minniekitty

I'm only 6 days out from surgery, so I am actually kind of scared to move on to mushies. Yogurt does sound divine, though. I'm a fan of Greek yogurt (high in Protein too ). The next phase (full liquids like milk) should be a little easier to bear. I look forward to having creamy Soups and Protein drinks mixed with milk instead of just Water. I am so tempted to skip this Clear Liquids phase- this clear stuff is starting to make me sick. I was sipping on a bottle of Isopure and I got so upset with it I dumped the rest of the bottle down drain- a complete waste of good money, but I couldn't tolerate it anymore. I'm trying to mix up my clear liquids with Jello and broth. Tomorrow I'm going to buy some sugar free popsicles- those should go down nicely. Whatever it takes, right?

The reality of the post-op phase hit me too. I've been crying because I just want to eat normally again. I'm sipping Isopure while everyone else is eating- it kind of feels isolating. I was so excited to get past the physical pain and nausea, and now here I am. The rapid weight loss isn't even making me happy. This will pass, and we'll be soooo happy in the long run

That sucks, I hope you feel better :/

My family's health insurance won't pay for my dad's chemotherapy, at $300 bucks a day. I guess they've gotten sick of covering the hospital bills since he was diagnosed with brain cancer. I'm sure they'd love to find a way to drop us. It all comes down to the $$$.

The 3rd day after surgery, I had to fly across the continent. I took a lot of Gas-X strips, and they helped a bit with the pressure. Like others said, walking helps too. If you can, try lying on your left side too. I did that, and it really helped with the pressure. I also tried lying on my stomach (I guess I'm a freak for being able to do that after surgery) with my butt in the air, and it was easier to pass gas. The gas pressure was almost gone by the 4th day after surgery for me. Completely gone by the 5th day.

Yikes. My surgery was paid out of pocket, and it came out to $8,750 (all expenses included except airfare). Then again, I went to Mexico...

You'll be fine. I had a million and a half fears while I was waiting to be operated on, and then they gave me a Valium and I quickly set off to happy land as they wheeled me away. I currently have some post-op depression that I'm battling, but a lot of that has to do with other things outside of my WLS. I'm 5 days out from surgery, and I am sooo glad I went through with it! I thought the same thing! I started to fear that I wouldn't lose any weight at all. Now the weight is dropping off (to the point where I'm almost scared it's dropping too fast), so I guess I can set that fear aside for now

Wow, what a transformation! WTG on your weight loss. I was just sleeved last Friday. I'm 23 now, so hopefully I'll be smokin' hot too by the time I lose the weight

Thanks for posting. I was sleeved last Friday (8/12), and I'm having the hardest time getting my liquids/protein. It feels like a chore. I don't really feel hungry, though. I just get cravings that come and go pretty quickly. I'm kind of scared of the next stages (full liquids and then mushies), because I don't know if I'll be able to keep it down or even get it down. At least the physical pain and nausea is mostly gone by now. I look forward to things getting better. Your post really comforted me

I do get cravings, but I don't get hungry. If I smell or see something that looks tasty, I'll crave it but then it passes. I'm only 4 days out of surgery, but I hope that it doesn't change. Hunger is a complicated feeling :/

Good luck! The day of the surgery I felt like I was on top of the world. I was very loopy on the anesthesia and giggling a lot lol. I wanted to get up and walk around, and my aunt had to hold my hand because she was afraid I was going to fall over. The day after surgery I wasn't feeling so hot- lots of nausea and soreness. By the third day, though, I felt better. Like all things, it'll be different for everyone. I feel pretty good now physically- just a little pressure on my chest from trying to sip this Protein stuff too much. The gas pain is almost completely gone. I'm 4 days out from surgery. You'll be just fine!

And now that I'm losing weight and farting all the time, I'm contributing even more. Yikes.

I know about the depression. I was just sleeved last Friday in Mexico by Dr. Aceves. Everything was great there, and I just left yesterday. But, on the flight back I had to go to the airplane bathroom a few times and just cry. I still feel *OK*, and not fantastic like I thought I would. I've lost a significant amount of weight (8lbs in a week) since before I left for Mexico. I'm not hungry anymore at least. I keep on "sipping sipping sipping" but I can't get half a bottle of Isopure down in one day :/ Curse this depression! I should be ecstatic with this gift!

