Lissa

I have to say that I'm not sure I'd have had the surgery if I hadn't found this site. I did a TON of research on the lap band, then my doctor threw me a curveball when he mentioned VSG instead of the band. So, I started researching the sleeve and found this site. I've been amazed at how much information is here for all of us. Before sugery I decided that I would share anything I could with others as a kind of payback to those who went before me and shared their information for dolts like me. I'm grateful to those who have posted here and been brutally honest about their struggles. It's great to know there is a resource where you can find an answer to any question, even if it seems like it's TMI when you are first thinking of it. My hat is off to everyone here. This is a huge journey to take. It's been life saving for me. And I credit this board and it's participants with making me brave enough to have the surgery.

First, Congrats on being on the loser's bench. Second, it takes awhile for us to be able to feel full. Our tummies are still in shock from being split into pieces. It takes time for the swelling to go down and for use to learn what our signals are now. I never looked for "full" because I'd never felt full before. Now, I know what full feels like (unpleasant for me), so I am learning to eat what I need to be not hungry, or satisfied. As you heal, it will be easier. You'll learn by the progression through the stages what your body's signals are now. Keep following your surgeon's plan and you will get there. Good luck with your journey!!

Shae, You're actually doing really well from looking at your ticker. It does take a little while for the weight to start dropping, and some people lose more slowly than others. You may lose slower than someone like me because you have less weight to lose than I do. Taking your acid reducer will help with the not full feeling you're having. As for topping off, that's not good. Pre-measure your food amounts for meals and wait afterwards before you start drinking. That lets the Protein sit in your tummy longer and helps me with feeling satisfied. I usually try to walk or move around during the 30 minute wait after eating. If I get involved in something else, it helps me to not think about food...and I think it aids my digestion. Having denser protein helped me get through the first few weeks. My doc allows scrambled eggs, cottage cheese and refried Beans on mushy foods, so I ate a lot of those things. And, I drank a LOT of broth because the warmth felt good in my tummy. It also helped me get my protein in when I just couldn't stand another Protein shake. If the head hunger is a BIG issue for you, it might be wise to find a support group or even a counselor to help you deal with it. For lots of us, food has been our best friend, confidante, and sole support system for years. It's tough to have to give up or reduce that influence on our day to day life. But, we CAN and will do it. We had the courage to get sleeved, so we will definitely find the way to work that sleeve. I think a lot of the sleeve process is sleeving our heads to go along with our tummies. We have to find a way to work through the issues underlying why we let our weight get out of control in order to be successful with the sleeve. There are tons of success stories here, and I want to be one of them! Good luck!

I was given medicine cups after surgery and I probably should have used them longer than I did. I also like someone else's advice about using a teaspoon for drinking and spacing out the spoonfuls a few minutes apart. That's a genius idea! The spirometer (I didn't know the name of that "thingy") I used for several days after I got home, then my pulmonologist told me to quit using it for reasons unrelated to surgery. I have mild asthma and there was some conflict betwen the way you use a spirometer and the meds/inhalers I use. By that point, I could get the balls up where they wanted them consistently anyway. DO NOT QUIT USING YOUR SPIROMETER UNLESS YOUR DOC TELLS YOU TO DO SO, please. It's great that you're using the spirometer now to help improve your lung function! I'd have never thought to do that. Good luck!!

Mini, I'm only 9 weeks out, so I may be able to offer some hope. I also wondered if I'd ever feel "full" without hitting that overfull feeling. I had to back off of mine, though, because my overfull feeling was making my shoulders hurt. Now I definitely know when my tummy is full..and I get some warning before I hit that point. One thing that helped me was realizing that our bodies have a new way of telling us we're done. Mine is a burp. After I eat a few bites, I'll burp. If I listen to my tummy, then I stop eating. If I don't listen to my tummy, then I get to the hurt point. I've read that others have a hiccup, or a burp, or even a sneeze when their tummy is full. The only suggestion I'd make is that you measure your food before you start eating. If you are having a problem with getting too full quickly, then slow down on your eating and just take a bite or two of your pre-measured amount. Then give yourself a break for a few minutes before you take another bite. Getting the Water in, as you know, will help with the feeling of fullness and satiety when you eat. You know what you have to do. Once you're back on track, things will feel much better.

You go, Raquel! Congrats on having a date!!

Good luck with your surgery, although it's already done now! As for drinking the protein, it may be easier after surgery. Just keep trying.

