Webchickadee

Thanks for the tip JLewis! I took a look at BJ Bariatrics and I would have loved to order their sample pack! They don't ship outside the U.S.

I love sashimi (sushi without rice!). Really it's just pieces of raw fish, but very very high grade fish. It's my favourite! I've been eating sashimi for weeks now (and I'm only 8 weeks post-op). With a bit of sashimi soy sauce and some wasabi. Yum! A great way to get your Protein in. If you like sushi, you could give sashimi a try.......

I have tried the Cinnamon Swirl. It was "okay", but nothing to really write home about. I'm having a very hard time finding a Protein mix I like and can actually use more than once. I was using Precision All Natural 100% Protein whey Isolate (Double chocolate Chunk) for several weeks preo-op and a couple of weeks post-op, but I just got so tired of it, it was getting harder and harder to choke it down every morning. It is sweetened with Stevia and not too sweet. The vanilla version of that same brand I found REALLY sweet. At present I've been drinking the Oh Yeah shakes (ready to drink). They are also too sweet for me, but it's about the best I've found so far. I desperately want to try the

I just wanted to caution you against planning for a fast return to work without a "back-out" plan. I had my surgery on May 14, 2012 and was out sight-seeing and shopping 3 days later. I had pre-booked the following week off, just in case I had any complications or was still needing healing time. I actually felt much more tired the 2nd week! I didn't take naps (though I should have) as I was convinced that I needed to "condition" myself for my return to work the next week. And I work in an office, mostly at my desk all day! There were several difficult aspects the first few weeks back to work: 1. Getting ready in the morning It took me MUCH longer than I was used to to get ready. Showering wiped my energy out, and I invariably had to lay down for a good 10-15 min afterwards to regain my strength to get dressed and out the door. 2. Learning how to "fit in" my liquids and planning for lunch I'm usually a fast drinker/eater. That doesn't work when you're newly sleeved! I normally grabbed my Breakfast "on the go" when getting ready for work, and wolfed it down in the car. Not after I was sleeved! I had to take tiny sips (too much in a sip or too many sips in a row and it was serious pain!), and just figuring out how to properly mix my Protein shakes in the morning was taking up valuable time! Also, I must now pack my lunch! In order to keep everything fresh (and best suit my tastes/mood for the day), I now pack my lunch in the morning. This is also new for me! I was eating from our little cafeteria or going out to eat every day. Expensive and fattening, but so very convenient! Now I had to make sure I had the right ingredients at home; the right (clean!) containers; a cooler bag; ice packs, etc. Phew! So much change! 3. Optimizing my "choices" I usually just grab a drink (pop!) when thirsty. Well our little cafeteria has a limited choices for sugar-free drinks that are not carbonated. You can only drink so much "diet iced tea" or "G2 Gatorade" before you start to go mental (especially when you're on full liquids for a couple of weeks post-op). So I had to make sure I had other options with me. Either Crystal Light powder sticks, Mio, etc. And of course if you're not lucky enough to have a Water cooler around your work, you need cold water too! Again, more planning! I'm not trying to scare you.....I just want you to have a realistic idea of what you'll be dealing with post-op as it relates to going back to work. And these are only a FEW of the issues. Don't get me started on bathroom visits (I had "intestinal issues" for a few weeks post-op!); explaining your lack of eating to your colleagues while maintaining your privacy; acid reflux, burping, nausea, fatigue, etc. And finally, of course, a very high percentage of us fly through the surgery and recovery without any complications (I'm one of them...except for the "intestinal issues" and some sleep disturbances). But there is a small percentage of patients who do have complications that can vary in degree. Please do have a contingency plan for your return-to-work if your recovery is less than optimal. Good luck and happy surgery! Making room for you on the loser's bench..............

