Katie713

Deb...how are you feeling since surgery? When you had your band were you still feeling restriction, and what is the reason you decided to do a revision to sleeve, were there obvious complications you were aware of or did you find out only after your intended revision surgery? Hope you recover quickly and move forward with your new healthy lifestyle changes. I am very happy that Kaiser required a 12 week program and we were expected to lose 10% of our body weight before surgery would be approved. We had classes once a week (a group of about 25) one week with the behavioral therapist and a week with the nutritionist, back and forth. We had tons of educational material and were put on calorie restriction and required food logs. This helped set the tone for WLS and to get in the mode of monitoring what we took in. For 4 weeks I was on 1400-1600 calories, then 4 weeks on 1200-1400, and 1200 afterward. I delayed surgery for personal reasons, so stayed on 1200 calories for 3 additional months after our classes finished up. It wasn't that hard...I found that if I ate plenty of salad with my regular meals and a huge navel orange at lunch, I felt really full without all the calories. I can hardly believe how little I can eat now with the sleeve, but I am eating quality food - lots of fish and veggies, dairy and Protein shakes and Protein Bars like Atkins because they are low carb and delicious. Have you had time to think about what strategy you will use during this time before your revision?

You are such an inspiration! You look so healthy - what a role model you are!

Can you wrap it with clean linen or an ace bandage?

They catherize you once you are put under. They took mine out a few hours after surgery so I could start walking, then I was able to walk to the bathroom myself. I had to use the bathroom alot...that IV is constant fluid entering your body. After they remove the catheter you are free to put on your underwear and a pad if you choose to.

Mine was to Outback and I had coconut shrimp appetizer, steak and lobster with a loaded baked potato! It was wonderful. I went recently and had the skewered scallops with grilled veggies and took more than half home for lunch the next day! I totally enjoyed it too!

No for clear liquid phase Isopure is the best, 40 grams of protein in 20 oz bottle. Lots of flavors, I liked the grape and orange flavor. You drink it for a few days, by then you can move to full liquids and the Premier or other shakes. I like Pure Protein cause it doesn't have that weird aftertaste.

We are all different, and I have taken a few sips with a meal with no ill effects at all. If it helps to maintain your good nutrition, I think it the way to go for you, but I would NOT revert to guzzling liquids, you want to keep your satiety so that you don't begin over eating because of hunger. Good luck!!

For me, I start to get uncomfortable, a feeling of tightness, and from experience if I eat beyond that it just wont go down, its sort of in the esophagus and if you burp (sorry if this is TMI) it is a wet burp so its clear your food has exceeded what can fit in your sleeve, I can at times walk it off but sometimes I just have to throw up so I can feel better. Vomiting with the sleeve is sort of different from before surgery, if you are taking a PPI there is no real stomach acid, and since there is so little in there there is no real force behind it, your chewed food just exits like it went down. A rule of thumb is not to consume over 4 oz in the early months, then slowly increase and see what you can tolerate. When I am full I have a few hiccups, some people get a runny nose...not sure why but with so much stomach tissue removed our sensors probably need time to adjust with messages back and forth to and from the brain. Hope this helps explain it from my perspective.

I agree, your story sounds so familiar to some here who discovered a leak or stricture and you must insist on having every test possible to rule out something life threatening. You shouldn't feel like this...how can you get proper nutrition and vital fluids like this? Please don't be afraid to be really assertive!

Pay attention to whether you have reoccuring pain and is it constant or episodic. Gallstones cause a weird pain that radiates to the back and the right hand side of the abdomen near the ribcage. Quite common after WLS.

Deb....glad to hear you're in the healing mode. So glad I didn't get the band, never heard of the sleeve procedure until I was referred to the bariatric program with Kaiser. Kaiser doesn't even do lapband anymore. I know deep in my heart the sleeve is right for me and that I can reach a healthy weight with this tool.

Yes by now you should be able to tolerate all those foods of course in limited quantites. Corn is higher in starch/sugar so probably not the healthiest veg for losing weight. Nuts are a good source of protein but high in calories, they make a great snack! I'm also 3 months out and enjoying small amounts of these foods!

Deb...welcome to the 50's group. So sorry to hear this happened, but it seems like the doctor did the right thing and did not put you at risk of severe complications by trying to proceed. I assume they were able to REMOVE your band and port so the healing can begin right? I would go ahead and use this time to eat healthy and limit your calories and be sure to excercise while you are waiting for your sleeve. I started my WLS program last September, and had surgery this April, so that was an 8 month wait, but it went by very quickly and I was able to lose 30 pounds in the process, making my sleeve surgery even safer. We'll be here to support you through this!

