Jen - a work in progress

Biopro makes a good unflavored protein powder. I ordered the unjury unflavored which is supposed to come today. I'll see what I think of it. I may have to send it back...

Update!! Surgery was on 10-23. I arrived at 5:15 am for a 7:15 am surgery. I woke up from surgery around 2. My comfort was well managed via IV meds for pain and nausea. I also had multiple injections of lovenox in my thighs. I was given morphine via my IV for pain that pretty much knocked me out. It was hard to keep up with my Water because I kept dozing off lol. I stayed overnight and almost wasn't allowed to go home the next day. I was told I wasn't drinking enough and could wind up dehydrating if taken off IV fluids. I promised to drink my 21oz cup of water and my surgeon cut back on the pain meds to help me stay awake. He finally ok'd my discharge around 9pm. I'm doing pretty good now at home. I can feel the gas moving thru my abdominal cavity and chest. Gas-X strips have helped with that quite a bit. I learned not to drink to quickly and not to take too big of a sip. My tummy let's me know when it's too much. I do feel like my new sleeve is trying to burst thru my body. I have a bit of a bulge near one of the incisions when standing up for a while, as of its trying to push thru. I just gently massage it and it feels better. I'm going to take it easy for the next few days. Try to learn my new sleeve and it's likes and dislikes. Focus on sipping every 2 minutes and really get a routine down. Good luck to everyone waiting to go and happy healing for those who already went. I'll be heading over to the post op boards in the next few days.

Update!! Surgery was on 10-23. I arrived at 5:15 am for a 7:15 am surgery. I woke up from surgery around 2. My comfort was well managed via IV meds for pain and nausea. I also had multiple injections of lovenox in my thighs. I was given morphine via my IV for pain that pretty much knocked me out. It was hard to keep up with my Water because I kept dosing off lol. I stayed overnight and almost wasn't allowed to go home the next day. I was told I wasn't drinking enough and could wind up dehydrating if taken off IV fluids. I promised to drink my 21oz cup of water and my surgeon cut back on the pain meds to help me stay awake. He finally ok'd my discharge around 9pm. I'm doing pretty good now at home. I can feel the gas moving thru my abdominal cavity and chest. Gas-X strips have helped with that quite a bit. I learned not to drink to quickly and not to take too big of a sip. My tummy let's me know when it's too much. I do feel like my new sleeve is trying to burst thru my body. I have a bit of a bulge near one of the incisions when standing up for a while, as of its trying to push thru. I just gently massage it and it feels better. I'm going to take it easy for the next few days. Try to learn my new sleeve and it's likes and dislikes. Focus on sipping every 2 minutes and really get a routine down. Good luck to everyone waiting to go and happy healing for those who already went. I'll be heading over to the post op boards in the next few days.

I didn't have one. However, when they did a bladder ultrasound after surgery and saw I was full, they gave me a chance to go (which I couldn't) and then straight cathed me just to empty my bladder and removed it immediately. Had I been able to wake my bladder up and go on my own I would've avoided it altogether.

My day is finally here! Checking in for surgery at 5:15am. Talk to you all later

One more week to go!!! Super excited and a little less nervous as it gets closer. One thing is for sure.... I'm hating this preop diet... but only because I hate restrictions, and tend to put up a natural resistance to them. I could go on an unintentional liquid diet simply because I was too busy to think about eating or just don't feel like it. Tell me I CAN'T eat and all of a sudden my mind is hyper aware of food like we were just stranded on a deserted island with no food for the past year or something. I'm over here like COME ON!! GIVE IT UP ALREADY!!! LOL. My unjury should be here tomorrow so that should help a great deal. Hoping it tastes as good as everyone says it does. On the bright side, one more week left and we can officially start posting on the PostOp threads! Woo hoo! Good luck, best wishes, and many prayers to you all!

I thought I posted a reply but I guess it didn't work... I'm doing ok on the protein shakes. Sometimes I like them other times I don't lol. I just drink a bunch of water instead and revisit the shake later. Tomorrow is our big day!!! Super exciting! Is everyone ready?

Best of luck and many prayers to you both today!

Surgery is tomorrow!!! One more day of work to go. I haven't gotten my arrival time call yet, but at my last appointment I was told to expect to go first around 7:30 or so and be at the hospital around 5-5:30 am. I have to remember to do the preop scrub tonight with the special wipes and repeat in the morning. Oh and to finish packing my bag for my overnight stay. As the actual day approaches, I'm not really nervous about it anymore. I did learn that my son was pretty nervous. (I'm a single mom with 2 boys - an 8 yr old and a 9 yr old) Yesterday I picked them up from their after school program. As we were walking out of the school I said "I have a 6:30 appt to go to so we need to hurry. You guys can stay home if you want, I shouldn't be long." My oldest son stopped dead in his tracks and turned around and hugged me. I practically tripped over him! Lol. He tried to play it off, but I caught a look of concern on his face. I asked him about it and he admitted he was kind of scared. I told him I would be fine and he can come see me right after school and do homework with me before he goes to football practice. I have had surgeries before, but I don't think any required me to stay overnight (possibly my hysterectomy, but I don't remember). I will have to reassure him again today. I don't want to wake them up super early in the morning before I go, but I think I might need to so he can at least see me and feel ok at school. I have arranged for my mom to stay at my house overnight and keep their normal schedule and routine going. She'll be dropping me off at the hospital and then taking them to school. I promised him I would be home Friday night and be there for their football games on Saturday. He such a great kid Oh and my youngest could apparently care less, he is such a typical boy! Lol! Best wishes and prayers for those going this week!! To my surgery buddies - see you soon on the post op side!! I'll be starting a thread over there tomorrow to let everyone know how it went for me and see how things went for you.

