Inner Surfer Girl

My overarching goal is to get my life back. To go and do what I want where and when I want without worrying about physical limitations. I want the freedom to live life.

Are you reaching your protein and water goals?

I was allowed all the ice chips I wanted from the time I got to my room after the recovery room until my leak test the next morning.

Drs. office only for me.

Congratulations. Sounds like you were destined to take home that jumpsuit. Now, I want to see a picture of you wearing it out somewhere fun. You have to show off!

Welcome and best of luck with your journey. Learn as much as you can so you and your surgeon can make the right decision for you. Ask questions at your info session and on BariatricPal. Use the search function and read, read, read. I have considerably more to lose than you and I was sleeved on April 20. I, too have sleep apnea. You will need to be treating it or your surgeon may not consent to do surgery. I would recommend trying different masks until you find what works for you. I use nose pillows after trying a couple of masks. It changed my life finally getting some quality sleep. This is a journey but so far for me it has been well worth the time and effort. Even the time of uncertainty leading up to surgery.

My surgeon required what is basically Adkins phase 1 (high-protein, extremely low carb) as a pre-op diet.

ProtiDiet has a liquid drink concentrate that is lighter and more concentrated than Protein shakes. It was what I was given in the hospital when I graduated from ice chips. Since I am still on Clear liquids I have been eating a lot of them. Each packet is 15 G protein and I put a packet over some crushed ice and eat it with a spoon.

You will be fine. One thing that helped me was that I made a commitment to myself to do everything I was asked to do. They truly have your best interests at heart in seeing that you have the best outcome.

Are you getting all your protein?

Wow. How awesome!

I haven't had any pain in my stomach. I don't know what your surgeon does but mine implanted a ball that I wore around my neck that administered a numbing agent to my abdomen. He said I might feel some pain because of my hernia repair but I didn't. The numbing worked great.

Have you told him what you are going through with the other doctor? What does he say?

To repeat what my surgeon told us, the biggest cause of leaks/complications is other doctors. Can you at least reach your bariatric dr by phone?

Do you belong to a church? Other community/social group? Oftentimes there are people in our lives who would love to help if only they knew what we needed.

It is unusual to lose a lot of weight very quickly. It's not something we see every day. Just chalk it up to concern/care/ curiosity. You don't have to respond with anything but politeness.

I was sleeved April 20. After doing lots of research and reading, the big mystery was how I would feel/react to the surgery and recovery. What I can say based on my experience is that it is just something you have to experience. My surgery and recovery has been remarkably uneventful up to now. The anticipation and stepping into the unknown was really the "worst" part. Best of luck.

I am so sorry for the loss of your mom and happy for the loss of your boo age. Does that sound terrible? Something tells me your mom was shopping with you.

Now might be a good time to start reassessing what makes you happy since you are going through a significant life change. What is it about your job/ career that you love? What do you loathe? What are your skills? You might consider talking to a career counselor or coach to see what is out there. The key is matching your interests, knowledge, and skills to a real need. You may find you want to stay in your current career with some changes, make some slight modifications, or do something radically different. Like weight loss, its a journey. For me, I am looking at reentering the job market when I am healthier and will need to return to focusing on this process soon. It's scary and liberating at the same time. You don't have to figure it all out today. It's a process. But, please resist inertia and settling for being unhappy. There has got to be a place for your passion and experience in the world.

Same thing here, my tummy/sleeve (no pouch here) likes to rumble quite a bit.

Day 5 I am still on clear liquids.

You should be very proud of yourself for taking such a big step to put your needs and your health first. Welcome!

At this stage I am still on Clear liquids but my surgeon said that the bariatric Soups are ok and that Premier Protein is the one exception to clears that he would approve. You might consider mixing it up for flavor variety. I got a ProtiDiet tomato and chicken that have helped. Between the soups, Premier Protein shake and ProtiDiet liquid concentrate I have been able to get my 100 grams a day in.

I'll give it a try when I get to that phase. Thanks for the recipe.

It wasn't forbidden pre-op but I am so glad I kicked the habit before surgery. I couldn't imagine going through pop/caffeine withdrawal post-op.