Hmmm, we probably need alot more information before we can help answer your question about when you'll lose weight! When was your surgery? What is your current food stage (liquids, mushies, soft foods, solids?). Are you tracking what you're eating (carbs, Protein, calories, etc.)? Are you exercising (depends on how far post-op you are...)? Are you drinking enough water/fluids (at least 64 oz per day)? If you're close to your surgery date (less than 2 weeks post-op) it's likely you've gained Water weight during your surgery. It can take up to 2 weeks to lose that "gained" weight and start losing from your pre-op weight. If you can answer some of the questions noted above, I'm sure we'll be able to give you more insight into what might be going on with you (though of course, your best source of accurate information is your surgeon and nutritionist!).

Have you ever been diagnosed with an Ovarian cyst? I have right-sided pain like that a few days before my "time of the month". My cyst grows during TOM and then shrinks back down to nothing afterwards. I've been told it's not a medical problem that requires treatment, but I sure do hate the pain I get for those couple of days!

Shellbell, you will have that.......I really hope! Regardless of your weight! I am 42 years old. I spent most of my life single. No boyfriend in high school, sporadic dating in university. I met my future husband when I was 35 and we were only together for 6 months. It wasn't the right time for us. I was about 270 lbs at the time, and he was probably around the same (but he's 6'3" and I'm 5'4"!). Our break-up had nothing to do with our weight(s). Then, suddenly out of the blue, he emailed me 4 years later. It was one of those "movie moments". I saw his email on my Blackberry. I get a lot of spam all day long so I am always deleting emails. On the Blackberry screen you can't see the whole person's name or subject line.....I actually hit "delete" for his email, but you have to confirm the deletion. I second-guessed myself, and kept it (I didn't know it was from him....I thought it was spam!). Turns out he was apologizing for his behaviour when we had been together 4 years earlier. He had changed his life 180 degrees and wanted to say thank you for giving him a kick start. Long story, short (too late, I know!), we started dating in January 2009. In December 2009 while on vacation in Jamaica, he proposed during a candle lit dinner on the beach. And we were married in September 2010 (I was 40 years old and this was my first marriage!). You can see pictures from our wedding in my photo gallery (in my profile). I was over 300 lbs when we were on that beach in Jamaica. He didn't care. He loves me for who I am, not what I look like. Now we're both losing weight (me with the sleeve, him with the Atkins) so we can be healthier and live a long happy life together. It took me all these years to find (and re-find!) my soulmate. I'll be damned if I'm going to let my health tear us apart! It's possible that your path hasn't crossed "his" yet. And you may not have a smooth road (we didn't). But when you find your partner, you'll know it. Perhaps losing the weight will give you the self-confidence you need to feel like you deserve that great guy? Who knows. Either way, I hope and pray you do find your life partner, when the time is right. And right now, it's the time for you to concentrate on getting yourself healthy and making yourself happy with who you are (all over!).

I fully agree with everyone who has posted so far. If you can lose the weight and keep it off, that is fantastic. And yes, it's true that this time you've educated yourself regarding nutrition, which in theory will help you maintain your weight loss. I have done the lose/gain, lose/gain cycle myself countless times. And the last time I lost weight (in 2006), I lost over 100 lbs by myself. I became VERY educated regarding nutrition. I read every label I could before I put anything in my mouth. I tracked my intake, did TONS of exercise. It was AWESOME! Then life happened (my Mom died unexpectedly, followed by my brother 5 months later). The stress totally put me off track, I "self-medicated" with food to help overcome the pain and stress and loss I was feeling. I regained most of my 100+ lbs. ( I was 330 lbs when I started, 225 lbs when Mom died, then back up to 318 prior to my VSG surgery). During this regaining period, I still had my knowledge of nutrition, but it didn't help! I was ignoring everything I knew and volume/binge eating and satisfying all cravings. Now, with my sleeve, even if I do go "off track" and eat things I shouldn't I won't be able to volume/binge eat. It is far less likely that I will regain a significant amount of weight. The "slippery slope" is more easily avoided with the sleeve. For me, I knew I needed the additional help of having "built-in" portion control. No amount of health and nutrition knowledge was going to help me in moments of intense weakness, stress and reckless abandon.

I've fallen hopelessly behind on my blog! I spend so much time here reading and answering posts! A few people have asked though, and I feel guilty that they want to hear more! I'll try to get caught up...

