BLERDgirl

@@swmann12 - It comes and goes. I've had days of no appetite and days of intermittent hunger. By week one I was completely over protein shakes. It's important to stick with your program. It's good discipline as you are trying to learn and develop new eating habits. It's also important that you get the proper nutrients and fluids your body needs.

@@Big_Mama - Jeez! It's not like you won't be able to ever eat pork again. It's just that when you do, you'll eat a sensible portion and be completely satisfied with it.

Nope no a bit. No pain, no gas, no constipation, no nausea, no vomiting, no crying jags or mood swings. Everything I have had to eat or drink has been tolerated no problem. I resumed Water aerobics at 3 weeks po-op.

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Tell her normal people also eat nutritious food like lean Proteins and green leafy vegetable. Make her aware that food like cinnamon rolls and chocolate pies will sabotage your effects to change your eating and if she doesn't think she abstain from offering you things not on your new food plan that it might be best if your recuperate elsewhere. if you don't think this will be a safe place to be post op, don't go. You don't want your surgery to be in vain. Self care is important.

@ - You're preparing your body for surgery. You want to be in the healthiest state you can. Sodas have no nutritional value. Regular sodas are pure sugar, diet sodas are full of artificial sweeteners that create can contribute to the need for sweets like drugs to an addict. Most people who drink sodas are addicted to them. They reach for a sodas before Water or anything else nutritional. You need to break that habit. It's best to do it pre-op. Sodas are also full of sodium and can contribute to hypertension.

@@Big_Mama - Sorry you experienced that, Nice to see you handed it with class. It sounds like your friends fears got the better of her and she chickened out. Her insult sounds like fear talking. Her loss, not yours.

You can try for chewables or you can pick up a pill crusher at the drug store.

I ended up sipping all day. I was on full liquids. I started my day with 4-6 ounces of Water up waking. An hour later I did a Protein drink. I used CVS whey 26 gms of protein. I blended it with ½ a cup of plain, greek yogurt. That added another 12 gms of protein. I thinned it out by adding ¼cup of water and serving it over ice. It took an hour to sip but I'd started my day with 38 gms of protein and at least 8 ounces of water. My nutritionist does count fluids instead of water, but she stressed the need to get in both. However since I started the day off strong, I could coast the rest of the day. I always had my water bottle nearby and when ever I wasn't trying to get in protein I was sipping water. For lunch I might have a cup of hot tea with prosource no carb Liquid Protein. Those packets are 15gms of protein. So now it's lunch and I've gotten in 54 gms of protein. dinner I can take my pick. I usually need a break from the sweet. ¼ cup of black Beans in the nutra bullet. I strain out the skins, add 4 ounces of vegetable broth and heat it up. That's another 10gms of protein making my daily total 64gms of protein. All I have to focus on is sipping water for the rest of the evening. If water isn't your thing, try diluted clear juices, or gatorade. Water will help you have a BM. As will walking around. If you still haven't gone you can try a stool softener like colace, or mix ins like Miralax or benefiber. Some people drink a bit of prune juice, other use teas like sooth move.

Make sure you are walking/moving about. Even doing a few hand raises will help. Make sure you are taking your antacid. If the pain persists or worsens, call your doctor for further instructions.

Don't borrow trouble. If you are denied, you'll appeal. For now just stay positive and focused on moving forward.

They offered me morphine and I turned it down. Simply did not need it. They also wrote me a script for dilaudid when I was discharged and I never got it filled. It just goes to show that not everyone has horrible pain. Just keep a positive attitude and you will be fine.

@@nowornever1952 - Not sure I qualify but I am 51. As I've said repeatedly this was a cake walk.

I've heard some posters were sent home with girdle like contraptions, however I wasn't sent home with one. Since my pain was pretty much nonexistent it wasn't really an issue. Honestly it wasn't any worse than the after effects of a vigorous workout at the gym.

