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Lissa

LAP-BAND Patients
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  1. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Jeno59 in Things You Can Never Have Again With Sleeve :(   
    MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink Decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
    As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like Protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
    For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
    Good luck, whatever you decide.
  2. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Nannee2-2 in Things You Can Never Have Again With Sleeve :(   
    I don't know how far pre-op you are, but I suggest cutting down now on the soda. Reduce your consumption by one a day, replacing it with a bottle of Water or some other caffeine/sugar free drink. I found that Decaf iced tea helped me a lot in dumping soda. I didn't drink a single soda for over 4 months post-op, but I finally decided that fighting the soda craving on top of all the other changes I was making was too much for me. Your mileage may vary on that. I am proud to say that I am STILL caffeine free and I don't miss that high at all.
  3. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Jeno59 in Things You Can Never Have Again With Sleeve :(   
    MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink Decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
    As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like Protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
    For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
    Good luck, whatever you decide.
  4. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Jeno59 in Things You Can Never Have Again With Sleeve :(   
    MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink Decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
    As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like Protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
    For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
    Good luck, whatever you decide.
  5. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Jeno59 in Things You Can Never Have Again With Sleeve :(   
    MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink Decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
    As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like Protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
    For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
    Good luck, whatever you decide.
  6. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Jeno59 in Things You Can Never Have Again With Sleeve :(   
    MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink Decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
    As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like Protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
    For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
    Good luck, whatever you decide.
  7. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Jeno59 in Things You Can Never Have Again With Sleeve :(   
    MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink Decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
    As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like Protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
    For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
    Good luck, whatever you decide.
  8. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from davis29 in Hungry Girl 5 Days Post Gastric Sleeve Op!   
    broth. I swear by broth for the liquids stage. Heat it up, add some spices if you want, whatever works. I had less of a hungry feeling with broth than anything else. And, I couldn't STAND the Protein shakes, crystal light, or Protein Water. They were all too sweet for me. Warm broth was my lifesaver.
    Once you're up to mushies, any kind of Soup blended up was good, including wendy's chili. Instant mashed potatos, blended chicken noodle soup, and egg drop soup all tasted great, too.
    Someone here suggested ice chips if the urge to chew was overwhelming. I can't do it because of sensitive teeth, but it might help that urge for you.
    Good luck! This stage WILL pass and you'll soon be looking back and thinking "that wasn't so bad". It does take awhile to get through it, though.
  9. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from jnicoll1 in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Yes, eating solids too early can be bad news. IMO, it's not worth pushing forward with the diet because the sleeve needs time to heal. If you're feeling "hungry", you definitely need to talk to your doctor about getting an acid reducer for you. Part of that hungry feeling is head hunger as well. For most of us, that goes away once all of the ghrelin hormone is out of our systems, which can take up to 30 days.
    Is having solid foods a few days early worth the possible risk that you'll cause a leak and end up in the hospital or on a liquid diet for months instead of a few more days? I don't think so.
    Instead of sitting there obsessing about what you can't eat, drink some Water, go for a walk, call a friend, or have a nice cup of warm broth. Right now it seems you'll never get to eat solid food again, but it will be a minor blip on the radar in a few weeks.
    Good luck!
  10. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from stephrpatt in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Sweetby, I'd eliminate the lemon candies. Heaven forbid that you accidently swallow one! That would require an endoscopy to remove the candy, or put you in tremendous pain until it dissolved. Your esophagus is NOT big enough to let it enter your stomach at this point. The opening there is swollen, just like the sleeve is swollen, and you don't want something to get caught!
    How about trying one of those dissolvable breath strips? Or, brush your teeth, drink some broth, drink some Water, warm tea, Decaf coffee or tea... anything to distract you. Liquids would be much better for your sleeve and would help to keep you hydrated.
    The other thing about candy is that it has carbs from the sugar. Some people have a major problem with carb addiction and MUST avoid them to lose well. Eliminating the sugary candy will help with the head hunger issue as well. I know that, for me, eating carbs is a good way to trigger a hungry thought, even if I'm not hungry. Kapish?
    Good luck! You will survive this and you'll be here telling other newbies the same thing I'm telling you.
  11. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from jnicoll1 in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Yes, eating solids too early can be bad news. IMO, it's not worth pushing forward with the diet because the sleeve needs time to heal. If you're feeling "hungry", you definitely need to talk to your doctor about getting an acid reducer for you. Part of that hungry feeling is head hunger as well. For most of us, that goes away once all of the ghrelin hormone is out of our systems, which can take up to 30 days.
    Is having solid foods a few days early worth the possible risk that you'll cause a leak and end up in the hospital or on a liquid diet for months instead of a few more days? I don't think so.
    Instead of sitting there obsessing about what you can't eat, drink some Water, go for a walk, call a friend, or have a nice cup of warm broth. Right now it seems you'll never get to eat solid food again, but it will be a minor blip on the radar in a few weeks.
    Good luck!
