sfdavid

My go to sanck....Pre sliced turkey pepperoni (in the case with the the lunch meats) laid out on a paper towel, microwave for a minute and a half (depending on the power of your oven) and enjoy. Crispy and spicy like potato chps and very high in protein while low in fat. Even less fat than what the the package shows because in the cooking process much of the fat is absorbed by the paper towel. Enjoy.

OK, as far as telling people, let me first preface this by saying that this is a very personal decision and there are a lot of opinions out there on what to do. Truth be told, there is no right or wrong way--only the way that works for you. My choice was to tell everyone that was important to me about the surgery upfront and I received mostly very positive support and one or two people who really questioned if I was doing the right thing or not. The naysayers shook their heads and just did not understand why I was going to go through with this and at the same time, I know that these same people are dealing with their own weight issues and I believe that me making this decision for myself called out their own insecurities around weight loss and getting healthy. The good news is after seeing the results ( down from 381 to 240 since surgery January, 2011) and learning while I am on this journey, they are now much more supportive. So we know that theere is a lot of ignorance out there around weight loss surgery and especially around the sleeve I feel, that for me, if I remained silent about my weightloss, I was pushing that same ignorance forward by giving credence to the silence and possibly giving people the impression that I was doing something that I was ashamed of. I am just the opposite...I want to enlighten and educate and I do educate--whenever I can. People are very resourceful. If I didn't say anything, they would find out or at least speculate that I had help and "took the easy way out.". This way, by telling people and educating along the way, I can show friends and family how this is tough work and certainly anything but easy. I felt I could only do this by telling the full truth. I guess I just want to bring the sleeve out of the closet and into the light that it deserves. Sleeve surgery saved my life and I will tell the world. For me, sleeve surgery did not make weight loss and getting healthy "easy"--it made it possible! David

Congratulations for being on the right path. I had the sleeve January 6th of this year and my doctor let me start back on 81mg aspirin after six weeks of healing. I still take it everyday. Good luck to you!

OK, as far as telling people, let me first preface this by saying that this is a very personal decision and there are a lot of opinions out there on what to do. Truth be told, there is no right or wrong way--only the way that works for you. My choice was to tell everyone that was important to me about the surgery upfront and I received mostly very positive support and one or two people who really questioned if I was doing the right thing or not. The naysayers shook their heads and just did not understand why I was going to go through with this and at the same time, I know that these same people are dealing with their own weight issues and I believe that me making this decision for myself called out their own insecurities around weight loss and getting healthy. The good news is after seeing the results and learning while I am on this journey, they are now much more supportive. So we know that theere is a lot of ignorance out there around weight loss surgery and especially around the sleeve I feel, that for me, if I remained silent about my weightloss, I was pushing that same ignorance forward by giving credence to the silence and possibly giving people the impression that I was doing something that I was ashamed of. I am just the opposite...I want to enlighten and educate and I do--whenever I can. People are very resourceful. If I didn't say anything, they would find out or at least speculate that I had help and "took the easy way out.". This way, by telling people and educatiing along the way, I can show friends and family how this is tough work and certainly not easy. I felt I could only do this by telling the full truth. I guess I just want to bring the sleeve out of the closet and into the light that it deserves. Sleeve surgery saved my life and I will tell the world. For me, Sleeve surgery did not make weight loss and getting healthy "easy"--it made it possible! David

Hey Ness, it's me David from Tuesday group. Sorry to hear that you are not getting better. Those Chinese splits sound real bad. You are so lucky you didnt hurt yourself worse I think your skates might get a little rusty for awhile. I finally talked to Dr. Le about taking IBprofin and he said once in a while and take it with tums. My knees and ankles feel way better with the weight loss but when I get back from a 4 mile walk--I'm in some pain. I took one 800 mg IB and all was fine.

Hey everyone...welcom to the new world of "full." I was sleeved on January 6 and for me, the feeling of full post-surgery is very different from "Thanksgiving Full." it just does not feel the same, however, it does the trick in letting me know that it's time to stop and at that point I really do feel satisfied. I know that feeling like I need to burp and that feeling is my full but I resist trying to make myself burp cuz sometimes it just ain't pretty. I hope this helps.

Hi Kelly, I'm a Kaiser South San Francisco patient so I can't really help with Richmond info for but here is the link for the post for SSF and Richmond patients. You may want to post your question there as well. Best of luck to you! http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6512-kaiser-richmondkaiser-south-san-francisco-sleeve-brothers-and-sisters/page__st__400

Glad you found a calcium supplement that you like. Do you know if these are calcium citrate? Citrate is the type of calcium that most sleevers are told to take for maximum absorption.

Congratulations on making the best decision for your life! You are going to succeed beyond your dreams and know that with every pound you loose, your family is succeeding as well. I'm almost seven weeks out from surgery and I know with each week that I weigh-in, I am building a long and healthy life for myself. Keep up your awesome work.

