swizzly

Amazing success -- congratulations!!!

My friend here who had VSG had a similar complication, where the sleeve sort of doubled up like that. Hers resolved on its own after a few days, but she was very miserable with it. I'm SO sorry you're going through this. Best wishes for a very speedy recovery. Hugs.

I have had a very easy recovery, and I was also moved to full foods four days post-op. I have not had any problem eating (chewing well of course) and I have had energy and felt well. My program doesn't have calorie or Protein targets, you're just meant to eat a quite balanced diet, including protein, fruit/veg and carbs. I have three meals and three Snacks per day, so my blood sugar stays fairly steady. I didn't feel that restricted at first either, but I think it was due to the nerves not being up and running again. I do feel it now. Before I felt it, I just made sure to not eat too much. Good luck!

I was cleared at four weeks, but I have taken it pretty slowly. Everything has gone down fine for me. I <3 salads.

I have also heard this. Seems counterintuitive to take acid to cure acid, but hey, whatever works. I have no idea where I'd source unfiltered cider vinegar...maybe a health food store? That said, my acid isn't very bad so maybe I don't need to worry about it.

Following the HELL that was the first 72 hours post-op (only pain meds given were friggin paracetamol), when I was violently nauseated (and made more so by every nausea med they gave me lol), I suddenly felt loads better, and have just gotten better and better since then. I am a pessimist waiting for the other shoe to drop, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying feeling so good. Seriously, it seems to have even helped my entire digestive system, as IBS symptoms have also all but disappeared. *knocks on wood 17 times*

Meh, leave it to work to ruin your plans! I am also a scale-avoider, though I do own one. I try to keep off it except for once or twice a week. So far, I have done well with keep myself off it. I just get too caught up (read: obsessed) with the numbers and drive myself right over the edge. So better to just feel good and have clothes get looser and etc, and only find the weight from time to time. Well done, you! I am also a slower loser compared to most, but I am a-okay with that.

{{{Missy G}}} You poor thing, you have had a hell of a time post-op. I really do believe things will still get better, I hope you can find some relief in the meantime. Reading all the boards I do, it's clear that, regardless of which surgery people have (and I'm talking any surgery, not just WLS), some people just recover very differently and on very different timelines to others, regardless of any "reasons." Maybe try and do some cheesy positive thinking and picturing things healing and getting better; imagine yourself hugging your new little sleeve and making it feel better. Feel like you're on the same side as your body, not like it's against you. I don't know, try acupuncture too. And definitely that newer acid-preventer. I do believe things WILL get better. Which doesn't help right now, but will at least offer a little hope?

That 'have to burp' feeling is my new full feeling. When I feel like that, I know to stop eating.

I had one.

I didn't have much of a sweet tooth pre-op, AND I didn't really like chocolate. But now I do get a sweet craving every now and then, it's weird. And what do I satisfy it with? One small square of very dark chocolate. Weird, but it seems to do the trick.

LOL...some of the sugar-free stuff does suck very badly. And I should have mentioned, I also wouldn't have drunk soda with sugar in it pre-op either...more a personal preference thing. But yeah, the carbonation isn't sitting well in the sleeve yet anyhow, so it's all hypothetical at this point.

Oh my god, this HCG, which I've never even heard of, is just like airplane seatbelt extenders, which I had also never heard of (also never noticed anyone else using them). Do I like walk around in some kind of ignorance bubble??

I have to admit, that I would not do.

As with everything else, sodas are allowed in moderation on my program (which is all about moderation). As are coffee and tea, and I've been having my morning coffee since day four post-op, no problem. The thing I loved most pre-op was sparkling water, lived on it. I've had it since surgery (I think there's no truth to the sleeve stretching thing about carbonation, but that's JMO) and it just didn't sit well. I'll try again later. I was quite bummed I must say.

FWIW, my program moves to basically all foods (with a few exceptions) from day three/four post-op. The underlying approach is, as long as food is tolerated by the sleeve, very well-chewed and not stuffed in too much, it's allowed. Though Protein is important, the program calls for a balance of fruit/veg and carbs as well. And, as the OP alluded to, they believe it's much better for the body/energy and the entire digestive system to not get "lazy" on liquids and purees; they also don't have evidence that this approach causes leaks. (My program is very experienced and academically oriented, and the surgeons and head doctors have done several major studies (esp in re: to the VSG; they also stopped doing lap-band already a couple year ago) and are all well-published in the literature.) So the "stages" aren't written in stone. However, at the end of the day, I think this is just another example of how pre-op and post-op diets and approaches vary so widely for different surgeons/programs.

