Lissa

As for how to get going on the liquid diet, just remember that the more solid food you eat, the less weight you lose while on it. I just told myself I was going to lose as much as I could on the liquid diet and do my surgeon a favor by having my liver shrink. I have to admit I cheated once on my diet as well, but I really shouldn't have done so. The biggest result of the liquid diet FOR ME was that it created an aversion to sweets that has (mostly) lasted until now. I have slipped a couple of times with halloween candy in the house, so I made sure it ALL left tonight. chocolate is my weakness, unfortunately. I'm right at two months out from surgery, if that helps you at all. Others have said that the liquid diet really prepared them for what they would be dealing with after surgery, and I think that's a big motivator to try to follow the diet your doc has prescribed. I did two weeks of liquids before surgery, two weeks of liquids after, then mushies for two weeks and have slowly been adding regular foods back into my routine. One bonus of the liquid diet is that it helps you change your mindset about food. Before the sleeve, my hobby was foood. Now food is a sideline of the rest of my life. I'm hopeful that my attitude will stay here. Good luck with your surgery! I can't wait until you're on the loser's bench with me!

I'm STILL working on the time to eat thing. How on earth do I make my half cup of food last half an hour? Especially since my doc's book says that I'm not supposed to have distractions while eating! I have tiny plates and bowls, shrimp forks and baby spoons. Last night someone handed me a full size fork to eat with and it felt SO large in my hand! I even used the cake forks before surgery because, despite my size, my mouth itself is rather small. My dentist is always complaining about my "tiny mouth", although my schoolteachers certainly claimed it was big! Dolly, I'm trying to avoid certain foods as well, but I will have something "not allowed" if I really want it. During a trip out of town last weekend, my cousin made biscuits, which she learned to do from our granny. I'm avoiding bread, but I did eat part of a biscuit with gravy and an egg and it was SO good. Cousin Vicky makes biscuits JUST like granny did. I had to realize that I'm going to be living with the Sleeve for a long time to come and it's not realistic to expect that no bread will every pass my lips. So, I'm trying to modify things to the point that I CAN have the special stuff, just not every day. In the future, I can see myself having a bite of birthday cake or some of a decadent food that I especially love. I just don't see me having any of that stuff in great quantities. Since you're a great cook, you'll have more temptation than I will. I CAN cook, and I'm good at it, but I am the kind of cook who only does great things for holidays. The rest of the time, I'm content with very simple food. When I lost weight on Atkins before, I actually had a daily menu that I followed pretty religiously. When I strayed from that menu is when I ran into trouble. I'm trying NOT to put myself in that position again...where I eat something bad for me just because I'm bored with the daily grind. I wish us both luck finding out way to healthy eating.

I'm 8 weeks post op today, as well. I agree that everyone's journey is different. I remember coming on here and reading everyone's replies and thinking that I'd never be able to add anything to their wisdom, yet here I am every day, both learning and trying to give back. So far, I've learned: 1. That the benefits of the surgery start showing up way faster than I thought they would. At 8 weeks, I'm already amazed at my enhanced energy level and ability to just MOVE. 2. I'm excited now to do things other than eat. Before it was tough to walk from the apartment to my car. Now I am making multiple trips to the car, carrying in groceries, taking things to storage and rearranging closets, etc. Before I started losing, it was nearly impossible for me to get around. 3. I think I'm braver than I was before surgery. Before, if you'd have told me I'd make a 3,000 mile car trip ALONE, I'd have been convinced you were nuts, yet I did just that two weeks ago...with all of my doctors' blessings. 4. Eating is much easier than I thought it would be. I was prepared for complicated eating plans, etc. However, it's pretty simple: Water, decaf tea and lots of Protein. Oh, and Vitamin. 5. I wasn't prepared for how much Tums would help me to tolerate everything else. I assumed I was one of the lucky ones without the gas pains until my doc put me on the Tums. Now I realize that lots of times my "hunger" pains were actually gas. I'm sure I'll learn tons more as I go, but I'm excited about the journey.

Good luck to ALL of you!! We'll be waiting for your after-surgery updates!!

