samuelsmom

I recommend you buy single bottles of Protein shakes before buying a case. You don't want to be stuck with something you hate. Many people like the Premier Protein Shakes. I was not a fan. I prefer the GNC lean shakes (strawberry flavor). unjury is also popular. I have not tried their shakes but the chicken broth was good. Also, you might want to find a greek yogurt that you like. One thing to be careful of regardless of brand is the quantity of added sugar. Some protein shakes I saw had tomes of sugar which is counter productive. Your surgeon's office should also have a list available of recommended protein shakes. There are a lot of choices out there. Hope you find one you enjoy!

I'm sorry this happened to you. I have no use for health care providers who are mean. I don't pay people to be mean to me. I pay them to do their jobs in an honest and professional way. Did she at least evaluate the weight gain in light of your medical history or take time to really study your food diary and evaluate it seriously?

Incentive spirometers are great devices. While the anesthesia should be out of your system by now, continuing the use the incentive should not hurt you. Make sure you are doing it correctly: Sit up, make a seal with your mouth around the mouth piece and breathe in slowly, which raises the balls up- try to hold your breath to keep the balls up at least a few seconds and then exhale normally. Wait at least a few seconds between each breath. Repeat 10 times. For any pre-oppers who may read this: be sure to get an incentive spirometer. The nurse should offer it, however, if she does not, ask for it. Every hospital has one. Bariatric patients are especially at risk for lung complications after surgery. @@boosh10 Probably would be a good idea to call the doctor's office and let them know what is going on.

I applaud you for wanting to be careful with food consumption pre-op. I personally went to restaurants pre-op until starting the liquid diet and within 4 weeks post-op. What worked for me was sticking with restaurants that post their menus and nutrition. I go online, review the nutritional information and decide whatI want before I get to the restaurant. this has made going out a pleasure. My husband and I were both concerned because going out is an activity we both really enjoy. I don't know about you but sitting at home eating cottage cheese does not excite me! Good Luck on your journey!

The first thing I had was egg foo yung at about 4 weeks out. Had no problems. I have Hot and Sour soup and some type of chicken and vegetables every couple of weeks.

By now the effects of anesthesia should be out of your system. What problems are you having?

Thank you for sharing your story. Best of success!

Well this topic has got me really thinking. First, I am still fat, just less so. And I am very comfortable with my body. I didn't and don't hate it. I was frankly terrified of what was going to happen to it if didn't get a handle on my weight which prompted this WLS journey. I like the compliments I get now and that i can fit into smaller clothes. I hope I will still feel like me and not weird. Will I recognize that person in the mirror? I really like her now and hope that it stays that way!

Clearly I need remediation. When I saw "soul-mates" I thought of Peanut Butter and Jelly Apple pie and Ice cream and my personal favorite: Premium vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup!

This is a great post. Obesity is an incurable disease just like alcoholism, MS, and Lupus. However, isn't it wonderful that it can be treated! I think of myself as a "recovering obesiac." Not a medical term, I know! But it helps me keep things in perspective. It's easy to get discouraged. When I realize this is a disease process that I am fighting it helps me stay motivated.

Since you have the documentation, hopefully it will be smoothe. There are lots of people that have to appeal and are successful doing so. As far as the doctor's office goes, I would suggest meeting with the office manager to share your concerns. Also, I would suggest writing a letter to the insurance company detailing your weight loss efforts and attaching the documentation anyway! That way you can be sure they have the information and gives you some leverage. Good Luck

@crissylynn82 Hang in there! What you are feeling is absolutely normal. I have been a nurse for 33 years. Many people just don't realize how much being ill or having a complication takes out of the body and the emotional toll it can take. @@Catcutie gave excellent advice. Move as much as you can, keep sipping liquids, and focus on recovering. You can do this!

@@bacon Lots of great suggestions on this thread. I want to applaud you for putting the breaks on your eating now and not at 50 or 100 pounds more. You can do this! Research the doctors in your area and make an appointment. It makes sense to be concerned after your bad experiences. However, this sounds like something that can be managed with a supportive doctor. Good Luck!

234 Woohoo. Down 14 pounds this challenge. Hope to make it 15 by next week!

Felt almost normal after 2 weeks and completely back to normal when I started on solids at 4 weeks. I'm 2 1/2 months out and don't even feel like I had surgery. If I didn't get full so quickly and have those little scars on my abdomen, I would think it just a dream!

