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In Houston I've only been able to find the tiny containers for $1.99 but finally found a big container yesterday at HEB Market for $4.99 (it was by all the organic yogurt, they have an entire section). HTH

Try eating tougher foods later in the day and see if that helps. Supplementing with protein powders may be an option. Yogurt and cottage cheese are good protein sources too. Brad

Thank you for your encouaging words Slenderella Kristikay I was supposed to lose 30lbs before surgery but I gained 10...I think the same thing, 6 months is a long time, my doctor only requested a week of yougurt, unsweetend applesauce, sugar free pudding, popsicles, skim milk, protein shakes and raw veggies, jello, but It's hard to do this when I've contantly got people around me eating McDonald's, Taco Bell, and 7-11....once I made up in my mind hey I'm going to do this regardless of what's being eaten around me, I felt a lot better, still a little PO'd but I'll get over it. Time to start losing this weight, we both will! My surgery is September the 27th, only 1 more day, and this day I can only consume liquids, nothing red and no yogurt or veggies, just broth and protein shakes and nothing after midnight Wednesday.

I know some that did eat baby foods but personally YUCK! and a lot of my band friends threw stuff in the blender like roasts and said they tasted great again I just couldn't get past it. Once I switched over to the creamy/mushy phase at the 14th day I was all over the various cheese Soups if they had veggies in them I either gummed them to oblivion or fished them out. I couldn't be bothered to do the whole blender thing like I should have. I also made a variety of Protein puddings by mixing whey protein powders with instant sugar free puddings. (Chocolate, Cheesecake, Lemon or Lime, etc..) Later I discovered an even healthier option where I would blend Cottage Cheese until smooth and replace most of the milk called for in the pudding recipe with that instead. It had a much higher protein to carb ratio and tasted great. Most people think it sounds disgusting but really it tastes very creamy like you made it with whole milk (no hint of salty at all) Oh and if you freeze the puddings for a while before you eat them and stir them up they taste like eating soft serve ice cream. Yummy. Right now one of my favorite protein rich foods is Cottage Cheese with some Yogurt and a Cherry or Rasberry Crystal Light bottle Water packet stirred in. I've just been feeling too lazy to take the time to blend up the puddings and mess up the kitchen. But I'm not sure if cottage cheese would be considered "soft" enough for the 14 day mark. This stage was SO HARD for me but I just kept repeating to myself I can put up with anything for just a couple weeks and being self pay I couldn't risk the possibility of having to pay for any complications much less the loss of money with more time off work without pay. Speaking of work, one of these days I may need to talk to you about the whole teeth whitening thing. I'd love to do it but always assumed too expensive. Tried one of those home kits once and was VERY sore and dissapointed though I managed to get my money back. I personally think I would need veneers to do any good on my teeth. (though I'm not nor ever was a smoker)

I haven't been able to find the Fage brand in my town. I did find Oikos Organic 0% Greek Yogurt and it's good. I bought plain, vanilla, and blueberry. Blueberry is my favorite. Does anyone watch Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger? She uses greek yogurt all the time. She uses it in coleslaw, lobster salad, crab salad and many others too. She mixes it with just a little mayo. Might be worth a try....

I found it at Walmart, they just started carrying it. You might try asking the store manager about getting it. The greek yogurt has more protein in it than the regular yogurt. Greek yogurt has more consistancy (sp). I can only find the plain in the large size (4.??) and the smaller size was in vanilla and plain(1.46). I use splenda and fruit in mine.

I ate a lot of refried beans. I also would pour some of the liquid out of lentil soup and put my immersion blender in it to eat the thickened lentils and vegetables. I ate greek yogurt and tofu. I think I was allowed to eat string cheese at that point as well. I was allowed to have eggs then, but only had them a few times at that stage.

Hi Morgan! I was sleeved on 12/4 so about same timeline. Does milk bother you? I drink Fairlife ultra filtered, 13g protein per cup and lactose free (I was having issues with lactose post-surgery). Also Oikos triple zero Greek yogurt has worked well for me-15g of protein, sometimes I will blend with unflavored protein powder, milk and ice to make a shake. Good luck! Sleeve date 12/4/17 SW: 318 CW: 290

I wasn't on a liquid diet pre-op. I would say NO to the mashed potatoes and cottage cheese but the yogurt MIGHT be OK. You could use Yogurt in your protein drinks instead of milk and make a smoothie. Just be wary of the calories. If you take in under 1200 calories your body goes into what is called "starvation mode" and tends to store everything as fat. So be careful going under the 1200 calories. I learned that the hard way. The scale didn't move for months. LOL!!!

