deletedsally

Any surgery is a risk...and for the unfortunate person who does have a complication or a poor result, there will always be some know-it-all lurking around the corner to remind them that they didn't make "the right choice." The truth is that with this surgery, the numbers suggest that there just aren't very many who do have problems. Statistically, there are fewer long-term complications with this surgery than the lap-band or the bypass, and the weight loss results are better than the lap band, and in some people, as good as the bypass. If you are having surgery to lose weight and improve your health, you are making a careful, well-informed choice.

My doctor told us no carbonated drinks ever. He said that the heat from your body will cause even a "flat" soda to continue to release gas after you drink it, and that with continued use, this will cause your pouch to expand and eventually stretch to a point that you are less likely to lose and/or more likely to regain weight that you've lost. My mother-in-law had gastric by-pass surgery years ago. She drinks soda all the time--but she also still weighs over 250 and is now able to eat a huge plate full of food like anyone else.

Hi...I'm only 4 weeks post op, so I'm not a long term sleever--but I'm an expert dieter and I've got a few ideas that may help. When you lost that 10 pounds in the first week, it wasn't all fat. A lot of what you lost was Water because your sodium level was probably a lot lower right after surgery. I have confidence that your body is continuing to burn fat, but you are probably regaining some of the initial water that you lost. I lost 9 pounds in the first few days after surgery, and then I didn't lose a pound for over a week. Since then, I've been steadily dropping 3-4 pounds a week. The other thing for me is that certain weeks of the month, I will NEVER lose an ounce because I'm retaining Fluid, and then the next week I lose. Try not to get discouraged! As for your problem with the protein: I had stomach cramps and diarrhea with several different brands from the health food store. I ordered unjury unflavored Protein powder over the internet. It was the smartest thing I've ever done. It's pure whey Protein Isolate, which is easier to digest than the ones that contain WP concentrate. I can't tell you how much better it's worked for me--it's worth trying, because if you don't get enough protein, you will probably lose a lot of muscle mass and hair. Shoot me an email and let me know what happens: kattjohns@aol.com

WhooHoo! You're done! Each day gets a little easier.:001_tt1:

Hi Brenda. Congratulations on your surgery. The best tip I would offer is to order unflavored UNJURY protein powder. It has no artificial stuff added and it's easier to digest than anything I got at health food store. The fact that it's unflavored means you can mix it with anything. After my surgery, stuff that was too thick or too sweet made me want to gag--I could mix this with some water, lemon/lime crytal light or a little orange juice in water with lots of ice and it went down pretty easy. Don't know what I would have done without it! I used 3 scoops a day with my water for 60 grams of protein, and then I didn't have to stress about trying to get enough from other sources.

Wow! Congratulations on your surgery and your speedy recovery. It's been 4 weeks since my surgery, and I've lost 29 pounds. Your weight loss is exciting.

One of the reasons that I finally decided to have this surgery (especially knowing that insurance wouldn't pay for it) was because I had a lot of similar complaints--and I knew that every one of them was weight-related. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea--but wearing the mask woke me up all night. Not wearing it I had palpitations that woke me up. My memory was shot--and I felt pretty confident that it was from oxygen deprivation to my brain when I was sleeping. The BP medication that I had to take to reduce palpitations and lower BP caused me to feel depressed and lethargic. I woke up all night with shoulder pains, neck pains, hip pains, legs and hands going to sleep. I could barely limp around to even run errands because my feet hurt all the time. Guess what? (If this doesn't encourage you, I don't know what would.) It's ALL better. It's only been 4 weeks since my surgery and I've lost 29 pounds with 110 still to go, but it's already made enough of a change that I'm sleeping well, no palpitations, no waking up in pain, no numbness in hands/feet, no need for BP medication, pain in feet reduced dramatically, improved alertness and depressive symptoms almost gone entirely. I think you will be surprised at how quickly you start to feel better after your surgery! Go for it!

Sorry to hear about your complications. No fun. Will the stint be something permanent or will it be taken out at some point? Hope you are feeling better now.

Can't wait to hear back from you after your surgery. I loved reading your blog--it reminded me of my own story. I tried Tom Venuto's stuff too--and it really did help me lose weight and feel great--but eventually, just like with every other diet, my body kicked up the production of grehlin and I started to eat more and gain weight back. I'm with you...I believe this surgery is going to give us the tools that we were missing before. Great choice!

By the time you get this reply, you should probably be home and over the worst part. My surgery was less than 3 weeks ago, so we can walk through some of this stuff together. Let us know how you are doing as soon as you feel up to it! Congratulations!

What helped me most with the pre-surgery anxiety was to talk to myself like this: "Did you research this surgery carefully? Yes. What is the quality of your life before/without this surgery? Lousy. Is there any procedure or weightloss method that you have discovered that is more likely to give you permanent weight loss with fewer risks? No. Do you think this is the healthiest and wisest choice you can make for yourself? Yes. OK...then refuse to worry about the risks anymore. There are always risks in life. Driving to the grocery store is taking a risk. You are gambling--but you are gambling with everything on your side. The deck is heavily stacked in your favor--and what you stand to win is your life.