I had the sleeve done 2 1/2 months ago. It was by far the easiest surgery I have ever had. There is always a surgical risk, however, it is very low and keeping a high BMI has lots of risk too! If you really want to have this surgery, don't let fear stop you. You may also want to do some "soul searching" to decide if this really is for you and the reasons you want to have it done. I am very happy to be on this side of the surgery and down 64lbs. It has been worth it! Good Luck!

@@missymac I am sorry you have had so many complications. Please CALL your doctor. I cannot imagine that anyone would want to even think about giving you advice as you have had such a hard time and are still recovering. I know I wouldn't want to offer bad advice that might set you back. Hope everything turns out alright!

Everyone knows how hard it is to lose weight so when i get questioned- and I am starting to get questioned a lot now, I take it as a compliment regarding my hard work! I remember when my mother turned 80 she would say to people, "I just turned 80, don't I look great for my age?!" It always made me laugh and gave me the desire to enjoy my achievements, whether it be losing 60 pounds or running a marathon, or hopefully one day turning 80!

I agree with everyone that you have to make the final decision. Honestly, I think the sleeve is a better option. But don't take my word for it-- research, talk to people who have had the surgeries and then make the best decision for you. good Luck!

@@portuguesegal10 Give your dad some time to come around. In the meantime, learn all you can and start implementing the strategies you will learn about food choices, activity, etc. Good Luck!

@@LipstickLady Sorry- Didn't mean to be unclear. I do believe care should be individualized. When I said they were not individualized I was talking about the standard post-op diet where everyone in the practice is given the same instructions (unless there are other factors). I'm not against this and it certainly worked for me, however, it may not work as well for someone else. I don't think plans should be so rigid that someone who will be truly miserable should have to be. My NUT could have told me to "suck it up" on Thanksgiving Day, and I would have followed those instructions, but it would have messed with my head and really started me out on the wrong foot. Instead, knowing that purees are commonly started sooner she told me I could go ahead and puree the turkey, which I did. I think empathy and working with people is really important. If there truly is no other options that is one thing (for example- having nothing to eat or drink before surgery). But if there are other options, I think the health care team should be responsive and work with the person.

@@LipstickLady I wish i did see more individualized care, but frankly, I don't. My practice has a manual that applies to everybody. If you look online, you can see lots of manuals from different practices. I am sure for people with unique needs there is some discussion, but that is a guess. Manuals are great, but certainly not individualized. As I recall the original poster was miserable and gagging from what was on the "approved" list. This is not beneficial for healing and really should be addressed. I think there is a time and place for "sucking it up," like avoiding the pre surgery pig out, for example! Or making good choices, or getting the Fluid in. We can certainly disagree, which is rather unusual as I typically agree with your posts, but I just don't think being miserable and gagging shortly after surgery is one of those "suck it up" situations.

@mclorrie I was a huge coffee drinker. My husband and I would experiment with different Beans and then grind our own and cook in an old fashioned perk pot. Getting rid of the caffeine was a major undertaking-- I started really slowly- one scoop of decaf beans and the rest not for several days and slowly progressed. It took me a full month and I am so glad I did it that way. I never got a caffeine headache and never felt exhausted. I would also recommend that once you get to decaf you try the Sumatra decaf by Starbucks is pretty good and for the Keurig, the Dark Magic, dark roast decaf is also good if you like a stronger blend. I have also found other brands not too bad if I add an extra scoop of coffee. If you like very mellow coffee, than please ignore the advice above

I'm not sure why people feel they cannot negotiate with their surgeons and must follow plans exactly. I also picked my surgeon because he was highly rated in my area. However, that doesn't mean I can't research, ask questions, and change something that doesn't work for me. I am NOT advocating reckless behavior at all. I am advocating individualized care. Medical care is supposed to be individualized. If I have a problem with something than I should discuss it with my care team and they should help me out. If there really is nothing they can do, than a full explanation and support is in order. @ LipstickLady I'm glad his comment did not upset you. Good thing we all have different personalities!

I'm sorry this happened to you. The sleeve surgery recovery was not bad at all and you can certainly do this!