AbacoRaveness

I feel the same way BrandiMarie!! I actually get up a little earlier in the morning to make myself up and make sure my hair looks good. It's so awesome to feel this way isn't it? Congrats on your NSV!!!

I had surgery on 1/31/2012. I have had a dream recovery. I've lost 45lbs so far (from my highest weight). I've a few NSVs along the way already... not the least of which was having all of my work clothes, which were fairly expensive, taken in because they were falling off. But, my NSV for today is a bigger deal to me because I've NEVER in my life been able to do it before. Not only can I cross my legs comfortably, BUT I can do it while sitting at my desk working. I can't believe my thighs are finally small enough to cross my legs under my desk and not get wedged in!!! I LOVE the sleeved life!

I have also struggled with PCOS for a long time. I kinda felt like my menses were starting to regulate before the sleeve and my only explanation was that I cut out pretty much all sugar and was exercising alot. I never go to the gym, but I hike alot and do other outdoor activities. I started my flow about five days post-op, but it only lasted for three days, which is unusual for me. Then it started 28days later like clock-work. I'm thinking I'm going to go back on the pill for it's original purpose -- contraception -- as opposed to keeping me regular. While, I don't enjoy or look forward to my monthly, I have to say that it's exciting to be normal/regular without pills!

This website has all the info on the couch to 5k: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml It's basically "Running for Dummies" and is designed to get you from a couch potatoe to running a 5k half marathon in two months. I'm in no hurry and definitely don't plan to actually run a half marathon (I'm not at all competitive and hate competitive environments) so I'm aiming to do it in four months instead. Just find what your comfortable with and build from there. I find it to be a great organizational tool that helps keep me motivated. I refuse to pay for a gym and this is equally as effective and FREE.

That's interesting... To my way of thinking (and I spent six years doing research so maybe I'm biased) they've demonstrated a correlation between insomnia and hormone levels/obesity but no cause-effect relationship. So, its still a question of 'the chicken or the egg?'. I read somewhere, before surgery, that one of the benefits of the sleeve over RNY is that the part of the stomach that secretes ghrelin is removed, which is why alot of sleevers don't even feel hungry most of the time. I've noticed from personal experience that I sleep MUCH better since surgery than I did before. I even have FitBit tracker data to prove it! So, I wonder if obesity is related to insomnia in the same way its related to PCOS. It doesn't neccessarily cause it, may even be a symptom of it, but you fix the obesity problem and all of a sudden the PCOS and the sleeping situation improve?

You definitely should clear this one with your surgeon or his/her team before you do anything. I was walking a mile a day as soon as day 2 post-op. At my 4-week post-op I was cleared for all aerobic exercise and started hiking again and even a little "couch to 5k" (albeit I'm going even slower than they recommend just to be safe). My surgeon told me to hold off on weights and horseback riding until 6-weeks. I cheated and started riding at 5-weeks because I felt great, and I got lucky that my horse decided not to put me in the dirt yet. Today is 6-weeks and I plan to start hitting the weights today. I could tell I had lost alot of muscle mass when I tried to lift my saddle! Not cool. I want to lose fat! Not muscle! That's my 2 cents, but again always check with your surgeon, we're all different! Good luck and congratulations on an AMAZING job so far!!!

My job mostly involves me sitting at a desk and putting out fires caused by other people over the phone. I was back after two weeks. I kinda went in a little late and home a little early (10-4, worked through lunch since I could only take a small bite every few minutes anyway). Every few minutes I would have to get up and walk around because sitting was still uncomfortable on my incisions. I was fine. Just as comfortable at work as I was at home. I went back on a Wednesday and I have to tell you that by Friday I was exhausted. But, I think that had alot to do with pressure from some deadlines that I had to meet. At my support group last night someone asked this same question. I was probably the earliest in the group, although another lady who worked from home "went back" at a week and a half. The average for everyone else was 4 weeks (some 3, some 5 or even more). I think its a very individual thing based on how your recovery goes. Hope that helps!