I was sleeved by Dr. Kelly on May 14, 2012 and my cost was $6,000 due to my high BMI (>50). He was fantastic, very professional and also very caring! I felt like I was a part of his family (he gets everyone involved in his practice, his wife, his kids.....it's amazing!). Omar, his assistant is terrific about getting back to you quickly regarding questions, and he's there for you every day you're in Mexico. I could not have been happier with my choice, and I'm now 8 weeks post-op and down 40 lbs (including 11 lbs pre-op, on 2 week liquid diet).

It's so crazy that they book the cost at $65K, when I was able to have my surgery done by an excellent surgeon in Mexico for $6000. And that included a 10% premium for my high BMI (>50), all meds, tests, private hospital room, 2 nights in hospital and 2 nights in a 4 star hotel!

This is the exact reason I chose to have the sleeve. I am 42 years old and in very good health (with the exception of asthma). My father (age 84) however, has high blood pressure, diabetes high cholesterol and prostate cancer. My mother (she passed 4.5 years ago at age 73) had breast cancer, lung cancer and high cholesterol. My brother (also passed, 4 years ago, at age 53) died of a brain tumor. My other sister (passed this past November, aged 46) died of breast cancer. I am a walking time bomb, waiting to happen! I have one sister left (who's in good health too, thank goodness, and also at a fairly healthy weight). I know that having the sleeve doesn't guarantee that I won't develop health issues, especially cancer which is rampant in our family. But I DO know that being in my ideal weight range and being active, as well as eating healthy foods in healthy portions is going to help increase my odds of a long, healthy and happier life. If I should develop one or more of the health issues my family has, I will at least know that I've done everything I could do to help prevent it, by being in my ideal weight range, choosing well when it comes to food intake and exercising my body to help preserve it in top form!

I am fortunate to have never had a loculated (or non-loculated!) seroma, so I can't answer your question directly. But I did find some information that may help you understand things a bit more: http://www.primehealthchannel.com/seroma-definition-causes-symptoms-and-treatment.html

If you are taking a post-op antibiotic, you may need a pro- biotic to re-establish healthy levels of intestinal flora that get killed of by the meds. I suffered a lot with diarrhea during the first couple of weeks. Then I bought some Bio-K pro- biotic ( the soy version, as I thought I had become lactose intolerant.... which I had not, thank goodness). I was MUCH better, even after one dose

I'm very glad to hear you're feeling better! I did however want to point out that you should be careful with eating chips and sweets, as they could be your "slider" foods and they will sabotage your weight loss and success. At this point in your recovery and lifestyle change, you must focus on eating Protein first, veggies second and carbs last (only if you have room left!). If you're not eating protein, then your body will break down your muscles (easier to "process" than fat!). And your weight loss will be mostly muscle mass! Who wants to become a big flabby bag of skin? You NEED those muscles, so work hard on keeping them! I found early on that my stomach hurt after eating too, and I quickly realized it was because I was eating too much! So funny to say that, when you look at the plate and there are only a few bites on there. How can that be too much? For me, after quite a bit of experimentation, I realized that I can eat 2 1/2 - 3 oz (in total) in one meal. So in order to make sure I didn't eat more than that (and have stomach pain and nausea), I measure EVERYTHING. As my stomach has been healing, my capacity is growing too. So I'll have to keep checking "in" to see if my 2 1/2 - 3 oz is growing, and adjust accordingly. Also, I'm getting to be a pretty good judge of the volume of most foods now, so I don't always have to measure (which can be difficult when you're not home and have no scale!). Please please please, focus on eating protein first! Measure your food and learn what volume/weight works for you. Cut out the chips and sweets, you'll be happy you did, believe me! YOU CAN DO THIS!

Fantastic! What I notice the most is the BIG SMILE if all of your 3 month shots, compared to the before shots. Isn't the sleeve great? You look so confident and happy!

I tried a bath for the first time in YEARS last week. I'm still displacing a lot of water, but I did manage to get in the tub with more than just a few teaspoons of water sharing the tub with me. LOL GREAT NSV! I can't wait to join you on this one. I love baths and have been relegated to the shower for all of my adult life (unless in a hot tub.....bliss!).