well to continue I have three sons but they are older and do not need me liek they used to. Oldest two on their own and this year youngest wants to be in the big smoke so he is with his dad..so just me in the basement while the one ( BF)who ignores me sits upstairs watching tv. Yes i have tried talking til I am blue in the face but I can see,he shuts me out as I get that glazed look in his eyes. Can I do this? Do you need support and someone to help and drive etc. I have three dogs too so I will need to be there for them. I am feeling really miserable,honest to god, and why must I eat yogurt and cottage cheese?? How will that help my liver, I don't understand, boy I can see that I will feel more yucky as far as mood when I do that. I am supposed to have a b day party for my mom and son on the 7th of aug,,just three days before i get banded, how the heck am I going to pull that off and just eat cottage frigging cheese??? I must apologize to you all for sounding so down. I have read you guys now everyday and I feel like you get to know someone, I mean mandy aka ARGon is hilarious, Yoda is the wise sage, there's cloe and the list goes on and on, man I feel like I am looking through the romper room mirror.. Anyway apologies!

I knew she was looking for stuff for her "clear fluids" phase because she mentioned the same thing on another thread (looking for isopure for clear fluid). I didn't say you were trying to mislead her...my post was not targeting you negatively in any way (if you thought so, sorry you got so defensive!)...I just wanted to remind her that milk and yogurt are not considered "clear fluids" by HER doctor. Maybe YOUR doctor told you milk was okay to mix with Protein shakes "three days out" but I know that her doctor doesn't recommend milk as a "clear fluid" for that first stage. cheers

Hey Miranda, Gatorade does not have the protien that isopure or a protien drink has and will leave you hungry still. I bought isopure ONLINE but to be honest, it wasnt worth the money. At the grocery store i found SOY GEN whey protien, zero carb, and i love the stuff. it was only 12 dollars a container vs the 75 dollars for isopure. I mix it in the mornings with a half a cup of milk, a container of probiotic yogurt and metimucile. Love the stuff. make sure you get alot of protien in, and you wont be "grazing" all day. I live right near the NB canada border. I feel for you on the shopping wise front.

Today is much better! I can drink my coffee and plan to have my yogurt and blueberries mixed together (my fav. morning treat!). I really do think I am either in the green zone or at least very close! I am glad I went-even stepped on the scale today to see 2 more pounds gone! I really think the gym has helped with getting my sluggish metabolism going. After a long plateau things are finally starting to kick in! Melissa-I am going to New Orleans on Thursday for 2 nights and then sailing out to Mexico for 4 nights-I can't wait!! I would have preferred to have my fill last week but the doc was on vacation. Where are you cruising too? By Feb. you will be in excellent cruise shape!! Dave- These guys were so proud and they were actaually talkingto a young girl who was filling out a form for the Lapband. I personally don't think she will qualify because she didn't look like she had much to lose. It was really good to hear 2 guys with 100+ weight lost-and you too!! I have heard so many people say it was the best decision of their life-and I really feel like I am beginning to understand why!

Well, my dad and my husband both regained some of the weight back (Dad gained about 60 lbs over the past few years, and husband gained back 15 lbs over the last year) because unlike me, they didn't feel the need to watch what they ate cuz they had the stomachs of hamsters for so long. And yet somehow that still manages to piss me off: "These mothafuckas get to eat whatever they want, and they still look like Sally Struthers should be raising money for them. And I am eating yogurt for lunch and LOOKING LIKE SALLY STRUTHERS!" :-P

Ok, Ok, OK!!! I think you all rallied me out of the funk I was in. I rode the bike for 10 mintues and did the glider for 10 minutes and will do my toning exercises in the hot tub tonight so that will make my 30 minutes for the day. I am on my 10th glass of crystal light and I did not eat any sugar today. Actually didn't eat anything I shouldn't have. When I got hungry I nibbled on a piece of cheese and had a yogurt. I have a new resolve and I think I'm back on track. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU all. You're super Violet Vigilanties when the going gets tough. We got our new little fireplace today and it looks perfect in the living room. Now we can bask in the glow of the sterno fire from the fake logs.... nothing but the best for this family!! I'm going to watch some more of the Iowa results and then hit the hot tub. Everyone have a great evening and THANK YOU again from the bottom of my heart. You're the best!!

OK.. here's the thing. My doctor doesn't require protein shakes post surgery. He and the nutritionist say that the protein will come from yogurt and/or skim milk the first two weeks post surgery (clear liquid phase). I just put a call into the nutritionist to comfirm that cause I read in just about everyone's post about protein drinks..

