Malaika

LOL that would have been funny Attitude -- You can buy it pretty much anywhere - I know the grocery stores around here carry it - Sam's carries it too, but I don't think they have the Protein one with the purple lid. I don't know if GNC carries it or not. It's always in the refrigerated section, not on the shelves.

Hi Katydid and welcome to the VST family. I am sorry for all the problems you have had from the band. I also understand the circle of depression -- I went through that for many years. Keep in mind that the more weight you gain, the more weight you will have to lose when you are finally able to have your sleeve -- try and maintain the weight you're at now, even though it's not where you want to be - or even try losing some if that's possible. You want to be in the best shape you can be in for your surgery in January, which is RIGHT around the corner when you think about it - so set small goals for yourself everyday - and only talk POSITIVE... NO NEGATIVE THOUGHTS/SPOKEN WORDS allowed. You are not a failure -- tell yourself I CAN DO THIS - I WILL DO THIS ... POSTIVE AFFIRMATIONS WORK! Stay positive, hang with us here for reinforcement and support, and January will be here before you know it!

Her last post was 9/16/09 and she was still in the hospital ... I haven't heard anything since. I hope, too, that she is okay - let's pray she posts soon.

Kirasoma, Thank you for sharing your story, I am sure it was difficult to do so. I am sorry things turned out the way they did; however, I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason and that the timing obviously wasn't right - also, maybe you don't need the r-n-y and the sleeve is the right tool for you. I also believe that if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. Keep us posted on your progress and we will all be here pulling and praying for you.

OMG Thin - did she ask why you were laughing (once you finally quit)? That's crazy -- even my doctor who probably weights 100 lbs dripping wet was supportive.

You don't have to have any tests performed before you go and see Dr. Aceves - all your tests will be performed in Mexicali at Almater Hospital and are included in the Dr. Aceves' price. As Susan said, he'll review your information and determine which tests you need -- standard tests are chest x-ray, ekg, urinalysis and blood work. If more is needed, he'll order that as well. You have your tests the day before surgery, spend the night at a nice resort, then back to the hospital the following morning. It's all quite nice and well planned.

It makes perfect sense to me Chancie - you've lost a lot of weight and sizes, so there was nothing wrong with taking a "break". Now you're ready to get going again. You've all inspired me to start tracking as well, so now I have to find someplace I can track at work as easily as at home -- which program do you think is the easiest and best? Thanks!

Thanks for the compliments Shanda and Attitude - I felt pretty good Saturday night when I saw the pics!

Thank you Thin, it's the first time I've actually been able to see the loss for myself ... and can't even imagine what I'll look like when I reach goal - another 53 lbs. I'm excited to find out though that's for sure!

Itstime - welcome to VST. Thank you for sharing your story. As far as telling your PCP that you had your surgery in Mexico, it's not really any of her business -- and as long as she'll continue to treat you, telling her after the fact is no big deal. Heck I wouldn't even tell her if she doesn't ask - and if she does and asks why - then tell her Dr. Aceves had performed more surgeries than the local guy and you wanted one of the best - and be sure to let her know he is FACS. She'll probably be impressed with all the tests he performs and the reports and xrays, etc. he gives you before you leave the hospital.

You will make it through the clear liquids - those of us who have are proof -- it's not easy, but necessary -and you can do anything for a short period of time ... hang in there!

I haven't been good at tracking what I eat at all - I should as I think I'm with Chancie in that I'm at a stall and going on week 2-- so maybe if I start tracking it I'll see where I'm going wrong and start losing again.

Carlouv - welcome to VST, we're glad we're able to help you out and will be here after your surgery to help you with any questions you may have. If you check out the thread "Dr. Aceves Information" there is a post of a list of things recommended to bring with you - that added to Stoongal's list, and of course the beloved HEATING PAD, will probably give you as a complete list as possible.

I love the Naked drinks - I'll look for the protein one. Thanks!

You are still in the baby stage Lan - down the road you will be able to eat more - I can probably eat about 3-4 oz. now at 4.5 months out - and that varies from meal to meal. Have patience and QUIT worrying - worrying is not good for you - especially when there's nothing you can do about it - it's just wasted energy - focus on the positives - and as long as you get in your fluids and some Proteins, I wouldn't worry about it - I know for a fact that I wasn't getting in my protein at 1 month out - and there's probably days now when I don't get it in either - if I'm more restricted than on other days.

