4ALongerLife

Hi Suzcomptime! I had extreme pain in my left side. It was the abscess (where my body sucked the leaked contents and tried to singly put it into one area to protect me... our bodies are so amazing, but mine was still in A LOT of pain).

You aren't alone. Come on here and find a few ppl to ask and speak with. I'm not "close" to anyone yet, but there are several great supports here (like Lissa, she rocks!). But there are several others. You are NOT alone.... hang in there.

Eggface ROCKS. I've not tried this .. I didn't know how it'd be... so glad to read your post. Thank you!

Only if you strain it! Yeah take all of the good stuff out..... But fyi - I loved miso soup during my clear phase. Again, strained, but it was very filling (we got it from a local sushi shop that is very good).

In the beginning, Did you follow all the recomended precautions like the liquid diets a few weeks ahead and then Clear liquids? My dr. had me do a presurgery diet for 3 days prior to surgery. It started with soft foods, then two days of clear liquids. I honestly don't know how I got through it, but I had to ask my husband on was it that bad. Just like childbirth, I forgot how bad it was, lol. Did you do pre op and post op test? Did your dr. check over for leaks, if so when? Yes, I did all pre op tests and post op tests. I was checked for leaks several times as I had pneumonia after my original first 3 days in the hospital. Normal length of stay for my dr. in the hospital is 2 days but my temp kept spiking more than the usual small spikes you have after surgery. So they kept me an extra day on antibiotics, "to be sure" that I'd be ok. I remember before discharge on the original surgery (3/5-3/7) I was checked for a leak and was all good. After admission for pneumonia (3/9-3/14) I know I was checked at least once for a leak and nothing was found. Did you follow the reccomended liquid diets after? and the blended solid diet there after? I only made it to the progression of liquids after my original discharge. I was on clear liquid for a while then my dr. does a one week "step" up between clear liquids and fulls... where you can add milk Protein shakes and protein powders but not the cream Soups yet. I was readmitted with extreme pain in my left side (come to find out it was a leak/abscess in my diaphragm and that hospital stay was 3/19-3/29). I remember one night during my pneumonia stay I added Protein drinks because I told my dr. I felt hungry a lot. He said I could try to add some protein, and I took 3 oz with protein and was very full that night in the hospital. I didn't want to touch it again after that so I made sure I only got my 4 oz an hour - and only 1 oz every 15 mins. I was very strict on this, until I got to the milk protein phase. I did 4 to 5 oz.s in an hour of Premier Protein vanilla shakes. Now I haven't been able to drink them yet because I saw what came out of my abscess and that color looked very familiar... Did you pick up heavy things or over do it? NO, NO, NO again I say NO. Believe me, my dog missed me holding her. Who was your Dr.? Dr. Harry Meyers in Dallas and Plano TX What kind of reaction did you have and how did you know something was wrong? Well I've detailed my reactions I think and I knew something was wrong whenever I had a shooting pain in my left side (where the bra line is on the left of my back/kinda my side) and about 3 am I could NO LONGER sleep. I went to the recliner, trying to get comfortable .... about 845 am I had to page my dr. and told him I was in so much pain... he said go to the hospital NOW, I'm calling them. So 3/19 I was admitted to the hospital that afternoon, after doing ANOTHER barium swallow, then a CAT scan that found the abscess (thank you to that radiologist) and whammy, they saw the leak. Just to add, most of what I've read on leaks are not caused by anything. Honest. It's not the dr., it's not their skill (or lack thereof)... it's freak'n "luck." For me, it was come to find out, my stomach line (the new sutured one) necroted away from the suture line and that exposed everything going into my belly. Wasn't anything but "luck" (yeah I have a choice f work for this and it's not "fun"). But then again I understand now that most ppl that had what I did spend 3 to 4 months in the hospital where I spent almost 1. So I guess it's better for all of this to happened to me than someone else.... but I still am thinking of that f word and it ain't "fun." I do not believe it to be anything my dr. did wrong. Mind you ... these sort of complications only occur to 1% of the population. Or so I've read! One additonal question that I think is important for anyone considering this journey: Do I regret my surgery? No, not anymore but for a while, yes I did. But I have to remember why I did this and it is not for vanity. I did this to hopefully beat cancer, heart disease and diabetes that runs in my family and has killed my mom at 56, my paternal g'ma at 50 and my father at 63. I want to live longer for my son, I want to be around as long as I can be for him and his family (or so I hope). I've lost 52 lbs (mostly due to all of these complications) and I hope to continue to my goal weight, at least 40 more lbs down the line..... and hope that I increase my life expectancy and "beat" my genetic predispositions. (sorry this was so long!)

