VSG AJH

At In-n-Out Burger, you can order burgers "protein style," and they come wrapped in lettuce leaves. I've done a similar thing at Arby's: requested the chicken salad served in a bowl atop lettuce leaves instead of bread. When my wonky thyroid required dropping gluten, I learned many restaurants easily accommodate special requests. Don't be afraid to order a la carte or modify anything.

I just went to Corner Bakery with my husband. I ordered a side of chicken (the smaller portion that is usually added to a salad) and a side of bleu cheese. 33g Protein for $2.50, and no one treated me like a weirdo.

I'd be curious to know if this works. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, but my latest levels came back within a normal range, so I've been removed from meds. Need to remember to use oils on my little butterfly to keep it in good health.

My husband read online that lavender inhaled through the nasal cannula post-surgery would eliminate the need for pain meds, but how would one even go about doing that? Drip it in there? Smear around the rim? I bet that lavender tea really eased your sore tummy!

I hate sweet, milky drinks. I'm still pre-op and am allowed creamy/puréed Soups. I've been eating things like Pacific Organic Cashew Carrot Ginger soup or Butternut Squash soup with some Syntrax nectar unflavored Protein powder, or Imagine Organics Creamy Broccoli soup mixed with unjury cheese flavored protein. These are on average $2-3 per box of soup, and each have a little more than three 8oz. servings. It works best if you reserve a little of the cool soup to mix the protein, then when completely mixed, add your protein-filled portion to the heated bit. If you add Protein Powder to hot soup, it gets lumpy. For the occasional change up, I also mix the unflavored into cottage cheese or into Water with a Crystal Lite packet. It stays thin and doesn't have that awful whey smell. I also like the Unjury chicken soup protein, and while I find it tastes fine mixed alone in warm water, I think it would be delicious prepared with warm broth.

What kind of surgery did you have? I know the recommendation for the sleeve is protein first, then veg/fruit, then carbs. My schedule is kind of insane also, and while I'm still pre-op, I've been getting by by keeping pre-portioned servings of protein shakes with me. A couple of times I've picked up ready-made shakes on the go. My NUT also recommended sort of packing a whole day's worth of meals/nutrition goals, then eating on that as time allows. She said the planning/portioning in advance makes this more like thoughtful snacking and less like grazing, and if I pack all of my daily protein/reduced carbs, etc., I'll be guaranteed to meet my numbers. Bento boxes are great for something like this.

I've tried a couple of the Isopure ready to drink, and I hate them. They taste like soap! Instead, I've been making my own thin flavored drinks using Syntrax Nectar unflavored protein with a tube of Crystal Lite. Grape is my favorite.

Congratulations, Junkie!! Adoption is so lovely! We have six kids, and two are adopted. Our oldest was adopted via foster care, and our fourth child was a private agency adoption. We're anxious to adopt again, but I'm taking a little "get well" time before we resubmit our life book to our agency. I'm scheduled for a sleeve December 3, so maybe in a year or so we'll go active again. I read your other posts about your little one's history and the other kiddos you're thinking about. You might look at Karen Purvis' book The Connected Child. It's an excellent book that addresses some of the attachment stuff that comes along with kiddos coming out of hard places. If you're a Christ follower, there's a Bible study that can be used as an accompaniment called Created to Connect. You can find both of those resources at Tapestryministry.org. I've attached a picture of my kiddos just because they're so awesome! They're the reason I'm opting for WLS. Gotta keep up and live forever! Congrats again on your growing family!

Robyn -- you look great! I have neuropathy in my feet, and frequently end up off my feet (by force!) and on a scooter. Have you had a steady weight loss? What did you surgeon have you do to reduce the risk of post-surgical clots? I know the standard protocol is lots of walking, but I don't think that will be the case for me, and I'm looking for alternatives. I'll be taking Heparin injections for 10 days post-op, and my AFOs have a compression feature.

A few months back, I binged all the seasons of Eureka (described previously) whilst up and nursing my newborn baby. It's a pretty cute show. Not something I'd normally go for, but it was something to do during all the not sleeping. Along those same lines, Dead Like Me is another SyFy channel goodie. I'm not 100% sure if it's on Netflix, but if it is, it's a good one to watch. Of late, we've been devouring The Killing. It's a crime/detective show where the entire season is devoted to solving one crime. Lots of twists and turns in each episode, lots of layers. The first few shows, I often feel like there's just too much going on and am overwhelmed, but hang in there. It always comes together, and when it does, it's a doozie.

I agree with Amanda -- while your sister's story is awful and so tragic, it sounds like there were a number of factors involved in her death. It certainly seems that she experienced a complication from her weight loss surgery, but then had negligent care afterwards. All surgeries come with risks, even very common everyday things like c-sections and tooth extractions, yet people continue to do them. Why? Because the alternative -- the not doing them -- could lead to the very same kind of risks and complications. The majority of us who are here on these threads aren't having a risky surgery to take off a few vanity pounds, rather we're here to undertake a risky opportunity with the hope that it can both extend and improve our lives. By not doing it, we stay where we are, staring down or struggling with chronic obesity-related illnesses that will likely shorten our lives and/or lead to other kinds of risky surgeries. I'm extraordinarily sorry for your loss, and I hope your sister's story doesn't drive people away from the sleeve, but rather encourages them to move towards this surgery with eyes wide open, fully understanding the risks involved.

