dargar27

Amazing! It's just the news I needed to hear as a newbie sleever who's having a couple problems. Good for you, and congratulations on being overweight!!

Just had my 6 month post op check up in richmond. I am down a total of 119 pounds! That of course include what I lost preop! My labs were all good as well! I bought and fit nicely into my first size 10 jeans! I am now considered overweight! Yay me! I still have about 28 pounds to go in order to get into the normal bmi category. I am pretty happy with how I look right now, can't wait though to get down to normal. I am taking these next 20 plus pounds in 5 pound increment goals. The weight loss has slowed down and I know the last few pounds are going to come off slowly. I am so happy that I decided to get sleeved! The first 3 months were very dificult, but now, I am feeling almost normal! And I love it!

Hey there,

So I met with my surgeon today, had another upper G.I. and no leak. He said it's still swollen and showed the pictures of the liquid going into my new tummy very slowly. Basically, I remain on stage II until next week and then we'll see. I think I'll take smaller sips and see if that helps too

Oh noooo! I am so scared now.. lol ..well my pain is a little less still there. Happens after i eat.. i think im eating a bit too fast. I went to my PCP today for a follow up... and i asked him .. he said it happens when eating too fast.. he seemed to not really be concerned and said all this is normal. So.. we'll see.. i meet with my surgeon again on the 22nd. Im going to call in the morning though.. im worried now :/

Yeah, it happens mostly when I eat, but the last couple of days it's been happening randomly as well, and even when I drink. It's happening as I write this and all I'm drinking is Water. It's got me a lot freaked out, but I'll know by tomorrow. I'll post back when I get my results, but you should probably call or email your surgeon too. Good luck, and let's jsut hope it's gas or acid! lol

Oh noooo! I am so scared now.. lol ..well my pain is a little less still there. Happens after i eat.. i think im eating a bit too fast. I went to my PCP today for a follow up... and i asked him .. he said it happens when eating too fast.. he seemed to not really be concerned and said all this is normal. So.. we'll see.. i meet with my surgeon again on the 22nd. Im going to call in the morning though.. im worried now :/

Hi Tamz,

I spoke with my surgeon today, and he's having me go in to see him tomorrow. He said he wants to make sure I don't have a leak!!! He doesn't really believe it's a leak, but is going to send me for an upper G.I. again just to make sure. He said it is more than likely acid, but wants to be on the safe side. I will post tomorrow night when I get home and let you know what he says. How are you doing with your pain?

ok so since last night.. i have had this off and on pain that comes and goes at the top of my abdomen, like right under my breasts........... its not SUPER sharp.. but like it makes me kinda like catch my breath for a min then it goes away.. what is this???

Im a bit worried.. but want to know if its related to my drinking, or just part of the whole getting used to a new tummy etc etc.. before i call my dr.

Like i said its not like excruciating.. but its kinda like ouch for a minute then it goes away and comes back off n on.

anyway have any input?

Hi,

Yes, I've tried several varieties. They aren't very good, but are better cold in a salad than warm. If you are going to buy them, get the thinner noodle, make sure you follow the instructions to rinse them and boil them, and add a sauce. I don't recommend the Fettuccini....the thicker noodles are tough to eat...ick.

I was just wandering through the internet and stumbled upon these noodles and was wondering if anyone has ever tried these??? Are they good?

http://www.miracleno...ty-sampler.html

Oh good!! Glad to hear that, it sounded much worse

UPDATE : MY DOCTOR HAS BEEN ROUND HE SAID IT WAS SWELLING DUE TO EXTREME PRESSURE DURING THE OPERATION AND SHOULD GO AWAY WITHIN 3 WEEKS... NOTHING TOO SERIOUS.. I SPOKE TO MY SURGEON YESTERDAY HE THOUGHT THE SAME... THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND HELP

I had achy, painful back issues for the first week after my surgery. Still not back to normal yet, but much better. However, nothing was rock hard and it was my lower back, not a particular side. Please go see your doctor right away

Hiya, i was sleeved on friday, and my main problem from day one was my lower back pain on my right side plus its swollen and rock hard, has anyone else had this experience, i do know when my surgeon operated he postioned me more on my right side because i have left hip problems...

Lisa,

Hit it hard girl!

