mnbsleeve

You look incredible!!! A different person! I would not have recognized you. You look very happy too! Congratulations!!!

Woo Hoo!!! Good times!!! Congratulations ShellBear!!! Enjoy the new you!

Gorgeous!!!! Congratulations! You look beautiful! Thanks for posting these inspiring pics!!!

Candace! You look beautiful!!! I have a feeling you are going to have to get used to this though!!! Guys are probably falling all over you daily! This one was just bold! lol Congratulations! You look stunning! Enjoy the new you!

Don't get too attached to your mother's beautiful clothes! You'll be giving them right back very soon!!!! :-) CONGRATULATIONS on your progress!!!!

EXCELLENT IDEA! I'm still struggling with the same issues! I will definitely try this today! Thank you!!!!

I only juice green vegies, especially leafy greens. Some are a bit more bitter, like spinach. Cucumber is "watery" and has a delicate flavor so it's good to mix in with the more intense ones so they don't taste as strong. It is an acquired taste but very worth it. There's very little calories, very litte to low sugar unless you juice fruits or carrots, and very, very high in antioxidants. I've juiced for years and I find that I rarely catch a cold and I heal pretty quickly. I think it really boosts my immune system. My NUT had me continue juicing up to the day before sugery. I missed it during the weeks after sugery where my surgeon had me on lilquids. There is a bit of a fiber content. When I resumed juicing again, I strained it, even thought it was just liquid! And indeed there was some fiber. Eventually I didn't have to strain it anymore once my stomach healed. I juice organic greens, the greener or more colorful the better - like purple cabbage, which has a very sweet taste! You don't really need a whole lot! In fact, even if you just juice a few leaves of kale and a bunch of parsley you may get 2 to 4 oz and it's plenty. I'll have a full 8 oz. but you don't need to. Some of the leaves render a very rich, green juice but not necessarily lots of quantity. Again, it depends what you juice. I find the cost to be well worth it and definitely not that much... lets say, it's not more than a piece of junk food one may have when not minding our health. Good luck and happy experimenting :-)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Get ready for an incredible journey!!!! Stay close to this board. The support here will help you through any challenges you may face. Congrats again!

Caffeine tends to dehydrate you! So it's best to stay away, at least for a while. I don't generally have caffeine, but I know some folks here on the board do eventually have a cup of coffee a day. I'm sure others will post more. Just be sure you are taking in enough fluids. And I would wait till things settle down.

Barbara, thank you for sharing your experiences, including cost of procedures! I want to wish luck with the procedures and a super speedy recovery! Looking foward to the pics!!!!

I've been away from the boards for a while due to a death in the family and just found your post! What an awesome gift to yourself! I understand it takes a while for the swelling to really go down. A friend who got a similar procedure really started to look fantastic at about 30 days! Within a couple of weeks she looked really good... but then.. WOW, even better. I think it will get better and better as you heal. Congratulations! Enjoy the new you!

CONGRATULATIONS Amanda!!!!! Well done!!!!!!!!

Lots of great advice has already been given but I just want to add some words of support! It does pass and it does get better. I focused on one day at a time. I was prescribed raglan for the nausea which helpd tremendously. I took it for at least a week after surgery. And as others have said, I was on prilosec.... big difference if I didn't take it. Also, I made sure I took some walks/strolls around the neighborhood and deep breathing helped too. I spent about 2 to 3 minute doing rythmic, meditative type breathing. I did it thoughout the day but especially before bed. It really helped me relax all the muscles that tense up when we feel so misserable - especially nauseaus! I found that my neck and shoulders were like boulders! So the relaxing and breathing made a big difference in just loosing that area up and it helped me rest. Best of luck guys! We are all rooting for you. You will get through this tough healing and adjustment stage! I am sure! Remember we all go through it - it stinks, but it's a necesary step! Hang in there! Gets better each and every day!!!!

What a great post Ouroborous! Congratulations on all of the changes you've made in your life! What strength and courage!!!!!

Congratulations!!!! You look gorgeous! Love the handbag story. Made me chuckle! :-) (looks great no matter!)