I have been having problems sleeping more than 3-4 hours since surgery (6+ weeks ago). It's 4:30 am right now and I went to bed at midnight. And here I am awake and on the forum! It is maddening and I've tried a variety of sleep aids without success. Even taking a prescription sleeping pill hasn't helped. I don't have trouble falling asleep, which is what most sleeping pills help with. It's staying asleep that is not working! After taking a sleeping pill or some other sleeping aid (melatonin, magnesium citrate (restless legs), etc.) I still wake up after approx. 4 hours and I'm groggy and tired, but unable to fall back asleep usually for 2+ hours. I work full time and this is "kicking my ass"!

Hmmmm......meatballs! I had some from Ikea the other day with my hubby. He was very hungry and got the chicken/rib dinner plate and then told me to get the TWENTY meatball plate. BWAHAHAHAHA. I told him I was probably going to eat FOUR of the twenty. He said "no problem", I'll eat the rest. And he did! Amazing. I can't believe how much he can eat and not gain weight (he's on a low carb, high Protein diet too, but not sleeved, obviously!). I used to be able to eat the 15 piece plate with fries and a dessert, no problem. I barely got through 4 pieces and 2 bites of veggies.

Yeah! Yes, I always look (and hope!) for a chair that has no arms. Often I'm disappointed though because there is no such choice. I choose to stand rather than try to "smush" myself into those chairs. I haven't been in a situation where I've needed to try out such a chair recently though. I'm down about 37 lbs, so who knows, maybe I too have this great NSV waiting for me to experience soon!

Fantastic picture! Look how skinny you are! I hope I have the same "surprise" reaction to my own pictures in the future.

I had my surgery with Dr. Kelly on May 14, 2012 and I went alone. My husband REALLY wanted to come, but couldn't get time off from work. I flew to San Diego on May 12 so I could get a couple of days of walking in before surgery (to avoid blood clots in my legs). It cost me 2 nights of hotel (on my own dime) in San Diego, but I was glad to pay it. On surgery day, everything was a whirlwind! I was picked up around 11 am in San Diego by Dr. Kelly's wife Cecey and by 1:30 I was in surgery! After the surgery, I spent a lot of time sleeping, and walking the halls. Honestly, I found it a relief that no one was there with me, as I would have been more concerned about making sure they were taken care of (entertained, accommodations, meals, etc.). This way, at least for a couple of days, I was able to just focus entirely on myself! I took a laptop with me and my husband and I spoke twice a day by Skype (there is free wi-fi in the hospital). Once discharged, I was kept pretty busy with Cecey and Omar. We went shopping and sightseeing, to the beach. Dr. Kelly's daughter gave me a fantastic pedicure (very professional!). Again, there was free wi-fi in the hotel, so I stayed in touch with my husband, as well as my sister and a few other friends by Skype. I watched some TV, did some more sleeping and walked around the hotel (beautiful place with a lovely pool (too bad we can't swim after surgery!)). If there's anyway you can assure both yourself and your family that you will be okay alone, you should consider going by yourself. It will allow you to totally concentrate on yourself (probably for the first time in a VERY long time). As soon as you are home again, you will be back to the demands of being a mom, a wife, etc. and as much as everyone will want to help you recover and heal, you really won't get the alone time you could have right after surgery. Trust me on this.......it is quite decadent....and much appreciated once your return to your normal life!

