macadamia

Good luck on your pre-op phase! You've go this!

That's a great job! It was hard for me to stick to my pre-op diet because it did not seem real to me yet. But now that I'm post-op, it's definitely real! Way to go!

Thank you!

I think of it as both a gift and a tool. It is, of course, a tool that is in my toolbox for losing weight. It will be driving the bus for the next year and all of the weight I lose will be because of the surgery. After that, it's on me. It is also a gift, for me, because of all of the other abdominal surgeries I have had on my intestines, I never thought that I was a candidate for the surgery. I went to the original seminar back in March with the intention that I would have the surgery if they say I can, but that I would do the diet plan no matter what. Here I am three days post-op and I'm very happy that I could do it. I get that for you @sharonintx it is overbearing and obsessive, but for me, it is well-written and to the point. I CHOSE to have this surgery. It is up to me to make sure I do not fail.

I'm three days post-op and was started on phase 2, pureed foods yesterday. Here are the two-tablespoonsful cups of food they have sent me for meals and how much I have eaten. It ranges from chicken and cream of asparagus soup to turkey and cream of mushroom, and any combination of the two. The single cup is Lite n Fit Greek yogurt, vanilla flavor. I also get a chocolate protein shake with breakfast and I'm using the empty 30ml cup to drink my portion of the shake. So far, so good...

I'm not sure if I said how long my first surgery took back in 1995, but it took 12 hours to complete. I was on an epidural spinal block anesthesia and did not "wake up" for three days. I felt no pain but was completely oblivious to anything around me - I was conscious, but not coherent. My parents brought my son to visit the weekend after I had my surgery, Thursday, April 20, 1995. I do not remember any of them visiting. They finally pulled the spinal block on Sunday and I actually woke up. Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate them. It was nice that the surgical teams were able to work it out and use the same operating room visit for both sets of procedures. It is saving me money, time off of work time, driving to Utah to have everything done, and especially recovery time. Thanks again! {{{{{hugs}}}}}

Thank you for your kind words and your candor. I appreciate it! I've been doing well so far. I also appreciate your offer for support and the periodic ass-kicking, because I'll probably need it. It's nice - my son and my mother now are using the app I use for food track and we formed a group where we can share our daily tracking as well. The app I use is Lose It! and my mom and I use the iOS version and my son uses the Android version. As for how the foods I can eat will impact the WLS surgery and life going forward, I'm assuming you mean the foods that I can eat also with having the ileostomy. I cannot eat nuts, any raw veggies, anything fried, popcorn, and things of that nature. Luckily, the bariatric diet is similar and the progression from surgery date to eating a full diet will actually help my new ostomy heal faster. Once I'm back on a full diet again, I will be able to eat everything that the bariatric diet says I should eat within my diet for the ileostomy, except for the raw veggies and fruits. Those still will have to be cooked to eat them. Thank you for asking. {{{{{ hugs }}}}}

Ok, well, hang in there. Keep up your pre-op phase and keep asking questions. The more you know, as they say... Most everyone here is willing to help and chat and talk about their successes and struggles. I've found it to be pretty open here. I like most of the content too.

I just hope the bedside manner of the doctors stay like they are. I do not want to see it become an assembly line.

Thank you for your service to our service men and women! When is your sleeve?

Thank you very much for the kind words! I appreciate it! I am glad too that they were done laparoscopically. The pain and trauma to my abdomen is much less and hurts much much less.

It is not about having trouble sleeping, it is about the number of episodes per night you have with breathing. Many times you will not even know that it is happening and your significant other may not notice either. When I had my first sleep study, I felt like I was sleeping well but found out that I had on average 35 episodes per hour. This is very high, so they prescribed C-pap for me. This is the one that a full-face mask was used. I used it for a couple of years then stopped. When I arrived out in Idaho, my gastroenterologist asked me if I had any trouble sleeping and I said not really but I used to use C-pap. He referred me to a sleep doctor and I had the take-home sleep test (wrist monitor). This machine said I had 72 episodes per hour and again, I was given a different machine with newer technology and a nicer humidifier. I got the nasal pillows this time and when I started using it, I slept better than I ever thought I could. I've been using it ever since. I cannot sleep without it.

It takes a bit to get used to it. Once I got used to it, I now cannot sleep without it. It sounds like you are pissed because you think they are just trying to do something that isn't necessary or something where they are just trying to get more money from the insurance company. Many morbidly obese people have some form of apnea. Not everyone but many do. The doctor is experienced with the conditions that lead people to weight loss surgery and is just covering all of the bases. Give it some time and you may see better results. In the beginning, I could not wear it for very long either. It is a weird sensation to have something on your face at night. It does work. I can attest to that. I see you are very close to your surgery date. Otherwise, I'd also suggest that you get a second opinion on anything that you are thinking they are ordering unnecessarily. Good luck to you!

Thank you so much! It's awesome that you've been following my progress and giving me so many hugs. I love it! Here you go, my friend. {{{{{hugs}}}}} Keep your progress up too and let us know how you are doing, please!

I used to have a full-face mask and it looked very much like a half-respirator that painters use. I hated that set-up. I had trouble with air leakage and had to overtighten it so much I had marks on my forehead and around my nose all the time. The nasal pillows I use now are very comfortable. The only issue now I have is with the chin strap to keep my mouth closed while I sleep. I had to adjust it for the first time last night to get a better fit. Thank you very much for your kind words. I appreciate it!

Thank you very much, I appreciate it!

Thank you very much. That is kind of you to say. The colo-rectal surgeon came in this morning and said he was astonished that he did not have to do his part open. He removed scar tissue on my small intestines in areas where I have had small bowel obstructions in the past and moved the ostomy up to the new location. He also said the bariatric surgeon did the hernia repair on my abdomen (I had assumed it was the colo-rectal surgeon). He is also very happy with my progress so far.

awesome!

So, apparently, my surgery went very well. The bariatric surgeon did his part of the procedure first and was able to do it laparoscopically. He told me at the pre-op appointment that I had a hiatal hernia and that he would repair it during the surgery. I forgot to ask him if it was repaired. I’ll ask today when I see him or his team. The colo-rectal surgeon, much to my surprise, was also able to do all of his work laparoscopically. I was expecting it to be an open procedure, which is very painful and takes many months to heal. My pain is virtually nonexistent. The colo-rectal surgeon did have to repair a hernia between my old ostomy site and the new one, and that is where the majority of my pain is. The new ostomy is much higher than I had expected, so I will actually be able to wear shirts with them tucked in. This is huge for me. I think untucked shirts look sloppy and I've had to look sloppy since last August. I’ve been drinking my water 60ml (two plastic pill serving cups) at a time, about every 15 minutes. Last night for dinner, I had extremely salty beef broth and SF lime jello. I had about 3 spoonsful of the broth and half of the jello. I felt full although the sensation of being full was different than what I remember from before the surgery. This morning for breakfast, I had vegetable broth, which I ate two spoonsful of, and lime jello, which I ate all of it. They also brought me a protein shake, which I had the nurse take back because it is not on my phase 1 diet. (-: I walked two times yesterday and already one time this morning. I walked 0.5 miles on the second walk yesterday and the one today. That is if my Apple Watch workout app is accurate.

LoseIt! app weight trend from yesterday before surgery... The weight from June 29, 2018, is the first official weigh-in at my bariatric surgeon's office. 42.4 pounds and counting!

Is this a good look for me?

Very nice! You look great! Awesome!