Lissa

I still drink diet caffeine free coke. I always pour it over a glass of ice, which disperses some of the carbonation. However, it's not my only drink...I still get 64 oz of Water a day. For me, it's an evening treat while I'm at the computer or reading a book. When I was less than 3 months post-op, I refused to drink any soda and I obsessed over it like crazy. When I added a diet soda here and there into my routine, the obsession went away. Pre-op I drank 8-10 cans of diet coke a day (my poor kidneys) and now I might drink 5 cans in a week. I date my cases of drinks when I buy them and only keep a few in the fridge at a time. I finished my last case Thursday and it had been here since mid March. I used to go through a case of soda in under a week. I've lost over 90 pounds, so I must be doing something right.

I think your post proves that men have "hormonal" issues after VSG just like us ladies do. As we lose weight, the fat cells release all the hormones they've been storing for us. For ladies, this seems to result in increased libido and (b)itchiness. For guys, this may result in increased aggression. I think the solution is the same for both sexes, you just have to sweat it out. Things that I could take in stride pre-op have a tendency to irritate me now. I do often find myself looking at what others are eating and thinking "Wow! How can they eat that much?" but it's not in an admiring way. It's more like disgust that anyone could/would put that much food in their body at one time. It's twice as bad when the person eating that way is heavy. I know that's not kind or charitable, but that's what I think. Now, I'd never say anything to them, but that's because I realize that it's hypocritical, since I used to eat that way too. Good luck to us all!!!

Congrats and welcome to the loser's bench!!!

Amazing on the NSV and I am OVERWHELMED that you passed the HVAC test!! I know that, at least in FL, that's one of the toughest tests you can take!! Congratulations on both major accomplishments!!!

Sharon, I'll just pass along my doc's advice when I took a 3,000 mile driving trip about 2 months post-op... Fidget constantly to keep the blood moving and get up at least every hour and walk, even if it's just the length of the plane. You might even want ot make it every half hour since you'll be in a high pressure environment. Walking and cardio are the two things my doc recommends, and I'm speaking of my pulmonologist, not my WLS surgeon here. At least half an hour of cardio or aerobic activity every day is the goal he wants me to reach. I also try not to sit for more than half an hour at a time without moving around. Whether it's at the computer or watching tv, I get up every half hour and walk into another room. I just bought myself a new puppy, and that makes me move around more, too. FYI, greens and most dark green veggies have some anti-clotting properties, as do sweet potato and cabbage. One of the reasons I try to get some broccoli and greens into my diet is for those anti-clotting properties. Some days I may only get a few bites of one of those veggies into me, but I try to make sure that my veggies do double duty. Obesity is it's own risk factor for clots, but there are lots of ways to help prevent them.

I had the filter installed before surgery and removed afterward because I had a blood clot 3 months before surgery. IMO, the filter surgeries were worse than the VSG, mostly because they use conscious sedation (Versed). I really wish they had knocked me out for those surgeries, although I got to go home right after. I took Lovenox injections for 7 days before the filter install and 7 days after, twice a day. Luckilly, my pulmonary doc took me off Coumadin about a week before the filter was removed, but I ended up back on the Coumadin until 10 days ago because the filter actually caught two clots. It saved my life, so that filter was worth it. Walking is absolutely the best thing you can do to help prevent post-operative clots. I try to get in 30 minutes of some kind of aerobic/cardio activity daily to help prevent problems. This means that sometimes I end up walking around parking lots (like yesterday) and getting weird looks from people. LOL I also make sure that I stop and walk for a minute or two anytime I'm driving more than 30 minutes at a time...and I do a LOT of driving for my job.

If you're using milk-based protein drinks, you could also be showing signs of lactose intolerance. I developed it very quickly post-op and diarrhea was my first clue.

Ultimately, staying positive is on YOU. It's great that you have some family members that support you, but you have to decide that this is it and you're going to do it. You may have to make that decision every day for the rest of your life once you're sleeved. I'm sorry that your mom doesn't support your decision, but my personal philosophy is: If someone doesn't Feed me, F*#@ me or pay my bills, they don't have a say in how I run my life. Sounds harsh, but it sure saves a lot of hassle when people start running their mouths. I know she's your mom, but she doesn't have to walk around in your obese body with your complications and fears. Only you can decide whether to do this and then whether to be successful at it. Good luck!

