CHM

I'm with most of the people here. Pack light. I packed like I was going away for the weekend, but I only used the following: Cell phone and charger Lip balm Hand sanitizer Gas-X strips hair clip My own pillow (big pillow snob right here...) A small travel pillow (to hold against my tummy to support it as I got in and out of bed) That was it. Everything else came home with me untouched.

I have to agree with @@KindaFamiliar - it's all so subjective. On a side note: $AU120 a WEEK?! That's over $90 USD (yes, I googled the conversion)! Sh*t Australia is expensive... It will depend on what your tastes in food are, what you can tolerate, how far out of surgery you are, where you shop, how you shop, etc. Without pulling up actual receipts and invoices to verify, I'd estimate I spend about $80 per month on Protein powders/shakes/bars and supplements, and maybe another $100 or so on actual groceries. It should be noted that I go out of my way to save money. I buy what I can on Amazon (where virtually everything is much cheaper). I buy a VERY complete Multivitamin that eliminates the need for a couple of extra supplements. I use a vacuum sealer and chest freezer to my advantage so I can cook in advance and buy groceries in bulk, then portion things off into individual servings and store for future use. Again, the cost is going to vary quite greatly from person to person. But regardless, it will almost certainly be less that you've spent before surgery. I know mine is!

I like this. I think I'll be copying you. [emoji1]

@@sallo Honestly, I'm glad I dump from rice and Pasta. I was a raging carb addict, and I am convinced that those were by far the worst contributors to my weight gain (especially pasta - I think I ate it every day). If I could have selected what I dump on, those definitely would have been my choices!

@@looking_forward I don't know if the people from this thread are still around, but I'll talk to you! I'm not exactly a Hamiltonian, but I am from St. Catharines originally, so just a hop east of you. In fairness though I'm not even there anymore as I'm currently residing in North Dakota, but I just felt compelled to reply to someone so close to home. ???? Congrats on your surgery! I'm glad your recovery is going smoothly so far. I myself had RNY in January, so if you have any questions or just want to chat, I'd be happy to oblige. Take care.

Welcome to the group Mike! We're all happy to help in any way that we can, so don't be afraid to ask your questions and tell us what you need.

Then I'm glad I did...

I have dumped 3 times in my 3 post-op months. The first was from tomato Soup 2 weeks out. I didn't read the label (which was especially silly since I've ALWAYS been a label reader) and ended up grabbing one with high-fructose corn syrup as the third ingredient. Surely the crushed saltine I'd added didn't help either. Oops. The second was from 'tasting' rice as I cooked it, trying to get the seasoning right. I didn't intend to have any with my own dinner, but I didn't want to serve it bland either. It took a few too many adjustments, resulting in more than the one or two tastes I'd intended. That was by far my worst dumping episode. I ended up sleeping on the bathroom floor because I literally did not have the strength or energy to make it directly across the hall to the guest room. My final dump was from Pasta. Plain, salted, al dente pasta fresh from the pot has always been a weakness, and I had a weak day. A few too many 'tastes' and here we go again. I've never dumped from volume, and seem capable of handling reasonable amounts of fat and sugar. My issue seems to be with starches.

When discussing acceptable foods for the pureed stage my nut did mention that some patients like to just use baby food. However we both agreed on the "...but why would you want to?" front. You'll get much better flavor and nutrition by preparing a few things yourself. I made purees of each chicken tenderloins, crab meat, black beans, and sweet potatoes at this stage, and they were so worth the effort.

Definitely a good NSV. Congrats! I'm getting here myself...kind of. I'm comfortable with head shots now, but full body pics still freak me out. I think I'm opposite of most WLS patients in that I perceive myself as SMALLER than I actually am. Seeing myself in a photograph doesn't match what I see in the mirror. They remind me how far I still have to go, and it makes me sad. But I'll get there! Lol

Tomato soup was the very first thing I dumped on. Read the labels and watch the sugar, or make it yourself! Lol [emoji4]

At my first WLS appointment, I also had an enlarged, fatty liver, along with a very high BMI (55.6). No liquid diet was required - just the 3 month medically supervised weight loss plan required by insurance. After the op, my surgeon said that my liver looked absolutely beautiful. Therefore, in my highly unprofessional opinion, I don't see how the liquid diets are all that necessary.

I'd definitely look at the blood pressure meds, and also your caloric intake. I had quite a good dance with dizziness post-surgery. It got to the point that I would just randomly drop to the floor a few times a day. I knew that if I didn't get down RIGHT that second I was going to faint and end up there anyway in a far more dramatic fashion. Initially it was definitely related to my blood pressure meds. I was still on three at the time. I stopped taking the 3x/day med, and the dizziness resolved. Then it returned a week or two later. My blood pressure was normal this time (110s/70s), so it wasn't that. I learned at my 6 week follow up a week later that I'd only been getting half of the calories I was supposed to be getting. Calories were increased, and it again resolved and has yet to come back now.

