CowgirlJane

Especially in the evenings. any tips to get through this? I am consuming Protein drinks, plain greek yogurt, sugar free popsicles, Water lots of herbal tea, etc - so far losing weight just fine, but i am getting increasingly hungry especially after about 5pm. I feel like I don't have that much restriction (swelling has gone down) but I go another week before I am allowed pureed food.

I second the suggestion to demand this information from your surgeon/support team. Did they have you progress to pureed, then mushies and then onto solid food? The general guidelines I have are that you should eat your Proteins first, then green/low carb veggies and then complex carbs (like fruit and higher carb veggies). Most surgeons call for eating 3 mini meals and 2 Snacks per day. Do not drink for 30 minutes before the start till 30 minutes after the end of the meal. The food should be premeasured to limit volume. Really, small, quantities - like maybe 1/2 cup or so for the total meal. Don't forget your Vitamins.

The first few days after surgery, I was targeting one ounce every fifteen minutes and sometimes that was too fast. To me this sounds normal from drinking a bit too much too fast while you are still swollen.

My pain lasted that long. I had drains in - not sure if that contributed to the soreness. It wasn't terrible pain, but when I would first get up I would tend to walk a bit hunched over since ab muscles felt sore. Reaching, bending etc definately hurt. I also still had some gas pains at that point. Heck, my surgery was 12/12 and i still get a little pain.

I don't know if it is the ph or what, but i expected Water to be the "gentlest" and it just isn't. I am enjoying drinking alot more now that I am doing more herbal teas, etc. On my program, SF popscicles do count as liquid but they are too cold for me to eat more then maybe one per day.

I have found that temperatures make a big difference. For example, having warm herbal tea goes down very easy wheras cold Water is uncomfortable. Actually, plain water is the hardest thing for me to drink. Premier Protein is a thin chocoloate Protein Drink that goes down easy - especially at room temperature. I also found using a shot glass to sip from encouraged me to take tiny sips - bigger swallows means you are likely to get more air in there. Also, some not too hot Soup (with no lumps, like a cream soup or a strained one) works well, Staying hydrated is much more important then needing food at this stage, so no matter what, you need to get some liquids in. I know this is tough, but i think you are taking foolish risks - especially with bread. If you are going to push anything, you should do the next step which is pureed foods, not solids.

I had my sleeve surgery on 12/12 and am still on liquid diet. I recently freaked myself out by sorta forgetting... and drinking a protien drink too fast. i don't mean like a huge swallow, more like mindlessly drinking and i noticed an 8 oz drink was pretty much gone - in maybe 15-20 minutes? I have been soo careful to take small sips and not overdo it, i don't know what happened to my brain - it is like I just FORGOT. But here is the weird part, no pain, no naseua, no vomiting. i did feel pressure but mostly I felt emotional upset. Worry that i put too much stress on my staple line. And then, worry like "how come that didn't hurt?". I am feeling pretty good overall, but i definately feel hunger when I go too long between liquid meals. At first that also concerned me, but then I just realized that it is probably normal to be hungry after 3-4 hours considering I am eating pretty low cal. I think I really need to premeasure all food as I am not sure that my body is sending the slow down signals. I am afraid I am going to make more mistakes like that. I am feeling well enough that it is time to start getting out more. the drains came out yesterday so I feel much more like I can move around and go places without feeling weird. I was exhausted after a short Christmas party on saturday, but i need to get out and moving and living again or else I am going to start driving myself crazy.

There isn't a set answer. Plenty of surgeons do it as a single surgery. It was recommended to me to wait a few months before getting sleeved as I had a slippage and lots of scarring and adhesions.

Oh,and I am only making the fluid goals by including the protein drinks in the total!

I was sleeved on 12/12, so I am WAY more experienced then you are...lol I too have had that occasional feeling of worry when I feel hunger. There is the desire to eat, and there is what I feel as physical hunger. It really freaking me out when I felt it under my ribs and I thought "I don't think my stomach is that big anymore to feel hungry under BOTH ribs" Don't know what your doc allows, but I am on "Protein liquids" or "full liquids" right now. It really helped me to mix it up and have a serving of a warm cream Soup instead of a Protein Drink. It also helped me alot to have some greek yogurt. I think that somehow just drinking the Protein drinks wasn't enough after awhile. What also helps is taking the PPI medication. My doc prescribes it, I open the capsule and sprinkle it on a spoonful of greek yogurt. I have tried to remind myself to not borrow trouble from tomorrow. If I feel hungry now, I think about what I can do to resolve it (my tips mentioned) and not worry if i will feel hungry next week or whatever. As far as pain, I am decreasing pain meds now, but those first few days I really needed it. I got in trouble when I didn't stay on top of it. Hang in there, I am getting better - I am sure you will too. Think positive thoughts and give yourself time to heal and recover.

