heidikat72

I am right at 12 weeks out and averaging about 650 calories a day.

I only had to do three days of clears and then i switched to "full" liquids until I was two weeks out. I also drank the isopure clear drinks - but I could only get half of one down a day. I did broth and was able to do the unjury chicken soup based powder on clears - it makes for a nice savory change. But yeah, the clear liquids are a struggle to get through and my head definitely played with me regarding cravings and "head hunger". I think you'll feel much better when you can move on to full liquids. But definitely check out taking a PPI - that will help with some of what you may be thinking are hunger pains.

how large is the pill? you may be able to take it whole by now. Otherwise, I'm afraid you will just have to deal with the taste until you can take them whole. The yogurt and pudding are the best options for masking the taste but honestly, drugs tend to have a bitter taste anyway (which is part of the reason we take them in tablet or capsule form so you don't taste it) and nothing will completely take that away.

that does sound good. and now i'm craving my favorite pre-op snack - Trader Joe's thai chili lime cashews

Typically, a lot of obese patients do have sleep apnea, some very severe. Severe sleep apnea can lead to problems coming to from anesthesia or also breathing problems while you are under including having your oxygen levels drop too low. Since you have discussed with your surgeon and he/she thinks you are low risk, you are probably fine. Even if you were to have mild sleep apnea, it shouldn't be a problem during surgery. The test would be a definitive answer, if that eases your mind. I had more symptoms of sleep apnea than you and my testing still indicated my sleep apnea was too mild to even bother treating.

Yeah! Isn't it amazing how quickly it ends up passing? I remember thinking after my first appointment that 6 months was such a long time to wait and why couldn't my insurance only require 3 months. By the time that 6 months was up, I was glad I had had that time to get through all the testing and mentally prepare.

I struggled to get fluids in the first week. As in would start sipping at 6am, wouldn't go to bed until midnight and still wouldn't reach 48oz some days. You have a lot of swelling from the trauma of the surgery. Be patient with yourself but do keep sipping. It does get easier - towards the end of that first week, I turned a corner overnight and went from barely getting 44oz in to easily getting in 64oz just from one day to the next. The first week post op sucks for a lot of us, be patient and kind with yourself.

Good advice, I just got mine right before surgery so I'm good for a while. I would recommend finding a center that has the newer 3D mammography equipment. It provides much clearer images and less chance for a call back. Most hospitals/clinics are switching over their old equipment to the newer so it shouldn't be hard to find.

I've taken this many times over the years - it is a common "team building" activity precursor at work. I always come out with I, T and J but it is a tossup as to whether I'm S or N so I figure I'm borderline on that one. I've also taken one where it divides people into four personality types indicated by color - and I am an extreme blue - very analytical, logical - just give me the facts kind of person. Although the funniest part of that test ended up being a testimony to my introversion - After loud activities involving a lot of people, Heidi needs quiet time to herself to recover. Made me laugh when i read it in the report but it was spot on! ISTJ (Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging)As an ISTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in via your five senses. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically. ISTJs are quiet and reserved individuals who are interested in security and peaceful living. They have a strongly-felt internal sense of duty, which lends them a serious air and the motivation to follow through on tasks. Organized and methodical in their approach, they can generally succeed at any task which they undertake. ISTJs are very loyal, faithful, and dependable. They place great importance in honesty and integrity. They are "good citizens" who can be depended on to do the right thing for their families and communities. While they generally take things very seriously, they also usually have an offbeat sense of humor and can be a lot of fun – especially at family or work-related gatherings. The ISTJ is not naturally in tune with their own feelings and the feelings of others. They may have difficulty picking up on emotional needs immediately as they are presented. Being perfectionists themselves, they have a tendency to take other people's efforts for granted, like they take their own efforts for granted. They need to remember to pat people on the back once in a while. ISTJ Strengths Honest and Direct – Integrity is the heart of the ISTJ personality type. Emotional manipulation, mind games and reassuring lies all run counter to ISTJ's preference for managing the reality of the situations they encounter with plain and simple honesty. Strong-willed and Dutiful – ISTJs embody that integrity in their actions too, working hard and staying focused on their goals. Patient and determined, people with the ISTJ personality type meet their obligations, period. Very Responsible – The ISTJ's word is a promise, and a promise means everything. ISTJs would rather run themselves into the ground with extra days and lost sleep than fail to deliver the results they said they would. Loyalty is a strong sentiment for ISTJ personalities, and they fulfill their duties to the people and organizations they've committed themselves to. Calm and Practical – None of their promises would mean much if ISTJs lost their tempers and broke down at every sign of hardship – they keep their feet on the ground and make clear, rational decisions. Create and Enforce Order – The primary goal of any ISTJ is to be effective in what they've chosen to do, and they believe that this is accomplished best when everyone involved knows exactly what is going on and why. Unclear guidelines and people who break established rules undermine this effort, and are rarely tolerated by ISTJs. Structure and rules foster dependability; chaos creates unforeseen setbacks and missed deadlines. Jacks-of-all-trades – Much like Analysts (NT), ISTJs are proud repositories of knowledge, though the emphasis is more on facts and statistics than concepts and underlying principles. This allows ISTJs to apply themselves to a variety of situations, picking up and applying new data and grasping the details of challenging situations as a matter of course. ISTJ Weaknesses Stubborn – The facts are the facts, and ISTJs tend to resist any new idea that isn't supported by them. This factual decision-making process also makes it difficult for people with the ISTJ personality type to accept that they were wrong about something – but anyone can miss a detail, even them. Insensitive – While not intentionally harsh, ISTJs often hurt more sensitive type's feelings by the simple mantra that honesty is the best policy. ISTJ personalities may take emotions into consideration, but really only so far as to determine the most effective way to say what needs to be said. Always by the Book – ISTJs believe that things work best with clearly defined rules, but this makes them reluctant to bend those rules or try new things, even when the downside is minimal. Truly unstructured environments leave ISTJs all but paralyzed. Judgmental – Opinions are opinions and facts are facts, and ISTJs are unlikely to respect people who disagree with those facts, or especially those who remain willfully ignorant of them. Often Unreasonably Blame Themselves – All this can combine to make ISTJs believe they are the only ones who can see projects through reliably. As they load themselves with extra work and responsibilities, turning away good intentions and helpful ideas, ISTJs sooner or later hit a tipping point where they simply can't deliver. Since they've heaped the responsibility on themselves, ISTJs then believe the responsibility for failure is theirs alone to bear. Famous ISTJ's George Washington Sigmund Freud Warren Buffett Augustus Robert De Niro Matt Damon Natalie Portman Career ChoicesBusiness Executive Administrator Manager Accountant Financial Officer Police Officer Detective Judge Attorney Medical Doctor Dentist Computer Programmer Systems Analyst Military Leader ISTJ In Summary ...Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized including their work, their home and their lives. Value traditions and loyalty. Share your results

