MinaT

I think you are normal. I am only 2 weeks out and my gosh, you should be so PROUD of what you have accomplished so far!!! 136 pounds since the start of your adventure and 40 pounds in one month!!!!! I do understand the stomach cramp you are talking about. I get it off and on. When I'm drinking clear (like Isopure) I don't have it, but since surgery I can't seem to handle Protein shakes anymore. One sip it feels like someone grabs my stomach and squeezes, and I usually have to stop. I have tried to plow at least 3 more ounces in and the next thing I know I'm running to the bathroom non-stop. The taste of protein shakes do make me nauseated. I used Pure Protein Frosty chocolate prior to surgery and I loved my little magic bullet and now I can't stand anything blended like that because it makes everything so gassy and bubbily and foamy, which then makes me feel nauseated. I really am sorry that you are having problems with Water. Are you drinking water out of a glass or are you using Med cups? I really believe the Med cups have helped me learn how to drink water without taking too much air in and I am still using them. I just started being able to handle cold water again and the first time I put the ice cold water in my mouth and it rolled around, I was so happy. Maybe try doing your water with the small med cups (if you aren't doing that). I'm so happy you are released to go back to the pool!! I hope someone else has good advice for you, but I think you are doing fantastic and I look forward to hearing more of your journey!!!

Day 3 and 4 are the hardest days. I had a headache and I was off caffeine for over a month before I started my preop. I was allowed only 3 shakes a day and sf jello & popsicles. I got no extra's like vegies boo. One thing that seemed to help me (and I swear to you, it helped me the day after surgery and every day since) is Celestrial Seasonings Peppermint Tea (decaff) and Truvia (for those that like Truvia) - I can't handle splenda, aspartamane or any of the other stuff. It seems to calm down the cravings and crampings in the belly. It was literally what I lived on in the hospital.

I am not very fond of Crystal Light as it causes me gassiness and quite often headaches as most sugar free products do. Considering I have no choice but to consume them, I pick and chose wisely. I am in the Full Liquid phase of my diet and the shakes I loved before surgery make me ill, Muscle Milk (which I loved makes me ill). The stuff I hate Isopure Clear (Green tea with Lemon) goes down the easiest and I use MIO Lemon to make the flavor more tolerable. I'm still only able to get down about 4 ounces of protein shake for breakfast and 6 ounces of Isopure in the evening. I can drink 64 ounces of water, or peppermint tea with truvia with no problem though.

22 pounds in a month is extremely amazing, considering that 2 of the weeks your stomach and insides were extremely bruised, swollen and gassy. Are you sure the "hunger" is not thirst? edited to say, I have never been under the impression that the sleeve causes a person not to be hungry. It's a tool, part of the hormone that regulates the hunger message is gone, but not completely. I may very well be having hunger pains sometimes, but to me they come out as gassy cramps. When that happens I walk.

Doing much better today, I seemed to have turned a corner. Tomorrow will be two weeks out. I walked 3 separate times today each about 1/2 hour, visited my parents, they all ate Chili, I had 1/3 of a sugar free pudding and drank a bottle of water. Came home and now I'm trying to get 6 ounces of Isopure Green Tea in. If I can do it, I will hit 22 Protein which is up from yesterday. I will attempt protein shake again tomorrow, but if it gets rough I will have to call the nutritionist. No shake seems to sit well with me. I honestly think I could get more protein on mushy's that on the shakes. ps i can get 64 ounces of liquids in with no problem.....I have gone through too many protein shakes that are not agreeing with me.

How to deal with negative comments, when they say something negative say wow, do you realize how rude and ignorant you sound? If it's a boss, probably wouldn't say that, but me, I'm bold and in your face enough to say that to someone. I love to see the look on someone's face when you call them on their rudeness lol. Some people can't be happy for you. You need to just let stuff like that go because in the end it's up to you on how you let them effect you. They don't really have the real power to hurt you, unless you let them. Tell them they are rude, or let it go with the full realization that they are not bright enough to realize they are being an a$$hat. You really don't need to deal with the negativity of others, there's a ton of them out there, we all have several of them in our life, they can only hurt us if we let them. Are you onto pureed yet? At 2 weeks I was told I have several more weeks of full liquids and truthfully think I'm going to have an issue with it because I don't tolerate sugar-free ingredients well at all. I have never been able to tolerate them. I just want to get my protein in and when protein shakes cause such violent bathroom issues consistently it's really hard to get my protein in.

Good for you Mommymar. The scale is not as important as knowing you are doing what you are suppose to be doing.

I think it's so weird that this wasn't spelled out for you, call your docs again tomorrow. I was allowed 3 protein shakes a day sf jello or sf popsicles and crystal light - period. no solid foods.

It's normal to feel that way. Get out of bed, get your bags packed, find your favorite song and play it, I had my favorite song playing in my head from the time I got up the morning of surgery and it played in my head after I woke up and that was the Theme from Sanford & Son. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks out for me and I had complications, I have Lupus, I got an infected drain, and I still hear Sanford & Son Theme song playing in my head. It's worth it. I still hurt a bit, if I think I have to fart, I head for the bathroom, I still can't lay on my side, I have gone 27 days without eating solid food, and I'd do it again. Get up and get motivated.

Loved the video Littlebits, you are a doll!

