Adri

Welcome to the site. I wish you the best on your new journey!

Wow! I've never heard of that cheese, thanks for the tip. I'm going to have to plan a trip to Whole Foods!

Missed it by a pound or so, but...I weigh less now than I have in years!

I didn't use any pain medication when I came home from the hospital either. The incisions were sore and only really bothered me if I tried to sleep on my side. The surgery is more discomforting than anything. Your stomach may be growly and a little crampy. It may be hard to swallow and get all your water and nutrients in...that is why/how a lot of people have a bit of a hard time.

I loved eating hummus. And I would top my chicken with guacamole to make it even softer.

I also have a digital Tanita scale that I've had for about 5-6 years. It operates just like Nancy describes. It is very accurate. I have figured out that it is always 2 lbs lighter than my dr's scale...once you figure out the difference you can always do the math to know your true weight. I think I bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond.

SW 240 CW 211 GW 210 1 lb. to go, I think I'll make it!

Thanks so much for the info Penpen!

I think you should compromise and go for the surgeon's goal. Maybe you can do the 5-day pouch test to jump start your weight loss again. I am not saying this to be hurtful, and I have not lost anywhere near what you have...I envy your 62 lb. accomplishment!! But as a new sleever I am still holding onto the hope that someday I won't look fat. I had the vsg primarily to control my diabetes, but looking good would be a bonus. If you don't see in the mirror what you want to see, keep fighting the good fight!

I have the dent too, my scar is pretty much in the center of the dent. I'm going to have to do some research on that. This was still sensitive up until about a week ago. But my little scar on my left side hurt more, because I kept trying to sleep on my left side. Never needed pain meds. Bummed that all my scars look like they're turning into keloid...I'm afraid to put anything too harsh on them, maybe I'll just try Vit E.

The smile on your face is even more beautiful than the dress. Congratulations!

Smacbeth, if at all possible, can you take off at least 8-9 days? Days 4-7 were the worst for me. I think my body came out of the anesthesia, purged all its extra fluids by then and my digestive system was having a hard time functioning on it's own. Stomach cramps and difficult time swallowing even water. See if you don't find the same experience for others. By day 11 I was a new woman!

I had shredded chicken breast for dinner, I put a couple of teaspoons of guacamole on it and it made it moist and tasty, with a little taco sauce too. And I had 2 T of non-fat refried Beans with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top. This is one of my favorite dinners. I love international foods...how about pairing chicken with some hummus next time, or some Palak Paneer from Trader Joe's. (If you're not familiar with PP, it is an Indian food: pureed spinach with chunks of cheese in it, it is a bit spicy, but that's the way I roll!)

As far as pain goes, the hysterectomy was much worse than vsg. With the hysterectomy I had pain at the incision site and it was hard to get up out of bed because of pain. The aftermath of these 2 surgeries is not really comparable in my opinion. With the vsg, I did not even need my pain meds...but there was discomfort. I had the shoulder pain issue, and my stomach was really crampy and growly for a week. For alot of people including me, swallowing liquids leaves you with a somewhat painful "lump" going down your esophagus. Your stomach/sleeve will be a new stranger to you, and neither of you will be very happy until about day 11.

I'm 20 days post op. I'm still trying to get used to this sleeve. My biggest problem is eating too fast. I mean honestly...making 1/4 cup of food last half an hour? But if I eat too fast then I get the "BIG D" if you know what I mean. I'm thirsty but cant seem to get enuf water in, I thought the lump in the throat problem was gone, but no, not really. I was one of those folks who inhaled my food and gulped my drinks... I have no severe or major setbacks...I just have some serious behavior modification to tackle.

Me too!

I've had diabetes for over 7 years now. It has done nothing but get worse over time. I kept having to take more medication and recently started insulin. It runs in my family. I've had relatives with the worst of it...amputations, loss of eyesight. I don't want to be a major downer or scare you...but this is reality with diabetes. I was in denial for such a long time, but finally see wls as the best possible solution. Time will tell, as I am only 20 days post op. I am feeling good, my sugar is down and am very optimistic for my future now. Doing this for health reasons is the best reason. I wish you the best in your journey!

Does anyone have a great brand of decaf they enjoy? I have been a coffee addict even as a child. I am more sad that I can't have my morning coffee, than the food I am missing. I tried Folgers decaf and Starbucks and do not like either one. But I also have a second question: I am 11 days post op and I think my taste buds are out of whack. Nothing seems to taste like it used to. Has anyone experienced this?

Did you wait 2 hours after eating to test? Once I saw that kind of spike after eating some carbs, but it was because I had eaten about an hour before.

I was allowed broth-based soup, and salad on my pre-op diet. (Even if they had a little meat in them, but don't eat too much of the carbs...i.e., rice, noodles, croutons) I think that would be fine for you. Use non-fat dressing if you choose a salad. Where I live, Chinese, Vietnamese and Mexican restaurants are good choices for big bowls of broth-based soups with lots of vegetables.

I have been using Bariatric Advantage Protein powder. I don't find it too sweet. I like the vanilla. At first I didn't care for BA but i was only mixing it with Water. Now, even if I just add a splash of nonfat milk it tastes much better; and I add a bit more liquid than the suggested amount. BA will become very thick and frothy if you put it in a blender. I don't care for all those bubbles so I just prepare mine in a shaker. If you are familiar with muscle milk light---to compare---I think BA is about 1/3 as sweet but 3x thicker. You can get it online. Also, a serving has 27g of protein, when you add a bit of milk you get at least 30g. I would love to get more ready to drink shakes for convenience, but I can't see paying so much money. At this point, I'm happy with BA now that I have figured out how to tailor it to my taste. I don't think diluting your shakes after surgery should be an issue--remember that after surgery it is important to get in as much flluid as possible. I hope this helps.

Hi David, I am also a cancer survivor. My battle ended in 2009, but then I had to face the fact that my health was still at risk with my weight and diabetes problems. So cheers to all of us who refuse to quit---and keep fighting for our health! I look forward to hearing more from you in the forums.

You know the saying,,,it's darkest before the dawn. Well, that's where you are right now. My days 4 thru 8 were harder than the first 3. But by day 11 I was good, and by day 15 I was golden. It just takes time to heal. You will be okay in time, I'm sure of it. Keep thinking of the positive reasons you did this and it will get better!

Not only did I have that painful lump feeling when drinking water but at around day 7 I started getting heartburn too. I thought it was so strange that swallowing yogurt was easier than swallowing water. And yes, that made getting pills down hard too, I think that's why the NUT had me buy as many chewables as possible. The doctor is letting me take Prilosec for the heartburn and it has gone away. Well, I got much better by day 11. The lump in my throat was completely gone by day 15. I started pureed food today and have had no problems thus far. It will get better with time, don't worry!!