DeeDee -- great victories - 179 - wow that's awsesome - I haven't see that in I can't even remember when -- right now I'm struggling to get to onederland, but I know I'll be doing cartwheels (which I can't do) when I get to the 170s -- congratulations!!!! YOU WILL MAKE IT!

Backtonew - Welcome to VST -and congratulations on having had your surgery. I'm not able to drink the protein drinks since surgery - if you like cottage cheese, it has a lot of protein. Also there is a ricotta bake recipe posted on here that has quite a bit of protein and is really good. Also I posted a recipe for egg drop soup that is really easy and tasty. I'm sure others will have lots of ideas for you too.

How many carbs per serving Lan?

Okay - so after watching an epidsode of What Not to Wear and seeing all the women who don't wear the right size bra, I went to a bra shop (few years ago) and was measured - told I needed 44D (I'd been buying 48B - go figure) ... so that is what I have been buying. I know I have lost inches around as I am on the very last row of hooks. Last night, Bearded and I were at Lane Bryant (I needed new panties) and they were having a bra fitting ... so I had the "bra specialist" measure me and she said "40DD" ... now, I can understand the 40 part, but how do you go from a D to a DD when you've lost inches and almost 50 lbs? I tried on several of their bras (actually went with a 42DD, as I couldn't breath in a 40) and filled the cups out completely. Just still don't understand going up a cup size!?! And OMG the support these bras gave me -- the girls were up high - like I'd had a boob lift -- gives me an idea of what they will look like when I actually do have the lift. It was their balconette bra. They are having a sale right now - buy 1, get 1 half-off. And I reached one of my NSV's - I bought some boy panties (size 14/16) WITH A MATCHING BRA! Silly NSV I know, but has always been one of my "desires"

