booklady314

I was very pleased with every aspect of my care at Madigan. The pathway was educational and I was very prepared for the surgery. They have two support groups that are very helpful (just not convenient times for me). The nutrition program is great. The actual surgery and post-op care was great. Overall, I say go for it!!!! :thumbup1:

I have about a 5" circle to the left of my belly button that is numb. My hubby's a nurse and he told me that when skin is cut it can do funny things to your nervous system. He once had a cancerous growth removed from his forehead - later he kept getting a spot in the back of his head that itched, but only felt better if he scratched his forehead. His doc told him that nerves are really funny things and we are all wired a little bit differently, so sometimes cutting the skin can cause issues like this for about 6 months or so. Weird, isn't it???

This is definitely not a stall - give it a little more time :-) Also, as far as the smells go - for the first week, almost all smells made me nauseous - but then everything smelled good and I had to deal with the fact that I was choosing not to eat those things. Then later I got bored and had to deal with not eating out of boredom. Luckily, the sleeve makes it so that you simply won't overeat because it hurts - so it helps you learn to adjust very quickly. You'll do great - hang in there!!!

So far I've lost 27 lbs - wish it was more but still happy... But I've had lots of non-scale victories! I can put my shoes on without using two hands to pull a leg up to reach my feet - they just come up on their own! (TMI warning ...) I realized that I used a public restroom in a regular stall and didn't have to fight to get out of it!!! All my co-workers are saying they see the changes already - I don't see much myself, but it will come! Thanks to everyone here who has been encouraging me! I'm on facebook if you want to add me - I post my progress and struggles every day... booklady314@comcast.net :-)

I was fine in the first month - but for the last week I've been nauseous almost all the time... But as with most things, this will pass with time.

My doc told me not to worry about protein until I was on full liquids. Then if I could get in 20-30 g per day for the first week on full liquids, he was happy. I went at 10 days and was getting 30-40 per day and he said I was doing better than any of his other patients! So, don't make yourself sick - just hang in there.

I would definitely do it at the same time if it was me - it would be fun to walk the weight loss road together - and being on the same diet at the same time would be nice. My only suggestion would be to have a third person available to come during the day for a couple days to baby you.

I had the same trouble. I felt the swelling for about a week or so. It went away completely after a couple of weeks. As far as sleeping went, I couldn't lay on my side for almost a month. I was feelign pretty good but then they took the drain out - and it felt like it ripped something inside me. My insides were bruised for another 2 weeks. I'm 5 weeks out and just now not feeling bruised inside.

My Crystal Lite doesn't have aspartame in it - it has Splenda... Congrats on reaching your goal and enjoying the best gift you could have given to yourself - health!

I remember how hard it was to lose 7 lbs in a month before the sleeve... You are doing fabulous - the weight will come off! Try not to step on the scale more than once a week. Focus on the healthy side of life and less on the scale. I should know - I'm trying to break the "scale whore" habit too!:001_tongue:

Hi Jeno... You didn't say how much you are hoping to lose... When you hit a plateau, increase your Water and exercise and examine those small choices made during the day - a tiny bite of this or a little nibble of that can make a big difference. But, physics is physics, use more energy than the calories you consume, drink plenty of water, keep moving, and the weight will come off. Stick with it!!! We're all in this together!

I was so glad to read this thread today - I had surgery 2 wks ago tomorrow. Yesterday felt great - today felt lousy - tired and weak. I'm glad I'm still home - I had extra leave so I took it - I'll keep listening to my body and go from there. I did get a walk in -b ut had to force myself to do it. Thanks for the encouragement!:drool5:

Fabulous job!!! I'm so excited for another 8 1/2 months! Thanks for the encouragement!

Thanks for your comments. The pain went away completely about 2 hours after they removed the drain today (day 9). I'm glad I just borrowed a brace instead of buying one. I'm going to suggest this when I go to my in person support group that the potential patients go to. I also gave my surgeon the feedback at my post-op appt today so he can share it with other paitents. He said he never thought about that and none of his patients had mentioned it.