Miss Mac

It was ok for me when I went on regular foods, but I did have to wait until three months for the ones with nuts or small bits in them.

A couple of weeks - proceed with caution.

lexiemia........prior to my surgery, my primary doctor had me on Sertraline, for post-stroke anxiety and depression. The bariatric physician changed me over to Wellbutrin right away, and then post-op she doubled it. I have never heard of Fetzima. I will check it out.

I see your laugh and raise you a laugh.

I guess I still have not figured out this quote thing works. What I was trying to say was that I thought Babb's commment was funny because I got busted by a neighbor the other day when she came to my door while I was Sweatin' to the Oldies myself. I have never followed Richard Simmon's diet plan, but I do get my DVDs out and try to keep up.

Awww don't knock Richard Simmons! I've been known to sweat to the oldies a time or two....he does a lot of good for severely obese people.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, I am 63 and way past menopause. I am lighter, more flexible, and more responsive than ever. Mother Nature is cooperating quite nicely, and although lube is on stand-by, it is rarely needed to help. I will give the reduction in Lyrica and increase in Wellbutrin part of the credit. I had no idea that sex would be so much better in my 60s than it was in my 20s. Who knew? Not to mention that my hubby-man is more than happy to oblige. I would agree with the others that this is something to open up to your doctor about. Your loss of libido does not have to be permanent. May you have very much happy nookie going forward.

I lovvvvve fresh fruit, but I do save it for morning so that I have the rest of the day to deal with the carbs and sugar. Yes, it does help with digestion.

I take stool softeners every day, and put Miralax in one of my beverages every day. I have prune juice for emergencies, but I have only had one "pushing a watermelon through a straw" event. I also have Smooth Move Tea on hand, but don't like its licorice aftertaste.

At my six week follow-up, I was told to have between 800 and 1200 calories. I find that the closer I am to 1200, the more likely I hit a stall. I recently had my 18 month follow-up and was advised to stay around 1000 calories.

Referring to posts 4 and 5 Sometimes things do look weird when I read them, especially road signs. Before I retired, I used to take the commuter train into the city. There was a sign by the boarding platform that said: "Do Not Walk In Front Of Stupid Trains" I took that train 5 days a week for months before I realized that it really said: "Do Not Walk In Front Of Stopped Trains"

Vin Diesel doppleganger??????

Stalls are like lovers. Your first will probably not be your last.

Per comment #9 from Wynnie. Thanks for the extra pair of eyes.

Pureed foods are liquidy and run off a spoon like applesauce or baby food.

pureed foods will help. Glad you are recovering well. Yeah, I was surprised, too, that you had staples. When I first read the title of your post, I thought it said "Getting my nipples remved today!" Now the staples don't seem so bad.

The reason for the shakes is because of the full range of nutrients that you are not going to get from Water, broth, and Jello. My non-professional guess is that you are not getting any nutrient benefit and are starting to droop. The Protein drinks are no picnic in the park. They are a right of passage to the new you. Try to endure at least one or two a day. Maybe get a vanilla brand and mix it half with milk or almond milk.

I exfoliate my belly in the shower, then rub almond oil into after I dry off. I am probably too old - 63 - to completely recover a flat belly, but I tell you what......the skin on my belly is as soft as butter.

I had shingles on my back a couple of years ago, and I just can't imagine the pain you are going through with it in and around your mouth. I was already taking max doses of Lyrica for sciatica, and that helped some. My doctor had me put calamine lotion on the blisters. I think he also gave me an anti-viral drug, and I used a lidocaine spray as well. It took about a month before the pain started to back off. I feel for you. I hope you get well soon.

