ready2B

Hi all November members! I am 11 days out and I can't believe how GOOD I feel. It still amazes me how smoothly things have gone. Each day truly does get better and better. I just got home from lunch with friends - I never dreamed I'd be able to eat at a restaurant already, manage a tiny protein packed portion without overeating or eating too fast, dealing with wondering what others would think or say about be eating so little, etc. But it all went beautifully and I had a fantastic time. I am so happy I did this - and already wish I had had the surgery years ago.

I couldn't handle them by that time too! Try mixing your unflavored powder into Crystal Light or even sugar free Jello. Have you tried the sugar-free Instant Breakfast? That was less "Protein powder" tasting to me and I could handle it better. Not a lot of protein by itself but added to milk it was a decent amount and filling.

A couple more tips to add - buy some small storage containers. Target has 1/4 cup disposable ones with lids - about 50 or so for only around $3. You will need them for all your small portions and leftovers.These have been great and are a lot cheaper than the Ziploc brand. Be sure and talk to your PCP or surgeon before surgery about any Rx you are taking now that need to be changed to a liquid or crushable form. Anything that is extended release will probably need to be changed. Buy a pill cutter and/or crusher. I discovered my crushed pills still taste REALLY nasty in applesauce, but sugar-free chocolate pudding cups hide the tastes pretty well, so I am glad I had some of those on hand. I use just a tablespoon and divide the rest up into little containers for the next pill times.

@@carriekos - Congrats on being on the other side now! Sounds like you are doing great. It's amazing what a difference each day makes.

@@mizzjaejeff - I think we were all terrified before surgery! It's normal. But really - the surgery is not that bad at all and it will be over and you will be home before you know it. A few days of light discomfort mostly. For me, I was also very nervous about what a HUGE life change I was getting myself into. But in that too, I had nothing to worry about. I am 9 days out and everything is going great. I feel great, I've lost 9 lbs so far, eating has gone really well (except for the one meal where I tried to break every rule at once!) I am already so HAPPY I did this!

@@Dabliss111114 - Did you have your surgery done robotically? Mine was, don't know if that makes any difference. I have superglue instead of staples and it is itching like crazy!!! I can't put anything on it to make it stop either. Hope this stops soon. Hope the Miralax works for you soon. I've been terrified of getting constipated so I've been taking milk of magnesia every other day. I am feeling really good! Today I realized I don't hurt anywhere! Just yesterday, I still hurt quite a bit here and there - so what a difference a day makes! You are only one day behind me so you may have a MUCH better day tomorrow too. I think the last remaining air pocket in my shoulders finally worked themselves out last night. I thought I wouldn't be able to handle the soft food stage so early either but except for that one meal, it's been just fine. I made some tuna salad tonight with hard boiled egg, light mayo and some low-fat cheese. It was really good and my pouch handled it all like a pro. I ate a heck of a lot slower than last night and sat up straight at the table, which I am sure helped too. @@bluedreams86 - how is your new day going? Are you home? I am constantly amazed at how each day I feel so much better than the one before. Everything still feels a bit surreal to me!

I took way too much stuff to the hospital that I didn't need. For clothes, all I needed was the stuff I wore there and a clean pair of undies. Two hospital gowns worked great for gown & robe and the slipper socks they provided were easy to just keep on so I didn't have to bend over to put house slippers on. I took my phone, tablet and charger and that was nice to be able to have some good distractions since daytime TV stinks! I also took some Biotene spray - much easier than the mouthwash - and that was a lifesaver! I took Gas-X strips but as others have said, the gas pains aren't that kind of gas and I was also afraid my new tummy might not be able to handle them right away so I didn't use them. I took my own CPAP machine and was grateful for that. I didn't want to have to deal with something unfamiliar for that. The time went by pretty fast. I dozed a lot and before I knew it, it was time to go home. I hate to admit I totally forgot about brushing my hair or teeth while I was there! I certainly didn't need my whole toiletry bag.

I totally understand! I also had my surgery Nov 10th and although I had 4 months to prepare, it was really hard to keep my nerves in check that day! I had to just completely detach myself from all that was happening and really trust in my surgeon, my decision, all the research, the emotional and physical preparations I had done, and just not second guess any of it anymore. I really had to just shove aside all thoughts of what was going to take place with the surgery, the recovery, the rest of my life, etc. and kind of go into everything kind of numb emotionally. It worked and I was able to find a calm place during those last few hours leading up to showtime! You will do fine! After months of anticipation getting to this point, the surgery itself is sort of anticlimactic. You fall asleep, then what feels like a second later, you wake up and it's over. You are sore for a few days but that's very temporary. I am a week out and it is just now starting to sink in that I am beginning a whole new wonderful life!

