LT1002

It's all the fluid. Don't worry - you'll lose it in a couple of days.

As terrible as childbirth sounds, people still go back and have more kids. They say you forget how bad it is. I think it's the same for VSG once the weight comes off - you forget how miserable it is, especially that first month!

NSAID people - ask your doctors about Mobic. It's a prescription only pill, but is easier on the stomach - my spouse's gastroenterologist recommended it. I have 2 herniated disks, a labral tear in my hip, and bursitis. My surgeon said if I decide to go back on my NSAID, I'll have to stay on my PPI. Had I known no NSAIDs, I wouldn't have had this surgery - my back and hip pain are far too bad and there's no way I could function without an anti-inflammatory (I had a bad reaction to steroid injections, so it's NSAIDs or nothing).

Two more points and then I'll stop beating this dead horse... 1) OP asked when, not if. If you haven't had one, simply move on and don't answer. Don't reply by saying you'd never do it. That's not what the OP asked. 2) For those of you who did reply that you'd never eat something that bad for you now that you've been sleeved, think about your pre-sleeve self. Unless you lived under a rock and had no idea what healthy eating looked like, you knew what you should be eating to lose weight. Now imagine if a thin health nut went up to overweight you and said "if you want to lose weight you should eat healthy and exercise like I do!" How insulted would you be? I would guess pretty insulted, probably upset and somewhat angry. Well, you're pretty much doing the same thing to the in moderation people. Some people do come here for advice and in that case, then go for it. But not everyone is looking for that, and in this thread, that's not how the OP phrased her question.

It's a bit disingenuous to suggest the moderation people will fail. Both will learn new ways of eating - the moderation people will learn how to eat the things they like without going overboard and falling into old habits, the strict adherents to a healthy diet will change their entire lifestyle. To each their own - some people are marathon runners, some people are sprinters, and some people like a nice, leisurely jog, but they're all runners. My issue was quantity and choice. Right now, for example, I'm at a late lunch/early dinner at my favorite BBQ place. Pre-VSG, I'd have the pulled pork & brisket combo platter with fried rice, Mac & cheese and a piece of cornbread. I'd pretty much clean my plate. Today I ordered chicken (nice and moist), took off the skin, put the cornbread aside, and had a small bite of Mac & cheese. No rice. To some people, that bite of m&c would be heresy! But to me, I know where I'm coming from and see the change in my eating habits. I know I'm never going to be that strict, healthy eater, so I know for me, the best thing to do is learn to eat like a better me. I also know that after doing a strict healthy diet, I would fall off the wagon big time and probably make myself sick. Again, to each their own. What's good for one person isn't necessarily the best thing for everyone and to suggest that one way is right or better than another isn't really helpful to anyone.

I had one (or at least part of one) to break a stall - wanted to up my calories, but knew I could only do it with a liquid. I think that was at about week three post-op. Went down fine and did break the stall as I expected.

My doctor never put me on a pre-op diet - just 24 hours of liquids before surgery. When I asked him about it, he said it wasn't necessary and there was no evidence that a short time on a special diet would shrink the liver enough to make a difference.

At my two week post-op, my NUT said I could start eating more normal food as long as I chewed it very well before swallowing, Protein before carbs. My doc said after three weeks, you're pretty much out of the woods for a leak. Every doctor and nut gives different instructions and info to their patients. Check with your doctor and nut about what to do - they're the only ones whose opinions matter.

If we're confessing... I went to the Olive Garden with my pregnant wife for the never ending Pasta bowl. I got the angel hair and marinara and ate maybe 1/4, probably less. Tracked it on MFP. Yeah, pasta = carbs, but it wasn't like I ate a basket of those delicious breadsticks. Ok. I had one. Which had twice as many calories in it than my pasta, but OMG was it good. A treat now and then - be it sweet or savory - makes this journey a lot less miserable, but now and then can't be every day. That's the one thing that has changed for me and I can live with that.

