Daisee68

@@Elode - I am so excited for you!! Can't wait to follow you through the journey! I went on Dr. Peter Fisher's website the other day (I think it was after @@NewSetOfCurves posted something about him. I haven't stopped thinking about it since and how I can get away with going to San Antonio for my plastics. Since I am in Dallas, I think I can pull that off - only 4-5 hours away by car.) ANYWAY, he has a downloadable "book" or instructions on his site that I found really informative. I know you aren't looking to go to him, but the info might be of use. I saved it to my computer so I could go back and reference it later. Good luck!!

@@Briardlady - For what it's worth, that drove me nuts at first to not have it completely accurate but now I have finally settled on doing the best I can. So for example, I wouldn't specify McDonalds bacon. I would just type in bacon and estimate the amount. Same with shrimp. I like when I get it more accurate but the perfection of it was paralyzing me and it was better (for me) if I just made my best guess when I couldn't do it exact and went with that. It has worked for me. Having said that, it appears you have lost a considerable amount of weight and are almost at goal, so whatever you are doing is working!

Same thing happening to me. Men appear to be afraid to say anything - especially older men. Don't take it personally.

Yay! Great NSV! Congrats!

Have you made the Ricotta Bake yet? It is really good. I ate a lot of refried Beans with cheese melted on top. That was pretty much my go to. Other than that, I ate mashed up avocado; 1/2 container of greek yogurt with 1/2 scoop of vanilla Protein powder; sugar free chocolate pudding snack with 1/2 scoop of chocolate Protein powder mixed in; hummus (just with a spoon); pimiento cheese (a Southern thing if you have never heard of it - also was able to mix in a little unflavored protein powder). I don't necessarily have any recipes for you (other than referring you to the Ricotta Bake). I just ate a lot of things that I put together on my plate that I could tolerate.

Check out swimsuitsforall.com. They have all sizes and have a lot of those cute high-waist retro type bottoms. Plus you can buy them as seperates which is great. I am able to buy a couple of bottoms in black and brown or navy and then buy all kinds of tops that match then you can have different suits.

I did have nausea that got worse in week 3. Have you talked to your surgeon? It seems it could be a little too early for a stricture but I suppose it is possible. Has your dr prescribed Zofran (anti-nausea med)? And/or dehydration can cause that. IV fluids should keep that at bay but maybe that is how it started? I hate to tell you this but I struggled with nausea for the first 6 months. I took a LOT Of Zofran, but it got me through and I am much better now. Hang in there but don't be afraid to call surgeon!

I was going to say the same after thyroid. I did have hot flashes and I actually had a hysterectomy a few years ago and am on replacement hormone so it wasn't that! It could be your thyroid but likely not this quickly (unless you had thyroid issues before surgery). The most likely culprit is the pain med (if you are still taking it). I find that it can cause that for me.

Here's a tip I got - don't eat for more than 30 minutes. I am nearly 8 months out and cannot eat 3 oz chicken at one sitting. You can eat again in a few hours but if you just keep eating, your stomach is emptying and you keep filling it. You don't want that. Good job on the Powerade Zero. It takes time to get used to all this. That is why they tell you to sip slowly all day.

Yes. What @@2goldengirl said. Promise you will feel restriction once you start solid foods. The nerves in your stomach are healing so you won't get the same feelings of restriction right now. And remember, just because you are physically able to eat it, doesn't mean you should. Keep your portions small. Try 1/2 container of yogurt with 1/2 scoop of vanilla Protein powder. It will help with protein and should fill you up a little more. Follow your doctors plan to a T!

@@kk100 - I am so sorry you are in pain. I am very glad you went to the ER. I don't recall really having pain with my stricture, just the inability to keep food and liquid down. I hope they are doing a CT scan to see what is going on. Maybe it is gallbladder? Whatever it is, I hope they can figure it out and help you. Check back in and let me know how you are doing.

@@kk100 - they do an endoscopy (EGD) and use a very small balloon on the end of the scope and inflate the balloon which stretches out the stricture and allows space for food to move through. I had 2 done approx. 1 week apart. (My stricture was very tight and they were afraid to do it all in one go.) I was asleep maybe 10 minutes each time and was able to eat immediately afterwards. It was such a relief! Easy peasy!

OK, so my NUT told me last week I could start increasing calories to 900-1000 calories and I have a question. (I am 7 1/2 months post-op. I had been averaging closer to 800 calories and still wasn't going hungry.) My problem is I should be eating more in the morning but especially since I have been off work, I don’t get moving as quick and get in early food some days. So for example today, I just had a Premier Protein shake for Breakfast but not a morning snack because I had an early lunch but didn’t eat a big lunch. I wasn’t really hungry for dinner (I am still not getting feelings of hunger really), but I did eat – turkey, avocado, cucumber and cheese. I was only at 738 calories for the day – 73g protein, 35g carbs, 36g fat. I wasn’t full so I had a Fiber One bar which increased my calories to 828 calories – 74g protein, 53g carb, 39g fat. I am satisfied. (It is 8:24 pm). So my question is – is it better to stop at this point OR would it be preferable to wait an hour and then have a Protein Shake or Protein Bar? I am not necessarily talking about tonight, but this is just an example. I have gone up to 1000 calories some days (generally by getting in an extra shake or protein bar), so this is probably a little more unusual day. I am trying to understand if it is more important to get in more calories or more important to try to listen to whether I am “hungry” or not? Does that make sense? I have emailed my NUT but just wanted to get some of your thoughts. Thank you as always!

