Tiffykins

Thanks everyone ! ! ! I went today and had my pre-op labs and paperwork done. I check in at 6:00am, and then surgery is at 7:30am. I'm the first one in due to my latex allergy. They want to make sure the OR is latex-free and that they get me done first so I can have as much time as I need in recovery. I'm really hoping to be home by tomorrow afternoon sometime. I truly appreciate all of your well wishes and prayers. I don't know what I'd do without y'all ! ! ! I'll text someone as soon as I can to let y'all know I'm okay.

Cream of Chicken/Celery soup (strained) Tomato Soup with melted cheese Cream of wheat

YAY YAY I'm so excited for you, and will keep you in my thoughts.

Hope, I'm glad y'all are getting some answers, and I hope they figure out what is causing all of this for you. Keep us posted, and know that I've got you in my prayers.

I know I told a few of y'all that I would give the results of my 7 month post-op labs. I got the call today, and I am so elated to share with y'all that my labs are perfect. I had to do a 14 hour fast, and was kind of worried to be honest. But, my labs were absolutely spectacular. My Vitamin D, and D3, Iron, CBC, Folic acid, thyroid panel, and Chem 20 were spectacular. The only one we're waiting on is my B12 results, and they'll be in about a week. I don't foresee any problems with my B12 since I take 500% of the daily value that's recommended. My cholesterol is so normal. Even my good cholesterol went up which is an area I struggled with pre-op. So, for hitting goal and now maintaing at 7.5 months post-op, I'm doing fabulous inside(literally) and outside. Life is good. I'll get the results in the mail in a couple of weeks, and will try to post them on here. Have I mentioned how wonderful the sleeve really is? ? ?

Anyone up for a chat? ? ? I have the window open.

Woot Woot ! ! ! I hope tomorrow gets better for you. Sip, walk, rest. We've all scooted over for you on the loser's bench ! ! !

I'm soooooooooooooo excited for y'all ! ! !

Why does he get headaches? Is it like hypoglycemia? This concern should be addressed with his surgeon, and hopefully the surgeon will have suggestions on how to help prevent the headaches. Hopefully, he'll be able to get in some calories from Protein supplements mixed with Water. Best wishes for his surgery tomorrow, and keep us posted with his progress.

Hands down : Homemade chicken salad 1 small chicken breast, boiled in chicken broth with black pepper Light Miracle Whip (I like mine to be pretty "wet") Hard-boiled egg minced up into tiny pieces I tried the pre-packaged chicken and tuna salad and didn't really like them. So, I made mine at home. Pickles didn't settle with me well early out. I ended up burping them up later in the day. It was quite icky. 2nd favorite was pinto Beans (mushed up) with light sour cream, and 2% cheese. I didn't like refried beans out of the can. So, I bought the small bag of beans, and boiled them then mushed them up with a fork, and added sour cream and cheese until the consistency and taste was just right. I only cooked like 1/4 of the bag of beans at a time, and that lasted me for 3-6 meals.

I stumbled across this on OH. This is an article explaining the importance of good quality multi-Vitamins and supplements post-op. I know some people HATE vitamins. Some of us may think since we do not have intestinal re-routing, no malabsorption, that vitamins/supplements are not "as" important for us. This mindset could not be further from the truth. Especially, when it comes to Calcium citrate, Iron, b12, vit d and all the other big one. I'm so glad I have found a multi that I absolutely love. For me, that was half the battle of taking vitamins daily. The other half of the battle is just taking them. I am pretty stringent on my Vitamin regimen, and think this article really hits home. It is a long read, but it is full of valuable information. It also discusses RNY. It's a simple unbiased articled excluding any information on weightloss numbers between the 2 surgeries. It also discusses the use of papaya enzymes to aid in digestion and absorption. http://www.practicalgastro.com/pdf/June04/RadiganArticle.pdf Long story short (kind of), take your vitamins even if you have to set a timer/reminder. JUST DO IT ! ! !