Isn't that a great feeling. I remember feeling a sense of claustrophobia right after surgery becuz I thought I'd never be able to eat again. But after healing, you can eat more. But the first two months everyone apologized becuz i couldn't eat much. Kinda drove me crazy. Now I'm getting tons of compliments on how I look and dealing with howtohandle that. I'm not great at receiving compliments. And I dont feel skinny. I still have 25 lbs tO goal. and I still have a "pot" from bellybutton down.

Tomorrow I'm kicking it up another notch at Bootcamp. Trying to lose another 5 by 6 month meeting on July 14. .

I'm 11 days out, and tonight I had one cup of cream of chicken Protein Soup. Can't believe I was able to drink it all, but i did. It took me about an hour, and I just sipped it til it was gone. It wasn't bad, and it gave me 15 grams of protein.

dinner was cream of potato soup, strained and apple sauce- I was going slow- little spoons- and then decided to have my apple sauce- and one spoon the size of my finger nail- I'm full!

Hey Baby,

I used liquid tylenol for the first week and now I can take regular tylenol pills one at a time. I also bought chewable vitamins because I wasn't sure i would be able to swallow them. I'm glad I did because I can't imagine swallowing those big old pills...lol When you go to your pre op the nut will tell you about www.bariatrics.com, and you will be able to find everything chewable on that site. I bought the chewy Calcium and they are delicious. I can't eat them now, but maybe in another week, but I did try one before the surgery.

Dargar or anyone else thats sleeved

Did any of you have problems swallowing the pill/vitamins after surgery? I was thinking if I should do chewable for everything or am I being overly paranoid.

Chef!

Welcome back and congratulations! Keep us posted...walk & sip

Hi-

Done!

home relaxing- kinda cool-

Me to wife: I'm gonna take a nap-

wife:- OK.

no serious problems- I was a bit nauseated and they kept me an extra day-

my heart rate drops to 46 while sleeping- that alarms everyone.

I say it's from all the walking I did pryer.

Hi there,

For me, it's dead in the middle of my upper stomach just below my breasts. It's a pressure that comes on similar to a contraction, then it eases and goes away. Then it comes back It happens a lot just after I eat or drink anything.

I have this problem on my left side right under my breast. Call Dr. and said it was gas and it will go away. Im 2.3 weeks post op and most of it has went away. Once a day to every other day now. If it is your right side which was the first question my doctor asked it most it could be gallbladder as previous poster said. Hope you feel better soon!

I completely agree! I have no problem emailing and calling my doctor (I've done both for this issue, but still haven't gotten a response, which is annoying). I'll post as soon as I hear back from him, but I do have an appointment on Monday so he can't ignore me for long...lol I have a feeling it's stomach acid though.

I had a similar pain for the first 6 days after my surgery but then it slowly went away. I can't remember what medicines I went home with from the hospital, but one of them really helped with that pain. My pain was caused by any drinking because my stomach was getting used to liquids, I don't think it was because it was too fast or too much. For the first few days, I got that pain no matter how slow/little I drank, I really think it could be just gas. It was exactly how you described it. I'm glad you decided to e-mail your doctor, I hope everyone realizes that they should call/e-mail their doctors/nurses whenever they want, it's your right as a patient. For some reason, I sensed that one of the PA's actually scared off some of my fellow local sleevers from calling. I call/e-mail for every little thing (only when I can't find an answer online! ), I know that I might be coming off as annoying but it's our health and it's part of their job to answer questions

My back started killing me in the hospital, and I blamed it on the lousy beds, but it's still hurting at home, and I came home on the 7th. It's eased up a lot, but still hurts and aches in the lower area. I'm hoping it will adjust itself once I'm able to get a bit more active, and I lose some more weight.

I have to say mine is a lot better now.....I am consciously trying to make the effort to sit properly, so hopefully its on the mend. Good luck with yours.

Kathy

I was sleeved on June 6th and I have the exact same pain you are describing. It hurts especially after I eat something, but it comes and goes at all times during the day and night. Right now it's intense, and I am getting ready to email my doctor. i'll let you know what he says.

ok so since last night.. i have had this off and on pain that comes and goes at the top of my abdomen, like right under my breasts........... its not SUPER sharp.. but like it makes me kinda like catch my breath for a min then it goes away.. what is this???

