The DOC told me that I couldn't have ANY STRINGY BEEF, and the first meal they brought me was BEEF TIPS!!! Makes me wonder if they know what they're doing!
Give her my best!!! She'll do fine!
They did the same thing to my mom last year when she had 1/2 of her tummy removed due to ulcer damage (her procedure was a lot like wls). They were bringing her fruit juices galor and then stuff like choco. milk & canned peaches! Luckily I had read up on her surgery and had my low carb knowledge and got rid of the stuff quick! I kept asking the nurses "Do you even KNOW what she has had done?????" I know hospital staff work very hard and I admire them greatly but geeeeeze......
I just talked to Amy. She is going home today, with mixed reactions. She is ready to go, but not sure what it will be like. She started on liquids yesterday. They gave her Crystal Light, water, and maybe jello..can't remember what the third thing was that she said. She said that her tastebuds are out of whack and that artifical sweetener is HYPERsweet and she can hardly stand it, and she said she is burping all of the artifical flavors. Also when she drinks the fluids, she gets bloated, and has had a little diarrhea. She said the nurses told her that was common, and that it should go away. Did any of you have this happen? She is really discouraged right now and wonders if she made the right decision. I told her to hang in there, and that I am sure this is a temporary thing.
Thanks for sharing and best wishes to Amy. I had an open RNY 1/2001 and it was the greatest gift I could have given myself. I have faith that Amy will feel the same way to as she begins feeling better. As for the pain, I was given an epidural prior to surgery and it remained in place for two or three days after. I only had mild pain when I coughed or sneezed. I was offered the morphine pump after the epidural was out but found I didn't need it. I think they gave me percocet for a day then just plain old Tylenol. I have a friend who just had the surgery and his doc didn't do an epidural and he had lots of pain too. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone about to have this type of surgery. My incision was also long, longer than others I've seen who've had the same surgery. I guess it depends on the size of the surgeon's hands or something! Fortunately, I've had no complications whatsoever and am HEALTHY and active!! Good luck, Amy!!!
jennifer.. digestive discomfort and upset are very very common. after all, there's been surgery and amy's system is still in shock and healing!!! anything can [and does!] happen.
and the diet for right now has nothing really to do with the weight loss, but rather with healing the surgery.
the first 3 months are not pretty, but this WILL END!!!! i promise!!!
I would like to extend well wishes for Amy. Such a courageous step for her and she will heal, just encourage her to relax and breathe through this time. I have had nine abdominal surgeries related to endometroisis, so I can relate to surgery in general.
Second, I have battled my entire teen and adult life with my weight. For the first time I was considering some type of surgery because I have tried so many things will success but always gained back what I lost, plus.
When I decided to consider this I was very upset, felt that I was selling out on myself and that I was a failure. That was when I found these boards. I spent a while listening to everyone who posted on the WLS boards, and realized what an amazing courageous decision one makes and the price one pays when the decide to go this route.
I went to the doctor and he suggested that I try Merida, which I did for three weeks, until I ended up in the ER with heart palpatations. He told me that he could get me qualified for Gastric Bypass through my insurance if I wanted.
But an amazing thing happened during this time, a friend suggested hypnotherapy, and then I began to visit other threads on this board and I gave up sugar, and then I started the South Beach Diet and now I am eating LowCarb and I have lost 10 pounds...one month. I am now begining to do the Dr. Phil Challenge....I am now enjoying this process and most importantly I feel much better.
If this doesn't work, then I know that I can do the WLS, even though it frightens me. ....we live in a society that accepts prejudice against fat people, do nothing to accomodate them, charge them more money to travel, the same clothes cost more and it is okay for people to drive around with bumper stickers that say "no fat chicks".
I think that Amy having the surgery and Jennifer and Suzanne's eating styles really represents what 3 fat chicks is all about. Amy's quality of life was greatly affected, if someone had large breasts and they had back problems, would a reduction be so judged? I don't think so, it would be applauded.
Shame on them, and frankly if they felt that way then they really had nothing of value to contribute here anyhow.
thank you rowan... you're thinking along the same lines each and every one of us has thought - and done - throughout our lives. it's wonderful that you've found something that's workng for you, and even better that you've found a supportive doctor. if indeed, farther down the road, you decide that you need/want the surgery, you have all this MD-supervised diet stuff all wrapped up.
and if you continue losing so well, then you're all set!!!!!! that's what it's all about. and what 3fc is all about.
but i have to ask... now that you've come out of lurkdom, hang out with us!!! we all need all the help we can get!!!!
Thanks everybody for your advice to Amy. We are passing things along to her. Saturday she was worried, as she could only get down 12 ounces. Yesterday she made it up to 16 and today she was managing a protein drink, so hopefully things are looking up for her.
Amy is doing better! She is getting in 60 ounces of protein a day now, and she went to the doctor today and is down 13 pounds from her pre-op appointment. She is beginning to feel better now. Today was her first day out since coming home, and she thinks the sunlight and fresh air did her a lot of good.
Thank you for all of your support during this. It's been stressful and a bit scary for Suzanne and I, and it has been very uplifting for Amy. Thank you!!!!
