CrisB83

Isn't Loritab the best? I have had the pleasure of using it a few times since my surgery, and it does wonders. I have been following this thread, and prayed for you to have success and happiness- I haven't had to deal with a leak, but have had days where I wondered why in the world I decided to do this to myself. I am so, so glad to hear that things are starting to look up for you! May you be blessed with increasing happiness and healing, and may these days of misery become a foggy, distant memory!

last night was my 2nd night in a row that i did not throw up since coming home a week ago! im praying to high heaven that this is me improving! yesterday was my first day not throwing up. i was nauseous & gagged a few times and thought i would but i fought the feeling & it went away.

im praying that i keep looking up & not back. something tells me that i havent thrown up in the middle of the night because i took loritab these past 2nights for a headache. either way, i wasnt making a mad dash to my bathroom.

We were sleeved the same day- December 20. I also ended up having a small hiatal hernia repaired, so my surgery ended up lasting closer to an hour. I went home the next day, though! I have been to the ER twice stressing that maybe I had a leak, but both times it was gas pain/mild dehydration. I found out today that my tummy LOVES boiled carrots- I can eat about a cup of those at a time, no pain. And they are tasty because I boil them in beef bouillon with garlic. The hardest thing to eat for me is meat (the only kind I try to even eat is the super- thin sliced kind, but even a nibble gives me the feeling that it's stuck at the back of my throat...) the hardest thing for me to learn so far has been that "one more bite won't make it feel better", and to resist the "clean your plate" syndrome.

oh man.... i know the feeling! how far out are you? maybe youre eating too fast? or too much? i always eat too fast & the pain lately has been no joke but im coping! once i began eating more meals through out the day & snacking in between, i literally did a 180 over night! i eat about 3-7meals a day (including all the snacking). i still dont think i can run on an eliptical but i think i could do a treadmill! i think im going to start on a sit down bike though. i dont tolerate shakes so im not getting enough Protein but i am getting enough or more calories. im down a jean size. i dont know how much ive lost.

Aw, jas!! So sorry you are/were struggling! Things for me haven't been the easiest- I feel like a mix between Scrooge and an "urban hermit". I just don't feel like getting out and doing anything. All I want to do is stay at home in my bed or my comfy chair and read a book or sleep. A lot of times I feel really weak, too. Mostly I just feel tired all the time. And it's definitely not dehydration, tho I could stand to drink a little more than I've been doing. I think for me it's just a lack of calories and nutrition. If I eat more than 1/4 cup of anything I feel like I am about to die- really bad chest and stomach pain. It goes away after ten-twenty minutes though. But the punishment definitely quells the desire to eat things in the future...

Sounds like an amazing workout! Yeah, girl! It's probably just your muscles repairing/building. Also, my Wii tells me that it's normal for our weight to fluctuate1-2 lbs in a single day! That's why Weight Watchers only weighs people once a week. Just imagine how proud (and starving/suffering) you would be if you did this regrn without the surgery! You're rockin' that sleeve, baby, so don't let one little pound bring you down! also, from my own experience, sometimes I gain a tiny bit, then lose a lot all at once....

Hey Rosie, fluv your personality! How often are you weighing yourself? How much did you drink/ exercise the day before you weighed? I was thinking that it could be a couple reasons why the scale jumped up a little- either because your body thought it was starving and latched onto whatever it could get hold of, or maybe a little bit if weight from working out- sometimes muscles will retain some extra Water for healing right after a workout. Either way, just keep listening to your body, getting your Protein in, and enjoy yourself working out, and the weight *will* come off. And if it's not fast enough for your Nazi doc, tell him to bite himself where the sun don't shine! Lol!

Oh wow, you really went through the mill with both surgeries. I just gained a full lb probably from using liquids with calories which my surgeon forbid. Sigh. What do I do now? If I fast all day and just drink Water then maybe I can lose that pound again?

