Cinderella

MAN ON MAN, am I jealous of you!!! Also because one of my best friends lives in Phoenix now... I used to live there once, they have the most glorious winters you can imagine. Well...thanks for breaking my heart!!! Cinderella

OMG!!! that's terrible, I am so sorry for you. I broke my rib once a long time ago and I think it hurt just to breathe, realllly painful. The ice is still there, but somebody tossed a handful of salt pellets on it today I see, I am avoiding it like the plague. HATE this cold weather.

Hooray for you!!! It really IS amazing, isn't it? The weight just seems to evaporate. Way to go Lily! Cinderella

You lucky dog! I only got to take 10 days off, and had o take 2 of them without pay, as I couldn't deal with all the Short Term Disability papework, plus I told my boss I had a hernia to be fixed... they frown on taking time off for "cosmetic" type surgery. I wasn t sure... since this was insurance approved because it is medically necessary, if that means it is "cosmetic" type surgery or not. I would LOVE to be off, it is so cold here. Anyway, Lisabug, I am glad that you are not bad hurt. I almost fell on my butt on the ice tonight, and thought of you. Take care... did the doc say warm heat or ice packs or anything on the area?

Ladies and Gentlemen: Today I am 12 days out. Feeling good, but it seems so strange that I just can't eat.... they told me that would happen, and I guess that's why I did this, but it still seems kind of happily odd to me. I keep waiting to wake up from a dream, and find myself like I used to be, head in a big bag of cheese popcorn. But my real message here is... all you other new post-ops WATCH YOUR STEPS out there!! Go onto the LL BEAN website and order some of those cheap "ice grippers" that snap onto your shoes, we had a big ice and snow storm today and I had to go out in it and hit a patch of ice and just went sailing across it, like I had skates on. God's grace was with me though, and I managed not to fall. I was panicky like crazy.... if I had fallen on the hard concrete, I would have definitely done some damage to my healing stomach... So take a less from the dancing elephant here, and PLEASE BE CAREFUL on the ice!!! P.S. I am so not selling anything, but here's the LL Bean ice grippers link,.... they're cheap, and cute: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/43355?pi=732928&catalog_id=NJ&ddkey=http:LLBSearchDispatch (the ugly black ones you can get now, but gotta wait till after Xmas for these pink ones) Be careful out there! Cinderella

I'm hearing you, Drysdale, because I had to go back to work on Monday. BLECH BLECH BLECH!!! I hate my job even MORE now, but I have a little gleam in my eye that says "Hey girl, once you adjust to your new tummy and drop some more pounds, you can get a better job ANYWHERE." There is definitely hiring prejudice against fat people. Well, I haven't hit that emotional low yet but I'm sure I will, and then I'll be crying on YOUR shoulder. I'm 12 days out today... getting SICK SICK SICK of the mushie phase, but you know, somehow food seems repulsive to me, so I guess I'm lucky. As far as the emotions, I wonder if it has somethign to do with them removing the Gherlin part of your stomach... Gherlin is a kind of hormone, I think... my doc was saying something about it. About the best I can say is.... watch a funny, ridiculous movie! I highly recommend a classic, such as SOME LIKE IT HOT. It will cheer you up in no time. Hang in there kid, when you try on your clothes for work you'll find them loose, and feel a bunch better. Cinderella

I am only 1.5 weeks out of surgery, so I can't speak to the "do you miss eating like a man" issue, although already I am DELIGHTED not to be a serial eater anymore... however, I can give you a little information on the "long term success" of the procedure. My research finds that they first started doing Vertical Gastric Sleeves as the first step in a Gastric Bypass or Switch, in dangerously obese people to reduce their weight first. This was back in the 1980's, and I believe that back then, these procedures were OPEN. From what I read, in many cases, the sleeve worked so well that the patients never came back for the rest of the surgery. I also find that the first laproscopic VGS in the US was performed by Dr. Michael Gagner, in year 2000, at NY Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Gagner is a Canadian surgeon, who pioneered in a lot of laproscopic WLS techniques. They have been doing this procedure at NYP ever since... and as my surgeon there said to me, "Nobody has ever come in and asked for their stomach back, yet." As far as complications, all surgery has risks, and this one is no different. It IS a major surgery, even if done laproscopically, but the risks descend sharply with each passing week. After three months out, you are past the stage where you will get a blood clot from the surgery itself. As time goes on, your risk for leaks goes down. and if you follow the doc's instructions to the tee, and pass your swallow test, you'll probaby be ok there too. I think that for some people, nausea is a problem, and for others pain, but you can work with your doc to control those two until they finally go away. My husband is also completely opposed to this surgery, and we had a big fight over it, but I went ahead anyway.. and now... a week-and-a-half later, he sees that I survived, am getting better each day, and have lnow lost 18 pounds... he is shutting up. Only YOU can decide which you love more.... the taste of food, or the feeling of being thin and healthy. Good luck with it! I know that I am certainly not looking back. Cinderella

