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I was on a Nexium pill immediately post op that was similar in size to the Prilosec I took later on. The only issue I had was that prior to surgery I took pills by taking a big gulp of Water, taking the pill, and then following it with another big gulp of water. Obviously this isn't possible immediately post op! But small sips before and after will help it go down easily. You shouldn't have any issues. Best wishes for your surgery and a speedy recovery, ~Cheri

Doing great, keep it up! Eating gets easier as you move farther out. It took me a long while to eat anything of substance. ~Cheri

Agreed. I applaud your enthusiasm, though. Send some my way, will ya? Nice long walks are okay, but take it easy on that healing abdomen. ~Cheri

I started as soon as I was on clears. I had no problems with it not absorbing, getting stuck, whatever you might worry about with your new sleeve! They're very small pills - mine were not capsules. ~Cheri

Excellent post, Carla! At two years out, though, I can say that I'm now in a healthy relationship with my food. It is possible to eat for pleasure, without overeating or overindulging. I can now walk that line without the temptation to tip over into the danger zone. For at least a year, food was merely sustenance. I hated eating. But as I healed, lost weight and most importantly, dealt with my emotional baggage and the bad habits that caused the fat in the first place, I found that it's okay to like food and enjoy eating without lusting after food. I had a very sinful relationship with food prior to surgery, for sure! Lust is exactly the right word for my old food relationship. A lust-hate relationship, quite the passionate thing! In any case, thank you for addressing the need for counseling. You are currently mourning the loss of your best coping mechanism, your constant friend and something you really enjoyed doing. Feeling a bit lost while you find a new way to cope is completely normal. You might enjoy reading Hungry by Allen Zadoff. He didn't have surgery, but he was an emotional overeater. I enjoyed the read, mostly because it took less than an hour of my time and pointed out some of my own behaviors that I was completely in denial about prior to surgery. You are doing a fantastic job. Not just on your loss but on the head work. When you reach goal, you will not feel that void any longer. You will be a happier and healthier person, physically and mentally. Thanks for a great post, I really enjoyed this one. ~Cheri

Thanks for the compliment. And try not to worry too much about protein. You're ahead of the game just trying to get it in. I was so stressed about this in the beginning and really drove myself nuts because I just couldn't hit my goals. It made me actually hate food and eating...which is completely bizarre for someone whose favorite thing to do was eat! You're making good progress so far, keep it up! It's so unfair that boys lose faster than girls! Yes, some omeprazole will make you feel better. If it doesn't kick in right away, a Tums smoothie - the ones that disintegrate into fine powder quickly - will take the edge off the acid until it does kick in. I had NO idea that reflux was what I was experiencing. As soon as the Nexium my doc gave me ran out, I stopped taking a PPI and I learned this lesson the hard way. I was miserable until I found something to control the problem, so this is always the first thing I suggest to people that exhibit similar symptoms. Good luck to all of you newbies! Congrats on your sleeves, and thanks for being active in the forums helping each other out. I didn't post very much in the beginning and wish I had been more active. ~Cheri

Got a good deli nearby? Liver sausage or chopped liver will have the tastes you're looking for, and have a smoother texture. I make my own and can eat it every day for weeks, until my husband complains that the house reeks of liver and onions. You're hungry for real food but eating anything more solid than a puree at this point is risking trouble. I'm not so much worried about shrimp you've already eaten, but that having one good experience can lead you to thinking that your sleeve is fine, and then you might risk eating something that could cause damage. Let it heal. The desire to eat when you're trapped on a limiting diet is really something, especially when you don't feel any real physical hunger. But you have to heal! You definitely don't want a leak, or even just the discomfort that comes from eating a food that doesn't agree with you. As for being bored of soups, yeah, I get that. If you're cleared for creamy soups, I think that okays yogurt, pudding, grits, refried beans, Cream of Wheat and very thin purees. Thin potatoes mashed with a bit of Boursin tastes like heaven after broth for a week! If you don't want to move on to those things or they were specifically forbidden, try spicing it up. Spicy soups like hot and sour or chicken broth with taco seasoning added really are more satisfying on a limited diet. Don't be scared of the hot sauce, provided it doesn't cause a reaction. I didn't really care for spicy foods pre op but they saved my sanity post op. And I completely echo that this is not the time to fret about the carbs in two bites of Cream of Wheat or potatoes. First of all, you NEED that energy because you're not eating. Second, carbs aren't the enemy, anyway. Third, exactly how many carbs are in two bites, anyway? Not enough to fret about, I promise. Good luck, ~Cheri

