PenguinLover

So I'm 25 days post op and things are going well so far, today is my last date night with my husband before he leaves for 5 months for military reasons. I can't say much but its depressing and I know a big part of my support is leaving and I will miss him. The only good part in this I can see is I should (Hoping) that I'm smaller when I see him again. Anyways thats all I had to say, If anyone has gone through this before I would love to hear from you, or just helpful comments is great.

Thank you guys so much for all the tips and helpful facts!!! I love being able to come on here and get help

So I know this isn't a pretty topic, but now Im on stage 3 diet and I'm a bit constipated. They gave me Milk of Magnesia , but that stuff tastes horrible and makes me want to puke lol, so what other things do you guys try to help relieve yourself?

So I am 5 days post op and my dietician said I could go on half Clear Liquids & full liquids for my diet, but so far I have been drinking Water, sugar free Jello, chicken and beef broth, and my Protein shake... I would like to add more full liquids to my diet , so any ideas are greatly appreciated Thanks <3

Congrats! Your looking awesome! I hope I do as well as you Keep it going girl !

I know you can get through this! I hated it as well, I was only 2 weeks for my pre op diet, and the last 2 days were the worse for me because it was a all clear liquid diet and I was not used to that and I was craving carbs, thats my most loved thing is bread, Pizza Crust ,etc lol. And here I was drinking chicken broth for dinner and my family is warming up a costco pizza and the smell was too much for me and I had a break down too, so your not the only one, hang in there. I am now 4 days Post op and its still hard, I am not as hungry as I was but I still want to eat what my family is eating and I hate that I can't, but I just keep reminding myself that this is to better myself and that soon I will be able to have alittle something that everyone gets to eat, but for now I can't injure myself by eating things that will harm me and my new tummy lol. But Hang in there and if you need to vent more, then do it on here cause thats what were here for, to support each other

^ ^ ^

What she said.

Trust me when I say this... I researched literally for YEARS. Yet, I STILL came out of surgery feeling exactly the same feelings you're feeling. I regretted my decision. Sure did! I'm not afraid to say it, because it's the truth. That said it didn't last long. Once the pain subsided, and once I was able to feel more "with it" because I was able to get more fluids and Proteins in, I was starting to love my sleeve. Then as the weight dropped and I ran through so many clothing sizes... well it's easy to say I. LOVE. MY. SLEEVE!!!!! Best thing I've ever done.

<0 Regrets today. This will be you, (all of you who are feeling this way right now) and very very soon!!!

Hey Lady Thanks for the perk up, Yea its a total downer feeling right now, but I keep thinking it will get better, I feel better then I did yesterday and just trying to keep up my liquids.

I was sleeved Monday too and still feel pretty awful. Swollen and bloated but unable to pass gas. Can't get comfy either. I just take a deep breath remember this is only temporary. Though I did cry like a baby Monday from the pain.

I feel ya I'm in the same point, I got mine monday and I am still swollen, I can't get comfy and I'm still trying to figure out how to drink 64 fl oz if i can only drink 1 fl oz every 15 mins? lol

Oooh the first week. I had a pain on my right side and it was swollen there. It hurt when I moved around much, like getting in and out of bed. I developed diarrhea and found out I was lactose intolerant. My gut rumbled like there was a mac truck in there. I was tired big time. I gained 16 lbs. from fluids during my overnight hospital stay.

I'm just telling you guys this so you know you are not alone. Now, at 4 months plus a few days, I am in size 10s and 12s pants, medium tops (down from 18-20 pants and 2x -3x tops). I've lost 53 lbs. post surgery and have just 34 lbs. to go to my goal, 135, which will put me at 21.8 BMI.

Things that helped me the first week:

• Drinking from a one ounce medicine cup. Small sips, one medicine cup every 15 minutes. I used a 1 cup measuring cup as a pitcher so I didn't have to hop up and down every 15 minutes to refill my medicine cup. I drank in tiny sips, taking the 15 minutes to finish the ounce. Keeping this up all day got me to 64 oz. by the end of the day.
• unjury chicken Protein powder: I tolerated this better than anything else.
• I walked around the house every hour or two and took one to two longer walks every day.
• I used pillows to make my bed like the hospital bed. I used one big one under my knees and three behind my head.
• I mostly wore a loose nightgown and no undies.
• I lotioned my poor stretched skin. It took about 8 days to release the fluids the IV pumped in me.
• Taking my pain meds. I know a lot of people didn't need them, but I did. They kept me comfortable and I slept well at night.

I had hoped I would be one of those people who felt great after day two and was rarin' to go by the end of the first week, but I wasn't. Everyone's recovery is different. But we all do recover!

Best wishes to all of you recent VSGers and welcome to the losers' bench!

Lynda

Thanks for the info Lynda Where can I buy some Unjury chicken? I only see it online?