I have surgery this Friday! 2 more days! I can't believe it's happening already. I leave tomorrow at 3 am to fly to San Diego. Dr. Aceves is my doc. in Mexico (and no, he's not dangerous just because he's in Mexico! I have my post-op care taken care of too). I've been doing the pre-op diet and have lost 6 lbs so far (not taking into account water weight), so I'm feeling pretty good.

Thanks for posting this. I don't have a liquid pre-op diet; my doctor told me to do Atkins. I am, however, doing all liquids for 20 days after surgery, and then soft foods/mushies for 10 days. It won't be so bad

Yeah, all WLS winds down to diet and exercise- but they're supposed to make it easier for you. If you had more invasive surgery like the gastric bypass or the sleeve, you'd definitely lose all the weight quickly at first; but, if you didn't adapt a healthy diet and lifestyle, you'd gain all the weight back. I've seen and heard about it all before. I'm sorry WLS didn't work for you. You still have the band, so you can always start over. I have a friend who had slow weight loss that came to a halt the first year she had the band. Her fiancee left her, and she was very depressed. A few years later, though, she actually buckled down and the weight dropped off. She's now skinny and looks great. So, it's not impossible. Unless you find a doctor to do extensive lipo-suction on you for the rest of your life, the only way you'll lose weight (and maintain) is through diet and exercise. It sucks, but it's true!

I can definitely relate. I've put on 40 lbs in the past few years, and I've always felt embarrassed about going out in public or seeing people who knew me when I was "smaller" (relative to the size I am now). I feel like a huge ungraceful elephant compared to the others who are much smaller. I go to the gym now, and I can feel the eyes on me for being the biggest person there. I am afraid that I'm sweaty and smelly at the gym (and think people don't want to be next to the fat girl huffing and puffing on the exercise machine), and that's so embarrassing. I didn't even want to go to my 5 year high school reunion last month (because of the college weight gain), but I went anyway and had a blast. Granted, there was alcohol involved that took away any self-consciousness and awkwardness, but I'm really glad I went! Now that I'm getting the band, I hope I will regain some confidence about going in public and being myself (sans alcohol) without being judged. BTW, 20 lbs lost is a great achievement. That definitely would be a noticeable physical change on you I hope you regain your confidence, because you deserve it!

The lower your weight loss goal, the slower the weight will come off. The human body sucks like that

I haven't been banded yet, but will be on August 12! I am going to take Gas-X strips though to relieve gas pains. I already bought a box

You're welcome. I think any weight loss should help shrink the liver. I'm on the Atkins diet to put my body in a temporary ketosis to shrink my liver. I guess every surgeon is different in their post and pre diets/care. The liquid diet is probably better because you'll lose more weight. I actually just graduated Miami this past May . I will have to look at that shake recipe post. I'm not on a liquid pre-op diet- my doctor put on on Atkins. But, I do need to get in my liquids (especially after the surgery), so that list will definitely come in handy. I'll be on liquids/mushies for 30 days after my surgery!

This is what my pre-op diet information packet says regarding liver-shrinking: "In the obese, the liver is a huge, fatty organ. It is "in the way" of the surgical area during surgery, and must be held back with surgical instruments. An enlarged liver is very fragile and bleeds quite easily when touched or manipulated during surgery. This bleeding can be difficult to control, and the extra care required with an enlarged liver increases surgical risk, as well as surgical time. Longer surgical time and extended time under general anesthesia can make both immediate and longer-term recovery much more difficult for you." I wouldn't want to potentially increase the risks during surgery. I'm sure it also jump-starts your weight loss. The liquid diet in particular gets you prepared for the post-op diet too! @RegFern: My ex-boyfriend lives in West Chester, OH lol. I don't know what I find that amusing . I looked at your patient profile and saw that you're from Hamilton. I went to Miami University!

Good luck to you guys getting banded today! It's the first day if your new lives!!!!

Good luck!!!!

I can understand it being hard to relate to bigger people getting the band. We all have weight problems though, and have struggled all our lives. Right now at 220, 180 doesn't sound that bad. But, I remember a few years ago when I did weigh around 180-190 and I felt fat! So, it's all relative. And if you felt uncomfortable at your size and you were medically obese, then you certainly made the best decision for yourself. I kind of wish that I did before my weight got out of control. 11 pounds lost in 2 weeks is amazing, btw Congrats!

I get banded next week too. I'm scared, but I also feel like this band isn't coming fast enough! Like a previous poster said, focus on the positives. You're making an awesome life decision