Kindle

WOT people! (Somewhat amusing, however)

If you are not open to advice from members on here, why are you wasting our time with your posts? I've been on this and two other WLS forums for over 3 years and you definitely rank in the top 5 for the most negative, hostile members I've encountered. I guess conflict is simply something that makes you feel better about yourself. I truly feel sorry for you and hope someday you can find a more constructive and positive way to live your life. And as for me responding to your posts, since this is a public forum, you can either deal with it, block me, or quit posting, cause I'm not going anywhere.

I never gave up milk. Being from Wisconsin, pretty sure it's illegal . I drink it straight. I use it to mix my Protein shakes, I use 1/2 and 1/2 in my coffee. I drank lactaid for the first 4 months, switched to skim once I could tolerate lactose again and then went to 1% or 2% when I passed goal and wanted to add more calories. As for calcium, ironically, most almond and coconut milks are fortified and actually have more calcium than dairy milk. I take MyKind Organic Plant Calcium supplement (with D3, K2, and magnesium for maximum absorption) 3 times/day, separate from my multi.

I also did the saccharomyces boulardii and Probiotics. Look for the highest count, most multi-strain probiotic you can find. The best are going to be found in the refrigerated section of a good health/whole food store. Mine was 50billion CFU with 32 different strains. Take them at a different time than the metronidazole since the metro will immediately kill the probiotics if they are in contact with each other. Hydration is SO hard. Try and make sipping your focus. Go back to all liquid diet with Protein shakes if you have to. Make everything you get in count towards hydration. The crazy thing is, though, the best 3 days out of my 2 1/2 month ordeal were the days I got IV fluids. I actually had several hours where I DIDNT have to try and drink anything. It was heaven.

So adding on to @@Dub 's post, how would you be feeling about yourself if you didn't have a scale? It seems that a lot of your negative self image (i.e. Shame) is based strictly on what the scale says. Your life revolves around things you did or didn't do to make the scale move. So take the stupid numbers out of the equation and figure out how you actually feel about yourself compared to how you felt before surgery. Do you feel more or less in control? More or less happy? More or less stressed? Do you have less pain? More stamina? Is it easier to move around, walk up stairs? Are you setting and meeting career goals? Are your relationships with friends, family and coworkers satisfying, rewarding and healthy? Are there activities or classes that interest you that would help relieve your work stress? Are you seeking therapy to help improve your self esteem and address your internal issues that led to your Obesity? Focus on the triumphs and the little things you accomplish every day, I'm sure there are plenty. There is just SO much more to life than the scale. Try and expand your definition of self to include things besides the three digits that you are currently obsessing over.

What antibiotic did he put you on? My first two rounds were metronidazole (flagyl) which made me extremely nauseous. I could barely eat or drink anything.....couldn't even swallow my own saliva some days. Thus, ending up needing IV fluids 3 times for dehydration. I was praying to the WLS gods that I would be perfectly happy to never lose another pound as long as the nausea would go away. Ironically, that was the month I gained 3 pounds and stalled. As soon as I was switched to vancomycin I doubled my food and Water intake and lost 8 pounds in 1 week! Keep us posted. Whine all you want. C diff sucks way worse than the preop diet, and that gets lots of whine time on here!

125 pounds in 8 months is amazing....keep up the good work! You are exceeding protein and fluid goals and losing at an incredible rate so whatever you're doing is working for now. Like I said before, successful plans after WLS are individual things and the great thing is you have the power to create and change your version as you go.

If it were me I'd be eating a bite or two of everything that is bariatric friendly. As long as you are meeting Protein and Fluid goals, keeping your overall meal portions reasonable (4-6 ounces) and still losing weight I say go for it. And don't forget to pack your vitamins! Everyone has to find their own plan for success and although your nut may have some good points, she is not you and can't possibly know what goes on in your head. But, if down the line, you do start making more poor choices or indulge in cravings and desires for more food, you may need to modify your "plan". And that's OK. I've discovered that postWLS life is more of an evolution than a set plan.

Between weeks 6 and 7 I GAINED 3 pounds. At 10 weeks (that was the next time I stepped on the scale) I weighed the same as 6 weeks. But I had dropped a whole pant size, so never even knew I had a month long stall till it was nearly over. So yes, it happens. That is why my mantra to all newbies is "Stay off the scale", because those numbers do not always show what's really going on. Try not to worry about the numbers, just enjoy the NSVs. They are the important part.

I try to eat different stuff all the time. I purposely still drink a Protein shake and eat a Quest bar every day so I can meet my protein goals. And although most of my food choices are high protein, the shakes and bars give me the freedom to eat a balanced diet including fruit, veggies and whole grains while still getting 60-80g+ of protein. From a physiological standpoint, I like the idea of providing my body with different nutrients all the time. From a psychological standpoint eatng the same thing over and over with no variety would only be frustrating and lead to cravings and binges (for me, anyways) However, the examples you gave (pizza, chips, Bloody Mary, wings) are all pretty poor choices when it comes to healthy, weight loss friendly foods. That first meal was pretty much all carbs and the second was some protein, but laden with fat and probably carbs from the sauces. If you want variety, great, but make sure you mostly focus on lean protein and non starchy veggies. Your only carbs should be from maybe a little fruit and healthy, whole grains. Alcohol, bread and chips certainly should not be regular choices.