Oh no! That's the worst feeling. Early on when I was craving that taste, I put some chicken, greek yogurt, and some pickle juice in the food processor and made a "chicken salad" puree out of it. Don't know how far out you are, or if it would even come close to helping with your craving, but might be worth a try!

Thanks for that Irene! I definitely needed it today. I think this week is going to be my first "stall". I managed to avoid it at three weeks and have lost about 4lbs per week steadily since surgery (six weeks), so I'm over the moon with my progress! But, its still hard to see that scale get stuck. Your advice is just in the nick of time to remind me of what my surgeon said, "Don't worry about the scale day to day or even week to week, its about monthly trends." I know I'm going to be a completely different person in a year, looking back on this moment and smiling at how, once again, I got myself worked up over nothing.

Wow! That looks delicious. I need all the recipe sites/blogs I can find. I'm from the Bahamas and I can cook the hell out of some Bahamian food, but it's not exactly the most healthy or the fastest. So I need to learn some new, quick, healthy things to help me stay on track. Two nights ago I was CRAVING a cheeseburger. But, I'm six weeks out and, while I've been instructed to start adding back some whole grain bread or crackers, I can't just eat any old cheese burger!!! Fortunately, with a little creativity I made my own out of those Nature's Own Whole Wheat Sandwich Rounds that are about 2mm thick (maybe a little exageration), a lean ground angus patty, low fat cheese, and a dill pickle slice. I cut it in half and couldn't quite finish that. Best part was I had the other half for lunch today!

This morning (I always weigh in on Tuesdays because I was sleeved on a Tuesday) I stepped on the scale and it read 220.0 exactly. This may not be a big thing to some people, but I am SO EXCITED!!! Through all the diets I attempted in the years prior to surgery hitting 220lbs was my first goal... I never got there, not even with Weight Watchers which was better than most. But today, with the help of my sleeve, I've finally reached this huge milestone in my life. It seems surreal! I am officially 37lbs down since I started the whole process to get to surgery and 20lbs down since surgery (which was 1/31/2012). I am 5" smaller in my waist and 7" smaller in my hips. I've gone from snug size 20 pants to fairly loose size 18. Some before and after pics below! I still have 80lbs to go to reach goal and I know it will be tougher from here, but its the little things that count along the way and this is a HUGE "little" accomplishment for me. I use myfitnesspal.com to track my nutrition and exercise and I really love it. Having friends, especially fellow sleevers, on there really keeps me motivated to make good choices. So, if you're also on there please friend me (AbacoRaveness) and if you're not on there check it out and see what you think... their mobile app is a life saver for me. Lastly, when I did all the other diets I promised myself a non-food reward when I hit 220lbs. In that scenario I had decided on a pair of tall boots for horseback riding, which I've always wanted but never had. Now, though, I know I'm going to be loosing quite a bit more in the next few months and by next winter they won't fit! So, I'd love to hear suggestions on non-food rewards for mini-goals.

I'm 25 days post-op and these are my first NSV's: - 7" gone from my waist - 5" gone from my hips - two people at work did a double take when they saw me last week - two people have called me out for wearing clothes that are "too big" - I can see my collar-bone I'm sure there will be more to come... lovin the sleeved life!

Well, you have two choices: (1) You can eat more carbs so that your body has to rely less on using fatty acids. The downside of this is that your weightloss will slow. (2) Deal with it. I've found that using a tongue scraper and a good mouthwash is really helpful. There is a "set" out there that you can find at alot of dentist's offices called BreathRx. The set includes the tongue scraper, mouthwash, and a spray that you can carry around to use as neccessary.

