Miss Mac

Syntrax nectar is fruit flavored Protein powder. At Bariatric Pantry you can get 25 different flavors. The sample pack has 13 flavors. Most of them mix well with Crystal Lite Lemonade. My personal favorite is the Grapefruit Nectar because when it is mixed with lemonade, it tastes just like Fresca Soda. http://www.mybariatricpantry.com/Syntrax_Nectar_Protein_s/4.htm

I miss Pepsi and Coke. I don't miss hiding from the camera in family photos.

I bought a lot of my stuff on clearance from www.Womanwithin.com.

Mine took 30 minutes with a personal interview. She was asking questions that would help her determine why I wanted the surgery and was I prepared to do what it would take to be successful We talked about eating disorders with the caution to not replace food disorders with a new addiction such as drinking or smoking. Totally painless procedure for me. I worried for nothing.

Almost all of us had to endure a three month or six month pre-op diet. The time will pass quickly enough and you will learn many valuable eating habits that will change the way you interact with groceries. Plus you will likely get a head start on your weight loss. I lost 22 pounds on a three month pre-op regimine. If you want the time to go fast, I suggest you schedule a root canal or colonoscopy for six months out. Time will fly by!

Just because a three year old can cross the highway doesn't mean they should. Try to slow your roll and don't get so impatient. These diet stages will pass soon enough. If after you measure the food that you are allowed on your plan you still feel hungry then go for sugar free popsicles or sugar free Jello which will pass through your system as Fluid. You will find your brain and your taste buds and jaws getting waaaaaaay ahead of what your brutalized stomach is able to handle. But at the end of the day, your new stomach is the boss of you and has the potential of teaching you a miserable lesson for hours at a time.

Normally, having your pants fall down would be horrifying, but it is a pleasant right of passage. Just hope it isn't when you are out of the house. Remember what Grandma said, "Always wear fresh underwear because what would the ambulance driver think if yours was raggedy or missing!"

If you can stand baby food, eat that for a few days. I lasted two days and then switched to regular foods blended to death with some broth to make it of pureed consistency. I ate applesauce too, with Protein powder added. For example, If you like beef vegetable Soup, run it through the blender with Water or broth until there are no bits, just soup slush. The more your food tastes like something, this part of the progression will be easier to bear. If I had thought of refried Beans with cheese (which I did eat in my soft stage) I would have put them on the blender with cheese sauce instead and enough milk to make it a puree. There are several bariatric supply websites that sell protein cheese sauce, or you can just get the regular stuff at the supermarket. You can get creative and invent what you need. Well, not ON the blender.

Your stomach is feeling really brutalized right now. This week will be your worst and then as you move into purees, soft foods, and regular foods that taste like something, your energy and your mood will pick up. This is the time to get plenty of rest and follow your plan. You will be quite inconvenienced this week, but you will not regret the long-term results. My experience was that my biggest incision (I had four) was the only one that hurt, and that was just for a couple of days. After that, I did not need any pain relief. I had behind the ear Patches to help calm the nausea which was in part caused by the other meds I had to take. By the end of the first week, I had a serious case of "cabin fever", and just couldn't wait to get out of the house. I do want to give you a "heads up" that along about week three, you may experience a stall in your weight loss. True, it is discouraging - but totally expected as your body adjusts to its new normal. Hang in there, kiddo. Pluck through the next couple of days and you will be past the worst of your recovery. I still think that my recovery was still not as aggravating as the pre-op insurance process! You will feel better shortly. Hugs from Chicago.

