery on 1/2/12 and other than the day of surgery I have been relatively pain free, no nausea or heartburn. Dr. Kelly in Tijuana did my surgery and it is the most pain free procedure I have ever had. Only had pain the day of surgery and that was relatively mild. Stayed at the Oasis Hospital for 2 days before being transferred to the Lucerna hotel in the business district. Very nice. We received 5 star service that would never happen anywhere near home unless you have money flowing or are a politician!lol. I have been drinking mixtures of Gatorade/water, orange juice, and chicken broth, along with some sugar free jello (totally liquid from chewing). If I drink to much at one time I will slightly cramp and it serves as a reminder to take smaller sips. When I have drank to much I get a full felling around by diaphragm and avoid drinking anymore until it goes away. This experience has been mild compared to a lot of stories that I have read. I am not sure if this is due to the fact that I did a lot of research priors to surgery and prepared myself mentally for the changes that are necessary for this to succeed or what but so far so good. Did a slow 2 mph walk on the treadmill while watching the Biggest Loser for an hour. Made sure to clip the safety clip in case something happened, since I am home alone during the day. Felt pretty good. My ultimate goal is 135 lbs. Pre-surgery weight was 242 when left home, will wait till the 9th to get a weight for 1 week post-op. I plan on walking on the treadmill every day and realize that some days will be better than others. Also plan on keeping a journey journal to be able to look back and see how my progress is, both mentally and physically. Personally, I think that our mental outlook is over half of the battle and that it is important to confront the reasons behind our eating. Mine are emotional and also a bit of laziness, easier to eat out than cook. In reality there is no one to blame for our condition except ourselves and we are the only one who can change how we think. I am ready for this change and that is why I decided to do the surgery. It is a tool not the answer. So I will try to record at least once weekly on how the week has gone. For all those that think their husbands are asses think about this: If you go out and your husband wants something to eat maybe he is trying to help by not making you cook at home. Perception is the key to a lot of things. Instead of thinking they are selfish maybe they are trying to be nice in their own way. I offered to cook for my husband since I am home and he said he just wanted me to concentrate on me for now that he was afraid I would want what I cooked for him. I won't since no appetite right now, but still sweet!

Sarah, If I understood your post you are a year and a half out from surgery. While I don't have surgery until 1/2/12, I have been doing a lot of research. My question to you is are you still on 100 liquids or just using the Protein bullets as supplements? Are you using some kind of nutrition tracker that not only tracks your calories but also protein, fat, Iron, Fiber, etc? I was vegan for a year and maintained 1200 calorie diet and never had a problem with my protein (60 g) daily requirement. I know many are unaware that there is protein in many vegetables especially legumes. Try blended Soups of black Beans, for example, which is very tasty with the right seasoning and hits many of the nutrient requirements. I would also recommend keeping a food log in general and how you feel after eating. I suffer heartburn and acid reflux with specific drinks and foods and have learned to avoid them. You have stuck in there this long and worked hard. BTW surgeons are not always right. Each has their own opinion on what is and isn't. Find your own solution. I have never used Prilosec, instead I use the generic tums. Those chewable Calcium tablets. They work great and taste half way descent. I know this probably won't help much but at least you know someone is listening. I fly out tomorrow and have surgery the next day so will try to touch base with you again when I get back. Good luck, stay strong, and my prayers are on your side! Happy New Year!

I haven't had my surgery yet but I have done a lot of research and tried a lot of different drinks to find the ones I like or can tolerate so that I am more likely to drink them. To me the one with the highest Protein and the best (when cut with water) was Isopure. Why not get your protein and fluids at the same time. A friend of mine had this done in May and her hardest part is also getting the fluids down. My surgery is Jan 2 and I really appreciate everything I find on these boards as they are very helpful. Redsoxygirl I am really happy that you are doing better.

Hi there! I am a 44 year old full time college student, part time mammo/x-ray tech, mother (to grown children) and wife. I have been overweight, okay obese, since having my 2nd child and have lost and gained tons over the last 22 years. My most recent success was in 2006 but it took counting everything, eating alot of salads and exercising like made 2 hours a day 6 days a week. I went from 232 to 170 in 5 months and felt good but my life consisted of work, exercise, meticulous loggin of food and sleep. In early 2007 I partially ripped/detached my achilles tendon from the bone and chose to let it heal naturally instead of surgery. This took 2 years of hobbling around. Had a hysterectomy in 2008 that basically wrote the end game. Gained every pound plus some back and put weight on in places I had never ever had excess weight! In the past year I have developed diabetes, take cholesterol meds, and HBP meds. I have also noticed that though I have always been very active that I am slowing down and things are harder to do. This I place directly on my weight and believe that if it doesn't come off it will kill me. I want to be able to do all the things I enjoy scuba diving, jogging and hiking, kyaking, and in general just go! My friend had this done in May and I told here I would wait and see how things went with her before deciding. She is doing well and highly recommended the procedure. So after a little research and talking with the honey (who isn't 100% on board but won't tell me I can't) I booked my flight today, have submitted my medical questionaire and gotten a go for surgery on 1/2/13. So now it is hurry up and wait time. LOL. I'll be to busy and it will fly by.