GotItDoneInHarlem

Rainbow, I suffer from depression as well and understand how you may be feeling right now. You have reached out on this blog and I believe you want help. I strongly recommend that you call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 as soon as possible and talk to someone.

I'm getting sleeved on December 17th. My father (and family) have insisted that he comes to stay with me for a week to help care for me (which rocks!). He's basically going to be hunkered down with me in my small NYC apartment for a week. I've found good seats to his FAVORITE play on Broadway. Question is: Am I going to feel good enough to go see a play with him on day 8 post-op or should I send him by himself? (I'd prefer to go with him, but I don't want to feel like crap.) So! 1) Should I go? 2) What did you feel like at 8 days post-op? This is all assuming that I'm healthy with no complications and recovering "normally."

I'm going to be sleeved on December 17th. I pretty much have no choice but to return to work on January 2nd which will place me right in the middle of purees. I'll be on purees for a week and then transition to soft food once my doctor allows it. I have a private office and access to a fridge and microwave. I've got a bunch of stage 2 Ella's pouches coming which I though would be more discreet than a baby for jar and plenty of espresso spoons to work with. I'll be drinking the majority of my Protein in Isopure drinks so I can hydrate and get my protein and not stress out so much on eating tons of protein. Does anyone have great easy to make and pack ideas for work lunches and Snacks during purees and soft foods? From what I'm reading the following are good, but I want more ideas. Thanks in advance! 1) Refried Beans and a little cheese 2) Cottage cheese 3) String cheese 4) Greek yogurt 5) Shelly's Baked Ricotta-- http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

Hey GoodCyn, Thanks for the 3 year update and for confessing your sins to us newbies or pre-ops. It's really good for us to hear things like this. Do 100 hail marys (modified jumping jacks) and get the to the vegetable aisle and gym. Consider your sins absolved. Amen.

I think it comes with the territory. I've been reading " The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery, Second Edition." Reading it once before surgery and then again after. It explains that this is a very common experience. I'm getting sleeved on December 17, so I'm going to have the same thing going on for Christmas.

I don't know where you live, but why don't you shoot over to the closest urgent care (not ER). They can take a look and let you know what is going on. I thought I had my first and most incredibly painful external hemmie after have internals ones years ago and it turned out to be a small tear (fissure). Got a prescription that cleared it right up. Worst case scenario, you'll know what it is and approx how long you'll have to deal with it. Best case you can have whatever it treated on the spot! On the plus side, you'll be the only one at urgent care while everyone else is out trampling each other for televisions.

Congrats DreaE!

Bam! Good job!

Try to consider your new stomach as a new baby that has to be progressed SLOWLY. The food guidelines provided to us are to help our swollen and upset stomachs heal. Can you get down a few bites that aren't allowed? Probably. Will it cause damage or be a problem? Maybe. Should you talk to your Doctor? ABSOLUTELY! Try to stick to the diet so you heal properly and so that you don't being micro-stretching your stomach. The name of the game is to eat until full and not a drop more. That way you'll always fill up faster. If you stretch it out, you're going to run into plateaus and possible future weight gain. Stick to the program. It was designed this way for a VERY specific purpose. Just my 2 cents. J

I'm having mine done at Columbia-Pres I work very close to Monte and have experience there. Good hospital.

I used mederma for a large 6"+ incision on my elbow and it helped thin out and keep the scar manageable. It might have healed the same way without using it, but I was happy with the results I had (placebo or not). I'd stick with what Bufflehead said.

Today, for the first time in this journey, I stopped and thought, "Wait. What the h*ll are you about to do to yourself? You can't possibly do this to yourself. You're going to make yourself sick or possibly worse. Life will never be the same. You can't do this. You aren't strong enough." It was a choking fear and all I could do was ride the wave of anxiety. I'm used to pushing though feelings of not being good enough and not deserving to be healthy or happier, but damn...... This was the first time I have felt like this and I know it has a lot to do with just having been approved and scheduled for surgery. It's in 3 weeks! I know it's very common to have these feelings before AND after surgery, but that was intense. Can you guys help out with some advice? Words of support? Some "My only regret is not doing it sooner" stories. Am I doomed to be depressed post-op if I'm this scared now?

Wanted to update this post for others out there looking for this information. All medicines have to be crushed or liquid to take. We all know that, but it becomes difficult for HIV meds which are have a sustained release and are often more than one medication in 1. For example I take Viramune ER once a day plus Truvada (Truvada is a 2-in-1 pill that I take once a day). So the solution was to take generic viramune TWICE a day in liquid form (it is available). Then he broke the Truvada into 2 separate prescriptions. 1 for emtricitabine and 1 for tenofovir. Emtricitabine is available in as a powder, so it was sent to a compounding pharmacy to make it into a liquid. The tenofovir is not available as a liquid or powder, so the compounding pharmacy will also make it into a liquid for me. ALL drugs now have to be taken twice a day since they are no longer extended release, but that's only until I can take pills again! (Mostly) Easy fix! Just get creative with your doctor, split all the meds out separately (Atripla has 3 in it, Complera has 3, Stribild has 4) and then have them compounded if not available as a liquid. HIV/AIDS patients frequently have issues with taking pills so liquid formulations are common. With a gastric sleeve, there ARE NO ABSORPTION concerns, so you will have full bioavailability. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions! I'll know more after I'm sleeved in 3 weeks!!