I'm right there with you as well! I was sleeved on Monday and everything hurt. I haven't even attempted anything other than Water yet so I am exhausted all the time on top of being really really sore. What did you do to yourself? You did the best thing ever. You gave yourself the chance and the opportunity and the tool to become healthy and lose the weight. This is the hardest part, right now. It will get better... do what I do. Head on over to the "Success Stories" page and re-read them. And keep reading reading them. It helps a LOT. We 'll get through this

Yea Sleeve buddies! I'm feeling ya lol. I feel bloated and honestly like I'm 8 months preggo again lol, but I think I'm gonna go on a short walk and see if that helps out the gas or air thats still in my body from the surgery

Hi VSG family. I am one week post op today and wondering what on earth have I done 2 myself. all liquids r hard 2 get down, I feel bloated, sore, and pain all over my belly. I feel like crap. my doc says all my symptoms are normal but OMG, I was honestly not best prepared for this,

I feel you, I got sleeved last monday and I feel all the same symptoms as your feeling and I feel like crap.... but I just keep thinking about the good things to come from this.... praying, its hard, I can barely stomach any fluids and the its hard to get comfortable to sleep and I pee every 2 hrs even in the middle of the night lol, hang in there

So tomorrow at 9 am I will be getting my sleeve and for the past 2 days I have been on a clear liquid diet..... I am sooo hungry lol..... so yesterday my family and I go to Sea World and its great I got my Water and Im tolerating and ignoring my hunger and by the time we get home Im craving food... so I get a can of Soup and strain it... ok curves my hunger ,so my husband buys a pizza and when I walk into our kitchen and smell it, i turn around and leave... so i tell my hubby that I would love a piece but I can't so he tells me "Go ahead and have just one" ... uhhmmm nooo I tell him thanks for the support and wanted to cry .... soooo between being fiercely hungry and nervous about tomorrow morning I feel like an utter train reck

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories. Its a real eye opener

Thanks darlin'! And just so you know, I have ZERO doubts you will be here too - and way before you think possible. *hugs* Keep me updated!!

I will thanks, I'm excited to see how your Lipo's go too

Yea I love the banana flavored one and I like the vanilla one too <3

Yum! I'm glad you found one you like! Im on day 8 of my 14 day pre op diet and I've been stomaching the Premier Protein from costco, i like it warm rather then cold lol

Wow well that doesn't sound bad at all lol. I guess i would be

nervous to do it in a foreign country, I mean I'm nervous getting mine done in 6 days and its a naval hospital lol . But thanks for telling me your story and showing me its not as bad as I assumed it could be

I have been put on a 14 day pre op diet:

1. Drink 2 Protein supplement a day

2. Have one 350 calorie meal with a veggie salad ( I chose Lean Cuisine)

3. Drink calorie free drinks and stay well hydrated with Water.

4. Take Vitamins and minerals as thought you already had surgery.

5.Continue being physically active at least 30 mins/ 5 times per week

then 2 day before surgery:

1.Begin a clear liquid diet

then 1 day before surgery:

1.Continue clear liquid diet

2. Drink bottle of Magnesium Citrate

3. Nothing to eat or drink by mouth after midnight.

Hope that helps My surgery is in 6 days

For people who don't have insurance and those whose insurance won't pay for the surgery, it is much less expensive to have surgery done in Mexico>

Isn't it at all scary? I mean I have been to T.j for partying way back when, and it was still scary to me back then. I would be afraid if things weren't clean enough or if something went wrong ?

Congrats on your AMAZING transformation! I'm new here and I will be getting sleeved in 6 days and I hope I can have as much or even close to a break through you have made! I will deff be watching your updates

I'm new here , and I have noticed a lot of people are saying they are getting or have gotten surgery in mexico, why there and not here in the U.S?

I know how you feel, Its never fun getting embarrassed cause you can't ride an amusement ride cause the latch won't go over your chest, been there before.. But I started in February with the approval of my surgeon and now its September and I finally will be having my surgery in 7 Days... but it took a lot of work dedication , I have lost 25 lbs on my own since I started and I have been to tons of class's, support meetings and all the lab works and it finally is paying off. I know you want it now cause thats how I felt, but it will happen, just be patient and go through all their steps... they do it for a reason. I wish you the best of luck!

Yea I've been here all my life and I love it out here. I'm getting nervous tomorrow will be 7 days till my surgery and I just hope I pass out fast lol cause I get really nervous with surgeries

Hi Sarah!

I'm Elisa and were stationed at Camp Pendleton, Ca and I'm getting Sleeved on 9/19/2011! I'm excited, It will be taking place at Balboa Naval Hospital

My surgeon wanted me to get my gallbladder screened before the WLS so he could take it out if there were issues. As you said earlier, far better to do it all at once. After the WLS, many people end up with gallbladder issues, so if you already have stones, odds are that you'll have to have it removed within a year or two anyway. I ended up having the WLS, gall bladder removal, & a hernia repair. I didn't experience any pain on the side where they removed the gall bladder, so I really couldn't tell they had taken it out. I pretty much haven't noticed a difference with not having it. Good luck!

Krista

Thanks Krista , That makes me feel a lot better about this... I was nervous it would either hurt more after the surgery or something might go wrong lol. But this is deff reassuring

I am scheduled for the sleeve in 11 days, but have been without a gall bladder for about 10 years now. I didn't have stones, mine was just not functioning properly ... the hidascan (sp?) showed that my gall bladder was only functioning at about 25%. I was in tremendous pain under the right side of my ribs and it radiated under my arm to my back. Many people with gall bladder attacks go to the hospital thinking they are having a heart attack because the pain is in similar locations.

Some people do experience dumping syndrome with their gall bladder gone, but if you maintain a healthy diet (low carb, high protein), the effects will be minimal and easily controlled.

Having it out is not a big deal to have it out while they are in there.

My 2 cents.

-Pete

Thanks Pete! That makes me feel better, I am abit nervous about it... but your right I would rather them do it in 1 surgery then 2