Four month follow up

I just got back from Moncton...had my four month follow up. Everything is good.  I'm down 25 lbs from my last appt in November. They said that was really good. It was a different nurse today. Her name is Lisa. Rhinette said she is only there sometimes, that Monique doesn't work on Wednesday's. She was very nice. Instead of saying that I had to do certain things certain ways, ex how long it takes to eat, can only eat healthy, she said if something works for me to do it. And I said that I had treats over the holidays and she said of course, we are human.  As long as we can stick with portion control.  So my next appt is in three months. At that time they do a blood test, but you don't get the results until three months later at your next appt. I would think if there was a problem with anything they would let you know right away!  

Hey Kat, glad to hear that everything is going along as planned and congrats on the great weight loss, it must feel amazing.  I started my shakes today and hope that tomorrow will be a bit better.  I found myself hungry today on several occasions and being an insulin dependent diabetic I was concerned about my sugar going too low but it did not.  I just keep monitoring.  Did you find yourself hungry during this stage and if so are there any "tricks" to help this like when it might be best to have the shakes/bars??  I go back to Moncton on Tuesday the 10th for MRSA test and weigh in.  I will be so disappointed if I don't lose something.  The good news is that by the time I go down the shakes stage will be half over thank goodness.

I think I remember day three or four being the worst. I had one shake for breakfast and off to work. Then I had a bar around eleven. Another shake around three and another bar around seven. Then a shake around ten before bed. That way I wasn't hungry going to bed. The times are a little flexible too. And mio and water in between.   I had to eat at weird times or it would be all gone by supper time. 

Congrats on your success, rykat!  I was in for my 3 week post op visit to have the staples removed.  I thought it would hurt, but not at all!  I had the vertical sleeve on  Jan 13 and have been struggling to get enough protein in per day.  Rinette said that its not uncommon.  How did you find the transition to solid foods?  I've had trouble with the pureed foods...perhaps its just the consistency of everything.  Anyhow, I was pleased to learn that I've lost 68lbs since I started the pre op shake diet,  Again, congratulations on your success!!  Peter 

Transition to solid foods was great!  Everything tasted so good. But I remember the first whole chicken I cooked, I ate a little too much. I think this is easy at first. I used to binge eat and eat fast. I wound up throwing up the extra food. But it was a different feeling. It doesn't come from the stomach. I got a feeling like, this food isn't going to stay in. It was in the esophagus. After I was sick I did feel better. And to put it in perspective I am someone who is almost phobic about being sick. And I never felt better afterwards. I think it's just something you have to figure out about how much and what you can eat. The dietician tells you to try everything and you will know what you can't have. Fortunately, or unfortunately however you look at it, I didnt have many problems. I was able to eat bread, pasta etc. but at first I was careful to introduce it slowly. I think one of my first meals was a fried egg and half a piece of toast. And I couldn't finish the toast.  I usually eat all my protein first.  I ate mini wheats every morning for breakfast before. Now I get a weird bloaty feeling so I have stopped for now.  I bought the beneprotein they recommend and put that on my Cheerios in the morning.  Beneprotein is cheapest at fords pharmacy in Moncton, by about $10 so I get it when I go for my appts. I'm an hour and a half away. And the iron they recommend is cheapest at Costco, $8.09, and at sobeys pharmacy, the only other place I've found it, it is $11.99. What a difference.