makemyownluck

I had surgery exactly 2 wks ago today. I can't help but think I'm jumping the gun going back to work (this coming from the woman who asked her surgeon if it was possible to get back to work in ONE week, now suddenly I wish I had two more weeks!). I had mush brain for most of the afternoon. I had to sit through a reallllly stupid meeting for an hour and a half this morning and I basically spent the entire day resisting the urge to run out of the building and never come back. I don't know if it's a coincidence or what, but after feeling great for about a week, I get back to work today and had a LOT pain on my left hand side. I think it's from the office chairs at work, which have always been uncomfortable. They are not built for fat people, let me tell you. I always feel like I'm spilling out of the thing and that it's not long enough in the seat to sit in any comfortable way. Well, with all the repositioning I have to do all day in that chair, I think it took its toll and my left side of by belly was aching by mid-morning. I hate my job. Actually, my actual JOB is something I enjoy, I just really dislike the company and management. If I could work from home, I'd never leave my job!! Being away from it really amplified that fact, because going back felt like a shock to my system. I missed having a nap, I missed being able to sleep in, I missed being able to wear comfy pajamas all day. Basically, I missed being on leave! In the back of my mind, when I decided to have this surgery, I said "When I lose some weight, I'm looking for a new job." I went on a few interviews in the past year or so and always get passed over. I even had an interview at a company that a fellow coworker also interviewed for. She was not as qualified as I am, had way less experience, and I can only conclude that she got the job because she's thin and pretty. I don't mean to sound hateful, she was one of my closest work buddies and I miss her, but it just seemed like that's what got her hired. I remember going to that interview and not seeing a single fat woman there. That's just the society we live in. All of the jobs I've gotten, I was interviewed by an overweight woman. All the jobs I DON'T get are when I'm interviewed by a man or by a thin woman. No, I didn't have this surgery to find a job. But I think if I can be slimmer, dress better and have more confidence, I'll be headed in the right direction to getting a new gig. Hopefully one that pays as well, because money is THE ONLY thing keeping me at my current job! :\ That was an unexpected tangent - but I can also share that I've moved on to the next diet stage, which includes soft meats like fish and deli meat. I haven't tried fish yet (not a huge fan, but would like to try it), but the deli turkey is working out great. I can have 1 or 2 slices and feel full. I haven't felt any hunger yet, but I am still fighting the urge to eat cuz I'm bored. That should calm down now that I'm back and work and out of the house most of the day. It was tough not reverting to old habits when I was just lounging around the house for days on end! Thankfully, even if I did eat out of boredom, I can eat so little that it's not a huge impact. Everything is going into MFP - I promised myself that I would track better after surgery, and I have. I'm getting in about 800-1000 cals and 90-110g protein per day. Part of me thinks that is too much/too soon, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not. I don't plan to bump my calories up too much as I move through the stages, and I'm happy that I'm not struggling with the protein. Everything I have tried has gone down just fine. I've had a bit of gas here and there, but I just burp and feel fine. No pain, no vomiting or over stuffing myself yet. Been feeling okay overall... just bummed I'm not independently wealthy. I've lost 21lbs since surgery 2 wks ago, but after the first week (which was mostly gas/fluids/swelling, my weight loss has slowed down. It's been 1lb every other day. I KNOWWW that's not bad, but considering that I started with a high BMI, I was hoping to be one of those folks whose weight slides right off. We'll see what happens. I'm hoping my soreness in my tummy with fade in the next 2 weeks so I can REALLY hit it at the gym. I feel like I can't even walk that fast right now because my belly moves around and hurts to much. Well, I'm going to try for that nap I've been wishing for all day! Hope all my fellow May sleevers are doing well!

Well, I won't sugar coat it... it's was pretty painful for me the first couple of days. I was feeling better by the end of day 2 when they sent me home, but the soreness is still here 2 wks later. The first few days, tho, it was tough to move around like they wanted me to. I WANTED to get up and walk like they suggested, but it was so very hard. They will give you meds to help control the pain, or at least curb it. And ask them for an abdominal binder, because for me, standing up and my stomach falling due to gravity was very, very uncomfortable. It gets better everyday. I can move around now with no problems (bending, etc), but it's still sore - more like 'an awareness' of the incisions is still there.