Morning ladies!! About the jeans, I do not shop for clothes in person, so someone else might have better suggestions in that department. Lane Bryant, Wal-Mart, etc.. all plus size pants fit bad on me, I don't have hips, so they poof out, and I'm tall, so I need longer inseams. I get 100% of my pants from alloy.com You can specify the inseam you want, so that's my bonus. As for the hips, they don't have any 'built in' shapes to the hip area, so they fit me perfectly. They are all low-medium cut, fitted on the thighs, then flare out either a little (boot cut) or a lot (flare). They started selling 'skinny jeans' BLECH I can't believe someone wants those to make a come back. They have got to be the most unflattering pants in the world. Even on anorexic skinny people, it makes them look fat. Anyway.. I can point out jeans in Alloy that would look great on your figure, but it looks like God blessed you with the curvy hips (waaaaaaah) so you could wear the hippy plus size pants I always see at stores. The jeans in the picture you posted look like men's jeans.. does nothing to show off your figure and even poofs out (I'm betting they're too big because of the weight you lost!!). Running late again today at work, mouth is dry and icky. Forgot my yogurt, so I'm having a fruit leather for b'fast.

Tracy- you are kind of right, that was what happened last time, but I think pms was a big factor. I am back down to 213 and I was 233 on July 19. So my plan, liquids for the next couple of days to get rid of the bloat and get my self together, and make myself meals. I went to the store today and got some yogurt, some chicken, 2% cheese and some more tuna and veggies. So- saturday morning I'll get my butt out of bed and start eating real food. I usually do this Once a month and have worked hard to maintain. And I'm still holding strong It is just time to kick it up. Speaking of, I'm home from work and watching the Biggest Looser. If these people can work and sweat, so can I. I know I'm at the gym every other day, I need to kick it up. loose the last 14lbs to get into onederland I can do this. Anyone else watch? It is so touching, what people say is just so true and just touched my heart.

Alex, Are you saying that you are only eating yogurt and cottage cheese? That you have to do this for two-weeks? OMG!! I could not handle that. You are doing great if you are on day 6. Geez how much weight have you lost? i would have to be like that lady who chained herself to her radiator to quit smoking. I think you are doing great. I only have a week of a pre-op diet (bless my Dr.) and it is mainly high protein and low carb. Angie

Jennifer - I lost 10lbs right after my fill and gained it all back at TOM and now right back to 218 again 4 days after. I myself feel like I just got a fill - i had a small yogurt with fiberone cereal in it and I'm so very full. I can't do 1400 cals, but I think I am doing better with the variety. at least I'm regular again, thank goodness for that! What every works, my next mini goal is 215 so I only have 3lbs to get there - I can do that!!!! Judy - Once again, you are amazing and such an inspiration!

