Sleevie WonderLand

Sweetybabs, for me it wasnt really about the pain. I had to come face-to-face with my problem of grazing. The sleeve does not allow me to just eat because I'm bored, or in a greedy mood. I was resenting the restriction aspect of it all, and threw a fit when I realized that there was no turning back. I'm doing much better now, and have come to grips with the fact that this is THE ONLY WAY i will be able to lose this weight. I'm still craving my favorite foods, but am finding consolation in the fact that I will be able to indulge in them (tho in very small quantities) in due time. The physical part of me is healing, and I"m still massaging the mental part of me to match my new sleeve. Sheesh...3 nine pound babies huh? *bows down and fans SweetyBabs feet* Recovery will be a breeze for you because you are probably one of the most positive people on this site, and a positive attitude will def get you thru with flying colors. All the best to you!

I have the unjury unflavored AND the chicken broth. I was sleeved on Oct 18th and try to use both as much as i can to get my Protein in. The broth is ok, it's just that you cant make the Water for the broth too hot because it doesnt do well in hot hot water, and I like my Soup hot. Trying to drink soup slowly makes it get cold quickly and then it's no longer appetizing to me, so I only make it in ridiculously small batches. The unflavored has a distinct taste to me. My tastebuds seem super sensitive since being sleeved as well as my sense of smell, so to me it's gross, but kinda tolerable. It gives food a creamy like texture, almost like non-dairy creamer. I added some to my tea this morning, and was still able to detect that it's in there. The taste isnt that bad, but I find that it alters the flavor of food that Im eating, but again, I'm super sensitive right now and hope that my tastebuds will chill out as the days go on. Someone suggested a product called bipro to me and she claims that it's the best unflavored protein out there. I'm not ready to purchase yet, but maybe you can look it up online and decide if you wanna take the plunge. Good luck!

This thread was great. I was experiencing the same sensations after being sleeved on 10/18 and am still learning how to read my sleeve as well. I think I'm sipping too quickly as I'm so concentrated on not becoming dehydrated and want to get in as much Fluid as I can. I thought that if I were going too fast that I would throw up, and since I havent thrown up then I must not be going too fast, but I understand now that that isnt the case. I have to go back and rethink the way I've been taking my fluids in. Thanks for all the great tips!

If you are convinced that this is the best way to get you to a thinner and healthier place in your life you should def do it. Just prepare yourself mentally now because it sounds like a walk in the park until you actually go thru it. As the days go on and my woes lessen a bit i am less resentful and my tantrum is subsiding. Im happy to be sleeved but i still cant stop wishing that i could eat some real savory food. Food was my baby and i am trying to get accustomed to the fact that my visitation rights have been taken away lol. I cant wait until the judge (my sleeve) lets me have supervised visits in a few weeks.

Thanks yall. I know this was the best decision I've made concerning my health. I'm just being a big baby and promise I will get outta this funky mood soon...lol The great thing about this blog and writing posts is that I can look back in a few months and remember that all the issues Im dealing with now were so worth it!

Disclaimer: These are strictly my opinions and in know way mean to deter anyone from pursuing VSG. I was sleeved on October 18, 2011. In addition to my new stomach, I've got new realizations about things and would like to share... This sleeve thing is MAJOR surgery. I knew that when I was going in, but you dont fully understand the magnitude and seriousness of it until you wake up with that pain in your gutt. I was not mentally prepared for this surgery. Yes, I had the psych eval. Yes, I researched every possible thing I could think of to make sure I was prepared. I read posts from people who were newly sleeved and complained of pains and troubles during their recovery, but I definitely lived in that "That wont happen to me" world. I figured those people had to be doing something wrong to cause them so much grief. Boy did I get a wake up call after my surgery. Getting sleeved removed 85% of my stomach. My desire to eat for no reason in massive quantities is still very strong. I wish I could sleeve that part of my brain. I havent stopped wanting to have some steak and fried chicken since my surgery. If only they made lobster flavored ice pops, I might find some of my desire to eat real food quelled. "Sharting" is no joke. Dont take your gas for granted, it may be more than just air in that bubble. You will question your decision to get sleeved. You will feel trapped when you realize that there is no turning back. Unlike conventional diets where you can cheat just a little and get back on track; if you try and cheat with a new sleeve, you could kill your self. There are an awful lot of food commercials on tv. No wonder our country suffers so much from obesity. While in the hospital most of the commercials I saw were about food, cars, and Kim Kardashian's wedding. Learning to read my new stomach is still kinda hard even after 6 days in. It gets frustrating, and at times it makes me angry. My old stomach would growl, I'd overfeed it, and all would be well. This new stomach is so picky...sometimes what I think is a small sip will piss new stomach off, and new stomach will give me the worst spasm ever. New stomach dont take no s***. Coughing, sneezing, and laughing are tools of the devil. Boy do they hurt like hell. I thought my couple of days in the hospital would be good for me because I'd be able to get some rest. WRONG! I didnt get more than 4 consecutive hours of sleep at a time because there's always an injection that you need to get, or some kind of medication, or a doctor needs to see your incision sites, or the nurse needs to check your vitals, or they need to deliver your nasty fluids for you to try and ingest, or someone needs to clean your room, or they want you to walk, or you gotta go to the lab and drink that nasty stuff so they can check for leaks, or you gotta go pee, or someone wants to offer you communion, or your roommate's family comes to visit and is loud and smells like cigarette smoke and cabbage and stays until visiting hours are practically over in addition to that hospital bed being hard to get totally comfortable in. I cant stop thinkin about food and what the first real spoonful of food I'm going to have is. Someone asked me if I would do this again. I havent had any weight loss yet, so I'm not totally sure. I'll have to revisit this post and answer once I see the difference in a couple of months. I just hope this pain and discomfort and food craziness in my brain is all worth it. I think my biggest problem is that Im throwing a tantrum because i havent had real food in over 2 weeks. I know restriction is the only way i will lose weight, but I really resent not being able to do what I want to do - be in control of what I want to eat and when. For now my sleeve is calling the shots, and that's a harder pill to swallow than the Prilosec the doc prescribed for me.

