I don't know what to do....

Okay, I don't know what the heck is going on with me. Please don't flame me as I am having enough trouble with things as it is. Oh, where to start is the question. I guess at the beginning would be good. Okay. I had my surgery on the 25th of February. I haven't hardly taken my vitamins at all. I actually just started taking them last week, I did good for a couple days, but then quit again. I have other meds that I have to take too and what I am on now is 1 pill for my thyroid (small pill), 1 pill for my blood pressure (small pill), 2 pills a day for my depression (small pills), then I have to take my flintstones 2 times a day, then my sublingual b-12 once a day, and 2 of my Calcium pills which I have to cut in half and then take. I will explain more on why I am having a hard time taking my meds and vitamins too. I am also having a hard time getting in my protein and my liquids. I don't even know if I get in half of my protein. I do better with getting in my liquids though, but I only get in about half of my liquids too, if that much. I will explain that too. I can't do protein shakes. I was doing them but I was making them with milk and fat free powdered milk for the extra protein. But that was way too many carbs. I can't stand making them with water. they taste really gross. I get most of my protein from cheese but how much cheese can one person eat? Okay, now I have another problem on top of that. I have been having a lot of pain from my incision area and where the drain is. Whenever I stand I am in pain because I feel a lot of pain at the top of my incision, even when sitting in an upright position. I hurt. I have been taking pain meds before I go to sleep and most of the time after taking it 2 hours later I am awake to eat something...nothing bad though. Then after I eat I go to bed and then I am knocked out until like 3-5pm. That is why it is hard for me to get in all of my protein, liquids, vitamins, and meds. I am really messed up with everything. I didn't expect this to be so hard. Last night my mom and I went out and we went to white castle and I bought some chicken rings and cheese sticks and I ate 2 of them without a problem on the way home and then we went to McDonalds and I got a 6 piece McNugget and some fries. I came home and had a chicken ring and some french fries and ate too much. I went to sleep about an hour after I ate (it was late when we got the food) and then 2 hours later I woke up and ate the other cheese stick and a chicken ring and a cheeseburger from white castle and it went down fine. Then today I had a chicken ring and a half and half of a cheeseburger from white castle. Then later today I had 4 of the chicken nuggets. I feel like I did bad but that is all I ate too. So in a nut shell i am not getting in all of my protein and liquids, I am not getting in my vitamins and meds that I should be all because I hurt all the time and end up sleeping a lot during the day and I don't have time to get in everything that I am suppose to be getting in because I do go to bed fairly early like around midnight, well later tonight and last night, but that still doesn't leave me enough time to get in all of the stuff I have to get in. So, I need help on what to do...any suggestions besides talking to my surgeon??? Thanks. Annie

Hi Annie, I may be the wrong person to discuss this with after my so called eating binge last week, but I found out that the best thing for me was discussing it with my surgeon. They are actually there for us to motivate us. I snuck and had a white castle burger and I had the nerve to be mad that I was full I don't want to sabotage this process and I excepted that fact that I was having a moment and forgave myself (with help from my posting friends ... and this is a new day to be more focused. As for the protein... try some yogurt, beans, tuna, mini shrimp in the can for starters. I too can't do the protein shakes with water but they seem to work with skim milk and also they have a zero carb carnation instant breakfast that is so good! The chocolate is awesome. I hope this helps. We will get through this together Saida

Thank you for your post Saida. It seems you aren't the only one that is having the problem with the white castle either. I had some more cheese sticks from there. I looked up and saw how much protein and stuff there was in them and I can safely say that I am done with them. there is like 14g of fat in 3 of them. Yikes...I should have known that they'd be high in fat and I really need to stick to what I can have. I am afraid of sabotaging myself. I also had some regular coke today, about 1 cup and was able to handle it without dumping. I don't do it much it was like the 2nd time I have had regular pop in about 2 months so I guess that isn't bad as long as I don't make a habit of it, which I don't plan to. I seem to feel like a failure, but I know I am not. I think it is because I don't have a scale that goes high enough. Although I got on my scale yesterday to see and I called it a liar because it said 285 and I know there is no way I could be that low. I weighed 326 on the 14th of April, so I know there is no way I could have lost 41 lbs in one month. No Way!!! I haven't been weighed since then. I am so looking forward to my appt. with my surgeon on Wednesday to be weighed and to go over the problems I am having with the pain. I hope things go better for you as well. I know one thing, we all need to stick together to get through these rough times, because I sure know that I can't do it on my own. Good luck with everything and keep in touch with me. Annie

If you are still having any pain, then I would most definitely contact the surgeon, especially if taking the pain meds is interferring with you being awake long enough to get in the required fluids and protein. Have you gone for any bloodwork yet? or have an appointment scheduled? They usually do bloodwork at 1 or 2 months out to check for vitamin deficiencies to see if you are getting in enough vitamins and minerals. Also, one of the ways I am getting in my protein is by drinking Chocolate carbcountdown for a morning snack and an afternoon snack, it is yummy and each serving has 12gm protein. It also has alot of calcium. So those 2 glasses a day, give me 24gms protein. Then I usually have an EAS carb control shake in the morning which has 15gm protein. Try some cheeses, nuts and yogurt too. I wish you luck on getting your schedule straightened out and getting yourself to feeling better Kelly S

