kczar

My experience is that, while I can't drink as much as I used to at one time, it's just as satisfying. I can drink several ounces at once and it seems to quench my thirst just fine. I'm four months out.

Great suggestions here. I would also suggest you search this forum for a thread titles "Is it really a stall?" It's the synopsis of an article about how to identify if you're really in a stall and tips on how to break it. Good luck!

Congrats! You'll get better and better every day. For sunset, the worst pain initially is the trapped gas, especially when they have you use the spirometer to keep your lungs clear. I felt pain all the way to my left eye socket! But that passes very quickly. After that, the worst pain is going to be the largest incision on your left side. That's where they took the stomach out and they put stitches into the ab muscles which will probably hurt till they finally dissolve. P.S. I've lost 12 pounds since surgery!

I just saw mine last week and he told me I can start with light weights now, just nothing that uses the abdominal muscles. However, each surgeon is different I'd suggest you put a call into his office to check.

It could also be acid. Try taking a Tums and drink some water. Good luck!

Mine is: Week 1-2 - Full liquids (Protein drinks, sugar-free drinks, Soups, cream of wheat, etc.) Weeks 3-4 - Soft foods (Shaved deli meat/cheese, fish, canned chicken, etc.) Weeks 5-forever - Full diet with Proteins first, low carb, low fat

I personally love About Time powder because it has very few ingredients and has a mild taste. Wal-Mart also sells a brand in tubs that's pretty tasty (can't remember the name but a big tub costs less than $20. Syntrax nectar is also really good and you can get sample packets at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe. And as another poster mentioned, there is a pinned thread in the Protein Powder and shake section that have several website where you can order sample packs. Good luck! It can seem overwhelming, but you will find something you at least tolerate. Hopefully love.

Sounds great! There's also a great thread here that has a huge amount of shake recipes you might want to check out.

You might try whirring it in a blender to get it to a smaller size. I made sloppy joes with ground turkey and ran into the same issue, even with chewing it quite a bit. Hopefully, that will get you through for the next week until the swelling goes down a bit. Good luck!

My surgeon and the bariatric coordinator at the hospital emphasized getting Water in over meeting Protein goals for the first week. As you start feeling better, you're going to be able to get more protein in. You might want to try Syntrax Nector powder. They have sample packets at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe so it's easy to try them. They're really tasty and have 23 grams of protein. Add 8 ounces of milk and that's 34 grams. Good luck, it does get better! I was sleeved on the 20th and doing great so far.

I'm doing great on the soft foods stage. Since I've hit that, I've been losing a pound a day! The only remaining issue I have is the pain in my left side. It's pretty constant when I'm moving. I asked my surgeon and he said it was due to the stitches he place in the muscle. As soon as they dissolve, I should be good.

Congratulations! You've earned the right to brag about every one of those pounds.

I just finished reading a thread here about defining a stall and what to do to break one if you're really in one (not losing weight or inches). Here's a link: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/24808-is-it-really-a-stall/#entry209964

How far out are you? I slept in a chair for the first 10 days because it was too painful getting in and out of bed. If you must sleep in bed, get someone to help you by grasping your arms (not hands) and pulling you up while you use your leg muscles to do the same. Using your stomach muscles will hurt like a mammer jammer! I still have pain from the incision in my left side but I'm able to get in and out of bed unassisted now. Good luck!

One trick the bariatric coordinator at the hospital gave me really helped. She gave me a stack of those plastic medicine cups (one ounce) and told me to fill it up and drink from it. I made tick marks on a pad every time I drank one until I had at least 60. It really helped me learn how to gauge how much water I was taking in (too much at a time can hurt!) I was really cautious, so I found in the first week that four sips equaled one ounce. Have patience, keep sipping and you'll hit goal soon. Good luck!

Remember that alcohol irritates the stomach. I don't drink very often so it's not a big deal for me, but I think it would be a good idea to hold off as long as possible. You don't want to do anything to compromise your stomach, especially during the first 6-8 weeks. Maybe a sip of someone else's drink?

I feel your pain! My surgeon used a new type of surgical glue that I'm apparently allergic to. The worst part is that it mainly effected the incision on my left side (you know, the only one that's really painful.) So I scratched the crap out of it and got a surface infection. Fortunately, the did a sonogram and there isn't any infection under the incision. Picked off the glue and the bumps and itching went away. But I guess if this is the only complication we have, we're lucky!

I haven't had that problem at all. I'm on the opposite end of this situation. Maybe it's because I started hitting my protein goal four days out and it has that effect on me. Probably need to add my fiber gummies back in!

Great job! I can't wait until Monday since I'll move to the soft food stage. Cannot wait to eat something other than a protein shake or soup. (Not that I have any appetite...) I'm down 8 pounds so far.

I actually haven't felt any hunger pains yet. I'm really on a schedule to make sure I'm getting my protein in. In a way, it's very freeing to not obsess about what I'm going to eat. (But I can't wait to get to the soft food stage next week so I can taste something other than chocolate, soup and fruit-flavored drinks!)

I was sleeved 8/20 and can relate. I'm taking Pepcid AC twice a day. I also take one or two Tums whenever I get the feeling of foam at the back of my throat. It really takes care of that. The bariatric coordinator at my hospital recommended holding off on calcium for the first week or two because it can make you nauseous. I personally haven't had any real hunger feelings at all. I'm just sick of Protein shakes, fruit flavored drinks and plain Water. Can't wait for next week when I can have a bit of soft foods. I plan on getting my protein in from real food ASAP. Good luck!

My cousin lost about 80 pounds on it but she's struggling a bit with maintenance. It definitely works for a lot of people, but you're always going to need to stay on their program if you want to maintain the loss. Plus it does nothing to decrease appetite. You just need to determine which option you think will give you the long term results you want. Good luck!

My surgery went great! Zero complications and most of the pain is gone. How are you doing?

Soccermom is right. Being nervous is normal. Spend this time preparing for post op. Stop drinking during meals, learn to tak small sips abd chew food throughly. Go through the pre and post op threads for inspiration. Believe me, the time goes quickly I am one day post and had zero complicatins and on pain at the incision. You can do this!

My surgery was delayed two hours and spent quite a bit of in recovery because my oxygen was low.But got in a room around 4:30, had a few sips of Water and broth and walked around about half the floor. No real pain now (got something called a pain ball that gives a constant flow of pain killers) just sore on my left side from the big incisions. I've already urinated so I'm pretty much on track. Do hate the breathing treatment I have to do. The nurse said I'm the best sleeve patient they've seen. /brag?/ Thank you all for your good wishes and best of every luck who went in today and the remainder of the week!