Good luck with everything!

BiPro protein shakes are good ones and don't have all the extra additives in it or empty calorie. Un.jury is another good one that a lot of people seem to like.

Congrats on beginning your journey and the new red hair!! Lol. Best wishes and prayers for you.

As I get closer to my surgery date (Oct 23rd) I am finding that I am craving more foods that I haven't really had a desire for in months, if not years. I think I've had a month of food funerals and that's pretty sad to admit. I know it's all mental and I need to stop it. I was thinking about doing a diet of 2 protein shakes a day and a healthy lunch with snacks, just to see if I can kick these food cravings. I need to get it together asap. I have gained 5+ lbs since my visit with my surgeon and the dietician visit. I go for my next preop appt on Oct 9th and I prefer to be back down to my last weight before then. It'll save me from having to explain the extra 5+ lbs lol

I'm not a fan of the Strawberry sorbet flavor, but the other ones were pretty good.

Tried the unjury cchicken soup and it was much better than I thought it would be lol. I also tried the chocolate splendor and it was pretty good. Today I'll try the strawberry sorbet and mix the unflavored in my yogurt and see what happens lol.

We have the same date. It's the final countdown! I'm so ready to go and get this show on the road lol

The coats arrived today and fit great! Thank you so much I look forward to paying it forward next winter when they're too big for me

I'm actually supposed to do a South Beach type diet but I cheated for a whole week so I'm just going straight Protein shake diet the remainder of the time. I am to the point now where I'm not nervous about the surgery anymore and probably need to stay away from the post op boards until I'm postop. Lol. I beginning to wonder about pain and things but if I stay positive and have positive thoughts, I'll be that much more likely to have a positive experience.

I'll have to check some of those flavors out too. They sound tastey! Lol

As our surgeries are quickly approaching, our emotions and thoughts get all revved up too. You have to focus on the positive and remember why you are doing this in the first place. Great job on improving your A1C levels!! That's exciting news! It'll keep getting better and better as time goes on. Keep it up and stay focused so you can achieve even more healthy milestones. I'm more of a tough love, tell it like it is kind of person... so proceed with caution... food is NOT your best friend. Food is one factor that got us to where we are today. You are your best friend, if no one else is. You love yourself enough to make a positive choice to improve your life. I don't have much of a support system myself, but that's not going to stop me from being happy and doing what makes me happy. I have to live with and in my body, I have to drag this weight around, I have to deal with my health... not anyone else, so quite frankly, I don't care what someone else thinks or how they feel. All that matters is how I feel and how much better and healthier I will feel a year from now. Do this for you, let everything and everyone else around you fall into place as God sees fit. We can do this and we WILL do this! We have each other and everyone on this site for support. So keep your head up and your weight down You've got this!

lol that's good to know. I'll try it a few months out and see how it goes. Thank you!

Yay! Another Oct 23rd surgery! Lol, I was beginning to think there weren't going to be too many of us lol. While I don't know you personally, I think one week later you'll be able to get back to a somewhat normal pace. My doctor has me off work for 4-6 weeks and I work in a hospital (up and running around all day working with patients). Just maks sure you get your protein in everyday for energy and stay hydrated. Good luck!

Cool! We'll have to keep in touch on our journey. Good luck to you too! I've been praying for all of us every day I had my Pre-admission testing Thursday and my NP said I could start my preop diet today and do 2 weeks instead of 1. However... I told her I'm going out Friday for dinner and drinks for one of my girlfriend's bday so I'll start on Saturday instead. She laughed and said that's fine. I ordered some Protein shake mixes from unjury so I'm still waiting for that to arrive, but my preop diet is actually a low carb diet so I have no excuse really lol. I'll start on Saturday and catch up with you. My preop diet goal is 2 shakes and a healthy lite lunch with 2 Snacks (like milk or yogurt or fruit). We'll see how it goes!

Cool! We'll have to keep in touch on our journey. Good luck to you too! I've been praying for all of us every day I had my Pre-admission testing Thursday and my NP said I could start my preop diet today and do 2 weeks instead of 1. However... I told her I'm going out Friday for dinner and drinks for one of my girlfriend's bday so I'll start on Saturday instead. She laughed and said that's fine. I ordered some Protein shake mixes from unjury so I'm still waiting for that to arrive, but my preop diet is actually a low carb diet so I have no excuse really lol. I'll start on Saturday and catch up with you. My preop diet goal is 2 shakes and a healthy lite lunch with 2 Snacks (like milk or yogurt or fruit). We'll see how it goes!

Hi! Just wondering if the coats are still available?