Donna4545

Do what your doctor said--your life is worth a small inconvenience of going to the hospital.

I didn't have any problems with constipation, but I bought some Benefiber powder just in case. I did have a bit of a liquidy stool during the liquid diet post-op, but I think that is to be expected. Now that I am on mushies everything is back to normal, just a smaller volume.

I'm doing great! I started a blog on blogger, Gastric Sleeve Foodie you might find it interesting for nuts and bolts of what to do/get for pre-op and post op diet. I'm sure you will get a lot of good info from Tiffy, she's the "wise woman" of the boards lol. Mine is more of a newbie perspective. If you put us all together, we're a genius, lol! Let us know how you are doing. I'm really excited for you! Donna

I don't know what the prices are for self-pay, but I have had such a wonderful experience with my surgeon/hospital, that I just have to recommend them. They really know what they are doing. My surgery was a great experience, and they knew their stuff (scopolamine Patches so no nausea ever; really caring nurses who knew about sleeve surgery and the difference from RNY; even the minister who visited me unasked because they knew I was there alone with no friends/relatives). They have two nutritionists who are both great and know "all the tricks". North Dakota might sound like a weird place to travel for surgery, but I think it would totally be worth it. I stayed in the local Radisson hotel after surgery. They have a shuttle that will bring you/pick you up from the hospital and a special hospital rate of $69/night. My Flex account reimbursed me for it. I drove myself home on Day 4, and felt great. Even the people in hotel are really nice, especially when they find out you are there for surgery. This was really important to me because I was utterly alone. The housekeeping lady was really neat and checked in on me every day I was there to make sure I was ok. The surgeon has a zero complication rate, and the Bariatric Center has done over 1,000 surgeries. So his name is Dr. Brandon Helbling at Mid Dakota Clinic is Bismarck, ND. They are so accommodating, I'm sure they wold work something out with self-pay people. For people who have insurance, they are part of a special pilot program with BCBS, so insurance approval is really easy. I hope everyone finds the surgeon they need. If you do end up in North Dakota, let me know, I will support you! (Well I would support you no matter where you were, but it's easier when I can physically be there lol)

AnonFemale- I hope you keep coming back and let us know how you're feeling (even if you don't want to share your relationship status)--you have a lot of support here. I think everyone here is really rooting for you to come through this and have a happy life.

Deb-I googled the syrups and the supplement warehuouse was the cheapest place (under $5 each for 750 ml bottle). That might change in the future--just keep googling if in doubt! I can't wait to start blogging about the mushies stage--people seem to find it boring but it's really wonderful compared to full liquids.

I just started a blog that might be helpful for pre-op newbies. Most bariatric food blogs are written by RNYers, who don't absorb calories like we do. This one focuses on food, recipes, and life in the kitchen. I'll be adding more recipes as time goes on. You can find it here: Gastric Sleeve Foodie

The part about eating all the cookies was a red flag, too. But I think I understand now. I was just afraid you were going to go on some kind of feeding frenzy because you knew you were going to have surgery anyway-people do it! I'm glad you're ok and you feel good about yourself. Fat acceptance is really about accepting reality and not letting the outside world drive you crazy with their judgments. I've always felt acceptance like that, I think I would have gone nuts if I didn't. Good luck on your surgery!

Hi Susan- I sent you an email. I'm happy to talk about it in detail with you.

What Maddie said--sip, sip, sip all day long. You don't want to end up in the ER with dehydration!

Best of luck to you and your mom!

I hope you have an uneventful, normal surgery--good luck!

That's not really fat acceptance. You are actually punishing yourself by trying to make yourself fatter (2 entrees? Why? Because it's "ok to be fat"?). It's self destructive to try to make yourself fatter. To accept yourself the way you are, imperfect, and resolve to solve the problems is fat acceptance. Making the imperfections bigger isn't. I don't mean to sound insulting or anything, but you might benefit from seeing a psych who specializes with bariatric patients. Getting a surgery date doesn't mean giving yourself permission to eat irresponsibly. That's just unhealthy. I sincerely hope that you find some way out of this kind of thinking. And I know I'm not perfect, and I'm really not trying to get condescending so please don't take it like that. It's just that what you wrote really concerned me.

It's not enough that he doesn't abuse you like an addict would. Listen to him. Listen carefully. He. Doesn't. Care. About. What. Makes. You. Happy. You deserve better. Read a little bit about codependency and see if it rings any bells with you--hanging onto a relationship which will have no future is no good. As scary as it is, move back home if you can and start over. The good news is that you recognize your own needs, but the bad thing is that you're not taking yourself seriously enough. You need support, your significant other won't give it--game over. Recognize it and move on. I was with an addict myself, and then with a "at least he's not overtly offensive" guy--but when he makes it clear that he doesn't think enough about you to support your decision, he IS offensive. It's just harder to see. My one regret in life is that I wasted so much valuable time with guys that didn't care about me when it came down to it.

