MIZ60

Welcome and congratulations on getting scheduled. 150 seems to be a goal with quite a few of us. Lots of great information, support and fun stuff on here. Jump on in !!

That is how it is done, it is really great and economical. Greetings from across the pond. Have several friends in the UK and my BFF lived there for 10 years.

Your menu looks great....well, except for the sardines.....ewwwww. I ate one with my grandpa when I was about 6 and never again. You do have a lot of cards in your deck but you are the exact right person to tackle all those issues with your commitment and precision. I feel very fortunate to have no comorbidities other than back pain (resolved) and asthma (much better). I just know you are going to reach your goal and keep moving forward.

My program says to call if no BM after 5 days. I was sleeved the same day as you and had BM on post op day 4. I did take some milk of magnesium the day before. I would think 12 days is pretty long and would probably call your doctor or nurse.

If you have lactose issues related to the IBS then any shakes made with milk products are going to be hard to take. Maybe consider a vegan shake or using alternative milks like soy, almond or coconut. My program does not allow any pudding or baby food on full liquids but plain, non fat yogurt 1 oz/hr is allowed. If you are having diarrhea every morning it doesn't sound like constipation and Miralax is only going to suck more water in there. Bone broth is pretty good and has some protein. Since the sleeve doesn't involve anything except making your stomach smaller any foods that you could not tolerate preop due to you IBS are still going to be problematic. You really should get in touch with the nutritionist or other provider that did your preparation for surgery, Don't wait until you feel weak and dehydrated. Sorry you are having such a rough time of it.

We have gone on about 7 cruises previously so I pretty much know how it works. We always avoid the buffet areas and eat well in the dining room. Portions tend to be small and always grilled seafood options. The martini bar is another story but if I get buzzed from one drink then that is all I need. Husband loves the frozen foo foo drinks during the day but not me. Since I wont be drinking while eating I will just avoid wine. Honestly, I have never gained weight on a cruise before so I guess I just need to relax a bit. There are plenty of good, healthy choices and always a ton of activity and walking. They do have a gym on board. Last time we went was for the 30th in 2014 and I have just been too uncomfortable with my appearance to go since then. You really should try one sometime although I personally do not recommend the ones from Galveston.

I will be doing a variation of keto in that I have no intention of eating any fruit since I don't care for most of it and I don't want to trigger any sugar cravings. I also have gluten sensitivity and don't eat any gluten containing products (wheat/barley/rye) or the gluten free crap they sell at the store. I do make my own almond bread which I do not plan to have until much later. I love almost all vegetables and I am the queen of cauliflower. I absolutely adore chicken or shrimp fried "rice" with cauliflower as well as other recipes. I plan for this to be my ongoing weight loss diet. I do not purchase any fat free stuff and use small amounts of regular unsalted butter and/or EVOO. I did get some plain, reduced fat FAGE greek yogurt for my current postop period but not eating much of it (2-3 ounces per day) Protein sources of chicken breast, salmon, shrimp, fish, black or red beans. Not a big red meat fan. Love all types of cheese but will have very little, more like a garnish. I dislike sodas and juices so no worries there. My downfall are the candy type protein bars (atkins and others) and sugar free chocolate stuff that taste so good that it is hard to eat a reasonable portion so those are out. Swearing off all alcohol until football season at the very earliest. Hopefully by then I will not want it.

Things that are new or in very good condition sell well on eBay, especially in plus sizes. I have been buying and selling stuff on there for at least 15 years. I recommend using Paypal to receive all the payment which makes it easy. You can then use the Paypal balance (not just on eBay) to buy new pretty clothes...it is almost like exchanging things that are too big for things that are the right size.

Awesome!! Congratulations!! You must feel fantastic!!

For safety, you need to make the surgeon aware of this since if your stomach is not completely empty at the time of surgery it could lead to some serious complications like peritonitis. You might want to check with them to see if you need to take some Mag Citrate or something to clean you out. If you are having bypass it could be even more serious.

My former coworker had RNY back in 2004 and was self pay since insurance at the time was not covering it. Several years later she was hospitalized for severe gastritis and bleeding from an ulcer. The insurance denied coverage for that hospitalization stating the problems were a result of her previous elective surgery. She could not pay the almost $25000 hospital bill and was forced to declare bankruptcy. Good luck in getting it sorted out...insurance decisions are ridiculous.

Really great thank you for asking. All my power shopping yesterday got me down to 260.8 this morning which is 24 pounds gone since I started my preop diet 4/18 and 9 pounds down from my day of surgery weight. I feel really very good with increasing energy.