I have read, and reread all of the nutritional guidelines and instructions I got from my doc and my nut, and darned if I can find ANY mention of coffee. It is not on the 3-week post-op list anywhere, although they do mention Tea, so I assume we can't drink it post-op... but it also doesn't say "do not drink coffee." I read a litle further, and coffee is also NOT listed on the "resume normal eating" list that tells you that after 3 weeks you can begin to add foods back. Question to the sleevers: When did you start to drink coffee again after being sleeved? I miss it, and it has no calories. Cinderella

Hi Diva: SIgn me up!! I wanna go to Onederland with you. I want to be a ONE DIGIT SIZE (dare I dream of size 8??? That's a far cry from size 22), and with nothing bigger than a "1" as the first digit in my weight forever. And, just to add to the challenge, I want to do this all in ONE year. Woo hoo!!! We've cast off anchor and are under sail. Cinderella

Great balls of fire!!! Congratulaionts. You are truly an inspiration to me!! I never would have believed this possible for myself... now I see that it can be done, by using this surgery as a tool. Cinderella

Congratulations, and welcome to the bench. I'm 10 days out, and sitting on the other side from you!! Sorry to hear of all your pain and nausea, but hopefully that's a think of the past. Cinderella

One of the big reasons for walking is to prevent blood clots. They can happen up to several months after surgery, so keep it up! Sounds like you're doing good! Cinderella

Oh no, Lisabug, I am so sorry for your injury. It is so hard to NOT pick up your crying child, or perform other normal activities, like today I lifed a big basket of sewing projects. I hope your day of bedrest helped, it sounds like maybe you pulled a couple of recently healed stitches. Good idea to call the surgeon in the morning.... good luck to you! Cinderella

I first weighed 2 days after I got home, and was amazed by the weight loss. I lost a lot of the Fluid in urine a couple of days after surgery My first BM was also the day after I got home, which would make it 4 days after surgery. The anesthesia, and pain pump (morphine or codine) both slow down your digestive system. Hope this helps... Cinderella

Congratulations on being NOTICED!! I think that's great. I think that you answered just perfectly.... after all, everyone worries about the weight creep during the holidays, and so dieting in preparation for it makes perfect sense. I don't even plan to tell all of my own family and friends about my WLS... only a couple of close confidants who have gone through the whole up/down struggle of getting the WLS approval (it's been years in the making). I only plan to say that I've finally found the plan that works for me, which is high-Protein, low fat and portion control. At work, I told the boss I was having a hernia fixed. Cinderella

A couple of thoughts to pass along regarding your thoughts... 1. Anesthsia does NOT cause hair loss - lack of proten (and other vitamins) does. This from my nutritionist, an R.D., R.N. 2. YES, righto, living on 400 calories a day is VERY unhealthy, and even dangerous. That is why we are all under a doctor's care during the first month or so.... or should be. When I get past the mushies and starvation portion of this experience, I plan to eat around 1,000 per day at first, and amp it up to around 1,200 calories for life. A far cry less than the 4,000 a day I was eating. 3. I couldn't agree with you more... the pace of recovery from this surgery cannot be cookie cuttered. It is very different for every indivdual. However, there are some "medical rules of thumb," which doctors have observed to be true for ALL patients after surgery. One is that it takes at least 10 days for internal stitches to heal, and often longer. So most of them put us through some sort of starvation diet until our stomachs have largely healed up. 4. I decided that when I go out to eat, I'll mostly order an appetizer and a cup of Soup... or order ala carte. I dont' have any kids to take along! Some doctors give people printed cards to give to the servers to tell them that you have had WLS and ask if you can order a child-sized portion... however, most of the child sized portions that I have seen are crap. 5. Diabetes may not always go away, I think it is largely genetic... just like high blood pressure. But let's all hope that both of these dreadful condtions may at least get better. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Cinderella

Sorry to hear that you have that OOGY feeling. My doctor gave me powdreded Nexium, which you mix with 1-Tbsp warm Water, and tastes really nice and orangey. Get a prescription for that... although it is not cheap, it is really good. My stomach feels fine, as long as I don't eat anything, LOL. It really rumbles and tumbles when I start to eat, but everything works, the plumbing is all connected, it's just that I guess it takes awhile for your poor tummy to calm down. Also, I read in a newish WLS book, for constant nausea, go into the spices section of your foodstore and purchase a little bottole of powdered ginger. Mix in a tiny bit with all your water, it wil calm your stomach, they say. Good luck with it, and if the ginger fails you, get the Nexium.