Gayle, I don't know what part of the country you're in, or where your dad is planning to have surgery, BUT... no surgeon wants a patient to die while in their care. If the surgeon is moving forward, then s/he must be confident that your dad will do well with the surgery. Please encourage your dad to have the PCP do a second opinion, but you can also look up the surgeon on your state's medical license board. Most states tell whether the surgeon is in good standing and what their morbidity rate is. Ask the surgeon's office for his stats. I'm sure they'll be happy to show you that he has a good success rate (if he does) and if they won't tell you, it might be time for some second-guessing. good luck to your dad!&

Debi, I am 2 months out today and I am thrilled with my sleeve. I was 352 at my highest and was having major problems walking, along with an alphabet list of co-morbidities. I "wanted" the surgery, then got pneumonia earlier this year. My doctors actually told me that I had to have the surgery/lose significant weight, or I won't be alive in a year. All that said, I am thrilled with the results I've gotten so far. I'm down 50 pounds and able to walk more distance than I have in years. I've also taken a few rides on the stationary bike, but haven't made that a regular part of the routine YET. You will be amazed at how quickly you will feel better and you will probably lose weight faster than any other poster since you have more to lose. I try hard not to compare my weight loss to others, but it seems that I lose faster than those who started at weights lower than mine. Good luck with your decision and your journey!!

Okay, I have a few NSVs to post. 1. I am able to wear jeans again...and the pair I bought two weeks ago are already loose, even right out of the dryer. I had several pair of a major brand (Gi*tano) that are cut small, which all now fit me again. They are two sizes smaller than the ones I bought, too. 2. Saw hubby (we're separated) a few days ago. When I got out of the car, he blurted out "You look great!" That made my week! 3. Stopped to get gas last night and some young hunky guy was playing with the windshield washing "thingie". When I asked if I could use it, he said Nope and washed my windshield himself. Went inside the store to get a bottle of Water and another cutie made eye contact and appreciative noises. I'd forgotten how nice a little bit of stranger appreciation feels! 4. Saw the PCP today and HE made a comment about my weight loss, both in reference to how I look physically and how it has affected my walking ability. The first time he met me, I was barely able to walk the length of his office. Now I park at the far end of his parking lot, which is right outside his office window. He was impressed that I walked the length of the parking lot and around the building to the front. Nowadays, I'm leaving the closer spots to the "old folks". 5. Getting to wear shirts that were formerly too small for my body gives me a whole new wardrobe of stylin' clothes.

I'm just now 2 months out and added salad (raw veggies) back in just the last week or so. Chew the heck out of them and have some kind of dressing to dip them in to avoid sticking.

No. I've never had nausea. The nurse told me the Reglan was for acid reduction. Either way, it worked.

I'm thrilled that you're on the loser's bench with me!! Welcome! I didn't experience the cramping, but I was given a ton of shots of Reglan right after surgery to help with the cramping and the acid. Work on the sipping as you go along and take the pain meds if you need them.

VF, Unless you are going to have another surgery and need a "lovenox bridge" because you are taking Coumadin for blood clot issues, this shouldn't be a major factor in your life. Yes, do let your PCP know that you have allergies to heparin and lovenox so that you are never given those meds again. However, most people don't have problems with this on a day to day basis. FYI, just in case most don't know, many surgeons give heparin and/or lovenox during surgery to help keep us from clotting because of the stomach removal. Mine automatically gives lovenox or heparin during surgery, which I only know because I did have to take lovenox before and after my surgery until I could start taking Coumadin again. I had a major clot in June of this year before I had the VSG done. I had to skip the lovenox shot the night before and morning of surgery, then wait until I was discharged the day after surgery for the next shot.

I am sorry you are having relationship troubles. I think that you have a good handle on what is bothering her, though. My only advice, and it's short, is this: Life is not about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself. YOU are creating a new person out of the old person who insulated herself from the world. You deserve the attention and accolades and to feel impressed with yourself. This is NOT an easy journey. It's a process that takes a lot of time. The Lap Banders have a saying about "banding the head". WE have to sleeve our heads and deal with the psychological implications of weight loss. Unfortunately, that sometimes means letting people go until they are secure enough to deal with the new Us. Good luck!