Hmm. No I did not nor did my instructions say anything about it. My incisions were nowhere NEAR my lady bits. Honestly I didn't even shave when I had my hysterectomy (also laproscopically) and there were no mentions then either. I suppose if my paperwork said something about it, I would go ahead and do it myself but I would also ask at pre-op first.

You have done really well especially considering the stress you have been through! Well done! I have only had gastric bypass so maybe my thoughts don't fully apply, but as I understand it, the sleeve has been done many times as a first step on folks with a high weight for whom the full bypass would have been dangerous. So maybe now gastric bypass is really just the next step you are looking for. I would certainly meet with a surgeon (original surgeon if you can and if you liked them) and get their thoughts. Don't be afraid to reach out for that help and congrats to you for wanting to keep moving on!

Yep. Cooked weight is what I have always heard.

My favorite is Premier Protein ready to drink shakes. Low carb, low fat and high protein (30g). For powders I use Precision Engineered whey Protein Isolate. They are really good! If you have a Vitamin Shoppe near you, they sell samples. Or BariatricPantry.com has lots of samples. Try some of those before you commit to a large tub and know that your taste could change post-op (though mine didn't). I am almost 8 months post-op and still drink 1 Premier Protein shake per day. Oh and try some sugar free syrups from Torani or DaVinci to add to the shakes. My favorite is Salted Caramel. There are loads of flavors. These really help.

I love the salted caramel one

I am SO glad you are having that experience!! So many don't and they hesitate to tell their co-workers. I too had a wonderful experience with them! (Unfortunately I got laid off 12/31, so no more... ) But I felt so so blessed to have such an amazing experience.

Dr Nick was on Good Morning Texas this morning. He seemed like such a nice encouraging guy. I bet he has great bedside manner. (I already know a few people in the medical field who know him as a surgeon and all say he is an excellent surgeon .). He really promoted how the sleeve was only one tool and that nutrionist and therapist were key. Take heed and follow his advice. I wish my friend who has not succeeded had listened and followed through on the rest of the program.

I love all the flavors at Republic of Tea. I try to stick with some low oxalate versions (due to kidney stones) which is green tea and herbal. They also have some decaf options for these. I have a cucumber mint that is very good. Mango passionfruit is really good. A peppermint bark yummy! I drink them hot and I pour them over ice. SO good and helps when I am tired of just Water.

Congrats to you both!!

Great article. Thank you for sharing!

First I would recommend taking stuff with you for the in between times (1 of package of Leave beef Jerky, 1/2 of of cashews, Protein bars, Premier Protein drinks if you can refrigerate them, premeasured protein. powder, etc). I am amazed you haven't eaten out in 5 months! That is great! I got for anything with grilled chicken (salad but just mostly eat the meat, fajitas tell them low oil or as little oil as possible). I have also had a lot of success with tortilla Soup (leave out any tortilla strips) or bean soup. Also some places have wonderful roasted chicKen which is very moist. Grilled shrimp is a good option too. I don't avoid cheeses but I do try to eat small amounts of it. Avoid any sauces, creams, gravies, dressings, etc unless you at have them on the side and can dip your fork in it and then your bite of meat. (Helps with moisture and only uses a tiny amount.). Oh and if you can get them to go to ChicFilA, you can get the grilled nuggets and some fruit. Their buffalo sauce is the lowest calorie. Hope that helps! I do lots of soccer tournaments with my nephews and have had great success still doing this. And hey, don't be afraid to say no thanks you aren't hungry and just eat your Protein Bar. You will do great!

I ate a lot of Ricotta Bake and fat free refried bean with cheese melted on top. I also had mashed up avocado (I know yours says no veggies yet but consider this one. Other veggies,/fruit may be too fibrous to try right now). I could not bear pureed meats so I just did the best I could starting some foods and then kept getting my protein from shakes or powder. I would mix 1/2 scoop of vanilla powder with 1/2 container of yogurt (Danton Light and Fit Strawberry Cheesecake Greek yogurt or Key Lime Greek were my favorite). I also mixed 1/2 scoop of chocolate protein powder with a sugar free chocolate pudding snack. This stage is tough. You just have to get thru it. Remember you r stomach is still healing so be easy. If something doesn't work, try something different the next meal. Hugs! You will all get thru it!!