Bubbaloo10

My reference point is the day I started my 2 week pre-op liquid diet, 5 months ago today. 89 lbs gone!

I'm 4 months out today and I've lost 83 lbs, 20 more to go to 180. There are a few factors you need to know: 1. The more you have to lose, the faster it will come off. 2. You've got to stick with the program and get lots of exercise. The exercise is the least of it. It gets easier as you get lighter. I went in looking for an RNY and my doc steered me toward the sleeve due to the fact that I only had two co-morbidities: sleep apnea and knee joints breaking down. My BMI was about 41.3 if I remember right. See my pix if you need motivation. Good luck.

I forced myself to endure to very tempting events that I probably should have skipped. One was Easter dinner and the other was an evening out at a western show that served BBQ. I got through it, drinking my protein shake, but it was probably my toughest challenge pre-op. Make it as easy on yourself as you can. You get no points for torturing yourself.

There are what I consider to be serious complications like major vomiting, major nausea for days on end, blood clots, leaks, etc. Then there are minor things resulting in painful incisions, minor nausea for a day or so, maybe even vomiting once or twice. Most of us have had some of the minor symptoms after surgery, but very few have the serious stuff. Personally, I had no problems at all. I was up walking 2 hours after geting to my room and walked off the minor gas pains from the residual air they pumped into me. I went home the day after surgery and went for a walk that evening. The next day, I began a regular exercise regimen (slowly and lightly) on the treadmill. I had some minor stomach pain the first night home that kept me from sleeping, so I got up and took some liquid pain med and it settled down right away and I got to sleep. I'm now 3 1/2 months out and feel great. I've lost 78 lbs and am 3/4 of the way to goal. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My advice to you is to do everything the doc says to do, keep yourself in the best shape you can and keep a positive attitude. It's gonna be fine. Good luck.

I do believe that after you reach a certain point you will be able to eat anything you want to, but in small portions. It will be up to you to determine what is good for you and what will set you back. It would be great if your sleeve would automatically reject anything that isn't good for you, but that's not how it works. Most of us still have cravings for pizza, burgers, fried chicken, etc, but we have to make the choice to avoid them as much as possible and use them only for "reward" days. I had a Dairy Queen soft serve ice cream cone when I got to 50 lbs lost and again at 75. Does this mean I've fallen off the wagon? I don't think so, and I'm not going to if I allow myself a sin food once in awhile. Don't stress because you crave these things, but make a concious effort to control it.

There are what I consider to be serious complications like major vomiting, major nausea for days on end, blood clots, leaks, etc. Then there are minor things resulting in painful incisions, minor nausea for a day or so, maybe even vomiting once or twice. Most of us have had some of the minor symptoms after surgery, but very few have the serious stuff. Personally, I had no problems at all. I was up walking 2 hours after geting to my room and walked off the minor gas pains from the residual air they pumped into me. I went home the day after surgery and went for a walk that evening. The next day, I began a regular exercise regimen (slowly and lightly) on the treadmill. I had some minor stomach pain the first night home that kept me from sleeping, so I got up and took some liquid pain med and it settled down right away and I got to sleep. I'm now 3 1/2 months out and feel great. I've lost 78 lbs and am 3/4 of the way to goal. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My advice to you is to do everything the doc says to do, keep yourself in the best shape you can and keep a positive attitude. It's gonna be fine. Good luck.

I do believe that after you reach a certain point you will be able to eat anything you want to, but in small portions. It will be up to you to determine what is good for you and what will set you back. It would be great if your sleeve would automatically reject anything that isn't good for you, but that's not how it works. Most of us still have cravings for pizza, burgers, fried chicken, etc, but we have to make the choice to avoid them as much as possible and use them only for "reward" days. I had a Dairy Queen soft serve ice cream cone when I got to 50 lbs lost and again at 75. Does this mean I've fallen off the wagon? I don't think so, and I'm not going to if I allow myself a sin food once in awhile. Don't stress because you crave these things, but make a concious effort to control it.

I do believe that after you reach a certain point you will be able to eat anything you want to, but in small portions. It will be up to you to determine what is good for you and what will set you back. It would be great if your sleeve would automatically reject anything that isn't good for you, but that's not how it works. Most of us still have cravings for pizza, burgers, fried chicken, etc, but we have to make the choice to avoid them as much as possible and use them only for "reward" days. I had a Dairy Queen soft serve ice cream cone when I got to 50 lbs lost and again at 75. Does this mean I've fallen off the wagon? I don't think so, and I'm not going to if I allow myself a sin food once in awhile. Don't stress because you crave these things, but make a concious effort to control it.

For shakes, I like the Body Fortress brand sold at Walmart. Less than 200 calories and 26 grams of protein per serving. I boost this by 9 grams by mixing it with 1 cup of skim milk instead of water. I also like the Pure Protein brand bars, also sold at Walmart. Less than 200 calories and 18 to 20 grams of protein, depending on what flavor you choose.