  12. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from jnicoll1 in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Yes, eating solids too early can be bad news. IMO, it's not worth pushing forward with the diet because the sleeve needs time to heal. If you're feeling "hungry", you definitely need to talk to your doctor about getting an acid reducer for you. Part of that hungry feeling is head hunger as well. For most of us, that goes away once all of the ghrelin hormone is out of our systems, which can take up to 30 days.
    Is having solid foods a few days early worth the possible risk that you'll cause a leak and end up in the hospital or on a liquid diet for months instead of a few more days? I don't think so.
    Instead of sitting there obsessing about what you can't eat, drink some Water, go for a walk, call a friend, or have a nice cup of warm broth. Right now it seems you'll never get to eat solid food again, but it will be a minor blip on the radar in a few weeks.
    Good luck!
  13. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from jnicoll1 in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Yes, eating solids too early can be bad news. IMO, it's not worth pushing forward with the diet because the sleeve needs time to heal. If you're feeling "hungry", you definitely need to talk to your doctor about getting an acid reducer for you. Part of that hungry feeling is head hunger as well. For most of us, that goes away once all of the ghrelin hormone is out of our systems, which can take up to 30 days.
    Is having solid foods a few days early worth the possible risk that you'll cause a leak and end up in the hospital or on a liquid diet for months instead of a few more days? I don't think so.
    Instead of sitting there obsessing about what you can't eat, drink some Water, go for a walk, call a friend, or have a nice cup of warm broth. Right now it seems you'll never get to eat solid food again, but it will be a minor blip on the radar in a few weeks.
    Good luck!
  14. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Jeno59 in Things You Can Never Have Again With Sleeve :(   
    MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink Decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
    As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like Protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
    For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
    Good luck, whatever you decide.
  15. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from jnicoll1 in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Yes, eating solids too early can be bad news. IMO, it's not worth pushing forward with the diet because the sleeve needs time to heal. If you're feeling "hungry", you definitely need to talk to your doctor about getting an acid reducer for you. Part of that hungry feeling is head hunger as well. For most of us, that goes away once all of the ghrelin hormone is out of our systems, which can take up to 30 days.
    Is having solid foods a few days early worth the possible risk that you'll cause a leak and end up in the hospital or on a liquid diet for months instead of a few more days? I don't think so.
    Instead of sitting there obsessing about what you can't eat, drink some Water, go for a walk, call a friend, or have a nice cup of warm broth. Right now it seems you'll never get to eat solid food again, but it will be a minor blip on the radar in a few weeks.
    Good luck!
  16. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Iona in How Much Liquids Is Too Much?   
    I'd say you're doing great. Perhaps your sleeve is healing faster than others and has less residual swelling! Count that as a big plus. I could handle liquids pretty well post-op, but definitely felt the restriction as soon as I was on mushies. Half a scrambled egg filled me to the brim.
    Good luck!
  17. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from Mimi of 7 in If You Are On Coumadin   
    I hope no one minds if I post this. I've gotten 2 or 3 questions in private messages about Coumadin and it's effects on VSG surgery. I thought I'd post this so others can find the topic if they have questions.
    If you are on Coumadin before VSG surgery, you definitely need to talk to your cardiologist as soon as possible. There are a couple of ways they can handle the coumadin. If you are near the time that you are supposed to come off the coumadin (usually they have you on it three months at a time), then the cardio may be able to take you off the coumadin before surgery. If not, you need to talk to your surgeon, asap.
    What they do from there on in will depend on why you are on coumadin. I am on it because I developed Deep Vein Thrombosis in my leg in June, 2011. That threw two clots into my lungs, or pulmonary embolisms. MY surgeon had a filter installed before my surgery to keep any clots from floating into my heart and lungs. I'll give details if you tell me you're on coumadin for the same reason. And, I had the filter removed after my VSG.
    I had to stop taking the coumadin a few days before the filter installation surgery, maybe 3 or 4? IIRC, I started giving myself shots of Lovenox on Monday, had the filter installed Friday (no shots on Friday), gave myself shots on Sat, Sun, Mon morning, nothing on Tuesday (VSG surgery day), and then continued to take the shots until Thursday morning and started taking coumadin again Thursday night. I didn't have to take Lovenox before the filter removal three weeks later because my pulmonary doc took me off coumadin in between there.
    I had a d-dimer blood test after a month with no coumadin, which showed I was still at risk for clots, so I'm back on coumadin until at least January 2012.
    My blood clot delayed my surgery from August 12 to August 30 because I had to be more than 3 months past the date the clot formed for safe surgery.
    If you have a choice between waiting until you are off the coumadin and taking the shots, wait. Lovenox injections WITH insurance cost me over $1000 for the days I was on them. My VSG surgeon did offer to have his nurse give me heparin shots instead of the Lovenox, but they couldn't let me inject myself and that would have meant two trips per day driving 1 hour north of where I live.
