thepick4u

Good job chick! Congrats.

I had to do the same as LaKimmie. I had to do the 3mos visits then counselor and dietician, then provide medical records for two years showing weights at GPs office visits. Provide diet history and doc BP and and blood sugar info. They denied first time then surgeon sent letter showing two years of weights documented and the approval was sent in less than ten days from the letter and info he sent. This is just my two cents worth but I kind of agree that looking back it was good to have that time for me to mentally prepare because the liquid diet was not easy but I was mentally prepared for it and stuck to it. My liver looked beautiful because of which made my surgeon very happy with me. Then I had hiatal hernia repair and my doc kept me in liquids for 6 full weeks postop. So the mental prep was important. Plus you just have to overcome some mind games with yourself getting ready from nerves to planning your family support system etc when you have major surgery.

I have RA and OA. I am 6 weeks out and also undergoing PT and steroid injections for degenerative disc disease in my lumbar area. I agree if you can do weight resistance excise in a pool it will work well for you. Also I bought a recumbent bike for riding at home and also use it at the gym. It eliminates the pain inknees and feet that walking can stir up. My rheumy stopped me from walking an hour a day due to the pain I started havingninknees especially and feet.

There have been shortages of tamiflu. It was on the news with the news of the flu epidemic. Might be why the doc was hoarding it. Who knows. Just a thought.

You can do it!

Definite whoop whoop to you! Congrats.

I think we all need and want a chill out day sometimes regardless of the weight issue. I have bad arthritis and take methotrexate shots for it which can often tire me out in addition to just living with pain and autoimmune conditions so I enjoy the down days sometimes even when I don't feel blah just needing rest and mental break. Seems like under normal circumstances these days now and then would be healthy as well for anyone.

My doc told me to increase the Miralax daily until I went like I used to before the surgery. He said if twice a day works then great you get in two extra glasses of water over yourmgoal which will serve two purposes 1) a bowel movement 2) more fluids over required and it will increase weight loss. He said if it takes three doses a day of the Miralax it is fine. Just increase until you find the dose that works well and is comfortable for you. I also used Fleets suppositories to have a bowel movement when you had the urge but it was too hard or dry to pass it. These soften things and work quickly for you. Sell them anywhere like Walmart or drugstores. And they are cheap. Currently I'm doing two doses or Miralax daily and it does the job well.

Hi Megan, Congrats I'm six weeks out and 32 from surgery day. 49 in all. Sounds like you are doing an excellent job. Don't fret over a stall. Just follow your doctors instructions. When you can eat regular food and are healed well it will keep falling off! Just burn off more than you take in. I have some medical issues with two types of arthritis. I have a disc problem in my back and have been going to PT. I have also been held off from weight lifting too and I can't walk because of my knees my rheumatologist forbid me to walk unless in pool. So I ride my recumbent bike an hour a day. I'm still loosing steady and really have not had a stall. Just steady. I don't weigh everyday. Just at the doctors offices. You can get too hung up on that and sabotage your mental picture on your weight loss plan. Just focus on following your plan and you will stay successful. Good luck!

My doctor told me the exact same thing. He said by the time you feel thirst you are already dehydrated. He pushes water more than anything else. He told me the more I drank the better my weight loss would be.

Legs. Boobs. Face. Arms. Gut. But I am hoping too my face shrinks more too. I have always had cheeks and big dimples. Don't mind if some of that stays but wanting my double chin to leave in a big hurry! Lol. I think my biggest change is gut and legs in regard to clothes. I'm smaller on the bottom than the top. Went from 2x to XL on top but on bottom 18 to 12 in jeans which do have some stretch in them.

That is amazing I lost about 17 on liquid pre diet but only three the next 10 days post op due to all the fluids from surgery. I had to stay in and extra day so kept getting more fluids. Great results. Congrats!

Oh yeah Yoplait makes a Greek yogurt Popsicle bar that is awesome. 90 calories and 12 gms I believe of protein. Delicious caramel. I loved them. Might be an option to try. Good luck.

Hi, I cannot do the shakes. Made me sick both ends. My doc kept me on full liquids for 6 weeks post op and then at my 6 week visit Thursday gave me a food list. I don't have to purée or do mushies. Just chew the heck out of every bite. I ate cottage cheese and lots of Greek yogurt and did fine. He did not give me a calorie or Protein requirement either. When I ask him about that his answer was just to be sure I burned more calories than I took in on a daily basis. He does not push the shakes because he wants to ensure that we learn as soon as possible to adjust our eating to real food and cutting off eating before we are too full. He says at bite three we should be asking ourselves are we full. Stop if so but ask ourselves on each bite to follow and stop before full.

Mike, I am 6 weeks out. I can gulp easily if I choose to but yes it's not what we are instructed. However if I eat two or three bites of anything to fast Bam I'm full. I also forgot to take my Prilosec one day due to migraine one morning. I found that without that nothing is gulped and I can't get too many bites down of anything. Good luck. It's good to be able to get all your fluids in. I consider that a plus too.

