FocusOnMeNow

I use 1 premier protein vanilla shake as cream in my coffee every morning. Have 1 protein bar as my afternoon snack at work each weekday. Otherwise I eat only whole foods. Grass fed beef and dairy (dubliner cheese is), I eat about 75-80% of my food is homemade. I eat out rarely and it's usually when I'm traveling. Free range organic chicken etc. And yes it is more expensive but still so much cheaper than what I used to spend eating out and/or on junk food.

I had 3 weeks of liquids then purées. And yes everyone has had to do it.

I eat plenty of very high fat foods like Fresh avocado (which you can eat once you get to soft food stage), and bacon (which you can have once you get to solid food stage). I am 9 months out now and probably did not even try bacon until about 3-4 months out. But honestly whenever I have a stall I eat more fat (organic pastured bacon, and organic avocados) and it seems to do the trick. IMHO even saturated fats are not the devil when you do NOT combine them with carbs. That being said PROTEIN first still stands. I wash down my bacon with a protein shake that has 30 g of protein. Again this is NOT doable first months out when it's all you can do to get and keep the protein shake down but over time fat is your friend. It is THE best appetite suppressant around.

Just plan to REALLY make exercise a habit, especially yoga and strength training starting around 12 weeks. The surgery really takes the weight off in the beginning but the exercise is what keeps up your muscle mass which is what keeps the weight off long term. Go for it!

I'm 9 months out and want to stress that you should follow doctors advice especially while your stomach is really still healing. What I can tell you is that at 9 months I got some beer poured it in a glass and let the head evaporate and then had a sip and it was not too bad. Ironically also had a sip of Diet Coke and did NOT like the feeling of the fizz. This coming from someone who drank like 3 a day pre op. I'm not sure if it's because the bubbles in beer are naturally occurring or what? Anyway I won't be having too much of either in the near future.

Yes sugar is the enemy and fat is your friend. You've got that right.

Also you should know if you had a hiatal hernia repair with your surgery you would have had this tightness in your chest all along. Kind of feels like you are wearing a way too tight underwire bra (even if you have no bra on).

You could have an infection a stoma a heart attack ...lots of things. You should NOT be having this much pain this far out. What medicine did he give you?

Proceed immediately to The emergency department preferably at the same hospital that you had your surgery. Next time you call him he will see you ASAP. In fact give them your doctors name as soon as you arrive and tell them that he gave you some medicine that made the pain worse and they should call him right away. I bet he will take you seriously the next time.

It's definitely dehydration since you are only getting 50oz and the sediment could be vitamins or something else. If you don't feel urge to pee it's because of dehydration 50 oz is NOT a lot, it is well short of the minimum 64 oz you should be getting. Call your doctor. You could also need electrolytes.

I attended a friends wedding ceremony (not the reception although I was invited) about 10-12 days out from surgery AND it was honestly exhausting. I know that my family reunions usually require lots of driving and visiting for hours. Plan to attend if it is local and plan to make a short appearance for 30 minutes to one hour. Also plan to bring your own food and drink. I don't leave home without my vitamin water zero in a beer style coozie to keep it cool. That way my hands are full and I am not tempted to pick up something to eat or drink that I shouldn't. And besides you will be in sip sip sip mode. Please do NOT plan to drive a long distance, bring a dish to contribute or stay all day. You might not be physically up to any of it. Just pop your head in for the fellowship with your family. Make eye contact with your loved ones and really focus on them (i.e. Ignore the buffet). And you will enjoy yourself. There is a reason that we take time off after surgery and it is to recover not to socialize or do a lot of traveling. That being said you will NOT be an invalid either. Just not 100% up to the full activity that you were pre op. Also consider that as long as you are on the liquid and purée diet you Amy always feel a little bit weak until you get back on solid food. Good luck and just remember to TAKE IT EASY if this is a local must attend event.