@@4MRB4PHOTO said what I was going to say.......call his bluff. This sounds like a one-sided relationship to me, where everything is done for his benefit, the way he wants when he wants it. My mean ol' rotten ex husband fought me tooth and nail on going back to school. "What am I going to do while you are in class. Maybe I should just wait out in the car." He fought me on driving myself to work. He followed me to work and back. He fought me on medical care and impeded any effort to get care. He constantly minimized my health concerns. He fought me on healthy eating, and I gained fifty pounds in the ten years I tolerated that sham of a marriage. He was always bring sweets home and told me that I ruin every meal with vegetables. My father-in-law would rather have starved to death than go in the kitchen to get his own food. My dear bariatric sister.....it is time to set some boundaries. Bariatric surgery has a way of exposing the dynamics of our relationships. The people around you will quickly reveal what value or purpose you are to them, once you take control of your own life. Thank goodness you are a grown woman who can make her own health decisions without anyone else's approval. I wish you good luck and good health.

I am allowed to use gummy supplements except for the B12. The doctor prefers that I take the sublingual B12 to guarantee absorption.

Sweet gherkins / regular foods / one month

Why did I go ahead and do it? I had a stroke because of my blood pressure and other health problems complicated by my weight. Another reason was that my spine was collapsing under my weight and I have 17 herniated discs and was quickly becoming a cripple. If it takes you a month, read through this thread: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/219831-what-was-your-final-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back/ It has 1,227 replies so far and will give you some insight as to why we accept the fact that we need help.

If you can't get it waived, then consider that period of time to be a part of the learning process. You will learn new habits that will benefit you greatly post-op. I had a three month supervised diet and was glad of it. Post-op, I was prepared to start my new way of living with confidence, since every change I needed to make was already a habit. Beside, it will give you a chance to lose some weight and you will be ahead of the game. The time is not wasted.

It is no secret here that bariatric surgery will expose the raw dynamics of your relationships. It is a painful process, but people will expose how they really feel about you, and who is supportive of your efforts and who you should avoid. As I have said recently, people who talk about you that way are not telling you about who you are, they are telling you about who they are. Your husband is a gift. Too bad he comes with all that drama. So, let the little dogs bark and just go on with your pursuit of health and happiness.

That all depends on your insurance requirements and the doctor's schedule. My first appointment was August 16, 2013 and surgery was on December 23, 2013.

I got my staples out at 17 days. Believe me, the difference will be like night and day. I don't see how anyone can get them both done at the same time.

Well, I guess there is going to be a lot of Panhandle babies next September!

Just think....by next Christmas, your son will be one year older and you will be ten years younger!

That is why Mrs. Clause worries about Santa so much. He know where all the naughty girls live!

Hormone upheaval and ketosis.

Comic Carlos Mencia once said that all men want for Christmas and their birthday is steak and sex. (He used a more specific alphabetical abbreviation). Guys....am I right??????

People who judge you are not telling you what kind of person you are. They are telling you what kind of person they are. Since you do not have encouragement at home, you might be a good candidate for a support group. The psych evaluation is not meant to see how many patients the surgeon can refuse. It is to help us understand the dynamic behind our struggle to lose weight and how we can prepare ourselves to succeed. Many hospitals have patient advocates and many insurance companies will assign a nurse case manager to help you navigate through the surgery and recovery experience. Take advantage of the resources available to you, and feel welcome to ask questions and vent frustrations here on the forum. I wish you the best.

There, there, there now...........it will be alright in a minute. When they insert the IV needle in the back of your hand, you will feel a little prick. My first ex- husband was a little prick! For a fact, once they get you placed on the operating table, the anesthesiologist may ask you to do something like counting backward from 100. So here you go......100, 99, 98...........Wake up Rena. Wake up. You're all done and you did really well. We will be taking you to you room soon. Pain from the surgery was never an issue for me. My sleeve was my 12th operation under anesthetic, with the least pain and easiest recovery. I had four miniscule incisions, and only the biggest one was uncomfortable for a couple of days. You have multitudes of bariatric brothers and sisters here to encourage you. I am rooting for you and expecting to hear soon that you are on your way to re-inventing yourself. The post-op diet is a mighty inconvenient aspect of this process, but once you get past the first month and back on regular cooked food that tastes like something, you will be surprised at how fast time flies. Hang in there, kiddo.

Well, you are still running on empty. whey Protein drinks made me bloat. It won't last forever.