MyGastricSleeveLife

You might want to consider looking at Lauren's Hope instead if you want to put more information on your bracelet. I like some of the ones on N-Style too, but the only allow 3 lines and not many characters per line, so I couldn't put any contact info on mine from N-Style. However, Lauren's Hope has a lot of options and their plaques allow more lines. I actually thought about buying a new plaque from Lauren's Hope that would hook to my rubber bracelet I got from N-Style since it can have more lines on it. I ended up ordering one from Road ID yesterday, but I also like the rubber bracelet or other ones if I would like something more dressy sometimes. I do like the idea that many of the plaques are interchangeable with different bracelets so if someone wanted to spend the money on different bracelets they could keep changing their plaque from one to another.

For the first few weeks after surgery, I had to have room temperature water or even a little warmer. I also had to mix it with crystal light or Unjury Strawberry Sorbet, because I couldn't handle just plain water. I also used Unjury Chicken Soup or broth to get my fluids in. It is VERY important that you get as many fluids in as you can throughout the day to avoid being back in the hospital with dehydration! You might not be able to get 64 ounces right away, but you definitely need more than 16!! Remember that everything you have - broth, popsicles, jello, crystal light, Isopure or other clear protein drinks - all count toward your goal for fluids. Even if you just take a small sip every few minutes you should be able to get in more than 16 ounces through the day. Some people do struggle more than others at the beginning, but it is really important to try to increase it as much as you can each day to avoid dehydration!

http://mygastricsleevelife.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-thoughts-about-food.html

http://mygastricsleevelife.blogspot.com/2012/06/importance-of-medical-alert-id-bracelet.html

Everyone is different, so it's hard to say. I was 5 weeks out on Monday & got a surge of energy that hasn't gone away yet. I'm finally feeling better than my old self especially since it's easier to do things without the added weight (I've lost 33 lbs since pre-op). I guess it depends on how much energy you want. I was okay to do things by week 2 or 3, but still did things slowly and still took one or two naps and went to bed early until just this week.

I weigh every morning when I get up, after I go to the bathroom. I actually use it to get to learn more about my body and learn my body's fluctuations based on fluid consumption, what I eat, and other factors, like my period or if I slept well or if I'm stressed. I don't stress over the number on the scale since I use it as a learning tool. However, if you stress over it then it's better to stay away from it longer!

Here is a great article on the Lauren's Hope site that I listed above that explains more about the blind NG tubes too - http://blog.laurenshope.com/medical-id-jewelry-blog/bid/50075/3-Reasons-Why-Gastric-Bypass-Patients-Should-Wear-a-Medical-Alert - it's about bypass patients, but applies to us too.

NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - like ibuprofen. Some surgeons say we aren't supposed to have them after surgery because they can cause issues in the stomach. An NG tube is a nasogastric tube that goes through the nose into the stomach - basically a feeding tube. A "blind" one is one that is put in without them looking at all at what they're doing really, and this can cause an issue for our smaller stomachs because it can cause a problem in the stomach lining/staple line and could potentially puncture the stomach if they shove it in too far or too fast. It was actually on my discharge papers from the hospital as something to make sure is NEVER done after sleeve surgery.Therefore, it is something that would be important to be on a medic alert bracelet.

Every doctor is different. Mine says no NSAIDs for life after surgery on his paperwork. I asked him about it and he said that an "occasional" ibuprofen would be okay if necessary, but basically he says "no" to them. He said there are some that aren't as harsh on the stomach if someone truly needed them, but as a basic rule he says no. However, I do understand that some doctors don't care about it. Since it is something my doctor would rather have us stay away from, I think it's important for me to have on my ID bracelet just in case. In one thread I saw before about ID bracelets someone pointed out tthat most EMS people would not be giving NSAIDs by mouth anyway in an accident situation & that's where my surgeon says they can cause problems. Again, it's more just for my own peace of mind based on my surgeon's rules.