Thrush is usually painful and the "white coating" is of a more "cottage-cheese like" consistency. Ketosis will also cause a whitish coating on the tongue sometimes. Unless you're having some sort of pain or discomfort, its most likely ketosis. Thrush is caused by the antibiotics that they give you in the hospital or after surgery. By taking liquid antibiotics you disrupt the normal bacterial flora in your mouth and this imbalance allows yeast to grow unchecked causing thrush. This is the same way yeast infections develop in other areas (ladies!)... and guys, yes you can "catch" thrush from certain "activities". This is probably all TMI, but I think everyone should know these things.

My doctor told me at my followup yesterday that its average to lose between 20 and 30lbs the first month, then about 10-15lbs per month over the next six months and slowly tapering off so at about a year to 18 months you should be at a healthy weight.

I am 3 weeks out and can eat meat of any kind as long as its moist and in small enough pieces (I puree it in the food processor). Had my followup today and my surgeon is thrilled. Guess it depends on your surgeon/ center. Mine recommended full liquids at 3days, pureed food at 7 days, and soft (but distinct pieces of food) at day 11. They want us off protein supplements and onto "real"food food ASAP resuming a normal, healthy plan by 6weeks.

I am 3 weeks out and can eat meat of any kind as long as its moist and in small enough pieces (I puree it in the food processor). Had my followup today and my surgeon is thrilled. Guess it depends on your surgeon/ center. Mine recommended full liquids at 3days, pureed food at 7 days, and soft (but distinct pieces of food) at day 11. They want us off protein supplements and onto "real"food food ASAP resuming a normal, healthy plan by 6weeks.

I am three weeks post-op and saw my surgeon for follow-up today. I asked him this very question. He said, a general rule is that if the pill is smaller than your pinkie finger nail, go ahead and swallow it. But, if its bigger, at least cut it into smaller pieces. I want to make it clear though that I have not had any trouble swallowing or keeping anything down, so your situation might be different.

I wanted to post my experiences from the first three weeks post-op. Everyone is different, but it helps to hear about other's experiences so here goes.... Week 1: The hardest thing was working my way up to the 8oz per hour that I was supposed to be drinking. Honestly, some days that is still a struggle if I'm not paying attention! But all in all this was a good week. I slowly weaned myself off of pain meds (except at night because laying down was hard for me). I walked a mile each day and slowly met my liquid goals. I was tired and sore, but I felt like I was making a great come back. Week 2: This was the WORST for me. It had little to do with the actual surgery, except that anesthesia managed to crack one of my teeth. That tooth proceeded to develop an abscess, which hit me like a ton of bricks the night of my one-week post-op anniversary! OMG! I have never felt pain like that. It was all consuming... like I couldn't remember a time when I hadn't been in pain and I couldn't imagine a time in the future when the pain would go away. I got those pain meds back out and drank them religiously every four hours. I had to wait four days to see a specialist and have a root canal. I don't remember anything about those four days except a haze of pain and being stoned out of my mind on percoset. I guess the good news is that my surgeon had warned me that week 2 would be tough because I would feel exhausted. I have no idea if I was exhausted or not so maybe ignorance is bliss?!! Week 3: I feared this week. I had heard so many stories about the "third week stall". I hadn't lost that much weight in the first two weeks (wk 1=7lbs and wk 2=1.5lbs -- nothing to be ashamed of, but not LOTS of weight) and I didn't want to go in to my follow-up with my surgeon looking like a slacker (or cheater as the case may be). But, I set up myfitnesspal.com to allow 800cal/day, 90g protein, 30g carb, and 35g fat and I tried my best to stick to it. Alot of days I didn't make 800 cal (some days I didn't even get half of that) and I think my highest protein intake was 50g. But, I managed to consistently stay under 50g carb and 50g fat, which, while higher than my goal, was still not too shabby. I managed to lose 3.4lbs in my third week and I'm happy with that. At the same time, I have been really lucky! I have yet to find a food that I can't tolerate. I don't drink plain water much, but its more because it doesn't taste good to me anymore, I can still drink it and be fine. I tried some sugar-free, fat free ice cream and while it went down fine, I ate it too fast because I didn't want it to melt so I've stayed away from that since. But, everything else from salmon to veal that I've tried to eat has gone down and stayed there! I will say that I chew everything to within an inch of its life and I've always tended to take itsy-bitsy bites, so maybe that helps. So, to summarize: I started my pre-op liquid diet at 248lbs. By the day of surgery I was 240lbs. After week 1 I was 233lbs, after week 2 I was 231lbs, and now I'm 228lbs. These are not HUGE losses, but they are consistent and at this point I will take that! Loving the sleeved life so far!

