New here just out of hospital

Hi ya'll! I just found this board. How exciting! I actually posted this on the February board but thought I would copy and paste it here, too. Nice to meet you all, hope to get to know you better. Hey friends and fellow losers! I had my surgery on Tuesday the 28th also known as Mardi Gras which means FAT TUESDAY. Next year we will have to find another name for it. I wonder what the French translation for Skinny Tuesday would be. HMMMMM? My doctor called me his poster child for WLS. He said the surgery went perfectly, he couldn't have asked for anything better. So that makes me very happy and proud. I have had managed pain but the gas is a killer! LOL. It took two days for mine to start coming out and it is still a slow process. Anyone have any suggestions as to how to get it moving out??? I was eating ice the day after surgery and sipping the water from the melted ice. I kept feeling like I was having a big air bubble caught in my "tummy". Everytime I would take a sip it would feel like air was trapped. Finally, my hubby (*****ad my manual the doctor provided me) told me to sip on room temp or warm liquids instead. Sure enough no more air pockets each time. I still get the air pockets but usually because I take too much air in with my sip sip sipping of water. I am retraining myself on this process. It is going well. Today is my first day at home and I haven't had the success I had hoped in getting protein in. Water is no problem. But my doctor has me on a 6-8 week liquid/pureed diet and the shakes are yummy but tend to give me quite a bit of gas on top of what I already have - so it's not so much fun. Anyone have any suggestions on how I can get more protein in these next few weeks? I can only walk around the house right now due to still being a bit weak from surgery but feeling stronger everytime. Sleeping in the recliner was wonderful - with a pillow at the small of my back to pooch my tummy out was the most comfortable for me. I didn't move at all last night (drugs helped too lol). I look forward to feeling even better as the next week progresses. I would love to hear from any of you as to how you are doing. If anyone has questions about my surgery I am an open book. I so very much appreciate all the input and answers I got prior to my surgery and would love to pay it forward. Great to be on the bench with you winners! jean

Congratulations Jean and welcome to the Tennessee board. Glad to hear your recovery is going well. Where did you have surgery at? I'm in the process of getting approved thru BC/BS PPO...paperwork is being reviewed as of Friday and am hoping to have surgery at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. Keep us posted on how you're doing! April

I was at Baptist with Dr. Jamie McDowell. He's so awesome. I have the same insurance as you do through the state. I was approved in a few days of submission. Good luck to you and God bless you.

Thanks Jean! I hope my approval is as quick as yours... this waiting is making me bonkers! My paperwork was sent to review this past monday so hopefully I'll have an answer tomorrow. Thanks again.

Jean, cons on your surgery. I had mine on Jan. 9. I didn't have the problems with gas, but keeping things down is my problem and still is. Walk more helps move the gas. As for protein. I drink one Boost High Protein shake in the mornings. That's 14 grams. Cottage Cheese is high in protein, I went to Rite-Aid and found an unflavor powder for 10.99. One scoop in your soup, with cottage cheese, scrambled egg, is 22 grams of protein. White shrimp boiled and pealed, about 2 and you will be full, or grind them up, very high in protein, same as tuna in water. I will be two months next week, and I can handle some hard foods, but get sick on soft foods. I know I'm weird. But I'm learning that my taste buds are changing. The biggest problem for me is my potassium keeps dropping to low and I end up back in the hospital for a week. Tums with calcium twice a day may help you with the gas too. That's what they put me on while in the hospital. I can walk for the first time after over 2 years of being in a power wheelchair. Still a little shakey but it does get better. I have no pain in the joints or my back and hip now. I haven't had to take my blood pressure pill since surgery, nor my diabetic pill since surgery, but I do monitor my sugar to make sure it's ok. I know right now it's rough, but next week walk around the outside of your home, and each try to go a little farther. I actualy for the first time was able to go to the store and make it to the register with no pain and no wheelchair. After I got home 2 weeks later, I didn't have any pain, but just medication for the ing, and that's more from the fact that I have leukemia. I have lost 47.5 lbs and went from 28 size jeans to size 22. My 3x's are too big already. I love it, and have no regrets. I have a hard time getting in all my water, but decafe tea with splenda, crystal lite helps for the water supply. Wal-marts even has splenda in brown sugar so as long as I use wheat flour I can still bake. Just becareful. I'm proud of you. We're here to help you. Any questions just ask. I love not having to use a wooden spoon to wipe the back side. I only have 100 to go to goal. You will love the new you. always here, Kathy

