Miss Mac

Day two? I was more exhausted than in pain. I did not have the shoulder gas that some folks get. Once the anesthetic wore off I just took hydrocodone for two more days. The most discomfort I had was from the largest incision near my belly button, and frankly, I have had bee stings that felt worse. Mostly I just needed rest - lots of rest.

I was drinking sugar-free cranberry juice right from the start. I mix it with Bari-wise Cranberry-Grape Protein powder.

I have done the opposite. I have had Ellen Degeneres hair since 1978. I did not feel pretty enough for long hair and punished myself my keeping it extremely short. I got it cut one more time before my sleeve surgery in December of 2013 in anticipation of hideous hair loss, and aslo decided to embrace the grayish white that was taking over my natural strawberry blonde hair. As it turns out, I was one of the fortunate few who did not experience hair loss. The ramped up Protein and outstanding nutrition have given me the thickest, strongest hair I have had since my hippy days in the late 1960's. So, I have let it grow and grow. It is nearly shoulder length now and soft and beautiful. I also found some hair color that matches the strawberry blonde that is still in my eyebrows. Losing my excess weight has given me a new perspective on how to treat myself. I am a domestic violence survivor, and one of the best points of insight that I got from counseling at a women's shelter was that sometimes we get so used to being abused that we begin to abuse ourselves. Baratric surgery has been an eye-opener for me. At 63, I have the best hair I have had in 38 years. I am always happy to hear when others are emboldened to try something new, and to re-invent themselves.

Yes, my arm pain and numbness resolved immediately. As far as my lumbar issues, I was having the epidural steroid injections every three months for several years. Last October, I finally had an ablation done on three nerves affecting sciatica and leg numbness in my right leg. It's been all good until last week (six months out). I will hold out as long as I can. The procedure lasts six months to two years before the nerves regenerate, but it feels like I am there already.

We ran around the barn and back with this same concept on this link: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/339160-5-days-post-op-cant-do-all-liquid-diet-anyone-else-do-okay-on-soft-foods/ You will find folks on both sides of the fence.

I had a sleeve done in December of 2015 and had an Anterior Cervical Dissection and fusion at C3 C4 C5 done in February of 2014. My neurosurgeon was hoping that losing 100 pounds would delay the need for L5S1, which so far has been the case. I have thoracic radiculopathy, with a total of 17 herniated discs. My spine was literally colllapsing under my weight. To answer you question about recovery from cervical spinal fusion: Wearing the collar for six weeks was inconvenient, but overall the recovery was not painful. My boyfriend had to do his smoking outside, but he obliged very nicely. My exercise and movement was limited, and I slept in my lift recliner for those six weeks, as I could not lay flat with the collar. Some people do not have to wear the collar at night. There is a exercise video I have by David Stamps called Exercise for the Bedfast, which I wish I had at the time. I use it on orthopedically bad days rather than my other more active or vigorous ones. He also has several styles of exercise that can be done sitting in a chair. So, you won't have to be a mummy (we even managed to get frisky - but making sure my neck was supported).

While you are exploring ways to eliminate these roadblocks, you could get a head start on the pre-op process. Many of us are / were required to be on a six month or three month low carb diet so that we could begin to develop new habits to carry us through a successful recovery and weight loss. This includes concepts such as: Drink no calories, but do drink Water until your eyeballs float. Eating low carb is easier if you reduce or avoid foods that are starchy or white in color, such as bread, rice, noodles, biscuits, cake, pies, etc. Dessert needs to be an apple, not apple pie with ice cream. Try to get in 60-80 grams of Protein a day. Try to not eat anything made in a factory. Eat real food from the perimeter of the grocery store. Use a smaller plate. Weigh and measure your portions. My fitness Pal is just one of a number of websites that have tools for helping you track what you are eating. This is so useful because it forces you to be aware of just exactly what is going into your mouth. Don't become part of the sofa. If it is difficult or painful to exercise, you can at least get up every hour or so and move around. David Stamps has several videos for people who face challenges to exercise. I have his Chair Boxing, Chair Salsa, Chair Tai Chi, and Exercises for the Bedfast. Leslie Sanson has a video Walk Your Belly Flat which consists of three fifteen minute segments where you cover approximately one mile of walking. This can even be done standing in place if that is all the room you have. On bad orthopedic days, I do it standing in place while holding on to my walker frame. On good days, I do my Sweating to the Oldies. Sometimes I just crank up loud crazy music and move and groove while doing my housework. On nice summer days, I do laps in the back yard. There is a lot you can do without having to spend money on a gym. I can do lunges in the house holding onto a gallon of laundry soap in each hand. I do push-ups off the third stairstep because I have trouble getting up and down from the floor. I do squats at the kitchen chair. I can do backward rows with the same gallons of soap. Plus there are all kinds of free videos on YouTube. Anyway, hang around here for other great ideas. If there is a certain topic you want to explore, go to the search box and type it in. There is a small arrow that will open a drop down menu. Click on that and then click on Forums, then the Search magnifying glass. I hope you continue to pursue a great surgeon who will help you addreess your issues. Good luck. Visit us often.

