Orchids&Dragons

Just keep a list of all the things in life that will be better or easier after the surgery. Have another list of the problems you have now and how you expect them to progress if you don't have surgery. That should help keep everything in perspective.

Don't worry about chicken this early on. Try again in a month or so. Chicken (especially breast meat) is one of the more difficult proteins to handle.

Best wishes for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery!

I have Cigna. Approval took about 10 days. Surgery was scheduled about 2 weeks later. Good luck!

Which one? The nosiest? The noisiest? Oldest? Quietest?

I was absolutely dreading her visit, but if ever your spouse is going to stand up to Mom, this is the time. I wanted her to know because she was going to be staying with us at the house and it would be pretty obvious. I hope your MIL can be a bit nicer, too. (Sheesh, you'd think you were asking for a kidney or something, huh?) I hope your visit goes well.

It's fairly common early on. You may still be swollen. Even though the foods are soft, you may have to add a little sauce or some type of moisture to them.

Totally off topic, but - love the new avatar! Lookin' good!

I totally agree. I'd start all my meals with a huge salad, then have plenty of "healthy" foods. I was totally within plan, but got used to eating a huge amount of food. Over time, you just get used to thinking that you're eating a "normal" amount of food when that isn't the case at all. I think WW works best for people who don't have huge appetites, but tend to eat high-fat or high-sugar foods.

Nothing about WLS requires you to sacrifice yourself on the altar of bitchdom. Do what works for you!

My mother-in-law has a cruel streak. She pretends that the incidents are accidental foot-in-mouth mistakes, but I've seen it too consistently over the last 29 years. She came into town for our son's graduation, 3 months after my surgery. Hubby had the task of telling her about it on the ride home from the airport and letting her know that any comment other than "You're looking good." would not be tolerated. She actually kept her tongue. I was shocked. So, good luck with your in-laws.

This is exactly what I did. I told very few before the surgery, but I've been open with people afterward. But I've posted nothing on public social media.

Welcome to the forums. This is a very friendly and supportive community. Congrats on everything you've done so far. You're an inspiration! Best wishes for further success!

Awesome transformation!

Oh yeah, can't forget that one!

It was awesome! We had a great time!

Or people of the opposite sex, or 8 inches taller, or 200 pounds heavier, or 30 years younger, or had a different surgery . . .

Glad I could help.

Wow! You look amazing!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. It is such a powerless feeling watching people you love make destructive decisions, especially when their poor decisions affect others, too.

Try to calm down. There are other options to get support and help available. Don't worry about weight loss at this point. Many doctors tell their patients not to weigh the first month because it can be so disheartening. You can't separate out weight loss from fluid retention and swelling at this point. Work on getting your fluids and protein, the rest will happen when it wants to. Stressing yourself out won't make it happen any faster. You should feel no restriction on fluids; they go right through your sleeve. You won't really feel restriction until you get to soft foods. Believe me, you'll know. You won't overdo it on liquids unless they have calories. The 64 oz. is a minimum. If you are comfortable drinking more fluids than that, no problem. Generally, I would say follow your doctor's plan for foods, but if they haven't given you any guidance - purees are any foods that have the texture of applesauce or smoother. At the puree stage, you can have purees or anything from an earlier stage, like full liquids. So you should be having a combination of smooth soups (can add unflavored protein powder), Greek yogurts, soft scrambled eggs, soft refried beans, etc. or, anything that you can put in a blender. (Personally, I couldn't handle the texture of blended meats, but to each, their own.) This website has a recipe section for each stage of diet progression. You can also check out "puree stage foods" on Pinterest. That should give you some ideas, too. Good luck and I hope this helps!

I'm so sorry you're going through all this. It's just terrible. You might reach out to @Ronnysgal It seems like her issues were similar to yours. Good luck on finding a solution.

Wow, look at you in that avatar! Outstanding!