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I'm going to keep adding to these as time goes by to remind myself of the types of good I am enjoying, all home-made :

Savoury Mince & Veg Puree
I small portion of pre-prepared savoury mince (I always have this in the freezer) add cooked veggies and some raw onion and some gravy, simmer until the veggies are cooked and blend.  Add seasoning eg chilli, horseradish, mustard to pep it up a bit.

Corned Beef & Spinach Puree
Take 1 small can of corned beef, and put it in a pan with 3 lumps of frozen spinach and some raw onion, bring to boil and simmer until the spinach is cooked - add in some beef Bovril/horseradish for flavour -  then blitz in the blender until it reaches the consistency you want.

Ovaltine & Vanilla Protein Shake
Take 1 vanilla protein shake and make up as usual, add 1 teaspoon of ovaltine powder and blend.  This works well with chocolate shake too.

Brocolli & Cheese Soup
Simmer Brocolli (fresh or frozen) in chicken Bovril, add some cheese sauce (homemade or powder) to thicken and      then blend.

Spicy Tomato Soup
Simmer fresh Tomatoes in Chicken Bovril until cooked, blend and then sieve out the skin - add chilli powder or sauce to taste

Spicy Tomato and French Onion Soup
Make up 1 packet of french onion soup, mix with a tin of canned tomatoes, add chilli sauce to taste and blend and sieve as appropriate.

Chicken & Vegetable Soup
Take some cooked chicken (I bought a whole roast chicken and used some of the meat), blend with chicken or vegetable stock - add chilli sauce and black pepper to taste

Mixed Veg/Mint & Gravy Soup
Simmer mixed frozen veg (or fresh if you have it), add some gravy and mint sauce - blend to the consistency you want and sieve if needed

Virgin Mary
Take a portion of tomato juice, add worcester sauce, chilli sauce and ice-cubes to taste

Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Banana Protein Shake
Take 1 serving of chocolate protein powder and make up as usual, blend in 1 teaspoon peanut butter and 1/4 - 1/2 banana depending on how thick you want it - blitz with your blender and serve over ice.

Chocolate Coffee Latte Protein Shake
Take 1 serving of chocolate protein powder and add to hot skimmed milk with half a shot of coffee - blend and serve over ice.  (This works well if you have some latte left over from a trip to the coffee shop - just add protein powder and blend !).

Bovril
Add 1 teaspoon of Bovril or Marmite to hot water for a quick tasty savoury drink.  Beef is best - but you can have chicken Bovril if you prefer.

Doesn't time fly !

Feeling good, but still very tired, I'm trying to increase my protein and up my nutrition to try and help with this.  Still on a full liquid diet but so far not having anything that is too thick as my stomach doesn't like it.

I don't feel at all hungry, more thirsty than anything so am constantly sipping, sipping and sipping some more ! 

I've noticed that my taste buds have changed, I can taste sugar and salt in things that I wouldn't have done prior to surgery.

Am still measuring out my 15 pots of liquids each day which I'm finding good - I'm changing whats in the pots each day so that I get variety.

Have taken to making my own soups, they are delicious - so far I've made brocolli and cheese, spicy tomato and spicy tomato and french onion.  All made with fresh ingredients, added milk powder for protein and then blitzed - lovely.  I'm making enough so I can freeze some for later too which makes it easier.

Have started to increase the nutrition in my protein shakes by adding a bit of banana and smooth peanut butter and then blitzing.  (I know PB is high in cals, but I don't put in much at all)

My incisions are healing up great on the outside but I can still feel it pulling on the inside - which is to be expected as I am only 2 weeks and 2 days post surgery.

It's my 3 week follow up appointment next Tuesday so think I will stay on full liquids until then and then perhaps move onto thicker liquids.

Have decided not to weigh more than once a week from now onwards so will next weigh on Tuesday (surgery + 3 weeks)

That's it for now - Onwards and Downwards

Debbie
VSG and Gall Bladder Removal 9th March 2010

So, I've been finding my way through how to feed and nourish my body and to take in enough water to keep hydrated. 