Happy Father's Day to the dads of June and Good luck and well wishes for the following June 18, 2012 ChrissyDeex3 VeronicaH Pteri -- Dr. Srinivasan at Emory innerme Naturals -- mommieof3 Kymwalla

I am 13 days out and I still use the med cups. Each med cup was 3 sips for me. In actuality, I can get one cup down in a swallow, but that's painful and I brought it too much gas. I'm pretty much getting 2 sips out of each. There is no way you will be doing 64 ounces in the hospital. You will be getting your fluids from the IV and you will be learning your sips while there. Some people seemed to like warmer better than cold. I was one of those, but I I remember how refreshing it was the first time I could handle a a sip of cold water as it laid in my mouth. It doesn't just have to be water you are drinking, you can try peppermint decaff tea, etc. I was surprised that while I was in the hospital I was given white grape juice cut with water, and I was able to handle that, but was told when I went home I should avoid real fruit juice even cut with water because the high carb factor.

Ready4success, honestly there is no real way to answer this question. I have had c-section (full cut) , laparascopies due to endometriosis, miscarriages, complete hysterectomy (full cut) and my gallbladder out. Gallbladder was cake walk, and that's what I was expected this time. There is absolutely NO way to figure out how you are going to do. I walked into this surgery extremely happy, positive, outgoing, and I did great in the hospital. The nurses applauded how fast I got up and moved, and I'm 13 days out and I could not imagine having to get clothes on and go to a job, drive, I can't even sleep on my side yet, and I still screech a little while getting out bed in the middle of the night. My gallbladder out, I was out walking a dog within a week, sleeping on my side, and able to bend. Just because other's did great or may do worse, doesn't mean you will. Please just take it as it comes, go in with a positive attitude, but don't berate yourself or make yourself feel worse if yoou aren't doing as well as you had hope or others say they are doing. Maybe you will do great, but if not cut yourself some slack. Your success will catch up to others, but as a nurse you know that there's too many variables, barring complications, the way someone heals, their immune system, the way a person heals, adhesion issues etc. that will contribute to how someone heals. I may have been more active than most people prior to surgery but with surgery my Lupus is slowing down my healing process. Eventually I'll be running, lifting and doing great. Good luck, keep a positive outlook, but don't beat yourself if you aren't ready as soon as you hope.

Everyone should follow what their doctor's says. I had 3 shakes a day and sf Jello or popsicles allowed only for 14 days. I'm 12 days out from surgery so I haven't had any solid food in 26 days Follow your doctor's directions, stay busy, start looking around your clothes for smaller clothes, clean out your closets, your drawers.

That is where they pulled your stomach out. It does take a while to heal. Some people heal faster, and that's great, but there are some of us that take longer to heal and eventually we will catch up with everyone else. Hugs to you, I'm so sorry you still hurt. I know I will be hurting probably for a while to come myself.

27 days no food, a few teaspoons of soup, 1/2 jello cup, lots of water, about 2 popsicles about I'm hitting about 20 ounces of protein a day and lots of peppermint tea. Just eating my stupid Optisource feels like I just did 3 laps at a buffet lol. Hopefully soon I can start getting more protein in lol

I never felt stressed either, anxiety manifests itself in weird ways. Having a surgery is stressful, you made a life altering decision in changing your life

My doctor got an approval for the sleeve and gastric bypass. If you have a hernia and the hernia is way too big, they will ask you before surgery, what you want to do. I had to okay, open gastric sleeve and laparascopic and I had to verbally approve open gastric bypass and laprascopic bypass, though my doctor and I both discussed no way I wanted the bypass, but when I was sitting there ready to go he came out and talked to me about it. Maybe that is what your surgeon did too? He told me if the hernia was too big he may have no choice but to to do bypass. I decided to say yes to bypass, but only if absolutely necessary. Luckily I just got sleeve.

That's stress related. I had an eye twitch for over 2 years. My eye doctor has anxiety and had an eye twitch too. Being overly tired or feeling stress can cause it.

I get spasms below my chest but just above the largest pointy tip of my belly. It's like a wave, sorta a gas pain or a spasm or like a severe hunger pain, but I know it's not hunger. It's been slowing down but it's a severe tightening and cramping and then it goes away. Day 12 gas is much better, I still can't get in my proteins. I actually went back to clears today because I attempted 3 ounces of a protein shake and cramped too bad. It's a little set back. People heal differently, I have had several abdominal surgeries before and obviously my muscles have been cut a lot and with the hernia and other stuff, it's just going to take some time. I am walking about 1-1/2 miles - 2 miles a day but it's in my house.

I have one right under where my bra would be - I wear sports bras and lately I haven't bothered. I really wish I was well enough to go for a real walk, but when I start walking too much I usually have to go potty and it's usually a split decision - do I run upstairs or downstairs and oh my gosh will I make it in time lol

I used an ice pack on my belly and made sure i wrapped it in a soft cloth first. It has helped a little bit. I also was using ice on my lower back because though I never had back pain before, since surgery i have a lower back ache.

Heating pad would be great, but my hospital did not allow it, they gave me hot packs.

I was sleeved on June 4th and I wear nightgowns and no underwear. When i went to the doctors I wore granny panties low and the biggest pair of pants I could find. Today is the first time I tried wearing regular pj's bottoms and top. when I sit I roll it down and let my tummy hang out. I had a drain for 9 days on the left side and the lupus went crazy and the drain site is infected. Do your best to walk and lift your chest up and try not to get into the habit of sitting crunched up, but if you have to walk hunched, you do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better. I wore only my softest nightgowns without any sort of buttons. I am trying the pants and shirt for the day, but you bet your bottom dollar tonight I'm going to put a nightgown on, because it's all about comfort right now. You are only a few days out from surgery, I'm June 4th and still hurt. Some people heal slower, and I'm sending prayers you start hurting less too.

If anything sign up for myfitnesspal.com to actually see what your structure is now, and then I hope someone can help you out with ideas.