blashlee

You should not be alone after surgery. If you're on pain medications you may have a difficult time getting up and around on your own, and you won't be able to drive while on medications. If someone is willing to come and help take care of you when you get home, you should let them. My mom is coming to stay with me the week after surgery, and i live with my boyfriend but he's at school during the day and we live on the second floor. I dunno about you but pain medication makes me dizzy, the last time I had to be on it, I got up from bed too go pee and took a tumble in the hallway. You definitely won't want to be alone in the event something like that happens. Good luck!

Take measurements instead of relying on your weight on the scale. When you exercise, you build muscle, and your body holds onto Water to stay hydrated while you're exercising (do your fingers swell during a good walk?). When you replace fat with muscle, you won't see a big decrease on the scale because muscle weighs more than 5. The good news is, while it weighs more, it takes up less room on the body. So your measurements are likely still moving even if your weight isnt.

I have the app. I've never finished it but i want to!

As the days go by and I get closer to my actual surgery date, I have let a few more people know what's up, only so that if I'm not as social as what they're used to, they don't think anything is wrong with me or that I'm avoiding them. And also so people can lift me up in prayer and positive thoughts while i'm recovering. I also think it would be good for my own safety; if something happens to me while I'm out with friends, it's important they know I've recently undergone major surgery. I know a lot of people, but I'm not close to a lot of people. I don't let every acquaintance become a friend and know my personal business. It isn't something I would announce on social media for everybody to know. If I run into someone and they say "Hey you lost weight!" I'll simply say "Yeah, I did thanks for noticing." If they are curious and want to know what I've been up to, I don't want to feel like I can't share my truth. And as I look in other topics on the forums, I notice people are struggling with how to tell someone they've had WLS or how to respond when confronted with "Oh you took the easy way out." There are so many misconceptions about WLS, I think I might want to advocate for people being a little more educated on it. I'm typically an open book. I don't make announcements, but I also don't provide coverups. I think I'll just take it as a case by case basis. Somebody's boyfriend's sister doesn't need to know, but i think people i will be spending time with should probably know, if for no other reason than for my own comfort and safety and so I will have some support. And if somebody doesn't support it, that's just their problem because by then it'll be a done deal. And that'll be one less person I have to worry about.

I start mine on 03/23 and my surgery is 4/6. I too hope it flies by, I'm so not looking forward to it. I'm constantly surrounded by food LOL

Just FYI once you can have meat, Chick-Fil-A has naked nuggets. They're not nreaded and not fried. Just in case you pass Chick-Fil-A and cant help yourself Hope your healing continues to go pretty well!

@@Maddie1 Depends on what you eat. Foods that are high in sugar and fat are what usually cause dumping, but every body is different. The rule of thumb in my post-op instructions is not to try anything new outside of the comforts of your home. So basically anything you wanna try to reintroduce to your system post op, do it at home. Because if you get sick, you'd rather get sick at home than in public or at someone else's home, right? Many people still go out to eat, they just eat substantially less than what they normally would have pre-op.

I went to Road Runner and let them analyze my feet and my stride before buying shoes. I bought some New Balances, they didn't work out. I got custome insoles and put them in a pair of Asics I already had, a DREAM.

I understand where you're coming from with this, but it does belittle how hard it actually is. People have misconceptions about WLS being as simple as "oh they staple your stomach so you dont eat as much, that's not as hard as working out and eating right." when actually it totally is but harder, because even the foods that are healthy for you may not agree with you.

@cheryl2586 Because I also drink my Protein shakes for Breakfast, so that would mean having to wait 6 hours to do that as well. I don't just drink it when I work out, I kind of start and finish my day with it.

Has anyone found or can anyone recommend a Protein powder or drink that is calcium-free or very very low in Calcium? I work out mostly in the evening and drink a shake or Protein Drink after, but I also take my Iron at night and I was advised by my dr to find a protein that is calcium-free or incredibly low in calcium, as calcium affects iron absorption. I can't mix calcium and iron within 6 hours of each other, which is nearly impossible if I'm having Protein shakes (that have calcium) 3-4x a day. Thanks in advance!

