Dontondan

I felt like I could conquer the world after my surgery! I think the nausea is a side effect from the anesthesia, not the actual surgery. If you had surgery with no problems before you should be fine, otherwise let the Dr. know in advance about the nausea concerns.

Way to go! I can't wait till I can say the same!

Sounds really good Will! Congratulations with your victory on the scale.

Thanks for all the advice and well-wishes. I am doing better today and the papaya extract helped a great deal. I have tried the water to get it to come out, but it just makes things worse and I spew all over the place. I don't really care for fish, but will give it a try, I sauce everything I eat! I think I just have a really tight fill right now.

My instructions were nothing to eat for 4 hours before the fill and then liquids for 24 hours and mushies for the next 24 hours and then on to regular foods

Ikea also has mini silverware sets that are very reasonable and functionable. They are sold in the children's area and are very much like regular utensils only kid sized. I also use seafood forks are the perfect size and I have a bunch of small tea spoons that work nicely.

I have fostered a lot of animals in the past and all the kittens and pups that I foster get spayed and neutered before they get adopted. I had a really bad rash of sick kittens early this spring and several of my own kitties got sick and it lingered on for months so I wrapped up shop for the time being. I also foster kids too and have a little boy living in the "kitten" room which serves many puposes as it used to be my craft room where my friends would come over and I would teach craft things. Now it is a bedroom for a 7 year old! He loves the animals way too much and I can't trust him to have kittens in there too. Many of my foster kids have helped in nursing kittens to health and socializing feral kittens for adoption and it is "therapy" and also serves as "community service" for the ones that are on probation, I have a very "unique" household and a very mixed family.

I have to take my pills one at a time and I usually have something warm to drink them down with. I don't eat until about 1/2 hour after I take my pills/capsules. Sometimes I still have trouble, but mostly it is with the pills, not the capsules.

1. Skeeter--our 8 year old Siamese/Himalayan mix kitty 2. Jay-Jay--Our 4 year old Siamese mix kitty that we rescued from Hurricane Katrina 3. Squirt--He is a 3 year old tabby that I rescues at about 2 weeks old and bottle fed, he was very sick for his first year and a half and he wasn't supposed to live. 4. Katie--She is a 2 year old rescue kitty that I fostered, adopted out and got returned so I got her back...she is a long haired calico 5. Lilly--She is a 4 year old Pomeranian that is the love of my life, only 5 pounds and she is black and white 6. Arabella (Bella)--She is 4 months old Golden Retriever that I got as a walking companion since Lilly gets too tired on my walks. 7. Noodles (Bunzilla)--She is a 8 year old French Lop bunny that I got my son for Easter many moons ago. I think I have enough right now, but sometimes I foster kittens and will have 6-12 kittens in my back room. I have probably fostered 3-4 hundred kittens in the past 4-5 years and about 8 dogs until they were adopted.

I have Tricare and got reimbursed about $4600 of it and I had it done at OCC. My friend had them reimburse hers for $6000, don't know why the difference. I had more weight to lose and more co-morbidities and we sent in identical claims (we copied them). I didn't want to mess with hers so I just considered myself lucky to get some of it back....I was planning on getting nothing. The trick is to put it down as outpatient surgery...otherwise they want the OCC to submit the paperwork.

That really sounds disgusting! I think that alone would make me puke! The papaya enzyme is a chewable tablet and tastes pretty good. Well it is all okay now, from now on it will only be expensive cuits of meat for me....the really tender ones that melt in your mouth and not the cheaper cuts I get for the family!

Whoo-Hooo, I better start saving my pennies now for my new body....I want to be a hottie too!

My glue started coming off at about 10 days. You can use any variety of scar creams and it will minimize the scars that you have. I used the stuff from the OCC, but have heard that Moderma works well.

Well, I thought I was being cautious and had shish-ka-bob tonight and couldn't get the steak down. Ended up heaving over the garbage disposal. Still felt like something was stuck so I ran out and bought some of the papaya extract and it did work well. I am thinking of becoming a vegetarian as there is so many times that I get meat stuck! Now I am back on liquids for a day or two to get my tummy back in order. I chew and chew and chew and cut the meat to the size of a pea and I still get into trouble. This sucks!

I do water aerobics at a fitness club, but when I can't get there I walk my puppy (this was a great reason to get my new puppy!) She loves the walks and I train her as I go. I have even been running (yes running) with her for short bursts and it actually feels good. I really hate to exercise, but it is something that I have to do every day. They also have Mall Walking clubs in most malls prior to opening the stores and that works well in bad weather. Usually there are a lot of people walking the malls then and it is a great way to make new friends.

Congrats on your sucess, if I was at a lake I would be out there fishing in it! No food in the middle of a lake!

I have had my share of "cranky" times, my family was happy when I went too! I always said you don't take food from the fat person, unless you want your fingers bit! Good luck for a safe journey and see you on the other side of the fence!

I like to reward myself with a manicure and pedicure, or a new outfit that is a size smaller!

It is amazing how fast the hunger arrives! I am on my third fill and each time I thought I had a good fill and then WHAM it was gone and I was hungry again, then it would take a few day to figure out that I needed another fill. Even after the fill it takes a few days to feel if it is enough or not because there is some swelling involved sometimes. I can't wait to hit my "sweet spot" and hopefully it will be soon. My last fill was very small as I was afraid to overfill and have to come back, but so far so good.

The Metamucil capsules really worked to curb the cravings for me....I guess it would make me feel like I ate something or was just full of ____! I would also go to sleep earlier as I am a night grazer. It helped to keep my hands busy and I spent a lot of time on the computer to keep out of the kitchen. Walking a lot helps, but I was in the middle of a northwest winter so it was always wet and cold. It is hard, but well worth it in the long run and will prepare you for the tough times ahead (about 4 weeks after your surgery and before your first fill) That time was the toughest for me.

Oh, I also want to go horseback riding.....have been afraid of hurting the horses! Oh, and scuba diving...don't think they make wet suits big enough!

I am really self-conscious of dancing in public.....I want to take a dance class. I just don't want to look like the hippo's in Fantasia! Silly, huh?

I am up for the bodice ripping pirate type!!! Yummy!

Whoo-Hoo it is banding time, plenty of time for shopping after the surgery.....you need to walk, walk, walk! Have a safe and pleasant journey!

I think I am going out to buy some Papaya enzyme just to have on hand for those type of situations....thanks for the info.