Yeah, me too, and I am 15 months out. I have noticed that a boiled egg fills me up, but a fried egg makes me associate it bacon and cheese on a 1/2 sandwich. I can be full on two ounces of chicken, but uncontrolled, I could eat a grilled bratwurst with the bun and onions, kethcup, mustard, and a few Beans on the side. I still have to be careful to not get tripped up on these food associations. This is a forever walk, and slip-ups sneak up on when you aren't looking. One other thing have to watch out for is that on strength training days, I definitely am hungrier. I just have to make sure that I eat Protein and not mashed potatoes. Man, this is work.....nuthin' easy about it. Out of necessity, I am become a nutritarian and paleo fanatic. So, at least if I do eat more, it has some nutritional value. I have even started putting spinach in my shakes that I have on my strength training days. I was wary at first, but it actually has no discernable flavor.

I like that list. I was searching for chapstick, and Yep...it's on there. I took a business trip to Reno one time and did not want to deal with checked baggage. I rolled my clothes really tight into my carry on, and put my traveling foodstuffs in my larger than usual purse that I bought just for the trip. I wore a safari jacket with about ten pockets inside and out and cargo pants and put a lot of small stuff in those. That saved me a lot of time at the airport.

When I went for my pre-op EKG, the tech told me that I was not big enough for bariatric surgery and was taking the easy way out. I told her that she should call my surgeon right away and tell him that she disagrees with his diagnosis. That shut her up. When the Press-Gainey Survey arrived in the mail, I mentioned her by name.

I did not have a drain. Hugs from Miss Mac in Chicago.

Oh, nooooooooooo! Well, then....what's done is done. Time to start over. Just as a refresher, here are the basic concepts again: While you are hanging out here for support, you can initiate the following steps that most of our plans have us do for our pre-op preparations. Drink no calories. Drink Water until your eyeballs float - 64 - 80+ ounces per day. Don't eat anything made in a factory. You can do this by shopping the perimeter of the supermarket and avoid the aisle unless you need a spice or paper towels...that kind of stuff. Eat at least 60 ounces of Protein per day, and at any meal, eat your protein first - then veg - then fruit. Dessert should be something like an apple, not apple pie with two scoops of ice cream. Avoid sugar, grease, and salt as much as possible. Eating clean will help you discover the real taste of natural food. If it weren't for sugar, grease and salt, McDonald's would have no business. When I gave up candy bars and started eating dark chocolate, I realized that it wasn't the chocolate I missed - it was the sugar. Try to wean yourself off of soda and diet soda. Most bariatric plans discourage soda pop and anything with bubbles post-op. Reduce starchy carbs like bread, flour, sugar, rice, noodle, biscuits, white potatoes, macaroni, spaghetti etc. So what is left to eat? meat, eggs, cheese, Beans, Peanut Butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, and fresh fruits and non-starchy veggies. You can adjust your current recipes to reduce carbs. The World According to Eggface is a good place to start. Check out the forum here for recipes, also Sparkpeople.com and Myfitnesspal.com. Many of us use Myfitnesspal.com for logging our food every day. It is really an eye-opener if you are honest with yourself about what you eat. Weigh and measure your food to accurately acknowledge your actual portion size. There is a scientific principle that says, "You cannot control that which you do not measure." Exercise where you can. Move your body every day. Don't become part of the sofa. Hugs for a new start. Now, off you go!

I agree with AvaFern. You have every right as a patient to demand adequate pain management. Otherwise, why are they always asking about our pain levels. Make sure they give you a prescription for pain relief when you get home. Take it regulary for a few days whether you are hurting at the moment or not. It is important to be proactive and get ahead of the pain. My sleeve was my 12th surgery after an appendectomy, abdominal exploratory, 2 c-sections, shoulder arthroscopy, gallbladder (1973 - back when they still cut you half in two), knee arthroscopy, two knee replacements, cervical spinal fusion, and heel spur. My sleeve was the easiest recovery and the least painful of all. I took hydrocodone for two days after I got home, and beyond that, none was needed. The two most aggravating things about my sleeve were pre-op: the waiting between procedures, appointments, and insurance approval and then the liquid diet. Meh. You have a large bariatric family who have been through this and lived to tell about. The trick with reducing pain post-op is to not be lifting anything over five pounds, and rising carefully so that you don't pull on your wounds. Of course, get your fluids in and don't be shy about getting all the rest you can for a while.