LOL! I ordered my first one when I started my pre-op diet & it got here right before surgery, but I left it at home until after surgery. My friend who I mentioned above got hers from http://www.laurenshope.com/ & she was able to fit a lot of information on it too, but she said she has to dress up for work & wanted something fancier so hers was just over $100 and is really nice. I don't need anything fancy & don't have a lot to spend anyway. The one I got before was from http://www.n-styleid.com/medical-id-alert-bracelets/rubber-bracelets.html and was about $35 with shipping, but it didn't have enough room for all that info. Depending on which option you go for on the Road ID site theirs are even cheaper!

I know this has been discussed some in the past because I've been in on some other threads for it, but I just wanted to start a new one because of a great site I just found out about. I know there is debate over whether a medical ID bracelet is necessary or not. I decided to get one just for my own peace of mind. I just put "Gastric Sleeve VSG - No Blind NG Tubes - No NSAIDs" on mine & thought that would be fine because the place I got it from really didn't have space for contact information or anything else on it. I just figured it would be okay that I had my surgeon's card and other information in my purse. A couple weeks after surgery, I was talking to a friend who said she had one made also & she said how she put contact info on hers. She said she had never really thought about it before, but had recently witnessed an accident and she and her husband were the first people on the scene of the accident. The woman in the accident was in the car, but her purse had gotten thrown out of the car and it took them a while to find it. My friend said this got her thinking about the bracelet. She said she put most of the same info I did, but also that she's diabetic & also her husband's name and information (and I think our surgeon's number too). Today someone was talking about it on my surgeon's support group and someone mentioned that they got one with a ton of info on it. She said it has her name, birth year (not full DOB), contact info for her son, her procedure & date of surgery, No Blind NG, No NSAIDs, and our surgeon's name & phone. When we asked her where she got it from, she said it was from Road ID (http://www.roadid.com/). I looked at the site and think it's awesome how much information they can fit on them and they're reasonably priced. They even have options for a wrist or shoe one and some other options. They also have an option for an interactive coverage (which is a subscription) where you could put a more complete profile that EMS could access online or on the phone. Anyway, I just thought I'd share because although I pray that none of us ever needs emergency assistance, it eases my mind knowing the people who would help me would have the necessary information. I had never thought about how important the contact information is in a situation where my wallet might not be right there! I haven't found other sites that offer the same amount of information on a bracelet as the site above for a reasonable price in the past.

And what happens when the obese people lose weight - are they then asked to leave the gym because they were successful?!?!?!? Just plain dumb idea to me!

It can take a week or two to lose all the fluid & swelling weight from the hospital. I wouldn't worry too much. Everyone is different & some bodies need more time to adjust after surgery. Just keep following your plan. If you haven't already, pick a day of the week & start doing measurements too because sometimes the scale doesn't move but inches drop!

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 2 years ago. My numbers weren't horrible, but I was on metformin 500 mg in the morning and 1000 mg in the evening. I stopped my metformin during my pre-op diet since it was so few calories & was told not to start it again after surgery, but to keep checking my levels. I'm 5-1/2 weeks out now and am down 33 lbs from my high weight before my pre-op diet and 21 lbs from surgery. My sugar levels have been awesome since surgery. My fasting level is still about 110 instead of below 100, but it's not bad enough to be on medication. My after food numbers are around 110-120 consistently. I have a friend who had metformin and insulin. She is still not completely off her insulin, but she said she's taking about 1/4 of what she had before. She's hoping as she loses more weight she'll be able to come off completely. She's only 4 weeks out now.

I think it's more just temporary. I'm 5-1/2 weeks out now & I can do colder stuff now.

Ditto - I do both. Even my trainer at the gym says its important to do both for weight loss and just to be healthy even after you're at goal weight.

You should definitely be fine then!! I only have 10-15 minutes between classes & that's hard sometimes depending on where the buildings are!