I liked warm liquids more than cold. The warm was very soothing, and the cold didn't really work well with me. The less you use your ab muscles, the quicker the internal discomfort will subside. I slept in my recliner for a good 3 weeks post-op just because it was easier to get out of the chair than it was to get out of bed.

That icky stuff they make us swallow is usually gastrografin. It's so icky, at my hospital they sweeten it up with Tang, but that actually made it worse for me. So, I just imagined that it was a cheap shot of tequilla LOL. Glad you are home and recovering. Keep walking, and sipping, rest when you can. Keep us updated on your progress as well ! ! !

38 pounds in 6 weeks is really great loss. Increase Protein, and lose the white flour Snacks at this stage. Are you still on mushies? When are you allowed to progress to soft solids? If you can get in some chicken or tuna salad with hard boiled eggs, you can up your protein. I agree with the too little calories, and protein at this point. Change up your menu, shock your body with something different.

All of my pain went from below my sternum, in my stomach, and then it shot across my left rib and up to my left collarbone and hit where the collarbone and shoulder meet. It's a sharp, gnawing, constant pain. Not throbbing or thready. Yesterday, the pain started radiating under both sides of my abdomen/ribs, and then up to my left collarbone and shoulder again.

Congratulations ! ! ! Keep sipping, walking, and resting. You'll be up and chasing after that baby of yours in no time.

I never "weighed" my food. I used the children's over-the-counter medication measuring cups early out until I could eyeball portions. I ate and still eat off salad/saucer size plates. In the beginning, I used a baby spoon to keep from taking large bites. I had beat the learning curve pretty much because I had the band first. So, most of this was my 2nd round of learning to eat with the sleeve. Lots of gladware various sizes for leftovers. Lots of freezer bags because you'll have to cook in much smaller portions. I bought the instant Jello and puddings, and divided them out into the gladware. It was easier to go to the fridge grab one and go. I hate the pre-made crap in the refrigerated section. I bought extra Splenda early on because that's what got me through all the greek yogurt I was eating at the time.

Had the band for 8 months, it was nothing short of h*ll. I revised because my port flipped, and then caused the tubing to tug on my stomach. I was in chronic pain on a daily basis. That doesn't include all of the puking, food getting stuck, and slow weight loss. It's just bad news, and I don't miss my band at all. I'm elated with my life with the sleeve.

I had minimal bruising after my revision, and the leak repair which all happened within 48 hours of each other. I have more scars because I was a revision patient. But, 8 months out, my scars are light pink, no biggie. No one sees me naked other than my husband so it really doesn't bother me. In my opion (and that's all it is), all of the temporary discomfort, bruising and healing time is just that temporary. In the long run, all that becomes an afterthought. At least that has been my experience.

I second Carolyn's suggestion of getting on a true acid reducer (Prilosec, Nexium,Prevacid Protonix). I had nausea and it was all related to the acid. Pepcid is for once the acid is already overproduced/ing, and it isn't going to prevent it. All of the acid can in fact irritate your stomach lining and lead to further issues down the road. Nausea this far out is NOT normal especially when you are having heartburn on top of it. Run out and get you some Prevacid OTC or Prilosec OTC. The Prilosec took about 10-14 days to completely kick in, but I had less nausea within 5-6 days once I started taking the Prilosec in the morning. I take mine 1 hour before eating anything, and I haven't had any further issues.

My period got lighter and shorter since surgery. I actually downloaded a fertility application for my IPhone so I could chart because it was driving me crazy. My cycle went from all over the place, to every 30-33 days now. I have 1 day of spotting, one heavier day, then one super light to spotty day, and it's over. It's all hormonal. Mine didn't regulate out until the 3rd month out, and now it's more regular and I can actually tell right before.

Nikki, I knew you could do it ! ! ! Keep it up, don't give up on that sleeve of yours, and remember you're gonna hit that goal. I am so d*mn proud of you, I'm grinning from ear to ear for you ! ! !