SLL, I wanted to comment on using the CPAP after surgery. Mine made me hurt worse, probably because of the pressure it provides. I might have worn it for about an hour the first night, and the second night I didn't even turn it on. I have been using it religiously (again) since the third night after surgery. Good news is that I need to lose 20 more pounds and my doc will have another sleep study done to see if I still need the machine!

mommy2six, I feel you on the stomach thing! That was one of the comments my surgeon made about mine. I look at the amount of food other people eat now and I almost gag at how much they can eat! It does sound like you're doing great post-op! Keep up the good work and you'll be at goal in no time!

GeLu, I had the exact same thoughts as you did before surgery. I guess the little devil on my shoulder must have bounced over to you! It is worth it, even at 2 months post-op I have more energy than ever before. I've dropped 50+ pounds of excess fat and I look better already. It's great that you discussed all of this with your doctor. If you haven't had your psyche evaluation yet, maybe let them know that you have these issues. The questions won't prevent you from having surgery, but they may lead you to a referral for someone who can help you deal with the questions. However, I think your surgery will answer most of these questions for you and once you see the weight start melting away, you'll be fine. Good luck on your journey!!

Well, Shannon, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that you will find you lose weight VERY quickly after surgery! You'll be much more energetic and able to move much easier. The bad news is that you will have to get used to breathing better, being able to get dressed without breaking a sweat and choosing a chair based on where you want to sit rather than which chair will hold up under your weight. (I've been there, done that game) Use the search box in the upper right and search the forums for any question you may have. I bet it's been answered. If it hasn't, there are lots of folks here that are willing to answer questions, even if you think they may be TMI. Good luck on your journey!!

Since you said you had Wendy's chili, that means you're somewhere that you CAN get fast food, right? For some reason I assumed you were in India, silly me! If you have a Taco Bell, or any mexican food restaurant nearby, you can get refried Beans. Taco Bell calls them Pintos and cheese and they are wonderful during the mushy stage. I order mine without the sauce, because my tummy doesn't like the sauce right now. You can also buy refried beans in most grocery stores around here (south Florida). I try to stick to the low-fat versions. If you can't find them canned, they are very simple to make. Make pinto beans just like you would normally do any dry beans...lots of Water over low heat for several hours, don't add salt until the beans are soft. Once the pintos are done, drain the water off of some of them in a strainer, then put the beans back into a heavy skillet and just mash them. You can add oil, lard, crisco at this point to make a creamier texture, although the fat is not a requirement. chicken broth makes a good substitute as long as you use it sparingly. You want creamy, not runny. I usually add in some chopped onions if I'm actually making them... but I haven't made refried beans since several months before surgery. The other thing I did on mushy foods was to take the ground hamburger from a taco and mix some of it into my refried beans. I could only eat about 2 tablespoons of the beans/meat mixture, but since TB's version only costs about $1.50, it was a really cheap lunch and I had no qualms about tossing the rest in the garbage if I had no way to keep them cold. good luck!

That's true. If you keep sipping and walking it should improve tremendously in just a couple of days. You might want to make a call to your doctor about not being able to drink, though. His staff may have some advice that will help you drink more. Some folks tolerate hot or cold drinks better than lukewarm, so maybe mix it up and see if that helps. You are still really swollen from surgery and may just need a little more adjustment time, too. Good luck on your journey!!

Oh, I forgot to ask if you are taking vitamins? If not, maybe you should add them to your routine. Your doctor will tell you what he wants you to take if you ask him about it.

Fusilli, It DOES seem like ridiculously small portions until you get used to what you're eating now. However, your "typical day" seems a little light on Protein to me, and you don't mention how much Water you're drinking. You should add some type of Protein Drink in to up the protein consumption, possibly a Protein shake, or a cup or two of broth. Even drinking something like chicken noodle soup would be good because it provides protein and liquid. I know that oatmeal is allowed on some doctor's plans, but I'd choose something with protein first. I'd eat the egg, or some cheese, or even the protein left over from last night's dinner. The same with the applesauce, unless you're mixing Protein powder into it, there's not much nutritional value in it...plus it has sugar, even if it's just the natural sugar from the apples. I keep a few boiled eggs in the fridge for Snacks and breakfasts on the run. I also have some ready made Protein shakes in there if I'm just really not hungry but I know I need something with protein. There should be some other protein sources that you could use, possibly Beans? I'm like you in not loving pureed meat, so I did a lot of refried beans (low fat), and I pureed some chili with beans and meat in it. Those were both really good while I was on purees, without my having to resort to putting a chicken leg through the blender! It sounds to me like maybe you aren't getting enough protein and/or water. If you bring both of those up, it should help with your energy level. I've been very lucky in that my energy level has stayed pretty high since surgery, so I may be completely wrong about what's causing your fatigue. I have read here that many people experience a lot of fatigue in the first 4 months post-op, so that may be part of the reason for your tiredness, too. Our bodies are doing a LOT of work with healing and adjusting to our new way of eating right now, so fatigue may just be how your body reacts. Good luck with your journey!!

