smiling.again.finally

This morning the post op swelling in my abdomen has FINALLY taken a hike, but it appears that my boobs hitched a ride with it. I swear I dropped a full cup size in a week. That was a undesired side effect! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I too was in unbelievable pain when I woke up and for the next 3 days. But mine appears to be more related to the hernia repair they did that WLS based on location. I literally struggled to breathe because my diaphragm was so tight/angry. Now a week out I am starting to feel much better. My brother was fine by the time he left the hospital the next day but he didn't have a hernia Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I add a few drop if extracts to the really nasty ones to get them down. Somehow the Muscle milk choc that I can't get down becomes more tolerable when I added a few drops of coffee extract. Still not awesome but I got it down. Unfortunately I am struggling with lactose issues and am allergic to Stevia so my choices for shakes available locally is a bit limited Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

My hubby has been doing Keto to slim up so we will both be in better shape..I love him but MAN does his breath stink! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am going to make hubby pull the trigger on the boat we've been planning to buy for atleast 3 years. One of the goals I have for surgery resulta is to be able to move around on deck more easily while underway. My reduced mobility pisses me off currently Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

How about buying yourself an amazing new outfit 2 sizes smaller than your current size and talk to a friend/sister/etc to plan an amazing night out at a show or a weekend away to reward yourself once you get there. It will give you something positive to research and look forward to Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Just how bad the pain would be when I first woke up. The first thing I remember post op was thinking I made a huge mistake. That said, I did have 2 procedures - the bypass and he also repaired a fairly nasty hiatal hernia. I think the hernia is what pushed me over the top but man did it suck. I expected pain but just not that much. That said, I was on prescription pain meds for 2.5 days then tylenol for 1.5 then nothing because I know myself well enough to know that I need a little to remind me not to overdo it. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes. They asked us to try to lose 5-10% during the process then when I had my consult 1 mo prior he asked me to refrain from as many carbs as possible and lose whatever I could. He explained that it really helps him during surgery because your liver will shrink some and every little bit of extra wiggle room he has helps the end results to come out better, especially since I have fatty liver Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you! I thought it was just me..I was due the day of surgery. Its day 6 and still nothing. I am thankful because those cramps on top of post op would have been just too much to bear. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I feel your pain. My PCP referal took 5 months for them to fax because I chose not to use the Bari program within their medical group and went with the competition. I made the decision for 100% medical reasons (i have lots of adhesions and the other surgeon has a subspecialty in them) but they still gave me a hard time. It took me threatening to contact the state attorney general's office as they were denying me needed care before they finally gave in. They told me they would send it but I insisted they verbally give me the referral # and details. Thank goodness I did because when I went to the surgeon appt a week later they hadn't received anything but where able.to look it up with what I had. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

As someone else mentioned, I know my program only requires 1 visit with BH team.but they made it very clear during that visit that their door was open any time I was having difficulty and needed to talk. They also moderate our support group 2x a month and offer lots of tips and tricks there and get us to talk about the tough issues that get us here and how that can impact our success post op. That said, you also don't need to feel that you need to rush the process. Due to work issues I had to delay the surgery by 4 months. I used that time to start making the big changes I will need later before surgery. I feel that I was more prepared because I took that time. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I agree with the Gatorade! I realized I am currently lactose intolerant and the Gatorade was a huge help in making sure I didn't get dehydrated from the reaction to the lactose in the shakes I tried when I got home. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am 6 days out and had the same issue. Thankfully the program prepped us that this could be a possiblity and gave us options. Muscle Milk original is lactose free. I hate it but it is better than the stomach cramps while I look at other options. I have been living on that and the Protein2O water that someone else mentioned. I can get both at my Walmart. I have a message in to the surgeon to see if I can take Lactaid so I have more options. You mught want to give them a call to discuss. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

They have lactose. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I brought decaf green tea bags in my clothes bag with me because I prefer green to the black tea the hospital has. There are also many options in water drops/powder packets that are stevia instead of aspartame or sucralose. They taste the same but is a natural sweetener. Unfortunately I realized I have a stevia allergy a few years ago so those aren't an option for me. I use the true lemon packets instead. They are crystallized lemon juice with no sweetener added. I find them in the baking section near the packets of sugar Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I live on this stuff. No sweeteners, just crystallized juice so I get the flavor without the mess and they are easy to chuck in a ziplock in my bag so I always have them. I have the lemon, orange (my fav) and lime. I get them in the baking aisle at the grocery store but amazon has them. I put 1 packet in my 24 oz insulated water bottle. Helps me avoid all the artificial sweeteners and chemicals in a lot of the no calorie drinks True Lemon Bulk Dispenser Pack, 100 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YP3MUS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dLIKDbCGVFW71 Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I 2nd the very l low fat. I had an issue with just about all animal fats post ops. I ate a LOT of grilled chicken for the first 4-6 months post OP. Another thing that didn't like me was the cooking sprays. I had to coat my pans with a bit of olive oil instead for a long time. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Depending on what you are looking to freeze the food saver system might be a good idea. I did a bunch of meals for hubby in single serve sizes while I am in my post op diet. I didn't cook the chicken/meat ahead of time but I did buy larger packs of chicken/steak and preseason/marinade them the shrunk them in single serve portions. I did the same with frozen veggies. Now he has about 3 weeks worth of meals that he can mix & match easily and not feel like he is sacrificing anything while I am not eating and there is no struggle to use/eat all the protein before it goes bad. It is working out well enough that I may continue to do it once I am back on food. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Short term fix, they do sell the ziploc bags that have a little hand held vacuum machine to suck the air out that are pretty cheap. I got one for my husband's sous vide machine while I did research on which food saver machine I wanted. I think Walmart has them but I got mine on Amazon. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am 5 days out with bypass and had this same issue. I figured out that I am having issues with lactose. Switched to muscle milk (nasty but doesn't make me literally hurt!) I'm waiting for my lactaid drops to come in to use the shakes I actually like. Maybe discuss it with your physician or nutritionist to see if they can help narrow down what is happening.

Thank you! I am 1 week out from surgery and at the same starting weight. I was trying to visualize what it would look like WHEN I get to the other end of this next section of the journey Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app