girlchild

Nuts, for sure. I also snack on beef jerky and pork rinds, but you may want to ease into those. It can be hard to digest the jerky especially so soon after being "cleared". Shelf stable sugar-free pudding would be great and definitely easy on your new tummy.

This will be totally dependent on your insurance company and doctor's requirements. I believe the average is around six months. It was for me. Some insurance requires 6 mo of supervised diet/nutrition. My insurance was actually pretty easy on me. Took 6 mos because my doctor is such a stickler.

Oh, it also is worth noting that although there are folks on here that tolerate soda, it remains the only intolerance I still have. Even a small, "swished" sip makes me feel like I've swallowed a balloon of gas.

I drink anything that isn't mixed with soda - wine, Margaritas, vodka cran. I am restricted mostly by lowered tolerance. Tread carefully when you reintroduce alcohol. Where it may used to take you four drinks to get drunk, it might now be one. I had my first drink (few sips of wine) about 30 days out, but it was New Years Eve. I'd wait as long as you can, but a minimum of that. For instance, I did NOT drink on Christmas because it was an uncomfortably "too soon" risk I wouldn't take. I now regularly enjoy a drink when I want one, which is really only about once every week or two for me. Not much. I'm about 4.5 months out, but its been that way for me since right around the 3 mo post-op point.

Heating pad for your back and a barrel of Gas-X for your tummy. They wouldn't let me take the Gas-X in the hospital, but once I got out, chewed one of those puppies every few hours and felt much better fast.

Have to add from TJs their frozen palak paneer. Loved the stuff well before being sleeved, but even more so now. It was even great in the blender during puree stage They also have nice cheeses and the yummiest adult chewable Multivitamins I've found.

My sleeping patterns were all out of whack during the first month post-op. And I'd always been a great sleeper. It worked itself out soon enough. I think maybe it has to do with the massive hormone fluctuations that come with sudden, dramatic weight loss.

I was in the hospital for three nights. Days 2 and 3 I vomited several times (it's why I stayed an extra night). Stomach did not open up, but one thing I wish I'd been told... IF you vomit shortly after surgery, expect to vomit blood. It's not fresh, but rather that left in your tummy from the procedure. It only happened the first time, but it freaked me out, fearing I'd split the staples open! After discharge, all was fine until the last week or so. Now three months out, I've vomited three times in the past week. Think my sleeve just isn't happy with some of my choices.

I'm nearly 3 months out and have dropped 58 pounds as of yesterday. in those three months, I've had three stalls that lasted around two weeks each. So, don't fret... they happen and they pass

Miracle Noodles are shirataki noodles, which - if you have an Asian specialty market nearby - can be bought in their refrigerated section in single bags and cheaply (I pay about $2,00 per package). They definitely smell awful - like ammonia - but it rinses fairly well. I give them a few minutes in boiled Water, too, which helps make them less chewy and further minimizes the smell. I've mixed them into a stir-fry and have even attempted with marinara (the sauce doesn't stick well and gets watery, but it's not totally awful). But to your specific question about being sleeve-friendly... for me, yes, they are, but I've been fortunate to find most things have been for me. Granted, I haven't tried more than a small bite of Pasta, so I can't compare, but since shirataki noodles don't expand or absorb boiling water, I can't imagine they'd expand in your sleeve. See if you can find a single package locally and give them a try. If your sleeve and/or palate doesn't like them, it's only a couple of bucks down the drain.

My surgeon's office wrote everything, including lab orders, but your primary can write them, too. I'd wait for the surgeon to order them, though, because your primary won't necessarily order everything your surgeon needs (mine needed a total of 9 tests). Insurance paid as they normally would for such things, including the EKG, and my doc actually had to order two of those.

I'm 8 weeks out and it's getting a bit easier, but most meals I still barely each 4 Oz (or 1/2 cup). From what I've read and been told by my NUT, though, people vary widely at this point.

Congrats on starting the process, Shaye! Definitely call UHC, but they paid without question for all my labs and the sleep study well before my doc submitted for approval.