^^ was just gonna say "bet you don't do that again!" I really wanted some Jimmy John's today. but I know it's wayyyy too soon for all that bread - then I started wondering if I'd EVER be able to eat that bread again. I totally get the carb craving... I have it for bread all. the. time.

ohhhh.... pretty sure I have a filter to skip all the emails from this site. Even after updating my settings, I was getting a million too many. I'm gonna have to go look for that now!

awww snappp, you're famous, girl! (I don't have any idea what newsletter they are talking about, but I'll take Fiddleman's word for it). You rock. Thanks for always being helpful (and silly).

I wasn't a fan of EAS carb control, but I think all of these shakes take some getting used to. I use the RTD premier Protein shakes from costco. I think your NUT might nix the RTD because they are not 100% pure whey protein. They are a blend with casein, which is still acceptable per my NUT, but they all have differing opinions on what you should use. Syntrax nectar is good and has lots of different flavors. It's powder, but depending on the flavor, you can mix with Water or milk. They have a twisted cherry flavor that's pretty good with water, sort of like Kool-Aid. You can get a variety sample pack from bjsbariatrics.com and then pick what you like and get tubs of it from amazon.com. I tried the unjury, and for the price, quite frankly, I wasn't impressed. People say that chicken broth flavor is good, but I thought it was awful, and the others that I mixed with cold water or milk were clumpy even in a cup designed to shake up protein powders. I was disappointed, but I got their sample pack so my financial commitment wasn't too great. I have 2 tubs of Body Fortress, which is available at walmart. strawberry and the other is chocolate Peanut Butter. I also have 2 tubs of Syntrax Nectar unflavored (one unopened) and I just don't use any of them. I'd be willing to ship them off if someone was willing to pay (even a little bit) for opened Protein Powder... I just don't like them compared to the RTD Premier drinks - it bums me out to see the wasted money. :\ The point is that there isn't really a fool-proof flavor out there, unfortunately. You really have to try a bunch and see what works. I suggest getting a few sample packs like I mentioned and trying them out, cuz you're never really gonna know what you like otherwise! Good luck! liquid phase SUCKS - but I had surgery on May 2nd and can eat food again and it's worth it. I just had half of a wrap sandwich with a slice of turkey deli meat and small sliver of avocado, and I'm full. That would have NEVER filled me up pre-op! It's all worth it. Hang in there!

My insurance covered the surgery, so my financial commitment has been minimal compared to some others that I've seen out there. But I can definitely understand being reluctant when so much of your hard earned cash is on the line. I had surgery 11 days ago and have lost 20lbs. I also lost more than 50 on the pre-op diet. I started at a higher weight, and very high weight folks like me tend to lose more quickly - but remember that we have a longer road to travel. Ultimately, slow and steady is the best way to do it to reduce sagging skin as much as possible. I'm just happy to get the weight off, no matter how fast or slow it happens. Given the restriction in eating, I don't think it's likely that you won't lose weight. If your fear is that it will happen too slowly, then try to learn some patience. It's not a race. As nice as it would be to drop all our extra weight overnight, it's just not going to happen that way. It took you years to gain it, so if it takes you over a year to lose it, that's still incredibly fast compared to how it went on! I chose the sleeve because I wanted to reduce my chances of regaining. I did a pre-op diet that mimicked what my post-op diet would be like (but ate more of it pre-op) so that I'd be prepared. Now I'm 11 days out, getting in 800 cals per day and 90g of Protein, in under 30g carbs for the day. I don't know that the weight will keep sliding off this easily (I know a lot several pounds that I lost were simply the surgical fluids/swelling), but I'm already happy with my decision. I'm happily looking forward to what the future holds!

doctor told me to expect 2 nights and that's how long I was there.

scrambled egg with cheese. yummm

11 days post op breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with 1/2 slice american cheese sipped a chocolate Protein shake through the morning lunch: 1/3 cup pureed veggie Soup, 4 oz cottage cheese dinner: baked ricotta with tomato basil sauce and parmesan and another Protein Shake. about 800 cals, 90g protein.