POST-OP DIET: Here are a few ideas concerning the post op diet Day 1 thru 5 ( Clear liquids Only ) fruit juice ( apple, grape, cranberry ) Propel broth Jello-O Water Tea Protein Water by Kellogg?s Water popsicles Clear Protein drinks only ( example Isopure, unjury ) Day 6-10 ( thin liquids ) All of the above and: Natural Vegetable Juices ( example Carrot, V-8 juice ) Protein drinks mixed with water ( example Matrix ) Whey nectar Protein Mix Day 11 thru 20 ( full liquids ) Cream Soups Yogurt Jello-O Boiled pureed fruit ( example apple, pear) applesauce Watermelon, papaya or melon in small pieces Low fat milk 1 or 2% Water, Propel, tea Soy beverages sugar free pudding Protein shakes and protein powders mixed with milk Day 21 thru 30 ( soft food ) Soft food should be the consistency of a thick liquid ( no chunks or solid material ) and it should be chewed very well before swallowing until it is a liquid consistency ) Tofu Low fat cottage cheese Cereal oatmeal Precooked pureed rice Low fat Yogurt Yogurt mixed with fruit very well blended Cream soups eggs Boiled pureed fruit ( example pear, apple ) Watermelon, papaya or melon in small pieces Boiled pureed vegetables Beans Day 31st and beyond ( solid food ) Fish, Chiken meat Turkey Vegetables Fruit A diet consisting of 800 calories and 70 grams of protein should be your goal. There is a book called " Weight loss Surgery for Dummies" Authors: Kurian, Thompson and Davidson You might find it helpful. I contains several recipes and ideas on what to eat after surgery Grilled Marinated Tuna with Lime Herbed Beef Patties Turkey Meatballs Seafood salad chicken Salad Please do not forget to take your Nexium . Patients who fail to take the Nexium may experience nausea, reflux and swelling which may lead to difficulty in eating. We recommend you avoid complications that are very easily preventable and plan on taking the Nexium for at least 3 months. We recommend you have your first check up 3 months after surgery. It will consist of an upper GI and some blood work. The upper GI is an x-ray examination of the pharynx, esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine (also known as the duodenum) that uses a special form of x-ray called fluoroscopy and a contrast material called barium. Blood work could include checking the following... CBC ( to check anemia and lack of Vitamin B12 ) and SMAC 24 (sugar, cholesterol, Calcium and hepatic functioning ) I will also copy paste some information that can help you during these first weeks after surgery. A diet consisting of 600-800 calories and about 70 grams of protein should be the goal Protein will not only help you heal and build muscle mass but acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Concerning protein supplements here are a few ideas: Isopure protein drinks - 40 grams of protein per bottle. Isopure you mix with water - 50 grams of protein. You can find them at GNC. "Protein Water" by Kellogg?s - 5 grams of protein per drink. You can find it at WallMart Unjury clear protein drinks - UNJURY Medical Quality Whey Protein Isolate. Great Tasting Whey Protein Supplements for Everyday Health! High Protein and High Quality. Not so good tasting. New Whey Nectar Protein mix is very good but it is kind of expensive. It is said to be one of the best tasting protein products in the market today. You can get it at GNC or on line www.google.com/products?client=safari&rls=en&q=whey+nectar+protein&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title Some patients enjoy making popsicles and Jell-O Jigglers out of protein liquid. Others enjoy Swanson Clear broth that comes in a can . But most enjoy delicious homemade broth using chayote squash for flavor ( they strain the broth to make it clear) CHICKEN AND FRESH VEGETABLE BROTH 2-3 pieces of chicken for every 2 bowls of broth 1 celery stalk 1 chayote (hispanic grocery stores) 1 carrot 2 zucchini 2 small tomatoes 2 small onions cilantro (optional) salt to taste - BOIL chicken pieces for approx. 20 minutes - ADD celery, chayote, and carrot - SIMMER 30 minutes - ADD zucchini,m tomatoes and onions - SIMMER15 more minutes (cilantro is optional) - STRAIN and serve. You can also buy powder chicken broth that contains 10 grams protein per serving. You can find it on Amazon.com, it is called ProCel When you start on full liquids try Matrix 5.0 protein drinks. Protein shakes and mixes are very good tasking. You will need to wait until they are allowed in you food stage. Advocare high protein drinks called ?Meal Replacement shakes ? have Vitamins added to them and are a great option too FOLLOWING THE POST OP DIET IS VERY IMPORTANT REMEMBER WE ARE TRYING TO PROTECT THE STAPLE LINE THE SCAR TISSUE IS STILL FORMING AROUND IT DO NOT OVERFILL YOUR STOMACH AND DO NOT JUMP ANY FOOD STAGES

ITEMS TO TAKE TO THE HOSPITAL: Some items you may want to consider taking to the hospital with you: Pajamas, the nurses and doctors will be checking your incisions so you might be more comfortable in your own pajamas than the hospital gowns, however, hospital gowns are provided if you prefer. Non skid slippers, thongs, or slip on shoes of some sort. The hospital floors are very clean and waxed, so you'll want non-skid. It will be sore to bend over so you won't want to tie shoe laces so slip on shoes are easier. A favorite robe, many times it is comforting to have a favorite robe. Computer - if you have a laptop you are welcome to bring it. The hospital and hotel are set up with wireless internet connection. Any of Dr. Aceves' staff can give you the password at the hospital. You do not need a password in the hotel. Cell phone - Most cell phones work well in the hospital, if your phone does not work most of the staff will loan you their phone. The electrical system is the same in Mexico as the US so you do not need a converter for your hair dryer, computer, or cell phone charger. Shampoo - this is provided by the hospital but many prefer their own brands so they prefer to bring their own. Book or other reading material. You will not likely feel like reading the day of surgery but you might the day after surgery. Loose fitting clothing to wear coming home. You will likely feel a bit bloated after surgery so bring a sweat suit or something very loose fitting and comfortable for your ride home from the hospital. I do not suggest bringing much cash with you. Unless you want to do a little shopping the day before your surgery there is no need for much cash. You will want to purchase dinner the night before surgery and $25.00 per person will cover that easily, less for most restaurants. If you want to have access to cash then credit cards are a safer alternative. You will not need to convert US dollars to pesos, you can use US dollars for your companion in the hospital cafeteria and all businesses around Mexicali if you choose to do a little shopping