Marita, I'm sorry you're going through a hard time right now. Sounds like there are lots of changes in a short time. Don't be so hard on yourself. I don't know your age, but I know that as we get older it's a little harder to make friends. We have to be more proactive. But it's normal feeling that it's a time and energy investment. This surgery takes a great deal of time and energy too since we have to focus on healing, learning new eating, changing lifestyle etc. We go into a huge transition, not just weight loss! So be patient with yourself and take one day at a time! This board is a great place for support and information! It may help during this time of change. Best of luck on this journey!!!!!

I want to add to what Irene and Lynda already said, that I have noticed that our bodies continue to make adjustments to skin and shape after the weight has been lost. For example, I have two friends who lost significant weight (one about 50 lbs, the other about 80) and while flabby in the first year after loosing it, even though they both worked out with weights, after the first year it appeared to me that the skin got tighter somehow. It was especially noticeable in the face! During loss and the first year after I thougth, oh, oh, may need a tuck. But BOTH seemed to adjust quite a bit more. Same with skin color! So I am hopeful that the body rearranges itself more as time goes on. Again, as Irene and Lynda said, I think excercise is a big part of it, as is age! Since for some of us, some lost in elasticity and changes in shape are inevitable given our age!

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the idea of just sipping (and I was told no more than 1 ounce every 8 to 10 minutes in the beginning) is more about the healing of the stomach than the stretching it per se. Obviously you don't want to overfill but it's because everything is swollen and raw.

I often will sip on some water BEFORE my meal arrives, or at home while preparing meals. I stop about 8 to 10 minutes before. At a restaurant, I time it as best I can. Somehow you develop a system and it becomes the new normal. Also, I cannot fit much food in so somehow I don't really have a desire to drink. But I have taken on occasion, as the poster above mentioned, a teeny, tiny sip just wet my mouth when I've eaten something a bit spicy or I just need that moisture - not really a sip. A couple of weeks ago, I completely forgot and at the very end of my meal, we were just waiting for the check and it had been a while since I had finished eating, I took a sip of water. WOW! I got a big stomach pain and it lasted for about 15 minutes! I don't know that the hec that was. I wasn't feeling stuffed or anything prior. But perhaps it took me over the top. I just don't know. But I don't want that to happen again! :-)

Hi Rebecca! It most likely is gas since it's still soon after the surgery. However, I was cautioned by my surgeon to take in about one oz. of Fluid every 7 to 8 minutes, not more nor sooner. In other words, take about 8 minutes or so to consume one oz, then start on the next or if you finished it in say 6 minutes, wait till the 8 minutes to start on the next ounce. I know, it sounds like so much work! It was the first few days. The focus is on sipping and moving/walking, sipping and walking, sipping and walking. This way you get all your fluids in too and it helps to move the gas out. The good news is that things get better and better literally day to day. Hang in there! Congratulations on your surgery!!!! You too MissE!!!! Best wishes to you both for a super speedy recovery. Once you get through this phase, you are so going to LOVE your sleeve!!!! :-)

I would do it again in a heat beat! I know that I would not have been able to loose this weight without it. I was (and am) very active. Before surgery, I had low blood presure, no cholesterol, normal blood sugar and worked out hard 4, 5 to 6 times per week. But it was sooo difficult to loose weight, especially the amount I had to loose. My cardiologist told me my body was working against me. I have PCOs and it seemed as the years went by I had to work harder and harder not to gain. Any slip would translate into a gain- albeit small, but then lots of work to get it off. So the only way I could keep the calories down enough and consistently enough has been this sleeve!!! I feel great and had no complications. I am a pretty slow looser, slower than those that say they are slow loosers LOL but I am very happy because I always remind myself how difficult it was pre-surgery. So all of this is gravy! Like someone else said above, I wish I could have done this sooner!!!!!!

That's great Bonbon!!!! More happy NSV's to come for you!!!!!!! Enjoy this great journey!!!!!

Treequeen! You look great! Congratulations! I love the black dress. You look soooo beautiful!!!!!

Meggie! I've followed your journey on YouTube! Congratulations lady!!!!! What an awesome accomplishement! You look sooo happy and full of life! Enjoy the new you!!!!!

Congratulations Kemo46! on both counts! You've lost 100 lbs pounds but it sounds like you've really accomplished some pretty amazing fitness goals! How awesome! You inspired me!