meggiep

HI Meg! I am actually 3 weeks post-op but I wanted to reply as you are another Meg on the forum- this makes three that I know of ! I find this so funny as for many years I hardly ever met another Meg and right now there are three Meg's in my Water aerobics class as well! I wanted to reassure you about the psych eval- I have had depression for quite a few years and take an anti-depressant. Don't worry about it- most of the eval, aside from the standard questions about whether you want to harm yourself or others, etc. ,has to do with making sure you understand what the surgery is and also have realistic expectations of what it will do for you. that it is a tool, not a magic wand, etc. For me it has been the best thing I ever did.

I will be extremely pleased if I average 2-3 pounds a week. I have lost 13 pounds in three weeks but consider that to be because I have been on liquids the whole time and also had an eight day stall. The way my doctor put it is that the first six months to a year is the optimum window of time for losing. It is important to help maximize by stiking to the prciples - which for my doctor are 70-80 grams Protein 64 plus ounces Water 40 grams max carbs minimum 3 times a week exercise Vitamins This is pretty similar to most doctors credos I think! Even though it is in a sense dieting, I plan to do it because I want to use the honeymoon period to the max. I know eventually I will have a harder time losing and will have a bigger capacity for food so to me it is worth "dieting" for a time. And with this wonderful tool, which for me has meant NO hunger- I think for the first time in my life I have a real hope of succeeding.

I will think of you tomorrow Kwikwits! In fact you will have exactly my post-op regimen and I have to tell you I think you will be happy you did it, even if not happy while doing it! Hard as it was to go five solid weeks on liquids- the two weeks before and the three weeks thin liquids- I found when I finally had my purees and mushies yesterday all went down without any pain or problem. I trust my doctor totally - he has been doing this for 9 years and has few complications. Today's egg was even more sublime as we added a tablespoon of melted cheddar cheese- I swear I had tears in my eyes it was so good! Then this afternoon I sprinkled a tiny pinch of hidden valley ranch dressing powder on my cottage cheese- sooooo good! I did both a long walk and Water walking today so I fell nice and worked out and I am about to make Eggfaces ricotta bake. yumm! Savory savory savory- so good! H to H- thanks for the delish idea- I know I can't have hard boiled eggs until later but pureed is probably another matter. It sounds great with the avocado- yumm! If you can believe it, an avocado tree in our yard is actually bearing fruit that is quite tasty. And we know it's organic ;-P I feel like I have returned to the living today for real with the advent of food you can chew (to a degree) . And the chorus of huzzahs at the pool tonight raving about my weight loss was really great too!

So for lunch I had a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese- so nummy! And toothsome! And again, no pain , no problem going down, no problem after either. I am thrilled! I did have my 45 gram Protein shake in between...and for dinner I am going to blend the full, unstrained chicken soup, and add a scoop of unflavored protein powder. I am not sure I will hit my full 80 grams but will hit at least 70 with only one protein drink- praise the Lord! I am thinking from Kelly's experience that three weeks or so works really well for starting purees and soft foods. My doctor also wants me to stay on this for three weeks and at this point I have so much confidence in him that I will do exactly that! I am walking longer and longer distances and tomorrow as I mentioned adding Water walking. With real food being back in my life I really do feel back among the living now! You know, I don't think I get head hunger so much as a sort of longing- we walked past so many barbecues (cook outs for you east coasters ;-P) and some of the smells were so delicious! I felt this yummy longing but I really was not hungry and it didn;t leave me feeling it once we had walked past. I think my PPI really helps with those pangs which I might mistake for hunger. I can truly say I do not get hungry- aint it grand? How was your Memorial Days?

I am actually wanting the original poster to chime in as I am worried not hearing from her since this post- that amount of food in a young sleeve could have been a huge problem for her last night. Today is my three weeks and I have been carefully and tentatively graduating to soft and pureed foods today- I ate half a soft scrambled egg for Breakfast and for lunch a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese. Both went down well (and made me swoon with joy! ;-P) and I did not feel bad or have pain. I will NOT blow this phase, I need to know my sleeve is healed and whole and ready to serve me ( or more realistically-have me serve it!) for the rest of my life. I was on thin liquids until today and I hated it but please OP- you need to do the right thing here. Worst case- you create a devastating medical problem for yourself. More likely- you eat your way around this sleeve and end up sleeved and still obese. Learn how to use this tool, get help with nutrition and emotions.

Hooray for being on the loser's bench and starting you life with a sleeve!

The person, I totally understand. I feel compassion for anyone battling their weight, and the pain and sadness it involves. The doctor, on the other hand- sorry but there are standards. I find this really suspect.