Ok today I feel a bit like crying. I am trying, really trying at this journey to be successful, but why do I just feel like I'm flubbing up? And yes, I don't mean flubbing, but I'm trying to keep this PG or at least PG13, ok? I finally downloaded myfitnesspal.com, where before I was writing everything as I took it in my mouth (the old Weight Watcher's lingo of "write it if you bite it" comes to mind); however, everyone says use fitness pal, so I'm trying that. Omg I'm not eating enough. How in hades DO I EAT MORE? Yeah, I know ... all the newbies that possibly read this are now thinking "WHAT?" but I cannot eat enough to half of the calories this thing says for me to do. And I went to the gym. Mind you I only did 2 miles, I feel like I was lazy but it was a rushed amount of time and this thing says I burned 384 cals. So I'm now about to where I started after breakfast. What? Oh wait I forgot I "ate" the rest of my breakfast shake later. Well whoopee, only 1174 more calories to consume. It's 7 pm. Place your bets if you think I'm gonna get that in. No wonder I'm ravenous late at night. HOW DO I DO THIS? grrrr And is it ok to count Cytomax pure protein tangerine or tropical drinks as my water for the day? Per my dr., I thought so... per myfitnesspal, no... that has it's own category. Am I going to fail at this? Seems like the story of my life. Yeah I know boo hoo but I'm having a moment. I lived through the surgery, staying an extra day because my temp kept spiking. Went home and got pneumonia so I went back for a week to the hospital... got out only to go back in in extreme pain, come to find out I have a leak and an abscess and have to do surgery again (mind you I paid for this out of my pocket and have the rottenest. lousiest insurance plan ever). Yes these would be tears in my beer, but I CAN'T DRINK BEER anymore. Sigh.... And I'm trying to get back to working out and ppl tell me I'm messing up by doing that. I love love love the elliptical. I miss my workouts of 5 miles min a day. So I'm doing 3 every other day to build up. Mind you the revision surgery was 3/20... so this is too soon? My dr. said do what you want, you should be ok to be active, don't worry your body will tell you whenever you do too much. So it did every other day... enough time for me to recover and get back into the gym and do 3 more miles. So today I "took it easy" and only did two miles. Treadmills are boring to me..... and it's too hot in the great state of Tejas to run outside (yes, it's gorgeous right now but I would keel over and die from lack of oxygen if I ran.... THAT is a huge challenge that I KNOW I am not currently ready for). But then I get on the scale (yeah bad idea) and I'm up a bit. Not enough to mention but just when I'm feeling like ... well since dinner that I struggled to make isn't working for me (as my belly is wringing itself out like a limp dishtowel after I took a few bites of the turkey-nitas --- yeah my own creation. I found a recipe on eggface's website that sounded delish and then in the store I remembered, my dr. says no pork until 6 months out... maybe b/c he's jewish as a friend told me that's not what her dr. said... idk but that's what my dr. said so i follow it, period). Anywho, I digress and ramble because I am having an emotional moment, sorry.... but I feel like I can't eat anything. I'm struggling with not drinking during a meal. REALLY struggling. And in eating enough ... grrrrr. Can someone send me 5 to 10 recipes of what they lived on during this frustrating phase between full liquids to mush? IDK what I'm doing. But here's my goal: NO MORE LEAKS, pray for no abscess (that crap HURTTTTTTS, or mine certainly did as it was in my diaphragm four days after my discharge from the hospital with pneumonia... hmm seems to me that the diaphragm is needed after you get out with pneumonia.... God's funny right? it's not God, forgive me lord....). Just ain't that Murphy's law? It is in my life I guess.... Ok sorry that was ramble city... but how do you "be successful" with this? I'm worried I'm "plateauing" already. And DOES my cytomax pure protein drinks count as my water - or just to the 48 oz a day? Sigh.... so much to try to keep up on. I need help. Lord please, send me a patient angel who doesn't mind the rambling overemotional crappus that women do! Hope all of you are being successes... and pass it forward to those that struggle. One day, dang it, that's gonna be me (gulp, I hope).

