thebionicbroad

I am 2 1/2 weeks post-op. My surgeon told me to eat mushies, get in 60 - 70 grams of Protein a day, and follow my vitamin/mineral regimen. I normally eat a poached egg with a few cheese shreds in the morning, a 1/4 c. of cottage cheese or refried Beans with a bit of cheese at lunch, and dinner is 50 grams of protein, Isopure Dutch chocolate made with Water. Weight loss is 28 pounds in 30 days, counting pre-op. I just put my food intake into Fitday.com, and that's less than 350 calories a day. Excuse me? The only time that I feel anything remotely resembling hunger is when I'm behind in taking my PPI. I still can't gauge fullness, which is why I'm measuring my food. Is there a guideline as to how many calories a day I should be eating? I have never in my life been in a situation where I didn't know how much to eat. God bless the sleeve.

I had staples until 7 days post-op, then those were removed and Steri-strips were put on. I was told to remove them after a week if they didn't come off themselves. Two of my incisions were slightly infected under the strips, including the largest one. I used hydrogen peroxide on them once a day, and everything is hunky dory.

Laura, Well done!!!! I love reading posts like yours, because they give hope to the hopeless, mainly me. Congratulations!!!

I would have felt the same way, but I'm evil. I would have told her that the chemo makes it really hard to eat.

Hey Biggie, Welcome to the forum. The first 5 days, I was convinced that I had made a mistake. I hurt (gall bladder came out, too), I felt like a balloon, and I was scared to drink too much. I had a real turn-around at day 8, and I've felt great ever since. Gas-X, lots of walking, and I don't measure my Water. I drink to keep my urine clear or very pale. Probably TMI, but it works for me.

I'm losing a bit more hair than usual, but honestly, if I had to make a choice, I'd rather be bald than obese.

Welcome, Sunshine! Lots of great info and support here. I'm almost 3 weeks post-op and feeling great.

Good work, and an inspiration to those of us who aren't there yet! My doc gave me a prescription for Famotidine (Pepcid), 20 mg, 2X day.

When using a public restroom, I won't have to stand on the toilet to get the door open and closed.

Welcome, Brown Owl! ​Sounds like you are doing beautifully. I'm only 2 1/2 weeks post-op, so your story is good for me to hear.

I still have residual esophageal dilation from my Band (ping-pong ball feeling). I still have an occasional spasm, which hurts like crazy. But with the acid-blocker, and time, they are going away.

I'm 2 1/2 weeks post-op, and happy as a clam. A 28-pound lighter clam.

In spite of the brainwashing out there, a normal cholesterol range is 200 - 220. Your cholesterol ratio, total cholesterol to your HDL number, is a better way to figure your heart attack risk than just cholesterol alone. According to the Mayo Clinic: "You can calculate your cholesterol ratio by dividing your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol into your total cholesterol. For example, if your total cholesterol is 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), and your HDL cholesterol is 50 mg/dL, your cholesterol ratio is 4-to-1. The goal is to keep your cholesterol ratio 4-to-1 or lower. A higher ratio indicates a higher risk of heart disease; a lower ratio indicates a lower risk" A low cholesterol score can actually be more of a heart attack danger than one around 220. It all depends on your ratio.

Yecats, Thank you. That explains a lot.

Welcome! I was on full liquids on the 2nd day, and on mushies at one week post-op. Every doctor is different.

Happy New Year, kimmr! My insurance, Kaiser, didn't do the Band back in '05, so I was a self-pay. Now that Kaiser does the sleeve, I didn't qualify because of having a lower BMI (36) with no co-morbidities. No high BP, no diabetes, no sleep apnea. I qualified for the sleeve because of all the complications I was having with the Band. 28 pounds in 28 days is all I can say.

It's ironic that, if I hadn't have had the Band with all of its complications, my insurance wouldn't have paid for the revision. I'm 16 days post-op, on mushies, and able to eat cooked egg, something I couldn't do with the Band. I am a very Happy Camper. All of you, have a wonderful New Year! My black-eyed peas are already in the pantry, waiting to be pureed.

Per my surgeon's orders, I'm on mushies until February 2nd, my next appointment. A sample menu for me is a poached egg for breakfast with a bit of pureed ham, a double protein drink (50 gms. protein), and a 1/4 c. cottage cheese for supper. I've also had three Vienna sausages, or a 1/4 c. of refried beans with a few cheese shreds on top. So far, so good.

Counseling sounds like a good idea. I've gone several times in the course of my years, and it's helped. My alcoholic and diabetic family is prone to depression. And I don't think that you're being unreasonable. You're looking for answers. Pat

Happy, Fear and confusion don't come from God. Your first friend's outcome was a miracle; the second was malpractice. Hang on to what you know is best for you.

I'm two weeks post-op and on mushies and full liquids. I forget to eat. Will this change after the stomach heals? I don't know. All I do know is that this is 1,000% better than the Band.

Kimmr, Heck, yes, I can feel your pain. I felt shame for years after my Band failure. People would look at me and sneer. "YOU have a Band?" I had gained all my weight back plus some, and couldn't eat anything but what kept my weight up - greasy, fatty, slippery. My surgeon told me that no matter how disciplined the patient, whenever the Band was removed, the patient gained weight. Every. Patient. A Lap-band failure doesn't mean that we are failures. The Band is not what it was touted to be. It causes slips, and scarring, and esophageal dilation, and erosion, and GERD, and hernias. The blasted thing should be pulled from the market. My surgeon lost someone who came in with a black, gangrenous stomach pouch. Those of us lucky enough to survive the thing to have a revision to a sleeve are the lucky ones. Obesity is one of the most complicated health issues on the planet. It's NOT just pushing away from the table. It is NOT a character flaw or weakness. It is a genetic, hormonal, and behavioral problem. Can you imagine a diabetic hating himself because he has to take insulin? Or a cancer patient despising herself because she's in chemo? But we chunkies love to hate ourselves. It ain't all us. Something, somewhere, at the cellular level, something went wrong. It doesn't mean that we are terrible people. It means that we need medical intervention. The Band was a flawed solution. The by-pass was out because the malabsorptive issue. The sleeve was my choice and my surgeon's recommendation. So far, I'm very pleased. I just don't want to see you blame yourself for a Band failure. Sounds like you did as well as anyone could. You deserve a better solution, my friend. Pat

Happy New Year to you, too, Roseigirl. Your weight loss is amazing!

Kimmr, I trust my surgeon's opinion and competence, and I'm holding up my part of the bargain by following the rules. If a leak does develop, I'll know that it wasn't due to something I did wrong. I'll deal with it if it happens. I know my body, and I don't ignore warning signs. The sleeve is one of the safest bariatric procedures out there. I researched thoroughly before I had the sleeve. I never would have agreed to something that I thought would take me away from my DH and family. I'm more afraid of losing my hair than developing a leak.

The revision was my 6th abdominal surgery, and I had a tiny thought in the back of my mind that the law of averages was going to catch up with me. The surgery went beautifully, I'm 2 weeks post-op, and the only thing I notice is that I tire easily. But I feel great. I agree with the others. Look to the positives. I still can't quite mentally accept the fact that I had most of my stomach removed. That's mind-boggling. But I know that I did the best thing for me.