Sorry you aren't feeling well. I wonder if your blood pressure could be dropping too low?

I think I understand what you are going through. Tomorrow it will be 2 weeks since I had my surgery. I was excited about the possibility of having a better quality of life--but I was terrified that something would go wrong and that I would seriously regret having the surgery. I'm not far enough out from surgery to tell you "I love my sleeve." I'm still on a full liquid diet and can't eat much of anything--but I'm on track for where I need to be in the healing process, and I'm trusting that my ability to tolerate normal foods will come with time and that my stomach capacity will increase over time as well. For now, I'm not especially hungry and I've lost 24 pounds in 3 weeks. (9 before the surgery and 15 in the last 2 weeks. I'm already off my blood pressure medication and I was able to walk 1/2 mile with my family tonight. Just to be able to walk around a lake with my grandchildren peddling their bicycles was wonderful! (Before the surgery, I had so much pain in my feet and shortness of breath that I could barely walk to my own mail box.) I believe that I made a choice to live a better life and to live a longer life, and so far I have no regrets. I have lost weight and regained it so many times...I think one thing that can help us leave that lousy dieting past behind is that we are having the part of the stomach that produces those self-sabotaging hunger hormones removed. Along with having smaller stomachs, I believe that will help us win this battle!

I just read your story. I had my surgery on 3/30/10 and had a very similar experience. I kept telling the nurse my chest hurt and I felt like I couldn't breathe. She kept telling me that my O2 level was fine. I remember telling them that I felt like I was having a heart attack and that there was crushing pressure on my chest and pain in my left shoulder. That started a flurry of activity--anyway after they did an EKG to make sure it wasn't my heart, they told me it was the gas pressure from the abdomen being inflated and gave me enough pain medication that I was in recovery for about 6 hours. After that, it was all pretty manageable. Hope you are doing well now!

I didn't know that there was one! Thanks for letting me know. I'll see if I can figure out how to do it. I still haven't gotten ticker on my signature. Kathy

Had my post op appointment today. It was great to get those staples removed and get rid of the drain...and I have no leak! YEH!!! I'm down a total of 20 pounds and I've already been able to discontinue my blood pressure medication. Not only that, my feet aren't hurting nearly as much when I walk...I'm thinking the rest of this ride is going to be a blast. :scared0:

That's wonderful! I can hardly wait until I can post that I've got 50 pounds behind me! You'll be buying a new wardrobe before you know it.

Congratualations on more weight loss! I'm at the end of my first week and I have been feeling concerned because I haven't seen the scale budge for the entire week. I keep reminding myself that I came home from the hospital 10 pound lighter and that obviously wasn't all fat loss over a 2 day period, and that my body fluids are still stabilizing--but the truth is that we all like to watch the scale go DOWN. Sounds like you are doing great--keep up the good work!

Whoohoo! Surgery was Tuesday. I believe the worst is over and I'm running forward to put the fat past behind me. Truthfully, the gas pain right after surgery felt like my chest was being crushed--I couldn't take a deep breath--and I thought I was having a heart attack. Once they did an EKG and determined that my heart was OK, I just let them load me up with pain meds until it passed. By the next morning the gas was easing up and I came home that afternoon. I haven't needed ANY pain medication since I got home. I actually went grocery shopping on Friday. I still can't swallow anything but tiny sips without feeling pressure in my chest, but today has been much easier in terms of my ability to get stuff down. The first couple days I took anti-nausea meds pretty regularly at the first hint nausea to avoid any vomiting that could tear my staple line...but I haven't needed that today either. Being able to read all your comments and stories before going into surgery really helped to prepare me mentally and give me confidence that I was making a good choice. Thanks to each of you for your support!

As I understand it, until recently, it has been hard to get good quality Stevia (not bitter) in US because of the demand in Japan and other countries--but the quality of our Stevia has improved over the last couple years. Try several different brands and don't use too much and you may find that you like it better than you used to.

Thanks for your comments. You have helped me to have more confidence walking through this!

Tomorrow is my surgery day. I'm feeling pretty anxious after reading a lot of posts from people struggling with nausea months after the surgery. That is discouraging because I want a good quality of life. I think the sleeve is the right thing for me to do--but it seems like a taking a huge risk and it's one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, because I know I can't undo it once it's done. I'm scared that something will go wrong and that I will have trouble eating enough healthy foods to get the nutrition I need.

Congratulations! I can't count the times I've given all my big girl clothes away and bought small sizes...but I believe this surgery can help each of us make it the last time that happens, and the first time we really do get to have a normal wardrobe that lasts!

I just had my surgery a couple days ago, but I knew in advance that I wouldn't be able to drink Crystal Light or other typical sugar-free beverages typically sold in stores because aspartame/nutrasweet and sucralose/splenda both make me sick. If I get tired of plain water, I take an old-fashioned packet of koolaid (no sugar) and add it to a half gallon of water and sweeten with Stevia to taste. It helps to change it up without adding any calories or carbs.