Oh Lunasa---you can officially calm down---it is nothing like you are fearing!!! There will be times between now and you finding a good spot of restriction that yes you may be hungry. But they will not last forever! Right now, you have the fear of the hunger, the upcoming surgery---everything coming in at you at one time. Once the surgery is behind you---you will likely have several days or even longer that you simply are not hungry. I don't know how much your Dr. told you, but the nerves (I think my Dr. called them the Vega nerves) are located at the top of your stomach, and they are the nerves that send the signal to the brain that you are done. Which is why now, pre banding, you have to eat a LOT to truly feel full. And once those nerves are hit, it takes awhile for your brain to fully recognize and tell you to stop eating. There are often times quiet simple signals---that you will learn, to know you are full. Once you are banded, and there is just a small pouch at the top, it is quite simple to hit those nerves quickly---in just a small amount of food. The first days following surgery the nerve pretty much stays activated, due to swelling---your stomach often swells over the indignity of that tight belt being slapped on there!!! Once the swelling goes down, hunger will return, often with a vengeance---because you are on liquids. Liquids are given to allow the band to set into place, and stitches used to do that to heal. When liquids are consumed, they usually slide right through, so the nerve is not triggered. This is the time referred to as bandster hell. A band with no restriction. It is not easy---but if you just repeat to yourself that this is the last time you truly have to "diet" ever again---and weight frequently to see the weight dropping off---you make it through. Then you begin the fill process. With my first fill of 1.25 cc.'s I suddenly felt my band work! I had allowed myself in the hunger of things to slip into some former bad eating habits! Suddenly when I ate too fast, or did not chew, it hurt! Nothing serious, but I knew that the band was there---and I was scared of a real PB or getting "stuck"---so I worked hard on my bandster eating habits. My Dr. allows a fill in 4 weeks, if you are still hungry within an hour or so after eating hard protein. I was---so a month later I had my second fill. It was small, only 1/2 a cc. I thought if 1.25 didn't do anything--then .50 is going to be a waste of time and $$$. Wrong!!!! With that little tweak of .50cc I got excellent restriction! I was no longer hungry----EVER! I am still not ever what I would call hungry. I occasionally feel hollow or empty, and realize I need to eat---but hunger---like the raging, fear inducing, more important than ANYTHING, kind of hunger----gone from my life! Used to be when I would come in at the end of the day, I grabbed anything close and easy---a bag of chips, or cookies, whatever, just so there was lots of it. Now, since I am not really hungry, it isn't a big deal to take a few minutes, and throw a salad in a bowl, or make a half a pita with some chicken salad...finding a healthy alternative, is easy, because there is no rush! I still can have some chips with a sandwich---but I get full very fast, so if I eat the worthless chips, I have taken up valuable space, with not so valuable of a quality of food. If I eat ribs, or a steak for lunch---I can easily not eat another bite of food until morning if I don't force myself. I get busy now and forget to eat---my granddaughter tells me when it is time to eat now!!! And we eat better than I used to, without a doubt. Food is no longer the center of my thoughts. I don't know what is for dinner tonight, and it is time for it---but I'll throw something together, and it will be fine, it will be enough---it isn't a concern. I used to plan dinner as I ate breakfast. I always thought that was one of the reasons I was bigger than my DH, I planned all the meals to what sounded good to me! Occasionally he would say, let's have such and such for dinner, and I always tried to do it, but sometimes it just didn't appeal, so I didn't eat so much. But no, I planned meals way before time to have them, what side dishes would go best, based on the tastes.....now it isn't a big deal. There is a saying I had always heard, of Eating to Live, not Living to Eat. I get it now---I live it! It isn't a real concious decision to change---but when you are not starving all the time, it loses its appeal. You learn that you actually only get the big pleasure of the taste in the first 2-3 bites, then your tastebuds are adjusted...so you totally enjoy the 2-3 bites---and are done with it. I know I have gone on FOREVER---but I want you to know it DOES change---life simplifies, and changes----you enjoy moving your body----and not being chained to the kitchen----it is nice going, and not caring if someone else eats more than their share of an appetizer! When you are going through the bandster hell---we will all be here, to help you and offer suggestions to make the time pass---and suddenly one day you will wake up and be heading out the door to go somewhere, and think, 'oh yeah I better grab a yogurt or something'----because you forgot to eat breakfast---it WILL happen. Your band will be in there waiting to work with you---so when you and your Drt. can begin the adjustment process---get ready for a change!!! Til then, relax---it is all gonna be ok. Kat

This was my menu yesterday....... Morning: Coffee & SF Creamer EAS CarbVantage Chocolate Protein Shake over ice (2 carbs, 100 cal) 1 SF jello, (0 carbs 10 cal) 1 Dannon FitandLight LowCarb yogurt (3 carbs, 80 cal) 1 EAS CarbVantage Strawberry protein shake over ice ( 2 carbs, 110 cal) 2 30oz glasses of water The SF gum which was a MISTAKE (2 carbs) Once home for the night........ 1 can of Tuna w/one squirt of Brown Mustard stirred (this is not liquid, but I am letting myself either 2 hb eggs OR 1 can of Tuna a day) they are both very high in protein and very low in Carbs. Evening: 1 EAS Carbvantage French Vanilla Protien shake, blended with ice for a milkshake consistancy.

