Ciaobella

Request sent Jamie. I'll add you to group once you accept. Maria

Friend request sent. I'm Maria. ????

Today is my first day back to work in the office. I worked from home last week. Surgery was on 9/10 and I took 2 weeks off. Plenty of time for me. On a bright note, I had to do my wellness screening for work to get a discount on my insurance premiums and.....I went from a high BMI of 41 to a 35 today! Highest weight was 225 and today I'm 191 (34 pounds total, 19 since surgery). Yes, I'm counting every single pound gone since I started this journey a year ago!!

Hey everyone enter the @Eggface BIG 10,000 Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/8jm7tc4. The World According to Eggface is giving away another awesome prize pack. For those of you not familiar with her, it's a great blog by a fellow and successful RNY blogger with lots of great advice and pouch-friendly recipes including protein ice cream!

Love that! Thanks for sharing!!

On and on the food thing...have you been back to your doctors yet. I wonder if you might have a stricture. Sorry you're having a tough time!!

Did you write down all the meds you were taking before they tested you? Unfortunately, some companies have a policy to suspend you until it's sorted out. That said, I'm sure it will be fine once your doctor provides documentation, but what a total pain!

I'm only 15 days post op and am just starting on some real food, so I am only supposed to do protein drinks in order to get my all my protein in. Pre op, I was a shake-drinking fool. Post op, I'm having a difficult time getting them down. Honestly, I haven't been able to get in two a day. Some days I can't even get one in.

I looked up the Atkins shakes and they do contain milk. The coffee ones also contain real coffee, so that means they have caffeine, which I can't have. I guess yummy Atkins shakes are out for me.

Hey Jenn, do the yummy ones you mention have lactose? I have a few brands (nectar, unjury, etc.) that were good pre op, but I can't get them down post op. maybe premixed yummy is the way to go! ????

Back to reality (work) tomorrow. I will be 15 days post op tomorrow. Thankfully, I work from home a few days a week, but the days I go to the office means a 1.5 hour commute. I have been so tired...no, exhausted the last few days. Went to a wedding Saturday night and my son's soccer game on Sunday, and I just haven't bounced back as quickly as before. I need to start working out, but just don't know where the energy is going to come from. I got tired shaking the pepper shaker tonight while making dinner! LOL Anyway, hope all goes well for those of you having surgery tomorrow. Praying for safe surgeries and speedy recoveries. As I've said, for me, the first 24 hours were the worst. Just know that you will feel much better after 48 then 72 hours! Just hang in there!! See you on the other side!

Glad you are out of surgery. Why are you in ICU? Did you have complications or is it routine at the hospital you're in? Hang in there with the gas and pressure. It's awful, but it will get better!

I wish mine were granules, but it's nasty powder. I did swallow the capsule this morning and it went ok. I held it in my mouth for a little while and could feel it a little bit after i swallowed it, but it wasn't terrible.

I had to switch surgeons after I had completed all of my pre-requisites due to my insurance company requirements. My new surgeon accepted all of my previous testing, psych eval, weight management records, etc. I only had to get updated bloodwork, see a different doctor to clear me medically, and do a sleep study (hadn't done this before). I saw the new surgeon in mid-June, got my insurance approval on the first try on August 8 and had my surgery September 10. My new surgeon and his staff are fantastic. It was a total blessing in disguise and I'm so happy I was forced to switch.

