hrhlaurie

Wow, thats great!

29th here also, getting excited! I need to pack tomorrow and go to the store for broth and carnation instant Breakfast drink and whatever else I can have for the next 10 days.

During my pre-op appointment, maybe I'll ask doc to suction the gas back out, and take a few fat cells with it!

My surgery is actually in CO on Thurs. Nerves seem to be OK but I still can't imagine how I'll feel the week after surgery. Will I feel like going out for short outings, how far can I walk and how often should I walk? Will I sleep a lot or just lay around with no energy sipping little sips of protein drinks and water? How many sips of a drink will make me full? So many unknowns...

Oh, watermelon, yummmm. I'm on pre-op liquid and one small meal diet but no fruits or fruit juice. My post op diet looks like a week of liquids followed by 2-3 weeks of soft/slushy/pureed food but from what I've seen on these boards, that seems early for food. I'm tempted to stick to liquids as long as I can while stitched up stomach heals. Should I expect problems with food just over a week after surgery? I'm doing well on pre-op diet but not sure how the post-op experience will be. Seems like no way of predicting whether recovery will be horrible or not so bad.

I bought some more Protein powder but im drawing a blank on what I'll mix it with... pudding, applesauce? I'm having surgery day after tomorrow and not sure I'm prepared for the next phase. Also, how soon can I go out in public and feel OK? Days or weeks?

That's great, we can definitely share some shopping tips and recovery stories!

May 29 in Colorado Springs. Can't believe it is less than a week away and hope recovery goes well for all of us. We should keep this group together in the post-surgery forum.

Thanks for the support and Protein powder advice, it is much appreciated. I hadn't thought much about changing taste buds and don't want to waste money or time. I'll delay going out to dinner for several weeks but when do you think I'll feel comfortable enough to drive or at least go out? Every day I think of something new I need to focus on, like will I remember to not drink before and after I eat when I'm so used to drinking with my meals? Can I walk several blocks a week after surgery or will I be too weak or in pain? Hard to imagine now but a week from now I will be 3 days post surgery and I'm still trying to imagine what that will look and feel like. Pain meds, gas, tiredness, sleeping, trying to drink enough Water...? I'll go check out the other pre-surgeries this week, thanks!

This is the post I look at when I ask myself if I'm crazy to be having this surgery. Thank you all for sharing your photos and stories with us!

Starting my liquid diet this Friday. Supposed to start tomorrow but im traveling for business with no fridge in my room and no grocery store that I've seen in this city that carries what I need so my pre-op diet will stop late and I'll have to make sure there are no mistakes during my week, instead of 10 days, of liquids. Surgery is 5-29 and it seems weird to be so nervous when I've been working towards this goal for the past 7 months. I'm trying to imagine this new world of liquids and mushy foods but even though I've read posts and books and thought I had the information I needed, suddenly my mind is blank. I'm like, wait, is my surgery in 9 days?!

These photos and stories are really inspiring, thanks!

I've told family and close friends but for work colleagues who I dont know as well, I just tell them I'm having surgery and will be out for a bit. One coworker asked me about the surgery because she is interested in it for herself. She asked me if she could ask questions about it and I said sure. If you share with someone, you could be an inspiration to them. For any who express doubts, I tell them I'm at risk for diabetes and I don't want to risk that illness and I'll be healthier. I dont really care if there are doubters, I don't generally ask for people's approval before other major decisions, much less for my health choices.

May 29th here!

My surgery is later this month and dr says I'll have 5 small incisions, and no tubes or catheters.

Older here too and im determined to make it work. I think the key is avoiding carbs and boosting metabolism by exercise.

This is all really encouraging because I just got my surgery date of May 29 and 3 months later I'll be in Hawaii. I really wanted to look so much better on this trip and can't wait to burn major calories hiking and snorkeling. You are all so inspiring, thanks!

I found your post today, the very day I got my surgery date. After waiting forever for the date, suddenly I couldn't decide if I was ready or would it all be for nothing? Would I really lose weight when nothing has ever worked before? Thanks for sharing and helping to restore my confidence. I'm glad you are so happy and were willing to share the light at the end of the tunnel.

Congrats to all of you for getting this far and getting approved, or at least submitted for approval. I thought waiting to get through my 6 months of doctor visits, Nut and counseling would be the worst, and then I thought waiting for approval would be the worst but UHC approved in a week but I couldn't get my final doctor appt. right away and had to wait until tomorrow to get in for final surgery approval and this has been the worst wait of all. Tomorrow I get my surgery date and I'm hoping it will be no later than end of May or first week of June since our Hawaii vacation is booked for Aug 20 and I want to be fully healed and eating more than mush by then. I just worry that my surgeon will be so booked with bariatric and general surgeries that I won't get in for a couple of months. Fingers crossed!

My Nut. recommended that I only weigh myself once per week but im not sure if I'll even weigh myself that often. Id rather try on clothes in my closet and be surprised when they are loose! I have so many sizes of clothes in my house, I can probably lose 40 pounds or so before I'll start running out of things to wear. I'm less interested in my weight than my size but I want to make sure I'm staying on track. I guess I'll see what my dr. recommends when I go in for pre-op appt.

I've been adding a powder called "greens" to my water and it is really nothing but potassium and magnesium. I get raspberry flavor but they also have orange. It tastes good and great for nutrients and digestion.

Thanks for sharing, this is great info. I wanted to ask if you've tried adding unflavored protein powder to your food, or chicken-flavored protein to your broth. I dont knoe how it would taste so thought id ask. I'm still experimenting with protein powders but have only added them to smoothies.

Try Tera's Whey that is organic and comes in different flavors. Whole Foods has it and you can get it on Amazon. It isn't gritty like some and sweetened with Stevia.

I'll throw in my 2 cents... When I started looking into surgery and began my required 6 months of dr visits, I basically thought I was just jumping through insurance hoops so I changed nothing about myself at first. I thought they would lop off part of my stomach and I'd just eat much less, not be hungry, and lose weight, the end. I didnt change my eating habits and gained 8 pound from first doctor supervised visit to the 5th one due to my extended farewells to nachos, big bowls of Pasta, and other high-calorie carb dishes. Then I got serious, understood what my horrible eating habits were doing to my body and how I needed to permanently change before and after surgery and lost 10 pounds by my 6th visit. I attended a surgery class and starting seriously reading posts on this site and began to understand that my habits had to change. I met with the dietician and she helped me understand why I had to give up caffeine, due to the tannins that could irritate the new stomach and it causes dehydration which will be my enemy, even without caffeine. I now know that I have always eaten too fast, probably didn't even chew half of my food, or taste it because I'm always reading or doing something while I eat. Rather than focus on food, I have always just eaten what I liked and crammed it in without thought. This surgery is not only about eating less, it is about being healthy. if i gulp my food after surgery it will come back up and it will hurt. We have to take our Vitamins, drink Water and stay focused on Protein. This surgery can be life-changing, just apply what you learn from your doctor, Nut and this site and you'll do great.

I live in Colorado Springs and will have surgery in local Penrose hospital. They took about a week to come back with approval.