SHOPPING LIST: Just as a suggestion you might want to do a bit of grocery shopping before you have surgery so that when you come home you will not need to go to the store, you will be able to rest and relax. Some ideas are: broth, chicken, Beef, Vegetable, or they have new products out (new to me) that are Chinese Soup broths in a carton that you simply heat. It would give you a bit of variety. Popsicles that are Water based, sugar free, and a variety of flavors. Ramen Noodles. While the noodles are not acceptable during the clear phase of the post op diet there is a packet of dry broth mix that many seem to like, it has a bit more kick than regular broth, I am told. Propel water, you can purchase this as bottled water or you can purchase individual packets of this product and put it in water and mix. The reason this product is good is because many are used to a high carbohydrate diet and when your body is used to many carbs, especially white carbs such as flour, Pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar; your pancreas tends to put out a bit too much insulin because of the carb load. When you remove carbs from your diet it can potentially be a drastic change and your pancreas is still putting out a bit too much insulin during the post op diet. This can cause low blood sugar, your stomach might feel nauseated, you might begin to perspire, feel like you are trembling. This does not happen to everyone but it does seem to happen more to older folks or those used to very high white carb diets. Propel water has a very small amount of sugar in it. Just enough to bring your blood sugar up but not enough to cause large blood sugar spikes. Power Aid Zero, it is a new product that is low carb but it has some electrolytes that are beneficial during the post op stage. Water, you need to get about 64oz of fluids in daily. Your broth and Popsicles count toward your 64oz of fluids daily. The key is to sip, sip, sip all day long. The first few days you may find that you cannot get your full 64oz of fluids in, try as hard as you can. You do not want to become dehydrated. If you enjoy tap water that is fine, if you don't then perhaps try bottled water and see if that goes down. Crystal Lite, Sugar Free Hawaiian Punch, pretty much any sugar free water flavorings are fine during the post op diet. Protein products, during days 1-5 you'll need a clear protein product such as Isopure clear bottled protein liquid or unjury. You can find Isopure at General Nutrition Stores or a variety of Health food stores. Unjury must be ordered on line in advance of your surgery, www.unjury.com. They have an unflavored product that is nice because when you are done with clears it is versatile and you can add it to Jello, cooking, smoothies, etc. Please note, this is a whey protein product. All whey protein products have one issue in common and that is that they don't heat easily. If you add any whey protein product to a hot liquid it will clump. The key is to add it to a cold liquid and heat slowly, then it will not turn into lumps. A good source of protein products after the clear liquid phase (you can use these with water instead of milk starting day #5, and with milk starting day #11) can be purchased reasonably at: www.netrition.com Some excellent products are: Matrix 5.0 by Syntrax http://www25.netrition.com/syntrax_matrix_page.html The more popular flavors are chocolate and Cookies & Cream. You can spice up the Chocolate with Da Vinci Sugar Free Syrups: http://www25.netrition.com/cgi/prices.cgi?manu_id=121 Another very popular protein product if you like Chocolate and Peanut Butter is Whey Gourmet, Choco/Peanut butter: http://www25.netrition.com/pvl_whey_gourmet.html I suggest the above because you'll need to consume about 60-80gms of protein after surgery. During the post op diet this can be difficult to do. Adding protein supplements can make this much easier. You'll want to track your protein intake in the beginning and a few free, on line sites you can do that are: www.thedailyplate.com www.sparkpeople.com www.fitday.com Just see which format you prefer of the above. The Daily Plate has a weight graph, daily you put your weight in and it is satisfying to see the numbers go down!

It will get better with time ... I know your frustrations with having so much and then being able to eat so little .... even though Bearded and I both had the surgery and eat about the same amount, we still have lots of leftovers. I have a seal-a-meal which I use to keep the leftovers fresh, plus I freeze alot and since Bearded works out of the house, he'll oftentimes eat the leftovers the next day for lunch. Hang in there each week it's gets easier. I promise!

XBander - congratulations on your surgery -how exciting (and yes, nerve wracking too). It's a little too late for the pre-op diet - other than you shouldn't eat or drink 12 hours before your surgery. Post-op I am sure your doctor will provide you with a post-op diet; if not, the one that Dr Aceves uses is pretty good. Most importantly - walk, walk, walk and sip, sip, sip. Don't lift anything over 15 lbs. for 6 weeks. Oh yes, and post as soon as you feel up to it to share your story!