*slim*

I did have to do the pre-surgery diet. I was supposed to do a 2 week liquid diet. Because my surgery was moved up 1 week, I ended up only doing 10 days. His pre-op diet is 6 glucerna shakes a day, 2 cups of yogurt (low fat), 2 cups of 100% juice, and all of the low or no calorie drinks (broth, crystal light, diet soda, etc). He doesn't make everyone do it. I don't know if he bases it on your starting BMI or what. It was tough the first few days, but by day 3 it was ok. I am doing really well post surgery. My only problem is I am starting to get hungry. I get to start soft foods this week (scrambled eggs, tuna salad, beans). I am so ready to actually chew some food. I get to go for my first fill in a couple of weeks. I think I am ready, physically at least.

Ok, here is what you do. Take that one bite and freeze it until after your post op diet is over. Then you can savor that one bite later, or hold on to it for prosperity. :tongue2:

That looks so good.:tongue2: I have seen Nutella in the store and on TV. What does it taste like?

Darn it, I didn't even get to see it work today.

That is so awesome! Thankfully I didn't find them!

I didn't measure myself before surgery. I was kind of expecting my doctor's office to do something day of surgery. Of course, it didn't happen (they didn't even weigh me before surgery). I don't have the right type of tape measure here at home. I may need to make a trip to the store to get one. That would be encouraging to see that I am losing inches when the scale doesn't move. Thanks for the idea and pep talk Teri. Valerie

I have a lump like that. I found out last week that my lump is my port. I wasn't expecting my port to be so high up.

Enjoy that shower, and good luck with your journey.:tongue2: I have glue holding my incisions closed. It looks really weird, but it allowed me to shower the day after surgery.

At least now you know what it feels like and probably what you did (or didn't do) to cause it. I bet you will be less likely to whatever it was again. Take it as a learning experience and move on.

still not working

Hee Hee Hee Haw Haw Haw (singing last few bars from theme song)

We could have tag teamed!:crying:

Maybe just one bite?:crying:

I only ever wanted the crust, juice, and vanilla ice cream on top.:crying: It didn't matter if it was blackberry, cherry, apple, or peach. I dug out the top crust with juice. My mom would get so mad because she would have a pan full of fruit and nothing else by the time I got through with it.

We are obviously the east and west coast versions of the same person.:smile2:

That is so me. I shaved "down there" once, and it got irritated. Then I got infection in the hair follicles (I didn't even know hair follicles could GET infected). I was putting this yeast cream that my doctor gave me for it for months. It just kept getting worse and worse. I thought I just wasn't putting enough on there. Come to find out, the more I put, the more it was burning my skin (just like yours). I finally had to be put on an oral medication for over a month just to clear up my skin because I kept avoiding the doctor (again like you). She asked me why I waiting so long to come back and tell her it wasn't working. I just gave her my "you know I am stupid" look. She just laughed and wrote the new prescription.

Well, now that I have had surgery, I am actually taking 4 weeks off. I work in the telecommunications field which can be physical. My short term benefits kicked in after 7 calendar days.

I am so sorry for what you have gone through. You stay strong.

I have to be truthful and say that makes me feel a lot better knowing that I am not alone. I have been tracking my calories. I have struggled to get 600 calories. Today I got to 850 calories, but now I feel awful. I am floating. :crying:

You are not alone. Just keep getting your fluids in. That will help you to feel full at least for a little while. Also, stay busy. That can help to keep your mind off of the food. I don't know about your surgeon, but my surgeon allows me to have as much of the allowed foods during the first 2 weeks. I hope that you start to feel better. Your time to eat more will come soon enough.

Well, I feel like a failure already. I lost weight during the pre-op diet, but haven't lost a thing since (except for the 5 pounds that I came out of surgery with). I know that I am supposed to be concentrating on healing, but I still would have loved to have lost at least a few pounds. This sucks. Ok, pity party over. For now anyway. I am scheduled for my first fill on October 23rd. I am scared of that because I go back to work the next day.

That is exactly what that feels like! I don't know what it is going to be like once I lose some weight, if I can already feel it.:smile2:

It does make me feel better knowing that I am not alone, too. Also, I think I am allergic too. My skin came off at the points where I was hooked up to the EKG machine for pre-op. I had one reaction to a bandaid that took off all of the skin underneath. That was painful. It sounds like you are in for a fight with "hang". :smile2:

I like the Benefiber powder. I mix it with Kool Aid (for my son) and he had less gas with that than the tablets. Hopefully that can be your quick fix and not something else causing the gas.

Good for you! I hope that I am that close to goal at my bandiversary. Keep up the awesome work!