Dear, the first thing you need to do is BREATHE! You've got 5 weeks. You can do this! - Buy yourself some Protein drinks (either Ready-to-drink (RTD) or powder you mix yourself). You can find some at GNC, Walmart, costco, etc. Then start your day with a shake. It fills you up, has no sugars (read your labels before you buy! And buy ones with sweetners and/or stevia, not sugar). Protein Drinks help keep you feeling full and less hungry, give you protein to keep your muscles intact and help you lose fat. - Cut back or cut out (if you can) all deep fried foods, fast foods, bread, candy, chocolate, sugar, juices, and pop (even diet pop). - Join a website that helps you log your daily food intake (such as MyFitnessPal, Livestrong, Sparkpeople, etc.) and LOG EVERY BITE that goes into your mouth. Weigh your food (when you can) so you know how much your eating (estimating is notoriously inaccurate). You will be surprised at how much you eat in a day, and how many of those are "empty calories". This will help you get the "carb demon" off your back, jumpstart your weight loss and get you started developing the good habits you will need to be successful with your VSG. - And start drinking LOTS AND LOTS of Water. You can add Crystal Light or Mio to the water to make it more appealing. But drink at least 64 oz (8 cups) of water a day. Other important steps to help you success with the pre-op loss (and post-op new way of life) include: - purging your house of all "bad" Snacks (chips, chocolate, sugary cereals, pastries, ice cream, nachos, etc.) - buy yourself a larger water bottle and remember that you have to drink "X" bottles a day to be on track for Fluid intake. Drink all day long, you will be doing that after your surgery. Get in the habit now. - DO NOT have "food funerals" to say goodbye to the foods you love. You don't have to say goodbye! You will be able to eat anything you want after your surgery once you've recovered and are well on your way towards your goal weight. So no need to have any "last suppers"! You'll just be eating those "old favourites" in small quantities (that will FILL YOU UP!). - Exercise! You don't have to join a gym or run marathons (though later on you just might like that idea!). For now, just try walking. If you find that boring, find a friend to walk with, get a pedometer (I use a FitBit) to motivate and challenge yourself. You can even walk at the Mall if it's too hot where you live (just leave your wallet/purse in the car, or those walks turn into shopping, and not exercise!) YOU CAN DO THIS! 5 weeks is a reasonable time to lose 10 lbs. I lost 11 lbs in 2 weeks on a liquid diet before my surgery (my doctor demanded it to make sure my liver shrunk, for a safe surgery). It was TOUGH, I won't kid you, especially the first 7 days when I was craving carbs like crazy. But by the time my surgery came along, my liver was perfect (my doctor told me after the surgery was complete) and it was 11 lbs less that I had to lose post-op! YOU CAN DO THIS! Make a plan, be committed, be serious. And tell anyone who lives with you what you are doing. Ask for their support and help to keep the "bad stuff" away from you so you are not tempted, and to encourage the important positives you needs, such as moving your body, and drinking fluids. YOU CAN DO THIS!

Oh yes, I agree. I need some "good" carbs! I was craving some yesterday, believe me! I was just trying something a little radical to change things up. I'll be back on regular carbs (trying to say around 40 or less per day). I'm approx. 6 weeks post-op so I'm hesitant to be throwing salad into my diet just yet, in case it's too soon to be digesting raw veggies. But I LOVE Caesar salads, and I'll be looking forward to them in a few weeks, for sure! Also, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh fruit. YUM! I have done deviled eggs though (made with wasabi mustard!) and they were great, fast and yummy!

So after 11 long days, I've finally broken my first post-op stall! I've been stuck at 283.3 lbs for 11 days. This was after 11 lbs lost pre-op (2 week liquid diet) and 24.5 lbs lost post-op (in about 4.5 weeks). I guess I was a bit later than the oft-mentioned "3rd week stall"! Today I am 282.2 lbs! Okay, not a huge drop, but after 11 days of the same (+/- 0.2 lbs), it's very encouraging! Now I know I have nothing to really complain about. Others on the board have suffered stalls of 6 weeks or more early on. Mine was only a week and a half. And I'm averaging 4.4 lbs/week loss (including pre-op diet), which is FANTASTIC! It's just really heartening to see the scale move downward again, even if it's only a bit. I did something drastic yesterday to try to change things up. I went on a 100% carb-free day. It's alot harder than I thought! I ate only things I thought were really carb-free (eggs, chicken, cheese, shrimp) and yet I still managed to ingest 3g of carbs (according to MyFitnessPal). I don't know if that "experiment" had anything to do with my stall being broken, or if it was just the right timing and it would have changed on its own. I also doubled my walking yesterday too, from about 2 miles to nearly 4 miles. Either way, I'll take it! Back on my happy track and looking forward to a continued downward trend!