@@Ms. Reid, You dont have to switch jobs or make up any excuses for when people have questions. "I'm eating less and moving more, thanks for noticing." If you're not comfortable telling people you've had surgery, then that's that. It's not their business to know and you shouldn't be made to feel uncomfortable. As I get closer to my actual surgery date, the few people I have told have been absolutely supportive and those are the people whose voices matter. People I work with and random friends of friends I encounter as the days wear on, those people's opinons and thoughts don't mean anything to me.

@Stevehud Could be different; i'm doing bypass and you had the sleeve, the absorbption is different I guess.

I love Cellucor Protein powders. They mix well, they're low calorie, high protein, and low in carbs and sugar. These whey protein powders are designed for athletes who are looking to lose or maintain weight while gaining or maintaining lean muscle. They use very clean ingredients. They're really well priced. They dont have that funky protein aftertaste you get from a lot of powdered Proteins. And they have like 8 different flavors, you're almost guaranteed to find something you like. But i agree with the fact that everybody's preferences and tastes are different. I don't like chocolate protein, while some people think chocolate is the best thing ever. I prefer the more "unique" flavors such as Red Velvet Cake Batter and Peanut Butter Marshmallow.

I'm 27 and pre-op. I'm having gastric bypass on 4/6/15. I have all the same concerns you are, but I'm beginning to weigh the potential positives over the potential negatives. Your first year will be difficult. You're going to have to relearn how to eat and drink and maintain your new lifestyle of Protein, Vitamins, exercise etc. My doctor's post op instructions ban alcohol for a year. Others have had alcohol within their first year. Every body is different, but my doctor boasts a low number of patients with post op complications and problems if they adhere to her instructions. The things I worry most about are being isolated from my friends. They love to eat, and they're not against an all day Mimosa Sunday Funday. Then I think about what I was doing that caused me to gain so much weight. The bulk of my weight was gained after I turned 20. I had a boyfriend who worked in fast food/nightlife industry. Then I turned 21. I went out to drink a lot. After drinking, we ate greasy food to end the night. The next day you eat shitty food to nurse your hangover. It was cyclical. I attribute a lot of my problems with food to the social aspect of it. We eat to Celebrate, we eat to catch up, we drink to destress from the work week etc. I won't be able to do that anymore. Food for me has to be nutrition only; not to celebrate, not to cope, not for boredom. You'll have to learn to eat to live, not live to eat. And it's going to be really hard. And if your friends are your age and not dealing with the same struggles you are, it's going to be harder because they aren't going to be able to offer the type of support you'll need. I agree with @@Djmohr, you need to express all of your concerns to a therapist or psychologist. And you should find a support group for WLS patients and see if you can't find a WLS buddy or mentor, especially to get you through the first year. Good luck with whatever you decide <3

I'm the queen of sass and snark. I'm honestly waiting for the day someone tries to step to me and tell me what I'm about to do in about a month from now (gastric bypass) is easy or asks me why I did it. And I hope they do it on a day that I don't feel well or am already struggling so I can give them a full blown response. And I hope it makes them wish they never ran into me in the break room. Or regret that they ever learned to express an unwanted opinion again. Ever. I almost hope it's strong enough to get me warned by a supervisor. Cuz then maybe word will get out that I'm not someone to be bothered or quizzed. :-D but still just as sweet as Splenda, I promise.

I like Cellucor whey, I've tried the Cor-Fetti and Red Velvet Cake Batter flavors. Cor-Fetti is really sweet and rich, the Red Velvet is much better IMO. Still sweet and chocolatey but not overpowering. I also like Quest Strawberries & Cream and Vanilla Milkshake flavors. They have casein and whey proteins so they're a bit thicker in texture. I make all of my Proteins with Water, never milk. The quest ones I blend with ice, the others I blend or shake and pour over ice.

