ssriley

I had the same thing last for about a week when I was a month post-op. Hot knife when I would bend over to tie my shoes or get up from a couch, etc. Doc said the nerves were healing and was totally normal. All good since then.

I drove to work 6 hrs at 10-days post op. I was weak but the drive was manageable. I remained on the weak side till 4 weeks post-op before I felt "normal". Hope it goes well.

Here's mine. Just plug in the weight each day and tweak it as needed. It calculates your BMI and weight loss automatically if you don't overwrite the formulas. My Diet Track.xls

Early on I used a little broth and Picante Sauce for moisture and spice, along with a little mustard. A little sour cream will smooth it out even more. This was my go-to food my first couple of months.

This isn't like having your tonsils out. This is major surgery, and though the risks are low they are not non-existant. My wife arranged to have someone watch our boys so she could be there because if anything went south the last place she wanted to be was somewhere else when that happened. Everything went according to plan, but she was terrific support while I was in my feeble state for a few days. She was especially helpful with monitoring fluid outputs for the 1st day, which saved me a lot of embarrassing situations in the bathroom, not to mention just getting there and back to my bed. I don't want a stranger with me in those situations - things are tough enough that first 24-hrs.

Resumed my 2 cups every morning with sugar-free vanilla creamer at 10 days with no issues. I'm about 13 weeks out now and still lovin' my coffee.

My hair color is still clear. Shoot.

Mini BabyBel Lights by Laughing Cow. They're in a mesh bag and are individually wrapped in wax. They are soft, only 50-cals but 8 gm of protein. They are easier on me than the string cheese and taste better too.

I have had 2 cups every morning with my sugar-free french vanilla since my 3rd week with no problems. Life is good. Ten weeks out now.

I have had occasional drinks since about six weeks out. I have even used a small amount of diet cola for a mixer with no issues as the fizz is gone pretty fast. No issues except a little burping - but nothing as glorious as I did before surgery anyway. Contrary to what I've heard, alcohol doesn't affect me any differently than it did pre-surgery. And it really goes good with my cigars. Yes ...I said it. Life is good.

Premier Protein at Sams. They are thinner - go down easier with more mellow taste - 30-gms of protein - and saves the mixing hassle.

The Prep H Cooling Gel doesn't do anything that I can tell. Years ago my Dr. said that Anusol cream is best for shrinking and I've found that to be true. They were bought out by Tucks now, but it seems to be the same formula in the tube.

I was dog tired every day till I was right at 4 weeks out, then seemed to suddenly get back my mojo overnight. My energy level is much higher now than before surgery even on 600-800 calories and 8 weeks out. Hang in there cuz it will pass.

I went back to work at 10 days but it was a struggle. It was right at 4 weeks out before I felt back to my normal strength level.

My Doc said 15-20 min's after, but it's usually longer before I even need a drink.

I'm at 6-wks today and am down 40-lbs. I was in a stall for 3 weeks but have begun to drop fast in the last several days. Cool beans.

I'm 6 weeks out and I get a few hiccups when I am full, and have a bit of a lump feeling in the middle of my chest. I'm learning the hard way to take a few minutes between bites and see where I'm at because full comes quick, and the line between full and oh-oh is slim, at least for me.

I was self-pay. Had an ECG, X-ray, bloodwork - no pre-op diet other than prior 24 hrs (standard), no drain, no post surgery scripts other than the normal pain/nausea ones. Currently 4 weeks out and still singin'.

I asked my surgeon at my first appointment if I would have to be on a pre-op diet to shrink my liver, and he said in thousands of surgeries he's only had one patient whose liver was large enough to be an issue for surgery. He had me lay on the table and palpated me - then said "You're fine. You've struggled enough, let's give you the tool (my VSG) you need to get you're weight off. Just don't go nuts till then". I vote my Dr. for President. He knows most of his patients are professional dieters, and I alone have lost enough weight in my life to equal a small SUV. But without this wonderful tool we've been gifted with, we just couldn't hold our ground. A mechanic can't fix an engine without a wrench, and statistically without surgery the odds of losing most of your body weight and keeping it off for 5 years is ZERO. I really appreciate the compassion my Dr. shows his patients. We should all have at least as much if not more, for our fellow warriors.

I'm 4 weeks out and have a couple of drinks every weekend since week 3 with no issues. I have a cigar with it as well - life is good again. Everything in moderation.

That feeling of needing to burp is my signal that I'm close to over-full, with nausea next if I take one more bite. My wife bought me a bunch of the 3-oz paper bathroom cups for measuring my meals. One cup is my limit, and until I learn to police myself better on speed and food volume, the cups are sparing me the grief of the technicolor yawn.

I have been drinking 1-2 cups a day since one week out also. Cream and Stevia - no prob's.

My surgeons office provided a card explaining that I'd recently had abdominal surgery, which I hear will help a lot with cooperation from restaurants when we go out to eat. I'm 3 weeks post-op on Monday and we'll test it out this week.

At 3 weeks post-op, I have returned to my normal routine of a cup or two of coffee (with cream and Stevia) before breakfast every morning with no problems. The rest of my fluid intake is all caffeine free. Everything in moderation.