Stacey, Holy Poop!!! I hope your told SIL that you AREN'T giving up. That you are finally taking control of your weight and your life. Yes, there are complications that happen from any surgery. However, I'm sure you've done your research and are confident in your doctor. You are having all the tests done to determine if you are healthy enough for surgery and you are going to WORK this sleeve. My business partner's sister in law has been in the hospital every two months since her VSG surgery. The SIL is NOT compliant with either her Water requirements or her nutrition requirements. While she has lost the weight she wanted to lose, she's also done horrible damage to her body by not eating or drinking properly. The "horror story" to that is that the SIL has not done what her surgeon instructed her to do. The surgery did not fail, the patient failed. YOU are not going to do that. YOU are going to comply with your surgeon's instructions and YOU are going to make sure you work the tool. I hate to offer to do this, but smack your SIL up side of the head and tell her to grow up! If you had cancer and were going to have surgery would she tell you that you had given up? Or would she be offering to be your support person and hold your hand when you woke up? Being 100 lbs overweight is like having a major cancer and NO ONE would fault you for having surgery for cancer. My hubby actually told me that if I'd eat less I could lose the weight. Yeah, like I didn't have a clue that's how weight loss worked. If you (or I) could do this on our own, we wouldn't be contemplating surgery. We'd just take that magic step away from the fridge and everything would be wonderful and peachy-keen. It doesn't work for US.

PJ713, It's the iron in the vitamins that triggers the nausea for me. Have you tried a chewable vitamin? If not, try eating about half your meal, then chewing up the vitamin, then eat the rest of your meal. That works for me.

Nadoue, You will probably get more responses if you create a thread, but I do have some suggestions for getting in Proteins if all you can handle is liquids. Are you able to do eggs at all? If so, you have a great vehicle to add some Protein in the form of melted cheese and/or pureed meats. Also, there are tons of protein rich drinks. Perhaps you can't handle a Protein shake, but could you add some Protein powder to chicken or beef broth? Or to coffee, or milk, or tea. I tried the Espresso flavor of Click Protein Powder with hot Water and it wasn't too bad, although I only did that once. Also, for the Protein shakes, you can make them up with almond or soy milk if regular milk bothers you. If drinking them is a problem, why not turn them into either a pudding consistency or use them as freezer pops? Personally, I got sick of "sweet" really quick on the liquid diet, so I went to other alternatives for protein. Flaked tuna is easy to chew or puree and, with a dab of mayo, easy to get down. I also used potted meat, which is kind of like deviled ham, and ate some with my eggs when I was really desperate for something different. I also ate some canned beef stew during my puree stage. I could only do an ounce or two, but the broth and the soft beef gave me some good protein. Lastly, if you truly can't handle anything more than liquids, is it because your doctor requires a longer liquid stage? Or, are you eating too fast? I use a baby spoon to eat with, at home anyway. Cut the bites up tiny, the size of the eraser on a pencil, and chew them very very very well. My nutritionist recommends 20 times, but I chew 32 times because that's what I learned as a kid. I also have a killer gag reflex, so I'm amazed that I haven't gotten sick once so far. Make sure you aren't drinking too close to meal time, either before or after. Having a tummy full of water is not conducive to putting protein in the sleeve. You should stop drinking at least 15-30 minutes before you eat and wait 30 minutes after before drinking again. Are you eating slider foods? If so, you are filling your sleeve with junk, which means you aren't putting GOOD fuel in your body. I admit that I did eat a lot of instant mashed potatoes for the mushee stage, but I ate them after getting in my 2 oz of protein if I still felt like I needed more. There are tons of alternatives that could work to get your protein in during the mushee stage. I've eaten the innards of a beef taco, pinto Beans with cheese, pureed Wendy's chili (it's like a hot tomato based Soup when you blend it), chicken noodle soup (just the broth), egg drop soup (at full liquids when I could have eggs), and a dozen other "insides" of other foods. Chicken salad, tuna salad, and egg salad have all been food for me when I've been on the road. I also try to carry a thermos full of soup for days when I know I'll be on the road. If nothing else, it is a good snack if I'm actually needing to eat and don't have time to stop. If none of the above applies to you, then you should probably call your doctor and see where he thinks you should be. It's very possible that you need either a gas reducer or that you are healing slower than others. Neither of those is a bad thing...it's just how your sleeve works. Good luck!