Hope your nausea is better Tracy. This is going to sound really wierd, but was your stomach rolling, or was the gagging more from the throat? I once ate something that I thought must have been bad, because I got sick at my stomach from it, and it only eased if I slowly sipped or snacked. In the end, I think I was actually over full, and it was from the esophagus area, and I was feeling the nausea from that. When I caught the stomach virus from Kinsey the feeling was totally different, it was low in the stomach itself, and I was on the verge of vomiting before I even knew what hit me! Hope you feel much better!!! I too like Househuntress really try to get my meals is with mostly protein, followed with veggies, and only a few nibbles of the carbs, mostly for flavor enhancement! Breakfast has almost always hit me that way! I often will snack for breakfast on a leftover piece of sausage or something of that nature. My DH loves sausage, he likes it hot with breakfast, and cold for snacking, so I keep some cooked up, and it is one of the stand bys I use for breakfast or a quick snack. I don't overdo it, because I know there are tons of nitrates, and it is not the best for me! But my cholesterol is down again! Each time I donate blood now they do a cholesterol test, and I can check it online. My Dr. is going to be so happy!!! I had popped over 200 pre banding...now it is down 70 points with no drugs! My usual for breakfast is yogurt---with some granola stirred in. My days have been kinda crazy with all the work we have been doing we have been eating out a lot!!! Yesterday lets see.... BREAKFAST--yogurt--black cherry with granola I ate about 2/3 of the container with about 1/4 cup if that much granola---DH finished it for me! SNACK--a couple of bites of a nectarine while we loaded wood, it didn't feel like it wanted to go down, so I didn't push it. LUNCH--2 taquitas with salsa SNACK--handful of roasted smoked almonds. I know the sodium is out of this world---but they were good!!!! SUPPER--we went to Chilis---I had the childrens chicken crispers and loaded mashed potatoes. I ate 1 1/2 strips of chicken with ranch dressing, and about 3 bites of the potatoes. I heated the leftovers for lunch today and Kinsey and I shared them! For breakfast this morning I had a scrambled egg with green chile, and cheese. The leftovers for lunch, I snacked on half a banana, and some cubed cheddar cheese. I have a couple of rib eyes we are grilling tonight. I will cook some new potatoes, and will likely have some mushrooms to go over the steaks. I can usually avoid the potatoes, but these little new ones from my inlaws garden, may be hard to say no to!!! I also drink tons---lots of tea. I brew my own using decaffeinated tea bags, and sweeten it with sweet & low. I know it isn't the best for me either---but since it is my biggest vice at this point, I am not ready to change!!! When I don't drink enough, I don't lose a thing! I need to weigh---I have not done so in several days---will check it in the morning. I have sore muscles, in my case, that usually means, I will be up a pound or 2, from fluid retention in the muscles, and believe me I have used muscles lately I never knew I had!!! I know I told Rick next vacation we leave town!!! It sounds weird because it was tons of work, but I really enjoy working with him that way, it keeps us close. Well my laundry needs changed out, I have enough dirty clothes to cloth a small nation. But I had a NSV this morning sorting clothes, I picked up a shirt and wondered when my DD left it there, and as I turned it right side out, I realized it was my shirt---I just wore it 2 days ago! It looked so small, I never thought for a second it was mine!!! woohooo it is! And I just wore it so I know it fits me!!! LOVE it!!! TTYL Kat I usually do better, but this week is not a good example!!!