I'm still on a full liquid diet and have another week or so to go on this so want to make the best of it particularly as I'm not feeling at all hungry.

I read an article a while back where the dietician had planned out 15 small drinks during the day to get in the protein and to ensure a balanced diet. 

I'm going to try this today as follows :

5 x 4oz Protein Shake Drinks
2 x 4oz Fruit Juice - NAS
2 x 4oz Veg Juice
4 x 4oz Regular Beverage - I'm having water with some NAS squash
2 x 4ox LF Milk

Basically you have one of these every hour whilst you are awake and should increase the Regular Beverage to the point where you can drink up to 8 oz's per hour.

This sounds a lot compared to what I have been managing but have put everything in pots and am going to try and get through this today.

I've prepped everything and it's all measured out and sitting in my fridge in small portions, so I can visually see how I am doing and there's no fuss.

I've done quick calculation and it comes out at about 70grams of protein and 550 cals so not too bad.

Will let you know how I get on.
Debbie

Hi - so now I am driving and feel so much better with my independence back.  I forgot to ask my surgeon when I could drive, but followed the advice from others here and just tried when I felt up to it.  It pulls a little bit when I hit bumps but otherwise is fine.

All ok - still not enjoying thick liquids so not pushing it.  I've found a lovely tasting probiotic milk which is a bit thicker in milk but not as thick as as protein shake so am having 2-3 lots of that a day plus Bovril or Tomato soup.  Surprising how little I need to make me feel full up.

Still only getting in about 32 ozs of water but will keep building that up now I'm more comfortable taking larger mouthfuls of water.

Went to the beach yesterday, perfect weather for it and the sea was so warm - but I only went in up to my waist as I don't want to get my incisions wet yet.

It's my mum's last day today so we are doing a boat trip around the Marina and Palm and then a trip on the new Metro which will be nice - I don't think she thought we will get out and about at all so that's great.

Going to try some cycling in the gym tomorrow, we have a lovely gym and pool here at the apartment so would be a shame not to use it.  The gym overlooks the marina so there will be a constantly changing view.

Hope you are all doing well.

Take Care
Debbie
VSG - 9th March - 12 days post op.



 

Good Luck to the following people who are due surgery in the next week and a half.
Take Care

22---------lhossack (lynn H)--------RNY
22---------sarahbethbellum--------lapband
24---------Ame42-------------------VSG
24---------janineinca----------------RNY
29---------Syllable------------------RNY
29---------Krysti926 ---------------Not Known

30---------BethR0523--------------VSG
30-----------Babytmakes6------------RNY

Well I am now 1 week and 2 days out of surgery and 29 lbs down !!

So far all is going well - I  am so much more comfortable now my staples are removed.  I can still feel that I am swollen and a bit tender in places, certainly if I try and load the diswasher etc too quickly my body reminds me that I should slow down !. 

Have been quite tired so am going to make sure I get a nap every afternoon just for an hour or so.  I can now lie on my side at night, but still wake up every time when I turn over so am not getting my full sleep quota yet.

Foodwise I am still not feeling hungry - which is great - but I am conscious that I need to up my intakes to today I am going to start keeping my food diary and tracking how much of everything I'm consuming.  Thick drinks still don't feel good so I am staying on thin liquids for now.

I'm going to try to get protein/calcium and nutrients at least 5 times a day.

So my plan for today is :

60ml probiotic milk drink
90ml slimfast/protein shake
90ml soup
90 ml apple juice
60 ml probiotic milk drink

At least 1 litre of water
2 calcium chewable tablets
1 multi vitamin tablet or vitamin drink

Hi all

Well my mum is here from the UK - she arrived last night - slight panic as hubbie was still eating dinner and her plane landed ! - she's got bad knees so had wheelchair assistance at the airport - and was then left outside waiting for my hubbie when he eventually arrived to collect her - oops !!

