samuelsmom

It will feel so much better when you are on the Loser's Bench! Hang in there. I was ready to walk out of the hospital several times before going in to surgery. Glad I didn't! You can get through this. Good Luck!

I can't believe this challenge is almost over! Weight is 224 for Monday, March 30th. Still 2 pounds from my challenge goal. Hope I make it!

Definitely stick with the small sips. I also used a 1 ounce medicine cup which was great. I kept a count of how many cups I drank in the early days so I always knew exactly where I was. The tiny cup is less intimidating and for me, made it much easier to get my totals up. JamieLogical has a great goal listed- try for an ounce every 15 minutes. Good luck to you.

There's no Cereal that I like that much, however I have had pancakes made with extra Protein. I can eat one with a little butter and I like the low sugar strawberry preserves from Smuckers. Doesn't affect the weight loss that I can tell. However, this is a very once in a while thing. I am 4 months out and have had a pancake 3 times.

@@addygirl I applaud your desire and interest in proactively improving your health. However, in my opinion, surgery is not necessary to do this. I would recommend forgetting about dieting. Yes, I said it! FORGET about dieting! Instead, use all of the information you have available and adopt or continue with a very healthy eating and lifestyle. Best of luck to you.

@@sunflowerchild Is it in the refrigerated milk section?

@@heynowkc My favorite shake recipe is 1/2 glass skim milk, 1 container of greek yogurt (usually about 5 oz) any flavor, 1/2 cup coconut milk, and 1/2 cup fresh berries. If I need more Protein I toss in a scoop of Protein Powder. The taste is wonderful and it has about 200 calories depending on what brands you use. Protein is about 16 Gm without the powder.

Wow! What a difference. Thanks so much for posting this. I have a similar shape and have been feeling the same way. @@BLERDgirl is right- it's a mental thing. Congratulations!

Considering I'm past 50 that wasn't necessary! Lol.

1. What was it like waking up? Did you feel pain or nausea right away, or feel confused? No post-op pain or nausea. A lot of gas pain 2. Did you go right to your room or were you in a post operative room at first? Usually everyone goes to the recovery room though you may not remember it. I didn't become aware until right before they took me to my room 3. How long did you wait before you walked? 4 hours 4. Did you have a pain pump or how did you take pain medication or anti-nausea meds? Pain pump until the morning after surgery and then by mouth. 5.How long until you took your home meds? Did you crush them or take them whole? Not on any meds though make sure you ask the surgeon BEFORE you go home. Good luck with your procedure!

I found out when I heard the Recovery room nurse giving report that I also had a hernia repaired. Except for gas pain, which I had to seriously walk off, I had a very easy recovery and practically no pain. Good Luck to you.

Now before folks get crazy, here is my disclaimer: The following post is my opinion and not meant to be medical advice! Ok then... I am one of those who hate to take any kind of medication. My lab work was also absolutely normal pre-op. For one month after surgery I took Vitamins as directed: children's chewable twice a day, Calcium with D twice a day, and B12 twice a day three times per week. After the first month my diet had increased so I cut it down to once a day for the Vitamin and the Calcium/D and once 3x a week for the B12. My 4 month labs were excellent and I am continuing on the vitamin and the Calcium/D daily. My B12 was a high normal so I am cutting back slightly on that. My daily total is 2 pills/ 3 on the days I take the B12. So, IMO, people should take vitamins that they need and there should be a clear rationale why something is necessary. There seems to be a misconception that if one vitamin is good, more are better and that is not true.

My doctor did not even do a Type and Screen as blood loss is uncommon for the sleeve. It CAN happen, but rarely does. So that's a good thing. About the pain- you will find a lot of different stories as pain is quite individualized for this procedure. Most people get gas pain-- the most important thing you can do is walk to clear that. The narcotics will make it worse. Post-op pain is usually treated the first day with an IV pump which you control. After that it is a liquid by mouth. My story: I woke up crying aloud in the recovery room. If I didn't know better, I would have thought I was having a heart attack as I had this incredible pain circling my entire chest. Some part of me recognized it was gas pain. When they got me to my room, the nurse set me up in a recliner and I started to feel better. I had practically no post-op pain and took a few doses of the IV pain medicine just to sleep! Walking relieved the rest of the gas pain and I was fortunate to have an uncomplicated recovery. Good Luck!