You will, occasionally, regret this surgery. The recovery is pretty miserable, until at least a month out. I'm almost 6 weeks out and finally feel completely normal again. I don't regret it as much as I did at first - I've lost 20.5 lbs, which I never could have done without the surgery. I eat pretty much normally now. Certain things don't go down well, no matter how much I chew. Green leafy salad is tough - tried a little bit a week ago and it hurt. Broccoli - even well done - was difficult (and caused my first and only vomiting episode). I drink a little soda and have a little coffee - I need the caffeine to get going. I've tolerated fried foods, though with a bit of discomfort. I try to stay away from most carbs. I go out to eat often, and finding stuff to eat isn't as difficult as I expected. Again, the early weeks are miserable, but once you get through that, it's not too bad and life goes back to normal, but with a healthier lifestyle.

I'm only 5 1/2 weeks out and am losing tons of hair! Had the band - no loss at all, but with the sleeve I started losing it a couple of weeks ago. Comes out just when I run my hand through my hair. Totally freaking me out. I have lots of thick hair, so it's not noticeable... yet. At this rate, though, it won't be long until it is.

I had been stalled at 3 weeks, drank a milkshake (!) to up my calories in case I was in starvation mode - it worked and I dropped 2 lbs. Just got back from vacation where it was impossible to eat healthy and was happy to have lost another .5 lbs instead of gaining. Stuck here for a couple of days, but that's fine - still adding new foods as my stomach heals (5 weeks out now), so I expect things to go a bit slower. I can't imagine not being able to lose weight when I'm taking in 500 calories a day - I think it's virtually impossible not to.

Yay! I'm not Catholic so I never got to take confession! - I confess that like a lot of people, I drink diet soda. Not nearly as much as I used to, and only a few sips here and there, but I won't give up everything. - I confess that when I feel like crap I regress to my childhood sick "food" and drink YooHoo. - I confess I still drink caffeinated coffee, but only in the morning on the way to work. I need to wake up! - I confess that I had some of a chocolate milkshake the other day to see if some high calories would make my body think it wasn't in starvation mode. (it worked - broke my stall and I lost two more pounds!) - I confess that I secretely enjoy my wife being pregnant so she (who has always been skinny) is gaining weight while I'm losing it.

Agree with the poster above. I worked with kids on the autism spectrum through college and grad school and never have I met a group of more dedicated and loving parents. My inspiration to go to law school stemmed from working with families and seeing how difficult it was for them to have access to appropriate services for their children. My career veered off path somewhat (I still represent children, many with bipolar disorder and ADHD), but will forever be grateful for the experience I had working with those kids and their families. You are all amazing people!

I had ordered a pair of jeans online before surgery in my usual size from Old Navy. Tried them on when I got them and they were way too small - seems that I should have read the reviews because everyone said they were too small and to order a size or two up. Never got around returning them. Tried them on today and not only do they fit, they're even a little loose! I couldn't even get them all the way up before! Today is exactly 4 weeks since my surgery. I've been beyond miserable. I've already gone through a stall once. I've lost 19 lbs. But it's the little things like this that make me feel like there's hope! I'm starting to not hate my sleeve!

I haven't had blood taken post-sleeve, but I had low ferritin levels after another surgery. Went as low as 4. Doctor put me on 325mg 3x/day of just the regular iron supplement you can get at the drug store. All my iron-related levels are up as long as I keep taking the supplements.

Thanks all! And yes, OTR, I'll need new suits, but I'd rather wait until I can get them someplace other than the plus section!

I've been on Cymbalta for about 10 months. I was sleeved on 7/17. Prior to the surgery, my doc told me it would be ok to open the capsules and take it with liquid during the "no swallowing pills" phase. I tried that once and had wild dreams that bordered on hallucinations. I swallowed the capsule (a big no no), and it was fine. Anyone else find this when opening capsules?

My doc said at 3 weeks you're pretty much out of the woods.