I had surgery on the 2nd. Still sore, mostly on the left side, and can't sleep comfortably at night. I'm a side sleeper, and I'm nowhere close to ready to roll over. Other than that, doing well, still hard to bend over, but getting better. My diet has been pretty good. Here's what I have in a typical day: Breakfast/morning - 1 scrambled egg with half american cheese single slice - 10g Protein 1 chocolate premier Protein shake - 30g protein (takes about an hr to get the whole shake down) lunch - some homemade veggie soup I made and pureed. I used MFP to calculate, it's 6g protein per serving either cottage cheese or yogurt, depending on which I feel like. 10g-16g protein dinner - same as dinner - or eggs. I'm having a hard time knowing what to have for dinner. I'm not ready for meat yet, but I want to try pureed chicken salad or deli lunch meat soon. usually around 10g protein then I have another premier shake in the evening - 30g protein. So I'm between 90-100g protein a day, and my calories are around 800. I feel great and I haven't been hungry since before surgery!

You only have 27lbs to goal? That's AWESOME!! I can bet that you're actually making a lot of GOOD choices too if you're maintaining your weight so close to goal. That's something to be applauded, too! Not gaining, IMO, is just as exciting as losing. But I have a long way to go, lol. I'd try to cut out carbs, even if it's just for a week or two, to see if it curbs your appetite. I've read that the hunger does eventually come back, and I hope mine stays gone for a long time! But when I was pre-op, I did a low, low carb (almost no carb) diet and my hunger was completely gone in 2-3 days. Maybe do that for a few months if you can, get to goal, and then start adding in carbs to maintain? Do you think you'll make it to goal without needing surgery to remove any skin?

Thank you, Don!

Well, you say you haven't lost weight, but have you gained? If you haven't gained (or haven't gained much), then that's your sleeve hard at work, even when you're not controlling what you're eating very well. I'd definitely suggest tracking everything you eat. There are apps like My Fitness Pal and Spark that let you enter in your recipes so you can truly track it all. Tracking makes me see in no uncertain terms what I'm eating and lets me see where I need to make adjustments. Definitely make sure you're getting your Protein requirements in and watch your carb/sugar intake. When you eat lots of processed food, carbs and sugar, it keeps your blood sugar fluctuating too much and makes you feel hungry sooner. Plus, as someone else mentioned, it goes right through your stomach. Protein dense foods take longer to digest and your body can/will make use of it, as opposed to carbs, which if they aren't burned immediately, they are stored as fat. I'm sure you already know what to do. It's just a matter of doing it. You have to take control! Go revisit your NUT and get a plan from them, track your intake, exercise more if you need to and you'll see the scale start moving down again. Good luck, hon! You can make it happen!!

AGREE to have your husband give you the massage. You can have the professional one when your finances recover. Also, maybe do a date "morning" and go to a movie at matinee hours in the morning? This is the only time I ever see movies in the theater because it's not as crowded, even on the weekend, and it's cheap. The theater near me is $5 for matinee.

Thanks, everyone. I'm so, so happy about this. For the first time since surgery, i actually did my hair AND make up. Feeling more like myself everyday! Last night, I put on music and danced around my living room. I haven't done that IN YEARS. I used to do it all the time when I was younger, but then I gained too much weight and moving around was difficult and painful. But I felt like a kid again, just dancing away. Now I need to learn new moves! lol I know it will only get better. I am so excited to see where life takes me. I'm trying to figure out where my first plane trip will be - still a ways off, but I'm thinking I want to go to Vegas. Or Atlantic City. I'm leaning toward AC because I also want to see the ocean!

