wannalise

I am not a Mama yet in life, however as a side note, this experience varies a ton for each of us, and I know sometimes when I see others didn't struggle with something I did it makes me more quiet about it, that being said... I had NO pain post op, my incisions were annoying, but not painful (unless I accidentally layed on one.) I am the first of three of my friends to have the procedure. One friend had (the plication) a month ago and still when doing things around the house has to take lortab. My other friend had surgery this last Friday and she had very little nausea (I had nutty amounts) and she is still in a good deal of pain and is exhausted. These are both tough ladies (one insisted on having her baby vaginally with no epidural or drugs...) My point of all this rambling it that I hope your experience is SMOOTH sailing, but if it isn't don't be hard on yourself. Either way, I promise any of the negative things you experience while healing are worth it!

Yup, it is my go to food if I have to eat out. It hits the spot, gives you lots of Fiber and really is a pretty healthy choice. Stay away from the saltines if you are watching carbs. I was astounded at how much 4 crackers could mess up my calorie/carb count. Anna

This is hijacked from Tiffykins, always the resource to go to if you have questions. Long-term Sleeve Experiences - 2 Years on January 15, 2010 9:11 pm Diligence-is-always-required Stalls-Happen Update-from-a-2-Year-Post-Op-VSGer 2-year-surgiversary-and-feeling Two-and-one-half-years-post-op TWO-YEARS-YALL Just-Passed-My-2-Year-Surgiversary questions-for-post-ops-2-years-out-or-more 2-years-out-food-amount-info anyone-2-years-out Happy-2-year-anniversary-to-me 2-years-post-op-TODAY 2-5-Years-After-a-VSG Everday-life-at-2-5-years-out 2-1-2-year-update Has-it-really-been-2-years 2-1-2-year-update Two-Year-Surgiversary 2-year-update-portrait-of-a-heavyweight-a-bit-late Two-year-surgiversary 2-and-1-2-years-later 2-years-since-my-surgery-any-advice-on-face-lift 2-year-post-op-pics Two-Years-Before-amp-After-Pic 2-year-update-portrait-of-a-heavyweight-a-bit-late Thought-you-might-enjoy-an-update-with-a-few-pics Busybusymom-is-back-2-years-post-op TWO-YEARS-BABY Any-old-timers-still-lurking-the-boards Long-term Sleeve Experiences - 3 Years on June 8, 2009 10:43 pm Three years out Three and a half years after Vertical Gastrectomy My Story

I am sitting in Hospital Alameter right now with a friend who just had surgery, I had it here six months ago. As long as you have proof that you have applied for passport, birth certificate, ID, and social security card you will be okay even if it doesn't get here in time.

Side note here, but when I was looking into surgery in the states I had to have a psych appointment and told the psychiatrist if I could just make it to 200 lbs that would be a victory for me and I'd be satisfied. (and truly that would have been a huge change for my life and worth the surgery and hard work.) Now, I have realized that we dream about this and hope for this always to fall short, aim high! You really can make it to a "normal" weight. You don't have to look that far out now, but just now that you are stronger than you think and this sleeve really is a great vehicle for getting to where you want to go. Good luck to you! Anna

First of all, welcome aboard! Secondly, tough love. FOLLOW THE SURGEONS ADVICE! It sucks those first few weeks, we have all been there and none of us enjoyed it, but following the food stages allows your tender tummy and suture line to heal. I promise that soon that part will be a distant memory and you will be able to enjoy foods you enjoy again. You may need to get creative, and even try foods you didn't like in the past again. Taste buds change post op. Also maybe look into lactaid or another medication that might allow you to enjoy dairy products? Also! Are you taking a PPI. There is a weird phenomenon that on the boards is known as false hunger. It isn't like the hunger you used to feel, but like these distant rumbly feelings that are strange but that we associate with hunger, but are actually related to increased acid in your stomach. My surgeon (dunno what yours recommends) that you are on a PPI for the first 3 months minimum to ensure that the increased acid doesn't harm your sleeve line and it really does cut back on that weird feeling! Good luck to you Jeaneen and keep on posting. Anna

Just wanted to wish you and all the other Sept good luck and speedy, uneventful recoveries. I had my surgery almost 6 months ago and am now sitting in my best friend's hospital room as she recovers. I will actually be leaving Dr. Aceves on the 13th so we'll miss you but I hope all goes incredibly well! Enjoy your last meal and the Colorado in the hotel and then jump into this journey head first , you will be great! Anna

Lisa, I am very glad that you enjoyed that soup! I remember coming home from surgery and talking with my boyfriend and saying that I didn't like the flavor of one of my Protein shakes, his response, and it made sense to me as well, maybe you aren't even supposed to enjoy it, maybe it is just what you have to do. Well since then we have both had the pleasure of learning that is simply not the case. I am a total foodie now. I eat food and I enjoy it more than I did before, I taste it better I savor the bites, I eat my small portions, and then BAM, I am done. We have spent years in this ugly cycle of trying to lose weight by doing things that make us feel like we are punishing ourselves because we are bad. We aren't. We developed unhealthy relationships with food. Thats it. We can learn and change. The food stages actually helped me some with that. To realize that my body can be better nourished on so little than it was on so much was a real eye opener. Post op you will have lots of well meaning folks who will say stupid things. It is often their way of being supportive. You can explain and educate, but untimately if they haven't been where you are there is NO WAY they will understand what you are expreiencing. Be we all do! You have our support so hang in there, and feel no guilt for enjoying food. I never used to enjoy it, even my favorite foods, they were a way to either reward or punish myself and that was not any way to live. Anna