I'm seeing SO many posts about the same exact thing lately and it seems like it takes half a dozen responses before someone touches on the easiest answer, one that will drastically improve quality of life for a newly sleeved person. Expect to be on a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) after surgery. If your surgeon does not bring this up, please be proactive and ask about being on one. If he/she doesn't prescribe one as a matter of course, generic over-the-counter PPIs (NOT antacids) are available and quite inexpensive. PPIs are Nexium, Prilosec and Protonix; antacids are Pepcid, Tums or Rolaids. Many, many people have posted that Prevacid does not help, despite falling into the PPI category. It didn't do anything for me. The feeling of hunger immediately post op? Most often it's acid and a PPI will control it. Burning heartburn or acid reflux post op? Get on a PPI, not an antacid. A really noisy new sleeve? Could be acid and a PPI will help. It could also just be a healing tummy, though, and is very common. Do you feel pain, pressure or like food is coming back up when you lie down? It's acid. Take a PPI, and don't eat immediately before you sleep. Sleep with your head inclined until the PPI controls the problem. Everyone is different. I was only in need of a PPI for 3-4 months post op, though in times of stress (and apparently, pregnancy), I feel the need for one short term. More common seems to be 6 months of use and some people need them for a year. If you're taking the time to research the sleeve, arm yourself with this information. Be prepared prior to surgery! I cannot express how much this one simple thing can affect your quality of life. I hope this post makes the need for one even more visible, and leads to fewer newly sleeved patients living in pain or discomfort, and then complaining about their sleeves! Healing is a tough process with the soreness and seriously restricted diet already and there is no need to complicate matters when there's an easy fix. Good luck and congrats on your choice to be sleeved, ~Cheri

If you're not on a PPI, that's your culprit right there. You need Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix daily to control the production of acid. A stomach bubbling with acid feels exactly the same way as a growling, hungry stomach. You also still have grehlin in your system for a while post op, so you could still be feeling the hunger hormones. Everyone loses at a different pace. I thought I'd come home from Mexico and be down a bunch of weight already but I was up on the scale. I lost all of my first month's weight in the last ten days of the month. Relax. Let your body heal. Take a PPI. Sip liquids and stay hydrated. You'll know just how sleeved you are when you try to move onto soft foods! Congrats on your new sleeve, ~Cheri

Glad you're feeling better, that family is excited and that you get your ultrasound soon! I did a blood test today (quantitative beta) and I'll do one Thursday, too. This will give us some indication of whether or not we should mentally prepare for another set of twins. I won't have an ultrasound until the first week or so of August. I'm off for a midday (where I live!) nap because I'm plumb exhausted. I can't seem to get through a day without a nap. Good luck at your appointment! ~Cheri

Yes, you're alone in this and I'm jealous! I had about a three pound GAIN every month around my cycle, with a week on either side where I'd usually stay within half a pound on the scale. Closer to mid-cycle (ovulation), I'd drop all of my weight for the month in one week. Even in maintenance I see a gain around TOM. Be thankful. We never know how our hormones will affect us! ~Cheri

My guess based upon how far you're out from surgery is B12 or Iron deficiency. Get a panel run and I bet you'll find you need supplements. I had a similar problem (also fatigue and forgetfulness) and with B12 shots and a new iron supplement I feel like a whole new person. ~Cheri

Yes, it took me a while to figure it out, too. Now I portion out when I purchase things and if I open things like a can of tuna or a container of yogurt I make a note to myself that I'm going to eat that food item until it's gone, even if that means dinner is tomorrow's lunch, too. You'll get past this fairly quickly. Your ability to eat will increase to a more normal amount over the next few months and you'll find you waste less and less. If I'm not mindful when ordering when we eat out, I can still wind up with quite a bit of wasted food. It takes careful planning. ~Cheri

Oh, and that bloated, crampy and full feeling sounds suspiciously like my lactose intolerance felt. You might try mixing lactose free shakes with warm tea or Water for a day and see how you're feeling. Best of luck, ~Cheri

Liquids in = liquids out. Healing guts are noisy. It takes a long while for them to quiet down permanently. Are you on a PPI? You should be taking Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix to control the acid. This phase passes quickly. I hope you feel better soon. ~Cheri

I honestly think that's a bit ridiculous. I flew a few days after surgery from San Diego to Frankfurt, Germany. I did one additional dose of Lovenox and followed the usual advice to move frequently, drink Water, and not cross my legs while flying. Your surgeon is thinking of liability, not reality. In any case, I'm sorry to hear about your delayed surgery! ~Cheri