Went for a nice walk around the Marina today, it's lovely and warm (28 C) with a lovely warm breeze - making the most of it as it will be too hot to enjoy in the next couple of months.

Went to the hospital and had my staples removed which was good - I am now feeling much more comfortable - albeit a bit delicate where everything is healting up and pulling at the same time.

I have lost 9kgs (19.8 lbs) since my surgery 1 week ago !

Off to bed as I am absolutely shattered - didn't sleep well last night and was up early today.

Take Care All
Debbie

Just been out for a short walk and managed to sit down and have a coffee - ok I only managed to drink 1 inch of a tall latte - but I really enjoyed it, it went down ok and it's a small step of progress for me - both in terms of the walk and that I was able to have a drink out.  Came home with shaky legs though, and feeling quite clamy, but I think that's because I've hardly gotten any calories into me in the last week.

Eating out socially here is a really big thing and something I will have to be creative about for a while as I've only told family about my op - Dubai is quite image conscious and so nobody really talks about weight loss surgery etc here (though lots of people have the surgery !)

Went food shopping with my husband yesterday we chose the smallest local shop we could and I walked around a bit dazed and looking quite uncomfortable.  Today I walked with more purpose and more comfortably even though I am still massively swollen - for some reason I thought it would have gone down much quicker than this !

Anyway staples out tomorrow - hurrah, and my mum arrives from the UK tonight which will be good.

Off for a short nap now to recover !

Take Care Everyone
Onwards and Downwards !

Debbie

Spent my first night sleeping in bed last night - mostly on my back but sometimes on each side - though I can feel it now as my incisions are hurting.  Pulled off one of my plasters to check what was going on as the incision was hurting - but it looks like my staples are pulling on the skin - no infection.  It seems that I have 4 staples for each incision - they look tidy enough - can wait to have the staples taken out though as I think they are making me uncomfortable - only 2 more days for this.

Struggling to get down enough liquids - yesterday I had 500ml plain water, 100ml bovril, 70 ml cup a soup and 50 ml vanilla protein shake. As a result of this - I'm quite tired again today, but am feeling uncomfortable if I try to drink more.  Must make the soup thinner - it made me feel quite uncomfortable after drinking it slowly.

Still not feeling hungry at all which is great - husband is eating all kinds of strange meals as he can't be bothered to go shopping and I've not felt like going out yet - will try and go with him a bit later.

Still not had a tea/coffee so maybe I'm a bit low on caffeine too !!

Anyway, apart from the staples pulling I'm much more comfortable and really pain free - had a shower yesterday and was able to do it without any help - even though I was a bit shattered afterwards.

That's it for now.
Take Care

Debbie

PS - Looks like I am down 16 lbs in 5 days - WOW

Thanks for all of your messages of support on my blogs - they are really great.

Slept on the sofa last night - just couldn't get comfortable in bed.  But when I was comfortable I slept well.

Spent most of the day asleep interspersed with little walks around the appt and sips of water, apple juice and a bit of milk.

Slowly trying to remove all the sticky tape marks and iodine marks off of me but that's proving difficult - I don't have any bruises from the incisions - but do have lots of bruises from where they tried to get IV into me - both hands, both elbows and the insides of both wrists ! - plus a large bruise where the BP cuff was on my arm.

I also have a large laceration to the inside of my throat which doesn't feel great.

The surgeon said my surgery was very difficult and that it took a lot longer than anticipated, hence they have closed me up with staples and not stitches which is his usual preference - I have 8 incision holes plus 1 cut for a drain which is still uncomfortable as it only came out yesterday afternoon and is held together with steristrips.

I'm mostly out of pain, just in pain if I move around too fast or stand upright too quickly.

Not feeling at all hungry - sipping lots to try and get some liquids in - and appreciating every mouthful as it all tastes really good.

Off to read some posts about what I should/should not be doing at this stage - as the Consultant just said liquid diet, no more than 30mls at a time and see you in a week - feel a bit let down by this support but know that I have plenty on this site.

Well that's me - off for another nap soon !

Take Care
Debbie