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sounds normal to me, just know once the swelling is reduced in there you will be able to eat a larger portion, and less often! Good luck!

you may have a partial stricture, please have that checked for by your PCP ASAP. They can fix it easily but you need to get it checked to see if that is what it could be.

Isopure tastes pretty good over ice too and Walmart carries that as well (I like the grape frost the best) and at 60 calories is easy to fit in during the day. If the taste is not quite your liking, add some watered down Crystal light to it, the fruit combo tastes good -banana etc in it. I find crystal light too sweet without a lot of extra water and tons of ice in it. We need the fluids in anyway is my attitude. You will do well Bill, keep you in my thoughts on that day, we will be on the road travelling from Lethbridge back to Saskatoon from spending Christmas with Alison and family. say Hi to everyone down in TJ for me OK? Cheers, Donna

My heaviest weight ever was 244 a few years ago. Since having had two knee replacement surgeries last year, I got it down to 211 and then went back up and was gaining a bunch and that is when found our about this sleeve surgery. I was 221 when I came home from having the surgery end of September, and am now at 188. Loving the whole process! And my goal weight is 140, but know that at only 5'2" I will still have under-the-waist belly fat even at that weight, so will likely go and and try for 130! We will see! Donna

Hope, I find it very helpful to sleep when I take a Melatonin dissovable tablet - they are tiny and melt under your tongue, they taste a little minty and it helps to replace the natural melatonin our bodies produce when we get enough sunshine in our days. Set the body clock so we sleep better (circadian I think it is called). Well anyway I use them all the time now as I am older and produce less anyway, also in our climate we are indoors almost all the time in the winter. Give it a try, I buy mine at Walmarts but any pharmacy carries them now. Cheers, Donna:001_cool:

He eats things that are fried in butter and lots of pastas and potatoes - don't get me wrong, I still make him beef stews and lasagnes etc but that means lots of leftovers. He is of German heritage, meat and potato kind of background. It is just that I eat so little now and not fried or starch type foods anymore, so he makes his own many times. Never gains weight either, has a very active lifestyle and is a workaholic - so that is why I guess. When I say he is away lots I mean out in his shop here at home or off with the guys for lunch or coffee - Tim Horton's here is the best for coffe klatches! It always has been hard to get him to eat sufficient vegetables but I did win out with whole wheat bread for him over white! He does eat oatmeal with fruit most mornings but a smaller helping than most, me, two tablespoons with blueberries and hemp hearts!

Isopure (over ice is great), yogurt without fruit, all kinds of soup broths (homemade are the best) try my lentil soup recipe in the recipe section here. I added applesauce in the second week as well as nibbled on Baby Bel low fat cheese until it was liquid in my mouth. Actually Cornell Weight Loss center has bariatric clears only while their sleeve patients are in the hospital and they go home with a diet of soft and pureed foods. So I had a copy of that and incorporated some of their suggestions into my diet after the second week at home. Hope this helps, Donna:001_cool:

You can come anytime and would be very welcomed! Don't forget that I have raised three kids and cooked many many meals with their health and my food budget in mind, and back in the day, we entertained our friends a lot over impromtu meals. We never had a lot of money, so had to be frugal and yet wise. Plus I used to be director of daycare centers and often cooked for them when our cooks were not there. I always planned the menus and did all the shopping for them. So my whole adult life has been a learning process with food and budget constraints. Thank you for the compliments tho, they are few and far between these days. Different times, alone much of the time, cook mostly just for me. Hubby away a lot and cooks his own much of the time when he is here. I eat so differently now is the reason mainly. I notice that I want to eat a lot more when I am alone evenings tho, did it all the time before. Tonight I caved in and made popcorn and ate a LOT of it! Surprised myself how much went down! Yikes, better not do that often! So come on over, I could use the company! Cheers, Donna

Found this in OH forum, hope they don't mind me sharing it here, but it is such a great explanation for why we all go through the inevitable stalls! I take great comfort in knowing this information, so that I don't blame stalls on what I am eating or not doing etc. This explanation is courtesy of Diana Cox. A "stall" at this point is inevitable, and here is why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