Im a bit worried.. but want to know if its related to my drinking, or just part of the whole getting used to a new tummy etc etc.. before i call my dr.

Like i said its not like excruciating.. but its kinda like ouch for a minute then it goes away and comes back off n on.

anyway have any input?

Hey Baby,

A journal is a good idea, and I keep meaning to do it. I will start one tomorrow. I have been drinking Optimum 100% whey Protein that I get from bodybuilders.com. It tastes good (no, really!) and they have a ton of different flavors. I thought about buying the ones from costco, but I was concerned that they were twice the calories. Now that I'm only eating 300 calories a day, I am thinking of trying them.

9 days left is awesome!! Try not to stress eat (I know, yeah right...lol) and maybe plan two "last meals." My last two meals were my most favorite things in the world. I had old chicago pizza the week before my pre op appointment, and a nice light sushi dinner the night before my surgery. Maybe "treat" yourself to one final item before your surgery so you won't crave it afterwards and you can consider it done and final. It worked for me, and I was truly prepared to have my surgery. As Dr. Alami would say, don't have "one last hurrah." You still need to pass your weigh in...lol Talk to you soon, and let me know if you find a good pre mixed shake

Hey Dargar,

Are you or planning on keeping a journel? What kind of Protein shakes are you drinking? I have the powder but I think I may buy the premix one too. My surgery is in 9 days and I am starting to freak out. I find myself wanting to stress eat. My biggest down fall are sweets I wish I could just blink and be past the 1st 3 days of surgery.

Hey Sing,

Nope, you don't need anything, at least I didn't. Good luck and congrats!!

Tomorrow's the big day Neil! Woohoo! Who is your surgeon?

I've got my pre-op appt tomorrow. Should I be bringing anything other than my binder? When I was with Richmond they said you have to bring all your Vitamins to the pre-op appt, but I don't think SSF told me anything like that.

Aaacckkk! I'm so excited! See you in recovery, babysista!

Hey Lisa,

Sorry, I totally thought I was responding to Baby!! LOL How was your trip to D. Land??

How is it going darga?

It's going well! I haven't had any issues except some pressure from the acid, but walking helps keep it at bay, although it does wake me up in the night time, which sucks. Otherwise, eating and drinking are not a problem, and I'm feeling good. So far, not real tired, although I did have a day where I was dragging. I'm told I will get more tired this week, but maybe I'll luck out and skip it! How are you doing? Getting ready for the big day? Who is your doctor?

How is it going darga?

Chef,

Thinking about you....see you on the other side!

Same time as me, that's awesome!

getting ready to head to south San Francisco...

I'm checking in at 7 am. and will be rendered useless, by 8:30 am. monday morn!

Hey Chef,

You'll be fine! The staff is GREAT and will totally take care of you! I'm super excited for you, so make sure you post back as soon as you get home!! Best advice from someone only 1 week out? Walk!!! Walk those hallways my friend and you'll recover so much faster. It was true for both my C-Sections and was true this time too. Best of luck to you, and a quick recovery!!

Neil, you're not that chef, are you? The speaker chef sat right in front of us last month, but he's already had his surgery.

Nope-

my wife reported it was a great meeting. He was awesome...

oh yea- less than 24 hours to go...

why is my stomach in knots?

Hey there Baby,

Today, day 6, is the first day I've felt tired. Yesterday was my best day, and I figured out that I'm not lactose intolerant, but rather my body was probably getting rid of the drugs and the gas they pumped me with for the surgery, which is probably what caused the diarrea. Funny, but I really have felt great and have not had any issues. I'm drinking 32 ounces a day now, and will try to drink more today. I woke up feeling fine this morning, and was making plans to go to the beach with the family, then all of a sudden I needed a nap. now. So even after a solid 8 hours of sleep, I went and lay down for two more hours! I know being tired is a part of the process, but it came on so sudden that I truly was surprised!

So far, food-wise, I've eaten mashed potatoes, soft cheese, greek yogurts, Soups, my daily Protein Shake, and the doctor told me I could have tofu now too. Miso Soup sounds good about now...lol So, overall, I'm doing great! The acid is still an issue, and it gives me a hungry feeling and pressure. I keep walking, and have found the more I walk the better I feel. My three yr old is loving it because we walk around our block and she can ride her bike to the "waterfall" at the end of our street....it's a sad little waterfall...lol

How are you doing? Getting excited for the big day??