Another update: Went in saw Dr. R this morning, and did another ultrasound in office this morning, and my gallbladder inflammation and irritation seems to be significantly decreased. He attributes this to the fact that I haven't eaten anything other than Soup, crackers, and some sliced chicken breast for the last 5 days. So, he thinks the surgery will be a bit easier. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday morning. I go in tomorrow for labs, pre-admission paperwork, chest xray, and ekg. Thank you all for your well wishes, and prayers. I feel better knowing that Dr. R is going to be doing the surgery, and that he is confident that I will okay through this. He's happy with my weightloss thus far, and even told me I could lose more if I wanted to. I just giggled at him, and said, I'm happy where I'm at. He said just the fact that I'm 122lbs lighter than I was will definitely make surgery and recovery easier on my body. He seems to think that I'll be able to go home late Thursday as long as I can keep fluids down, and there are no complications. Many thanks and I'll update once we get home or on Friday.

It's my understanding that some Vitamins can interfere with the absorption of calcium. In addition to other meds/vitamins, Calcium needs an acidic stomach to fully breakdown for absorption in the intestines. Since most of us are taking a PPI, our stomach acid is decreased. I found contradicting articles on Prilosec interfering with calcium citrate absoprtion, one article said yes it can/does, the other said no it doesn't. So, I take my calcium mid-afternoon and right before bed. I take my Prilosec first thing in the morning. Iron and zinc are listed in this article: How to Best Absorb Calcium Supplements | eHow.com Step 1 Take Vitamin C at the same time you take a calcium supplement. Or eat a food rich in Vitamin C, such as an orange. This helps with the absorption of calcium. <LI id=jsArticleStep2 itxtvisited="1">Step 2 Eat foods high in the amino acid lysine, which is needed for calcium absorption. These include eggs, fish, lima Beans and soy products. <LI id=jsArticleStep3 itxtvisited="1">Step 3 Take a sunbath without sunscreen for 15 minutes, three times a week. Sunshine is the easiest way to get Vitamin D, which is essential for proper absorption of calcium. Stay out of the sun when the rays are strongest, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. <LI id=jsArticleStep4 itxtvisited="1">Step 4 Divide up your doses of calcium. It appears to work more effectively if taken in smaller doses spread out over the day, rather than a large dose all at once. <LI id=jsArticleStep5 itxtvisited="1">Step 5 Combine calcium with magnesium in a 2-1 ratio - two parts calcium to one part magnesium. <LI id=jsArticleStep6 itxtvisited="1">Step 6 Avoid taking iron and calcium together. It reduces the efficacy of both minerals. <LI id=jsArticleStep7 itxtvisited="1">Step 7 Avoid taking large doses of zinc with calcium. At high doses, zinc can interfere with calcium absorption. <LI id=jsArticleStep8 itxtvisited="1">Step 8 Decrease or eliminate soft drinks from your diet. They are high in phosphorus, which can cause you to lose calcium. High phosphorus intake can lead to calcium excretion in your urine. <LI id=jsArticleStep9 itxtvisited="1">Step 9 Decrease or eliminate animal-based products in your diet. High intake of animal-based Proteins causes increased amounts of calcium to be excreted in your urine. A high intake of sodium is another culprit. <LI id=jsArticleStep10 itxtvisited="1">Step 10 Cut down on junk foods, alcohol, caffeine and white flour. All of these lead to an excessive loss of calcium from your body and a decreased rate of absorption. <LI id=jsArticleStep11 itxtvisited="1">Step 11 Eat foods containing oxalic acid in moderation. Oxalic acid interferes with calcium absorption. Foods containing oxalic acid include almonds, beet greens, cashews, chard, kale, rhubarb and spinach. <LI id=jsArticleStep12 itxtvisited="1">Step 12 Use wheat bran in moderation. Excessive amounts can interfere with calcium absorption. <LI id=jsArticleStep13 itxtvisited="1">Step 13 Check your prescription medications. Some, such as glucocorticoids, can interfere with calcium absorption. Discuss supplementation with your doctor.

Anyone up for a chat? ? ?