I was right there with you--short hair and always hot. I had surgery on January 6 and it's like someone turned on the air conditioning-24/7. I'm freezing.

I totally hear you! And no matter how much I try to inform how different the sleeve is from the bypass, they still call it "that bypass thing" or worse, "that band thing". That is one of the reasons I choose to tell folks about my surgery, to help educate on this new, effective and exciting procedure that deserves its day in the sun as well. I'm not always successful but I will keep on preaching the "word of the sleeve".

Dr. David Le out of Kaiser Hospital-South San Francisco. He was great.

My surgeon uses a 40 and I have plenty of restriction. My recovery was smooth with no nausea or any complications. Fluids were easy to get down--just slow and all introductions to food were great as well. Dense Protein is the thing that really gives me that full feeling quickly. At six weeks out, I can eat 1/2 cup turkey taco meat and I'm packed.

Hey there fellow January sleevers. I was sleeved on January 6 at Kaiser Hospital, South San Francisco and I am down 40 pounds since surgery and 79 total since starting the program. I am so grateful for the weight I've lost and I know my stall date is coming soon so I am sticking with the meal plan with protein to the max and exercising like crazy. I love my sleeve!

Hi Sarah. Just to let you know, Kaiser in Northern California is quite different in their staged nutrition. I was on clear liquids until the day I went home from the hospital (so, only one and a half days total) then went to stage two which is "full-liquids" including yogurt, creamy Soups, s/f pudding,etc. Stage two lasted two weeks, until I had my follow-up appointment and then I was advanced to stage three, which is purred and ground foods and soft fruits and veggies. That's where I am now and that stage only lasts 4-6 weeks then it's to to stage four, regular food with some restrictions. I would clarify with your nutritionist as to what the protocol really is. My expierience tells me that sometimes when surgeons focus in areas where they are not expert, the result can sometimes be a bit misguided. Don't give up, the surgery is amazing and even in stage three, I have lots of choices and variety.

Thank you again Tiffany for the great booklet. It was designed very well with tins of good and useful information. Where is your doctor? I'm sure you are under some great care.

I also had no sense of fullness when I was three weeks out. I could drink water just like I could before surgery. Once I started on solid food it was all different with lots of restriction.

I have not stalled yet and I'm sure I will it seems like so many people do stall at one time or another. You really can't compare your own weight loss with others. We are all so different. Just know that we all loose at different rates. I bet you are not doing a thing wrong. Follow your plan and you will be successful.

Here is my response taken from a previous post... I had the same issue. Never threw up once or even felt nauseous and starting on day four post-op, I found I could drink pretty normal. A mouthful of Water swallowed in two or three gulps was and still is no problem. Even when eating I had no issue getting down at least a cup of full liquid food like greek yogurt, creamy Soups, Sugarfree pudding or custard. I was worried that something was wrong. I called my doctor and he explained that nothing is wrong and that the size of sleeve is not the issue at all. Everyone's anatomy is slightly different and my anatomy orientation (stomach positioning, length, etc.) is such that allows me more freedom than many other sleeve patients. He said I should consider myself very fortunate and then he added "just wait until you get to semi-soft foods." Sure enough, when I started on eggs, purred turkey, soft cheese, etc. BURP. Hello restriction! Now I get full after eating a half a cup of food. Dense Protein is my friend. Less than three weeks out from surgery, I am down 30 pounds! Hang in there and count your blessings. Your going to do great!!

I had the same issue. Never threw up once or even felt nauseous and starting on day four post-op, I found I could drink pretty normal. A mouthful of Water swallowed in two or three gulps was and still is no problem. Even when eating I had no issue getting down at least a cup of full liquid food like greek yogurt, creamy Soups, Sugarfree pudding or custard. I was worried that something was wrong. I called my doctor and he explained that nothing is wrong and that the size of sleeve is not the issue at all. Everyone's anatomy is slightly different and my anatomy orientation (stomach positioning, length, etc.) is such that allows me more freedom than many other sleeve patients. He said I should consider myself very fortunate and then he added "just wait until you get to semi-soft foods." Sure enough, when I started on eggs, purred turkey, soft cheese, etc. BURP. Hello restriction! Now I get full after eating a half a cup of food. Dense Protein is my friend. Less than three weeks out from surgery, I am down 30 pounds! Hang in there and count your blessings. Your going to do great!!

The world met Star Jones in 1997, when she went from Court TV correspondent to one of five co-hosts on Barbara Walters' talk show The View. She was known for her quick wit and take-charge attitude, but also for her rapidly growing weight problem. By 2003, Star had reached 307 pounds and was diagnosed as morbidly obese. That same year, Star decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery. Yet, as her weight melted off in front of the national TV audience, she never addressed her changing body truthfully with her fans. In the three years that followed, Star lost 160 pounds. She also lost the trust of her viewers and, ultimately, her popularity. In 2006, Star was let go from her spot on The View. The truth has set me free.

Let's bring Pre and Post back! They are a great way to find the information that you are looking for depending on where you are in the process.