ChavaBling

@@cushy I am wondering if bougie size is playing a bigger part in this than we realize! It makes sense that it would. I asked my surgeon what size she was going to use and she said "Oh...I don't know". What a weird answer! I'm definitely going to ask her again at my f/u appt on Wed. Side note: Does anyone have some good ideas for non-dairy protein sources during full liquids phase? My sleeve sister is struggling and I'm trying to help her figure out some things to get in other than non-lactose milk. She can't have whey.

Hi! I'm 2 days out and I can only drink the Premier Protein shake if it is very "watered down" with soy milk and even then, it takes me 45 min to get in 3 oz. I tried to drink it straight yesterday & though I was gonna hurl.

you guys are the best!! thank you for setting me straight & sharing your knowledge!

Congrats!! I was sleeved on Friday, as well! Taking things day by day (or really, hour by hour). I am still taking Reglan & hydrocodone every 4 hours. It's working! I feel pretty good & I'm just trying to stay hydrated. I haven't felt hungry once, I forced myself to drink 6 oz of protein shake yesterday. One weird thing- the hospital wouldn't let me plug in my heating pad because its plug was two pronged with no grounding. They said it was a risk because there's oxygen on the room. They said it would've been ok if I had a power strip to plug it into, like anyone would just have one if those in their purse or something, LOL.

@@joatsaint your videos are funny! Frankensleeve!

Thank you for sharing!! I'm sure those complications were very scary & I'm so glad you're feeling better now! May sleevers unite!

sorry, accidentally posted twice.

Awesome job!! That must feel great!

LOL, luckily the Bay Area is quite delicious in July/Aug. It's actually sometimes the hottest in Sept/Oct, so HHD's can be rough...I don't know how our cantor does it!! By Neilah he can sound quite croaky!

Awww you guys thank you so much for the encouragement! I am trying to be as positive as possible! It's getting close and I am trying not to let the nerves take over

Hey sleever friends! I am 2 days, 18 hours away from my surgery. I just had all of my pre-op appointments & admissions stuff yesterday (I was at the hospital for 5 hours. At least now I know where everything is, LOL) So... my surgery is at 10 AM on Friday. The last sip of Water I will take is at 7 AM, when I take 1 dose of Emend (anti-nausea) and a Xanax (because). My doctor has ordered nothing by mouth (NPO) until 6 am the following day (Saturday). No water, no juice, no cough drops for the sore throat, NO ICE CHIPS! NADA! I know that I won't get physically dehydrated, because of IV fluids, but I know I'm going to be nauseous and 24 hours just seems excessive (I'm Jewish and I can't even get through the whole day on Yom Kippur without water). She's my doctor, and I've committed to 100% compliance with what she orders, but...it is just hard when I hear about so many different surgeons allowing people to at least SUCK ON A DING DANG ICE CHIP! Does anyone/has anyone else had the same orders and how did you deal? My options in the hospital post-op are glycerin swabs and SF gum. That's kind of funny too, because my first surgeon (Dr. Baggs at Kaiser Richmond) said, "No gum, ever again", but my current surgeon has no problem whatsoever with gum. Is this, like, not an exact science? Why so many different rules from different doctors? Thanks for listening.

Thanks for the tip. Acid reflux does some very strange things to people, and it can effect us all in varying ways.

YAY, single digit sizes!! That is a HUGE NSV that I am aiming for as well! (currently size 20/22) Keep up the good work!

@@ladymare I know that there are many therapists in SoCal that will work with you on a sliding scale, if TriCare won't cover you. Everyone can benefit from therapy, sometimes in ways we couldn't have imagined. My therapist is currently helping me work on guided relaxation & guided imagery. It's really helping me relax about my hospital stay, and I'm grateful for that. 3 days 'til I'm sleeved.

Duuuude......that kind of sounds discriminatory. WTF? I'm sorry you had that experience, but then again, maybe it is for the best that he cut you loose, so to speak.

Hi there, girls & boys! I have PERS Care, which is an excellent insurance program offered through my employer (State of California). It is through Anthem Blue Cross California. I actually work for the agency that administers health benefits to over 1.7 MILLION people in California & beyond. So, not only do I have lots of information about co-insurance/deductibles/Annual Max works, but after 5 years with my organization, I have learned so much about how all the plans are administered (Kaiser, Blue Shield, etc). If you are a State of California employee, or you work for one of the thousands of other public agencies contracted with the State for benefits, I would be so interested to hear your story, how it went, and what worked & what didn't. I haven't found any other CA state employees or public employees here yet, but surely there must be some! Also I might be able to help with basic questions so.....send me a note or PM if you want to chat.

I shop at the costco in Concord, CA and last week, they had the Prem Protein shakes on sale- 18 pack for $19.99. I bought 3 cases. Usually they're $24.

As Christina Aguilera would say, "Tell 'em to get in line, and KISS YOUR @**"!

THIS. YES!

The classic Speedo racerback is very supportive and made for hard core swimmers. Also, you might want to look into a "rashguard", which is a fancy word for a surfer shirt- it's got long sleeves (sun protection!) and it's made for spending all day in the Water. Also, HydroChic makes awesome modest swimwear that is pretty high quality: http://hydrochic.com

How about it, veteran sleevers? Any words of wisdom on feeling super hungry a few days out? I'd like to hear!

You have always been beautiful, but your happiness is radiating from your smile. You're an inspiration!

yeah, gurl! get it done! that must feel amazing. It's so great when we start to see it!! I am down 29 lbs, but i'm still wearing a 22 and they're definitely looser. I don't see it in the mirror, but my DH2B says he can tell.

Ooh you guys look HAWT!!! An inspiration to us all! I want to be fit like you! -scratch that- I WILL BE, dang it!

@@Madam Reverie I find you delightfully grumbly and I understand what you're saying. I agree with the main point of your rant, being (I believe) "How many times do we need to see someone asking, 'Which Protein shakes are good?' So maybe a solution could be that the administrators need to 'pin' more FAQs to the top of the subforums....but it would still require people to read. Look, if someone is functionally computer illiterate, then they're probably not on this site. The search function here is not the greatest, but it's also not too different from Google, yahoo, bing, etc. Type & hit enter. Not trying to snark the BP community, you are all great & I value this site so much.