I agree. Renee has said over and over that she has the greatest respect for Dr. Aceves as a surgeon. However the fact remains that she fully disclosed her medical history, both before her surgery and again at the hospital. She was lied to by her coordinator about her situation and several aspects of the care she would receive. She was told by her surgeon that fibro was all in her head and to "stop it" She experienced ghastly pain without relief, and then when she was given "enough pain medication for a horse" (sic) she was left sitting up alone in her room and fell off the bed and injured herself. Her experience belongs here just as much as all the gushing raves and wonderful experiences. I also feel that it is not JUST people with her history that should be very careful in approaching their surgery- anywhere. I thin it is good to find out exactly how pain is handled- including the names of the drugs, and which drugs are used at which phase of recovery, as well as what is available if sever pain becomes an issue. As you foud out when you vomited blood- sh** happens! A person who never has had surgery may discover they have a very low pain threshold and they need to be managed well. I know it took a lot of courage for Renee to post because she was afraid of being picked on for scaring other, etc. I applaud her as she may have helped someone greatly with her story. As I told her today- girl you got a sleeve from a great surgeon- it is in the past and now lets start healing and looking towards a wonderful skinny future! Yes indeed. It seems that her history was ignored- perhaps because of the lack of belief in her condition-and I have to say that ignorance of a very real disease bugs me. It also seems like there is a lot of conflicting info- a doctor saying they do not use narcotics- others saying they do use it. I certainly know it is used in Mexico- my own sister had surgery for internal bleeding and broken knees and wrists and was beautifully pain managed. She had an absolutely fabulous experience. Including yummy homecooked meals (no tiny tummy for her!) I think communication is the key here- better communication about the procedures and what to expect, and perhaps even , hard as it might seem, the odd person who cannot truly be accommodated should be turned down. Ultimately as surgery in Mexico is a blessing for many who could not possibly have it otherwise, I believe anything we can contribute to help make it a better experience is only a plus.

Welcome to our three week stall! There is a time honored tradition before this of a stall right now so we are in good company! I am right there with you girl- either up a pound the down a pound and a half then up a pound again- basically stalled this past three days and I refuse to worry- I am getting 80 grams of protein a day, 64 plus ounces of water, and 500-700 calories. I'll up my water and exercise and just keep on keeping on. I am disappointed of course, but I lost 18 pounds on my 2 week pre-op and 12 pounds since and I am sure my body has to figure out what is going on and i will start losing again. So will you!

I I use mine already for my protein drinks and today having started purees look forward to using it. It is small, which is great, and really inexpensive at Costco. I think it is a great investment.

That is so low in calories- with your anemia and now light headedness you really should up it. Your body may go into starvation mode and start holding on to everything- beware of that. Are you doing better on your Protein? Really try to do that- I think your first weight loss is from just not eating- you want to keep it going- though you are really lucky to have only 40 odd pounds to lose! I am thrilled with the egg going down so easily- though at half an egg I can hardly look to food for my protein unfortunately! I am going to work on it though since I can't wait to leave these protein drinks behind. Hiccup- I will have to look out for that! Tonight I am going to blend up some cream of chicken Soup WITHOUT straining it - yay!- and add Protein powder to it - other than that I am playing it very conservative today....maybe! ;-P

You are probably right - Kelly started mushies at 2 weeks also an d only this wee has it started being easier for her- she had major pain. Good luck!

Now, many of you may say well d'uh I knew that are you a dum dum? But truly- I kept wondering why the pain from eating too much would always be described as chest pain like it is caught there- well, yesterday my doctor told me that is actually the top of our thumbys! Always was the top of the big one too- and so of course when it is too large, or too much, that is where the pain will manifest. I had thought it was still esophagus and did not get why the pain would be there. Of course I also had the thumby being on the completely other side of my body than it is so all in all it as a very enlightening visit! Today it is all about being sick to death of Protein shakes and liquids- so that even though I get mushies on Monday it feels like YEARS away. I wish I could sleep from now until then. Even my wonderful evening tomato Soup is depressing. Sigh. I'm dreaming of a scrambled egg with cheese. So get this- I have THREE scales. The one from childhood I only could use today since it went up to 250. The digital I got a Target which seemed to vary wildy- and the digital one rated most accurate by Good Housekeeping that I bought to replace it. The thing is, the Target one agrees most with my doctor! Today Childhood scale 248 it is an old Health o meter that shows weight with the needle and revolving numbers. Target scale 247 GH scale 250 I so want to use one of the lower ones! CRAZY MAKING! Only I would have and use all three!!!!!

I am concerned about that pain- I think you should call your doctor. If it were in your chest that is the top of your new thumby. But upper back pain is a warning sign after this surgery. Be safe! And I wonder how many people besides me and anyone else who knows about Europe knew what courgettes are....;-P

Oh I know- I really am using one- the ultra one I got recently when the Target one went wonky. That is the one I actually use to record my weight. But if you know anything about life here at Cat Heaven plus a Dog you will discover that we all are having fun with the three scales and it just is what it is ;-P They are scattered in different place and we all use all of them, laughing every time. I am unlikely to get rid of them....just because. But it's not bad...I don't really use two of them. And yes- I ate an egg this morning and started a whole thread for it!

