Foxbins

I got on the scale five days afer surgery but I was prepared to see a gain from the IV fluids (I didn't.). I think it depends on your temperament--if you are likely to freak out over a gain, then wait longer. Personally, ignoring the scale is partly what got me to the obese state I was in before surgery. Now I weigh myself every morning and chart my weight on Thursdays.

Vallejo, here. Hey, mnb, at 30 days out you should be feeling fine! Here's wishing your surgery goes smoothly on Monday.

It seems to depend, in large part, on how heavy you are at surgery. Better to think about average percentage of weight lost the first month. I started at 232 and lost 17 lbs, or 7.33% of my total weight, or almost 21% of my excess weight.

We are almost the same bmi and had surgery at almost the same time. I only lost 4 lbs last month and I am doing everything I am supposed to. I don't think we are broken, and I think your two pounds is water weight and will come off soon. In my case, I think I need to add some more muscle to burn more calories when I am not running, and I need to run more. I am doing less than 10 miles a week and I need to ramp it up and add some weight lifting. We can get to goal, we're just not going to be the "lost 90 lbs. in six months" folks.

I am not hungry. If I don't eat, I feel empty but feel full after 3-4 oz of food (about half a cup). I don't vomit either--early on I threw up a couple of times when I ate things that disagreed with me. Salmon and chicken are still difficult for me to eat but steak, other fish and seafood, and ham are all fine. "Satisfied" is not something I ever felt before surgery--I was either hungry or stuffed full, and now it doesn't really have any meaning either. If it's mealtime, I eat. When I finish my portion or get my full signal (whichever comes first) I stop. I eat now because my body needs fuel, not because I have hunger cues. It's kind of hard to explain until you have experienced it.

You look wonderful! Good job!

You could come to my house in Vallejo if you're not allergic to dogs (I have two big ones).

Are you on a PPI? I have noticed on the few occasions that I vomited that I didn't have any bile taste or any yucky yellow acid. I think it's the PPI that keeps it in check.

I'd call and ask them. I did and my helath maintenance organization said they would treat "life-threatening" complications from any out-of-plan surgery no matter where it took place. Nevertheless, my PCP has done all my follow-up lab work post-sleeve and nobody has said boo about why I have had so many tests ordered.

Sorry, but I am confused...your PPD was positive but the chest X-ray was negative and they want you to take INH? I'd get a second opinion if I were you. INH is kinda hard on the liver

Yep. Some days I can eat a whole scrambled egg--some days, 3/4 of a scrambled egg, and some days 1/2 of a scrambled egg. Same size eggs, prepared the same, even the same time of day...but my sleeve says, "Thanks, I'm done!"

Congratulations!

At nearly five months out, I am eating at the low end of the number of calories that my surgeon recommends. I eat low-carb as well and intend to do so until I reach goal. I am older and have hypothyroidism and what I'm doing is working so I am not going to mess it up.

I was fine alone. I slept a lot, watched TV, drank my sips of water, walked around the house. I could dress myself and drive (didn't need any pain meds) so about day 5 when I was going stir-crazy I went to the movies.

Take it easy! I took naps every afternoon for the first two weeks and went to bed pretty early, too. It took about 3-4 weeks before my energy started to come back. I couldn't get the Vitamins down until about week two or the Calcium until week four and I switched to Centrum chewable vits and a liquid calcium. I couldn't get all the Protein in, either. I think you are doing amazingly well. My first real walk was two miles; I had to stop midway and sit down. It was a real indication that I was doing too much too fast. Take it slow and build up with protein, supplements, exertion.

I played little mental games with myself about food, like "Pizza---yeah, pizza...I know what pizza tastes like...I can have pizza again, just not right now...I'd rather be thin when I eat pizza...I don't want to screw up my surgery...Guess I'll wait...maybe go in my room and listen to music...take a shower...read...brush the dog..." Anyway, you get the idea. Just sub whatever food is tempting you for pizza and go away and do something else. It's worth it, I promise, when the pounds start falling off you.

I was watching reruns of Project Runway this morning when an ad for this product came on. Apparently, it is a little hand-held laser that zaps your body hair. It's quite expensive if it doesn't work but a good deal compared to spa or medical laser treatment if it does. Anyone have any knowlege about if it and if it's worth the $450 price tag?

I use the Centrum chewables (orange-flavored). I crunch half at a time and wash the taste down with a sip of Water. Both Vitamins and Calcium made me sick to my stomach until about 3 weeks post-op.

My nutritionist said "No gum--ever!" and I asked why. She said,"You might swallow it and it can cause an obstruction." I said, "I haven't swallowed a piece of gum since I was five." I am not a big gum-chewer, but if that is the reasoning, why ever could you not have gum if you're not going to swallow it? Also, I don't understand the "no carbonation" thing, either. The gas doesn't expand in your stomach--in fact, with food in there, the pressure inside should be higher, which would make the bubbles smaller, and with no food it would go either up as burps or down as...I had a couple sips of diet soda and I was fine with the carbonation but it doesn't taste as good as it did pre-op. Another one of those "tastes change" things for me, I guess.

Immediately post-op, you may not feel like using your laptop. After you are released and check in to the hotel, is there a business center with a computer available? If you could do without your laptop for 36-48 hours, you could use the hotel's.

Anything under 100 gms of carb a day (compared to a "normal" diet) is considered low-carb and can put some people into ketosis...that said, get back on the low-carb bandwagon tomorrow first thing and don't have any more carbs for today. If you are out of ketosis, you can get back in within 24-96 hours. You didn't "sabotage" anything, you had a moment of weakness, and kept your calories low. 4 chicken tenders is better than 14, which I easily could have eaten pre-op.

If I were you, I'd take an antacid (just in case) and go to bed. See if the same thing happens tomorrow and then you can evaluate how to handle it.

I have been taking thyroid hormone since 1998--I had a TSH level done in March, 8 weeks after surgery, and again this month. Both were within limit for me (I do best under 1.0.) Rather than needing more, my PCP expects to lower the dosage as my body mass gets smaller. I have a sluggish metabolism but I have never had a stall, although it's true that some weeks I only lose a pound. Hope you and your physician figure something out.

So glad to hear it! Let us know how it goes--