mbrinmn

If anyone is interested, having an informal little get-together on Friday, 10:00 a.m., at the Starbucks in the Mall of America. I know a lot of people work that day, but just wanted to throw it out there.

Did anyone join the BariatricPal Chapter for Minneapolis/St. Paul? It also includes outlying areas like Redwingers, Hudsonites, and northerners. Just trying to get all this Minnesota support under one roof so we can all benefit from the support. MN - Minneapolis/St.Paul in USA BariatricPal Local Chapters Started by GardenLady, June 04, 2014

Did anyone join the BariatricPal Chapter for Minneapolis/St. Paul? It also includes outlying areas like Redwingers, Hudsonites, and northerners. Just trying to get all this Minnesota support under one roof so we can all benefit from the support. MN - Minneapolis/St.Paulin USA BariatricPal Local Chapters Started by GardenLady, June 04, 2014

Happy one-month surgiversary to me! And bye, bye 32 pounds. So glad I made the decision I did. Thank you Dr. Osuna and the staff at Hospital MI Doctor in Tijuana!!! You changed my life!

Happy one-month surgiversary to me! And bye, bye 32 pounds. So glad I made the decision I did. Thank you Dr. Osuna and the staff at Hospital Mi Doctor in Tijuana!!! You changed my life!

Happy one-month surgiversary to me! And bye, bye 32 pounds. So glad I made the decision I did. Thank you Dr. Osuna and the staff at Hospital Mi Doctor in Tijuana!!! You changed my life!

Happy one-month surgiversary to me! And bye, bye 32 pounds. So glad I made the decision I did. Thank you Dr. Osuna and the staff at Hospital MI Doctor in Tijuana!!! You changed my life!

How are you doing today, luckyone5?

Way to go, vbm510!!! Congrats to you. You were sleeved the day before me so we are both celebrating on one month surgiversary. I was 270, now at 238 (that include pre-op diet, surgery, and post-op diet). I have not moved toward solid foods yet, but I have been eating normal foods for over a week now instead of baby foods. Solid foods are still giving me a little trouble, but I seem okay with mashed or chopped foods. Here's a handy little gadget that I found. Works great anywhere and it will take almost any restaurant meal and turn it into a thick, but easy to keep down substance. I've been going thicker and less chopped little by little. I got it on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Starfrit-093474-Swizzz-Prozzz-Chopper/dp/B00D1KZJRU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411558654&sr=8-2&keywords=starfrit

She was my doctor too. Can't say enough great things about the whole experience!

Been where? Worrying about complications or been to the same hospital you will be at? If it's the first thing, I can honestly say I wasn't worried a bit. I was excited and couldn't wait to start down my new path. We all could get hit by a bus tomorrow and that comes with a whole set of its own complications, but are you afraid to leave your house each day? I'm guessing not. You have to,do what's best for you, but I think we've all been pretty clear that the experience was great!

Ooops, sorry I was wrong. Only Linda has not had surgery yet out of the three of us meeting on Friday.

Congrats Micky!!! Sounds like things are going pretty well! And that's great you can eat yogurt again. By the way, since so many social gathering do seem to revolve around food, I bought this little doo-hickey and it works great at restaurants (since I still prefer to eat more solid, but mashed up foods. http://smile.amazon.com/Starfrit-093474-Swizzz-Prozzz-Chopper/dp/B00D1KZJRU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411491525&sr=8-2&keywords=starfrit Great little hand operated chopper. You can put anything in it. Haven't tried a cheeseburger yet, but have tried black bean burgers with cheese. My friends and even people I don't know don't seem to mind me using it. I get some funny looks from waiters and waitresses, but they get their tip, so what do they care. Good luck going forward. My one-month surgiversary is tomorrow.

I live in Woodbury too.

