ChunkCat

Dr. Pilati down in Cary at WakeMed. How about you?

Good luck on a swift approval!! I bought some sipping broths and some protein soup broths so I'd have plenty of variety. I don't want to have to rush and order things afterwards. Propel powder is probably good to have on hand for hydration. I have some of the ArmorLyte drinks too, you can order them on Amazon and they are pretty tasty. We were also told we can strain any of the Campbell's heart healthy soups, so I may get a few of those eventually. I've made a grocery shopping cart for the pureed stage on Amazon so my partner can either order it for delivery or use it as a shopping list for going to the store, since I don't expect to feel like walking around getting groceries. Luckily we don't have kids, just cats who act like kids. LOL

I feel you!! I started all liquids today after two weeks of a modified pre-op diet. I'll be on all liquids until the surgery and for a few weeks afterwards so I might as well get used to it! This is gonna take a bit of willpower...

Ohhh, I don't have any suggestions for a water bottle, but hopefully someone else will! I've just been using insulated cups with tops that you sip out of instead of using a straw. I have a belly band but I can't recall where I got it from... I got it for my hysterectomy, it was great. My surgeon says I don't need one for this surgery but I'll probably still try it. The key is to not cinch it too tightly, you want to be able to breathe and move freely! Mine looks kind of like this: https://www.amazon.com/ORTONYX-Breathable-Abdominal-Postpartum-Postoperative/dp/B07CW2TFRQ/ But it isn't that one so I can't recommend it! Still, you want one that is long enough to cover a plus size abdomen. Be sure to wear a layer of clothing under it so nothing sticks to your incisions. I wore post partum underwear underneath mine, they come all the way up to my boobs! They are non restricting so didn't press on any of the incisions, I'll probably wear them again since I have them. As for the hospital bag, I think I'm taking comfy, non-binding clothes, slip on shoes that I can wear socks with to walk the halls since they'll have me in compression socks, chapstick is one thing EVERYONE says to have! I'm supposed to take some clear protein waters. Electrolyte powders so I don't get leg cramps. I have a binder with all my surgery stuff in it I'll take, it has sheets for logging fluid intake. A long cardigan that will serve as a bathrobe because I'm always cold. A little pill crusher in case I can't get my pills down whole. Cell phone charger, phone, maybe my ipad in case I'm in there longer than a day. A little pillow for my tummy. That's about it, I aim to pack light! Oh a toothbrush, obviously. LOL

Welcome!! You'll have to get really good at sipping on the road!! I'd be sure the doc gives you pain meds and nausea meds for the trip even if you don't think you'll need it. Grab a few insulated travel mugs (one for cold drinks and one for warm drinks) so you can decide what works best. A small pillow to put between your tummy and the seat belt so it doesn't press so hard on your incisions. Compression socks and frequent stops to walk around and prevent blood clots. And maybe a bag in case you throw up. Not everyone does but if you are stuck in a car it might be a reassuring precaution. And of course a few protein drinks and whatever you prefer to hydrate with so you don't have to shop for anything... When is your procedure?? Good luck!!

OMG, me too!! DS on November 1st! We are true surgery twins!!

I quit slowly, just using things up at home and not buying more. Then once that was done, a few weeks later I started introducing a few artificially sweetened things. Unlike a lot of people, Im not anti-fake sugar. But I need a break from sweets for the fake stuff to taste good. I still use moderation even with fake sugars, but I like flavor packets in my water sometimes, a flavored syrup in my coffee as a treat, or a flavored yogurt or pudding. I don't crave fake sweeteners though so I just use them selectively. I don't find they create a craving for real sugar, in fact, they help me walk by sugary things because I know I have my own safe version at home. But keep in mind I never binged sugary foods so it could be different for someone who did have that issue. Sweet things are not a trigger food for me.

I'm guessing post surgery once you are out of the stages you could try a fiber supplement too. My GI doctor is a huge fan of them... LOL

My doctor said Miralax and Milk of Magnesia are your friends pre-surgery and post surgery. The way they advised to take it is to take milk of magnesia to deal with things if they are already blocked up, then miralax daily to keep things moving. A lot of our post surgery members here have a capful of miralax every morning or evening, it is safe for longer term use since it is stimulant free. (Milk of magnesia is a stimulant.)

When we submitted to insurance we weren't sure which procedure we were going with (the doctor needed to talk to my gastro doc) so we just submitted for the bigger procedure (DS), knowing we could downgrade if needed and insurance would be easy to run through again. I don't think you'll have much of a hold up unless the doctor doesn't do the bypass surgeries? Congrats on deciding which surgery is right for you!!

Ozempic is so mean sometimes... Be sure you are getting electrolytes in, sometimes when they get off kilter it creates nausea and vomiting. And these pre-op diets can be pretty brutal to our electrolyte levels. Congrats on your surgery date!!

That is such a worthy cause for weight loss, I wish you nothing but success!! I haven't had surgery yet so I can't comment on when losing stops. But I do know you need to be careful not to cut your calories too low after surgery. It will trash that newly reset metabolism and make weight loss even harder. I know it is counter intuitive but you have to fight that instinct to go so low. I'd advise a good heart to heart talk with your surgeon and dietitian. There are options to boost your weight loss if it stops (like meds), but if you keep your calories too low your body is going to start thinking it is starving for real and hold on to every pound to protect you. 💚

I have this problem. I'm not an overeater. I eat very carefully and about 1200 calories a day. I get exercise. I don't binge. I drink water. I gained 60 lbs in one year when I was about 16 and the weight has done nothing but go up ever since. No one could tell me why. My diet and activity level didn't change. The best they could guess is it was my thyroid but those levels were normal until my 30s. I did develop an autoimmune disease at 14 though and it could have contributed inflammation. I became diabetic a few years ago and have steadily climbed to over 300 lbs. At this point doctors say it is inflammation and metabolic disorder that was probably subclinical for years. Some of the weight is definitely med related and now Im physically disabled which contributes too. All this to say not everyone who gains weight has an eating disorder but it's rare and doctors will have no clue what to do with you! With the extra weight you should qualify for surgery, right?? I wish you the best of luck. I'm halfway through my pre-op diet and true to form my body hasn't lost a pound. 😂

OMG you guys look awesome!! Every time I get annoyed with this process I come here and look at a few pages and remind myself why I'm doing this, it helps a lot... You are all inspiring!

