KatFight

Ouch! I've caught myself eating too fast and felt some pain after a bite too much. I agree with other poster about walking. That's what I had to do too. Hang in there and feel better soon.

You are getting it done BlueGirl1920. No time like the present to check items off of your to-do list. At the same time, be gentle on yourself. You need extra sleep right now. And you're not getting enough nutrients for good energy. Those will work themselves out over time. Yes, the future is exciting and filled with promise.

Taylor, you have made a decision that will bring positive change to your life at such a young age. I'm 48 years old and I have a daughter your age. I just had my surgery on 12/28/17 and I told my husband afterwards that I wish I had it 10 years ago. You're a wise young woman. You're surgery will be soon. You mentioned that your friends call you a Diva. Well, maintain that Diva attitude by treating your stomach like gold - getting your protein and fluids in and not overfilling it (it's easy to do if you're not paying attention to your bites or eating too fast - yes, it's me - accidentally a couple of times). Best wishes on your surgery.

Absolutely, I will. I remember how anxious I was. Fill me in when you get it please.

Hi. I feel your pain. My sleep was/is so interrupted by the C-PAP. It made my sleep worse and me more tired. I thought I had it figured and tried new headgear and a smaller nasal pillow. One of the things that sometimes happens is I wake up startled only to realize that the nasal pillow is now on my cheek and loudly blowing air out! My compliance is based on using machine when sleeping for at least 4 hours 23 days of the month. I saw my pulmonologist and my compliance was good and she was happy. I took a few days breather from it to get longer sleep and last night I used it and couldn't get my 4 hours in. My doctor did say that it can be hard to get used to and I explained the headgear issue. She said to just keep trying because I am compliant I wish you luck.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. How disappointing. Seems you're handling it well. March is just around the corner. Hang in there.

lol So, that NOT why they look like that?! lol Very scary at 6, for sure. From your earlier post:

I agree, it's a very defeating feeling when the numbers on the scale are not declining especially when we work so hard to lose weight. You may be having a "stall," which is common when losing weight. lol - agreed, we wouldn't need wls if we could do it all ourselves. If we could, we would have lost the weight a long time ago. About anxiety: try to accept that the numbers may not move for awhile and that you'll still make it to your goal in the end. Get physical when those anxious feelings are whirling around - a walk or doing some reps with hand weights may help. Connect with your inner child and try adult coloring or put a jigsaw puzzle together. Reading: I like to read digital magazines. I can read short bits at a time. Many local libraries offer free digital well-known with a library card and download of an app. Texture is a digital magazine service I use and charges a monthly fee. I started at 299 lbs. At 3 months, I was 286 lbs. (followed diet closely) so that was 13 lbs. lost., and, at one month post-op, I'm 259 lbs.. It will come off. By the way, I stayed at 286 for month and a half despite my dedicated efforts. Then, the pre-surgical diet helped me drop another 9 lbs You are doing what you need to and your successes will come. You're going to be great.

Ready-made chocolate Premier Protein and vanilla EAS Lean 15 powder are my faves so far .

"The easy way," yes, that's the road I'd like to go down. When someone finds it, please let me know.

Yes, this happened to me too. My surgery was 12/28/17. The week after surgery I lost 8 lbs. then 0, +1, then (shockingly but to my surprise) 9, and 1. So, 16 pounds for the month following surgery and I've been barely eating. My doctor has been happy with my numbers. She told me that 2 lbs/week is expected at this point. 2 lbs?! I had expected greater weight loss post-surgery too. Guess we need to trust that our bodies are figuring it all out. Wishing you continued success.

Hi. I was on liquid diet before surgery for two weeks. I felt unsure of how it would go too. Do you have hobbies or activities you enjoy? Be ready to engage yourself in those to keep your mind occupied and your body busy. Puzzles helped me a lot. Be ready to complain to an understanding family member or friend. I was worried about my liver not being small enough and that motivated me to get through each day. When I asked my surgeon if my liver was small, she said that it was very, very small. I had an odd sense of accomplishment. lol Fingers crossed that all goes well for you.

lol I never thought of that when I had socks on and was headed to surgery! Good point. Do they remove our socks and put them back on?!

Hi. This may not be much better - a nurse gave me mine crushed in a spoon of applesauce. I have to take Gabapentin for fibromyalgia pain so I know how much it helps with leg pain. I hope the applesauce helps.