I'm still feeling pain and discomfort in my incision site (the main one) and am flabbergasted when I read posts from people who are newly sleeved mentioning that they're already up and walking for exercise. I was able to walk slow laps in the hospital, but I find that I cant remain on my feet for more than 5 to 7 minutes at a time because its painful. When did you start your walking regimen? I guess I'm just a slower healer than some...

Got the prilosec down with the tea. Am feeling alot better. Gotta find out about the sublingual meds sounds so much easier.

Gonna try the tea. I hope it doesnt come back up! Thanks everyone for your help!

Warm tea huh? do you open the capsule and dissolve them in the tea?

I almost threw it up. Gotta find a way to get it down and have it stay there. Any suggestions?

I had a really uneventful surgery and hospital stay. Now that I'm home my sleeve is kickin my ass big time. I feel like i'm hungry at times, so I sip on some Soup or a little of my Protein shake. I feel ok at first, then i begin to get these horrible hiccup-like spasms that hurt like hell. I'm at my wits end because the emotional side of me keeps chiming in, telling me that I shouldnt have had the surgery. I'm trying very hard to remain on the positive and "it'll get better soon" side, but I feel like if I hear that one more time I may go postal. My nutritionist told me to concentrate on staying hydrated for now. 60 to 80 grams of protein should be my goal each day, but she doesnt want me to focus on that too much just yet, just try to get and keep as much Fluid down as I can. I've been trying to drink Water, my shakes, and soup, but i dont feel like I'm getting that much in. I was sooo not ready for this part of the game. They want me to take Omeperazole (prilosec) once a day, but that just aint happenin. Am I sabotaging myself by not taking it? I tried once in a little applesauce as recommended by the doc, and almost threw up which was enough for me to realize that I just can tolerate it right now. Why didnt yall tell me about this part? OMG, I just want to run to Popeye's right now and get a 4 piece (dark meat) and bury my troubles in the box. Of course I know that cant happen, but it's really how Im feeling after dealing with this discomfort.

Sorry that I'm respondin so late, I just happened to see your reply. Hopefully you've gotten your answer, but in case you havent, I'll still respond. After speaking with my coordinator i received a call about 2 days from the insurance company. they called to verify who I was and confirm my surgery date and type of surgery I was having.

from other posts that I've read here on VST, some surgeons prefer that your nails be clean and clear so that they can detect discoloration in your nails which can be a sign that something may be wrong. I've also seen that it's for sanitary/infection control purposes as surgery is supposed to be done in a sterile environment on a clean patient. Not sure of the validity of either reason.

Thanks so much for this list! My surgery is on the 18th and of course i'm scrambling at the last minute to get myself prepared. I've read other posts where people suggest you bring a small firm pillow to hold against your stomach when trying to sit or stand for support...

My surgeon said I wont have a drain after surgery which I was happy to hear about.