That sounds about like how I was doing one week out. By 2 weeks all the incisions were completely healed and the soreness was gone. I hope your post-op visit goes well!

I started a new blog on Blogger called Vertical Sleeve Foodie, where I'm posting recipes because most recipes for WLS out there are for RNYers, who don't absorb calories like sleevers do. I'm still on pre-op recipes but I'll catch up. Myself, I just started puree/mushies today and I am thrilled! I will be posting mushy recipes soon! My doc told me to stop stressing over weight loss and relax and just heal (while getting my fluids and protein in). He said to stop counting weekly losses and think about it as a long term process--I will have ups and downs, but the weight will come off--as long as I'm eating like I'm supposed to not worry about the timetable. He was right, I was treating weight loss like it was a race I was running, and that will just lead to frustration and burnout. The nutritionist said not to be so carb paranoid--carbs from milk, yogurt, and berries were fine--just get the protein in first and stay below 15 carbs/serving. That's a major worldview change for me since I was doing 5 carbs/serving. She did say to avoid the "white carbs"--potatoes (ok in small amounts only), rice, pasta, and bread. That's doable. I am so happy to have such a smooth surgery without any complications, nausea, dehydration like I have seen people talk about on here. I feel great. Not tired, not scared, not regretful, actually comfortable and optimistic. I'm off of 4 prescriptions because the co-morbidities are gone or under control. This sleeve surgery is a great thing! The difference just 30 lbs makes is amazing.:thumbup:

Mushies are a wonderland--if you can get protein and liquid in a blender, it's dinner! Try to think about stuff that will food process but be delicious, like a hearty stew, split pea soup with ham, or deviled eggs, refried beans with cheese (no blenderizing needed), chili. I wouldn't try doughy stuff though--there's just no need with all the great protein-based options you have. Yummy chicken salad, food processed!

I have drunk like a mo-fo ever since they handed me a cup the day after surgery. I laughed at the nurse when she showed me a 2 oz cup and said "try to drink this much every hour". I easily drank 16 oz in an hour, sippy-style. I'm two weeks out, and as long as it's a thin, water-based liquid, it goes right down. Thick shakes are another story though-2 to 3oz and then I have to wait a few minutes before taking another sip. My doc didn't have a problem with it, so I'm guessing you are ok if you can drink more thin liquids that they recommended at first.

Oh the difference that semi-normal food makes! I busted out the mini-ramekins had 3 oz of green chile refried Beans with lowfat mozarella cheese melted on top--it made me so happy it was like a turkey dinner! I am so loving the mushy stage already--I'm going to make deviled eggs tomorrow and food process them, I am so looking forward to it. Flavor, thank God almighty there is flavor in the world! It's a whole new mushy world! I started a blog on blogger called Gastric Sleeve Foodie where I'm posting recipes. The foodie blogs that are out there now are by RNYers mostly, and they don't absorb calories like we do, so their recipes don't always translate well. I'm still posting on pre-op diet recipes but I'll get caught up soon. Pre-op newbies might find it interesting. Thanks to everybody for getting me through the dastardly full liquids phase.

Thanks, Tiffy. The nutritionist today said "don't fill up on them, but having a little is ok". She wants me to get my Protein in first. I started mushies/puree tonight with 3 oz luscious refried Beans with low fat mozarella melted on top. It didn't fill me up but I was afraid to eat more. I waited 1/2 hr and had a Protein Shake. Next time I'll try 4 oz--it just seems like a lot for so early out. I think I might have a mega-pouch. My 2 week followup with the surgeon was also today and he said what he was most concerned about at the 2 week point was not weight loss, but how I was feeling--did I have energy etc. He says no exercise beyond walking. I guess I was trying to get ahead of myself. He was basically saying "relax and heal". The doc's office scale weighed substantially different from my home scale (the problem was my home scale was on carpet I figured out when I got home.) so I hadn't lost as much as I thought. That was a bummer, but he said I was losing fine as far as he was concerned. Ticker has been adjusted. Sigh.

I don't understand why everyone hates protein shakes! Either Iosopure Zero Carb is great, or I'm some kind of freak of nature!

I saw my doc today and he said 3-4 lbs a week was an extremely good weight loss, but don't expect it to be like that continuously. There will be peaks and valleys. He also said the reason we lose so much pre-op is that a lot of it is water, while post-op we are losing fat, and that takes longer. He said don't look at it as a week to week thing, look at it in the long term.

Go for the CT scan. What you are describing is not normal.

I just stay away from "evil carbs"--potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, corn, peas. If there are some carbs in a fruit or non-starchy vegetable, I don't really mind it. If I ate potato anything it would trigger a feeding frenzy!

I'm two weeks out, and have lost 35 lbs since being sleeved. 278 today. I'm terrified of the "3rd week stall".