@@Lisa_85 You absolutely CAN NOT stretch your sleeve with liquids, so drink away. As for the constipation, metamucil, Benefiber, and miralax did nothing for me. I was still taking milk of magnesia every 3 days to produce a small amount of rock hard, painful stool. And this was with drinking 64-100oz of Water every day. My saving grace was adding insoluble Fiber. Benefiber, Metamucil and all those fiber gummies and other fiber supplements are soluble fiber and can actually make constipation worse. Once I Started adding insoluble fiber (sprouted seeds, ground flax seed, apple pectin fiber and Kashi go lean cereal) to my daily diet, I have had soft formed stool and I go almost every day, occasionally every other day. I add these things to my Protein smoothies and/or my Greek yogurt. If I Dont get in my insoluble fiber my stool hardens up within a day or two and I'm back to taking milk of magnesia to get it out.

I definitely feel your pain (and all the other unpleasantness). I got a C. diff infection about 5-6 weeks after my VSG. Mine was a result of the clindamycin my dentist put me on for a tooth abcess, but having a teeny tiny tummy definitely hindered my ability to stay hydrated. You said you "most likely" have a C. diff infection. Did your doctor test for it? If not, I recommend the PCR test rather than the ELISA as the latter has a higher rate of false negatives. A positive confirmation may qualify you for any number of ongoing clinical trials for C. diff treatments. A was asked to participate in one, but the infectious disease center was located 60miles away and I just couldn't fit that much travel into my work schedule. Here are the posts that describe what I went through and what I eventually had to do to clear the infection. Good luck, I sure hope you have an easier time than I did. Feel free to ask any questions as I became kind of a C. diff expert. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/296042-possible-c-difficile-bummer/ http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/297327-diarrhea-is-back/ http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/300646-calling-all-poop-donors/ http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/303173-fecal-transplant-scheduled/

Be careful what you wish for. Some day you will be able to eat a lot more and you will have to train your brain to limit your portions, not rely on your sleeve. I'm just headed back from vacation where I ate all the scallops, shrimp, crab, clams, pasta, soup, steak, salad, and gelato I wanted. Now it's back to the old protein veggie routine. Don't worry, you will be "normal" soon.

Protein shakes, Protein Bars, adding unflavored Protein Powder to everything. Or use protein powder of your choice to flavor plain Greek yogurt. That easily gives you 20g in just 1/2 cup. And like Jess, at over 2 years out I still supplement with shakes and bars. 1 shake + 1 Quest bar = 40-50g. Getting another 30-40g from food is easy.

Day 1-3 clear liquids Day 4-18 full liquids Day 19-27 purees Day 28-42 soft solids Day 43+ regular food except.... 3 months nuts, seeds, raw veggies, crunchy stuff And for the first several months I advanced even slower than was allowed cause I was always so full. The only way I could get in my Protein was keeping it liquid for several months. I simply couldn't eat enough solid protein to meet goals.

Well now I remember why I don't go on vacation. Left my house 18 hours ago. 1st flight on time. 4 hour delay at next airport. Finally made it to the third airport and Now have been sitting on the runway for almost 4 hours before they decided the plane doesn't actually work. Headed back to the terminal with no word on when or even if we will ever be departing. I'd seriously rather be back at work.

There are no veggies I can't eat and I like and dislike all the same ones I did before surgery. And as for cravings for things you can't tolerate, 1) most people have very few, if any intolerances after VSG and 2) if it's something that does cause pain or discomfort or dumping, etc, believe me, you won't be craving it!

"There's no such thing as too much garlic" and "everything tastes better with bacon" are the two kitchen rules I live by.

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Ask your facility. All anesthesiologists are different. I had to take my acrylic nails off for my VSG, but I was allowed to keep them on for my gallbladder removal.

The Vitamin deficiencies most commonly seen in post gastrectomy patients are Iron, B12, Vitamin D, calcium, folate and zinc. The problem is, these deficiencies can occur 5, 10 even 20 years down the line when people start slacking on taking their Vitamins and stop getting bloodwork done. In fact, studies show that 30-90% of patients will develop deficiencies. Theoretically, VSG patients cannot absorb oral B12 anymore because we lack intrinsic factor which is produced in the portion of the stomach they removed. Therefore, we need to take it in sublingual or injectable form. The "usual" supplementation includes a multi as well as iron, D3, sublingual or injectable B12 and calcium. But more important is that we get bloodwork done every 6-12 months to monitor for any deficiencies and make adjustments. For example, my iron/ferritin levels came back high at my 6 month check so I discontinued my iron supplement. It has been in the normal level ever since. And so has everything else. I get bloodwork done every year, which includes a full vitamin and mineral assay.

So sorry you are having to go through so much pain. But to answer your question, I never needed any narcotic pain meds after surgery, even in the hospital. The only thing I was sent home with was a sublingual NSAID for the surgical inflammation.

So sorry you've had to go through this. Does your insurance cover WLS? If so it may cover complications. If not you may be SOL. My policy specifically states it will not cover WLS or any complications from WLS unless it is a an immediate life saving procedure. I went into it knowing any complications would bankrupt me for sure. No one but your insurance company will be able to answer your question because policies are so individual. BTW, what were your complications? What kind of prognosis are they giving you?

I was given a blood thinner periop and compression stockings to wear on the plane. I walked all over the airport before my flight and was told to walk the aisles if my flight was longer than an hour. No problems. If it makes you feel any better, I have been participating on 3 different WLS forums for 3 years and have never read a single post about someone returning from surgery in Mexico and getting a blood clot.

I'm not positive, but I think around 25-30 pounds. Started with a 40 BMI.