I laughed last night when I attempted to try on the pants I wore to the hospital.  Even though I have lost 13 pounds in a week, I couldn't come NEAR having those puppies fit! 

From the looks of the posts on the board, the puffiness is very common.

Any idea when we get rid of it?

Wow, same surgery date and you're already eating real food.  I'm jealous!  I'm still on the liquid diet.  My doc said for the first two weeks I can have Carnation Instant Breakfast, broth, cream soups and SF jello, juice or popsicles.  At 2 weeks I'll get to start eating real food...I'm both looking forward to it and a little nervous.  Were there any foods that simply did not work for you?

My nutritionist says you should be able to get most, if not all, your protein from food, but there are many schools of thought out there - and many people making money selling protein drinks as well. 
I guess I'd rather err on the side of eating too much protein than not eating enough, especially when I read about the complications of the surgery that some people have experienced on the message boards like hair loss, etc..

It sounds as if you are doing well!

I live in Michigan, so it is very icey right now, and getting some more snow today.  I have been just walking up and down my hallway Kind of boring but at least I am walking.

Wow! Girl I am sorry that it was that bad.  I was in a room with a non-bariatric patient too but she was pretty good. First night was rough for her because she had surgery on her back, and was having problems but for the most part she slept more then I did. I felt bad because I kept having problems (help getting up, or my machine kept going off, always something). Well at least we are home now, and recovering well.

I would have expected the hospital to place bariatic patients together.  Nope. 

Roommate "S" arrived shortly after I did, and really liked to hit the Nurse button.  Especially for food.  Also for pain medication - Oxycontin was her med of choice. 

Before falling asleep on Night 1, I quietly asked a nurse if I could be moved.  I didn't think I could handle being fresh out of surgery AND listening to "S" tell everyone her sob stories (which varied each time she told them, by the way) and smelling the food and hearing the constant requests for pain meds.  They couldn't move me.  At 3:00 a.m. "S" was ordering a hot Healthy Choice meal, and by 7:00 had a loaded omelette, coffee, muffins, and cokes delivered.

By Friday, I had spun into a depression.  Every time her mouth opened (which was all the time) my guts would churn, my eyes would roll, and I wanted to escape.  I had heard her pit nurses against each other in order to get pain meds, ask nurses to bring food, only to ask for MORE food when they brought it, and I even listened as she made arrangements for her ex-husband (who was eating a meal with her) to pick up a 30-day supply of Oxycontin from her local pharmacy. 

Eventually, a group of doctors, family, and social worker wised up to her ways, and cornered her about the pharmacy/pain meds scandal.  Suddenly she couldn't stay awake to talk.  BUT - when she was told to expect a visit from the police, she was MIRACULOUSLY CURED!  She got up and made it to the bathroom all by herself (up to this point she needed two aides and a walker) and was ready to go home in a flash.

That was the turning point in my recovery.  That night, I slept through the night, pushed through a fever, and was up the next morning getting myself ready to leave!