deletedsally

It has only been 4 weeks since my surgery--but I can tell you that it sounds like I felt a lot like you when I was at 2 weeks I kept trying to reassure myself, but I was fighting a lot of fear that things wouldn't improve and I would be stuck feeling miserable and never able to eat regular food again. Anyway, I'm feeling much better now. I still can't eat very much, and I'm being careful to eat mushies and chew very well--but I'm not having as much discomfort as I did 2 weeks ago, and the improvement has helped me feel calmer and more confident about the future!

Glad to hear you are home! It sounds like you are doing really well. Yea and Congratulations!

If you know that you are prone to nausea/vomiting after surgery, talk to the anesthesiologist ahead of time. I asked them to give me everything possible to keep me from vomiting, and he said they would "throw the kitchen sink" at me. It worked, I was nauseous--but I just asked for meds and didn't vomit once. I had prescriptions from my surgeon ahead of time for Zophran and Phenergan suppositories. I only needed the Phenergan one time after I came home, but I took the Zophran at bedtime for almost a month because if I didn't, I would wake up nauseated. After the 1st couple weeks, I was only taking 1/2 tab, then down to 1/4, now not at all.

Someone chatting the other night mentioned that there were instructions on how to do the ticker under the "Forums" link. I looked and found a step by step tutorial with clear instructions and even some pictures. Congratulations on your surgery!

Congratulations on the first month! I was sleeved on 3/30, so just a few days before you. My first weeks were rough too--and I was only working part-time. I rested and slept a lot. Couldn't eat much of anything. Felt weak and kind of trapped with no way out most of the time. A month really has made a huge difference--this week has been a real turning point for me. I think being able to eat a little more, and being able to have foods that I could chew and enjoy has helped with my energy level and my mood. I've been able to get out and shop a little, and work in the yard...Just in general I'm starting to feel better most of the time. Can't wait to see what the next month brings for both of us!

If you know that you are taking small bites and chewing your food carefully, I would talk to your doctor about not being able to eat regular food without discomfort. I would think that things would be easier by 4 months, and if not, I would want to know why. One of the less common complications that can occur with this surgery is that you can have scar tissue form in the sleeve that will make the sleeve smaller than the actual bougie size that was used. I have read that it is possible for them to do a procedure to dialate the opening if necessary. You didn't have this surgery so that you could spend the rest of your life drinking Atkins shakes. As far as your weight loss--I looked at a calendar and it seems to me that at the time of your post, it had been 15 weeks since your surgery. A 65 pound weight loss in that amount of time is an average of 4.33 pounds per week. That's amazing! It's even more amazing for a female who only has 64 more pounds to lose. You don't need to let go of your goal--you need to relax the expectations you've placed on your body to lose so quickly. I have a "lifetime key" at Weight Watchers and I worked as a counselor at Diet Center. I've lost around 100 pounds 3 different times--just gained it right back (plus some), and I'm hoping my sleeve will end that. What I can tell you is this: Sleeve or no sleeve, the smaller your body gets, and the longer you have dieted, the slower your weight loss tends to be. Swift's suggestion to increase your calories every 3rd day should help, but that said, even if you average a loss of 1 pound a week, that would still add up to 52 pounds in the next year! You may feel like the tortise when you hear how quickly other people reach their goals--but we aren't competing with each other--we're are all racing to beat the fat monster that has stolen our lives and self-esteem. And don't we all wish that could happen more quickly...

I use software called "Diet Power" that is wonderful. It has a huge database of foods already in the program, and you can add any food you want to, complete with all the nutritional information. You can build recipes using any foods that are in the database and the program will calculate nutritional info on any amount you enter. I used it the last time I lost weight, so I've had it for several years. It will calculate my daily totals of protein, carbs, etc. There are a lot of little tricks that make it easy to use--for example, you can create your own list of favorite foods based on what you normally eat. Then when you want to enter your foods for the day, you don't even have to look them up from the dictionary--you just drag them from your favorites list and put in the amount you ate. Since I've had this surgery, it's been a huge help. It's not expensive--29.95 with a free 15 day trial download at www.dietpower.com