Hi Molly, Welcome to the group. GardenLady set this group up in June, so we are slowly gaining momentum and trying to find our stride. Linda and Lori are going to decide on the next meeting place and it will most likely be on a Saturday morning since that day seems sometimes easier for those further out of the metro area to get to. Lori and Linda (can't think of their code names right now) have not had the surgery and our both scheduled for next month. They would like one more meeting before their surgery just to ask more questions and get to know us a little better as a support group. I can tell you that Linda and I are getting together with FloridaGirl2 (she can tell you her own first name) this Friday at 10am at the Starbucks in the Mall of America. FloridaGirl2 has not had surgery yet, so it cold be great if you were able to join us. My information for texting, calling, or emailing is 651-231-2465 or mbrinmn@gmail.com. This forum certainly works since I get all those prompt emails as well. Maybe I'll see if Frankiethegirl can join us too. She has a little more job flexibility and might be able to make it as well.

My surgeon was Jacqueline Osuna, the wife of Dr. alejandro lopez. Both only practice bariatric surgery. I would recommend Dr. Osuna to anyone and everyone!!!

I had 3 weeks total of PTO and short term disability period before going back to work after surgery. One week was surgery week, the other 2 weeks were recovery weeks. I could have actually gone back to work after 1 week of recovery, but heck, when the doctor gives you 2, you take them. I do get hungry, but it's real hunger, not emotional or head hunger. I make really good choices in foods, like yogurt, applesauce, or a hardboiled egg to fill me up between meals. The only problem I am really finding is getting enough Protein. My doctor recommended at least 85, but up to 100. I use the flavorless stuff and put it in and on everything. I will tell you that you will feel tired a few weeks after your surgery. It's not just because you are eating less, but surgery does take a toll o your body and sleep is a normal part of the healing process. I have no trouble until about 3 to 4pm. Then I need to take a nap when I get home from work. But if I stay busy, I don't really think about it...do laundry, take a walk, clean house, run errands. For the first two weeks after surgery, I was going to be around 5:30pm, maybe waking up around midnight to go to the bathroom, then going back to sleep until 6am or so. That's getting much better now. My work days start early (around 5-5:30am), so I'm almost back to my 9pm bedtime...getting up at 4am is no problem. I still find myself drifting off around 8pm, but I do something active to get me through to 9pm...walk the dog, rearrange some drawers or a closet, email friends. Everyone is different, but all the people I met during my surgery and have stayed in touch with all had good recoveries. Out of the four that were being sleeved the same day as me, 2 went back to work just 5 days after surgery with no troubles. Protein, protein, protein...really helps with energy and curbs hunger. Try Quest Bars. They may just become your new best friend because they taste like cake or brownies rather than those awful Power Bars or Tiger Bars.

I was exactly like you. I obsessed about food all day long. I could get it out of my head. I was ALWAYS hungry; relay voraciously hungry. That is in part why I chose the surgery. I can tell you the I, personally, do feel hunger every know and then, but it's not that horrible black hole of hunger that needs to be filled with large amounts of anything and everything. I think I'm actually feeling what normal hunger must feel like I don't obsess about food any more. I don't even have cravings for my old vices...coffee, donuts, diet coke, cake, hamburgers with extra cheese. Thinking about them doesn't make me sad I can chosen not to eat them, or make me want them even more. It makes me think about what my stomach can handle. It really is a big partnership between your head and your stomach. The body is an amazing piece of equipment!! It will tell you almost everything if you listen to it. Your new stomach will tell you what it can and can't really take and your head doesn't have to feel bad your not getting those things you thought you would never in your life give up. Also, this will help your family eat healthy. Make the same smart choices for them as you would make for yourself. I think of my sleeved stomach as a nice little coin purse. Do I want to fill it with pennies or quarters. Which brings me the best return on this investment I've made on myself and my health? Pennies?...the old crappy foods I used to eat. Or quarters?...the good nutritional choices I make to fill up that little space. Also, I recommend two movies wholeheartedly. "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and "Food Inc." One is a motivational way to look at vegetables and fruit, the other is a look at how broken our food delivery chain really is and why Americans are more obese in bigger numbers than ever before.