I'm only three weeks out, but I've been noticing low back pain more often. It seems to come out of nowhere. I've even asked people to look at me from the side to make sure I'm not hunched over like I'm favoring incisions or something and I'm not. I've always had some low back pain because two of my lower vertebrae are not formed exactly right, but I've definitely noticed it more since the surgery. I'm hoping that its a muscle issue and as soon as I start exercising again I can build the support musculature back up.

I had the same issue. I hate sleeping on my back but that was the only comfortable position for about 2 and a half weeks. Tomorrow is three weeks post-op for me and I'm finally starting to be able to sleep comfortably on my left side for awhile (my biggest incision was on my right side) and I can lay on my right side for a few minutes. I do use the pillows, but I use them more to elevate my arm and leg so that I don't collapse in on my abdomen. But, even that gets uncomfortable after awhile. So, I'm still mostly on my back but its definitely getting better little by little.

I am 19 days out and I have been lucky in that everything I've tried to eat has gone down and stayed down without a hitch. There have been a few things I've eaten that I probably shouldn't have -- a Reese's mini on Valentine's Day and a BK 4pc chicken tender (though I could only eat two at a time so it lasted for two "meals"). But, I spent alot of time with a counselor before I had this surgery. She forced me to look closely at all the reasons I was doing this and because of that I try to think about everything I put in my mouth and if thats contributing to or counting against my long-term goal. So, if you're really feeling alot of guilt over this, it might be time to talk to a professional who can help you with your emotional eating, head hunger, and guilty feelings. It's really helpful in alot of ways. That said, if you've lost 16lbs in 16 days you are doing wonderfully! You didn't say what you've eaten that is bad, but is there a chance you're being too hard on yourself?

I wish someone had told me that I wouldn't be able to sleep on my side for awhile. I've ALWAYS slept on my side or at least fallen asleep that way. Tuesday will be three weeks post-op and I'm only just now starting to be able to sleep somewhat comfortably on my left side (if I'm careful and go slowly). I can lay on my right side for a few minutes, but its still painful. I didn't really care what position I slept in as long as I was taking the percoset every night, but now that I'm off the pain meds I get sore laying on my back for too long. It'll be a relief when I can roll-over at will again.

I was lucky, my husband works from home so he was with me. But by four days after surgery he pretty much stayed in his office because I was able to do pretty much everything for myself. At least the important things like getting up and down off the couch, going to the bathroom, and getting fluids. The pain level really wasn't bad for me. I had some discomfort around the biggest incision (on the left side), but mostly that only bothered me when I was getting up or sitting down, once I was settled in either position I was fine, and it wasn't so bad as to be debilitating. By day three post-op I was only taking pain meds at night to help me sleep because I've had insomnia for years. That said, I have a pretty high pain tolerance and I am a bit masochistic in that I tend to enjoy pushing through it. So, I guess it depends on how well you tolerate pain. It would be ideal if you had a friend or relative who could stay with you just in case, but if all is going well you will probably be fine.

I am 18 days out from surgery and I have trouble drinking plain water. It just doesn't taste good at all. So, some days I mix it half and half with G2 gatorade or I use light (0 calorie) lemonade mixes. I too am on the Flintstones vitamin band wagon. Supposedly those aren't as complete as Centrum chewables, but they taste a whole lot better!