I went back to school a couple years ago. I just got my Associates this past semester at the community college and am starting at the university in the fall. Luckily, I'm not taking classes this summer, so it was the perfect time for me to do the surgery & get healthier before fall classes, especially since I'll be walking a lot more at the university than I was a the community college! Anyway, I honestly think you'll be okay. However, don't be afraid to take it slowly! Maybe see if they have some kind of medical exception you can be on that makes it okay if you're a few minutes late to class - or spread out your classes a little more so you don't have to rush from one to the other. Quite honestly, the first 3-4 weeks are the roughest to get through after surgery. Some people bounce back quickly & some take longer. I was at about 1/2 my "normal" speed until week 3 even though I could gradually be more active than before. Those first few weeks you're going to be extremely tired also as your body tries to deal with major surgery and with the low calories you'll be consuming. I often took 2 naps and went to bed early at the beginning 2-3 weeks. Now I'm 5 weeks out & I'm feeling great & am just starting to be able to only do one nap or no naps. I am almost 37 years old & have a family too & I don't know how that compares to younger college students, although I will say that my bariatric coordinator at the hospital said that he has seen younger women without kids have more issues with pain after surgery than women who have had children & are a little older. That being said, it really is different for everyone. Just listen to your body and don't overdo it. I would really look into a medical stipulation or spread your classes out if you can though.

Nope. Just the sleeve. I've heard that weight loss is slower sometimes with those who have revisions, but the same things apply as far as following the plan. :-)

I'm doing great, but I can say what I've read. People who end up gaining back do not follow the diet plan. Most either progress too fast at the beginning, use slider foods, or start eating more as time goes by (or a combination of those things). The sleeve will not stretch back to the size it was before like stretching that can occur with other types of Bariatric surgeries, but it will stretch a little bit over time. My surgeon explained that just because you CAN physically eat more after it stretches some does not mean you HAVE to eat more. From what I've read, I don't think the weight regain is as drastic for the sleeve as other surgeries. However, it is still possible to regain weight if you don't fully change your life and fall back to old habits. Even though we can't eat a ton of pizza anymore, if we eat a little pizza (or other junk) consistently we can regain & ultimately "fail" at the surgery.

Just thought I'd mention now - I did do some crunches yesterday, but took it slow. I'm 5 weeks out now. My large incision definitely was a little sore. Today I had my first training session with a personal trainer at the gym since before my pre-op diet. My trainer said he'd take things slow on my core for a while to give those muscles time to heal more. He's going to do more with my arms and legs and more on passive machines than free weights for at least a few weeks, he said. Then, we can start building the core again & do more full-body workouts. He said it's important to take things slowly and make sure you don't hurt the core as its healing. He has trained some other bariatric clients in the past also, so I trust he knows what he's doing - although I'm sure you'd get different opinions from different people about how to progress.

That's one thing I hate about MyFitnessPal because it doesn't give you the option & just adds in exercise calories. I normally do not eat them, but sometimes I will eat some, like if I burn 400 I might eat 50 into that or something. If you eat all your exercise calories you're kind of defeating the purpose of the exercise because you're decreasing your overall deficit between what you burn just living & what you're consuming.

I had one that had a bunch of holes & access points in it that was more like a paper gown for the actual surgery. Then, I had a regular cloth hospital gown that opened in the back after surgery. They gave me another one to put around me like a robe when I wanted to walk around the halls. Then, I'd take the second one off again before getting back in bed after my walk around the hallways. I had bought a nightgown, but didn't even end up using it until I was home.

Yes, it's normal. Yes, it does get better. It does take a while though. My B12 & iron levels were low before surgery, so I take them daily & the B12 really helps. However, it will normally take at least a week or two for most people that I've seen to be able to do more without being tired. It took me about a week to be able to do showers & stuff like that without being tired, and longer to do other things. I'm 5 weeks out today & still take one nap usually, but there was a time I was taking 2 naps and going to bed early. You need to remember that you just had major surgery and your body is going to need time to heal and adjust to everything! Hang in there! It does get better. Just try to get your fluids & protein in & take supplements as needed too. I can tell a difference if I forget my B12 for a day or two now!

Personally, I was perfectly fine with the hospital gown they provided.