BonitaChica

I second the heated mattress pad, prewarmed. I also only wear knee-high socks. Luckily they are fashionable right now, so I was able to stock up and find some really cute patterns. I also bought a tiny electric ceramic heater for under my desk at work. I make sure to plug it into a different plug than the computer or the IT people get mad.

Holli, I'm in the Dallas area (Wylie/Sachse) and would be interested in a meetup group.

I haven't been on blood thinners so maybe I need to have labs drawn. I'll be sure to bring it up at the next appointment.

Has anyone noticed that they now bruise really easily post-op? I hardly ever bruised pre-surgery (even when I was thin), even if I was bumped to the point that it brought tears, saw stars, etc. Now, however, I bruise really easily and they last forever. Should I be concerned or is this just a "benefit" of having less padding?:svengo:

Welcome! On this site you'll find many differing opinions. As you can guess, most of us are pro-sleeve and couldn't be happier with our decision. In fact, there are many here who started with the band and then were revised to a sleeve. I am a low bmi sleever who was fortunate that I never battled weight until the past two years. I do have a very long family history of morbid obesity and comorbidities though so I knew that if I didn't eat right and hit the gym everyday they would come for me too. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 18 or so months ago and as my pain worsened my will power lessened and my drive to stay ahead on my workouts and nutrition took a nose dive. I slowly gained weight the first year. The next 6 months the pain became almost unbearable and I was put on a mix of meds that all had weight gain as side effects. Combined with my lack of mobility and my lack of heartfelt focus on anything but getting through the pain (I used food as a coping mechanism) I gained about 50 pounds in 6 months. My doctor took a radical approach and suggested WLS as a tool to keep me healthy. If I could get the weight off my fibro pain would likely subside a great deal now that we have found a med mix that works for me. Even though I had a relatively low BMI I was still obese and headed for danger (high BP, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, etc). Together we decided wls was the right move for me. After discussing the options we also decided that RNY was too extreme for my situation. The band also presented its own issues in that a foreign object may cause me to flare repeatedly. I also didn't like the idea of chasing the sweet spot and potentially having a visible port bump. That left the sleeve, which all around sounded like the best option anyway. One incision, no malabsorption, no adjustments, etc. Once we decided on the sleeve I was on the hunt for a surgeon and feel that I selected the best in TX. I know everyone says that and I'm glad they do. It's of the utmost importance that you have a GREAT relationship with your surgeon. I am a month post-op, have lost about 20 pounds, and more importantly am feeling about 70% less pain. I still have bad days here and there, but I think I might be able to go back to work full time pretty soon! You have no idea what a blessing that is. Prior to WLS my Dr was encouraging me to look into disability because even my part time contract position was often too much to bear.

There is a prescription nasal spray for those who are low on b12. I cannot stand the sub-lingual tabs and am planning on asking about it at my next follow up appointment. I'm not sure if it's as good as the shots, but I'd be willing to bet it's better than the tabs. Nascobal (Cyanocobalamin) B12 Nasal Spray

I bought a large miso soup from a local restaurant and strained out the bits. I was able to get the flavor and was left with a relatively clear liquid. I also made a pot of Lipton french onion soup with a bit extra water to dilute. I strained out all the onions and had a pretty clear flavored broth left.

If your OK using egg white protein instead of whey isolate the Jay Robb egg white in chocolate in quite good. It's also available in whey, but I haven't tried that. It's available in Sprouts, Whole Foods, The Vitamin Shoppe, and larger GNCs.

Ankle weights = Brilliant!

Nope doesn't taste like egg. At least not to me anyway. I'm not sure what it taste like on its own as I'm not brave enough to try it with just water, but with milk or soy milk it's pretty yummy in my opinion.

I can't tolerate the whey and it gave me severe tummy troubles so my nutritionist recommended I try egg white protein. He said that in order of optimal preference post op it was whey isolate, egg white protein, and then soy. So far I've been using the Jay Robb egg white protein vanilla & chocolate and love it! For breakfast I make a smoothie which I can sip on over the course of an hour as I'm getting ready for work. It's really yummy and gives 30 grams of protein. It does have carbs though with the milk & banana so if you are watching those very strictly it may be a no-go. 1 cup Silk Light Soy Milk 1/2 Medium Banana 1 Scoop Jay Robb Egg White Protein Powder (Chocolate or Vanilla)

Sometimes when I am laying down on my right side I feel like my organs are being pressed under my ribs. I would assume this might be from a swollen stomach but this is just a wild guess as I've never felt anything like this before. It doesn't happen when I switch to the left side or am on my back.