I go through spells. A few days ago I was peeing every hour. Normal for me is 5-6 times a day. I make it a point to potty before I drive always. Lissa

(((Coops))) It sounds like it was a great day! I'm sorry, but may I say Happy Birthday now?? I'm glad you were born and that you're so willing to share your journey with all of us here on VST!!!

Congrats on taking a huge step for yourself! We'll keep a spot warm for you on the loser's bench!

Have you been doing a lot of running or jumping? How much support are you getting from your bra? I hate the way sports bras make me look, but they keep the girls from bouncing around and getting sore.

I know you'll be fine, ThinOneDay, but it's NOT okay for him to pick on you. Please tell him how his words made you feel.

I'm with Meg. If you're hurting when you're eating, it might help to drop back a step for a few days. I'm actually more worried about that hematoma. Please make sure someone is following up on that. Did they tell you it will heal or reabsorb on it's own? If not, are they planning to treat it? My birthmark is a hemangioma and has hematomas on it sometimes. The doc uses a laser to treat the hematomas, but, of course, mine are on my skin, not internal. A friend's daughter developed a hematoma on her liver many years ago and the hematoma kept growing until it crushed her internal organs.

No No No No. This is NOT your problem, it's HIS problem. Please don't diet just because your hubby made one thoughtless, stupid remark. YOU are an incredible woman and you've done an amazing job with that sleeve. Instead of reacting to his stupidity by changing you, how about having an open conversation with him about how crappy his comment made you feel? Perhaps he thought he was "helping" by mentioning that he thought you'd gained weight. But, we both know that a certain outfit can make us look bigger, or TOM, or drinking more Water, less water, splurging a bit on a holiday, etc. He needs to hear how his words affected you so that he can watch his mouth in the future.

I didn't have the stamina to do a 3 minute line dance after surgery, but I'd have definitely tried!

I used Centrum Chewables both pre and post-op. I just switched, at 7 months, to a vitamin I have to swallow. As for the protein, protein shakes are the only way to go while on the liquid diet, but I couldn't stand any of the protein shakes early post-op. They were just too sweet for me. I drank a lot of broth, which doesn't have that much protein, but my doc said it was more important to get the liquids in than the protein until I was back on solids.

Slim, Your dad will still see you get to goal. He'll just be on the other side of the veil from you. I'm sorry to hear that he passed, but I'm happy that he is no longer in pain. You now have a guardian angel in heaven looking over you. (((Hugs)))

Just a word of warning about Mt Dew. It has the highest caffeine content of any soda. My brother used to drink Dew constantly, until he developed kidney stones. The first round didn't convince him to dump the sodas, but that second round just about killed him with pain. The hospital literally put him on a morphine pump and it didn't touch the pain. Nowadays, he drinks Water as if it were a religion. I'm not sure what's in BC powders, although I suspect it's got caffeine, too. I think it's bad news to use any kind of pain meds in a manner not consistent with it's label. Maybe your bf should ask his doctor about using that to stay awake? As for KB7274, the pre-op liquid diet will be tough for the first few days, but once you settle into a routine, it should be much easier. I second the suggestion to keep plenty of cold ready to drink shakes around. Perhaps your doctor would allow you to add in one low fat meal a day if you really are struggling with the diet. I had a 53 BMI and only needed to do two weeks pre-op. But, your doctor knows what is necessary better than I do! Good luck!

Yippee!! I'm happy dancing for you!!!

AussieGirl, You ARE a success!! 110 pounds is amazing!! I'm coming right up behind you. I can see my 100 pound mark just around the corner and I'm excited. I'll have to step up my game to get there, but I'm already pushing a little here and a little there, working on that next size down.

Strawberries have tons of tiny little black seeds in them, which "could" get caught in the staple line and cause an abcess. That's the explanation I got.

A bougie is the tube the anesthetist passes down our throat into our stomach to guide the surgeon when they staple the stomach line. A smaller bougie is supposed to mean more restriction, but these things are measured in millimeters, so there's literally [ ] that much difference between a 32 and a 40 bougie. You're not going to cram much in there. I have seen discussions that suggest that a 40 bougie is less likely to have a leak than a 32 bougie. My doc used a 34 on me, I believe.

I did more burping than farting, truthfully. I have heard that you should never trust that a fart will be "only" a fart, so keep that in mind.

I don't think nuts were allowed for me until 3 months post-op. I'd have to pull out my nut's book, but that's when I remember adding them into my meal plan. I still haven't added in strawberries, which I know were restricted until six months out.