I love hearing about your journey! You have done so amazingly well and are a great inspiration for the rest of us.

Remember, nerves were cut and right now you are on liquids/soft things like cottage cheese - not dense food. This is to let your stomach heal. Trust me, first time you have dense solid Protein - you'll notice a difference. But again, it will take a while for the healing and you may not "feel" it until you've had too much. This is why it is important to weigh and measure everything early out - you can't rely on "feeling" while still healing from the surgery.

I had 6. 5 in a slight arc over my abdomen - left most one slightly larger where they pulled the stomach out. and the 6th is up under my bra band - i didn't ask but thinking that may have been for one of the retractors holding my liver out of the way

You've done very well! I'll be flying next month and am excited to see how much easier it will be compared to in January (last time I flew) when I was still over 400lbs.

i vote for the whipped cream - you could even flavor it with a little sugar free torani syrup before whipping it.

If it is the "sweet" factor you are having trouble with, Unjury makes a chicken soup flavored one that is pretty good. Or you could try adding unflavored powders to broth - just make sure the broth isn't any hotter than 140 degrees - or the protein will clump up and be yucky.

I cut mine for the same reason. Seeing all those long hairs on my pillow every morning was making me sad. Short hairs on my pillow aren't as noticeable!

Amazing transformation! Your hard work and dedication has really paid off. And what is it about this journey that makes us decide on short sassy hair to go with the new us? (chopped mine off last weekend)

KMorri is correct - completely depends on your surgeon and insurance requirements. I started at 442lbs and was told I technically didn't HAVE to lose any but that I couldn't gain even one pound during my 6 month medically supervised period. Some want to see a certain percentage weight loss as a sign that you are committed to the lifestyle changes you'll need to make to be successfull. Others don't put any requirements on it.

So I was on 2 blood pressure meds - Valsartan HCT 320/25mg and Doxazosin 2mg Surgery on June 17th - at 4 weeks out we cut the dosage on the Valsartan HCT to 160/25mg. At 6 weeks out, I had to stop it altogether because of really bad dizzy spells every day - like almost passing out in the shower bad and nearly passed out while seated at my desk with vision and hearing loss. My blood pressure had dropped to 90/54. Had a follow up today to make sure my bp hadn't gone up too high after stopping the valsartan HCT - and my bp was fine, 126/82. In 4 months I see my primary doc again and the plan is to take me off the doxazosin then - although if I start having dizzy spells again I'm supposed to contact him immediately.

I've read that they will show up on an xray and that if you are getting an MRI you should tell them you have staples although it is safe to get an MRI with them.

For more savory - you can add a little pepper to it. Once you can add other items - some chopped herbs, a little chopped tomato or chopped olive - keep in mind this all adds calories and carbs. While on purees, I would occasionally add a teaspoon of unsweetened applesauce or no sugar added jam (again will add calories and carbs still). Once I could have soft fruit, I tried some sugar free diced peaches with it but then I didn't tolerate those well - looked at the label and the peaches had monkfruit sweetener which didn't agree with me at all.

I almost didn't read this...until I saw who posted it and thought "oh this is going to be good". thanks for the chuckle and not disappointing. dihydrogen monoxide - it does a body good