To add the ticker ruler, go to the search box at the top of the page and search the entire forum for "Add Ticker". LilMissDiva did an excellent post on how to add the ticker. I won't try to re-do that since her instructions are so good!

If you woke up hurting, did you try taking a sip of Water? It's possible that you are either hungry (because the pain stopped after a couple of bites of yogurt) or that you are thirsty. I only take 3 tums a day, one after each regular meal, so I don't know if more tums are the answer. The other reason i get tummy pain is because I need to go to the bathroom. Sometimes, that is the only "clue" I get. Maybe try that? For me, the liquid diet made things much looser than I'm used to. If I were to suggest anything, and I'm not an expert or a doctor by any means, it would be to try making sure you get your 64 oz of liquids today. Sip slowly. Take your Multivitamins with your food or Protein shakes, so that the Iron in the Vitamin doesn't cause pain. You're very recently post-op, so the liquids are more important than the protein, although you should try to get the required amount of protein as well. Do the food/liquids slowly, and see if that doesn't help with the tummy pain. Oh, and if you're craving veggies, have you tried drinking some kind of juice? I wasn't allowed orange or tomato juice until I was 4 weeks out, but I did drink some 8 oz portions of juice, mixed half and half with water. Now I keep the tiny cans of low sodium V-8 in the fridge for that veggie fix. I prefer raw veggies over cooked, but that's not always possible. Also, how much are you walking? Walk as much as you possibly can, even if it's just inside your house. Moving made me feel much better and helped with the gas pain, plus it has other benefits. It helps with keeping the digestive process moving, which, in turn, helps you potty and helps you lose weight faster. The more you move, also, the less time you have to worry about small pains. Keeping myself occupied with other things took my mind off food and the "ghost pains" I had from having a filter as well. Moving more also lessens the chance of blood clots and other complications. And, of course, if you feel that the pain is getting worse, a call to your doctor's office is always an option. Maybe they know something that will help this feeling. I'm a total amateur and I'm going off what worked for me. I'd hate it if you ended up in some kind of crisis because I'm only a few weeks ahead of you on the journey. Good luck!!

Torrid, I've been taking multi-vitamins since I started the pre-op diet. I like the Centrum chewables, but there are other options out there. For pre-op and until I started solid foods again, I took two multi's a day, now I'm taking one a day. I also take sub-lingual B-12 and three chewable Tums per day now. I haven't added in the Biotin yet, but I see that in my future as well.

I have no clue about your insurance company since I was self-pay. I just wanted to say congrats to you for starting your journey while you're still young! You will be amazed at how much better you feel with the weight gone, and your life will be so much more enjoyable as a thin person. I wish I'd done something so much sooner, rather than enduring years of obesity. Good luck on your journey!!!

I only took 8 days off, mostly because I didn't want to deal with the drain and try to work. It came out at 11am on the 2nd Wednesday after surgery and I was back at work that afternoon. HOWEVER, I work for myself and travel from place to place to perform my job, which involves sitting down with people to sign legal documents. I don't have heavy lifting or a requirement to be at a desk for hours at a time. For the most part, I can get up and walk whenever I need to do so. I was lucky that I have a business partner who covered me during the crazy pre-op process and that my doctors allowed me to work my appointments around my work commitments, so I missed very little actual business. I made up for it by doing lots of telephone and email marketing while I was down...although I didn't do any during that 8 days because I was so focused on getting Water and liquid food in right after surgery.

My best friend is an ER nurse and she was my first person I talked to about surgery, even before I mentioned it to my hubby! I asked her what she thought about weight loss surgery and she assumed I was talking about a male friend of ours who is over 450 and has severe medical problems. When I told her I was asking for me, her response was priceless! "That's the best idea you've EVER had!" LOL I had already talked to one surgeon, but didn't really want to use him. My friend mentioned Dr. Domkowski (my surgeon) because she's seen how caring and compassionate he is when he comes into her hospital with his patients. So, I went to him and the rest is history. My husband's reaction was "You just need to eat less." DUH, If I could have done that, I'd have lost this weight years ago. I haven't received negative comments from anyone else, including my sons. Their support has been amazing. My youngest lives with me and has done everything he can to make food prep and day to day life simpler for me. My oldest son lives in South Carolina and I just visited him for a few days. He cooked an old family favorite for me, and was surprised at how little I can eat. He and his girlfriend were both very complimentary about how much weight I've already lost. I have no hesitation about telling other people about my surgery. I'm not ashamed at all. I always mention that this is a tool, not a quick fix and that WLS is sometimes the only solution, as it was for me. I use that Dr Oz quote about being 100 pounds overweight having the same health risks as a cancer and that no one would hesitate to operate for cancer. I was 170 pounds overweight and, despite losing 50 pounds last year on Atkins, still ended up back where I started when I got pneumonia early this year. I had also been told that I wouldn't live another year if I didn't get my weight under control. THAT is a prime motivator to get the surgery. I feel like WLS saved my life, so I guess I will be evangelizing to others about it for a long time to come.