No personal experience with a leak, but from what I have heard, the thing that is most likely to result in a leak along the staple line is vomiting because of the force/pressure involved. I met a lady in the hospital who developed a leak--and hearing her story made me want to be extra careful about not overeating/drinking or doing anything that could upset my incision line. My MD does 2 leak tests in the hospital, sends you home with a drain and then uses that drain to do another leak test at 1.5 weeks post op. I asked him how long the risk of leakage would last, and he said he knew of one patient that developed a leak 4 months after surgery. I avoid anyone that is sick like they have the plague (the last thing I want is a stomach virus or cough) and work hard to protect that tender little pouch!

Congratulations! Can't wait to hear back from you as the pounds start melting away!

STUNNING was the exact word I had in mind too! I hope you have a wonderful time!

Congratulations! My surgery was 3/30 and I was down by 31 pounds this morning too! We are doing great and isn't it wonderful???!!! Before I started, I made a big chart with graph paper and I mark each pound lost with a red marker line going down a pound. I get it out a couple times a day and smile at the plunging red line and anticipate where I will be in the near future.

Just watched your vlog. You took a giant leap and now you are on the other side and heading down the mountain. The fat's going to start melting off of you! My surgery was 3/30 and I had less than 2 weeks of the pre-op diet. This morning I was down by 31 pounds!

I didn't have a lot of incisional pain. I went home the day after surgery and never even took tylenol after I got home. BUT...I had pretty awful chest and shoulder pain from the gas for about 24 hours. Because it was right after surgery, they gave me pain medication and I slept throught most of it. It was scariest when I was in recovery and I felt like I couldn't breathe and told them I thought I was having a heart attack. They did EKG's--said my heart was AOK--and gave me pain meds. I don't think most people have that much trouble with gas. Anyway, it was very time-limited.

HaHaHa. Swift, I didn't have anything but ice chips for the first 24 hours after my surgery, then all of a sudden, this militant chic marched in with a cup filled with about 8 oz of water and blue dye and told me that I had to drink it to the line she marked (about 6 oz) in less than 20 minutes for my 1st leak test. I looked at her like she was crazy and told her she'd better add some Phenergan to my Zophran. Then they wheeled me down to X-ray and wanted me to drink barium for the second leak test. I was so loaded up on Phenergan that I almost fell over during the test. I was glad to get home and sip the night away...

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

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.

Well it was 4 weeks ago today that I was sleeved. My recovery has been different than what I expected. I'm not stranger to surgery--I've had 2 c-sections, a tubal, and my gall bladder removed, and I've always bounced back very quickly. This surgery has taken me longer...I haven't taken pain medication since I came home the day after the surgery--but I just haven't had any energy. Maybe in part because I'm getting older (54)...and also it's been a challenge to get in all my liquids, and enough protein and part of feeling weak and tired is about not being able to take in very many calories. I'm up and doing some things, but not pushing myself too hard. My hope is that I will start to feel more energetic when I can eat a little more. Even though I don't feel super perky, I'm optimistic that this is going to get better as my healing continues. I'm down 29 pounds now and wearing smaller clothes. That's a huge victory because the only place in my area that I could buy a size 28 was Catherines which was an hour away from where I live. Last weekend I was able to shop at the mall in my own town because I'm wearing 24's which you can get in regular department stores. Sleeping better, walking better, and no BP medication. I'm eating "mushies" now--and that feels like a huge improvement. I am surprised by the tiny amount that I'm able to eat. Occasionally it might be 1/2 cup--but more often, it's about 1/4-1/3 cup. I don't really feel physically hungry very often--but I still feel kind of anxious about not being able to eat more food. I'm trusting that my surgeon knows what he's doing. He said that the stomach capacity usually doubles by the end of the first year, and triples by the end of the third year. If that's correct, then it makes sense to start out with a smaller pouch so that you end up with a reasonably small pouch for the long haul. I'm graphing my weight loss and it's wonderful to watch the red line moving down the page. It does still feel a little overwhelming to know that I have another 110 pounds to go. Just trying to relax and enjoy the journey.

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!