blizair09

I echo the Gas-X strips sentiment!

I have been swallowing Water in a more normal fashion than I thought I would be since the first week post-op, but now, at Day 26 post-op, I would almost characterize drinking water as "normal" for me. When I was able to introduce Premier Protein shakes at Day 10 post-op, though, it took me about 2 hours to drink one. Now, I can drink one in about 20 minutes. I count my blessings about the water, though, as I have read about many people who are still sipping weeks out from surgery.

That's awesome!!

Welcome!

Unflavored protein powder in broth got me through the clear liquids. Once I moved on to full liquids, unflavored protein powder and strained cream of chicken soup was a savior.

I wore mine at the hospital, and they came home with me, but I didn't have to wear them anymore. I'd just check with your surgeon's people to make sure. That's always the best thing to do.

I just stayed with it all day (same with fluids). Getting in Protein and fluids really is a full-time job. At Day 25 post-op, it is still a full-time job, but it gets easier every day. (Now the challenge is getting all the fluids in and accounting for the 30 minutes before and after any kind of solid food.)

I get tired a lot, too, but I figure it is just part of it. Some days are definitely worse than others, though. (And there is no rhyme or reason to it!)

Good luck! For me, the day of surgery and the first two days after were pretty awful, but by Day 3, I started to feel much better. I took my laptop with me and browsed the internet from my bed a lot. Other than that I didn't need any the stuff I packed.

I echo what the others said; it will be next to impossible to keep this from a roommate. What reason did you give him for staying at your parents' house for 3 weeks? That's a long time to be away from your home.

I used the unflavored unjury for the first few weeks post-op until I ran out of it. I liked it just fine. I switched to Isopure Unflavored only because we got a great deal on it on Amazon. The Isopure has a little more Protein, but overall, they are the same to me.

Milk of magnesia will help you. (And you'll probably just need a sip or two -- not the entire regular dose. Trust me!)

I have fallen in love with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with 1 T Smucker's sugar free strawberry Preserves mixed in. 120 calories, 6 carbs, 13 grams of Protein. It is FABULOUS!!

Strained Campbell's 98% Fat Free Creamed Soups are on my plan beginning at full liquids. The cream of chicken has been a daily thing for me since then (Day 10). Now that I have cottage cheese, green Beans, string cheese, and scrambled eggs, and with salmon on deck beginning next Sunday, I am about to phase it out since it eats up half of my 20 carbs per day. (But I was so thankful when I got to add it in a couple of weeks ago!)

One of my most vivid memories before starting this journey last March was going to the Polo outlet and being to big for anything in there. It made me so sad. I can't say that was THE defining moment that cemented my decision to begin this journey, but it certainly was an important moment! Good luck to you!!

I, too, have been really lucky that nothing has caused an issue, so far. Next Sunday, I get to add fish (specifically my favorite, salmon), so that will be my first real test with something more dense. I added scrambled eggs today, and as much as some people have talked about how eggs were/are really tough/impossible for them, they have given me no trouble at all. I eat everything one item at a time, though. Once I get the fish re-introduced next week, I'll start trying to have a little of two things at once rather than having them in two separate "meals."

I started with string cheese last Sunday (Day 18 post-op), and it has been no problem. I got to add scrambled eggs beginning today (Day 25 post-op), and I added in 1/3 piece of American cheese with the 1 scrambled egg and it has been fine as well. So far, I haven't had a bad reaction to anything on my plan (but I have stayed to it exactly -- even if I do feel that it is a bit conservative...)

Milk of magnesia works wonders!

I got to add cottage cheese in last Sunday, and at Loopylulu's suggestion, I added in 1 tablespoon of sugar free strawberry preserves. It is awesome. I have that first thing in the morning now. I get to add in scrambled eggs today (yay!). I went ahead and had the cottage cheese first thing this morning since my partner is still sleeping and I want us to actually be able to eat the same thing at the same time for the first time in a while. So, scrambled eggs will be lunch!

I have to chalk most of it up to grit and perseverance. And the drinking Water becomes an all-day affair. Today is my twenty-fifth day post-op, and drinking water is still an all-day affair. In fact, I have to be more purposeful about it now because as I have added semi-solids and today as I add scrambled eggs, I have to set aside the 30 minutes before and after eating as "no water zones." That cuts out about 4 hours of the day, so I have to have my mind even more in the game about drinking water during the other hours of the day. Just keep at it and take it one day at a time. It does get better once you get past that first liquid stage. Good luck!

I understand how you're feeling. I started my journey in February with my PCP and I weighed 397 pounds (a BMI of almost 53). She referred me to the man that would become my surgeon, and I had my first of six required monthly appointments with his staff on March 3. They had no weight loss expectations, but I said I wanted to lose 40 pounds (about 10% of my body weight). Once I got going, I was determined to make the most of that time. As the months went on, my confidence grew, and on the day of surgery (September 28), I had lost 99 pounds. I won't lie; I was freaked out from about a week before the surgery until the anesthesiologist knocked me out. But, my pre-op success gave me a certain leg-up in the process (at least in my mind). I walked into that hospital looking like a million bucks very proud of what I had already accomplished. This confidence has helped me tremendously post-op as well. I am convinced it has helped to speed my recovery, meet my Protein and Fluid goals, and stay positive even when I felt like hell those first few days home. Also, when I hit that "three week stall" (and so will you -- it happens to everyone), I have handled that much better as a person who has already lost almost 120 pounds as opposed to a person in the same situation who has just gotten started and has only lost 20 pounds. All this is to say have the confidence, embrace it, and let it work to propel you toward your goals. The sky is the limit, and you can achieve whatever you want to achieve! Best wishes!

What an awesome reflection! Thanks for posting, Lisa.

:faint: She didn't mean get hammered, and she wasn't advocating it; she was just stating that medically, it wouldn't hurt anything. I think my story speaks for itself that I am super serious about my weight loss journey. My partner has busted his behind to earn this master's degree, and if he wants me take a sip or two of some no-carb libation while we are in 5 different countries in southeast Asia, I think I can do that without disrupting my journey in any way.

You could do liquids to get you started, but then I would suggest following a low carb diet. I lost 99 pounds pre-op doing a low carb/high protein/high healthy fat diet, and as soon as I get through all of the food stages, I am going right back to that way of life as I work through the second half of my weight loss journey. Good luck!