Hi. Although I still have trouble getting 64 oz of fluid in everyday, I have seen a few posts from other members who can drink easily right away. It's something to mention to your doctor - you probably already planned to. It's important to sip rather than gulp drinks. Your stomach is healing and needs time. Too much too fast may cause a leak. Not sure if your stomach was made small enough. Good question for your doctor. It's certainly a possibility that it was and you can still drink easily. Wishing you a fast recovery.

How frustrating! I didn't gain but I didn't lose much. Since you had excess fluid, I'm guessing that all or most of the gained weight is "water" weight (fluid) and some is all of the air pumped into the abdomen to increase visibility of stomach during surgery. I'd be discouraged too. Trust me....this gain is likely to come off rapidly and will soon be behind you. Walking does help move the fluid and air (as you probably know). I'm sorry you feel so awful. There are better days ahead.

lol That's ok. You will definitely get back to dancing and you'll feel amazing. You can get back to the gym when dr gives ok. Life will be good, great actually.

You're welcome. I agree that it's difficult to "retrain" brains. I started to go into autopilot one day. I thought, "oh, a sugar-free pudding sounds good," then I started to go in the kitchen. I stopped myself but head hunger and autopilot bring real temptation. Not sure how long it takes after was for stomach to stretch. That would be a good post.

You were hit hard post-surgery at home. You were still healing (even with it going well) plus a cold, your period, a desire for cigs, taste buds are off kilter, and you've had lettuce cravings. Not easy at all. My taste buds were off too - sugar-free Popsicles and jell-o tasted too sweet. The salmon my daughter was making (which never made me feel sick before) smelled horrible to the point of nausea. About water and protein, I'm still not close to my goals. It takes awhile to get there. I hope you are feeling better very soon. Your body probably needs a lot of rest right now. Try not to overthink it because anxiety about work may set in. Keep focusing on what you need in the moment and eventually you'll get to where you want to be.

Congratulations Brian Hat and Linda8. Isn't it exciting? Brian, I agree that it's surprising you were given puréed chicken a day after surgery. The reason for waiting for meats is to give the stomach some time to heal because surgery is an attack on the stomach (cutting, reshaping, stapling). Fluids are processed more easily, give the stomach time, and can determine more easily if there's a leak following surgery. It's not necessarily a matter of whether or not your stomach can handle and properly digest meat. That being said - if your doctor is ok w/it, then you have the green light (maybe he ordered the puréed chicken). On my 2-week follow-up my surgeon told me I could have small cut pieces of chicken breast - not puréed.

That's tough. If you like jigsaw puzzles or if you haven't done one in awhile, you may want to consider it. My mind is occupied when I'm putting a puzzle together and its tired when I'm done working on it for the night.

I've been eating cold food and hating it. I have to pay attention to my behavior because I start to put a bite in too soon because I want to eat my food when it's warm.

Hi. I had to buy my pre-op protein shakes directly from my doctor. One of them was really good. It was hot cocoa protein shake (mix w heated water). Then after surgery, I'm liking vanilla EAS Lean 15 (15 g protein, 5 or less g sugar) blended in blender w ice (put ice in first and turn on then add water and add ins then blend), water/milk, scoop of powder, and PB Fit (I use this) or a spoon of PB (if allowed in shake per dr), or berries (if allowed per dr), or cinnamon. It's good and a nice change from regular shakes.

Hi. After surgery, you'll eat high-protein, low carb, low sugar; however, your recommended diet initially may be a little different. My nutritionist required 3 oz. protein, 1/2 c. vegetable/fruit, 1/2 c. whole grain/1 slice whole grain bread, wrap, pita, etc.. It was expected that I had 3 meals and 2 snacks (fat free, low sugar-free Greek yogurt like OIKOS; turkey slice and a few baby carrots; peanut butter on celery). She also told me to stay prepared on the road by having protein drinks and non-perishable snacks in a cooler. I like Premier Protein and EAS Lean 15. The requirement for protein drinks for me is 15 g or more protein and 5 or less g sugar. Kudos to you for staying prepared.

Sorry to hear the nutritionist was awful. My surgeon told me that I couldn't weigh more than consult weight or my surgery would be canceled. I didn't ask her - she just told me. And, then, my nutritionist told me too. Don't blame yourself. It was your first time there and you're not going to know what to ask. The guidelines should have been given to you, in my opinion. Is there a medical portal or email where you could request the guidelines? Is she the only available nutritionist? You are worthy of being treated with kindness. If she's the only one, you may consider asking her why she is being so abrupt, or rude, or disinterested. You've made a difficult medical decision and you need positive professionals (as you know). Congratulations on this step toward a healthier future.