Hey ThinningMike... the Cytomax pure Proteins are being remarketed as "whey (something I can't remember if it's whey isolate or whey protein) by cytomax". I buy them by the case and just an fyi. They aren't gone from Vitamin Shoppe (or anywhere else) but they are repackaged. Sadly I was so happy that they weren't gone. What a robust life huh? lol

Are you drinking liquids throughout the day as well? I've been told don't drink close to eating (you know the rule you've read 30 mins before 30 mins after eating do not drink). I'm having head hunger issues, they are a pain and hard to control fo sho! I'm trying to stick to 4 oz.s in an hour, period. Not sure if that's "right" at this point in the progression, sorry alot help i'm not i guess

I'm struggling with getting enough liquid in most days, but even when I do for a few days... I don't go as much as I did pre-surgery. And glad you asked because I thought it was just me as well!

You guys are such an inspiration to me. Thank you for your inputs. IDK why I am resistant to myfitnesspal.com but I'm gonna hafta try it. I write down what I have but then I don't always know the carb intake and other items. And btw, I know blackberry juice, that's the most caloric intake I've seen yet on here but for as much as you work out, I believe you have to do that. My dr. told me the same (I used to do 5 to 6 miles on the elliptical 5 times a week and an hour of weight lifting before or after the elliptical... and my dr. told me I'd probably have to have at least 1800 calories after my metabolic test but right now, I'm just trying to figure out all of this diet as I progress back to normal and still how to lose the remaining weight). Thank you guys for pushing yourselves to success and sharing the details with the rest of us. It is purely inspiration! Thank you.

Everything in this country revolves around food. I've missed so many meal times with my family and my son's said, "Mama I miss you at the dinner table." But should I sit there and watch them eat? lol... um no. Anything that is worth it, It's not easy. And this sho ain't easy! But I try to remember, I did this to not die of the heart attack that killed my mother at 56 years young, or the one that killed my paternal grandmother at 50 years of youth, nor do I want the diabetes or cancer that killed my dad at 63. You aren't alone in your frustrations. It's just a period of change, a biggun. Hang in there!

I am in the mushies phase now and I'm doing cottage cheese, apple sauce, ricotta cheese with SF syrups, yogurt, cream of wheat, protein puddings, egg salad, crustless quiche (or so's the plan, it's in the fridge now), cream of chicken soup, cream of chicken and mushroom soup (sometimes I add more chicken to these cream of soups... just taking a can of chicken, packaged like tuna, and adding it for addtl protein) and my clear protein drinks. I'm struggling with my drinking, still!

Thank you Lissa! I hope to be successful like you are and have been... keep up the great work!

To the successful sleevers (who've lost most of their weight or been at this for a while).... question pls. What's a "typical" day in your life as it pertains to your diet? Hey just take a "normal" day. If you remember in phases of progression what a 'normal' day way, that too I'd like to know. I feel like I'm eating all of the time and not sure that I'm not just falling back on old habits (i.e. eating later at night, etc). So how to make this journey a success... I'm seeking it out... any inputs?

OMG You should change your name to FFranny on here Joni.. you crack me up! I don't remember being uncontrollably gassy. I DO remember feeling bloated. Let's just say not great experiences while I was on flagile but I had that for pneumonia and a leak. Yuck I WILL be "allergic" to flagile forevermore!

You didn't stop taking any medication during your surgery and these few days didja? I was emotional... but I had a leak and pain so I assume that was why I was that way! Perhaps you are just so excited to finally have this 'dream' come true?

I HAD a leak and the last time I went to my dr., I unfortunately asked this question. Honestly, you don't want to truly know... but he said he's heard of ppl with leaks even up to 12 months. That scares me... but ditto Lissa. I didn't do anything to cause my leak, unfortunately I was that 1% freak of nature that it happened to. Don't worry too much on this and FOLLOW YOUR DR'S INSTRUCTIONS. Don't overfill your belly and don't eat what your dr. says you aren't ready to eat (they have their reasons). That's all I can tell you.. oh and lots of prayers and convos with God. Believe me, after my leak, He knows I'm banging on his door rather frequently!

