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Like others, the benefits of the surgery out weighed the risks. My quality of life was horrible and only getting worse as I got older. Co-morbidities were increasing. I did have 2 complications - post op blood clots and an ulcer, but both were successfully treated and resolved. I do not regret surgery for a minute. I have a new life with a bright future ahead.

Hi and welcome. I had surgery 5 days ago and I’ll be honest, these first days have been rough. I definitely have pain and vomiting. And terrible nausea from the gases they pump into you during surgery. My medical team say this is totally normal and by day 10-14 all of this should pass but I wish I had been more prepared for this part beforehand. I don’t tell you this to scare you just to let you know it is major surgery and the recovery is substantial. But in the positive side I’m already down 10 pounds! I do think once this initial period of recovery has passed it will be smooth sailing. Flying is scary right now! But keep your mask on and maybe wear gloves. I know you will be fine. Best of luck!

I'm home now and doing great! Still doing fine with my liquids. Sometimes I get a mild discomfort probably because I forget to sip instead of gulping it down like a horse. I'm on phase 1 of postop restrictions...two weeks doing 1- 2 ounce liquids every fifteen minutes with the goal of getting to 64 oz of liquid in the day. I'm allowed my protein shakes, broths, diluted apple and grape juice, crystal light, decaf coffee and tea and some other drinks. My surgeon also allows for watery yogurt and apple sauce. I'm also on 4 medications. One (muscle spams) I'm suppose to take for 2 weeks, second one (stomach acid blocker) is suppose to go for 4 weeks. The other two is an as needed basis since they help with pain and nausea. Fortunately, I didn't need the pain or nausea medications yet. Crossing my fingers it continues this way. I am not hungry, but do feel mental desires. However, while going through the pharmacy nothing made my mouth water or ache to have it. When I got home and saw the food I normally eat, I did have a moment of " I wish I could eat that" but I overcame it very quickly. I don't have a choice, but to keep going forward and there's no turning back which I'm quite happy with. Besides in time, we'll be able to eat again just smaller portions. I'm moving about, but I have to remind myself that a few days ago I had surgery. My body has so far handled it well.

Any recommendations for unflavored protein powder to add to broths, purées, etc? Thanks!

That has happened to me. I have no science to back this up but I have a theory. I think the rare indulgence shakes up your metabolism and sometimes will get things moving again when your body has settled into a stall. Obviously it's not something you can do very often or you'll gain weight but it's happened to me to many times to believe it's just coincidence. But I could be totally wrong, LOL. 😁

Did anyone think twice when your doctor discussed the risks of the surgeries with you? I had my first appointment with the surgeon on Thursday and it just set me back a bit. I know the overall risk is low, they shared the data with me. I guess it was more just hearing the reality of the surgery, etc. Just looking for how others felt. I’m not saying I may not go through with it, but it makes me think twice.

I'm 17 days post op and quite often "hungry" and thinking about food. But it isn't hunger in my stomach, it's definitely in my head. And I'm also thinking about food - specifically food with a crunch as I'm on the puree stage and missing food textures. I've seen other posts where people say they have head hunger so it's probably quite normal.

Portion size will likely depend on your surgery and surgeon/dietician requirements as well as restriction. I had a sleeve and as I progressed from liquids (where a lot won't feel any resriction at all due to liquids passing through the stomach quickly) to pureed foods, max was 1/2 cup if I was able to consume that much.

I should probably change the name of this post from I’m doing it to...I did it! Cant believe that I’m on the postop side now. I’m looking forward to seeing how this journey progresses. The preop liquid diet was not my friend. I messed up here and there but fortunately the surgery went well. I’m mobile and no pain as of right now. I’m super excited of what’s next. I do have gas that comes and go, but I think the medication really helps with that. After surgery my stomach felt like a balloon! I was sooooo bloated. Now it’s feeling much better. I’m feeling really great except for my energy level going up and down which is expected after surgery.

Thank-you all for your uplifting and supportive comments. I am 55 so myself I don't care what the world thinks. It was hurtful to hear it, because I know there is nothing I can do about it, but they keep cheering me on. I have starting to lose weight again, but at a much slower rate. So maybe that will help future issues. Again thanks to all of you, you are my biggest supporters!