debbie813

I was sleeved on 1/20/15. To date I have lost some 48 lbs in the 11 weeks since my operation. I hope this will inspire some of you that this operation is not something that will handicap you but will actually free you to a much more enjoyable side of life.
One of the things my wife and I enjoy is cruising. Pre sleeve it was all about the food and the beer. Life has changed now as my 2XL body is just now adjusting to a “lumpy” but comfortable “L” size. My eating habits have become healthier and less the big part of my day. The thing is…. I couldn’t in all fairness to my wife stop vacationing (my wife is not overweight). Veterans of 23 prior cruises over the past 16 years, I had to see if it was possible, and as soon as possible. We booked a cruise on NCL Sun out of Tampa to coincide with my transition into stage 5 (solid foods). I learned a lot this week. And I like what I learned. BTW it was the best cruise ever. No alcohol, small portions…. I had my doubts. But I stuck to the plan. It was easy and doable. Here is what I learned, how I coped, what I did, how I ate and how I did weight wise.
1. I decided on day one that everything I ate would be quality….no bread or Pasta. I ate steak, shrimp, chicken or pork for lunch or dinner, no sandwiches , no sweets… I want to emphasize that there are and to my surprise always were good options on every buffet…..especially for sleevers!
2. Breakfast everyday was eggs, cottage cheese (yes the had it) and if I had room a little yogurt. After which we sent for coffee from room service to enjoy later on the balcony.
3. My day started on deck six everyday with my wife ….which has an open air walking track (on most boats ) for 8 to 10,000 steps….about an hour of leisurely walking. By day 3 I was actually jogging small stretches of the track.
4. Dinner every night was a small bite of an appetizer or a few bites of salad and about half the portion of meat. No dessert, instead I would treat myself to a single espresso after my wife finished her dessert
5. I drank ice Water, skim milk and occasionally made myself an ice coffee in my waterbottle everyday.
6. I drank no….yes zero alcohol!!! It did not bother me a bit. My wife did drink and I got all the exercise going to the bar for her….lol
7. At night we took in as much of the activities and shows as possible.
8. Late night occasionally we would get a small bite at the late night buffet. Most nights.
9. I challenged myself to do a shore tour ( I never liked doing things because of my weight ) We did cave tubing in Belize and snorkeling in Roatan Honduras. Which is “not” like me.
10. I think the toughest thing on the cruise is the looks the waiters give you when you don’t finish your meal….I got a lot of…. “you no like? I bring you something else?” I gave a simple “I’m fine…it was delicious!” which works everytime.
11. I think my smartest idea was though to bring a nice water bottle… it was very handy.
12. I bought a new T-shirt in every port in my new size “L” That was a great feeling.
So what was the end result? I was never hungry, slept great, ate some tasty things, met a goal of at least 10k steps every day and still lost 3.2 lbs. It was the first cruise that I actually fit in the clothes that I came on the boat in. I hope this blog encourages you to get out there……but you have to follow the plan and be strong enough to stick to it. It wasn’t hard at all.
LOVING MY SLEEVED LIFE
John M

Thanks!

It's liquid so it's not really going to hurt anything. You might want to practice slowing down because it may cause problems as you move forward to more solid foods. Once you hit pureess and soft foods you'll need to heed the suggestion to stick to 2 - 4 ounces.

Thanks so much for everyone's input, suggestions & kind words. You guys are amazing.

Try using unflavored Protein Powder instead of pre-made shakes. All that artificial stuff may be making you ill. You can add the Water Enhancer drops, a little at a time, to the unflavored Protein in your Water (make the water tepid), to the sweetness you can tolerate. Hopefully this will improve your ability to get more in without throwing it back up. Try little sips, but keep them coming, spacing it out a little. Swallow, let sit for a bit, swallow some more. Gentle and slow. The tepid water isn't as offensive tot the new tummy. Let us know how you do!

For the first week I was not able to. Almost into my 3rd week but still lagging in getting in 64 ounces + all Protein needed. I'd say I'm getting 60 grams of Protein and 48 ounces of total fluids and I'm doing great. Do your best but don't push yourself to throw up. I suggest the Pro Series Muscle Milk to help you. 11 oz. contains 32 grams of protein. The 14 ounce is 40 oz. It has been a life saver!
Slow and steady...keep moving ing the right direction.
Good luck!!!

I definitely wasn't getting in ALL my Water and Protein just a few days post-op. I did my best to focus on water first. My nutritionist recommended trying to get 1 ounce every 15 minutes. Marching in place while sipping helped some.

Maybe it's to thick. I had a shake as soon as I got out and I was an out patient. I'm drinking the Fuzzy Naval orange and it works great for me. It does however take me over an hour to drink it but I did. I also ate ice chips all day.

