Hi, How are you feeling? What has it been like so far?

Hi BabySteps...

Let's NOT talk about my steri-strip allergy at this point. Because it's pretty rare to be allergic and my reaction is pretty extreme..... other than that I feel GREAT...

My surgery was on Tuesday 9/22 and I was home on Wednesday 9/23 (with the JP drain). now that was a bit uncomfortable. but my last pain killers (I had liquid vicodan due to a percocet allergy most of our docs patients get Roxicet) was on Thursday afternoon. I was also sent home with some anti-nausea pills since I had some nausea in the hospital (again not a standard practice with out doctor)

Friday I was taken by a friend to the doctor's office and had the drain pulled. that almost tickled so it wasn't bad. What was worse was that my allergy was starting.... so i was lumpy and itchy...

That night a friend of mine (a new friend who had WLS herself 6 months ago) came by and we went out... nowhere exciting to the grocery store for benadryl and milk and stuff. at this point I'm still on clear liquids so food was not an issue... she and my hubby ate some ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning and melted cheese for their dinner and I had crystal light...

then i rested as I was tired. I'd gone out twice that day so no wonder.

Saturday we got up and my husband and teen daughter leave for the weekend (long standing plans I did not want them to cancel) and I spent the rest of the weekend home alone with the puppies adding in "full liquids" to my diet.

In our practice full liquids include diet hot chocolate (swiss miss) low fat cottage cheese and thinned cereals such as oatmeal and cream of wheat (or cream of rice which I prefer) as well as creamed soups with the chunks strained out so I had cottage cheese, cream of rice and now my morning hot drink is no coffee but a swiss miss made with milk (instead of water) to give me a nice 10 gm of protein every morning....

at this point hubby called and said they were staying Sunday night too and I was fine with that but my rash was really really bad at this point so first thing monday morning I called my surgeon and they told me to come in as soon as I could.

So I got in the car and drove myself to the surgeon (not too far from our house) and was given a prescription for steroids (a medrol dose pack so six days of steroids)

After the doctor I drove to the lab and had my required one week blood work drawn and got my steroid scrip filled.

so now my daily supplements are 2 bariatric chewable vitamins (one AM one PM and never with my 6 calcium chew supplements spread out over the day) and my steroids which are being tapered down now... and I will be done with them on Saturday.

spent the rest of Monday at home. Spent Tuesday at home and then yesterday I was starting to heal (my rash is drying up)

so Wednesday I was up and dressed and went out for most of the day with my MIL. we went shopping and I did a lot of walking (walmart and Costco) I did minimal lifting

I made sure to bring my special water with me (I'm drinking ice cold water with protein bullet ( I get these at the GNC) added so that i'm getting about 20 grams of protein per 32 oz bottle)

IF I did not have this rash I could have easily gone back to work already. my job is not stressful and not physically active.

Food is a bit boring at this point. Our plan is clear liquids for 2 days then full liquids for 10 days then we progress to pureed foods. (every doctor is different) so I'm on full liquids now... my day starts early at about 5 when my husband gets up for work (he's 6 weeks out from bypass) then I have my prevacid (one meltaway daily before breakfast) and my hot chocolate.

about an hour later I start drinking my water (with protein) and then about noon I'll have some lunch... a couple of spoonfuls of low fat cottage cheese seems to be my current fav. in fact I managed to have that yesterday when I was out with MIL. I found one of those Breakstone Cottage doubles and got a strawberry one. It's cottage cheese on one side and fruit preserves on the other and you are supposed to mix them together. I ate some of the cottage cheese out of the package and MIL ate the rest mixed together.

I thought I'd eat ALL the cottage cheese. HA! not even 1/4 of it was enough to fill me... amazing.

came home worked on drinking. I've discovered that going out means I have to really work harder to make sure I drink enough....

dinner last night was cream of potato soup made with milk and then I added some unflavored protein powder (mixed with cool water first to avoid lumps)

today my plan is to take my hubby's car to the shop for some work. and then I plan to work on Saturday with my daughter to straighten up our kitchen which is a disaster area.

I think that tomorrow I will be taking my older son (who is 25 and emotionally disabled) on a field trip if he's allowed out from his facility tomorrow.

Basically what I'm saying is that I feel GREAT! a bit sore if I bend. and I tire easily, I still get a tad queasy now and then, I don't like room temp beverage, I can't drink plain water and I'm dreaming of things like beef stew and salads but other than that it's been great.

didn't think I'd give you a book now did you?

sorry it's so long...

Well Krike, how much did you lose in the first week at check up?

Great Work Nessa!! How do those Bullets taste?

Nessa, sounds like you are doing really well!! I would love to hear about your and your husband's weight loss as the weeks pass as well

I GAINED.

and i'm not upset. I"m on STEROIDS for goodness sake!

my scale shows me down about 8 pounds from the morning of surgery as of this morning....

they aren't bad... mix half in a bottle of water and you get 20 gm of protein. just make sure not to get the ones with caffeine...

I could probably use those!!!

Im glad your doing so well. I thought it took longer before you could do so much. It makes me feel like this may not be so bad yea ... keep me posted I go in on the 12th.

Hurray nessa! Glad all is going well!

Angela