People used to tell me all the time that I was not fat, just big. This was, in part to my barrel chest. I knew I was morbidly obese but still wondered if I looked ok and didn't need the surgery. My questions were answered when I began to feel really lousy and began to bust out of a size 48 levis. I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes without getting out of breath. The least bit of exercise (like dancing) would make me sweat like a pig. My knees started breaking down due to the weight and that's what really scared me into getting the surgery. Almost from the start of the two week pre-op liquid diet I began to feel better, even though I only lost 11 lbs in that two weeks. I have no regrets, no compications, and feel better than I have in years. Weight-wise, I have rolled the clock back to 1979 and if I reach my goal weight, I will be back to 1971. Now, people compliment me on the weight I've lost and how good I look since losing the weight. Never heard that before and it feels great!

Assuming you stick to the nutritional program, there are two factors that control how fast you lose. The first one, you have no control over, and that is your starting weight. The heavier you are, the faster you will lose. The second, you are in complete control of, and that is exercise. Walking is, for me, the easiest. I started out slow and short: 20 minutes at 2mph on the treadmill two days after surgery. I increased time and speed each time I felt I had it well enough to progress. Now, at almost 3 months out, I'm doing 4 miles a day, 6 days a week at 3.5mph. I'm starting to do strenght training to firm up now. There are some who have only lost 30 lbs or so at 3 months out, but I don't think that's the norm. If you do the program with exercise, imho you should be able to drop about 40-50 lbs, maybe more. Since you're going in on 8/18, you might want to try a modified liquid diet, perhaps replacing one or two meals per day with a protein shake. If you can stand it (and some can't until they have to) it will give you a head start. Good luck

My breaking point was a combination of things: zero energy, no flexibility and I would sweat like a pig at the least exertion. My appetite was over the top. When you've got a stomach the size of a football, it's hard to eat just a few ounces and convince yourself that you're not starving to death.
About throwing up: I was sleeved on April 16 and have thrown up only once and that was my fault. I ate stewed chicken before my doctor OK'd it and to top that, I ate it too fast. I consider it a part of the learning process and I learned it well with that one lesson. On the brighter side, throwing up after surgery, at least for me was less traumatic than throwing up with the flu or some other malady. Since the food has not yet hit your stomach, there is very little stomach acid involved and you don't feel like you're going all the way down to your socks. For me, it was a quick upchuck and I felt better immediately. Hope this info was not too disgusting to read, but I wanted to allay your fears. This surgery was the best thing I've ever done and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Goodluck.....

I left the hospital the day after surgery and went out for a walk around the block that evening. Slow, to be sure, but made it all the way and felt I could have done more. The next day, I went to the exercise room and began my treadmill routine. 20 minutes at 2 mph at first, then 30 at 2, etc, until I got up to 60 minutes at 2, then 30 minutes at 3, 40 minutes at 3 and again up till 60 minutes. After that, I increased speed every so often when I felt I was ready. Now, 10 weeks after surgery, I am up to 4 miles at 3.5 mph, which takes me about an hour and 9 minutes. I haven't had a stall yet and I'm down 59 lbs. Ya gotta exercise. It's kinda like banging your head up against the wall cause you feel so good when you stop.

At only two days out, you don't need to worry too much about getting your protein. Yes it is important, but hydration is more important. Keeping drinking water. As for the pain, if your doctor prescribed a pain med, be sure to take it, especially if it is in liquid form. My doctor gave me liquid Lortab and it was great. Being liquid it went straight to the source of the discomfort and stopped the pain right a way. I only had to use it for about 3 nights and not at all in the daytime. It does get better. Just give yourself a little more time and get the protein when you can.

When I saw my surgeon for my pre-op appointment, he gave me (among other things) a prescription for Omeprazole (Prilosec). After surgery, I didn't think I was having any problems with acid reflux and I couldn't understand why he prescribed 180 capsules for me. At the rate of 2 per day, that's 90 day's supply! When I started to move into mushies, and later to soft foods, I experienced mild discomfort, the kind you get when you're testing the limits of the sleeve. I usually stopped eating before that discomfort turned to real pain. A few days ago, I started feeling like I was getting slight discomfort between meals from acid, so I began to take the Omeprazole, 1 at morning and 1 at night. Surprise! I no longer get that discomfort when I eat and I'm much more comfortable after a meal. This doesn't mean I can eat whatever I want as fast as I want, but it took the tentative feeling out of eating that I was feeling before. So, if my story sounds like yours and you have Omeprazole, you might want to try it, even if you think you don't need it.

Lortab may taste nasty, but not as nasty as the dye they make you drink for the leak test. The good thing about Lortab is that when you have stomach pain post surgery, it goes straight to the source of the pain and you are feeling good again almost instantly. If you have to, down the Lortab, then wash it down with something more palatable. Good luck......

