January Roll Call

1. What date was your surgery? 1/18/2006 2. What were your first couple weeks post-surgery like? I was tired but not hungry at all. Hunger came after week 2. I was careful to take it easy and recover. 3. How much weight have you lost so far? 40 pounds! (that includes my pre-op diet - 2 solid weeks of liquid) 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? Staying away from the carbs. I haven't been able to limit them to 20/day yet, which is my surgeon's reccomendation. 5. How much water are you consuming daily? Argh! I try to drink 3 liter of crystal light a day. I always get 1.5 liters in, and most of the time get 3. 6. What's your favorite post-surgery food? turkey breast. No carbs, high protien and delicious! 7. What's your least favorite post-surgery food? protien shakes. yuck! 8. What type of exercise are you doing and how many minutes a day? Um... none? I got my jogging stroller from the attic and will start walking the baby every night ASAP. Bridget

1. What date was your surgery? 1-27-2006 2. What were your first couple weeks post-surgery like? Not that bad after the drain was removed. 3. How much weight have you lost so far? 23lbs 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? Liking cream soups I have to be on them until 6 weeks out. 5. How much water are you consuming daily? about 30 oz 6. What's your favorite post-surgery food? SF pudding. I guess Dr are different because I have to be on full liquids for 6 weeks. 7. What's your least favorite post-surgery food? Broth 8. What type of exercise are you doing and how many minutes a day? 45 mins of walking a day 7 days a week.

1. What date was your surgery? Jan 24th 2. What were your first couple weeks post-surgery like? Great...no pain at all once I got my drain removed (1 wk post-op) I am feeling really good! I feel so blessed! 3. How much weight have you lost so far? 24 lbs 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? Dealing w/the pain of having that drain removed...sheesh! felt like my intestines were coming out w/it! 5. How much water are you consuming daily? LOTS..more than 64 oz. I love water. I have to remind myself not to gulp. 6. What's your favorite post-surgery food? Refried beans w/a sprinkling of cheddar cheese...seems like this is a favorite for several of us here! 7. What's your least favorite post-surgery food? Ummm...not real fond of the volume of protein drinks. I can tolerate any of them to a point. It just seems like it takes FOREVER to get them in and after about 8 ozs I am sooo done w/whatever flavor I'm drinking! 8. What type of exercise are you doing and how many minutes a day? I have worked up to 3 miles of walking/day on the treadmill! I'm so excited because as of Tuesday I have no restrictions and can do other exercise besides walking! I registered for a weight lifting class w/a friend that starts Feb 20th. I also can't wait to get back into water aerobics.

1. What date was your surgery? Tuesday, January 24th, 2006 2. What were your first couple weeks post-surgery like? no pain, staples, or drains...just overwhelming exhaustion but unable to sleep more than 3 hours/day..also caught a terrible cold on day 4. 3. How much weight have you lost so far? 32 pounds since my consultation appointment til Pre-op....I do not know how much Ive lost since surgery as I refuse to get weighed til I use my surgeon's scales at my first checkup Feb 20th. 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? sleeping, drinking and eating 5. How much water are you consuming daily? not near enough 6. What's your favorite post-surgery food? soup 7. What's your least favorite post-surgery food? protein drinks and Stallone's chocolate pudding makes me gag...why did I buy so much of it? BLECH! 8. What type of exercise are you doing and how many minutes a day? not much exercise yet..not cleared by the doctor and very weak and lethargic still...I had a terrible time with the anesthesia...took 3 full days to wake up completely...awful adhesive burns from NON-ALLERGENIC tape. I seem to have NO energy at all...I suppose that will get better as I take in more nutrition as well and get more rest. Nancy B