Joni hang in there. I know it's not easy, but after surgery .. I swear it's much much easier... you don't get the same hunger for a bit right after surgery. The 23rd is in the horizon girl... YOU CAN DO IT! unjury is good. For a clear liquid Protein I am loving the Cytomax, still drinking them every day (tropical and tangerine flavors, I still haven't tried the watermelon yet). Premier Protein drinks rock... or at least I thought so before my leak. I have kinda stuck to clear drinks since then, thank God for Cytomax. And Carol M., you put the tickers on your profile in your autosignature.... (click on your name at the top and choose 'my settings', then on the left side, options down on the left - one of which is autosignature). Go to any of the ticker sites and make your ticker, then copy the code and add it to your autosignature. Hope that helps!

Someone in my dr's preop educational class suggested getting silicone scar sheets to put over your scars. They work better than mederma per the girl that said this. They are also expensive lil buggers... like $25 for 4 in a package, I got them from Walgreens. I got a leak after my first surgery so due to my complications, I got scared and havent' tried them yet... but maybe look it up and see if those would help with your scars. And yes, I did have a stitch in my largest incision but it's healed up better than the one on my right that had a JP in it. Looks like a durn dimple on my abdomen. But better than that muffin top for sure! lol

Girl you rock at the records you keep! But I just wonder if you are getting enough calories? Don't go off and eat more based on me saying this. But what's the nutrionist say? I know you said she doesn't have anything more to suggest..... but if you are only getting 500 to 600 calories a day, and working out 3 miles a day, I'm thinking your body isn't going to let anything go. And you might need more carbs. Good carbs (i.e. banana not banana bread). With your records, you know what I mean! But see if I knew better, then would I have been fat in the first place? Genes and hypothyroidism have contributed but I love to eat.. or loved rather. I was doing 5 miles a day on the elliptical 5 days a week prior to my surgery. After my stress and metabolic tests, prior to my surgery, my dr. said I should expect that I will need 1800 cals a day after surgery to get to a sensible weight (150 ish probably) and keep it there. Yes, that's alot of calories .. but for so much gym time, he said I have to have it. So I'm really wondering if you are getting enough calories with all that you are doing. Have you asked your trainer for their input? I'm sorry I'm not much help on this ... how about a second nutritionist's opinion? Have you gotten your hormones checked? I have hypothyroidism and girl, let me tell you, no matter what I do sometimes, you can hang it up Jack. Then bam, they change my synthroid and BAM... I lose 30 lbs. Hormones are some tricky lil buggers (I was thinking of an f word instead, but keeping it PG here)..... I think you are doing wonderfully, jeesh with all you detailed, I need to be more like you mama. Keep up the good work... and maybe in time your body will finally just overcome the plateau... and maybe that's all it is?

I haven't really tried coffee yet. I did have a sip of my husband's this morning and no problems. Sorry you had issues. Maybe it's just a one time thing (I hope!).

I hafta say... I'm glad you asked this question! I learned from quite a few ppl's responses. For instance, I didn't know there were microwaveable pork rinds! Awesome! Let us know how it goes! I've said prayers for you and wish you and easy and thoroughly enjoyable time!

Are you getting your liquids in and your protein? I think it's water weight probably but yes, I understand how defeating that can be. Are you tracking what you are eating so that maybe if there is a 'sneak in' you can identify it?

Thank you for the encouragement. IDK how that will ever happen, but that's what my dr. says too. I love to work out. LOVE it... I'm a creature of habit (elliptical 5 miles a day before surgery). I hope to be where you are one day. You keep it up girl.. you are ROCKING it! I wish you only the best to reach all of your goals

Ok I'm envious... mind you I didn't say jealous, but you go girl. I wish I could and can say that one day like you have! I've never been smaller than a 14, so I hope to know what that size feels like... ONE DAY. Keep rocking it girl! Boo yeahhhhh! Congrats... happy dancin'