When I saw my surgeon for my pre-op appointment, he gave me (among other things) a prescription for Omeprazole (Prilosec). After surgery, I didn't think I was having any problems with acid reflux and I couldn't understand why he prescribed 180 capsules for me. At the rate of 2 per day, that's 90 day's supply! When I started to move into mushies, and later to soft foods, I experienced mild discomfort, the kind you get when you're testing the limits of the sleeve. I usually stopped eating before that discomfort turned to real pain. A few days ago, I started feeling like I was getting slight discomfort between meals from acid, so I began to take the Omeprazole, 1 at morning and 1 at night. Surprise! I no longer get that discomfort when I eat and I'm much more comfortable after a meal. This doesn't mean I can eat whatever I want as fast as I want, but it took the tentative feeling out of eating that I was feeling before. So, if my story sounds like yours and you have Omeprazole, you might want to try it, even if you think you don't need it.

Documentation is the key. If the documentation was not submitted by your coordinator prior to submittal this is her fault, not yours. I would think you have more than enough history to warrant the surgery. Get back to your coordinator, get her to pile up the documentation and drop it on them...you're sure to be approved...Good luck

Most of us have had some kind of waiting game, some longer than others. Sometimes I think that's why they call us patients. Best advice, be patient....it'll happen. Good luck.

You will have some hoops to jump through, as most of us did. There will be medical tests, insurance documentation, psych eval and othere challenges, but the biggest one will be the pre-op diet. Some of these run 2 weeks, others up to 6 months. The two week pre-op diet is usually an all liquid diet, though some are allowed one sparse meal of real food per day, depending on doctor's orders. The object of the pre-op diet is to shrink you liver so the doctor can get at your stomach without nicking it. It's tough, but not impossible. Most of us had the same doubts, but got through it. The first few days are the worst, then it smoothes out. We all faced challenges during our pre-op diets like birthday parties, holiday feasts, etc, but if you make it through (and you will) you will have demonstrated that level of commitment. After surgery, you can look forward to about 6 weeks of liquids, then mushies, then real food. Here's the neat thing though.....you probably won't be hungry, and you will find that many of the things that led to your weight gain over the years you won't be so attracted to. Couple that with the fact that initially your stomach will only hold about 3 ounces, you will feel full very quickly when you eat. Good luck, and I assure you that you won't regret this decision. We're all here pulling for you. Use this site as a support resource and post whenever you have question.

You will have some hoops to jump through, as most of us did. There will be medical tests, insurance documentation, psych eval and othere challenges, but the biggest one will be the pre-op diet. Some of these run 2 weeks, others up to 6 months. The two week pre-op diet is usually an all liquid diet, though some are allowed one sparse meal of real food per day, depending on doctor's orders. The object of the pre-op diet is to shrink you liver so the doctor can get at your stomach without nicking it. It's tough, but not impossible. Most of us had the same doubts, but got through it. The first few days are the worst, then it smoothes out. We all faced challenges during our pre-op diets like birthday parties, holiday feasts, etc, but if you make it through (and you will) you will have demonstrated that level of commitment. After surgery, you can look forward to about 6 weeks of liquids, then mushies, then real food. Here's the neat thing though.....you probably won't be hungry, and you will find that many of the things that led to your weight gain over the years you won't be so attracted to. Couple that with the fact that initially your stomach will only hold about 3 ounces, you will feel full very quickly when you eat. Good luck, and I assure you that you won't regret this decision. We're all here pulling for you. Use this site as a support resource and post whenever you have question.

All the suggestions above are good advice. However, as humans, we tend to forget good advice and do what we've always done....wolf it down. When I hit the mushy stage I tended to eat too fast even with baby spoons, but once I got that awful pain just below my sternum I learned really quick. I suspect you will learn this way also...it's part of the sleeve experience.

I had the same pain when I transitioned to mushies. The problem, I found, was that I was taking too large bites and eating too fast. I found that when I used the baby spoon and slowed down, it got better. Take a small bit, chew like crazy and swallow. If that sets after 5 minutes, take another small bite. I have sort of trained myself now to eat slower and that has made a big difference. I'm told the pain you're feeling is because, at this stage, your esophagus is still larger than the opening to your sleeve. Before you panic, try eating slower....I'm betting it'll get easier for you.

I had the same pain when I transitioned to mushies. The problem, I found, was that I was taking too large bites and eating too fast. I found that when I used the baby spoon and slowed down, it got better. Take a small bit, chew like crazy and swallow. If that sets after 5 minutes, take another small bite. I have sort of trained myself now to eat slower and that has made a big difference. I'm told the pain you're feeling is because, at this stage, your esophagus is still larger than the opening to your sleeve. Before you panic, try eating slower....I'm betting it'll get easier for you.

I can relate. I'm 8 days post op and today I hit a wall. I can't say I felt that hungry, but I had no energy at all. I knew I needed to boost my carb intake. So, even though I'm not supposed to start on mushies till the 14th day, I broke down and pureed 1/3 cup of pork and beans. It went down very well and I felt better immediately. I'm going to try to stick to the diet until day 14, but if I get like this again, I know what I can do now to fix it. And yes, until I had those beans, I was grouchy as an old bear with a sore butt.