Very normal. I had to stay an exrtra day and got even more fluids and meds. I thought I was going to pop. It will take a little bit to get the gas and extra fluids out. Your gut will sound like a HE washing machine for a long while. But it's all good and normal. Congratulations! Good luck to you!

Hi, I am a dec 19 sleever. I am 6 weeks out. This is what my surgeons instructions are. Crush all pills until 3mos out. If larger than an aspirin continue to crush after that point. I just started 2 chewable Flinstones per day. A biotin supplement. I found one at Walmart that melts in your mouth so that was convenient. It is Natrol biotin 1000mcg fast dissolve. I also am supposed to take two Caltrate per day at three mos but right now I do the Wellesse brand at Walmart that is liquid calcium plus vitamin D. It's great but pricey. I may stick with it vs the big pill if it means crushing. Waiting to see on that. I also am supposed to take 100mg of b1 -thiamine per day but I haven't found one that is gluten free yet ( I have celiac disease also so I have to monitor that) they have a perfect one at Walmart but it has gluten in it. I got caught up in finding the right mg and forgot to check that when I got home. It's $.88 for 10. Then I take the b12 shot once a month. Maybe this will help give you some options that don't taste bad and some go down easier with out having to crush. There is also a liquid B complex available at Walmart but I don't think it as thiamine in it. It helped me until I could locate the b-12 shots here. They were on months of backorder around here. I figure the reimbursement is so low that outpatient pharmacies don't want to fool with them. I had to use my insurances mail order method to get them. Good luck to you and all fellow sleevers on this journey.

Rockstarwife, I was sleeved dec 19. Our weight loss is very similar. You are doing great. I also slowed for a while. I'm also still on liquids. I go for checkup tomorrow. I'm ready for the next phase!!!

I really don't feel too sorry for your cravings.lol. I'm six weeks out and still on liquids.,!!!! I don't mean to sound like a "B" but I would love to have a bite of chicken or fish. I'm so sick of yogurt and cottage cheese that I ought to be mooing. I want something hot that tastes like food. Any minute amount will do. I don't get all the strange variations in diets among these docs. I hope you find a healthy solution that satisfies you though. Good luck,

I'm 5 weeks out and I take a 40mg capsule of Prilosec each morning. I had a hiatal hernia repair also. No trouble with heartburn ever. Since surgery I have only been nauseated one time and I think from vitamins. I am in liquids until 1/31/13. I open the capsule and empty the contents into a spoonful of Poweade zero. I have been really pleased with how good my stomach has felt though noisy. If only I could poop! TMI. Lol

Love it. Both posts were awesome in attitude and info. I don't own a scale and just weigh when going to doc for check up.

Just some advice. Don't drink orange juice. Your tummy doesn't need that acid right now. My thoughts wer stomach bug, severe indigestion, or heart problems. I hope it's neither and you're fine by now. Best wishes!

Hi, I have severe tailbone pain from osteoarthritis/degenerative disc disease in my lumbar spine. This has caused sacral nerve root inflammation and entrapment. I have a "doughnut" cushion that I sit on especially riding/driving in car or at desk when working for aa while. It helps. I got it at a home health agency. I recommend if you didn't fall recently that caused it. To mention it to your doctor. Especially if it has lasted a while. I have lost 45+ lbs and it has not helped the pain. I am doing PT twice a week, exercises, heat, e-stimulation, and have had two bilateral sacral nerve blocks. So far only improvement is I can bend over sometimes and pick up items off the floor which I could not anytime before without screaming.

Hi. I went thru that too about that time. I agree with the other posts also and think also that along with the head hunger at the days pistol you stated you are beginning to get over the surgery, anesthesia, and post op pain if you had any and naturally feel more like eating and more interested in food. Just being human and it's understandable. Also, if you are home and bored you tend to be more inclined to think with your "head" hunger. Don't rush the diet phases though. My doc is real conservative. I also had hiatal hernia repair and had surgery 12/19. I am still on liquids until my next visit 1/31. It has been real thats for sure. Good luck!

Hey Amanda, I have the noisiest gut known to man or woman lol. It gets better but it still maybe more than you are used to for a while. I'm 5 wks out and my stomach doesn't really make any noise when it's empty until I start eating it's like it starts talking to me when food hits it. Like yum yum yum. Gurgle gurgle. My gut has always been noisy especially my small intestine. See I have celiac disease and can't eat gluten that's in wheat, barley, rye, and malt. So I went for 12 years or so not knowing and it was always upset and very very LOUD. It will keep you awake at night. With this surgery I'm sort of back to all the noisy gut I used to have before adopting a gluten free diet which my body started to absorb finally and gained weight BUT the burgled are harmless and don't hurt. They have gotten some more quiet than right at first though. Rest assured. Good luck and congrats on your life changing and life saving surgery!