You know what feeds your hair? Protein. It's not only a matter of eating, it's eating the right things. If you have to set an alarm to eat, then you should do just that. I was just the opposite. I wasn't an over-eater, I was a disordered eater. I could get up in the morning grab a cup of coffee and go. Then not eat all day until 8, 9 at night. Yes, I literally could forget to eat. You know what? Doesn't work Body goes into starvation mode and holds every single calorie. Even on a fat, morbidly obese body. To @Youngshi - Yes the surgery suppresses the appetite. Combined with Protein shakes that are definitely not everyone's cup of tea, food may not be as enjoyable as it once was, but part of the purpose of WLS is to learn new ways of eating and new ways to enjoy what food you can eat. lunch meat isn't adequate nutrition. It's full of additives, nitrates and very little protein for the buck. How about fresh turkey breast instead? Do you like Soups? Try adding a bit of cubed turkey to your favorite Soup. If Protein drinks aren't your thing then you need to dig deep and find high protein foods that you do like. You don't have to love them at this point, but you need to find things that give your the nutrients your body needs. Protein feeds you hair, your skin and your muscles. You say don't want to be bald? Better figure out how to get that protein in. The other thing is that sauna suit? Waste of money. It makes you sweat so you are losing what little fluids you take in. Any weight loss you think you see with it is replaced the minute to take a drink. However you also run the risk of dehydrating yourself. Walking is good. Walking wearing a sauna suit is asking for trouble. I've gone through periods where I had no appetite or interest in food. I just planned my 3 meals a day and made sure I got my fluids in. I didn't make any fancy meals I just made sure I got my protein in. I am happy to be in control of my eating in this way. I want to develop sensible eating habits for the rest of my life. If I have to go through the motions until it becomes habit, then so be it.

Most people if they are lucky have fluids absorbed by the body. In some cases the body doesn't and as a result people develop abscesses. The drain shouldn't hurt upon removal, mine didn't. I just knew that since I had experience an abscess with my previous surgery it was the right decision for me. Obviously my medical team felt I had responded well enough that they were okay with removing it at discharge so it's likely it was the best decision for me.

Nope. I had a drain and was up and walking in recovery. In fact I had very little pain. I didn't use any pain meds once I came too in recovery. I simply did not hurt. I think every surgeon tries to remove all the CO2. I had no gas pains. Not single one. I did need any narcotics for pain or nausea.

Just a word of caution. You should NEVER use alcohol on open wounds. Yes it will kill germs, and therefore it is used in certain cleaners and hand sanitizers. However, rubbing alcohol is also a drying agent and should never be used on open wounds. Nothing delays healing like parching the membranes of newly exposed skin. You may be killing germs, but you will also be causing a lot of unnecessary pain and delaying the healing process. Ditto for hydrogen peroxide. That's why your doctor instructed plain soap and water. All you really need to do is keep the wounds clean and let nature run it's course.

Surprised this thread is still going strong. Let em just state once again, ZERO Problems. No gas, no nausea, no vomiting, no constipation. I have been able to eat and drinking with no issues since day 1. No depression or crying jags. I wasn't scared because I had a wonderful medical team to support me. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

I haven't experienced any mood swings or crying . I wonder if the fact that I did that when I went through menopause made a difference.

Be careful with that sauna suit. It doesn't burn fat & can cause you to get dehydrated. I know the limited diet gets boring but you have to make sure you are getting your Protein & fluids in even if you aren't that interested in food. Not doing so may not only hinder your weight loss but could also cause deficiencies that can result in hair loss and other damage.

You just had major surgery. Guess what? You're doctor or whatever resident is on call gets paid to be disturbed on New Year's. If something doesn't feel right, call them!

Enter stall in the search box. It's normal. As long as you are getting in your protein & fluids and exercising you just have to ride it out.

I was fortunate. I felt okay the moment I woke up. My abs were a little sore but it was manageable without narcotics. I have notice that most people start to feel better within the first 2 weeks, some even sooner.

Are you on stool softeners, antacids? Have you had a BM yet? Are you walking around? It may be built up gas or acid and not a leak. It just hard to tell the difference early on. That said it's better to be safe than sorry give the doctor a call and see what he says.