Meggie asks self- does after midnight count ;-P No- I will wait- for one thing I have been in a stall for thre days so eating more at midnight is NOT indicated ! You can bet I will be up early though....

Ah, I see. That seems inadvisable for this surgery. And does not explain what seemed like a situation making the inability to administer medication be about the deficiencies of the patient. Not to mention the not believing in fibro and telling Renee to "Stop it". Would that it would be possible.... to just stop it. I do think it is important for patients to know the limitations or policies of a specific hospital or doctor before having a surgery that is possibly very painful. Especially knowing Renee was promised that her pain would NOT be a problem.

If I were you I would just pick myself up , dust myself off, and continue to follow directions. Wow- clear liquids? No Protein shakes even? That seems very extreme- even I have been on thin liquids- Protein drinks, clear liquids, and thinned Soups and yogurt. You must be starving- no protein , no carbs? I don' think I have seen a requirement that extreme- when do you get to move forward and to what? I had two weeks of liquid pre surgery, and am finishing three weeks thin liquids post. It seems bizarre not to require you to do something to get protein! No wonder you snapped ;-P I do notice that you wrestle with yourself a bit- you might want to consider seeing a nutritionist or counselor to talk about the things that lead you down the garden path so to speak! Did you feel restriction at any point? I am amazed that your very first food ever since surgery went down so easily....but maybe the dumplings were tiny!

It seems pretty clear that strong narcotics are not available for the patients. I would like to be wrong about that- but saying they do not use them for fear of addiction in the patients is absurd. Lynn and Renee were also told that "opioids are not used in Mexico." Just in this thread two patients have reported being told they 1- have too high a tolerance for medication or 2- they have too low a pain threshold- as the reason their pain can not be controlled. There have been quite a few other posts that have had me wondering what the pain management consists of. I think it is a pertinent and realistic question to ask. This surgery can OFTEN be very very painful. I would be concerned about an inability to access medication that can handle it. I need to remind you I have a great respect for Mexican healthcare. One of my sisters has all her dental care in Mexico and another sister's life was saved in a Mexican hospital in Baja when she fell and broke both wrists and both knees and had internal bleeding. Nevertheless these accounts and a couple told to me privately have me wondering about this aspect of the care- in my opinion an important aspect.

Walk walk walk. That is what most people say. My really bad gas pain lasted only a day and a half and then I developed the charming proclivity for burping with EVERY sip I take- not to mentione tons out the other way too so my gas dissipated. Now I still have all of it- with every sip. Hoefully if you walk a lot and sip a lit you will get rid of it too. Great to have you on the Loser's Bench!

Don't worry and don't beat yourself up! I cheated twice on my pre-op diet- once because I had to work a wedding- ten hours mon my feet shooting photos and moving around a lot and once the following week with the top of a piece of pizza (long story). My preop was Protein shakes and liquids. I lost 18 pounds pre-op and my doctor said my liver looked fabulous. I am interested in the fact your pre-op is low fat instead of low carb- and no meat? Why not- don't you want high protein? Is this your doctors diet? Seems a bit unusual!

My plan is a scrambled egg with a little melted cheese. I just hope I am one of the people who does well with that! Meanwhile I am finding that even a Protein shake I like is hard to get through and I had to choke it down this afternoon Gag. This is also a day to be emotional and kinda down- my boys- husband and son- are shooting a wedding in Monterey so it is just me, and no food. MInd you I am not hungry either but its the idea of food and how usually I would have something tsaty when I feel like this. SO instead....watching all my tivo'd Mob Wives

See- that is a similar thing- making the issue YOUR problem due to a "low tolerance". That is BS. This is major surgery- there are incisions into your abdomen through muscle- there may be intense pain and it needs management. Addiction? Baah- more BS. Pain management after surgery is not something to withhold due to fear of addiction. That is absurd. I am starting to wonder if there is actually access to the medication needed for surgery of this type. Expecting you to just bear it is barbaric. The chemical changes your body undergoes while in pain are harmful and can affect your recovery. This situation is serious IMO and needs addressing.

Yippee!!!!! I think maybe you just needed a little mor healing- which gives me hope for Monday. TOMORROW! I can do it, I can do it, I can hold off on eating the ricotta bake I am making today until tomorrow ! One more day... Kelly that is great news- I bet many things that hurt last week will go down better now. Who knew we would have to learn to eat again

I am also glad you posted it Renee- I was shocked to hear that Dr. Aceves told you the fibro was "all in your head" - essentially you were forced in to withdrawal by inadequate pain management AND you were told your diagnosed conditions do not exist when I worked for a team of research scientists at Stanford University working tirelessly to help find treatment for those conditions. One of the things that upset me the most about this experience for you is that you were promised your pain would be managed and your fibro taken in to account. Is this just the way to get you down there? I am so deeply upset that my friend suffered in this way and I wonder how man people will be affected in this way. I know it took a lot of courage to come forward too- you have no idea how many people will benefit.