I am surprised that 7 months out you can only eat a few bites. Are you tracking your intake, if so what are your average numbers for calories/protein/carbs/fluid intake? I would think that you are going to have to focus on getting the highest amount of nutrition into your small serving size eating solid protein, perhaps fish and veggies. Add some eggs and dairy. I add Atkins protein bars because I can only stand to drink one protein shake a day. Are you using protein shakes for supplementation of your protein? Protein is critical in minimizing muscle and hair loss. The absolute minium for weight loss patients is about 60 grams of protein. Add Biotene to your vitamin supplementation as well.

At my local sushi place I order a Kappa Maki - cucumber roll made without the Nori (seaweed) or rice. The roll is wrapped in cucumber and filled with 3 kinds of fish or spicy tuna with a lovely soy based sauce. No carbs, tastes wonderful and lots of Protein. I also loved baked mussles which are often served as an appetizer in sushi places, and maybe a few sips of miso Soup. I'm going out tomorrow for sushi with my god-daughter, can't wait to relax and enjoy the evening. Another time when I went I was able to eat a couple pieces of a regular roll with the Nori and rice and it didn't bother me at all. I just prefer to do the lower carb version while I am still working off the pounds : )

I went to the "Avenue" day before yesterday checking out the swimsuit sale - for my daughter actually - and I browsed the store to see what else was on sale and I it was mind blowing...everything looked HUGE, I felt like Alice in Wonderland..all the tops looked tent size, the maxi dresses were extremely long - maybe you have to be 6 feet tall to wear them and I'm only 5 feet tall....I tried on one little shrug in an 18 and it was too big...weird I walked out of there and felt a little EMO....after all these years of the Avenue being a favorite store, I realized I will never shop there again. I am happy about it, don't get me wrong...but it was like saying goodbye to an old friend... Last summer I was almost 280 pounds....now I'm headed for Onederland...this was the best decision I ever made for myself!!! Sleeved 4/6/12.

I hear you girl. You've already come a long way and so much to be proud of. I get discouraged at times too because I hit the stalls, but if I just hang in there, eventually the scale moves. Maybe try shaking up your routine and see if that helps. Sometimes increasing calories every other day helps and changing your workouts. I have a friend visiting from out of town, and birthdays galore, I gained a pound from being out of my comfort zone, having a few bites here and there I wouldn't normally eat, but so glad I have the restriction so I can never really overeat. After my friend leaves in a week, I am getting down to business and see if I can get the last 50 pounds off!!!

At your stage I needed a minimum of 4-5 oz to feel full, not 2-3. Since we eat so little we do get hungry and you need snacks to see you through like a cheese stick between meals.

Good Luck Nina...I had surgery with Dr Zelada out of West LA in April. He was fantastic, and the hospital experience was a positive one.

Karen...not until 6 weeks out should you have firm protein (steak-carne asada) and its way too soon now, you should be in your pureed/mushy stage about now. All in good time. It is not like you can eat the way you used to anyway, there is no room in there at this stage and it would be VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. No need to rush it.

Congrats Patrick! Let the journey begin!

Walking is great for your post-op recovery. Just make sure you are not lugging around heavy luggage!! Go as streamlined as possible so you are not stretching your incisions. Maybe a backpack?

Sometimes it is just the retention of water in the body that fluctuates. You are not gaining fat at that calorie level. Sometimes if we eat something that is salty - or for me asian food with soy sauce - it will show on the scale and I just have to patient and let my body release the fluid. I have been a slow but steady loser, and my body even before surgery lost the same way, I would hold on to the excess weight for a week and then lose 2-5 all at once. Over and over, I can't rush the way my body loses, but overall I feel so much better 70 pounds lighter. Don't get overly concerned, just stay with what you are doing and it will happen.

I needed at least 4 oz or a little more to feel restriction. The 1/2 cup measure seemed to fit the bill - and it is a feeling of pressure, it can get uncomfortable quickly. Later, it is my understanding that we can hold up to 1 cup of food. If you are tall, perhaps the length of your new stomach allows for a bit more. Try 4 or possibly 6 ounces and see if you feel restriction.

Question...are you all using the mini-muffin tins or regular muffin tins?