Thick'n'Thin

Ok, so my gastro appointment is done. I had my radiology appointment yesterday. They did a thorough ultrasound of the abdomen: gall bladder, liver, kidney, spleen, etc. Then I had the upper GI swallow study. I was NPO after midnight and was already having a migraine. The swallow study involved first quickly drinking a fizzy powder, then chugging the chalky barium (which was actually chunky because they ran out of thick barium and had to improvise, and hadn't gotten the lumps out). It was cool to watch my guts on tv but between my migraine, the nausea that came with that, the lack of food or Tylenol, and the barium? I puked my guts up once I got home. I had tried to settle my tummy with breakfast- but I lost my Breakfast instead- violently. Ended up taking Tylenol PM and napping for 2.5 hours. Woke up feeling better. How are ya'll making out?

Hi all. I wanted to share the love. I went to the Vitamin Shoppe for the first time yesterday. I was hoping to scope out those nectar Protein drinks I keep hearing about. I wanted to try the iced tea. Well, guess what!? They had the lemonade and crystal sky (a blue 'punch') on sale 50% off. I was told it was being discontinued. So it was 19.98! I bought one of each flavor and, though not as good as a non-protein drink like crystal light, it was certainly better than my chocolate protein. The lemonade was the best of the two. I had to ignore the smell (it has they whey scent) and the cloudy color, but the taste was mild and definately hints of lemonade. I'll take it! The crystal sky was ok. Again, mild for a Protein powder. It tasted a bit like a blue raspberry tootsie roll pop. I was told they would carry them at 50% off til the sold our of the stock from the warehouse.

Congratulations! You've made it through the dreaded preop liquid diet (2 weeks?) How are you feeling about tomorrow? I wish you well on this exciting journey!

Oh, btw- I tried blending frozen strawberries in my water before blending in the nectar with a fork. It was alright but I don't think I could have that right away post-op with the seeds. I added a splenda packet. A couple shots of rum and I'd have a daiquiri...lol. Ya, that's gonna be off the table for a while!

I am trying to get setup with my Protein needs preop here. I have 5lbs of unflavored whey, which frankly smells like powdered milk (not a pleasant smell!), that I have no idea what to do with. Hope I can get some recipes. Any ideas? Thanks for the tip! If I am able to get my Protein shake and Water in right after surgery perhaps I'll make a half crystal light, half nectar lemonade blend to make it even more palletable. I don't want to get sick of my shakes like everyone seems to get. I can see feeling that way drinking the chocolate shakes. I hope this will help, along with any recipes I make or read for using this unflavored whey.

I would like to check out Atlanticare's support group (free for everyone). Sadly, I think it is the first monday of the month (tomorrow). I have class through Dec 16th on Mondays though, so I can't make it, preop.

Hello friends! I wanted to mention a deal I got that I thought ya'll might want to check out. Have you heard of nectar Protein shakes? They are well reviewed and have non-dessert flavored whey drinks like iced tea, grapefruit, lemonade, etc. I made my first stop into Vitamin Shoppe yesterday and wanted to sample the Nectars. I found the lemonade and crystal sky flavors on clearance half off, 19.98! That's about 30 servings of 24 g protein each. It's an in store sale only, and will be 50% off til they sell out the inventory. I tried these flavors yesterday. The lemonade has a slight whey smell but tastes decent for a Protein shake. Definitely a lemonade taste, mild. Crystal sky is like a blue raspberry blow pop. It was also mild, not earth shattering but better than a syrappy whey powder I think. How are you all doing?

Hmm, that's very interesting! I don't know how big to make them to make 36 servings, to be honest. I only calculated the nutritional value once when I posted the recipe to my blog. I would say perhaps scooping them by tablespoons would create 36? Sorry I can't be more helpful. After calculating the nutrition I just ate whatever amount I think I may be answering the wrong question, one ball was used to calculate the nutritional content. So a serving the size of a small half dollar Peanut Butter cookie might be about right. I'm just getting back to my blog (about my weight loss journey) because I lost 75lbs and gained it back. So now that I'm getting sleeved I will start posting again. I look forward to making new recipes, taking new pics! That was always fun!

KALE chips Preheat the oven to 350. Tear your kale leaves into small pieces so they will dry evenly in the oven. If you've just washed the leaves make sure you spin them dry in a salad spinner. Lay them out on a baking sheet and spray with Pam. Sprinkle with salt (or experiment with other seasonings if you like: onion powder, Old Bay) and bake for 10-15 minutes. Check regularly for doneness. They will go from dry and crunchy to brown and bitter quickly.