GG -- you might actually check out Forever 21. I know you're often looking for transitional business clothes, and F21 actually has some offerings that are classier for the no-longer-21 crowd. They have a plus size section if you're still transitioning into mall sizes (although I think you're already there!), and their prices are good enough to be transitional. You can't build a whole business wardrobe there, but I think you might find a few key pieces at a reasonable price.

I've never heard of it, but I'd love to try some! What store sells it?

I'm still pre-op, but I've used Lemon for lymphatic drainage with success, and plan to continue with that. I'll use Thieves/On Guard (cut in Coconut Oil) around my incision sites to promote healing. I also ran across an oil the other day that is supposed to help prevent hair loss, so when I can find that information again, I'll add the oil. Using oils in your water an other beverages is a great way to add flavor.

Yum! Thank you!! Going to pick some up.

You need to talk to your nutritionist. Many want people to move on to protein found in real food pretty quickly, but you have to be able to take in high levels of protein in small quantities of fluid. Have to tried the Syntrax Nectar unflavored? It really is indistinguishable. I'm mixing it into cream soups and broth, cottage cheese, water with a Crystal Lite package, etc. It mixes thinly, and the flavor is unnoticeable.

Yesterday, some guy "got distracted," ran a red light, and plowed into my van. He impacted me so hard that he pushed my left-turning vehicle back to the right and several feet towards oncoming traffic. I had my four youngest children with me, so the whole experience was extraordinarily terrifying. We spent the afternoon and evening at the ER getting all checked out. I'm several days into my pre-op diet (was set to start Tuesday, but started Sunday instead), and when we left the ER, my husband commented that the day was so stressful, he wanted to stop and eat something awful. Two NSVs happened: (1) The Hubs respected the pre-op diet and all the work I've done so far, and he didn't pressure me to "cheat," and (2) I DIDN'T BLOW MY PRE-OP DIET!! This is HUGE for me, because I'm the queen of starting over tomorrow, and typically after a super-hard, intensely stressful day like yesterday, I would have noshed on all kinds of high-fat, high-sugar soothers. Instead, I came home from the ER and had a Protein shake for muscle recovery and drank lots of Water to begin moving out lactic acid. Feel better today muscle-wise than the ER doc told me I would. Taking this thing one day at a time, and anxiously awaiting my sleeve December 3. Celebrating the fact that I didn't blow it!!

I'm actually hoping this accident won't delay my surgery. I was on my way in to see the surgeon for my final pre-op visit, but that visit has been rescheduled for Monday. My lower belly is all black and blue from the locking seatbelt, and the nurse said the doc will have to examine me before preceding. I'm hopeful that because the bruising is so low, he'll go ahead as planned, but the area where I'm bruised is where I'll have to take post-op Heparin shots (standard for my surgeon's office), and that may be the reason he puts me off. I know he'll make the responsible choice, but I'm feeling concerned and frustrated.

I'm actually hoping this accident won't delay my surgery. I was on my way in to see the surgeon for my final pre-op visit, but that visit has been rescheduled for Monday. My lower belly is all black and blue from the locking seatbelt, and the nurse said the doc will have to examine me before preceding. I'm hopeful that because the bruising is so low, he'll go ahead as planned, but the area where I'm bruised is where I'll have to take post-op Heparin shots (standard for my surgeon's office), and that may be the reason he puts me off. I know he'll make the responsible choice, but I'm feeling concerned and frustrated.

What a wonderful family you have! You really, truly are blessed.

I've been thinking the exact same thing. Page clicks generate revenue, so each time someone pops over to participate in, or even check out, a squabble, more and more ad dollars drop into his bank account.

I have a few (what I consider to be minor) autoimmune issues: Hashi's, Vitaligo, etc. I've had to take thyroid meds in the past, but recent blood levels had my doc stop them for a season. Because I know I might have to take meds or more meds down the line for flare-ups or new things, I'm opting for the sleeve. Absorption mainly happens in the intestines, and since the weight loss is similar between the two surgeries, to me it seems more appropriate to keep my intestines fully functioning to assist in medication absorption for other non-weight related conditions that may crop up down the line. My surgeon also talked to me about RNY, but if I have complications with the sleeve, I can always convert to the RNY. It remains a long-term option. It is my understanding that if I go straight to RNY, I can't switch back to the sleeve. Don't feel pressured by anyone. This is your body and your decision.

My 4yo calls squirrels "tree skunks." I refuse to correct her because of all the cuteness.

This makes me laugh! What a funny moment. Your husband has a great sense of humor.

It might be a hematoma or seroma, kind of a fluid accumulation post surgery. You can Google those terms to see if they describe what you're feeling. I've gotten them with two c-sections. Sometimes the application of application of heat helps, and if you're into essential oils at all, Theives cut in coconut oil and applied directly to the skin cleared up my last one.