    DO inform your surgeon about the reasons you are on coumadin. A blood clot can be very serious, even fatal. Your surgeon may wish to place a filter or stent before or during surgery. My vein doctor wanted the filter instead of a permanent stent because I'm only 45 and he felt the risk to leave it in was more than the risk to take it out. BTW, if your surgeon acts like your being on coumadin is no big deal, please look for another doctor. IMO, blood clots are one of the quickest killers after any surgery and your doc should follow up on why you're on this med.
    In case you didn't know, most VSG/WLS surgeons do give their patients a shot of either lovenox or heparin during the surgery to help reduce the risk of clots. That's why I didn't take my shots the day of surgery.
    If your doc does decide a filter/stent is necessary, feel free to message me for more info. It sounds intimidating because the filter install and removal are both surgical procedures. That means I had THREE surgeries to get my sleeve. However, I don't regret one second of it and it was totally worth it to me!
    Good luck!!
  18. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from jnicoll1 in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Yes, eating solids too early can be bad news. IMO, it's not worth pushing forward with the diet because the sleeve needs time to heal. If you're feeling "hungry", you definitely need to talk to your doctor about getting an acid reducer for you. Part of that hungry feeling is head hunger as well. For most of us, that goes away once all of the ghrelin hormone is out of our systems, which can take up to 30 days.
    Is having solid foods a few days early worth the possible risk that you'll cause a leak and end up in the hospital or on a liquid diet for months instead of a few more days? I don't think so.
    Instead of sitting there obsessing about what you can't eat, drink some Water, go for a walk, call a friend, or have a nice cup of warm broth. Right now it seems you'll never get to eat solid food again, but it will be a minor blip on the radar in a few weeks.
    Good luck!
  19. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from stephrpatt in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Sweetby, I'd eliminate the lemon candies. Heaven forbid that you accidently swallow one! That would require an endoscopy to remove the candy, or put you in tremendous pain until it dissolved. Your esophagus is NOT big enough to let it enter your stomach at this point. The opening there is swollen, just like the sleeve is swollen, and you don't want something to get caught!
    How about trying one of those dissolvable breath strips? Or, brush your teeth, drink some broth, drink some Water, warm tea, Decaf coffee or tea... anything to distract you. Liquids would be much better for your sleeve and would help to keep you hydrated.
    The other thing about candy is that it has carbs from the sugar. Some people have a major problem with carb addiction and MUST avoid them to lose well. Eliminating the sugary candy will help with the head hunger issue as well. I know that, for me, eating carbs is a good way to trigger a hungry thought, even if I'm not hungry. Kapish?
    Good luck! You will survive this and you'll be here telling other newbies the same thing I'm telling you.
  20. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from njgal in NSV shout outs   
    OMG!!! Just got 20 pounds closer to goal!!! Saw my surgeon today and finally remembered to ask him about a goal weight. His answer is 190, my number is 170. He says I'll be too thin at 170 since I'm 5 feet 8. So, I am officially halfway to goal!!!
  21. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from njgal in NSV shout outs   
    Major NSV today! I bought a Kia Soul last year and have always felt that the seatbelt plug-in was way too close to my butt. I have pretty much been dealing with it because I felt that I was "too big", so I tolerated it. And dealt with it by making sure I sat as far left as I could.
    Tonight, driving home from about 50 miles away, I noticed that I kept shifting in my seat. Finally I realized that I have about 2 inches on either side of my boo-tay in the seat and I was shifting because I was sitting too far to the left. So, I moved around and got comfy and the seat belt plug was NOT digging into my tush!
    I can't wait to see how big the seat gets as I lose weight!!
  22. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from char3672 in How Long Until You Feel Normal?   
    Normal? Normal? What is normal? I'm not sure I've ever felt normal... especially since surgery. I woke up raring to go and haven't stopped since!
  23. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from mama3beartn in When Can You Eat Lettuce?   
    I eat all the other salad veggies, but I don't do lettuce. It fills me up too fast and doesn't have much nutritional value.
  24. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from jnicoll1 in Have Any Of You Eaten Solid Food Before You Were Supposed To?   
    Yes, eating solids too early can be bad news. IMO, it's not worth pushing forward with the diet because the sleeve needs time to heal. If you're feeling "hungry", you definitely need to talk to your doctor about getting an acid reducer for you. Part of that hungry feeling is head hunger as well. For most of us, that goes away once all of the ghrelin hormone is out of our systems, which can take up to 30 days.
    Is having solid foods a few days early worth the possible risk that you'll cause a leak and end up in the hospital or on a liquid diet for months instead of a few more days? I don't think so.
    Instead of sitting there obsessing about what you can't eat, drink some Water, go for a walk, call a friend, or have a nice cup of warm broth. Right now it seems you'll never get to eat solid food again, but it will be a minor blip on the radar in a few weeks.
    Good luck!
  25. Like
    Lissa got a reaction from IsaVBI in Frequently Asked Questions   
    Great job! I would like to add that some surgeons (mine included) ban straws either temporarily or permanently after VSG. I am now using one again, but when I was early post op, straws made me feel gassy. YMMV

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