Don't foget your shakes and broths count toward your 64 oz goal. But I'm 4 weeks out tomorrow and still usually only manage about 48 oz of water/day and about 65-75 grams of Protein. I'm a SADI so I require 80-100 grams/day. Some days you will find are easy than others. I don't beat myself up I do the best I can do day by day.

I had surgery Monday and got home yesterday. I have been a little nervous to try a shake yet so i have been drinking Water today. I had a little broth at lunch and am thinking maybe some sf Jello later, but I will try to take a shake tomorrow and see how it goes. I haven't had any nausea yet, but drinking still hurts my chest a little and I'm burpy, so i am taking it easy.

Doing pretty well these days, with my days of the complications behind me. Thought I'd share some before after shots. Thanks all for your support.
Al

Good luck, you will do fine. I just had mine on 4/20 and it was a lot better than I imagined.

You will be fine.
One thing that helped me was that I made a commitment to myself to do everything I was asked to do. They truly have your best interests at heart in seeing that you have the best outcome.

Very happy for you! I would say not to fret over the aches and gas pains right after. They will pass and every day gets better. Things will happen fast from here on out.
I had my VSG on a Tuesday and started a new job on Monday, you will be up and around in no time.
Get a plan and listen to your body and focus on your Protein.
You're doing the right thing!

Be nice to yourself and be your own advocate!! You are the customer!! If you are uncomfortable or in pain, insist on getting the appropriate medication/treatment. Once you are able, sip, sip, sip and walk, walk, walk. And then rest, rest, rest!! Let your body heal. You've got this.
Good luck!

@@AvaFern Indeed!! the BEST drugs EVER!! And they sent me home with two bottles of some awesome pain relief. I am being kept VERY comfortable and happy!! I just cant say enough good things about my experience.

Walking into the OR is empowering because it is you clearly taking the situation by the horns and handling business. I did not know they generally knock you out on valium or some form of sedative before they wheel you into the OR for this surgery or my first plastics procedure, but my last two plastics surgeries I insisted on being fully non-drugged when they put me to sleep. Generally they don't make you walk because they have to have the bed with you and roll your IV, EKG leads, and monitor with you and it's more hassle than it's worth, but I say enjoy the experience. You know how you walked down the aisle at your wedding? Ready for a whole new life? Look at this situation exactly like this. Get your head up, march your butt into that OR, and own it.
Also, the drugs they give you to knock you out are about 10 seconds of the best high ever. This way you get to enjoy that too.

Good Luck!!!! I know things will work out fine and you'll be on the way to a smaller you in days!

@@debbie813 I just had my surgery last Thursday. My advice is to stop being nervous. These surgeons have this procedure down! I went in on surgery day, barely got my clothes off, a gown on, and IV in, before they said....we're bumping you up, can't IV 2 ladies, so you;re next. Next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery. I truly believe attitude is everything. When I went in I was not worried, and I had every faith in my surgeon. My pain level never got above a 6. Since I've been home, I've followed my food plan, been walking on the treadmill, etc. I am one of the lucky ones, but so can you be. Wishing you all the best, and a swift and nearly painless recovery!

Ditto SueZQ!!!!!!! You can always message me, click on my logo. And take some time and read the hundreds of posts on here, so you are truly prepared for the adventure ahead! Hugs to you.....

We are your support now! You will never be alone in this. I look forward to keeping in touch with others who are going through this at the same time. When is your surgery scheduled?

You're going to do just fine. And so am I. My surgery date is this Monday, April 27th. I'm definitely scared but you know what? A month ago it hurt to walk a block. I don't want to go through that again. My life has been a series of ups and downs (weight-wise) and after this surgery I'll be much more healthier and active. This is the first step toward a better, healthier, thinner life! I'm glad you're here, this is a great group of people.

Thank you so much, I really love the support here it is amazing!!!

I have a very good relationship with my boss as well. I didn't think I could walk in & tell her, so I actually wrote her an email. First thing I did was tell her why I was writing instead of talking (that I couldn't talk about this without getting emotional). I told her that I had done a lot of research and had been contemplating the surgery for a long time. I'm taking sick & vacation time both.
She wrote me back the sweetest note telling me that she loved me as I am, but that she supports my decision. After that we've been able to talk about the particulars of dates, etc.
Do whats best for you,but like the others, I'd try to avoid lying. Good luck!

Maybe it's the fact that I'm cutting down both caffeine and sugar but boy do I feel blue. Did anyone go through this? I'm at half-caff coffee & pretty much no sugar. I need to get out of this funk. My surgery date is April 27.
After you lose your weight, what do you want to do? I really want to go horseback riding, bodysurfing & take a segway tour. I want to do everything I haven't felt I could do.
Everyone else?