Good news/Bad news

Hi Diana,

Slight tangent. I just wanted to say that regarding the ProCare, my real life friend Michelle (aka Ms Shell on OH) mixed hers up with crushed pineapple and strawberries in a blender and she said she found it to be pretty palatable.

I have tried it once (while visiting another Agha patient down in Newport to see her scars from her LBL while she was recovering from her face work) and the way she blended it, it wasn't that objectionable.

Also, if you find you want any visitors for any of your procedures, let me know as I live in LA, and I feel that I owe you at least a hug for all the help you've given me.

So excited for you that you are about to do your first round of PS!

DH and I are going out and buying a small blender and some juices to try it with today.  My issue is that I don't like sweet drinks, and I'm afraid I'd gag on this crap under the best of cir****tances.  I told Agha that they need to make it in a Cream of Chicken Soup flavor.

I have no idea how I'm going to feel about visitors -- Charles says I am a PITA when I'm in pain.  I of course have no recollection of this -- I think I'm a saint.  I'll be down there for 5 days the first week of November, but for a longer time at the beginning of December.

I see what you mean about not liking sweet drinkgs, that does make it kind of tricky. I hope that you find something that you like!

Whatever you wind up doing with it, I hope you will share your recipes/experiences with the ProCare.

As far as visitors are concerned, there is another option of going out for a bite on the evening before surgery. But you may just want to be with Charles that night, which I would understand. I just hope that I will get to meet you at some point when you are down here to see Agha. (If my insurance comes through, I am going to do my LBL in the beginning of Dec, so we might possibly be housemates at Camilla's!)

Best,

I used the procare faithfully and am healing very well. I had the LBL and BL on 8/20....I think you may have the new, improved flavor so hopefully it has a better taste. I worked hard to come up with a recipe that I could get down and finally came up with one. I did, however, have to add 2 scoops of vanilla whey protein that changed the taste of the procare significantly. Without that, I just couldn't get the stuff down....I added lots of crushed ice, banana, strawberries, whey protein , procare and about 1/2 c water and blended into a smoothie....Good luck...

Oh, ARGHHH!!  I have never had a protein shake, ever, because the very idea gags me -- and to know that this stuff tastes awful to start with is NOT encouraging me!

Thank you for the tips -- I will be trying various ways of fixing it to help get it down, because I want to make sure I have the best chance of a fast and quality recovery and healing.

I got the Whey protein from CVS and I got vanilla and chocolate, but used mostly vanilla....it is super high in protein. low in fat and sugars and tastes better than most I've tried. This will be a journey for you.....Dr. Agha was my surgeon and I just had a follow up with him yesterday.. He is so good!!! You are going to be amazed.....

I was able to stop working when I started my plastics and it was so nice to be able to relax and not stress about going back to work. I think it really made a difference in my healing.

I know losing your job is nerve wracking, but it sounds like you have some great prospects already lined up. I have no doubts you'll be able to find something without any problems.

As far as the Procare...*gag*  I think I'd take the slam it back as fast as I can and chase it with something. Just get it over with quickly.

I'm excited for you. It sounds like Dr. Agha has a well thought out plan for you and I know the results will be terrific.

Thanks Renee -- I agree that having the time actually OFF (as opposed to on leave) will make my recovery less stressful.  My severance package gives me over a year of income to give me time to find another job (though if I find one sooner, I get to keep the extra money!), so I have some breathing room.

I must figure out how to get the ProCare down, I know.

I know that for regular protein drinks when I was post-op from WLS, the idea of protein ice cream really appealed to me.

Diana, since you are a DSer and can eat a lot of fat, perhaps homemade ice cream (with real cream, since you can eat it, or at least I am assuming you can) with ProCare mixed in would be palatable for you?  Just an idea.

I've made some wonderful ice cream as a post-op (with real cream, not low fat) and my results have been delicious. Particularly my strawberry ice cream is amazing. Since the ProCare is strawberry flavored, maybe strawberry ice cream would work for you?

Of course, you would have to be a fan of sweet tasting ice cream for this to work...

Just an idea...happy to share more info on the ice cream if you need it, just ask.

I appreciate the ideas ... but I have the same issue with ice cream -- too sweet.  I love ice cream -- for about 6 bites, then it starts tasting overly sweet.  Weird, huh?  The more I eat, the less I want it -- after 6 years, I'm still not used to this "side effect" of the DS.

I'm still lobbying Agha to get the ProCare folks to make a savory version.