My doctor's diet schedule sounds really different than most of yours. We only had one day of full liquids pre-op, then after we got home. Then the following day we start on pureed foods then at one week, we advance to soft foods for the rest of the first month. They told us that if we got in at least 25 gm protein and 40 oz of liquids the first week, we were doing great. And protein drinks can count towards half of our liquids. So, when I went for my 1 week checkup today and had an average of 45 gm protein/day and 60 oz of liquids, they were thrilled. I was thrilled too, because it was hard enough doing that! I really feel for you guys who have a much harder diet plan to follow. I have no idea why they are so different from doctor to doctor. That said, after the praise I got, I came home and got overly cocky! You would think I set out to learn as many things the hard way as I possibly could in one day. I drank too big of a gulp of water and that hurt like HELL as my stomach went into a cramp that lasted about 5 minutes with no relief. Then for dinner, I had a veggie breakfast sausage patty (allowed) that I had cooked too dry, a soft scrambled egg with pepperjack cheese. I ate it sitting in a recliner instead of fully upright at the table and I ate it too fast! Lots of things wrong with that picture! The dry sausage was something I should have said no to after the first bite. It was not "soft" by any definition. The eggs were okay, but pepperjack??? What the heck was I thinking? Way too spicy for my first day of solid food! And it didn't go down well because of half-reclining and eating too fast. So - of course it set off another 5 minutes of very painful cramp before it all came back up. SO - lots of lessons learned the hard way!! Hopefully you guys can learn from my stupid example here and not make the same mistakes. I know I won't again!

@@kelseycakes20 - Good luck to you too! I didn't sleep at all the night before but didn't worry too much because I knew I would sleep a LOT after! Hope all goes great for you.

@@jessica2014 - Good luck tomorrow! Let us know how you are doing when you feel up to it. :-)

@@bluedreams86 - Smooth sailing to you too! Let us know how you are doing once you get to the other side!

@@carriekos - Sending warm wishes that everything goes smoothly for you tomorrow!

Unjury didn't have free samples but they do have a really nice starter kit that comes with 10 single serve packs of different flavors of their protein powders, a shaker bottle and a thermometer since you have to keep the liquid under 140 degrees. You might want to try those before ordering a big container of any certain kind. I really like the chicken soup one and the unflavored. I never thought I would turn up my nose at chocolate but somehow that just doesn't appeal to me at all now.

I am also only 5 days out and am on pureed foods this week. Only 2 more days before I hopefully get cleared for soft foods. (Funny how different everyone's protocol is!) Fortunately, my doc allows a soft scrambled egg which I added some grated cheese too - yum! - and refried Beans (also with cheese for me!) so that has helped me feel like I am getting real food. Nothing else appeals at all to me right now.

I am on my 5th day out - today the word is "ordeal", LOL!

Karma is a funny old gal, isn't she?!! LOL at your story - and so glad you are able to laugh about it now. I am only 5 days out from my RNY and I would have had a meltdown too if someone had a pizza in the oven! The day after I got home from the hospital, some well-meaning friends decided to bring dinner over for my husband and daughter! It all looked and smelled amazing, including the homemade brownies!! So, here I was, the one who actually just had surgery (eh hem!) not able to eat any of it but had to watch them enjoy it! Fortunately, I was nauseated already so it was easier to not want it, but still... what the heck were they thinking?!!

I am 5 days out from having my surgery and I totally agree that you really don't need to take much to the hospital. I packed 2 changes of clothes, a bathrobe, slippers, tons of toiletries, etc and never used any of them other than a fresh pair of underwear and socks! I wore the hospital gown because it was far easier with the IV and all the wires and monitors. When I would walk in the halls, I just wore a second gown backwards like a robe. Much easier to deal with! I just wore the slipper socks they gave me since it would have been too hard to get them off to put on slippers. I was told not to shower for 48 hours and I was home by then. And it never occurred to me to brush my hair either since I slept most of the time, :-) I did take my tablet so I had something to occupy myself when I was awake. Reading would have been way to hard after the anesthesia so some simple games were nice. Daytime TV sucks! As the previous poster said, have a variety of drinks at home so you can get your fluids in. I had tea, juice, several flavors of Crystal Light, bottled Water with flavoring, sugar free popsicles and Jello, and broth. I am grateful for all of that because I found my tummy is a finicky little creature now. I got a variety of Protein powders and shakes too and the first couple of days home, I liked them fine but now I can't stomach the idea of any of them! I also had cottage cheese, refried Beans, pudding, applesauce, and eggs on hand - which I am also very grateful for. I do not intend to pureed meat of any kind! GAG! The first night in the hospital, I slept with the bed propped all the way up to help with the trapped air. I think that helped a lot. My first night at home, I used 2 wedge pillows, but by the next night, I just wanted to sleep lying down normally and that was fine. So, don't run out and buy wedge pillow - if you can borrow some, that's great, but if now, you can always use a bunch of regular pillows if lying flat bothers you. Ask for an abdominal binder as soon as you get to your room after surgery. It's like a giant ace bandage that they velcro around you to help support your tender tummy. Definitely helps those first few days as you get up and down. I got lots of free samples of Vitamins and protein stuff by emailing companies that sell those things and just asking. I just Googled "bariatric vitamins" and "protein powder" and then found the contact info. Almost all of the companies sent me something. I am also very happy for that because my tastes seem to change daily and the chewable Vitamin I liked one day, I can't stand the next! So it is nice to have options! Don't buy a big thing of anything for a while because I've been told your tastes will continue to change a lot at first. I had blood clots in the past too. Make sure your doctor is well aware of that. Mine made sure I had pumps on my legs all thru the surgery and the entire time at the hospital. They also gave me Lovenox shots after surgery and they do get you up and about as soon as they can. Be sure and ask when they want you to discontinue your blood thinners. I wasn't allowed anything that would increase bleeding such as Advil, Aleve, etc for 10 days before surgery. You should be fine! What an exciting way for you to ring in the new year! Be sure and plan on NOT having guests or any big holiday plans - you will need the time to focus on your recovery.

