S(he) be(lie)ve(d)

I am right there with ya! Holy Toledo Batman! Part of my reason for being so snappy is my 3 girls all got head lice. I discovered it on Saturday. So, there is massive amounts of laundry, cleaning, bagging stuff up, rewashing stuff every day, re vacuuming everyday and going through their hair twice a day. I WAS completely caught up with everything before my surgery and my hubby and kids did a great job while I was in the first part of recovery. But, now you can't even tell with everything that has had to be ripped apart to get rid of lice. Ugh! On the 2nd, I am supposed to help with an estate sale. Then to top it off, last night my throat started to hurt. This morning I am a bit stuffy and my throat is still a bit sore. I am supposed to go to my uncle's funeral on the 7th on the coast, which is also my birthday and then go back again on the 9th for all day appointments with my bariatric doctor. Oh dear God grant me patience, because it is not my virtue right now!!!! Yesterday, I had to take a Xanax because I just needed to calm myself down. I couldn't even stand myself. My hubby has been so good and understanding though. I just hope I don't drive him up the wall. Lol!

Do not take Multivitamins together with your calcium, IF your multivitamin contains Iron. If It doesn't contain iron you can take them together. I mainly bought everything I would need for a while because I live about 30 mins outside of town and I have 3 little kiddos too. I just tried to make it as easy as I could on myself. Just take it one step at a time, one step at a time. It seems really overwhelming when you look at everything that you will need to do. You will do great!

We gave up eating out completely. I don't usually count calories at home. There is a difference between the good and the bad calories/fat. I eat part of an avocado just about every day. They are really good for you, even though it is high in fat. But, it is the kind of fat you are putting into your body. On my 6 month supervised diet, I switched completely to eating a Paleo style diet. With the sleeve, it has made it incredibly easy to stick to it and eat the healthy foods that I need to keep my body healthy and lose the weight that I need to. Cut out the processed stuff. You really don't need it. Check it out! We've invested a lot into these little Bentley Tummies, feed them like the best possible nutrition you can.

Here is a list that my doctor gave me..... Make sure you have 1/4 & 1/2 cups measuring cups. 16-32 oz Water bottle measuring spoons (teaspoon & tablespoon) small utensils & plates/bowls blender (like the Magic Bullet) Your doctor's recommended supplements broth (Safeway has the Organics brand that has chicken, beef & veggie broth) sugar free Jello Sugar Free pudding Sugar Free Popsicles - They are like my treat every night, but also help sooth your throat, etc. Crystal Light (or any calorie free, noncarbonated, decaf liquids) Apple juice or cranberry juice diluted to 1/2 strength Fat Free Milk or a Non Dairy Protein drinks, powders, unflavored Protein powder lunch Box to pack foods for on the go - I thought this was silly. But, it is actually very necessary for me. I use it almost every day. Notebook for food journaling to keep track of supplements, liquid intake and protein intake, etc. I used icepacks over heating pads. Everyone is different. You just have to see what works for you. Gas-x has been a saving grace & Gas-x strips that dissolve on your tongue to keep in your purse when you are on the fly. Good luck with everything!!!!

hair loss......some it isn't so scary for, but for others with really fine hair, terrified doesn't even begin to describe it. My hair is really, really fine & thin now due to a medication reaction. I lost about half of the thickness of my hair almost a year ago. Just an example of how this it is: You know how big around a pencil is? When I pull my hair into a ponytail, that is how tiny my ponytail is. It also grows incredibly slooooow. I'm just now starting to see some regrowth all over. I had to cut my hair to my chin. It used to be to my bra line. It is really is hard to take. Now, I know in about 3 months or so, it will more than likely happen again. If it does, my PCP referred me to a place that helps women with hair loss from cancer and other medical reasons for hair loss. They have hairdressers that work with a wig company that donates their wigs and time to help for extreme cases. I'm hoping that I don't lose a ton. But, at this point it wouldn't surprise me.

