Sleevie WonderLand

Cant wait to read/view your experience! Good luck and best wishes for a speedy and easy recovery and most importantly a successful surgery!

I don't think i'm ready. I tried one leaf of romaine that had some light caesar on it, and I chewed it to bits, and it didn't take long for Ms. Sleeve to let me know that she didn't approve. I didn't vomit, but my stomach hurt like hell - after just one lil piece of lettuce. smh. I will attempt the salad thing later on, sometime next year I guess. :-(

I thought this was a dumb question, but I dont recall anyone ever mentioning salad in the early phase of being sleeved. I've got the worst craving for a caesar salad, just wondered if it was a good idea to try it.

I actually had 2 bites of meatloaf last night. I made it with this new creamy sauce thing that the Philadelphia cream cheese people make and it came out FANTASTIC. All I could force down was the two bites though. It was moist and even dragged through some gravy, I could feel it going down. Maybe I just aint ready to leave the mushy stage yet. I'm gonna continue to focus on staying hydrated. I will gradually increase my Protein as time goes on, but i've got people telling me that they didn't really start getting good amounts of protein in until their 2nd and 3rd month, so maybe i'm panicking for nothing.

Looved it!

Where are my manners? Thanks to all who are giving me suggestions and tips. I REALLY appreciate it!

Ok, so did I mention that I hate bananas and Peanut Butter? LOL....I didn't know I was such a picky eater until this thread! Sleeve of Steel (LOVE the name by the way) you have given me an idea about revamping my shakes. I'll probably use strawberries or blueberries to trick out my shakes with some ice. I'm willing to give anything a try at this point! I also have to invest in some of those Torani syrups that everyone rants and raves about. I'm just not excited about food anymore so i guess I need to dedicate a day of food shopping to just my needs and not my family's. I was in the supermarket last week and only picked up some cheddar cheese and hormel chili for myself. I just don't have an appetite or the desire to eat, but I know I have to.

I call my sleeve "Ms. Sleeve" cause she demands my respect! Ms. Sleeve does not play, and I do my best to woo and coax her with warm tea which she seems to love!

I wish I had that drive! I get up every morning and walk 15 minutes and will gradually add more time and distance to that walk. I think it's awesome that you are motivated enough to do it 3 times a day. You've inspired me to take a walk around my building at lunch time today. Work that sleeve!

Mocha!!!! A mug warmer! That's genius! Greek yogurt - ewww...for me - barf city. I've tried it 3 times, and each time I felt like i was eating baby vomit. I can tolerate chili well too. I'm just sick of it. I've even had a chili omelette because they are probably the easiest foods for me to eat. lol (don't judge me, it tasted pretty good!)

I will def do more eggs, been looking at omelette recipes. I never thought about the soup/solid thing. I just hate that my food always gets so cold from having to take so long to eat it! lol. I will definitely separate my soup from the solids from now on. And as for eating chicken or any meat, I always make sure it's moist and in some sort of sauce, gravy, or soup lol. Emily, you've helped me tremendously...thank you for your sleeve wisdom. I hope more vets will post too!

So today makes exactly 4 weeks since I've been sleeved. I've been struggling to get ample amounts of Protein in and I'm really beginning to get worried. I have powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken broth with the protein in it. Gross. I might be able to tolerate it if I could make it hot (I like my food hot!) and could add some stuff to it, but you can't because the Protein powder cakes up if the Water is to hot. Protein intake FAIL. I have some nectar Protein shakes that I used to love - now anything that is related to protein/powder nauseates me to point of actually puking. I had my daughter prepare a shake for me so that I wouldn't smell the powder and when I went to drink it...yup, I started gagging from the smell and taste. Protein intake FAIL. I've been cooking up chicken Soup from scratch with spinach and okra and small chunks of chicken thigh. Soup is delis, hot and very tasty....however, no matter how much I chew on that piece of chicken, when it goes down, it feels like I'm swallowing rocks and glass. Im eating my food with toddler utensils. I'm putting the spoon/fork down in between bites, but still anything solid that I eat goes down like i'm swallowing a rock. Protein intake FAIL. I had some shrimp recently at a party, and surprisingly it went down ok (I felt it, but it wasn't that painful). A few minutes later, my tongue started to feel weird, so I was wondering if I have become allergic to shellfish. It wasn't a severe reaction, but it was enough to make me afraid to try shellfish again. Protein intake FAIL. I haven't tried a soft tender flaky fish yet. Someone prepared some salted cod for me and when I chewed it, it was real stringy so I spit it out. Im hoping that tilapia or flounder, maybe even some sole will be my saving grace. Anyone have any suggestions for me? Oh yeah, I try to eat cheese every now and then, but it's really not my favorite thing in the world unless its all gooey and melted all over some macaroni or lasagna lol (and i'm also lactose intolerant so I don't do much dairy). But i'm open. I would love to hear what my VSGers recommend.