Good morning VSG family,

Just checking in on everyone. Where's everyone? Dargar27, how are you feeling?

I'm in a similar boat. I had my surgery on June 6th, and by yesterday June 10th, I was able to drink down an entire Protein Drink within the hour. I also am not having any trouble drinking, although flavored waters go down easier than plain Water right now.

I did have some issues with lactose intolerance, but tried some mashed potatoes and gravy....ohmygosh, it was like a feast.....all two table spoons full...lol

I've heard from so many people who've had a lot of issues that I was beginining to think it was abnormal to not have any so far. Thanks for your post!

Darlene

So my doctors kept telling me an ounce every 15 minutes for the few week after surgery. I had my surgery Monday, I am home and feel completely fine and I haven't had a problem with sipping for two days. I still take much smaller sips than I did before, but it's nothing for me to finish my 8 oz Protein shake in 20-25 mins flat with small, frequent sips. I have no tightness at all, and when I so I stop taking sips for a few mins and keep taking small sips.

One the one hand it seems really good that it's easy and I'm not struggling to stay hydrated like others, but watery pudding and hot cereal and jellos and other liquids are yet to be a problem, so I guess I'm just worried that I can't feel the damage I'm doing because of nerve damage and I'm going to give myself a leak. I try to take my sips less frequently but I keep thinking if it doesn't hurt why not finish a Protein meal in 20-30 mins then why not....soups and hot cereal are better hot than cold. I just feel I'm doing too well. Is it possible that I can just chalk it up to youth and being 25 with no other help problems than being obese, or am I cruising for a rupture and staple leak?? Help?!?!

Hey Day Dreamer!

I also had my surgery on June 6th. I'm so sorry you're having some issues. I was having a lot of trouble getting Water down too and still don't really like it, odd as that sounds. I bought some Vitamin Waters and Sobe Lifewaters and drink them at room temp. That seems to help me.

Also, not sure if you've ever had a c-section, but try to use a pillow against your tummy every time you stand or attempt to roll out of bed. The pressure helps a lot with the soreness in your tummy.

Hope all gets better, and keep posting! Take care,

Darlene

Hey guys, well I am home - finally. The Dr would not release me until I could get some liquids in. And right now I can get in maybe 6 oz a day.. not good. So the basic run down was that I could not swallow anything = hot, cold or otherwise. I was on IV fluids all this week. Pretty scary. I had some pretty nasty burps that produced hot acid. Water was the worst for me - still is. Not sure why but in order to get my fluids in, they have to be warm.

I get pretty bad spasms in my chest even with the tinyest baby sip. Was told that it is gas. Well... hmm.. not sure about that one. 3 or 4 baby [non warm] sips later, I am dry heaving. It hurts so freaking bad. They sent me home with Dilaudid (sp?), Ranglin (sp?), Prilosec and Nogfran (cant remember the name but it is for nausea). They were going to send me home with the Lortab elixir but I just cant get it down.

Incisions? Oh yeah those nasty little buggers. They hurt like hell! How the heck am I supposed to get up and down? Did you roll in and out of bed? I dont have a recliner so it is the bed or couch for me. I literally need someone to help lift me. I feel like I am ripping my incisions open every time I move. That in turn causes nausea. Sigh.

I have two massive bruises the size of melons on my personal / inner thigh area. That is scary all by itself. The Dr said they took blood from the femarol(sp?) and that caused the massive bruising.

So how do I feel right now, it is nice to be home. I know I have to get liquids in or I will end up in the ER. So I am sip, sip, sipping. Sigh. Would I do it again? WOW not sure if I should answer that right now. My answer today would be not just NO but HELL NO! I am sure a month from now I will have a new answer for you. Right now, I am freaking a bit. It hurts so bad to move, cant get liquids in and yes I am hungry and broth doesnt cut it.

Anyway, not meaning to be a pity party but I wanted to share my still biased opinion of the surgery. I will update when things start going better. If you have any tips for me, PLEASE inbox me. I am very scared, nervous and sad about my progress.

Thanks for listening!!