I calculated the nutritional facts on that recipe based on making 3 dozen balls...not sure how big those would be though! lol Nah, haven't tried humus stuffed deviled eggs. Do you just use hummus instead of mayo?

http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/gallstones/risk-factors.html OBESITY AND WEIGHT CHANGES Obesity. Being overweight is a significant risk factor for gallstones. In such cases, the liver over-produces cholesterol, which is delivered into the bile and causes it to become supersaturated. Weight Cycling. Rapid weight loss or cycling (dieting and then putting weight back on) further increases cholesterol production in the liver, which results in supersaturation and an increased risk for gallstones. The risk for gallstones is as high as 12% after 8 -16 weeks of restricted-calorie diets. The risk is more than 30% within 12 - 18 months after gastric bypass surgery. About one-third of gallstone cases in these situations have symptoms. The risk for gallstones is highest in the following dieters: Those who lose more than 24% of their body weight Those who lose more than 1.5 kg (3.3 lb.) a week Those on very low-fat, low-calorie diets Men are also at increased risk for developing gallstones when their weight fluctuates. The risk increases proportionately with dramatic weight changes as well as with frequent weight cycling. Bariatric Surgery. Patients who have either Roux-en-Y or laparoscopic banding bariatric surgery are at increased risk for gallstones. For this reason, many centers request that patients undergo cholecystectomy before their bariatric procedure. However, doctors are now questioning this practice. METABOLIC SYNDROME

A fortune cookie for you! I lost 75lbs on my own and (like often happens) regained it all again. That's what brought me to this point of pursuing a sleeve. I lost the battle but I'm not done fighting this war. And unless you and I give up we are not hopeless, we are not failures. We are fighters. You are taking a step to help yourself. You can do it! You've lost 60lbs and kept most of it off for 6 months. You have not lost too much ground and you can do it!

I make chocolate 'cookies' out of whey protein. I like them best frozen. Here's my recipe: http://www.takinghal...ein-powder.html I also love deviled eggs. Mmmm :wub:

Here's an article about the removing the stomach through the mouth. http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/archive/newsrel/health/08-09WeightLossSurgery.asp

It seems real. Perhaps we shall file this under "just because you can doesn't mean you should. I don't get the logistics. I imagine they are making in incision in the vaginal wall but I don't really know.

Howdy! I'm gonna PM you!

Do you mean protein shots like New Whey protein shots at Walmart? If so here's some reading to do about why these are no good- http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/74651-new-whey-liquid-protein-42g/#entry761245

The procedures I've watched on Youtube the surgeon used the larger of the abdominal incisions to pull the stomach through. I think that's still the typical method, though I'm aware of the type of situation you are referring to. Some surgeons are looking for ways to do laperscopic surgery 'incision free' through the mouth or vagina. Some Currently do single incision through the naval as well.

Wow, that is amazing! You look wonderful at 149!

I did like him. A docs stats speak for themselves but I also liked his personality. He's just like people have described him. He was a meek, gentle and pleasant person to talk with. He seems approachable, which I appreciate because I am shy.

NJ Mom of 4, Have you had your appointment with Neff? I went yesterday. I was surprised how quick and painless the visit was. Since I am hoping for a late December sleeve they have my Pre-op scheduled for Nov 27th. We'll see if I can get all my testing done in time for the appointment!

Oh. I was in Vineland yesterday. My BF and I went to this new soul food buffet next to the Amish Market. He really enjoyed it, I felt unwell so I could have surf and turf and been disinterested...lol. I wish my surgeon had offices as close and Vineland. He is in Cherry Hill which is 1 h 39 m from me. But, I figured the trips will be a few but the seriousness of this surgery are big so I looked for the doc I was comfy with instead of distance and here we are! I'm sure Attia is awesome too. The Amish market has a lot of powdered mixes for Soups. I stocked up on their beef and chicken base powder, and cream of broccoli Soup powder (Eh, not so awesome). I think I will go back there preop and stock up.

Well, howdy neighbor! I wish Cape Regional still offered weight loss surgery support groups. I'd like to participate in one but the closest one that I found, which also happens to be free to everyone regardless of where your surgery is done, is Atlanticare. That's a little hike. Wonder why Cape Regional ever stopped.

Oh really! I'm in Villas, how about you?

Sounds good to me! Have you ever been to the Cape May County Park and Zoo? It was named #3 in the nation by trip advisory and it is a FREE zoo! Lots of places to walk around, things to see.