Review of what I got.. Multivitamin Chewables in Pineapple-strawberry Mandarin Orange, Grape<--These were all good but Pineapple-Strawberry won for me. Calcet Creamy Bites in Lemon<---incredible. Cheaper to order from drugstore.com so I will order from there. Calcium Plus 500 chewables in Cherry Tart and Berries & Cream<---These are huge and hard, definitely won't be able to try for a while post op, I'll stick to chewy calcium. Vitamin D3 500 IU in Orange<---texture and taste was fine but not enough IUs for what my doctor wants me to take. calcium citrate Chews in chocolate and Berry<---both were good but the Calcet Lemon are still the best. Multivitamin Soft Chews in Orange and Very Berry<---GROSS. Tasted like plastic. They didn't chew down very well, I had to spit them out. Multi-Complete in Forest Berry and Orange<--Orange was better but both were good. Similar texture to Flintstone Vitamins. Melt pretty well and go down easy. Iron+C 60mg Berry, 18mg tangerine, 30mg grape<---Grape was the best, tangerine was also good but not enough for what my doctor wants me to take. Celebrate ENS drinkable multivitamin + calcium in Cranberry Grape<---Ew. and ENS Protein in Chocolate<---Too many carbs, didn't try I also saw that I got the sublingual B12 in Cherry Tart, it was disgusting I chewed it up and choked it down with Water. So far I plan to order the Pineapple-Strawberry multi, Calcet Lemon Creamy Bites, the Grape flavored Iron (30MG), I found liquid B complex and a better tasting sublingual B12 from Vitamin Shoppe.

My surgeon told me she would have even accepted a simple note on a prescription pad. And then it turned out my insurance didn't even require it. The PA should be able to do it, but if not just ask if another physician at your doctor's office or within your group can see you. That's what I did, they also tried to make me wait a month to see my doctor so I saw an associate within her medical group instead. Good luck

^Yup! They will still take them back. They can look up your transaction with your Costo membership #. Don't lose more than half what you paid! PS the strawberry flavor is the best, chocolate is very bland. vanilla is just meh vanilla.

90 days really isn't that long, and even if you self pay no respectable surgeon is going to operate on you without requiring at least 60-90 days of preparation (dieting, nutrition classes, EKG, lab work etc). I started seeing my doctor in January and I'll be having surgery in April. Even if I could self-pay, I would be going through all the same steps, a lot of them aren't just for insurance purposes. A good surgeon wants to make sure you're completely healthy (mind and body) to undergo the surgery because it is truly life changing. Save your money; instead of self-paying, see what happens with your insurance. You might need that money to replace your clothes and shoes as you shrink

If you bought them from costco you can absolutely return them, even if you opened them. If I lived near you I would take them off your hands; sadly I'm all the way on the West Coast.

I have the Charge HR; I've had it for about a week and so far I really love it. I wore my Polar HR monitor to see how accurate the HR was on the fitbit and it was never off by more than 2 BPM. Only thing is it says the battery life is 5 days but I think it's more like 3.

@@leag78 it happens. I have a friend that is a big eater. Anytime I've always been on a diet, she's happy to sabotage it or invite me out for foods that are less than acceptable while dieting. She recently had a stroke and is disabled. Now if we wanna hang out it has to be something where we can sit down since walking has become so difficult for her. Naturally that means going to movies or sitting down to eat. As if it wasn't hard enough to get her to wanna do something other than eating. I love her to death and she's one of my dearest friends but her eating habits and mine don't line up anymore. When I tell her about my having surgery, she's gonna have to be on board or be prepared not to see as much of me because now my nutrition isn't just about my weight, it's my whole life.

Saw this on Buzzfeed today....not sure I agree. http://www.buzzfeed.com/joeloliphint/the-invention-that-could-end-obesity?bffb&utm_term=4ldqpgp#4ldqpgp