Hi everyone---once again, thank you more than I know how to say for the continued prayers for my family and my little Kinsey in particular. It seems that is was just an everyday gastro intestinal virus that was especially vicious, and contagious, as it has now taken 4 generations of us (my Mom is now sick) down in less than a week. No one else who was at the anniversary has been ill, so thankfully I did not poison everyone. Most of us have been hit hard, and recovered about as quickly, not so with Kinsey. Her case has left her with issues in the colon. Her colon is inflamed, and non reactive. It is not allowing food to enter, so there is no absorption taking place. She is failing, bit by bit, and they have continued to tell us to wait it out. Today, they finally decided maybe that isn't working---and we had a surgical consult. He sent off yet more specimans for culture....and if it warrants it, we will be flying her to either Albuquerque to the University Hospital, or to Denver to the Children's hospital, depending on what type of issue they think we are dealing with. They have downgraded her condition to critical. She bounces from sleeping, which we found out was caused by her blood sugar being below 40! To being so irritable as to not be recognizable--a screaming raging child....to one sobbing for food. It absolutely has broken my heart into a million, million pieces. She tells us point blank she is hungry, and asks for any and all kind of food she can think of...with giant tears in her big blue eyes....then she just goes limp, with the look of total dejection. She is 2, she does not understand why we keep letting them poke her, why we will not feed her....why we don't help her when she tells us her tummy hurts. She begs, Please Granny. And repeats "no pokes, no needles, please" everytime someone new enters the room. Add to this heartache (and it is TRUE heart ACHE), my DD's ex, Kinsey's father, is there trying as usual to be the funny man---and his mother an OR nurse at the hospital we are in, going behind everyones backs and putting down Dr.s and nurses, and questioning them and ultimately pissing them off--- and causing problems....I do not know which way to turn. The ex, and his Mom were arguing with my DD about whether the Dr. might want to run a blood test that might tell them about a disease that my DD's grandma on her Dads side had called Celiac Disease. The nurse dislikes the former MIL anyway, so ordered everyone except the 2 who have been staying the night with Kinsey out of the ward. Now this being said....the arguement was not loud, it was out of the room, and Kinsey is the ONLY patient in Peds. She saw it as a chance to get rid of Renee (former MIL) and did it. So we all were banished. My DD was there with her bf/fiance....they had not had a chance to eat...well we are fighting to get DD to eat, she refuses until her baby can eat....it is more than I know how to handle. Rick waited until shift change, and took some dinner to the hospital, and they were going to take turns going to the waiting room---I just don't think my DD is eating at all either---I keep telling her Kinsey needs her strong. It is very hard to put anything in your mouth knowing she is begging for the same. There were 3 nurses on the floor today, with Kinsey the only patient. At one point, she had a blow out---we had her in a diaper, due to this happening...but she went through the diaper, all over the bed, all over her Mama, her gown, the whole 9 yards. I sent my DD to change, and I proceeded to clean Kinsey up after telling the nurse. They were each on a computer comparing prices of the new Harry Potter book. I got Kinsey cleaned up, walked her out to the hall, found her a new gown in the shelf, took her in and dressed her. By then her Mama was back, and she sat down and held her, while I stripped the bed. I went walking out into the hall with this wad of smelly sheets and ask what they wanted me to do with them, she POINTED to a soiled linens hamper thing. Then she got up, walked to a closet, and handed me linens for the bed! They did not come in and disinfect the mattress----nor did she make the bed! I did. Our baby needed to lay down. They come in 2 times today and did vitals----nothing else. She is still casted, it was due to come off today, the nurse never mentioned to the Dr, we needed a ortho consult until after office hours---now she is stuck until Monday. They did not offer to help bathe her----NOTHING!!! Changed one bag of IV fluids....took 2 sets of vitals.....and surfed the net all day. Now this is the first day for this set of nurses....all of the other shifts, and sets of nurses we have had, have went out of their way to make us comfy, and help our little one in any way---today they were absolutely worthless. Tomorrow I intend on finding out who the nursing supervisor is, and filing a complaint. I have no way to make our baby better.....and I have emotions pent up that those worthless women know nothing about----but are fixing to find out about! While I am there seeing the supervisor or charge nurse or whoever....I will also mention, that we had Kinsey in a wagon pulling her around and around and around the 3rd floor......anythnig but her room, she was so tired of her room....and on one of our turns we passed the ICU entrance. There was a male nurse there Julian, who teased her every time she passed, he would hand her a new crayon.....then a piece of paper....and finally a stuffed doll (out of one of the claw grabber kind of machines it seems). She was so listless, but she would spark a little knowing we were coming up to where he was....he helped our day immensley....I will commend him, as I do my best to take the others down. Amanda said he even come by to tell her to get well, he was going on his 4 days off, and he hoped she was home and well before he come back to work. Her nurse.....never even walked into the room before she left. Thank you all for listening once again---all these things are boiling inside me. I am scared to death for Kinsey. Latching onto the anger I can control. The plan as it stands now is to begin introducing good bacteria into the system tomorrow...similar to what is found in yogurt. IF the tests do not show a total shut down. If they show a total failure, we are off to a bigger hospital for surgery. She has lost weight, she is under 17 pounds now. She doesn't show it much because she is really swollen from all of the IV fluids. They are also watching her blood sugars every 3 hours (which is just another poke----and was NOT done on schedule today), and adjusting the glucose in her IV. They finally gave her some Pepcid type of stuff in her IV for the acid in her stomach, since nothing is passing normally. She has complained less of her tummy hurting with that. And that is all----we wait now....and wait....and wait....and wait. I have my lap top, and I have connection. I just cannot sit in her room with these tears streaming down my face. You guys are my release in so many ways....thank you so much. I will let you know something as soon as I can. Please continue the prayers. Rick has avoided the vomiting....we got him some Kaitrel or something like that....so he is hanging tough. Being right there holding her like her Papa always does. Hugs to you all! Sounds like the food issues continue---I promise you girls---it gets easier, it becomes normal dare I say? Kat

I had a problem with constipation before surgery. My doc recommended Fiber Sure twice a day and it works!! I hadn't been taking it after surgery cause I wasn't having any problem getting rid of the barium. But after that... nuttin. I called the nurse and she said to let her know if I hadn't gone by Monday. I started putting the Fiber Sure into my yogurt and sure enough after a day, it worked. Aren't we thrilled with life's little pleasures??