It's normal. It does get better over time. I used to have to literally pat the center of my chest to get the burps out. It helps. Now I don't have to burp myself like a baby any longer. I had my surgery on Sept 8th. Gas-X capsules are a Godsend. There are the gas-x strips that melt on your tongue that I keep in my purse, just in case I need something more. Even though the doctors cringed when I told them I was actually using a straw, it works better for me. For myself, I don't get nearly as much air going down and I can control the amount of Fluid coming into my mouth better. I tried without. I tried with. Everyone is different my doctor said. He said, even though they tell people generally not to use a straw, sometimes, it is actually the better option for people.

Hi everyone! I don't know why it took me so long to find this post. My surgery date was on the 8th too! So far, everything has been going great. I'm down 31 lbs to date!!! My tummy has been a little slower with accepting soft mushy foods, but finally was able to take that next step yesterday! Pureed was just flat out gross. Being able to just chew food is so nice. When you haven't had something in a long time, it is amazing how good it tastes. Ha ha! I did my 1st clean of my closet today! I cannot even begin to tell you how good that felt to get rid of some fat clothes. I've kept all my clothes from when I was a lot smaller. It is funny how things come back into style again, if you wait long enough. I hope everyone is doing great!

Only (3) few days. Just don't get crazy with positions. Be gentle.

I didn't have any tape at all. But, I am a picker of sunburns and anything that peels. Lol! There was a lot of excess glue that was around my incisions. It was irritating my skin, so I admit, I picked the excess around the incisions. But, I left the incisions alone. Taking care of this type of incision closure was incredibly easy. I didn't have to worry about going in to have staples or stitches removed. It was perfect in every way!!!

My incisions were glued. There wasn't anything covering them. It was great! They all started to just fall off on their own around day 10. They were really low maintenance. Compared to other laparoscopic surgeries that I've had in the past, this was by far the best with regards to my incisions.

Kirkland Calcium Chews Sugar Free at Costco. They are pretty good! I love chocolate, so it is almost like a little sweet treat 3 times a day.

Gummies aren't digested very well with sleeves and they aren't considered a high potency Vitamin. I figure that since we have these spendy little tummies, we might as well put the best stuff possible into them. My nut said that it is kind of like putting bad gas/oil or not maintaining a Bentley.

My doctor said not to do baby food. It doesn't have enough of the nutrients we need as adults. Same as children's Vitamins and gummy vitamins. The good quality stuff for adult women is not available in that stuff. pureed isn't hard. Buy a Magic Bullet. They are so worth it! From pureed to smoothies. I've used mine for 4 years now. Still love it. If your veggies are too dry when you puree them put a little bit of veggie, chicken or beef stock in it. Same thing with your meats. If they are too dry add broth. They sell it at Safeway. It's in the broth section and called Organics. REAL food is more nutritious for you. We need to eat to live, not live to eat. I used to be pretty little. But, 3 kiddos later and major medical drama with 2 of them, I put myself last. Now, it is time to get me back!

It wasn't that bad at all. Having a C-section was a lot worse. It would have been even better if I didn't have a large hiatal hernia repaired. That was what hurt the worst. I took Dilaudid 2 mg every 2 hours for the 1st 2 days(I'm allergic to Vicodin and Percocet) and then just one every 4 hours for the 1st 6 days (each day I slowly tapered down) and Valium went from 3 times a day to just taking it at night now. The Valium helped everything to relax in my diaphragm region. It was a HUGE help! I plan on taking the Valium until it runs out (only 5 left). Besides that it has helped me to sleep easier. Now I am just taking Extra Stength Rapid Release Tylenol in the morning and at night. Just stay on top of your pain. Don't let it get ahead of you. Oh and gas pains from surgery.....walk, walk, walk. I walk about 3-4 times a day. It is about 1/4 mile every time. I never did have any gas pain from surgery, every. Walking is your best friend for eliminating that gas!

I totally agree 100%. I've never made it to even having room for starchy stuff. I've just prioritized to the meat and veggies. So far, so good! Steaming veggies in for a little extra longer than normal makes them really soft too. I like to take cauliflower, mash it up and put it in my favorite red pepper tomato Soup from costco. Then I add a scoop of unflavored Protein powder. It is good with broccoli too.