I typed my responses in all caps so you can see them, not because I'm yelling at you. 1) I know its surgery.. I've never had one! (But I have had 2 kids and labor was painful) but what should I expect? Is the pain manageable? Is it mainly from the gas, incisions, stomach pain? I'VE HAD TWO SINUS SURGERIES, INCLUDING A DEVIATED SEPTUM, AND TWO C-SECTIONS, ONE WITH A PAINFUL ,OPEN INCISION FOR NEARLY 6 MOS. FOR ME, PART OF THIS WAS WORSE. THE SURGERY PAIN ITSELF WAS COMPLETELY MANAGEABLE, BUT I HAD EXCRUCIATING PAIN (THINK STABBING ICE PICKS) IN MY SHOULDERS FOR A GOOD WEEK AFTERWARDS. I HAD AN ON-Q PAIN PUMP IN THE HOSPITAL, WHICH LET OUT A CONTINUAL DOSE OF PAIN MEDS TO MY INCISIONS. THE IV PAIN MEDS MADE ME NAUSEOUS. I FELT MUCH BETTER WITH THE liquid LORTAB. HOWEVER, WITH EVERY 24 HOURS THAT PASSED, I NOTICED A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN HOW I FELT OVERALL. FIRST 24 ARE THE WORST. 2) When were you able to go back to a "normal" routine? I have kids that are active in lots of sports and dance etc.. will I be able to take them? I HAVE A SIMILAR SITUATION WITH MY OLDEST SON PLUS A 19-MONTH OLD SON. I HAD SURGERY ON A MONDAY AND MY HUSBAND TOOK THE YOUNGEST TO THE BABYSITTER'S BEFORE WORK FOR ME THAT WEEK. BY THURSDAY, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MY OLDEST TO SCHOOL AND SOCCER TRAINING, AND WE TRAVELED TO GAMES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. FOR ME, IF IT WEREN'T FOR MY SHOULDER PAIN, I WOULD HAVE BEEN OK ON WEDNESDAY. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OFF OF PAIN MEDS BEFORE DRIVING. I COULDN'T LIFT MY YOUNGEST UNTIL I WAS NINE DAYS POST OP, SO I TAUGHT HIM HOW TO CLIMB INTO HIS CAR SEAT ON HIS OWN. ALSO, WHEN I DRIVE OR RIDE IN A CAR, MY DOCTOR SAID I HAVE TO GET OUT AND WALK AROUND EVERY 30 MINUTES TO HELP PREVENT BLOOD CLOTS FOR THE FIRST THREE WEEKS. 3) I have read people have the "post surgery blues" are you or were you upset you had the surgery? In pain? Lost your best friend (food) feeling? I DON'T HAVE THE POST-SURGERY BLUES PER SE, BUT A COUPLE OF TIMES, IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT THE YUMMY SMELLING STUFF. FOR EXAMPLE, RIDING IN A CAR WITH A FRESH, HOT pizza OR GOING TO THE TACO SHOP AND PICKING UP dinner FOR THE FAMILY WHILE I ATE chicken broth. FOR ME, IT WAS EASIER TO RESIST THIS STUFF PRE-SURGERY BECAUSE i WAS SO EXCITED. POST SURGERY HAS BEEN A BIT HARDER, BUT STILL COMPLETELY DOABLE. THERE IS NO WAY I'M GOING TO EAT SOMETHING THAT MIGHT MAKE ME SICK RIGHT NOW. I'M ALREADY NAUSEOUS IN THE MORNINGS AND AT NIGHT (LIKE BEING PREGNANT) AND I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT WORSE. 4) I was put on bed rest with my first child and on very strong meds that kept me to the bed.. so had a folley (so?) Catheter .. it was terrible, and had a terrible experience... so I hated it. Did you all have caths and how long were they kept in? (I know crazy fear..) I DIDN'T HAVE A CATHETER. HOPEFULLY, YOU WON'T EITHER! I DID HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME URINATING AFTER SURGERY THOUGH. I WOULD SIT THERE FOR 15 MINUTES SOMETIMES WAITING FOR IT TO COME OUT. 5) Now that you've lost weight, what are your friends like? Have they changed? I'M ONLY 14 DAYS POST OP, SO I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED THIS YET. I ONLY TOLD A FEW PEOPLE BEFOREHAND, BUT THOSE THAT I DID TELL OR THAT I'VE TOLD POST OP HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE.

My doctor told me to do what was comfortable. He said pain is our internal control and if you can take big gulps without it hurting, go for it. I'm only 14 days post op, but I was surprised the first time I was able to take a normal drink instead of a sip.

Thanks Jessica! How is your incision doing? Thankfully, my infection doesn't appear to be that bad. The hole is already closing up and has pretty much stopped draining. Paying close attention to our bodies is crucial. I inspect my incisions daily - at least the areas I could see around the steristrips - and knew immediately something wasn't right. Light pink + increased pain at site = infection. As soon as I pulled the corner of the steristrip back, it started to drain. Within an hour, I had spoken with the on call doctor and had my antibiotics in hand. Thank goodness my body made a hole and I didn't have to go through what you did!

You really don't need much for the hospital. I think someone already said socks and a phone charger. The only other things I found useful were my own chapstick/lip balm (the hospital will give you some, but it's not as good), an elastic band for my hair, slippers, and a robe (only because it's sometimes cold in the hallways when you're walking. I did have my own toiletries, but the hospital provided a complete kit for me. I was only in the hospital for a little over 24 hours and between walking and sipping, I had no time nor was I in any condition to read or do anything else. Wishing you a safe surgery tomorrow and a speedy, complication-free recovery!!

Good to know. My doctor cleared me for taking Tylenol, but these are a little bigger. I think I will try one tomorrow and if I have trouble, then I will ask for the liquid. Thanks!

Any post ops on here swallowing any large-ish pills? What about those of you on antibiotics? What are you taking and in what form? I have to take antibiotics for my infected incision and the on call doctor (not a bariatric surgeon) prescribed Keflex capsules. I opened one tonight and put the powder in yogurt and it was awful. I gagged. I take Zyrtec and Pepcid with no problems, but the capsule is bigger.

How big are the pills you take? I am 13 days post op and have to take antibiotics for an infected incision. The on call doctor (not a bariatric surgeon) prescribed Keflex capsules. I opened one tonight and put the powder in yogurt and it was awful. I gagged. I take Zyrtec and Pepcid with no problems, but the capsules are bigger. Just wondering if they might get stuck. ??

Good news...I'm 13 days post op and I.GET.REAL.FOOD.TOMORROW!!! It's still a limited menu, but I can have eggs, white fish, ground turkey/chicken, lunch meat, cheese, mashed/soft fruit and cooked veggies!!! I'm so excited! Bad news...one of my incisions is infected. Thankfully, it opened on its own to drain so my doctor doesn't have to do it, but the scar will not be as pretty. I also have to take antibiotics for five days as a precaution. Just another reminder that this is NOT the easy way out! Oh, more good news. Highest weight at start of journey was 225 and today I am 193! Down 17 pounds since coming home from hospital. I'm in Onederland for the first time since about 2005!