Congratulations on your amazing success, what an inspiration. I actually tried some chili blended up tonight with Beano added, of course, and while it produced some gas it came right out without staying in. So that was an exciting boost of protein and taste. I also drank a 20oz glass bottle of Isopure Alpine Punch - YUMMY and it has 40 grams of protein. Of course it took me the better part of the day to down that but still had time for more water. I usually wake up with severe nausea (not vomited yet) and hubby makes me a cup of chamomile tea and that seems to help alot. I think the warmth helps to get me ready to consume water. I can finally drink cold beverages again. I poured the Isopure over crushed ice today - it tasted alot like a snow cone. I highly recommend it. I think I will try the Boost or CIB this week. I have six weeks of the pureed diet so I am looking for ways to be creative. My best friend is coming in for a visit tomorrow and we are planning to cook up some things and freeze them pureed in ice trays. So that should be good food too. Keep us updated on your progress.

I was on liquids for 3 weeks, now soft, I have pureed green beans once, it reminded me of Gerber baby food and why babies spit it back out, or what appears in my grandsons diaper. No thank you. I have tried refried beans, added some grinded up chicken with the taco sauce (found it already made up at Wal-Marts.) warmed it together and added some mexican cheese. I was able to eat that without a cracker or with even a tortilla chip. It stand down and after three bites I was full. While on liquids I would go to a diner with mom and have the broth from pinto beans, high in protein and some cottage cheese, remember the adaged eat protein first, I never did get to eat the cottage cheese, the broth from the pinto beans was plenty. Don't do what I keep forgetting to do, don't drink 1/2 hr prior or after eating. I keep forgetting it and it all back up. As for chewable vitamins by Flintstone, one they are hard as a rock, how any child is supposed to chew them is beyond me. But they taste nasty. I found VIACTIV chewable chocolate. These are for women only. I can't chew them with my dentures but I sure can with out my teeth. I'm anemic because of my leukemia and chemo pills, so I get two B12 shots a month. My best friend gives them to me on the 1st and 15th of the month. But so far I haven't had to take the powder for protein. I jus****ch what I eat, and according to my first lab work for my one month my protein was good. I go by the diner every so often and get some of their pinto beans already cooked, three bites of small curd lowfat cottage cheese, or mild chedder cheese which I cut into small bites and take with me. This way if I am sitting in a Dr.'s office I don't have to worry about my sugar, I just eat a bite of cheese or two. Half of a Eggo waffle with sugar free syrup is easy on the stomach, same as 1/2 a pancake both are high in protein. I like to take boneless skinless chicken breast soak it in lite Italian dressing and put it on my George Foreman grill, three bites, I'm full, I cut it up into small bites and one piece will give me 3-4 meals. I don't do a lot of cooking as it's just for me. If I were to cook anything else, I wouldn't be able to eat it after I eat my protein first. I love shrimp, so I buy a big bag, take out 3 put them in a pan to boil, peal and I can even eat them with ****tail sauce with no problems. I still have liquids like chicken soup, sugar free jello (not lime ugh), apple juice, Tropican OJ, but that's the only juices I can handle. If I can help on anything else let me know. I'm of to Kathy

Welcome !! sounds like you are doing great . I just meet Dr McMcDowell.l and Dr Lynch Fri . turned in my paperwork and am waiting for them to call me back. I am glad you found this board Laura

Congratulations on meeting with "my" doctors. You will love them. Also, their nurse, Nancy, is a godsend - she will answer any question you have and you will feel right at home there. Good luck on your approval process.

Hi Jean. Skinny Tuesday - how funny! . Congrats on having surgery. It sounds like you are recovering farily well. I wish you lots of success. Keep us updated on your journey and experiences. I have not had surgery yet. I will be going through Vanderbilt. I just have to finish up my 6 month diet first. Misty