11 days post op here - I slept A LOT through the first 5 days. I know I didn't get my fluids in! I just slept and slept and slept. I think you heal better when you're sleeping (just my own personal theory, I have no idea if it's medical fact). If you need to sleep, then sleep! But try to get in what you can when you're awake. It will get better. It could definitely be related to the anesthesia. Good luck!

Same here! Sipped the first couple of days, then drank normally. SO glad, I didn't want to have to sip for the rest of my life anyway.

Have you gotten new shoes lately? Do you have shoes made for walking? Make sure you stand up straight while you walk, don't lean on the handles if you're on a treadmill. Make sure you're hydrated also. Take an ibuprofen to help with the aches. Keep working through it. Go slower the next day if you need to, but the point is to hang in there. It WILL get easier.

I have a Taylor brand digital scale. I got it at Costco for $20 on sale.

eggs was my first choice. I made 1 scrambled eff with a half a slice of cheese. It was like heaven. HEAVEN... But you said you don't want any of that stuff. How about Soup? Cream of (whatever you like) soup? My doctor said mashed potatoes were okay, only on this stage, because they go down easily. And refried Beans are okay on this stage as well. With a little shredded cheddar - yumo. I couldn't wait to eat. And I'm loving it! Just making smarter choices and eating a lot, a lot less.

May 2nd seems like such a long time ago. When I think of how I was feeling that day and how I feel today, it truly makes me so proud of my body. My body that I've abused with a lifetime of overeating. My body that had to wait patiently for years for my mind to realize it was time to make a change. My body that has recovered so beautifully and allowed me to be as comfortable as possible through every last thing I've put it through. I could cry. For the first time ever, I love my body. The day of surgery, my blood pressure was good. I hadn't been on any bp meds since 8 days prior, per my PCP because my bp was getting too low and I was feeling very faint because of it. I was already so impressed with my heart being able to recover so quickly from hypertension and I had only lost 50lbs. I know that 50lbs is quite an accomplishment, but I'm still in need of losing 200 or more (if I can without skin removal), so it seems like just a post in a very long road. I'm teetering on the brink of the 300s. This morning, my scale went between 399 and 402 before settling on 400.2. I could very well be in Tres Town when I wake up tomorrow! I couldn't believe it when the digital scale went down to 399! It's amazing. I'm so pleased with everything so far. So here's my saga of surgery and recovery to present. This is more for my own reflection later, but I thought it might help someone who's starting their journey soon. I couldn't sleep the night before surgery. Well, I slept, but only for 3 hours. During surgery, my blood pressure went up, so they gave me Labetalol. Immediately after surgery, when I was in recovery, my heart rate dropped to 45. I slept through all of this. In fact, most people spend a couple of hours in recovery, and I slept for 6 hours in recovery instead. My blood pressure was normal and once I woke up, they sent me to my room. Moving from bed to bed was very, very painful. The nurses had to check me for bed sores and roll me around and I didn't even have the energy to cry. AS SOON as they were done, they gave me morphine. I tried to get comfortable but my back was hurting. My parents came to say hello and visit, but I was tired and it was late, so they left to go home. When my nurse came to check on me, I told her my back was hurting, so she called to get me a new bed. This was a blessing and a curse. The new bed was great, but I had to change beds again! It was an air mattress and so comfy I didn't need a pillow under my head. The nurse so kindly helped me brush my teeth and wash my face from bed and got me some mouth swabs because I couldn't have liquids til my upper GI the next morning. I sent a few texts to friends to let them know I was okay, then slept til morning when they came to take me for the GI. That upper GI was painful also. Moving was really hard. My tummy is so big and giggly, every movement was painful and sore. When I went back to my room, they removed my catheter and brought me breakfast - beef broth (gross), coffee (why?), orange juice (again, acidy, why?), and green jello. The nastiest of all the jellos. I was pouting thinking there was nothing that I could eat and then I saw - cherry Italian ice cup. HEAVEN! Granted, it was about 3 baby bites of heaven, but I was so happy. I was sleeping through most of the day when the nurse came in and checked my bp to find that it was 80/40. She walked in while I was sleeping and my heart rate was 40. They put me on a holter monitor and ran an EKG which said I had a grade 1 A-V block and a mild arrhythmia. The on call doc saw me and said he believed it was due to the anethesia and morphine, and that because I was improving, it wasn't a need for major concern. He suggested I follow up with my PCP, who might send me to a cardiologist for an echo, depending on how a repeat EKG goes. I felt dehydrated and a little weak, they tried to take blood but literally could only get drops before my vein would collapse. I was eerily calm through all of this. My parents weren't going to come visit me that day because they live almost 2 hours from Chicago. I had talked to my parents first thing in the morning and all of this took place after the nap I took after I spoke to them. I'd told them they could just come Saturday when I knew I was going to get released. I didn't even think to call them when all of this heart business happened, because in my mind, I felt like I knew it was just anesthesia and the morphine and I just wasn't scared. I got up and walked around more because they took out the catheter, so I HAD to get up to use the bathroom. I walked around my room as best I could and then just slept. I never turned my TV on ONCE while I was there. Not once!! I made myself drink more water. I made myself walk. And later that night, my bp was up. My heart rate was up. I still have a mild arrhythmia, but the nurse said it's benign and my PCP already knows about it. My stay at the hospital was great. The nurses and techs were all really genuinely friendly and kind and helpful. The staff at my surgeons office has been excellent, too. My follow up visit was Friday, 8 days post op, and it was good. I lost 13lbs in 8 days. I'm at 17lbs lost in 10 days now. I'm on soft foods now and I cooked myself some soup yesterday, made some protein pudding, and just felt like I was having a normal weekend. I love making soup on Saturdays and having several cups through the day as it cooks more and more. I was able to have that same experience this weekend, but my total trips to the soup only totalled 1.5 cups of soup for the day. That's exactly what I wanted from the sleeve. Yes, I've made and will continue to make many healthy changes in my life. But if I want to have a lazy day of eating, the sleeve will let me do it and still lose weight. I don't have to lose myself in this surgery. Now the "living the rest of my life" begins, and I'm so, so happy to be here. I'm grateful my body has made it through all of this. I can't wait to see what my body can do when it's lost this weight. It feels nice to love myself again, and the affection will only get better from here!