Congrats MJM and welcome to BariatricPal! Where are you having your surgery?

YAY December 17! Me too! Who is your surgeon?

Wow! Thank you everyone!

I don't think it's TMI. No worse than all the "Oh look! I can see my penis again!" posts by many men on here.

I'm going to be sleeved on December 17th. I pretty much have no choice but to return to work on January 2nd which will place me right in the middle of purees. I'll be on purees for a week and then transition to soft food once my doctor allows it. I have a private office and access to a fridge and microwave. I've got a bunch of stage 2 Ella's pouches coming which I though would be more discreet than a baby for jar and plenty of espresso spoons to work with. I'll be drinking the majority of my Protein in Isopure drinks so I can hydrate and get my protein and not stress out so much on eating tons of protein. Does anyone have great easy to make and pack ideas for work lunches and Snacks during purees and soft foods? From what I'm reading the following are good, but I want more ideas. Thanks in advance! 1) Refried Beans and a little cheese 2) Cottage cheese 3) String cheese 4) Greek yogurt 5) Shelly's Baked Ricotta-- http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

I'm getting sleeved..... To stop blood pressure meds To stop cholesterol meds To no longer be considered pre-diabetic To take lower doses of psych meds(?) To be able to tie shoes without having to pull my foot up onto my lap To be able to walk up stairs For relief of lower back pain For better sleep For more energy For more self confidence For SEX To know what I look like at 35 at a healthy weight To live longer To feel like I can go out again To fit into airplane chairs To fit on rollercoasters So I can get back to skydiving as a hobby So people calling saying, “Hey, big guy.” For confidence to even consider entering a relationship So I can carry things without hurting my back every time So I can buy awesome suits for work So I will look good in clothes So I can flirt again So I’m not uncomfortable seeing old friends So my weight isn’t a discussion So I don’t sweat as much So I can enjoy the ocean and swimming again So I can wear tank tops again So I can get my tattoos finished without worrying about stretching and movement So my ass doesn't always get stuck to the shower curtain So when I drop food off my fork it hits the ground and not my gut So I have fewer skin problems So my thighs stop trying to make a fire So I don't have cankles So I have a flat chest So MAYBE one day I am comfortable with my shirt off in public So I don't have a thick neck So I stop developing skin tags So can stop being a hermit So I look forward to the summer and wearing less instead of looking forward to layering it on in the winter So I can wear a belt and not suspenders So I can move on with life!

I work in education and every two years we take students out of state to Disney World in Florida. I am scheduled to be sleeved on December 17th. I will be traveling to Florida on February 14th with 150 raving lunatics for 5 days. Oh yeah, and it's a 24 hour drive where McDonalds is usually the stops we make for food. We will be in a different park every day (Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Downtown Disney, Animal Kingdom). My surgeon anticipates that I will be pretty much off purees and well into soft foods and perhaps introducing some "regular" foods back into my life. Breakfasts while on the trip are all at Golden Corral so I know I'll be able to get scrambled eggs in my every day for good and easy Protein. I'm taking a letter from my surgeon about the necessity of taking in glass bottles of Isopure so I can get protein in the parks. I need help determining: 1) What the heck I'm going to eat on a 24 bus ride when our only stops are McDonalds and gas stations. ( I think I could probably pick apart an egg McMuffin and eat the egg). Protein shakes and Water will be on hand. Should I just go pure liquid? 2) What on earth I'm going to eat in the parks. Epcot has a variety of restaurants including a fantastic Japanese joint where I can get sashimi for protein. I'll have shakes and Isopure on hand to keep the protein up and keep me hydrated. Each day is LONG. The adults are up at 6 and the last to bed around 12 or 1 am so I'm going to need ENERGY to keep up with my kids. Any and all thoughts are appreciated!

Thank you all so much!

NYC here. Columbia Prep in December. Anyone else?

Hey MtAirygirl, Not much of a mentor here, but going through the same feelings you are. I've told a lot of people and haven't gotten many positive responses. It's good that you're on here. I've made a few buddies on here. It's nice to talk to others who understand what we're going through and that this is anything but the easy way out. One of my buddies on here was just sleeved and hearing firsthand from others helps me feel less alone in this. Feel free to add me as a friend and ask away. J

WOW! That's fantastic! Thank you s much!

Antonette, I smoked for 18 years- a pack a day. I know how hard it is and I understand your frustration. Please NEVER QUIT TRYING TO QUIT. It almost never happens on the first try. What worked for me and was a try godsend was Chantix. There's a lot of hype out there and a lot of fear mongering as well. I will always give Chantix credit for allowing me to quit. I haven't smoked since September of 2010 after my second Chantix attempt. Are there side effects? Yes. The dreams are incredibly vivid and I had come bad nightmares. Are there mood swings? Of course! You just quit smoking. Do I think of having a cigarette every minute of life anymore-- hell no! It's not for everyone and you and your doctor have to decide if it's for you, but it was a miracle for me. Quitting may be the only thing between you and your surgery. Is it worth it?