Here is an explanation of deep breathing post surgery. Even if you don't have a device, you can still do it. My doc said to do it once an hour (waking hours) and to get a few coughs in. It scared me a little when I coughed up some phlem, but boy did it feel better after that. One reason people can get post surgery pneomonia is that they are breath shallow and never clear the lungs. It starts to fill up and then bacterial infection can set it. It is an easy preventative step to do some deep breaths and coughs. http://www.uwhealth.org/healthfacts/B_EXTRANET_HEALTH_INFORMATION-FlexMember-Show_Public_HFFY_1108423940732.html I can't say that i regretted the surgery, but the first week has been a little rough for me. I was both educated well by my surgeon and had done alot of research and read alot of forums, so no big surprises. I guess i HOPED I would be one of the people who found it surprisingly easy, but it has had some pain, some discomfort and has been a litlte hard. I just keep my eye on the prize - getting to healthy weight!!!! No regrets, make the best of it and take excellent care of your self so you have a thorough recovery.

Do you have sleep apnea? I am nervous about what you are saying here.... People with apnea are at higher risk of stopping breathing post surgery. I have drains and yes, deep breaths were uncomfortable. Remember to walk, sip fluids, sip fluids, walk, rest, sip fluids.... Do the deep breathing exercises once an hour while you are awake. My lungs protested but I think it is worth it to avoid complications.

I forgot to mention that i came out of surgery with a numb hand. It was theorized it was caused by either the IV or perhaps a slight rotation in my shoulder when they laid me out on the operating table. Good news - all that numbness is gone. Today is Friday, and I feel like I have had a little setback. Honestly, it seems more to my grown son spending the morning here and bringing some emotional stuff to the table that I just couldn't deal with. He has a medical conditionn that he needs to deal with and is angry about it, so it came out in him being hostile and difficult to me. I kept my emotions in check, but I wanted to kick him out. I know that he will be back to normal and fine soon. I have sleep apnea and my surgeon and pulmonalogist scared the crud out of me to be sure i use my CPAP not just at night, but even when dozing. Well, i feel like the machine is on too high of a setting. I think that is because i am sitting more upright in the recliner. This afternoon I woke up with weird dreams and the feeling that my nasal passages are on fire. The weird dreams are likely from the pain meds, but i called the pulmonlogist about my hurting nasal cavity. They suggested turning up the temperature in the humidifyer, but cant consider turning down the lowest pressure setting without my coming down with the machine so they can read the results. Well, I can't drive yet since i am still taking pain meds so i guess I am stuck with it. I hope turning up the humidifyer helps - I have used this machine for over a year with no problems. Anyway, the amount in my drains is decreasing a bit, so hopefully all signs are good about my recovery. I am not sure why I am getting so hungry though..... and yes i take a PPI every morning. I have followed all the instructions, including eating ones perfectly. DH left out some trail mix and I ALMOST grabbed a few bits, without thinking. I think the idea of chewing solid food is calling out to me! It is okay, a little deprivation is worth it! I always have a good sense of smell but i know it is heightened. As various family members made Breakfast this morning, I could smell each ingredient, including cold cereal! I have a follow up with my surgeon next week and will hopefully find out if he thinks i am doing well. I feel very encouraged, no big worries, just still needing the pain meds and a bit low energy - but overall - feel like I am on the road to recovery. Pre surgery, I was so incredibly nervous and scared, and now a few days on the other side, I can say... yes, this is rough, but very do-able even if you are wimpy about medical things like i am.

That would be hard! You get all mentally prepared and then boom,reschedule. I am a few days post op and still cant quite believe i am sleeved!

I was first on the list on Monday morning. Unfortunately, i felt queasy even before the surgery! The anesthesologist was awesome, really explained what was going to happen and reassured me alot. The nurses and everyone involved were very kind and helped me overcome my nerves. Coming out of surgery and in the recovery room, I felt pretty awful. I knew I was supposed to get up and walk alot so in spite of feeling like I would rather just lay down, I got up and took a few steps to the big recliner. That first few hours - I admit I felt much worse then I expected. I had a lot of queasiness, but they gave me drugs and i never vomited. I was also feeling alot of the gas pains, across my chest and shoulder. The nurses were again very reassuring that it was very normal, so I just kept trying to get up and do short little walks. By that evening, I felt so much better, but that proved to be a fairly temporary improvement. The next day I woke up feeling cruddy again. My blood pressure was kind of high, so they just had me relax for awhile and monitored until it got back in the normal range. I went home that morning as planned after getting a couple of IV bags to make sure i was good and hydrated. When I got home Tuesday morning, it was time for the ab muscle pain to really kick in. I felt scared to take the pain meds because they hurt my stomach, I found out that having a shot of maalox before pain meds really helped. OMG, I broke down in tears trying to get into bed due to the ab pain. Hubby got me situated in the recliner and i dozed and watched movies with my "support team" and sip sip sipped Water. A fair amount of burping too. It was a production getting me up out of the chair because it hurt so much, but they did throughout the day and I kept walking walking walking until it was time to rest some more. I was so glad I was home at that point though, I felt like I rested alot better there. I got help emptying my drains because I felt yucky and that yucked me out some. Wednesday I woke up and thought - hey, I am gonna live! Those ab muscles still killed me but my overall spirits were high and i did even more walk walk walk... sip sip sip and watched movies. Funny movies - I had to be careful not to laugh too much! I was allowed to start having Protein drinks and they tasted so good to me! I drink the Premier Protein which is a fairly thin liquid and yet tastes nice and chocolatey. I added my Multivitamin liquid and that settled in my stomach just fine. No more maalox needed! Today is Thursday and I can get out of the recliner all by myself - woo hoo!!!! My abs still hurt, but i am feeling stronger. i still have the gas pains, mostly in my shoulder but they are bearable. I am working hard to meet the liquid intake goals, that is kinda hard. I walk around the house alot - doctors orders were to talk naps but to not lay around all the time. I know everybody's experience is different. I was a revision from a band so my surgery was probably more disruptive to the body then "virgin" sleevers. I have always thought I have a high tolerance for pain, but i also know that I tend to get very queasy and not feel good after anesthesia. In the past I got depressed after surgery, i assumed from the drugs. I honestly didn't expect it to be this hard, but I feel myself improving and I feel very positive and have had no feeling of the blues... after those first few miserable hours.. It helped me read other people's experiences to know that it would get better and they were right. Walk, sip lots of fluids, get plenty of rest.

