Renkoss

I purchased some chewable Calcium Citrate Vitamins. God are they horrible! But, I have a whole bottle of them so I will not waste them. But they are of course chalky, and just have a weird taste to them. I chew 4 a day; 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. I make sure to have something to drink handy because right after chewing them I have to rinse it down with Water or something. I will definitely try a different one after this bottle is gone. They are big too; perhaps the size of a nickel.

You are doing fabulous. You see yourself everyday, so you may not always notice it. Keep up the great work.

I made my husband put a pillow in the car so it was available to me on the ride home. Especially the way he drives!!! The one thing I did not pack that I wished I had was a brush or comb for my hair. Never even thought about it! I did have a hair tie band with me so I could pull my hair back, but I had to do the finger comb to pull it up. My hospital bed wasn't so much uncomfortable as it was too high to get into without a step stool, and in order to get back in it if I got out they had to deflate the whole bed (was one of those air beds) and then reflate once I was in. Can you imagine this being done how many times in the middle of the night if I had to get up and go to the restroom? I just made myself comfortable in the reclining chair in the room. It actually worked out better for me. I had plenty of pillows propped up around me and felt cacooned.

I'm in the pureed stage and I put some cheese on my refried Beans and melt it before eating.

My husband was with me prior to surgery, waited during surgery, and came to see me when they put me in a room. I was still pretty out of it, so I told him to go home. We have 2 dogs and they had been home all day inside and they needed to be fed. It was already 6-6:30 pm by the time I got in a room. I was in the hospital for 3 days (2 nights) and I told my husband to go to work the next 2 days and stop on the 3rd day and pick me up after he was done with work (he works right around the corner from where I was in the hospital). It worked out great. Packing for the hospital, just take clean underclothes and don't worry about another outfit. Wear the one you came to the hospital in to go home. I was provided with a toothbrush and toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash, and body lotion by the hospital. I wore the hospital gown (well it was changed each day) the whole time there. They actually told me it is preferred because easier to check wounds and take vitals and such. I had a shawl/shoulder blanket, I brought a toothbrush and toothpaste just in case, and also had to bring some diabetes supplies. I also had my cell phone, charger, Nook, and a pair of slippers. That was pretty much it. You will be busy recovering, walking the halls, and laying in bed! If you like to listen to music, I would suggest earphones for your cell or ipod. Good Luck!!! You're closing in now!

I believe she was told to go to soft foods by her physician. Experimenting with sugar free syrup is not ridiculous. I understand you've "been there, done that' but everyone is unique. I do like the idea of pureeing the cottage cheese and adding sugar free pudding flavours. I'm going to try that one this evening!

Thanks for the tip Jenn1! I hate Spanx. They do nothing but "smooth" the fat. Uncomfortable at that too!

The fact of what your parents have and don't have is not your soon-to-be ex's business! You are a grown married woman, and when the I Do's were spoken by him, that meant taking on the responsibility of being a provider; not leaving your needs to your parents! So ridiculous! As an adult, a married one at that, you both obtained the possessions you have together. A 50/50 split is obvious. You are not asking for much; he just doesn't like that you are taking things from him, and he wants to be in control and difficult. I would never tell someone to be unkind, but you need to stand up for yourself and be slighly forceful in this situation. You are entitled to the "stuff" as much as he is. It doesn't matter if you are living at your parents or in a cave! Point is the stuff belongs to both. I hope things get better for you. Try to keep your stress levels low.

There are sugar free maple syrups available. I've used them for years due to diabetes. You could also use sugar free jelly.

Jenn1, I agree oatmeal is high in carbs. I was just noting what is listed for soft foods phase. I actually have a recipe for a low carb oatmeal made with flax seed and a few other nut type items. If anyone is interested I will find it and post. I have eaten low carb for the past 4-5 years so no oatmeal for me either. I do miss it.

What about oatmeal or cream of wheat with added Protein powder? Those are both soft and breakfast food.

If you are having that much difficulty, you need to see your surgeon NOW, not May 18th. You should not have to be on medication to make your pouch feel better. Something is not right and you need to be seen and taken care of immediately. I would call your surgeon's office and demand to be seen. That is ridiculous!

Has anyone else experienced a lot of dizziness since surgery? I'm two weeks post-op and for the last almost week I've been getting really dizzy sometimes. This morning I woke up dizzy. After drinking a Protein shake, I feel better, but afraid it will return. I'm pretty good at getting my protein in daily, although yesterday might have been questionable. Probably came close. I know I get enough fluids in, so I don't understand. I guess it could be blood pressure, but since I don't have a monitor at home, I don't know. I hate the dizziness. I had vertigo a few years back, and it took a while before it resolved. I can't go through that again! I'm supposed to go back to work on Monday! Any one experience this?