I had surgery on the 2nd. I'm so grateful to say that everything was great from start to finish. It took me about 4 days to feel like myself again, but my pain was tolerable. I took my pain meds every 6 hrs like the prescription said for the first 2 days home. Then just in the morning and evening the next day, then just the evening the next two days. I'm off meds and still have a little trouble with bending ALL the way down, but can do most things I need to with a modified squat/bend. I really need to use my arms to stand up, but it's getting easier everyday. I didn't experience ANY issues like vomiting or nausea. I have been adding things into my diet, I'm on soft/mushies right now and everything has gone down just fine. I get a little gassy with some things, mostly the Protein shakes, but gas-x strips are working really well with that. We all experience bumps in the road, but honestly, overall, I feel so good. A lot of that is just RELIEF that it's over, that I don't have to stress about it anymore because I was fighting to get this done since last July! I wish you all luck - your nerves are completely normal and hopefully it will be a lot of worry for nothing. We're here for ya either way! Good luck to everyone with surgery this month - MAY SLEEVERS UNITE!

As far as what to expect - oh, everyone is different. I was in the hospital for 2 days, then stayed with my parents for 2 days. The first 4-5 days were rough. I didn't get my fluids in or exercise much, I mostly slept! But then, it started to get better. I was able to walk around easier, do more, and each day was better than the next. I'm 10 days post op now and feeling pretty good. I haven't been on my pain meds since day 5 or 6 (I don't remember, exactly). I still can't bend down comfortably, and sometimes I feel sore if I do too much, but it's not unbearable. I'm able to do just about everything I could pre-op, but I still ask for help so I don't over-exert. I wish you luck!

have you tried using gas-x? or beano? beano you take before you eat and it helps prevent gas.