I gotta tell you, the first few days were rougher then I expected. I had (and still have!) gas pain - alot of burping. My abs are super sore. I really felt awful from the anesthesia for awhile. I could barely handle the pain meds, but found that taking Maalox first helped coat the stomache first. I have two drains - surgeon doesn't put them in for most people, but for revisions it is his standard protocol. I woke up today, wednesday, feeling a lot better though. today I started the PPI and am allowed full liquids like the Protein drinks.

Glad to hear that Dogma is getting checked out! Did this information come from your surgeon? I have been instructed to use my CPAP even when napping as we are at especially high risk due to the anesthia.

I couldn't bear the pain rolling on my side. i decided to sleep in the recliner my first night at home. I wonder if I am more sore because i was a revision and they had to do alot of adhesion cleanup. It never even occured to me to try one of those belts,I wonder if that is okay even though I have drains.

I am my second day... surgery was Monday and am having a very hard time getting in and out of bed, recliner chair, you name it. It is because my abs are SOOO sore. Any tips?

I heard i am getting a drain because i am a revision. My surgeon doesn't usually do drains though.

What makes me sad is that being obese is so emotionally painful, none of us that have weight issues need more pain! I don't understand why women don't treat each other better, tearing somebody else down doesn't put a person up higher.

Michelle, I wish you the very best of luck and hope that new surgery of band with plication works out to be excellent. I have not intended to bash anybody for their choice, but rather to share my 10 year experience with the band and why I would not recommend it to anybody now, having the 20/20 hindsight that i do. i cant say that I regret my choice given that it was either the gastric bypass or band - and I still don't want a gastric bypass except that maybe i shouldn't have had any surgery at all a decade ago. you takes your chances, that is what I did. My stomach is in the process of trying to heal from the damage the band caused, so i haven't been sleeved yet to fully answer your question. One thing that I have observed is not everyone experienced feeling "Satiety" with the band. I was one of those people, that say a year out, could have food in my pouch but still felt hunger in the rest of my stomach. I have some sort of imbalance or something - I am quite literally pretty much always hungry. It isn't because of comfort or emotional eating, it just like there is a signal constantly being sent to my brain to eat more. I am praying that the removal of some of my oversize stomach reduces that signal so I not only lose weight, but I am also free from being hungry all the time.

My husband commented on that, how odd the eating rules were with the band. For me, I was fine with giivng up rice and stuff like that, i just hated that it was so inconsistent. and that I was still hungry.

Oma, although i do agree with your end conclusion, I don't agree with all the statements you have made. I was banded in 2001, in Germany, just months before it was approved in the USA. There is 10 years of data in the usa. That data shows fairly poor results over the long haul. I never had to live on Protein drinks when i was banded neither did the many fellow bandsters that i knew - that is a sign that the fill is too tight. There are many problems with the band - and if you do have to have it removed, it leaves your stomach damaged. I know that a very high percentage of people will eventually need or want to have their bands removed. i honestly would not recommend it.

Michelle, I completely respect that everyone has their own situation and needs to make the best decision for themselves. I decided I didn't want the gastric bypass and it wasn't because of dumping, it is just because I never got comfortable with everything that is involved - but it is a great choice for other people. I totally understand where you are coming from. I just want to say that doing that band IS doing something permanent to your body. I had my band removed and have alot of adhesions and damage to my stomach. You are forever changed once that band is implanted and while it is removable, it is not truly reversible. My risk of leaks when i have the sleeve done is probably 4-5x greater then someone who never had the band. I have seen the pictures they took when they removed my band and it was horrifying. My primary care doc is a band patient herself and cares for many bariatric patients - she is not anti WLS of any kind. Last time I saw her she mentioned that her observation of long term successs is much lower then the studies show. I had a lapband for 10 years and knew quite a few bandsters - ultimately most of them either had to have the band removed due to a complication or very poor weight loss results. My own personal unofficial observation is that MAYBE 1/3 of band patients have long term success, but I think that number is even high. I don't know anything about plication, so no comment there. Best of luck to all of us as we head down the path to getting healthier!