Carolyn, I don't know where you get that information about Canada's system and losing our best doctors to the US. Some are often lured by your climate and greed, (perks like matching BMW's for eg and better pay perhaps) but those with roots here, stay here. I, for sure, know that I can choose any doctor I wish, yes, for specialists, he refers me to one but I can ask for any other choice if I think I know of a better one. Health care is the responsibility of each province but the standards they have to live up to are federal and they also contribute federal taxes towards the provinces as well. We hear horror stories about malpractice and how many patients doctors kill by negligence in the US all the time, so I know it isn't all roses in your free-enterprise system. There are good and bad in both systems but having it all without paying for each visit or procedure takes the fear out of any individual here going to have symptoms checked and getting treatment for illness and disease at the first signs of discomfort. It is a real blessing. Especially with advancing age where the expenses would be the hardest to bear, the elderly here are well taken care of. I know, I am getting to be one of them. And I am very grateful for our universal health care! Sorry to rant, but I felt it only fair to clear up some points you brought up. Donna:001_cool:

I tell anyone who cares to hear! I believe the more this sleeve surgery gets publicized the better as so many only know of the bypass or the band. With so many obese people out there - they really need to hear about this! I love my sleeve so much I could shout it from the housetop! Yes, at 190 lbs NOW, they wonder why I needed it but at thirty pounds heavier and with my arthritis problems they quickly understand! Folks, don't keep this under a bushell! It needs to be heard - you may only ever help one other individual but that would be wonderful! And they would tell and those would go and and tell and pretty soon you have created the ripple effect and many could be helped down the road. Weren't you glad and grateful you found this? I sure am, and don't give a rat's ass what anyone else thinks - with my enthusiasm they don't get a chance to rip me apart in any shape or form! I just bowl them over with positives. Had a rough start with my daughter when I told her what and where I was having this done, but she came around quite nicely and is having the procedure herself in a month at the same place. My sister too! Can't argue with the success I am having! Cheers, Donna

I really hate to waste food! Having been brought up during war-time rationing and with parents who went thru the dirty-thirties will do that to you! So I hear you! I freeze individual chicken breasts (buy them in a large container - but not the prefrozen seasoned ones pumped with water) and cut off enough to stir fry (perhaps 1/3 of the breast or less) and put the rest back in the freezer - it cuts not too bad frozen. Then I chop that up and stir fry it in a teflon pan and add some mixed frozen veggies til done and for a tasty sauce cut in half a baby bel cheese and stir til it melts. Really quite yummy. Today I made some ground chicken chili, hope hubby eats some, if not will keep enough out for 4 meals or so and freeze the rest. Bake some fish in your toaster oven along side some fresh veggies (eg. carrots, sweet potato, red pepper, sliced tomato or any that you really like and spray with Pam olive oil and when cooked, sprinkle with lemon and salt and pepper for a nice meal. I like to buy thick slices of ham and can use that in many ways and it keeps all week in the meat compartment of the fridge. I love eggs now - have tham at least 3 or 4 times a week. Scramble them with diced ham and chopped green onion for a meal. I made meatballs out of ground bison the other day, I just added sauteed onions, egg, a little bit of bread crumbs and seasoned salt and browned them up for a really nice lean meat meal - I ate them with left-over baked fresh veggies. I made a gravy for hubby and mashed potatoes as he is a meat and potatoes guy! Next time use the ground bison or Xtra lean ground beef to make a moist meat loaf with onion, oatmeal and V-8 juice and form the rest into patties and freeze individually to sautee in the future. Pork tenderloin is another great lean meat that cuts up into nice portions and freeze either uncooked or cooked (cooked can be taken to work for a meat snack!) Hope this gives you some ideas for cooking for one. Cheers, Donna

I remember reading somewhere that people who weigh themselves daily tend to be more careful of what they eat and they don't allow the lbs to creep up on them, so that is what I do, but just in the early am like most of us here, and if the numbers haven't budged for awhile I don't get discouraged, because I know that eventually they will go down again. Happens to us all!