That's a very personal decision. Do YOU feel you are making the right choice for yourself? Is it something you believe will help you live a more healthy lifestyle? Once you sleeve, it's all about the nutritious choices you make. Think of your little 1/4 stomach as a coin purse. Do you want to fill it up with pennies (junk foods), or do you want to fill it up with quarters (healthy and nutritious foods)? Which will give you more return on your investment? Are you ready and will to make that change. All I can tell you is it really is, for me, not that hard. With such a small stomach, I am very careful about what I put in there. I was to make sure I live a long and healthy life so I don't miss the French fries (honestly) and I don't miss my huge vice: donuts. I still can't quite do salads, which I love. I am only 4 weeks out and the one salad I've had so far has run right ugh me. Besides, bib lettuce just isn't all that full of nutrition. I gave up caffeine during my pre op diet and I was a huge Diet Coke fan...at least 3 per day. Plus coffee when I could get to my favorite coffee shop. Haven't even had the urge to start up with that. I don't think of "give up things," I think of it as "adding to my investment"...the costs the insurances don't pay, the health and wellness for myself, feeling better, etc. I don't miss the pennies, because quarters are more valuable and a better return on my investment. Also, I recommend watching the movie "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and "food Inc." (both on Netflix). A nurse in the hospital recommended them. Boy, are they interesting and motivational: one teaches you about the benefits of juicing for the utmost in nutrition. Not suggesting you become a juice-head, it is just a very insightful movie. The other will show you today's unhealthy food chain and why Americans as a whole are becoming more and more obese. Just a couple of recommendations for you. Good luck. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask me. I'll tell you anything, honestly and truthfully. So will anyone else here. We're all here to support each other.

Congrats. 37 lbs. That's amazing. I'm in the 3 week stall. The weight and other tickers are under your account profile. Go all the way to the very top of the screen, it is in the upper right. It should say something like "Hello jelmore8312000". Click on that and it will offer you a menu. One item on the drop down mean is "My Tickers". That's where you can pick and choose the kind of ticker you want, the little scenes and icons you want to use, and input your data as it changes.

Thank you for all the support and great advice. Needless to say, I will NOT be having any sweat breads or muffins anytime soon. I'm not missing bread at all, but I wonder if that will have the same effect. I haven't had any carbs in the form of bread. Just chopped/mashed up pasta. Oh, did I tell you about this handy little thing I found? You can take it anywhere and while it may be a little bit of a curiosity to the waiter or waitress, it is pretty quiet and unassuming. It is what helped me transition to yummy things like spinach tortellini with sundried tomatoes in a broccoli sauce. http://smile.amazon.com/Starfrit-093474-Swizzz-Prozzz-Chopper/dp/B00D1KZJRU/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1411470958&sr=1-2&keywords=starfrit I bought two. One for work and one to take out with me or stay at home.

Oh my word. Got a little ahead of myself with the eating program and had a Perkins pumpkin muffin because they are very soft. Had to pull over and throw up...good thing I carry lots of plastic store bags to use as garbage bags in my car! Nothing but good puréed nutritious food for me for a while longer!

Yes, both are chewables and they are all yours. For some reason I just can't do chewables, even TUMS. I should have known better, but I was trying to get everything in order before surgery. Here is the site that explains them: http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/bariatric-vitamins/opurity-bypass-optimized-multi-vitamin.html

Anyone interested in chewable multi and calcium vitamins. For some odd reason, I just cannot stomach them. No matter how well they are flavored with citrus or berry flavors. I have 3 bottle of Opurity Multi Vitamins specifically designed for Gastric Sleeve patients and 3 bottles of the calcium pills. I found out they can not be returned, even though they are still shrink wrapped. Would anyone who can stomach chewable like to have them? I'm sure we can figure out a way to hand off.