It dawned on me why I find calling me "skinny" offends me. It's because people never say "hey, skinny!" to a person who is naturally thin. They only say it to people who previously were much heavier, so it's only a relative term and constantly is a reminder of how fat they used to see us. We don't do that with other nicknames - we don't call someone smart only because we really mean "you are much smarter now, you used to be really stupid!" So, I for one would really love it if people would see the new me as the permanent me and not constantly remind me of a time I hope to be able to forget. When I lost almost 100 lbs in the past, I hated the extreme attention I got. Most of it was pretty ridiculous. Like a woman who was a size 2 yelling across the grocery store "Look at you skinny!! You can't possibly get any tinier!" when I was still a size 14! If I had always been that size, no one would have made such a fuss. If someone wanted to give me a compliment, a far less embarrassing and humiliating thing to say would be a simple, "you look great and I am proud of your accomplishment."

We aren't allowed the gummies because they don't have all the vitamins we need in them. I had bought a big bottle of Opurity multivitamins, but they were so awful I can't take them at least for now. I have another brand that I got at Walgreens - Optisource postbariatric - and they are not bad at all. Flintstones chewables aren't bad either. We were told to start them right away as well as the calcium (but 2 hours apart). Of the different calcium things I've tried (Wellesse liquid, Bariatric advantage, and others) the ones I like best right now are Calcet Creamy Bites because they are lighter & fluffier than most and so don't sit so heavy on my tummy.

Hi - I wasn't denied for my WLS but have been for other things in the past and found that perseverance can pay off. Keep the conversation open with the insurance company. Have your doctor intercede as much as he/she can. Write letters, make phone calls. Sometimes it took me three appeals to finally get approved for something. Usually it is when I could prove that in the long run it would save the insurance company a lot of money if they allowed me to have a specific treatment, then they were more willing to approve. Their bottom line was/is more important to them than my quality of life so I had to make it about the money they would save. Insurance companies are not in the business of improving our quality of life. It is all about financial investment for them so if you can take that approach, you might be more successful. Also, I got my husband's HR department involved too since the insurance was through his company so they had the ability to make exceptions. Don't give up until you've exhausted every possible avenue for appeal.

@@Dabliss111114 - I am just a day ahead of you and I can tell you that you will be pleasantly surprised how much better you feel each day! DId you throw up anything you tried to eat or drink? That was my biggest worry so I begged and pleaded constantly for anti-nausea meds so I wouldn't. I didn't - so that was a huge relief. Now I just have lots of gurgling with my bowels starting to shake, rattle & roll!

@@TJBab - Good luck today! I had my surgery Monday (11/10) and spent my first night at home last night. All has gone remarkably well. No real discomfort today and no pain meds. I am able to tolerate the Protein Drinks and some yogurt just fine and liquids are also going in fine. Temperatures don't seem to matter - very cold to very hot & everything in between seems okay. I am very lucky, I think! It's really hard to believe I've just had such a drastic surgery two days ago!

My surgery is this coming Monday and though I have had more surgeries in my life than I can count, I am finding myself ridiculously nervous about this one! I really can't pinpoint why. I think I am prepared for the post-op diet changes okay. I tolerate pain pretty well and know that it will only be for a day or two, so that part doesn't really bother me. I am excited about all the things I will be able to do again once I lose the weight. I have good support and I have complete faith in my surgeon and his program. So why the heck am I shaking in my boots?? I am really struggling to fight off a full-blown panic attack. I had my last preop appt yesterday and it was very informative. Nothing alarming there. I guess this is the first "elective" surgery I have done and all the rest were to fix something that wasn't working right at all, but this surgery will actually make something that is working perfectly fine (my whole digestive system) and make it not function the same ever again. I guess I am terrified that something will go horribly wrong with that - not necessarily during the surgery, but at some point later. It's a fear of messing with something that "ain't broke" maybe. I think I am worried I will end up never being able to eat ANYTHING ever again and that I will slowly waste away and die of malnutrition. I know that sounds nuts, but how do you deal with that fear?

@@Darcie46 - today is my big day too! Best of luck to you. Looking forward to being on the other side of the next couple of days.