Yes, I am the same way, used to love to drink plain water, many glasses of it during the day, never drank any juices, pop or beverages with a lot of calories, believing that is was smarter NOT to drink my calories. But now, plain water is ugh! I have a cup of black coffee in the am with my hubby and I do dilute my Crystal lite considerably and add a ton of ice and sip on it instead, so it is almost water but with some flavour. I have at least two 16 oz glasses of that ea day. That and a tsp OXO chicken broth mix in a huge cup of boiling water am and pm gets me most of my fluids for the day. I am looking forward to the taste buds reverting so that water is enjoyable once again. Weird how this surgery affects so many of us this way! Cheers, Donna

Chancie, You've come a long way, girl! Very impressive weight loss! Feels so good to be in onederland! but even more so for you as you have lost so very much! We all are so proud of you! Cheers, Donna

Should not be a problem, I used some raw cane sugar (1/2 tsp) on my tiny bit of porridge before I found Stevia in individual packets, those few calories are not a problem! I was eating porridge after 3 weeks or so from my sleeve surgery, not every day but alternated with other things I liked for Breakfast. Your tastes aften change after this surgery, so don't stock up on very many things beforehand. Best get unflavored whey Protein to add to your own beverages/food and that way you can avoid artificial sweeteners in them. Cheers, and welcome to the board, keep us posted on your progress! Donna:001_cool:

I too have stopped needing blood pressure medications! But best of all, I have no more stress incontinence! Halleluia!

Bring the new tops with you for your surgery to get some more wear out of them as you will be bloated and needing loose -fitting clothing - but you will still want to look nice for sightseeing and the trip there and back. Afterwards, well who knows - if they are cotton-based, you can wash and dry in real hot water and dryer for some shrinkage to occur and get a few weeks more that way. I am amazed at how many clothes I have to give away already (down 30 lbs) hardly anything fits and thank goodness for knits that drape better with weight loss! Cheers, Donna

Stands for Non scale Victory...such as an accomplishment that isn't measured in lbs. Cheers, Donna:001_cool:

Welcome Katrina, Hope you will find a wealth of knowledge on this forum, are you planning on having this procedure done in the near future? Or just getting some information for now. We will be here to answer your questions or concerns, but do take the time to read through a lot of the threads that pertain to our experiences - a ton of your questions will likely be answered in those. Once again, welcome and keep us posted about your needs. Cheers, Donna

Hmmm, doubt it will matter too much, but for your bowels' sake, take a laxative tonight and have only liquids for the rest of today. they say it helps with gas and bowel movements later on. But tell the surgeon tomorrow - as they will likely have to empty the contents of your stomach before removing the resected portion if they see any remains of food in there. Hopefully that will have moved on through by then though. good luck tomorrow! :001_cool:

It is my belief that the sleeve surgery reduces the risk of stomach ulcers. I don't have acid reflux or heartburn so am only taking chewable Calcium that say they are also an antacid. (No, not Tums) So feel fine with that arrrangement. But, I would ask your surgeon's coordinator, if concerned, as they are a source of medical knowledge or can find out for you. :001_cool:

The first few weeks most of us found it difficult swallowing larger pills due to the swollen esophagus from the entubation. But crush them between wax paper and mix in with a Protein drink if you can tolerate the taste, or blend in with yogurt. I am still on adult chewable vitamins because they are sweet and it is nice after a meal to feel like they are dessert! :laugh0: Smaller pills I can take quite easily since day one, the horse sized ones - no can do yet. Cheers, Donna :001_cool:

I'm using glycerine suppositories for when I feel a little "bunged" up. Very helpful and very inexpensive way to help move things along. Hope this helps, Donna

Just be patient with them, they are trying to keep you from having to go through such a drastic measure. Remind them that you love them dearly but this is the only way to make sure you won't ever be fat again. Most people yoyo and that is bad for their health, and yes this is drastic sounding but is easier for most people than having their gall bladder removed. Tell them you will still have to work very hard over the next 9 months to a year in order to lose the weight but once it is gone, it stays gone. And that you will be so much healthier and energetic and fun to be around that they will see that the end results justified the means. Remind them that this sleeve procedure is the safest and the one with the least complications and that you are glad to have found out about it, as it just might save your life by preventing all the ailments that obesity contributes to. But once again be patient - they will understand sooner or later, and will be glad for you. Cheers, Donna