I guess you are right, but since I'm in the beginning part of this yet (only 2-1/2 weeks post op), I do not have to deal with hanging skin as of yet. I'll have to decide when and if the skin becomes a problem in the future. I just cringe at the idea of a hunk of my body being cut off and plopped on a scale like they do on that show My 600 lb. Life. It just grosses me out. But, living with the skin may be more of a chore than anything, so again, it remains to be seen in the future. Good luck to you if you decide to go the plastics route!

I like the refried Beans with cheese melted on top a lot. I'll do that one too. I do eat the hummus just with a spoon. Love it. I also love the Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt and I do eat those as well. The scoop of Protein powder mixed in is a great idea for upping protein! Thanks for that advice.

Oh, I plan to use compression clothing. That is for sure. I don't want to feel like I'm flopping all over the place.. But, with that said, I'd rather do compression clothes than plastics, unless unavoidable.

I'll just be happy to not have a huge bloated tummy in front of me anymore. If I have hanging skin, so be it. My husband and I have already talked about it. It doesn't bother him as long as I'm healthy. Besides, I don't know that I would do plastics unless the skin was really causing me some problems. It just looks so painful when I've watched skin removal surgery on TV.

I have a pill divider for the week, so I know I've been taking my Iron. I took a lot of supplements prior to surgery, so the divider thing has worked for quite a while. The dizziness has gotten much better with just slight dizziness here or there, but not as extreme as it was that day I made the original post. It was really bad that day, and it kind of took me by surprise. I think it was a combination of the spring weather hitting my system, the lack of enough Protein the day before. I've been making sure to get enough protein daily and I think that has helped. Thanks for thinking of the Iron though. I would not have though of that.

I do the Premier Protein shakes as well. I have added in some others for lower protein since after surgery you need to hit like 70 grams protein, but the Premier are 30 so only 2 can be done. I have Kellogg's at 10 grams of Protein, Boost Glucose Control at 16 grams, and just got Pure Protein banana Cream at 35 grams. I like to have variety. Let me tell you, prior to surgery I had to do a 2 week pre-op liquid diet. I am so tired of broth! It is good on a cold night, but the weather is beginning to warm up, and it just doesn't fill that need to crunch! That will have to wait for quite a while. I'm just now venturing into pureed foods. I bought fruit when it was on sale and washed it and sliced it up and froze it in individual snack bags to add to a Protein shake. Delicious!! Don't be afraid; you've made the decision to be a healthier you and this is the beginning of the rest of your life! Be excited!

Hmmm, just wait. When nothing but liquid is going in, eventually it will be liquid going out. I started on Day 4 Pre Op and still have it here and there.

You'll be just fine. I was anxious for my procedure, but the day of surgery I was ready for it to happen. The procedure is not horrible, and I was fortunate to not have a lot of pain afterwards; more discomfort and soreness. I am 2 weeks post-op right now and back to work. Just don't try to overdo it in the beginning. I learned that the hard way. Zumba will have to wait a little while. For now, just make sure to walk. It does help with everything mentioned by James. Good Luck. You will be fine. Be sure to have everything set and ready so you are not worried about anything the day of surgery. Focus on yourself. You deserve it!

I agree with Babbs. Remember back when things like the machines that shook your whole insides were popular? You didn't have to do a thing but stand there with a belt around you and let this machine shake your body. What nonsense, but women fell for it. We unfortuntely will fall for whatever is out there that we think is a viable tool to give us what we've longed for. There is nothing like regular exercise and walking to give your body the shape it was born to be.

I've eaten some hummus with no problems, low fat small curd cottage cheese, cream Soups like chicken, and some baby foods that are low sugar low carb. Not much available in the baby aisle that is low sugar. I think my system is finally through revolting over some children's tylenol and scrambled eggs that I did not puree. I need to be more patient.

I don't think there is any need from anyone here to berate or belittle another's inquiry on opinions. With that said, some people are just snarky by nature, and you have to be able to ignore those. When a response is not given to the snarkiness, they will stop because nobody is defining them. Just my honest opinion.

Cervidae, I also cannot handle the sugar alcohols, so I'm very aware of those in any sugar free products and stay away from them. I knew right after I took that Tylenol that it was wrong. It made me feel horrible! I did not puree the scrambled eggs; I just made sure to chew them up really really well until they were liquid in my mouth before swallowing. I don't think the eggs had anything to do with how I felt; it was that darn Tylenol. I will not take that again!! Last night as I went to bed, my stomach began bothering me and I became afraid that I did something to injure my new pouch or intestinal system. I haven't drank anything like Protein today because I am afraid now. Does anyone else get a weird bloated kind of feeling to the left of their mid-section since surgery? I just think I enflamed my insides with the Tylenol and the gastrointestinal issues afterwards.