My Nut also says to do Protein 1st, veggies 2nd and then a starch, if you have room. You always want to eat the foods with the most nutritional impact first before you do a starch. Starches don't really provide that much in the way of nutrients. It does to an extent, but you can obtain starches in your veggies that do so much more for you. Too much starch and it turns to sugar in your system. You do need the good healthy starches that help to give you energy that your body needs. I never have been a big potato, bread, Pasta, bean, or rice person. So, really I don't miss them at all. There are other ways of getting what you need nutritionally.

Yep, the sugars will get you every time! Ugh! I love those drinks too though. I haven't had one for about 6 months now. Go with what works for you. Everyone seems so different with everything. My tastes haven't changed at all. I never have been picky and I'm still not. I've just been making a lot healthier choices. I'm doing good with the veggies. I just puree them. If they are dry, I add a little chicken, beef or veggie broth to them to not make them so dense. I've been doing the same with beef, chicken or any other meat that seems dry. It makes a HUGE difference in being able to get them down and keep them down. At first, if some foods were too dry, I would throw them up. Not fun. Then, I would just lose my appetite for that meal. I would have to settle everything down before I could try again. But, adding moisture to dry foods or really dense foods is a tremendous help.

My doctor told me to take a Gas-X pill. There is also a chewable and a dissolvable strip you can put on your tongue. It is best to take them before meals, but I've only had to take the pill in the morning, the chewable in the late afternoon and then just carry the dissolvable strips in my purse, just in case. I just burp. No toots. Just burps. I'll take it. My hubby says I burp a lot in my sleep too. So sexy, right?!?! Lol!

Do you have a hard time swallowing pills??? I sure as heck did with lots of pain and feelings of them getting stuck, until I remembered how my Grandma used to take her pills everyday. They always made her gag since they were too big, never seemed to go down all the way and she said they hurt going down. Put the pill on the back of your tongue and take with a little bite of yogurt. You can do the same with Cream of Wheat, oatmeal, Pudding or Applesauce. It works wonders!!! Promise! Try it for yourself!

I've been working on getting the Protein, veggie & starch (fruit at lunch time) in, but it is hard. Since I began pureed about 4 days ago, I can only make it to the protein and the veggie or protein & fruit at lunch time. I never have been a big starch eater, so I figure at least I am getting the foods in that pack the most nutrients. I've tried to add a teeny tiny bit of another item & vomit happens. So, I'm just taking it one day at a time. Eventually, I should be able to get there. It just will take a while.

I totally understand where you are coming from. I just wanted to surround myself with my positive support people. Only 4 people knew that I was going to have surgery. There have been a few people that have asked if I was ok. Mainly from my kiddos' school, or running into them in town running to the store, etc. I just say that I had a Hiatal Hernia repair. I did. It was a large one. So, I'm not lying. I'm just not telling them all the details of my surgery. This was my decision and I didn't want to hear opinions of others, negative comments or be gossiped about. My sister in law is horrible. Her nickname in our family is "Mouth". If she knows the whole town and surrounding towns know too. Ugh! It is so high school and that was 20 years ago. Like I told my hubby, if I have to go to the bathroom, I don't need to tell everyone about my business that goes on behind a closed door. People don't need to know all the details of every aspect of your life. Privacy is a good thing. But, you do need to have the positive support system that you can trust to do just that. It is important for your overall well being.

Premier Protein Shakes are really good!!! Love the chocolate and vanilla! If you want to order the strawberry, go to Costco.com and order them online. I haven't had any issues getting in all my protein for the day at all.

Love the Premier Protein Shakes!!! Vanilla tastes like tapioca pudding to me, which I love! You could probably add some sugar free Torani orange syrup to make it taste like a creamsicle too. I also have the unjury Unflavored powder to add to other stuff, like pudding, soup, etc., when I need to add more to my day.

I am a week out from surgery. They said the right side would be the most bothersome. That is the side that they take the stomach out through. Just ice, ice, ice. It helps!

Hi! I am 4 1/2 months into the supervised diet. There was recently a policy change regarding the sleeve with my insurance. So, I called to verify what I was reading. The rep went over it with a 2 supervisors and called me back a few days later. I was told that the sleeve DOES NOT require a supervised diet now and to go ahead and submit all my info, including what I have completed with the diet of 4 1/2 months!!!!! I hope they are right! Everything is being put together to submit. Oh my gosh! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!