Hi Kelly Thanks for replying. I did go today to get some labs done and I see my surgeon on this coming Wednesday. I have had my prescription to have the labs for 3 weeks and I am just now doing them. The hospital and my surgeon's office is about 40 minutes away from my house, so with the problem of having no gas and hurting too much to go do the labs, I was just now able to do it. I have been going to bed at a decent time, but I lay there and my mind wanders. This is with taking the pain meds that I am on. I have to take them because of how much pain I have with my incision and where the drain tube was. It is terrible, I can't even walk much or do any kind of exercising because of the pain and I can't sit up in a chair very good unless it is a recliner and I can recline. So, because of the pain I can't even go to school this summer. So, yeah, this is really sucking. I was doing so good and then I started doing a lot of stuff and then I all of sudden started having so much pain around my incision and area where the drain tube was. So, that will definitely be discussed with my surgeon. I can't handle it anymore, there are so many days that I am in tears because of the pain and because I can't do anything because I just don't feel good enough to do anything. I can't clean my house, which is one thing I was excited about doing after surgery because I could help my mom out more, I was wrong, I can't do it. I have tried regular Carbcountdown milk and didn't like the taste, but I did like it mixed with the Atkins Advantage powder. The bad thing is it is just so darn expensive and the store where I usually get it at, hasn't had it the last couple weeks, but they have a ton of chocolate carb countdown. I need to do something. I do a lot of cheese, that is my main source of protein and I do deli slice lunchmeat. I am afraid to try nuts because of the high fat in them. I also do yogurt too. I have been buying Carb Control Dannon Yogurt. It has 5 grams of protein. So, I love that stuff. So, thanks for the reply. Annie

hi annie: sounds like you're having a heckofa time since Feb. if you're having pain, please see your surgeon. they can help you decide if it's something they can help with or if the pain meds can be cut down to deal with the fatigue. your list of meds sound alot like mine. i take them first thing in the morning with 20 oz of water, then i give myself permission to have some breakfast - if i'm still hungry. i have gone to burger king, but only had the cheeseburger (without the bun), figuring that the hamburger patty alone was high protein. i hope you find some answers annie. you should probably be having an easier time of it by now and i would reach out to my medical providers to get the help to make it easier. please take care. dorthe

Thank you Dorthe, I have been having a hard time, but I will be seeing my surgeon on this coming Monday, wi**** were sooner, but I have waited this long. I just had my labs done tonight, so I will see what is going on there too when I go see him and then also weigh in, which I can't wait for because I haven't been weighed since April 14th. I take my meds (when I do take them) with yogurt. It helps to go down a lot better. But sometimes I do take the with jus****er. They are small enough to do that. I have had a cheeseburger from Burger King too and I do the same thing, I take the bun off first thing. I usually share my lunch with the seagulls at the beach when I go to BK. I will take the bun and throw it to them and then I will eat what I can of the cheeseburger and then give them the rest. Sometimes I get some french fries too and eat some and then give the birds the rest. They get a pretty good deal because they actually get to eat more than me...lol. I am going to get some answers when I see my surgeon and see what I can do. I hope it is something easy and simple because I just can't live like this anymore. I am in tears a lot because of the pain and not being able to be very active. I can't walk much and I definitely can't exercise. I won't be able to go to school this summer and that really sucks. I feel like I am already on the 10 year plan with as many semesters as I have had to drop pre-op because of health issues. Oh well, something has to happen good. I am sure of it. Thank you and you take care. annie

Annie - I will put you on my prayer list - you are having such a hard time. Don't be discouraged...this will pass. I try to think of myself 6 months down the line - I think, "This is only temporary. It won't be like this forever!!" Please let me know what the surgeon says - I don't think you should be in such pain. The food and vitamin stuff I think is normal - I am not perfect in those areas either - I just realized today that I didn't take ANY vitamins or calcium yesterday - I had appointments all day and just forgot! But today, I start a new day and one with vitamins and calcium. Forgive myself and go on to a better day. When I am yearning for "fast food", I found I can eat a fish sandwich (top bun gone). Hang in there. I am 9 weeks out and have lost 40 #. My new life - it's worth it. Peg

Hi Annie, I hope once you see your surgen and he can fix the pain and get you off the pain meds. Its no wonder you don't get all you need when you sleep all day. I know you must be frustrated. South Beach has a new line of frozen foods and cereal bars. I keep a cereal bar in my purse for hard times, and will eat one as a snack...they are worth 10 grams of protein...they are not the best cereal bar I have had but I get thru it easier than a shake, and the frozen meals are anywhere from 25 to 35 grams of protein. I like the south beach pizza. I read the protein on the back of the boxes and try to get a high one. My husband works at night and it is easier for just the kids and I. I have been lucky and had a fairly easy time of things, I have only threw up a couple of times...I know what I did to cause it and didn't do it again. I have lost about 50 lbs since Feb.8th...not too fast and not too slow Cory

Hi Annie, Let me first say way to go on making the life change!! I know that for some its kind of tough, for me I am one of the lucky ones. I had my surgery done on Feb. 26 and have lost 60 pounds. We all get weak with the fast foods so dont beat yourself up too much about it. My advice to you on that would be to find something on the menu that is more healthy than not like a grilled chicken sandwich, but try to avoid the fries and onion rings. I still go to my favorite fast food places because I have kids, but we all try to eat the healthier items on the menu. Most every place has salads and the ones with meat will give you additional protein. Healthy Choice has some great meals that have anywhere from 20 to 25 grams of protein and they are truly delicious. I hope that your pain situation gets resolved and you can at least start walking. That will move your metabolism and give you more energy. Good luck and hang in there, I know it can be frustrating, but we are all learning a new way of living. Take care, Bridget