CONGRATULATIONS, Sleeve or Bust!! You are an inspiration to us all... especially now that I am just beginning my second week out, and I am SOOOOO sick to death of mushies, LOL. I do love my Protein shake thought, maybe I'll throw in a teaspoon of Peanut Butter tomorrow just to change up the flavor. I, too, am losing weight like crazy but occasionally I do have those "what have you done to yourself?" moments, that I guess all of us experience early on. Keep up the great work, thanks for sharing your diet (there IS light at the end of the mushie tunnel!!), and keep sharing your success. Cincerella

I asked about how many surgeries, how many leaks or complications, any deaths... and then into the questions about the pre-op, post-op diet, and how pain was controlled immediately after surgery, and then I asked what sized Bougie, and whether they over-stiched the staples. I also asked the total price, and how long I'd be in the hospital, whether I'd have a private room, and if he would send me home with both pain meds and gas meds. You can't have too much information! Good luck, Cinderella

The pain is totally individual... some people have very little pain, some people have a lot. If you cannot stomach that pain killer, call that doctor up and tell him to send a different prescription. My doc sent me home with Percoset, which is TOO STRONG, it knocks me out so I don't take it. I got some children's liquid tylenol and take that instead. Just don't suffer in silence. Pick up that phone and raise a ruckus.... Feel better fast Cindrella

Oh my GOSH I am so sorry to hear of your complications!!! Poor baby, here's a double-hug for you. But be GLAD That they caught this, at least you are going to get over it, but how horrible for you. My doctor DID give me a card to carry around in case I get really sick and it shows a picture of the sleeved stomach and says THE BEARER OF THIS CARD HAS HAD A GASTRIC SLEEVE.. and goes on to state all the possible terrible things that could happen to me. One thing WAS that I could get deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots, for at up to a month after. So I guess you are one of the unlucky ones that fall into that category. Feel better fast! Cindrella

For the gas and farts, my surgeon prescribed "Powdered Nexium." You mix it with a Tablespoon of Water and drink it down, it tastes orangey. Helps a LOT. Good luck with the pain! Call your doctor and ask for PAIN KILLERS. Cinderella

Hi Lisa: Maybe the liquid yogurt would help you. Regular yogurt is fine too, I was just looking for ways to cram more Protein into my 'Protein shake," and adding the liquid yogurt is one. There are a number of different brands... it is sold right beside the regular Yogurt in the dairy case. They usually come in 4 little plastic bottles packed together. They are much thinner than regular yogurt, so easier to get down. Dannon calls their liquid yogurt line "Dan Active," or "Daranimals (for kids). Trader Joe's calls their brand "Organic Yogurt Probiotic smoothie." They're great! Good luck with the rest of your liquids phase. I keep reminding myself, "this is just a few weeks out of your life... and you're getting thinner!" Cinderella

Hi Everyone... just an update. SEVEN days out... and still no problems with my "early mushies" diet. Granted, I can eat only the teeniest, tiniest bits of food, but no leaks or staple pulls so far. I have lost 16 pounds since the day I went in for surgery, how about those numbers? My nutritionist said that on the follow-up eating plan we have, we are getting between 440-500 calories a day. She said that now, instead of counting calories we need to count Protein, and that's why we do the "mushy meats," to help us get up to that 40-60 grams per day. Myself, I knock it all out in one fell swoop with a power shake, but it also counts that I might eat an ounce of cottage cheese here, and an ounce of pureed egg salad there.... Good luck to everyone, I'm happily embarking on Week 2 of my journey1

I am 7 days out, and get what you mean about not being able to eat a bite. I can eat about a "nibble," not even a thimble full of food.... BUT... isn't that WHY you did this? Everybody's different, but to me food is now repulsive. My husband was chowing down and a big steak and huge (I mean mixing bowl sized) salad last night, and I thought... "My GOD I'll never eat that much food again," but I didn't feel sad, I felt HAPPY!!! Try to accept that we are different, genetically and hormonally, than our thin friends... but rejoice that you now have the tool. Try to think in terms of TASTING. Yes, you can't eat the whole enchilada, but soon you will be able to TASTE anything you want. Savor that taste, lick your spoon, chew a long time... be GLAD you got the chance to have a nibble and leave the rest... and have the cute little body to prove it! Cheer up, you might just be having a bad day. Don't go out with the boyfriend's crew for awhile, and turn the TV channel to something like WHAT NOT TO WEAR.. that might help. Good luck! Cinderella