This is the crux of the matter, Dave. I know I signed up for a lifestyle change and I have changed and am changing progressively. But I didn't sign up to be obsessed with a flipping scale and the diet police waiting for me on a monthly basis. I'm o.k. with the gym and the swim. Its becoming a new religion...fine! I just want to be able to have a life without constant worry @ how much I weigh ...I wanted to get away from defining my success or failure in life by how I look and what I eat.

I keep wanting to shake it all off like a dog shakes water off its coat and runs away to roll in the mud....

I'm doing okay, I guess. I am now almost three weeks out from my surgery, and looking forward to getting to the mushy stage of the diet. liquid hydrocodone was my best friend for the first 10 days or so, and now I love me some liquid Tylenol. They don't sell the extra-strength liquid Tylenol in the stores or pharmacies around here, so I had to order it online. My stomach has been hurting really bad the last week or so- it feels like the kind of stomach ache you get right before you throw up. I've also been struggling with feeling queasy after I drink something, but the worst thing is definitely the stomach ache. I went to the ER last week about it, and they did a CT scan and said everything looked normal, and gave me fluids (which helped sooo much with the queasiness...). That's about all I can think of right now for an update.

Prayers for good health to all!

Kimmie- 15 pounds in 2.5 weeks is AWESOME! You go, girl! I lost 10 pounds my first week after surgery and one pound the second week, so you are going at a fab rate! I remind myself when I start feeling down about not losing more quickly that a little extra time between pounds is a little extra blessing to my shrinking skin, helping it try to keep up!

Hello! I was sleeved the 20 th, and I've lost 21# so far (since preop diet). I would say that there are two things super hard about this: witnessing food sights/smells that I know I can't eat yet, and the other is freaking myself out over the slightest bit of gas or pain, thinking I might have a leak (esp after reading some of the stories on here about people who had them...).

The best part is smaller clothes! Also, I have felt a lot colder since the surgery, and it has been fun getting to enjoy cute sweaters and scarves. Plus, I got to buy some smaller clothes and underwear, and that was very fun!!!

As far as recovery, I have gone to the ER twice in the last week with abdominal pain, scared to death I had a leak. They did a CT scan and said I looked great, so they chalked the pain up to weaning myself off the pain meds, gas pain, and just basic post-surgical discomfort. I had esophageal spasms the first week of recovery every time I went from laying to sitting, but acid reducers have pretty much resolved it. Today was a really good day.

Christmas dinner was ok- I was surprised that the only temptation for me was the ham! Usually I am a starch/sweets addict... I just put my Protein Drink in a pretty little glass and sipped it while everyone else stuffed themselves. I felt pretty superior when everyone else was stuffed and in pain, and I was still feeling really good! So, I would say it was a good experience, overall!

Thanks so much y'all! The idea about esophageal spasms seems to fit really, really well- I'm going to ask my surgeon about it tomorrow when I see him for my one week follow- up. Y'all are awesome!

I am 6 days post op, and I have been having trouble figuring out the right solution for my morning pain! It's getting to the point that I am scared to go to sleep at night!

This is what happens: it feels like a severe muscle ache at the back of my mouth/ top of my throat, plus a slight ache in my ribcage. If I do nothing, it gets progressively worse, and feels like sharp, tight muscle spasms in my throat and chest. It only happens first thing in the morning, and occasionally if I drink too quickly. laying down makes it much worse.

At first I thought it was from my BiPAP machine forcing my "breathing muscles" to work harder while i was sleeping than normal, but it happens whether I use my BiPAP or not. Then I thought maybe it was from acid, so I took extra antacids- no luck. I thought it might be anxiety- took a dose my anxiety meds before bed and upon waking, and it didn't affect the pain- just made me sleepy. The only thing that really helps is my liquid hydrocodone- I don't want to get addicted! I've been trying to take less of it, and I do great during the day, but everymorning it feels like my throat is trying to tie itself in a knot!

Has anyone else felt this? What is it, and what helped?

Jaz- how are you doing?

