Debbiebydesign

I had two days of food funerals before I started the preoperative diet. It was great, but the only bad thing was the second day of Clear Liquids, I got a serious withdrawl headache that developed into a full blown Migraine, complete with vomiting. I don't know if it was sugar, caffeine, carbs in general, or what but if I had it to do over I would have started earlier and scheduled off work a few days pre-op.

Isopure is one people recommend for a nice clear juice. I have heard the two flavors people like are Grape and Mango/Peach. You can find these at GNC.

The second brand is Syntrax nectar. I've tried a bunch of flavors from the sample pack at mybariatricpantry.com. I thought the lemonade and green apple were good and others rave about the peach nectar.< /p>

Here's where personal preferences come in...I tried the Isopure mango peach once. It smelled to me like a bottle of formula my kid once left in a car in the summer. I still gag at the thought of drinking the clear Proteins.

Nobody ever got fat eating salmon.

Except for grizzly bears...

Seriously, it's kind of a relief to hear how common that left sided hitch/pain is. My incision side there (lap GB) also has a HUGE dent there, and a lump that is slowly getting smaller.

So sad...bcbs of Illinois denied me. Surgeons office is going to resubmit it with more information showing my medical conditions. Apparently being on medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol is not enough :/...They want to see numbers showing that it is not controlled with meds. This may just be the end of my journey

Don't give up yet...some people take longer to get approved than others.

I missed this board! I had my surgery on February 7. I'm trucking along, doing well, except my energy sucks sometimes.

It's a scary time, but all you can do is wait. Honestly, the week BEFORE surgery was the longest week of the whole process for me.

Don't feel bad. I lost 7 lbs before the pre-op, 11 on the pre-op, and at 12 days post-op, I lost 6 whole lbs..for a total of 24. My doctor's nurse told me that at the point I was many, most, gain weight due to Water retention. I think she was trying to make me feel better. I'm just staying the course. I mean, at 600-800 calories a day, something is bound to happen.

At the hospital, I hit the button on the pump and asked for my PRN pain med whenever it was available. Good pain management makes it possible to get up, get moving, and walk. The down side is they can be constipating. (If your bowels have not moved, call your doctor to see what they want you to do. Some don't want you to go more than 72 hours without going.)

I had my surgery 16 days ago. I used the pain meds fairly consistently for about a week, and tapered off. Yesterday and today, I think some nerves are waking up, because I was feeling a little achy in my abdomen, different from gas pain or incision site pain. It's not excruciating, but I did take a half dose today since it happened yesterday too.

I have seen a lot of people in my work who got addicted to pain meds, but I think the more self aware you are the less likely that will happen. A lot of people who worry about the addiction seem to almost under medicate. Unless you have addiction issues already, I'm sure you'll do fine.

I came on here to see that I was not alone and all I keep seeing is how people are pushing their limits by eating foods like steak and bread and candy. I'm very frustrated because now I feel more alone then ever. I am not by any means judging anyone on here as I am fully aware of the difficulties this surgery comes with. But I am looking to find out I am not alone. Is there anyone that has made it as far or further then myself??? Please tell me there is!! Reading these stories makes me want to cheat!!

It's great that you have been doing well, but I think people are being honest about their challenges. The surgery does not fix the mind. Look at it this way, temptation is our teacher. How do you cope? What is really triggering you?

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I teach this...

I'm also seeing a common cognitive distortion a lot of us employ: "all or nothing" thinking. If we make a misstep, every thing is ruined. Try to remember if you do make a mistake, it doesn't cancel out all those good weeks.

It all depends on your doctor' date=' def no bath and shower make sure your showerhead is on low because if you have staples or stitches it will hurt upon contact

living4myself_gb1-21-13:[/quote']

I just had steri- strips and a bandaid on each incision.

I had staples for my c section, the Water pressure didn't hurt. It didn't even burn like I thought.

All protocol and instructions differ. Every surgeon has his/her preference of wound care. I have 6 different surgeries and 5 different surgeons, all different preps and post op instruction.

It depends' date=' but I was Vitamin D deficient and I resolved it just taking a calcium citrate tab twice a day. I think it was 500 mg.[/quote']

500 mg of Vitamin d, that is....