Don't you hate when your own words come back to get you?? LOL But I aim to take your advice and stay away from those foods as much as possible, as I have seen that creeping back into them really slows/stops people's weight loss or leads to regain. Just because you can eat a thing, doesn't mean you should I suppose... When I had to go gluten free for about 5 years I found that focusing on what I COULD have and what would nourish me was much wiser than focusing on all that I could NOT have. It became a game to see what new, interesting thing I could try to expand my palette. I discovered a lot of things that I wouldn't have ever tried in my old way of eating. Like charcuterie boards! OMG I love those things, so many little bits of things to try. I found that a few bites of a few things was much more satisfying than a large volume of one thing. I think remembering that post surgery will help a lot...

My program says no regular coffee for 6 months. 😭 I am a huge coffee and tea drinker. I ordered a box of assorted decaf coffee pods for after surgery and I have decaf black tea, but it won't be the same. Everyone's program is different! I'll follow what they want though because I know they have my best interests at heart. I need to find a good decaf jasmine tea!

This has been on my mind, not because I doubt my relationship, but because I see so many people on these forums and groups who are struggling with this. When I ended up with an autoimmune condition a few years into my marriage it definitely stressed things. Becoming disabled is hard on any relationship. But therapy helped a lot. When I got cancer my relationship became solid like a block of iron. I realized then that it wasn't about if someone could endure things with you, it really is whether someone can walk through the darkness with you, embrace who you are at any given moment and roll with the changes life brings. We all change in life, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in big ways. I found that having someone who could care for me when I was sick and yet make spaces for how I changed physically and emotionally AND still see me as WHOLE was a very big deal. We humans resist change in general, our reptilian brains don't like it. Being resilient enough to integrate change and make space for it is a huge gift in a relationship. This surgery will change me, it can't not, but I trust that my partner will roll with those changes because above all else they want me healthy and happy and this is the path I believe will give me that. It's nice to see some others have that gift in their relationships too.

Oh no... I am cold by nature already, my weight never seemed to impact it. The doctor seems to think it is a thyroid thing, I think my thermostat is just damaged. LOL But if I get even colder after this surgery I'll have to start buying long underwear!! 😂 My partner runs hot and keeps the house at about 70 all year round and is STILL hot, so I wear layers all year round. Except for socks, I HATE socks. But I might have to get over that and start wearing socks and slippers.... If it makes the summers more bearable though it isn't a bad deal, I don't cope with heat well at all. I got heat stroke a few times and they say once that happens your internal thermostat is never the same. Plus I take meds that make me sensitive to the heat and the sun so I wear long sleeves year round. It sounds like this will continue indefinitely... Good to know for future shopping!

Funny fact: I'm in the middle of my pre-op diet but all I can think about is that tart. 😂 It's beautiful and looks like something I'd make, even if I can't eat it for another year. LOL

I hear a lot of good things about Genepro, so that's what I ordered. I haven't tried it yet though, I'm on the pre-surgery diet and it only allows two brands of protein shakes, so I'll post after surgery to let you know how the Genepro is!

I've always had this issue with corn. I expect it'll be the same post surgery. I think each of us has food that our bodies in particular don't digest well for whatever reason...

Mine was a class with other people. Took about 90 minutes, went over pre-op diet, post surgery food stages, and long term diet. It was easygoing. The dietician asked if any of us felt we needed individualized help with diet planning and a few people asked for private sessions but I didn't. I am pretty knowledgeable about nutrition and understand the stages and such. I have another session right before surgery (if they ever get it scheduled) to go over the first few weeks of the diet. And then I have another class before we transition to soft foods... It seems this practice prefers classes for most of their nutrition info. Though I have the dietitian's email if I have any questions or need a private session, so that's nice. I have found most dietitians/nutritionists to be pretty business-like and a little abrupt in their manner, so your experience sounds pretty normal.

LOL No worries, I think a lot of us are impatient and just want things to get a move on! But in truth, they do, even if it seems slow. Time will pass before you know it and you'll be on your way... Finding things to manage that anxiety will help a lot, I find writing out all the stuff in my head helps. For some reason seeing it on paper makes it less intense and eases the pressure in my mind and I can logically think through things. I wish you the best of luck!! ❤️

No, the cardiologist was the surgeon's requirement! I am having a duodenal switch and will be under longer so he wanted to make sure everything was fine pre-surgery. Every doctor has different requirements. Sounds like you are part of the way through your requirements, you just have to stop sabotaging yourself! Have you seen a therapist about this? Head game is very important with these surgeries, that head game will make you or break you. It's good to have someone to talk it all out with and that support will be very important during your surgery and weight loss, so it is something you might want to look into!

It took me two months to get all my requirements done so we could submit to insurance. Insurance approved it within a week! It really depends on your insurer and what you need to do to be cleared for surgery. My longest wait was to see the cardiologist, they were booked out 6 weeks. But I know some have had much longer waits so I consider myself lucky. I'm scheduled for surgery Nov. 1st, my first appt with the surgeon was August 3rd. Good luck with losing your last 5 lbs!!