nicmack31

Can already see the difference! Way to go!

I answer as both a sleever and as a RN. You should contact your PCP and get a referral to a dietician. I work in a family practice office and we do this all the time. You should not have to go this alone and your PCP should then take over the follow up on your labs, etc that are needed to be reviewed from time to time post surgery.

When in doubt, check with your doc or dietician. Your calorie count is going to depend on tons of factors, including how active you are, how much weight you need to loose, etc.

The best advice I can give you is be patient with yourself. I was very emotional after the surgery and would cry about stupid things. It seemed as though I had made a mistake, but now 7 months later I am SUPER happy with how I have progressed and how my new normal has become. Each day gets bettter, and then you start to see results! I can still eat all the foods I did before surgery, just in much smaller amounts. You can do this!

33 year old RN of 11 years. I work triage and manage 3 clinics. I had my sleeve 2/8/12 and was out 3 weeks. Best thing I ever did! Just hit the 75# drop! So excited! 19# to go!

Yes, I have the thinning hair too, but I swear my hair was thick enough for 3 people, so I am good with that. The itching is very annoying, and seems to get worse at night. The bruising is horrible! I did call my surgeon who is slightly perplexed, but I had a B12/folate level drawn today. Will see how that goes (I doubt the problem as I take B12 shots monthly) and then he wants to see me next week. My primary doc (I am a RN at her clinic) is stumped too- I showed her my legs and she squeeled! She laughed and said, most of the time when people say they are bruised it is a tiny thing- I am literally spoted from hip to knee (different stages of bruising makes it look like different colored spots!). Definitely no shorts outside the house for me anytime soon!

Great job!!! You look amazing!

Okay, so I have made it out to 4 months post op, am doing great! Eating basically a normal, varied diet. I have no problems with any food, maybe a tad bit of heartburn on occasion, but basically GREAT! However, about 2 weeks ago I started bruising really badly, with no explaination as to where they came from. I am now basically covered from hip to knee with bruises and have some on my lower legs, arms and hands. My labs are all normal- normal CBC and INR (bleeding time). Any one have ideas? I took my kids to the beach the other day and people stared and asked me if I needed crisis management and if my husband beats me! (to ease your mind, no he does not!). HELP!

Whoa! Do not stop caffeine cold turkey! Slowly cut it out. Have a small amount today and a little less tomorrow and by the third day you should be fine!

Agree! I didn't start an "exercise program" before surgery and wish I would have. My recovery would have been easier and it would have been easier to start exercising after surgery. Anything you do now is worth it, even if it is not the 4 hours per week. Take your little one for walks after work, dance around the house, etc. It keeps you active and them involved, which they love. My kids were super supportive and helped make the exercise fun. I am a very busy mom too, I work full time as a RN and have three kids under 7, but I make the time. I don't go to the gym and work out or go running or anything, but I exercise with my kids daily. It also shows them that exercise is a healthy thing and helps to prevent them from ending up at the same place I did.

You will do great! Congrats!

I think it depends on the person. They teach the 3 meals a day, so people don't overeat their sleeve. At 4 weeks out I ate about 4 times a day. Now at a little over 3 months out, I usually eat at the 3 meal times and have one snack (usually a piece of cheese or fruit). I wouldn't have time with my job to eat any more than that anyway, but it works for me and my weight loss has been on track. If you feel like you are loosing energy after 4 hours or so, I would just ration out your daily food/calories and stretch it to a few more meals/snacks.

I agree, I think how much you loose is up to you. There are statistics about weight loss, but that is just that, a number. We are not numbers, we are people. I just saw my surgeon for my 3 month post op check. I had lost 50 pounds since surgery. He told me if I was disciplined and worked hard, I could easily loose another 50 (if that is what I wanted). So it all lies with what you want and how much work you put into it. You will do great!

Welcome! Good luck on your journey!

Thank you! Good luck to you as well neighbor!