I am going to echo what has already been said. Right now your goal can't be weight related, your goal is to heal. You just had 80 percent of a vital organ removed. Your body needs you to be very careful about what you put inside it. Follow these rules so carefully! That being said, when you are to the place that you can eat normal foods and especially when you get to your goal, this is the best wls of all. You will still have a fully functional stomach. Last night I had a couple bites of cheesecake and they were really yummy, I didn't obsess over them, and my health was not at all jeopardized. The sleeve is certainly not a sure thing, its still all you. And if you can refocus and look at these strict eating phases as merely temporary I bet you can get through it. Remember how good this initial loss has made you feel and I promise that as that continues the way you feel will improve exponentially. Stay focused, you really can do this. Anna

It is so funny that we all come up with the same worries and questions. Your sleeve is not stretched. You will feel PLENTY of restriction soon enough. A lot of the initial restriction that people talk about with fluids is swelling. I had a hernia repair while they were in my guts and that left my internal self very swollen and I was absolutely convinced that I would never be able to drink a satisfying drink again, but as the swelling went down the drinking part of things really leveled out. I too needed a little calm me down time with xanax. My first day home from the hospital I paced the hallway for hours while my mom and boyfriend just stared at me, then I took probably 6 baths hoping that would calm me down, by the end of the day I called my doctor and by that night I was very relaxed and maybe even floating a little. But....to respond to your original worries you are lucky with regards to Fluid, and normal with regards to exhaustion. Be nice to yourself and allow yourself time to heal. your body has been through a lot! Best of luck to you! Anna

The guidelines Mini gave you are pretty much the gold standard. I really also like the resources that you can get at the cornell link that pnw posted. If you are still wanting to work with a NUT you will want to find someone who is specifically trained for bariatric patients. We are a different bread and not all medical prof are trained to deal with us. I have read of others who met with NUT's that did not have this as an area of expertise and put them on 1500 calorie a day diets, which is dandy for a typical person trying to lose weight, but not for those of us with dainty stomachs. Best of luck and hopefully you can find the eating plan that works best for you and that the scale will keep on moving!

That is miserable. I am so sorry to hear it. Is there any coorelation between your vomiting and certain foods or types of foods. It seems like only a remote possiblity based on what you're describing, but lots of people experience drastic changes in the way their body will tolerate foods post op. I really hope that you can find a solution soon. I wonder if you should see a gastroenterologist in addition to your surgeon? Take care and let us know your outcome, Anna

I did two for a while, I am totally off of PPI's now but experienced lots of reflux and false hunger for a while. I have tried the different brands and haven't had more or less success with any. As long as they contain omazerapol (sp???) I do just fine. When I was taking 2 I took one in the AM and one before bed, it really did make a huge difference for me. Good luck, hopefully you and your doc can come to a solution that leaves you feeling much better. Anna

Do you typically eat multiple meals at work? I used to do grave shifts in nursing homes, and would rarely eat or enjoy mass amounts of vending machine food and diet coke.

Oh lady!!! I think you sound right on track. I was about at the same pace as you. Step back and do everything you can to not compare yourself with others (I still struggle) and be patient and kind to yourself! You are on the way. Have you ever gone 12 days, lost 8 pounds and said to yourself, "is that all?" You will get there!!! Honest.

I HATED the first month's guts. Now I feel awesome. I am still not fully accustomed to getting complimented on my body. I started to feel like myself as far as energy and wellness at about three weeks. Prior to that my lack of energy was super frustrating. Then it was like a total flip, more energy then I had in years and a real sense of accomplishment and hope.

I have moments. My thing is that I don't want to eat 1/8 of a burger I want a big damn juicy burger, but it only comes in moments. I have learned to get the most bang for my buck, meaning if I am going to eat cheese I am going to eat full fat, strong flavor and feel completely satiated on my small portion. The same is true if I decide to eat something sweet, I may have 1/4 of a milkshake, but it will not be mindless, I will enjoy the hell out of it and get a kind that I adore, then I'm good. Small moments of buyers remorse are the rule, not the exception. But the grand scheme makes those moments miniscule. This really has been the favorite part of my entire life. I can't believe how tired I had become of telling myself I was going to lose weight and knowing even in that moment that I wouldn't really be able to do it. I trust me now. It creates a good deal of peace in my life.

WHOA!!!!!!! How exciting! The weight loss that first little while is so amazing and fun. Keep working hard and be kind to yourself! This is a long journey and you have made a huge first start, good for you!!!!!

I would be pissed at your boss. He is required to maintain your confidentiality. Maybe kick him in the knees?