almost 3 yrs. old timer here for you???

I had my surgery almost three years ago in January of 2005. My husband had it 7 months later. We are both happy and healthy. I am 5'8" and I went from a size 28 to a size 16(if I would get up off my butt and exercize, I would be a size 12! But I digress....) I am here to offer my support and answer any questions you may have. This board was my lifeline for the first year post op. I want to return the favor. I will talk about anything; bowl movements, pain, cleaning oneself after surgery, scars, medicines, recipes, sex,...etc. No topic is too sensitive. Just ask. Good luck in advance to all of you on your upcoming surgeries and remember the big 5 rules: 1. Put a pillow on your tummy to cough 2. Take mouth swabs to wet your mouth after surgery 3. Walk as much as you can stand it. It really does speed the healing. 4. If there is a problem in the hospital....Complain!!!!The squeeky wheel gets the grease. 5. Don't hit the morphine pump too much or you will have constipation like you would not believe!! Get ready for some fabulous comments, whistles, pinched butts, and admiring glances. Enjoy trying on clothes in a store with no plus sizes. I kissed my diabetes meds. goodbye after a month!! I can see my toes again! I have ribs and collar bones!! So many wonders await you!

Hello Lou ann, Thank-you first off Its so nice to talk with someone that has been through all of this already. well I would like to ask a few questions about surgery and such I went to my pre op today and I had heard from pt's of my dr that he is excelent as a surgeon but his bed side manner is not so good well I ask a few questions today but it was one of his last appointments and all he looked like he had been in surgery all day so I'm guessing he was tired also. He made me feel strange about asking the questions, so maybe you can help. I will be having surgery on the 7th of Nov at 7:30 in the morning Oh I'm having an open RNY and the Dr does a lot of lap bands so an open was not what he wanted me to do but insurance will only pay for open . so he kind of got upset that I ask him to do one I don't know it may be me over thinking. maybe he is upset with insurance companys any how. I did lose 12 pounds on my liquids so far. well I was going to ask, to clean ones self after surgery did you use a spay bottle like you use after having a baby? 2. what type of food did you try for your starch ? I hear bread and all gets stuck and the nutritionist told us to not try anything that can be formed in your hand if you were to shut your hand . I know it will be a while before I have to worry about it . well I have more questions but I can't think, Our day started at 3:30 in the morning so I'm off to bed take care Cathy

Cathy Wrote: 2. what type of food did you try for your starch ? I hear bread and all gets stuck and the nutritionist told us to not try anything that can be formed in your hand if you were to shut your hand . I know it will be a while before I have to worry about it . Cathy: I'm still a pre-op like you, but maybe I can answer this question for you. At first you won't be eating any starch foods (bread, rice, pasta, etc.) because you'll be focusing strictly on protein. Slowly you'll add some carbs to your diet in the forms of fruits and veggies ... but it'll be a while before you'll try bread and rice. Carbs will slow your weight loss, so you want to stay away for as long as possible. As for the consistency of bread ... yes, the squeeze test would probably work. But also think about what happens to those types of foods when they have water added. Rice will plump up and swell, so will pasta. Bread will swell up and form a big ball of doughy yuckiness. So whatever will happen to those foods in plain water will also happen in your pouch. So 1 bite of bread might actually swell up to be the same as 4 or 5 bites. We'll learn all this together..... Pam

I am sorry that I have not replied sooner. I have been down for over a week with the flu. I lost ten lbs. without doing anything! Oh, yeah...I forgot to eat.....but I was drinking plenty of tea, apple juice, and water. Whoops!....forgot to put the protein in my water. Doctor is very upset with me. Bad girl, bad, bad girl! I see by the calendar that you have had your surgery by now, so as to your questions: 1. I have never given birth(2 adoptions) so I wouldn't know about that, but the best thing for me to clean my butt was a box of baby wipes! Soft and gentle. 2. I ate NO starches for 3 months. NONE! Then, I tried bananas and oatmeal. I also liked corncakes before surgery. Afterwards, instead of eating 2 huge porkchops, 3 or four corncakes, sweet potatos, bread, pie, etc., I fixed a small plate(dessert size) with a drizzle of sugar-free maple syrup, then a small piece of pork chop 2 oz., and a corn cake on top. It looked like a hoighty-toighty appetizer! Usually I couldn't fini**** (But this was a year after surgery and my pouch had stretched...couldn't have eaten that the first year.) My first restaurant meal post op was 1 month after surgery. I went to Taco Bell and got the beans and cheese(frijoles con queso). Couldn't finish the silly little cup, but I remember how great it was to eat out again! I was always pushing the limits. I threw up multiple times the first year. Mostly because I ate too fast and too much. I gave up reading or watching tv while eating; too distracting. My husband is a chef and created a bunch of new recipes for me and my fellow BSV's (bariatric surgery vets). He made a chocolate mousse that was sooo good that the surgeon was eating it up at the bariatric meeting (his nurse told us he had a thing for chocolate). I was lucky to have a husband that took such good care of me. He had his turn 8 months after my surgery.

Thank you Lou Ann! It's great to have an old timer here to answer questions and help us through these first few months after surgery. I really like the idea of all us November Losers hanging out together and taking the trip together --- but your assistance will definitely be invaluable to us as we have questions along the way. Congratulations on your great success! Pam