The only thing I can add to the excellent advice above is this: We sleeved our stomachs, not our heads. Doing the sleeve work on our heads is just as important as the surgery we went through, but it's WAY harder, IMO. At my psyche appt, the counselor told me that I have an addictive personality and I will always be addicted to something. She went so far as to tell me that I WILL become an alcoholic, but she still gave me the approval for surgery! I started seeing a counselor several weeks ago, for the addictive behavior and some other issues related to my weight. WLS is not her area of specialty, but she's helping me see where and why I mistreat myself. Once I know those things, and it takes time to learn, then I can remove the bad stuff. I agree with removing the temtation foods from the house if you can't bring yourself to use moderation with them. Maybe, once you're back on track, you can learn how to work those things into your diet in a healthy way. For me, knowing that I can have sweets or chocolate later makes it easier to give them up now. Good luck on your journey! You've done great so far, so this is just a bump in the road for you. You will succeed!!!

I don't know what prompted this post, but the message is timely! I was self-pay all the way, since my hubby's employers has an absolute exclusion for weight loss surgery. I paid more to the doctor I used than the first surgeon I consulted was charging. To me, it was about quality and references. My friend works in the ER of the hospital where I had surgery, so she knows the doctor who did my surgery and all of the staff who took care of me. She gave them rave reviews and I do as well. Sometimes it IS more important to feel safe and have a good surgeon than it is to save money. I was still scared, but I felt like I'd done everything possible to research my doc...and I'm still here 2 months post-op.

My doc said to work on the Water first, then work on the Protein. I would drink a glass of water, then sip on a Protein shake or broth for awhile, then drink some more water. Drink slowly, sip, sip, sip. If you keep track, you should be able to get in a good part of what your doctor requires during the day. Mine wants 64oz of water and 70 g of protein. That's my "magic formula". Actually, I think the protein is harder now that I'm on solids, but that's probably because I don't have much room for anything except the protein yet.

That was my very first NSV. I had to buy new ones only two weeks out!

How much liquid are you actually getting in right now, including your shakes, broth, etc? I worked on the Water first, because that's what my surgeon said to do. It's super important that you keep yourself hydrated, especially in the very early days after surgery. It's more important to keep hydrated than to get Protein, truthfully. I keep a food journal and mine shows that some days I only managed 30 oz of water, combined with around 20 oz of protein liquids. I haven't had any problems with hydration according to the color of my urine. If it's almost clear, then your body is hydrated. If it's darker, then you need to up the water consumption. (General you, not YOU in particular, LOL) Try to add more water in, but it sounds like you're doing well with the protein consumption. Good luck!!!

If I had one, I don't remember it either. I'm very prone to UTI's so asked that a catheter not be used unless absolutely necessary. I apparently walked from my recovery bed to the hospital bed (about 3 feet) immediately after surgery and I had no issues with getting up to go potty. Well, I did have sore legs, but that's because I was trying not to use my stomach muscles.

Have your steri-strips or bandages come off already? I itched a little bit, but used a tip I learned from a tattoo artist. Instead of scratching something that itches because it's healing, slap it. It really works!! You don't have to slap hard, just enough to make different nerves get involved. Sounds crazy, but it works.

I picked the weight I was the day I graduated high school. My doctor thinks it's a reasonable goal, so I'm cool with it. I'm 5'8, so 170 pounds will be a good weight for that height. If I get there and feel like it's not low enough, I'm betting I can keep losing. However, looking at a few others who are similar weights and heights, it looks like it will work.

Nope. I haven't had ketosis symptoms, either pre or post-op, and I did hard-core Atkins for a long time before finding out about the sleeve. I lost 50 lbs in the course of a year, then gained it all back when I got pneumonia. If you have problems with kidney pain on the pre-op liquid diet, you should talk to your surgeon. However, if you're drinking enough Water and following the liquid diet properly, it shouldn't be a problem.

I had a problem with the sweetness of some of the Protein shakes, so I used Espresso flavored Click powder (available on Amazon) and a couple of Protein Shakes that I found pre-made at my local Sam's club. After surgery, sweet didnt' set well at all, so I drank gallons of chicken and beef broth, low sodium versions. I also drank a lot of decaf coffee with the Protein Powder mixed into it. unjury makes a chicken Soup flavored protein powder that some say is really good. I never did try that one. I was allowed yogurt and cottage cheese on my liquid diet, so I ate a lot of those as well. I'm lactose intolerant now, so I don't do either post-op.