I kind of felt like I was in suspended animation, waiting for the "rest of my life" to start. Now that I've had surgery and am back on solid foods, it just feels like normal day to day stuff, mostly. I "have to" eat so many grams of Protein, "have to" drink so much Water, just like I have to breathe, shower, get dressed and work. And, for me, the scale is a daily part of my life, too. I'm not obsessing over it, just checking where I'm at today. That will probably taper off as I drop lower, but be prepared for that. I wish you luck and joy on your journey. Once the surgery is over, enjoy the process of losing weight, getting smaller, and being able to exercise more. I'm loving the new strength and abilities I have and you will too!

I stalled at 3 weeks as well. And stayed there for two weeks of bouncing up and down on the same darn 3 pounds. I added in carbs, eating baked crackers and Peanut Butter. I also upped my Water consumption a bit from 64 oz to 80 oz a day. There was another TMI reason for the upped water consumption, too. After two weeks, I suddenly dropped 7 pounds in two days, so I think that all helped. Mostly, I just made myself not worry about the stall. It doesn't help and anxiety makes me want to eat.

Shae, Quite honestly, it took the switch to the Tums to make me able to tell the difference between hunger and gas pains. I would have sworn I did NOT have gas pains before that switch. Now, I actually know that it's hunger because it stops as soon as I take my few bites of food. I'm learning how to tell when I am satisfied right now. I never could have done that before, mostly because I had no clue what full felt like. When I first had surgery, nearly two months ago, I thought I was having gas pains when I was really over-filling my sleeve with Water or food. I did lots of walking that didn't seem to help the pain. It finally dawned on me one day when I was walking and drinking from a bottle of water at the same time. A real DUH moment for me! The only advice I can offer is to work on feeding yourself enough food that you aren't hungry anymore, without getting to a point where it's painful. That's one of the reasons we are supposed to eat slowly. It helps us to stop before we get to pain. It's a head game for me. I take a bite, put down my utensil, chew 32 times, swallow, then take a look round the room, or make a comment to my dining companion if I have one. Once I've done all of that, THEN I start all over again. One of the recommendations from the nurse at the doc's office is to mentally pre-portion the food I plan to eat, then eat no more than that. I'm still working on that one, because my eyes are really way bigger than my stomach. My eyes may think I can eat a 4-6 oz portion of salmon, but my tummy usually stops at 2 oz. Today I ordered a small chili from Wendy's and could only manage about half of it. I walked into the hospital from the far end of the parking lot, and still felt comfortably full after an hour visit with my cousin and her new baby boy. The rest of the chili now resides in my garbage can, but my mind initially told me that I could eat the whole thing. I'm still fill now, but I will probably have a baby cheese just before bed with my Vitamin. Good luck. You WILL be able to tell the difference soon. This whole journey is a learning process and lots of us experience different things. So, your mileage may vary on all of the above.

Well, I'm almost two months post op now, and I still adore Dr. D and his staff!! My appointments have always been fairly quick to get in and he takes his time for all your questions. I truthfully still don't know if I should hug him, kiss his feet, or just bow down and say "I'm not worthy!" He keeps telling me that I don't have to do any of that, but I literally feel that he saved my life. Went to the support group meeting last night in Sebastian and it had been canceled last minute. Those of us who were there decided to have our own meeting, and it was great! We got to really talk about our experiences and ask questions that might be considered TMI if the psychologist was there. I really enjoyed the group of folks that I have met at these meetings and I make every effort to get to them.