OOoh, that "pretty face" thing always drove me crazy! lol Glad you've found the time to realize that you deserve to have a good quality of life to share with your family. Sometimes we give so much of ourselves until we have nothing left. I'm happy that your family is supportive, it makes it all so much easier to deal with. Girl you have 8 babies? You DESERVE this time for you! Wishing you much success on your journey...dont be a stranger, ask lots of questions and read every post that grabs your attention. VST has been nothing but a help to me, dont know where I'd be without it!

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours at the hospital to pre-register for my surgery on the 18th, to meet with my nurse practitioner, and to meet with the nutritionist. The nurse practitioner gave me 2 prescriptions to fill before I get to the hospital so that I would have them when I got home after surgery; Omeparazole and Lortab Elixir. She gave me some papers with discharge guidelines and stuff to do or not to do before and after surgery. She asked me if I had any questions, and reminded me that I could call or email her at anytime if I needed to speak with her. She is frickin awesome. I met with the nutritionist who gave me the guidelines for my pre-op fast. I already had them, so what she told me wasnt a shock or anything. She expressed that most patients lose the bulk of their weight in the 1st 9-12 months and that she really hopes I understand how important it is to stick to her guidelines and those of the surgeon. She said she has a good record so far with the surgeons - meaning all of her clients who have gone in for surgery have had "shrunken" livers. She threatened me, saying I better not mess up her record! I asked her if surgeons really turn patients away for having distended livers and she said that she's heard of it happening, just not to her patients. Imagine getting opened up for surgery, then closed back up and sent home because your liver was too fat? SMH. I would die! Anyhoo, she too reminded me that she was just a phone call away for any questions I may have even if I thought they might be stupid, I should ask her. She's kinda awesome too. She highly recommends the Bariatric Advantage High Protein Meal Replacement Shakes and their control bar for snacking. I told her I didnt want to invest my money in that stuff, I preferred to go into my local Vitamin Shoppe and purchase my protein stuff. She gave me a list of things that were pretty good, and I ended up with with Nectar Chocolate Truffle. Delish! I went down to the pre-admission testing office to give blood and have a cardiogram performed. My PCP will review my blood work and give the final thumbs up on my surgery (hopefully) and I'll be all set to go for October 18th!!!! One thing that alarmed me during my discussion with my NP....she asked me how much time I took off from work and I told her that I would be back at work the following Monday after my surgery (surg is on a Tues). She asked me if I really thought that was enough time and I explained that I really dont have much time because I had to use so much of it to go on all these pre-op appointments! I sit at a desk all day and dont lift anything other than mail, so I told her I thought I'd be ok. My job thinks I'm having gall bladder surgery, so I may be able to squeeze an extra day off, but I'll play it by ear. Cant miss too much work, people are losing their jobs around me left and right, cant give them a reason to let me go. Well, that was my day yesterday. I'll be traveling out of the country on family business, so I'll be taking my Nectar with me. I just hope they dont give me a hard time at the airport....

You betta work Diva! Girl you look FABULOUS! Thanks for being such an inspiration! I cant wait to do some "before and after" shots! Keep pushing, you are doing an amazing job! Continued success!

OMG, this is just what I needed to read. So inspiring. I cant wait to get to that point in my weight loss life! I'm beaming from ear to ear, happy that you're finally LIVING!

You're a fighter and a survivor. You have a great positive attitude so you've already won part of the battle. It's easy for someone who's not in your situation to say hang in there, but trust me, I'm struggling with things financially too and know how easy it is to just want to give up on everything. But as long as you stay positive and see the good in your situation, you'll be able to get through. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers for continued health, body and mind. Keep pushing through!

LMD, you're my Sleeve Angel! :angel_smile: :heart:

LMD, I KNEW I could count on you for some good info! So all of the brands you mentioned are in store? Of course I've been researching everything for this sleeve except for Protein shakes. And a broad like me does not have a lot of pennies to be throwing around wastin on different Protein Shakes. The great news is that my daughters who I just told about my decision to have WLS want to support me and do a 2 week liquid diet too! They are super supportive and I couldnt have been more touched when they told me. They'll be doing slimfast, and hope to lose a few pounds for a dance they'll be attending soon. We'll be making our first trip to GNC and Vitamin Shoppe today, wish us luck!

I'm supposed to be starting my pre-op diet tomorrow. My nutritionist suggested Protein from Bariatric Advantage, but I lolligagged and am now down to the wire and need protein stuff. I ordered some samples and havent even sampled them yet. I wanted suggestions from my VST family on what the best protein stuff from local shops like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe would be. I'm desperate people! On another thread Wheybolic Extreme chocolate flavor got a thumbs up, so I'll start there. Oh yeah, I hate Peanut Butter and bananas! lol

Omg, I just grinned like a cat when I saw my name on the list! Woo Hoo!