Fluffy!! Congratulations on removing over 100 pounds. Not saying losing since that implies you might go looking for it and getting it back. There is so much wisdom and insight in your post....exactly what happened to me after doing low carb and losing 40 pounds before I quit smoking. I am considering professional counseling during this time just to help me get my thinking straight about food intake and what it means to me (not with that jackwagon that did my preop psych eval) because I am so afraid to mess up once I can eat regular food again. Husband wants me to book a cruise for our upcoming anniversary in December and he said "you will be looking and feeling so good by then" and even though I really want to it scares me. One day at a time!!

Well, I am nobody's mother unless you count my miniature schnauzer Bella (who definitely feels she should be counted) but hope all the moms on here had a great day and were celebrated appropriately, Spent the day shopping with my BFF from Austin....we have known each other almost 40 years and still always have the most hysterical fun together. We both lost our moms in 2000 at the young ages of 65 and 66 and we gave them a water toast when we got back to my house. I was so excited to walk through 3 big stores with no back pain and no shortness of breath. It has been a long time since I was able to do that. Hope everyone has a great week.....I have my 2 week follow up on Thursday.

That is awesome.....only 22 days away.....you are going to do great!!

That is so wonderful for you. We had almost the same start weight and the same goal and I look forward to where I hope to be in 1 year. THANKS for sharing!!

My 78 year old aunt and I were discussing my upcoming surgery a couple of months ago and I was explaining what actually happens (removing 80% of my stomach through a hole in my abdomen). We talked for a bit and then she asked "soooo, what do they do when you are done losing the weight, put in back in through the same hole?" I was laughing so hard it was difficult to answer. Gotta love her!!

Hiccups are the worst and I got them constantly the first few days. They were bad the first night and triggering some type of spasm in my chest muscles to the point I felt I could not breathe. Terrible. Have not had them for about a week. Are you supposed to be crushing your pills up....I am and even though it tastes nasty it does not cause any discomfort other than a weird sort of indigestion for about 10-15 minutes after the vitamins.

I noticed quite a bit of improvement on the 4th postop day and it has been steadily improving since. I just have to be careful not to take more than a small drink at a time.

Try not to get down. You are only 10 weeks or so post op...I will be on pureed until at least 6 weeks post op and then it seems like it will be a slow process. Not everyone proceeds at the same pace, according to my book. Maybe discuss with the nutritionist what problems with what specific foods you are experiencing to get suggestions. You have lost almost 50 lbs.....focus on that :-)

Mine actually told me after our initial talking and the extensive (600 questions) testing that while I was clearly intelligent I have a problem with following rules and that would make me a poor candidate for this type of surgery. Really. I then discussed that I have always been a problem solver and one to think outside of the box at times (qualities I think make me a good nurse practitioner) but that I had NO INTENTION of not following the rules and recommendations of the bariatric team since they clearly know more than me in this situation. He then said he would need to write it up in such a way not to disqualify me. I am still a little put off about the whole thing.

Such an amazing and inspirational story...thank you for sharing. You look absolutely gorgeous. I saw this recently on another site:

Wondering if you might be a candidate for Nexplanon to just take away the GI absorption issues. I also know several peeps who swear by the Nuvaring. Good luck in finding the best solution for you!

We like the Grist Mill and Gruene Hall as well though I gotta say it is getting SO CROWDED down there that it takes away some of the relaxation. Back in the fall I really wanted to go to Gruene Hall to see one of my favorite bands but I worried too much about my back hurting unbearably if we could not find a place to sit......next time FOR SURE. I had my surgery at S&W in Temple and I must say they have their stuff together. I am a pretty tough health care customer but I can not think of a single significant complaint after 12 years of using their facilities. Lucky you to know someone on River Road...I wish we did. Many fond memories of tubing on the Guadalupe back in the day. We do have long term friends who live at Canyon Lake and that is gorgeous and peaceful as well. What area of Houston do you live in? Husband grew up in Humble. We were down there in February because my dear friend had some surgery at MD Anderson. I also worked a contract in 2016 for 4 months up the road in Livingston. Made the mistake of driving to Kingwood one day for shopping.....even by Texas standards that is some CRAZY A$$ driving in that area.

Happy Friday to you all!! Woke up feeling really great today and am taking my first solo trip to the grocery store this AM. Husband offered to drive me but I really want to do something on my own....it is only a few blocks.