Just venting, not necessarily bad stuff, just some things only my VST peeps would understand... I was at a family event yesterday, and everyone commented on how skinny I looked. I've only lost 30 lbs, and they are ranting and raving. Did I do the sleeve for nothing? I coulda lost 30lbs without surgery if I really tried hard... What kind of damage am I doing to myself? I'm not taking in much food, but I feel wonderful. I havent had more than 400 calories yet...i just dont have an appetite...will my body go into starvation mode? I'm taking vitamins, does that help me in anyway? What am I supposed to do about my clothes falling off me? I find that every week I'm needing to belt and try to re-wok the clothes that I have but when your pants are literally falling off you and you dont have money to buy new ones, whaddya do? I'm still baffled at the fact that I'm not as interested in food as I used to be. My tastebuds have become so picky that I was able to turn down some of my favorite foods at a family event. I had two jumbo shrimp, not because I desired them, but because i was tryna get some protein in. My brain has not caught up with the fact that my weight loss is becoming visible. I think that I wasnt really expecting to look different until I lost about 50 pounds or more, so its very hard for me to believe that I really look that different, even tho my clothes are falling off me. Such a mind screw that its hard to understand until you really live it yourself. so weird. I'm losing my boobs. They keep slipping out underneath my underwire. Go ahead laugh, I crack up everytime it happens. Someone called me "skinny minny". My jaw hit the floor (in my head) and i quickly turned the compliment back on her because I got so uncomfortable with the attention. Im turning into a weirdo.

Awesome! Congratulations!

I am not a sugar-coater, so I'm gonna give it to you straight....this VSG journey is not easy by any means. It's a really big life adjustment, physically and emotionally. I understand your thinking about the pre-op diet and it almost makes sense until you think about what happens after 2 months of doing it and you begin to slowly cheat here and there. Eventually you end up gaining the weight back, and realizing that you need restriction to maintain weight loss. I too like to be in control and think that I'm strong enough to do things on my own. I'm getting adjusted to my sleeve after having surgery on the 18th of October. I gotta tell you that I had buyer's remorse after I got home from the hospital and realized that I had to succumb to what the sleeve wanted versus what I wanted (which was to eat a massive plate of fried chicken and mac n cheez lol). You HAVE to pay attention to what you eat. You CANT cheat, not even a little bit. You CANT change your mind and have your old stomach put back in. It's a new dawn, a new day and a new stomach; you have to adjust your life accordingly. My recovery wasn't too uncomfortable, but I think I have a higher tolerance for pain (I've lived thru 3 c-sections). My biggest issue was the emotional part of it, having to come to grips with the fact that I was accustomed to eating food at any time in any amount for no reason at all. I have finally adjusted to my sleeve and hardly have an appetite - in fact I have to remind myself that I need to eat and drink to stay hydrated and get some Protein in my system. I would say to give yourself at least 2 to 3 weeks to start to feel "normal" again. Some people handle recovery better than others, so i can't really predict how bad you will feel. I can tell you that a positive attitude and staying here on VST to get answers and support really helped me. I realized that nothing good comes easy and that if I really want the sleeve to work for me, I gotta learn how to work it, and that's by following my doc and nutritionists instructions. In addition to that, you gotta learn how to listen to your body because your old stomach is gone. The new stomach has new rules, and if you don't follow them, she'll make you pay! LOL Overall I have to say, this is the best thing I've ever done for me. I believe in the sleeve! Good luck and best wishes!

Man, I feel for you, this is a tough one. Why didn't your coordinator find out the requirements before they began working with you? STuff like that really ticks me off. I know the lap band hasn't been getting the greatest reviews lately, but there are several success stories related to the lap band. I believe there is a lapbandtalk.com site that is also related to VST, maybe you can get some insight from there. If you have serious co-morbidities, maybe you can appeal and fight but you may not wanna go there and waste more time with that, especially since your coordinator doesn't seem to have it together. I wish you the best of luck in your decision. Be encouraged...