Better than sippy cup you can get about 100 medicine cups from Amazon for about $3-5. I had to reorder after my first week. And I highly recommend that you DO in fact make a serious investment in your protein. Since you will no longer be spending money on other food you can have a spending spree on your protein and liquid and vitamins and still save money. I highly recommend Premier Protein Vanilla shakes, Vitamin Water Zero, and Pacific "Bone Stock" chicken broth. You can get these all on Amazon. The Premier Protein are READY to drink...i.e. No powder. They are $7.62 for 4 or $1.90 each and if you were getting a less expensive meal pre op let me know. The Bone Stock is ridiculously expensive at about $5 for two 8 oz servings but again that's $2.50 per meal now which is NOT expensive. Just also keep in mind that you will not sit down the day you get home from the hospital and chug an entire 8oz of broth or an entire 11 oz premier protein at once. It will take you at least an hour to get down that much of either. If you are buying powder Bariatric Advantage is the highest quality and best nutrition that there is and their Orange Cream flavor is very nice. If you skimp on this stuff, you are only skimping on yourself. If you get cheap vitamins you will not absorb them so well. If you get plain Campells chicken broth, well that is more of a salty liquid than a protein because it only has like 1 gram of protein per serving. Pre op I preferred and bought lots of beef consommé and chocolate shakes but post op I did not want ANYTHING remotely beefy or chocolatey. I'm 9 months out now and will have about 1 square a day of some REALLY good dark chocolate with almonds but I was about 3 months out before I really tried any. SPEND your paycheck on your nutrients:-) Do NOT shortchange yourself, this is not the time. Short changing ourselves is what got a lot of us to need the surgery to begin with. Take care of YOU girl. YOU Deserve it!!! [emoji4]

Hopefully they are giving you abx AND fluids via iv as well whilst you are staying overnight. Fluids are very important as well. Just take ALL your medicine as directed and you should recover nicely. May need a few extra days off work though. Keep up the good work. And yes I always get copies of all my own labs, test results and scans for myself. Good thing you did too. Good luck!

And I say ZERO only because at many of the stores they mix in zero with regular on the same shelf and although I think I picked all zeros I get home and 1 or 2 of my 20 bottles turn out to be regular and I do NOT drink them. Sugar is kryptonite and empty calories for most of us. Honestly for my first two weeks all I had was Vitamin water zero (various flavors), Premier Protein Vanilla, and Pacific "Bone Stock", which is a high protein chicken broth which contains 14 grams of protein in a single 8oz serving. You can order all on Amazon. Stock up!

NO!!! VItamin water Zero only. I am a confirmed junkie of the Rise Orange flavor

Sounds like you will be good to go. Keep up the working out once you are cleared for full activity. Exercise is what helps us keep off the weight and building lean muscle helps us to provide some healthy connective tissue to underlie and support our skin.

You can also try Fairlife milk which is high in protein but lactose free... But of course even for that please wait until you are cleared by your doctor to even have milk... Of course[emoji4]

Newsflash natural cheese is all protein and fat so there is little if any lactose in it. If it was sugar free pudding it could possibly be whatever substance they used to sweeten.

Take good care of your skin. Go to "beautypedia" to read the facts on good skin care. Your outcomes will primarily be based on a) your age which is INCREDIBLY in your favor right now and genetics which quite simply is the hand you are dealt. I'm not sure how tall you are but I would likely not have even been a candidate for surgery at 225. But it also helps with the skin if you "nip it in the bud". The more weight you gain and or lose the more prone you are to excess skin. At 21 with less than 100 lbs to loose and if you add weight training you may fare very well indeed!

I do quest only, which probably DOES have nearly as much protein as a like size piece of fish. And I also bring one for my afternoon snack to work everyday and stuff them into my purse and luggage when I travel. They definitely are NOT and never have been "what's for dinner."

It's surgery. Not without risks but staying the way you are is WAY more risky. Hardest part of the journey for me was my leak test (gross barium swallow). That and not being able to "stuff" my feelings with food anymore. But that's a good thing. I'm in touch with what I'm feeling now and owning and loving myself. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Worst experience for me was drinking that liquid barium as the first thing that went into my new tummy 9 months ago. I was SO determined NOT to throw up with my new tummy. Little did I know what the 2nd worst thing was....projectile poop when it came out the other end. But ever since then it has been smooth sailing and couldn't be happier[emoji4]

Btw half the rides at Disney will scare the be Jesus out of a one year old. My little brother cried all through "It's a small world". Fine get a wheelchair. Who is looking out for the one year old and/or pushing your chair? And is there a doctor on call down there if you have a complication. Enjoy your trip!

I strongly recommend that you do not undertake a trip to Disney until you are cleared for full activity by your doctor. Even if he says you can fly and you should walk this does NOT mean being on your feet for hours each day standing in line for rides and riding roller coasters. In the weeks post surgery are for RECOVERY from major surgery (aka sick time) rather than vacation days. That being said recovering with a lovely view is not a bad idea. So if you only plan to be on your feet for short stretches (like 30 mins) and the rest and relax the rest of the time then go for it. Just remember that you will need to put ALL your energy into getting in your fluids and protein in the first weeks post surgery.

I was able to get reimbursed from my "flexible spending account" or FSA with a written doctors prescription from my doctor for the supplements including bariatric advantage shake mix. My insurance would not cover my surgery or any related lab costs or anything related to bariatric a medical or surgical so I never tried to submit to insurance.