Great Idea Teri! 1. What date was your surgery? ***January 6, 2006*** 2. What were your first couple weeks post-surgery like? ***Great, except for the horrible reaction to the benzoin and betadine on my incisions!*** 3. How much weight have you lost so far? ***As of February 7th, 49 pounds*** 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? ***Learning to drink slowly and not gulp, as well as eating s-l-o-w-l-y*** 5. How much water are you consuming daily? ***Anywhere from 24-70 ounces*** 6. What's your favorite post-surgery food? ***Right now... eggs- I can do so much with them!*** 7. What's your least favorite post-surgery food? ***Those nasty protein drinks!*** 8. What type of exercise are you doing and how many minutes a day? ***Haven't started really exercising right now... need to work on it though!*** *~*Jaci*~*

Teri~ Thanks for posting these questions. That was a wonderful idea on your part. ~*~*~My Answers~*~*~* 1. What date was your surgery? 1/16/06 2. What were your first couple weeks post-surgery like? good. minimal pain. I just got frustrated with depending on others to help me with my kids, driving, etc. 3. How much weight have you lost so far? not sure. I won't weigh myself until 2/21. At 2 weeks post up I was down 26. That is the last time I weighed myself 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? drinking enough water 5. How much water are you consuming daily? maybe 40 oz, if that 6. What's your favorite post-surgery food? anything chicken 7. What's your least favorite post-surgery food? cottage cheese 8. What type of exercise are you doing and how many minutes a day? elliptical machine. 30 mins a day. 4 times a week Dawn

Hi Teri - Great questions. My Answers: 1. My surgery was on 1/31/06. 2. I'm just completing my second week and they have been great. I've not had any problems so far (knock on wood) 3. As of today I have lost 35 lbs (15 lbs since surgery) 4. My biggest challenge has been being on liquids for two weeks. I actually started my pureed this weekend instead of waiting until tomorrow. 5. I'm drinking more than the 64 oz needed. 6. Not sure yet. Right now everything tastes good. 7. Not sure yet. Right now everything tastes good. 8. Walking - as much as I can do it as many times a day as I can do it. Pam

1. What date was your surgery? January 23 2. What were your first couple weeks post-surgery like? I was in the hospital for 2 days. Everything was fine, but I was very tired. The next three days at home sucked! No pain, but I was extremely nauseous. I didn't want to eat because I felt nauseous, was low energy because I wasn't eating and wasn't getting up to walk because I didn't have any energy. I definitely had "OMG, what have I done?!" moments. I called my surgeon in tears on Friday night. He talked me off the edge and things started to improve from there. Each day has been better than the previous and I'm not having "what have I done" moments any more. 3. How much weight have you lost so far? 23.4 pounds 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? Walking 5. How much water are you consuming daily? 32 ounces and trying so hard to get in more 6. What's your favorite post-surgery food? Vegetarian refried beans with Monterey jack cheese...baby food fruit is really good too 7. What's your least favorite post-surgery food? Protein drinks - they don't taste very good and there is absolutely no satisfaction to them 8. What type of exercise are you doing and how many minutes a day? My goal is to walk several blocks a couple times a day...I have to admit I'm struggling with getting my butt out the door though.

I wanna play too! 1. What date was your surgery? January 23rd 2. What were your first couple weeks post-surgery like? First 8 days I was in pain... about a 6 or 7 on a scale of 10. Now I am not in any pain really, just tired 3. How much weight have you lost so far? 33 pounds 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? head hunger and emotional eating 5. How much water are you consuming daily? ugh.. not enough?? about 40 ounces 6. What's your favorite post-surgery food? cottage cheese and pintos and cheese from taco bell 7. What's your least favorite post-surgery food? sugar free jello and broth 8. What type of exercise are you doing and how many minutes a day? walking.. total? about 25 minutes or so. I get to start upping that next week

1. 1-6-06 2. The first and second week were fine, the third week I had a stricture. 3. 50 lbs. 4. The mind games 5. 64+ oz. 6. It used to be refried beans, now nothing tastes good. 7. Meat, deli, canned, any 8. 2 miles, 45 minutes a day