I slept on it and realized that again, my mind is playing tricks on me. I made some chicken Soup last night with spinach and okra and ate everything except the small piece of chicken that I put in the bowl. I just couldn't eat it! I've decided that I'm going to make a little seafood stew tonight with some shrimp and fish and start from there. I just have to take my time and all should be well. Thank you ladies...I don't know what i'd do without my VST family!

Right after surgery your doctors and nutritionist will most likely encourage you to stay hydrated and not focus so much on Protein in the first couple of days. You will also probably be taking an acid reducer which you will have to learn how to get down in between the little sips you'll be getting accustomed to. As the days go on, you'll increase your intake and try to find the best foods to help incorporate protein into your diet (I suggest unflavored protein powders). Celebrate sells chewable bariatric supplements that don't taste too bad. I've been trying to take them as prescribed for VSG patients. Getting them all in through out the course of the day isn't too hard, well it isn't for me because Ive created about 5 different alarms on my phone to remind me. lol Dont stress your self out too much in the beginning. Concentrate on swallowing smaller amounts and chewing your food into a pulp before swallowing. Staying hydrated is extremely important.

I was having a hard time when I was first sleeved because I really wanted to eat some real food in the beginning and was throwing a major tantrum. Here I am, going into my fourth week...got an excellent progress report from my surgeon today at my follow up visit; he actually wants me to go on regular food now especially since I'm refusing to drink Protein shakes (they still make me gag) but I dont want to. I'm AFRAID that I will eff it all up by eating regular food and stretching my pouch and not lose anymore weight. Logically, I know that no matter what I will lose some weight because I cant take much food in. But the coo-coo crazy part of my brain is telling me that like all the other weight loss attempts Ive made, I will sabotage and inevitably screw up my weight loss. Since my pre-op diet on October 4th to now, I've lost 29 pounds. I started at 252 and now weigh 223 pounds. I've never lost so much weight at one time in my life. It feels freaking awesome. I promised my surgeon that I would start on flaky fish and seafood (which I'm ok with), but I think it'll be a long while before I eat any chicken or other dense food. Is there anyone else out there who went through this? Am I crazy? enlighten me.

Try

It really does get better over time. I agree with Lissa, you should be in touch with your surgeon/nutritionist asap to let them know what's going on. Dehydration is nothing to play with.

Fabulous Forties in the house! I turned 40 last December and looking forward to 41 in a few weeks! Best early bday gift I've ever given myself!

I'm with the majority so far. They put it in when I was out, when I woke up I had it, didn't take it out until the next day. They measured the amount of pee that was coming out each time they emptied the bag. They took it out the next day and yes, it was a weird feeling coming out, but not painful. I kinda lost some sensation down there so when I was finished peeing I would get up and still have a little leak happening. Nothing a few Kegel exercises didn't take care of. I've gotten a UTI before from a cath after a c-section but the trick is to catch it early. You'll notice the foul smelling urine and have those cramp like bladder pains. The minute you suspect something, call your doc!

Some of you may wag your finger at me for this one, but I wish I had that "one last favorite meal" before surgery because after getting sleeved i resented having to give up food for two weeks prior to my surgery and feeling like it would be several months before I would eat a non pureed or liquified meal again. Of course it's been 3 weeks now, so that resentment has subsided now that I'm beginning to understand my sleeve, but I was PISSED when I wanted a piece of fried chicken and just couldnt have it. I did have a bit of ice cream the night before my surgery, but it was such a small amount that I kick myself for not firing up a juicy steak instead. OMG did I overpack. The only thing I used outta my bag was some clean underwear. The robe, night gown, heating pad, laptop, toothbrush/toothpaste didnt even come outta the bag while I was there. I used everything the hospital provided. It was just easier, and besides they charge for every piece of gauze that's used on you, so you might as well get your money's worth! Good luck with your surgery! And pack a small, firm pillow...it definitely helps to support your stomach when you get up out of the bed or chair.

I dont have answers to many of your questions, but I do highly recommend the nectar Syntrax brand of Protein shakes. My favorite flavor is the Chocoloate Truffle and the strawberry Mousse. I buy mine from mybariatricpantry.com. Good luck and best wishes for you towards a speedy recovery.