If you can't afford Hibiscus soap my doctor also said its fine to use Dial Antibacterial the night before and the morning prior to surgery to cut down on infection rates etc. I would continue to use the antibacterial soap until you have the area healed. I am 31 days post op tomorrow and I continue to use Dial Antibacterial Soap for the area until it is properly healed which can take a month or two ....good luck

living4myself_gb1-21-13:

I had no instructions like that. Told to shower the morning of my surgery and left with instructions that I could shower, but no baths.

It depends, but I was Vitamin D deficient and I resolved it just taking a calcium citrate tab twice a day. I think it was 500 mg.

Castille Soap? Go lightly or Magnesium citrate?

Im so scared about the catheter

My first experience with a Cath was my c section. They put it in while I was awake and the nurse was a catheter ninjas...I felt nothing. It was nice not having to get up to go.

With my Rny, they did it when I was knocked out. It wasn't painful, but it was annoying. I felt the urge the whole time, and I got the stupid thing caught in the hospital chair. I'm convinced it was not draining properly. Once it was out, it felt so much better. The nurse took it out and told me I had 6 hours to void. I got up and voided some immediately.

The catheter was a minor annoyance.

Do all patients who have the rny procedure get drain tubes?

I had no drain at all.

Lol...I had a fentanyl pump for the first day and a half in the hospital. I hit that button every time it turned green, and I started asking for the PRN pain stuff as soon as I could have it. (Lortab) That shit was awesome! The only problem with that is I went a week with no...movement. Pain or constipation...tough choice.

Hope all went well...

My only other abdominal surgery was a c-section, and that was definitely worse than WLS. But, I'm not going to lie, that first night was a bitch. I was lucky, I did not have the gas pain.

I had a Lap GB on February 7, and today I have been off pain meds four about 3-4 days, and I was only using them at night for about 5 days before that. I even cleaned, walked to get my daughter from her bus stop a few blocks away, and managed steps, etc.. For a long time, the only pain I had was standing/sitting. Once I was in position, I was comfortable.

I do suggest, if don't have one, borrow or rent a reclining chair. I slept sitting up for several nights after surgery. Once I was sleeping in bed, I used pillows under my torso to help with discomfort.

I think it was the cream of wheat. I was sick for more than twelve hours. I have since had a shake with stevia and no issue. The thought of cream of wheat even gags me a little at the moment. I got a little queasy tonight, but nothing severe. More like annoying. Took a zofran and it helped immediately.

I'm doing well...how did it go for you?

I have been going over what I did differently besides the second go round of c.o.w.. I know I had unwittingly had tea that said, "may have caffeine." I just though it was herb tea. I had stevia in it. I wonder if either of those caused this. I'm still not feeling good.

I'm almost 2 weeks post op. Everything has been going well, just started puree stage. I had a minor Constipation issue days ago. But otherwise was tolerating things well.

I stayed at family member's house this weekend. I brought all my supplies, with me, except when I got stuck on my dinner, I just repeated what I had earlier, cream of wheat. (I tried adding Protein powder.) Big mistake. Looking back, it was too much carb, and seemingly Fiber and lets just say- constipation problem solved. I guess I can take away that I fell back on an old habit: eating whatever in bind and not planning well enough.

After a miserable hour, I feel much better. I was feeling great about not being too tempted by birthday cake this weekend, only to be betrayed by cream of wheat and stupidity. This is definitely a learning process.

Best wishes to all those up at bat this week. Remember the first night is the worst, but it gets better everyday. Stay on top of your pain. Walk when you don't want to. Ask for simple comfort measures when you need them.

I'm a family practice physician assistant...I had at least a dozen patients late this week that had a GI virus.....I washed up like a crazy lady but I think they got me. With the whole starvation diet our immune systems are not what they should be so just more susceptible to catching stuff. I've been on tamiflu or 10 days trying to keep from

Catching the flu' date=' that stuff is rampant out here!!!...the chills are gone, I'm keeping down Water, Jello, and diluted juice, and the headache seems to have passed as well....I THINK I'm home free....[/quote']

I work in a psych ward. I had a sinusitis infection a week and a half before. I wore a mask for my last week and washed my hands like lady Macbeth.