If you're a freak then I am as well! My surgeon allowed absolutely no liquids at all until the leak test the morning AFTER surgery. The technician was apologizing for the taste of the barium, but I was just so grateful to be drinking ANYTHING that I really didn't mind one bit.

My favorite purée was my chicken 'baby food'. I oven roasted a package of chicken tenderloins after seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic and onion powders. Then I threw them in the pressure cooker with a box of good, unsalted chicken stock until they were falling apart. Finally, to the food processor - I just kept adding more stock until the purée was nice and smooth, then spooned 1/4c portions into lined muffin tins and froze them. I admit it: it does not look appealing, but damn it was a welcome flavor! It's also a lot of cleanup, but it will give you enough to get you through the entire purée stage, so you only have to do it once.

I have a friend who had bypass about a year and a half ago who relied on NSAIDs for relief of significant back and shoulder pain. Her doctors are both aware of and in agreement with her use of marijuana for managing her pain post-surgery. She was also given the "edibles over inhalation" advice.

That's about the age I was last under 200 as well. I was hoping to be there by the time I have to fly in the first week of June, but at the rate I'm going I don't think I'll quite get there. Not that it matters...as long as I don't need a seatbelt extender again (and I already won't) I'll be quite content!

When asked my goal at my first appointment with my surgeon, I said "somewhere in the 150's". That would be the upper end of a normal BMI for my 5'7" frame. My surgeon disagreed and said she would be more comfortable with me in the 170's. Apparently when you have a very muscular body type the BMI charts don't apply to you. Either way, I don't really care. I just want to be able to be active and healthy and look half decent in a pair of jeans. I'm not overly committed to any particular number, other than knowing I want to be in onederland. I'll stop losing when I stop losing.

I've had sushi rolls a couple of times in my 3 months. It was one of my first indulgences once I was released to 'regular' food (can't remember what week that was). I take no more than 1/4 of the rice with all of the filling, and leave the other 3/4's of it on the plate. Rice-less rolls would make me sad...I just love the flavor too much.

I probably shouldn't admit this out loud, but I'm going to be honest: I completely ignored my Protein requirement for the entire 2 weeks of the liquid stages. My NUT knew about it. It was hardly encouraged, but as she said "You can only do what you can do. Hydration is by far your top priority. You do have protein stores from your pre-surgery intake that should carry you through to purees." I did try. During the clear liquid week, I tried Syntrax nectars, unflavored protein in Crystal Light, etc, and unjury chicken soup flavor (which I'd loved pre-op). All of them turned my stomach with the first sip. During the full liquid week I tried to return to my beloved Unjury shakes, but again, I couldn't stomach them. I bought three different brands to try that week. Still couldn't stomach them. It was just those 2 weeks, and in my case, I recovered just just fine. As soon as I hit the pureed stage I was able to easily exceed my protein goals, courtesy of both the ability to tolerate chicken and seafood right away as well as several glasses of Fairlife milk a day. I still have yet to find a protein supplement that goes down easily, but at this point I've learned that I'm not going to puke just because my stomach does a little flip, so I suck it up and choke them down anyway. Now please don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting that you throw your hands up and say "Screw it, I'm done!" Perhaps a discussion with your own NUT is in order, as they have probably heard this issue many times before and will likely have some constructive suggestions.

I use straws quite regularly. Anytime you swallow any food or Water or even saliva you're going to take in some air with it. It's entirely unavoidable. My surgeon's office agrees that the concern over straws is just so silly and unfounded. I too was given straws in my cups of water at the hospital after surgery. As for carbonated beverages, my NUT insists that it is merely an issue of tolerance. Some people experience pain from them, and some experience nothing more than an extra burp or two. I was told that if I turn out to be in the latter category, then don't worry about it, provided my choices are sugar and caffeine-free. I have elected to wait until my 3 month mark to find out, which is next week. So on Monday, I very much look forward to learning if my old love Pellegrino and I still have a future together...

From the app, just tap anywhere in your own post. It should bring up a menu of options, one of which will be 'edit'. [emoji846]

I agree that it may be a little too early for a goal outfit. Its difficult to tell where you're going to end up. Personally I'd be concerned about the mental effect of possibly buying it too small and diminishing all of the work I HAD done by becoming overly concerned that my 'goal' outfit doesn't fit. I always keep an outfit one size smaller than I'm wearing, but that is strictly because A: I want to know when I've officially dropped a size, and B: I always want at least one outfit that fits properly. For 30-something clothing in the meantime, however, I'm another avid Old Navy shopper. Almost everything I currently own is from there. The clothes are cute enough that you don't feel matronly, but still reasonably modest for our age (no super short hems or overly revealing bustlines). If you keep an eye on the sales its quite an affordable place to stay in size for those of us who would rather not bury our new bodies in our old clothes as we lose weight. .

Great guys, now I'm going to be hankering for scallops... I like mine salted and peppered, seared, glazed with a pan sauce of brown butter, white wine, shallots, lemon juice and zest, then finished with a sprinkle of fresh flat-leaf parsley. Yum!