Andi

I've always cleaned my plate. I don't remember anyone saying anything about "starving kids in China (I think it was more Ethiopia for my generation). I don't remember my parents ever getting upset (or needing to) about a plate with stuff still on it. It's just something that I've always done & not sure I could change. I'm still eating whatever is on my plate (with the exception of going out to eat). We already had smaller plates & bowls on hand (that weren't getting much use) so that was handy. I track everything I eat & before I do I usually already have it planned out on my tracker (making sure that I have enough Protein in there and seeing if anything else needs tweeking). When I go out I figure out how much of my plate I should/could eat & how much should be left to box up. I wait till I'm done before asking for the box. One time that I was a little unsure was when I got an appetizer for dinner of muscles. The plate was HUGE & they didn't seem like a great thing to take home. I ate what I wanted & then had the guys at my table finish them off for me.

I had to wait 3 months for raw veggies with the exception of lettuce & tomato. I was able to have those at 4 weeks. I haven't really felt like the lettuce, but grape/cherry tomatoes have been great.

I had to wait 3 months for beef, pork & lamb. I'm right at that point, but awaiting a green light from my NUT with my follow up appt at the end of the week. Some folks have a hard time tolerating red meat after surgery, so my bariatric team prefers to go on the cautious side. I never thought that I could go this long without beef (especially not being a big poultry fan) but time goes by quickly. I'm probably going to start with some hamburger first & see how that goes.

I almost passed out in the shower after surgery. I asked my doctor if it was alright if I discontinued my blood pressure medication & it didn't happen again.

I was on Metformin for Diabetes & Lisinopril for my blood pressure prior to surgery. Just prior to surgery they had me off the Metformin & I did not have to take it again. I was taking my blood pressure medication for a few days after, but almost passed out in the shower. I asked my PCP if I could discontinue the medication. It was still above what he wanted it to be at the time (I don't remember the exact #) but he felt that with my changes that it wouldn't be long that I wouldn't need it. Almost 3 months off the medication my blood pressure was 99/71 as of yesterday.

I could have crackers @ 4 weeks. I stuck to 6 crackers with some tuna over having bread. I had tried the deli thin flat style rolls & it felt like small sponges expanding in my stomach, even after being toasted. The crackers felt ok. I make a point of not having them too often though.

I'm from Salem, but I had my surgery through Lahey Clinic. Thank you for posting about your experiences. I have some friends that are looking into the surgery & would probably be going through Salem. Lahey was fantastic, but I'm glad that they have a good option in Salem available as well

I feel like I used to be a ghost. Some people seemed incapable of seeing me, and the others that could see me.. would stare. I got pretty used to it over the years .. sometimes I'm still floating through the world & don't get it when someone is trying to get my attention to speak to me. A friend tried telling me that it was all in my head. That people are speaking to me more now because I'm holding myself differently, more confident & inviting.. but honestly.. I don't believe that's true. I still see myself as I did before.

I was discouraged to use those by my NUTs post op care guide. They didn't feel that they had enough protein.

Everywhere is a bit different. They'll probably explain the benefits & risks of surgery, the procedure itself & how you get started on the path. They may have some past patients talk a little bit about their experience. I'd be surprised if they didn't allow for some questions, but for the more personal/specific ones (insurance being one) they'll probably do that more in depth during your consultation.

If you can add unsweetened coconut and/or almond milk it really can help sometimes. I would mix half Water and half of an unsweetened non-dairy milk & it would help me get through the Pure Protein tub (that I couldn't bring myself to just toss out). I haven't tried it, but I've heard the nectar brand is pretty easy going down for a lot of folks.

(Well) Cooked veggies & raw lettuce & tomato @ 4 weeks Rest of raw veggies @ 3 months For my plan, corn is considered more of a starch I believe. Something if we have room for if we already got in all our Protein & veggies.

I think it was 4 weeks for me

Egg salad was a really good meal for me, but scrambled eggs felt a little odd (never was a scrambled fan).

I'm 10 weeks out. I'm only down about 25lbs from the surgery. Basically I had 3 decent weeks of weight loss (not in a row) & the rest were far slower than prior to surgery for me. I was not drinking calories, not eating slider foods & the last thing I wanted to do was not lose weight. I exercise daily & track everything that I put in my mouth. I was very careful to keep my Protein & Water intake high. My bariatric team was very happy with what I was doing & said that the weight would just eventually start dropping.. but it wasn't. So, yes.. you can be playing by the rules & not see much happening. Not sure what would have happened in the long run (and wasn't going to sit there without seeing what I could change). Last week I changed 2 days of my normal routine & added in some higher carbs. The pounds started to move once more. I think that for my weight loss I need to have a day or 2 a week like that (using healthy choices).

Not hungry at all, but oh so thirsty. I was dreaming of iced tea (literally!). When it came time that I could have some broth & Jello I didn't end up eating it in the hospital. I wasn't hungry prior to the surgery. For the pre-op liquid diet I had to use the shakes from the hospital. They weren't cheap (New Direction) but they had all my Vitamins I needed & I wasn't hungry at all while on them.

I have at least an egg a day

I have to wait 3 months post op for beef, pork & lamb (and most raw veggies). It's just something that's not always well tolerated right after surgery. It might be bothering you now, but maybe later it won't so much. I've noticed that different cooking techniques with eggs seems to have an effect on how well they sit. My guess with the meatballs would be that they were cooked in a moister environment?

Most programs discourage gum post op. The main concern seems to be if it is accidently swallowed it could cause a blockage.

Why lame? 6 days post op, that is pretty good!

I've heard of it happening very frequently. I wish that it was happening to me! Size 11 is a bummer. I've always had a hard time finding clothes & shoes that fit me!

Soy has been fine for me. A serving size of the extra firm doesn't have a ton of protein in it though. I'm still new to cooking with it, so I went with a "scramble" type style. I sauteed some garlic & cooked the tofu for about 10 minutes (breaking it up) then I threw in pepper slices, water & spices (I went with a curry spice). Due to the protein being a little low I threw a fried egg on top. It's handy to have in the fridge & really cheap (NaSoya is like 99 cents a package at my store).

There's so many things that can affect the timeline. For me, it was 4 months. My insurance almost pulled a quick one last minute and made it 6.

From what I've seen about it, your stomach is not so much stretching as relaxing over time. You will be able to take in more food eventually. I don't believe that it will be the same amount as in the past, but you'll be able to get more in there. Weight gain seems to usually come from unhealthy choices & habits coming back. As I see the surgery, it was an opportunity to hit a reset button. A chance to lose weight & build new healthier habits (and a lifetime commitment to keeping up those new habits).

My period ended the day before my surgery. I had to call the hospital to find out what time they wanted me there for surgery. I asked them what they wanted me to do in case it was still going. They wanted me to wear a pad (and I didn't have a catheter).