When was your surgery? You should have been given clear instructions before discharge.

@@beachgurl84 Nevertheless, I will be nice and polite. No one got here by making good choices. We all have a history of failures. The beautiful thing about the sleeve is that you can take this and start over today. The restriction is still there and you obviously are committed. Keep working towards your goals. You can do this!

Every doctor group is different. Mine required 1 week of liquids for everyone and 2 weeks for people with conditions indicating a fatty liver problem. The most current research that I am aware of indicates that 2 weeks of liquid is just as effective as a longer period for shrinking the liver. For those who don't know me- I am a nurse who believes in safe, individualized care, based on evidence. Armed with this knowledge, I stuck to my one week diet without a problem. There is evidence that the diet will shrink the liver. It is a fact that a larger liver will impede surgery, and may result in an open procedure or other problems. Knowing the facts makes it a foolish choice to disregard pre-op instructions. Since there are some people pre-op here, let me also throw out some information regarding the immediate post-op period. The big dangers after surgery are infection, bleeding, pneumonia, and blood clots. You can't do much about the first 2 but you can DO a lot to prevent pneumonia and blood clots. USE the incentive spirometer they will give you every hour while you are awake and walk as much as you possibly can. These 2 actions can speed up your recovery and possibly save your life. So do it! Oh, and walking helps clear up gas pain

Thank you for those images. They are powerful. I am going to try to visualize that when there is a post from someone who is having a hard time and I am responding.

I agree with @@alwaysvegas that you should contact the company directly. That being said, it is my understanding that insurance companies are obligated to follow the laws of the states in which they do business. Each state has some type of insurance commission. The one for VA is at http://www.scc.virginia.gov/boi/.

I try to govern my speech by keeping my reader in mind. I have no idea how the person who is reading this feels or in what state of mind they are in. Do I really want my words to hurt someone or come across as bullying? This is not a "free speech" issue in my mind. IMO this is a kindness and sensitivity issue. You can be honest and forthright without being unkind. I have also found that people usually respond more positively and respect people who are kind to them.

When I was on the pre-op weight loss plan I took a day off each week though I didn't go crazy with it. Commonly I would have pizza on my "day off." I told the dietitian about it and she was fine with it. In my 3 month pre-op plan I lost 22 pounds so clearly, I did not go "crazy." I also eat pizza now. Why? Because I am not on a diet. I am working to be healthy. There is nothing wrong with pizza in small quantities- so every now and then I enjoy a small piece, and that's ok. I also believe that I can eat anything I want--- I choose to eat high quality food because I want to not because I have to! I think this is one of those things that is highly dependent on personality type. Some people appreciate a very specific plan with certain foods that are allowed and others that are not. For me, this just doesn't work.

Glad you have the pre-reqs behind you. Keep up the good work-- the more successful you are pre-op the less you have to lose post-op!

You are only in your 2nd month so there is plenty of time to turn this around. Besides insurance, the surgeon and perhaps the dietitian also have to clear you for surgery. If you do not lose anything or continue to gain, you may not be cleared because you are not demonstrating the ability to follow a program. Don't mean to go for the gloom and doom here, just trying to be realistic. I would suggest that you start tracking what you are eating and bring that with you to your next dietitian visit. He or she can help you evaluate where you need help and start putting good habits into place. Also, while it is great that you have identified some of the causes of your stress, it is important to realize that stress does not go away after surgery. Following a pre-op program is not about losing weight, it's about starting to develop good habits that will help you be successful post-op. Fortunately, when we work on good habits, we lose weight too! Good Luck on this journey!

What a great thread! Thanks for starting it @LipstickLady. What's special about me? Maybe because I am the youngest child of 5, but I can get along with just about anyone. This has served me well! In my last job I worked for a state agency and beat out about 10 people to get the job. After being there a few years, I asked the supervisor what made her pick me. I thought maybe it was my obvious expertise, but no, she said that everyone agreed I would be the best to get along with! Turns out the last hire had been a disaster and couldn't get along with anyone. I now work for the federal government and believe me, this skill continues to come in very handy

@@Susan11803 Hate when that happens. It astounds me that after this surgery I can still eat too much! Hang in there. You will get through it! Weight for Monday 3/23: 226