I could not tolerate the Bariatric Advantage horse pills. I tried crushing them and putting it in shakes, applesauce, oatmeal - maybe a dozen different things, and it kept coming back to haunt me. I tried cutting them in fourths, but could not swallow the sharp edges. I was given the OK for Flintstones Chewables with Iron and I take two a day, but not close to when I take my Calcium. When I had my one year labs in January, my nutrient values were better than fine.

It seems to me like we are getting more and more commercial posts on the forum, and it's always from someone who has only 1,2, or 3 posts. The thing that bugs me is that I don't see the REPORT THIS option anymore.

I agree with what I am hearing here. Consider malpractice and/or a bypass. Definitely go for all the benefits you can get. There is no disgrace in asking for help. Hugs from Chicago.

You can order unflavored online from Unjury.

I use Miralax powder in my beverages and shakes.

Maybe some others don't, but I like a manly man fuzzy bear.

I had to do 10 days with shakes only. I had a fatty liver which had to be shrunk.

I had to make a concious effort to stay away from the food Network during my pre-op diet. Post-op, it's not so bad,

Mine was annoying for a couple of weeks, but I did not need to medicate it. It might help to sleep elevated so that you are not pulling yourself up from being completely flat. I slept in my recliner for a couple of nights. Be careful about lifting anything much over five pounds for a while, keeping in mind that a gallon of milk weighs eight pounds. It was a full two months before I could move around without noticing any pulling or intermittant pain in that one spot.

unjury sells the unflavored whey Protein powder online. I have used it and could not taste it. You can add it to anything. I have used it in chili and other Soups and could not taste it. I have Unjury chicken flavored on hand, too. I have put their chocolate flavor in hot chocolate, but you can't go higher than 140 degrees or it clumps up. I have found that for me, the protein powders taste better in milk than in Water. Sometimes I use almond milk if I want less calories. My favorite flavor is the vanilla powder because I can add extra vanilla and any kind of fruit. If I want a lighter, water-based drink, then I prefer Syntax. They have many fruit flavors and even have mixed sample packs to sell. http://www.mybariatricpantry.com/SYNTRAX_NECTAR_PROTEIN_POWDER_SAMPLES_p/nectar-sample.htm

That's not petty. It's called a one-sided relationship. What's in it for you? Sounds to me like everything is to his advantage. Years ago, when I showed up at the doctor;s office with an ex hubby- inflicted bruise (the size of a seven ounce steak) on my arm, the doctor asked me, "Why are you still there?" So even if that is not the nature of your displeasure, it is still a question worth asking yourself. You apparently have the advantage of being able to support yourself, so just be honest with yourself. Would you be better off with him or without him? There is no point in staying just to be a baby sitter for his ex-wife. If the marriage is worth counseling, then go see a counselor. If he doesn't want to go, that further proves your point and shows you where he stands on the effort he is willing to put into the marriage. LIfe is too short to stay with a jerk. Bariatric surgery has a way of exposing the raw dynamics of a relationship. He has shown you that he has no sympathy for you and still expects you to be his waitress and mother. Make you a list of pros and cons, and then will know what to do. There is no point in perpetuating a mistake. Your surgery is giving you a new lease on life and you deserve to enjoy it.

Almost three weeks for me. They came off by themselves.

Grapefruit Syntrax Protein powder mixed with Crystal Lite Lemonade. It tastes just like Fresca.

I'm jealous. Every gram I have lost has gone out kicking and screaming.

No. Are you on liquids only? You could mix up Miralax in your beverages.

Once I lost the first thirty pounds, I peed less frequently because there was not so much pressure on my bladder in spite of drinking 80 ounces a day. My third week stall lasted two weeks on its on and then thescale started moving again.

Thanks. Just trying to keep it real.