You want a PPI - Prilosec, Protonix or Nexium. You need a proton pump inhibitor to control the problem and stop the symptoms, not an antacid that will barely control the symptoms. Keep in mind that a new sleeve is noisy, too. Healing sleeves make noise. I don't know when it finally stopped, but somewhere before a year or so I finally realized that my husband and I were no longer being serenaded by my belly while lying in bed at night! ~Cheri

You're having one drink and maybe not even the entire thing if you get tipsy super fast like I do these days. Worry about carbs later and drink what you enjoy! Do the math on what you think you'll order, log it in your food log and go on about your date. Drink SLOW. I used to drink several drinks preop and now I can feel a real buzz in anywhere from three to five sips. ~Cheri

It only happens if you overdo it, something you're likely to do at least once or twice as you learn the limits of your new stomach. It doesn't even take minutes for me. I feel uncomfortable, the food quickly comes up and I'm back to normal in a minute. I would not call it "vomiting," really, because there is no real force behind it and no bile involved. Certain foods can cause this because they tend to swell when they hit the stomach. So instead of getting in several bites, you'll get surprised when after three you don't have room and feel discomfort. Those foods for me (in the beginning, now I know my limits!) were bread, Pasta, rice and tortillas. A lot of people have trouble with scrambled eggs. You learn your new full signals and adjust quickly. The most important thing is to pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you, instead of waiting for the old bloated and stuffed feeling to hit. ~Cheri

I'm sure a Tums smoothie (the ones that melt down very quickly) would be fine and offer some immediate relief. You need to be on a PPI like Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix. Talk to your doc about this ASAP. It was more trouble to have my insurance cover the medicine than it was worth, so I simply bought generic Prilosec (omeprazole) at the store until I didn't need it any longer. You should be taking it daily for at least 3-4 months - most people need at least six for the acid issue to resolve. Good luck, hope you feel better soon. ~Cheri

Best of luck with your eval. I can't give you advice there since I self-paid. For Protein I can help, though! Buy samples - lots and lots of samples. I kept mine aside in a box for post op and slowly worked my way through them, taking note of what I liked and disliked so I could choose a larger tub of powder that I knew I could tolerate. There are a number of sites that offer samples, but I always used Vitalady. ~Cheri

It's definitely possible and people here have done it. There is no time limit on the effectiveness of the sleeve. Weight loss slows down the closer to goal you get, regardless of your starting weight. Those last fifty, and then twenty, pounds are sometimes a real challenge to take off! Your sleeve is as big as it gets right around a year out. There is no reason not to continue to lose after that point if you want to do so. Nothing guarantees how long it will take to shed the weight for any of us. I "only" had 107 pounds to goal but it took me 17 months. How quickly you're going to lose is very personal. I have seen a few people take nearly two years to reach goal. The point is, it can be done if you are determined to make it happen. The sleeve will make loss so much easier than any diet you've ever done in your life, too. I never could have done a regular old diet, relying on willpower alone, for seventeen months. No way! Best of luck, ~Cheri

Great work! I'm sure you'll meet your goal in no time. You look wonderful! ~Cheri Oh, and the hair does come back! You've lost a lot, and very quickly. My hair totally rebounded somewhere between 12-14 months out. A wait for you, but at least it comes back! With a good Vitamin, my hair is finally as long and healthy as preop.

Whew! I was like, WTH? Did some study come out that completely contradicts all of the ones I read before?! Ugh, never mind me, I have hormones on the brain. Thanks for clearing that up! ~Cheri

Bright red spotting is cause for concern, as is anything more than a minor amount. Don't stress it's normal! I wish I felt queasy! I'm hungry ALL DAY LONG. I get shaky, dizzy and nauseated if I don't eat every couple hours. I guess the grass is always greener! Part of my problem is the progesterone supplements (three of them!) that I'm still on - they exacerbate any present symptoms. I even got sick last night from the smell of onions! Once I'm off hormones the symptoms should taper off and become easier on me. Here's hoping, anyway. How are you doing on weight? I'm curious. I'm in this weird place where the scale fluctuates by one to four pounds each day. Seriously - I weighed yesterday and was 137 and today I'm 141 - what's up with that? I know I didn't gain four pounds overnight. This has been happening all week with the bouncing up and down and I hate it worse than the hormone shots! Ugh, feeling nauseous again so it's time to eat. I hope you have a good one and feel better today than yesterday. ~Cheri