I am also six weeks out and have lost 25-27 lb (I'm weighing in kg and I'm lazy about converting it lol), but I am WELL HAPPY about it. It never occurred to me that I am a slow loser, I feel like an awesome loser. Seriously. I haven't lost an ounce in over a decade prior to surgery (also didn't gain one either, but that's another story) so the very occurrence of losing is MAKING MY GD DAY, repeatedly!!

I only had a bad time the first three days post-op, which sucked heartily. But ever since then, I've felt just grand. I can eat normal foods just fine, haven't thrown up or had any pain to speak of since that first post-op 72 hours. So six weeks out, I think it's just great.

I don't know if they did one during surgery, or a scope (but I'm betting they did that), but I did have a barium leak test the day following the surgery and then they let me drink after that.

They will no longer do the lap band where I live, haven't done for a while now. Though it's not officially outlawed, the bariatric community just refuse to offer it anymore because of problems vs successes. Sorry to hear you have had such a time of it. I hope you are glad at least to get the reflux behind you!

I wanted to add that, eating out in general (restaurants, fast food, wevs) is also a contributor. Most of even the best restaurants use a lot more butter, oils, carby stuff, than I would at home. And chain restaurants and fast-food places have hideously high calories and sodium and fat and carbs. And don't forget that whole huge "flavourings" and "food enhancements" industry -- which adds sweet eff all in terms of nutritients to food, but massively increases the appeal to our tastebuds and senses...just more chemicals offering faux rewards and making our asses bigger and bigger. Eating out is a total obesity contributor. It CAN be done reasonably and healthily, but without a WLS tool as a helper? It's such an uphill battle that nearly no one wins it.

I completely agree about the food supply in the US and the crap processed shit that is nearly unavoidable. I also have to add, I have lived outside the US for a number of years and only travel back every year or two. Even over the time I've been doing that, food keeps getting bigger and Bigger and BIGGER. I mean, everything is huge. Last time we were there, we went to Chipotle (OMG yum, I would be hosed if I lived anywhere near one) and to a Cheesecake Factory. Seriously GIANT FOOD in GIANT PORTIONS. And cheap! Huge, tasty food that doesn't cost much? Of course people eat it -- I would too if I were there. Just as one small example -- a thing that strikes me is that a normal coffee cup in the US is literally three times bigger than a normal coffee cup here. Not a huge deal if it's just coffee, but when you add in proportional amounts of cream/sugar/flavorings, that cup of coffee has potentially more than triple the calories a cup here does. And how often do people have a normal cup of coffee? I am always seeing these places with huge mugs that are probably 5-6 times bigger. Also: Huge drinks (soft drinks, ice tea, etc.) -- and bottomless refillable drinks, unless it's diet that just adds in the calories heinously. And yeah, the other thing that always hits me is how we spend three weeks in the states and almost never do any walking the entire time. It's just not set up for that. Sure, you can deliberately walk for exercise, but it's in many places impossible to walk as a form of transportation or to do daily errands. We are just in the car from one place to the next. But I can't discount as well all the additives, chemicals, sugar and concentrated sugars like HFCS, hormones, dyes, etc., etc. Who knows wtf all that stuff does to us? Finally, I think dieting leads to obesity. Not the kind where someone is perpetually going up like 10 pounds over the winter, then dieting in spring in time for swimsuit season. I'm talking about the kind where you gain and lose tons of weight -- there is no way to break that cycle...except, hopefully, with the WLS option!!

I don't believe in stalls. I mean, I get them (pre- and post WLS) of course -- but I don't believe I have to do some trick to break the stall. I think if you just keep on plan and do your thing, eventually the stall breaks. Bodies do sometimes just need some time to adjust and recalibrate. But with WLS, calories in are lower than calories burned = eventual weight loss. You can either try a bunch of new stuff to break the stall, or you could just sit back for the ride and wait for it to move again on its own. Good luck!

Hi there, I'm just nextdoor en Suisse. I can totally relate to your fat person amongst the hordes of skinny people feeling. Sorta sucks, though after all these years, I was mostly used to it. I did finally decide to do WLS for other reasons, but I know that pressure. I also used to go to London to get clothes that would fit (or to the US), love to hit M&S. Here's to skinny Americans in Europe!