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! I'm about to go over to my family's for the traditional Christmas eve dinner- not looking forward to being surrounded by yummy food that I can't eat... Otherwise, I am 4 days post-op and feeling mostly back to normal.

Sorry- double post!

You can try adding different seasonings to your soups- I found that Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning worked wonders. Also, adding a bot of seasoned salt helps too! I couldn't even have creamy Soups when I was on liquids, though. I had to sit through an early Christmas dinner, and all I had was broth, Jello, a small glass of skim milk, and a glass of crystal light. It was hard, but you can do it! Crystal light fruit punch was also a big help to me- it helped me feel a little normal since I haven't really had fruit punch since I was a kid.

Hello everyone, I am new to the December sleevers. :-) It took me 11 months to get approved, using my last and final appeal. I was approved as of the 16th and my fabulous Dr,Fariba Dayhim has graciously given me a quick date because of my insurance circumstances. I am scheduled for December 28th. It was exciting to be approved, yet somewhat overwhelming to prepare in such a short period of time and during the holidays. I have been around "Christmas Goodies" for the last 5 days of my liquid diet and I still have to get through Christmas day. I had been doing Atkiins shakes for lunch and Breakfast most of the time and it never bothered me, but there is something different about it when you haven't had a hearty dinner. I am determined enough to know that I am making the right decision for me and suffering through the next five days will change my life for the better and forever.

I see many of you are already sleeved, but are there suggestions to getting me through Christmas day and maybe making my meal a little more exciting? I am already sick of creamed soups. In fact they are great for cooking, but not as a meal. Any suggestion would be helpful. Merry Christmas everyone..

Hey everyone, I was sleeved on the 20th, and am now home. I have a moderate amount of pain, which is well managed by my prescription of liquid hydrocodone. It's a miracle- I wale up feeling like crap, and five minutes later feel like a million bucks! A little bit of pain meds goes a long way with helping get the gas out. Also, gas-x strips really help. I was able to go home after one night in the hospital, which I was more than okay with. It's much better being at home. I thought I wanted to be in the hospital as long as possible, but I got really tired of having to stay on top of people squirting things directly into my blood, and poking me with sharp objects at all times of night.

Good luck to everyone, both waiting and recovering!

Thank you grace! On my way to the hospital! I'm feeling excited, and a little emotional. Jasleeve- bet you're done by now, praying for a speedy recovery!!

Last night before SURGERY! they put me on a cleanse- magnesium citrate- and I hate to be indelicate, but IT WORKS. Eeeewwwww.

Thanks Kari! So do you still have cancer? If so, it must be so stressful with that on top of wls and everything else going on this time of year!

My hubs has been super sweet to me and is looking forward to the results, but the whole idea of surgery has him in knots. He's practically been writing my epitaph the last couple days here lol!

Jas- are you counting down the hours? I am!!!!!

The EGD wasn't so bad until I woke up from the anesthesia. I must have fought them when they were doing the procedure because I had a fingerprint-shaped bruise on one side of my jawline/throat area, and was very sore on both sides. I am only just now not quite so tender on the sides of my face!

Good luck favoredone! I know how much you gave been wanting this- praying for you! Also, good luck and prayers for rainsong!!!

My surgery is less than 23 hours away! I am sooo ready for it to be over and be recovering! Jasleeve- we're almost there!

36 hours til surgery! My surgery is scheduled for 10 am.... Ack! I am scared!

How are you doing now, GIMB? Things here are going good- my surgery is the day after tomorrow.... Sooooo nervous!

Haha, I read that somewhere else on these boards I think. My therapist said that the golden rule of trust with a surgeon is whether or not they have done the procedure 1000 times. If so, you're good!

Oh my goodness! People can be so dramatic! You have a better probability of getting run over crossing the street than you do of sying with this surgery!

Tomorrow morning I am getting an endoscopy done- I have to be there at 6:30am! It's under anesthesia, so I get a little taste of what the "surgery" experience will be ahead of time, minus the incisions of course.