Brielle

i've gained 3!! everyone says its just our bodies adjusting. plus, you probably have a lot of retention from the fluids in your IV. once i had my surgery, it dropped all of a sudden. gotta love the stand stills. i guess we just have to keep the faith!

I posted on this section of forums yesterday, but I didn't realize it was for introductions. I guess I should've figured the site out a little better first! Anywho... Hi! My name is Brielle. I was sleeved 1/26 by my uncle! Yes, my uncle was my surgeon. Dr. Tyner is AWESOME! 5th person in my family to have WLS, though everyone else had Gastric Bypass. I am so pleased with the results... on the day of my post up, I was 12 days out from my surgery, and had lost 15 pounds- woohoo! I am a full time student, almost finished with my Associates in the Arts. Upon completion, I will enter the nursing program. I work part time at Monarch and the ARC of Moore County. This is working on goals and doing respite care with children that have developmental disabilities. I LOVE it! I also babysit allllllll the time. I struggle sometimes, but I somehow find time for my friends in the mix of all of this! Everything went SO well in the hospital. My nurses at Rex Hospital were simply amazing. My recovery was great. I stopped pain meds on the 3rd day after my surgery. Before leaving the hospital, I was taken off of my high blood pressure medication AND my acid reflux medication! This surgery has been miraculous for me, and i'm only on week 3 of post-op. I can't wait to get back in the gym and add to the pounds dropped! I have quit smoking after surgery... I haven't smoked a cigarette since the morning of my surgery (dumb, but I had to for my own sanity!) and though i've wanted to, I have fought the urge. I feel great about myself for quitting. The rest of my journey is soon to follow.... So... HELLO, MY FELLOW SLEEVERS! Add me, talk to me, and be involved

I have been sick these past few days with flu-like symptoms. My doctor told me to drink, drink, drink! She said Gatorade or something else that replaces electrolytes. I don't like Gatorade and I don't like Powerade Zero. I just like plain ole Powerade! I have looked at the nutrition facts and 50 calories doesn't seem so bad. Has anyone asked their surgeon about Powerade? I love it, and I need something to stay hydrated... I don't wanna be back in the hospital for dehydration!

You can see your staples? My incisions are almost all the way healed and i'm only 14 days out of surgery. I guess my sutures are all inside?

Not alone! I'm 19 and I was sleeved 1/26! 15 pounds down... wooohooo!!!!!!!!

"The thing i'm most nervous about is the pain. And the nausea. That aspect of the surgery scares me..." The pain isn't as bad as the pain medication tastes. haha. I can't stand liquid medication, but maybe that's just me. I was up walking within 3 hours after my surgery. The worst pain I had was when I coughed. The anesthesia (sp?) and being intubated made me have congestion, and when I would cough it hurt. Still, the pain is not bad at all compared to the wonderful results from surgery. I've had kidney stones since I was 16, and its toughened me up for surgery, but I still don't think it's too bad. I quit taking my pain meds after the first 3 days. The nausea-- I haven't really been nauseous. My pain medication made me a little nauseated, and I get nauseous when I drink too soon after eating, but that's it!

I was in the same boat as you. I am 19 years old and was sleeved on 1/26/11. I'm only 2 weeks out, but I can tell you right now that i'm so glad I had the sleeve. I am the 5th person in my family to have WLS. First to have the sleeve- the rest had GB. The VSG is much safer for young people, as it doesn't take so many Vitamins and nutrients from your body. It's also safer because it doesn't reroute your intestines. I am 14 days out and have lost 15 pounds! Getting approved and getting through the process was SO simple, and my surgeon was absolutely wonderful (he IS my uncle, but still ) After surgery, head hunger is the hardest thing. You think you want soda and fast food, but you're really not even hungry. TOTALLY worth it. My high blood pressure and acid reflux are already on the mend- i'm off both medications!!!!!!! Woohoo!!!! Good luck- if you want to talk more, add me as a friend and we'll chat!! -Brielle

I'm 19 years old, and was sleeved on 1/26. It was my first major surgery, and the catheter was nothing. I didn't know I would have it until the day of my surgery, but it didn't really scare me. I was completely out when they put it in. When I woke up from surgery, it took me a few hours to even realize I HAD a catheter. As I came to a little more, it started feeling a little uncomfortable, but not necessarily hurting. It's nothing to worry about, really. It's actually VERY convenient, as you don't feel like getting up to go pee right after surgery. It's just to empty your bladder during surgery and when you're in recovery/recovering in your room. With all of the fluids they pump into you, it would be extremely difficult to NOT have a catheter. I'm certainly glad I had mine!

I was sleeved on 1/26. I went for a follow up yesterday, and I've lost 15 pounds!! I am extremely happy with the results so far. I was taken off my high blood pressure medicine AND my acid reflux medicine! Very, very awesome things have happened... I was the fifth person in my family to have WLS. All of them had Gastric Bypass, but I had VSG because of my tendency to make kidney stones. My uncle was my surgeon, so I went into surgery not afraid at all. Everything went great- no sickness in the hospital, incisions are looking amazing, support from my family and friends is plentiful... So excited. I am going back to the gym tomorrow. I guess i'll just start with some walking on the treadmill. I will go back to work on Friday... so excited to see my clients I have managed to keep up with my classes, as I am a full time student. Everything is just going so great for me. I am having problems with my Protein intake. The only Protein shake i've found that I can tolerate is the Atkins shakes- more specifically, the Espresso kind! By the way, I don't see how the flavorless Protein powder is flavorless!! I am doing Oikos yogurt, scrambled eggs, the occasional shake, though it's hard to get down, and whatever else protein I can scrounge up. My surgeon also told me I need to drink more liquids, but I feel like I drink constantly! I guess it'll get easier day by day? I'm only 19 years old, by the way. I am hoping to find more people my age around these forums because I feel kind of alone in that sense. I do love everyone, though And just outta curiousity... does anyone else feel like they eat ALL the time? I feel like i'm doing wrong by eating so often, but I guess the portion size is the cause of that?

Ann, Thanks so much for your support and your interest! I use Crystal Light... i am extremely picky about my drinks, so it has been hard to find a variety of drinks after surgery! I use the individual packets of Crystal Light... lemonade and pink lemonade are okay, and I also like Fruit Punch and Grape. My mom uses the Peach Iced Tea and swears it the best thing ever, but I didnt think it sounded too appetizing! BEST OF LUCK!!!