MyGastricSleeveLife

I read an article the other day about a lady who lost a bunch of weight by limiting herself to 800 calories a day. The article said after she had lost some of it her doctors suggested the sleeve, but she didn't do it. She just kept limiting her calories & working out. I thought for a split second "gee, maybe I could've done that" and then I remembered all my failed attempts at losing in the past and limiting my calories. It was hard enough limiting myself to 1500 or 1200 and neither of those lasted very long! There's no way with where my mind and addiction and body was that I would be able to limit myself this much without surgery. If I could have, I would have. I'm happy with my decision & there's no going back at this point, but I think it's only natural to have those kinds of thoughts when we see stories about people having success other ways. I know I did what I had to for me though & I don't regret it at all!!

The reason behind "no caffeine" is because it is a diuretic and makes it harder to stay hydrated. It can also cause intestinal/bowel issues for some people. My Bariatric Coordinator said it can also cause stomach ulcers. The ulcers & hydration issues are why my surgeon says "no caffeine" for life after surgery. However, I know some people who have had the same surgeon & don't follow that rule once they're over a year out from surgery. Personally, I used to be a Pepsi Max drinker & thought I needed the caffeine to function. However, I've been functioning better and have had less headaches and fewer problems and more energy since getting the caffeine out of my system and I don't miss it at all. Again, I'm not a coffee drinker, but I am happier without caffeine in my system & plan on staying that way!

Every doctor is different. Mine says no caffeine for life after surgery. Decaf is okay. I'm not a coffee drinker though, so it hasn't mattered to me.

Dargar - it depends on the original poster's plan. My surgeon has a fairly slow progression afterward & I had to be on clear liquids for a full 2 weeks after surgery, which only included Isopure clear liquid, broth, crystal light, SF Popsicles & SF Jello. I could also have Unjury unflavored, chicken soup or strawberry sorbet and/or Beneprotein because they were considered clear liquids by my surgeon. I couldn't have pudding or regular protein drinks or other soft foods until later, which is what I'm assuming the original poster is talking about too.

It depends on the doctor & many times even on the patient. I didn't have a drain & know others with my surgeon who didn't either, but then I just met someone who did have a drain & has the same surgeon. Hers was a band-sleeve revision & she did mention her surgery took longer because of scar tissue from the band before, but I really don't know if that had anything to do with the drain or not. I feel my recovery was fine without a drain.

I just kept a water bottle filled with crystal light or other flavorings & beneprotein to help with protein intake & just sipped from it all day long. I didn't have a limit as to how much in a certain amount of time or anything. we're supposed to get 64 oz (at least) in a day. Some people can't do that much right away, but you need to try. It took me all day, but I was able to do it. Also, right after surgery, everything - broth, SF popsicles, SF jello, crystal light, water, Isopure clear liquid - all count toward your "liquid" total, so it's not just 64 oz of water. It does take a long time right away though. The first day I tried broth, it took me 90 minutes to have one cup (8 oz) of broth!! It took less time each day, but that first time sure was shocking how long it took! My Bariatric Coordinator said that as long as I wasn't feeling nauseous while drinking/eating, that I wasn't doing it too fast or too much. Just take things slow & listen to your body, but try to get all your fluids in to prevent dehydration!

I was self-pay, but did have to wait for financing to go through. Even with that, it was just under a month from my initial consultation to my surgery date. Luckily, I was able to get in quickly to get my pre-op tests done & everything.

If you can't handle regular Water, add Crystal Light or some other flavorings. Like massindex said, you need to make sure you get as many fluids as possible. Right after surgery, anything counts toward your liquid total for the day, but you need to make sure you're staying hydrated somehow or you'll end up back in the hospital with dehydration. As far as smells go, it is different for everyone. I noticed smells were stronger, but they didn't bother me. However, I do have a friend who said the smells bothered her for the first week or so after surgery. Hang in there!!

I'm only 4 weeks out, but can tell you what my doctor said. Normally the first 4-6 weeks is limited to just walking. You should try to walk at least 30 minutes a day. Depending on your surgeon, you can increase activity somewhere between the first 4-6 weeks usually. I was told I could get in the pool at 2-3 week (as soon as my incisions healed), but to be careful not to do a whole lot in the pool to possibly hurt the incisions. As far as rehydration goes, I keep a Water bottle filled with either a Protein drink or water all the time. I sip from it every few minutes throughout the day. I do the same when exercising (except in the pool).

Congrats!! Such an awesome story & great NSVs!!

Week 4 Stats - down 2.6 lbs & 1.5 inches this week. I'm at 250.6 lbs today. Down 16.4 lbs & 14.25 inches in 4 weeks. Down 29 lbs in 6 weeks (when pre-op diet started). I'm going to weigh again on Thursday, 6/14, to see what my loss is for exactly a month after surgery since that was 5/14.

Have you talked to a surgeon yet? If not, I would have your mom go with you to a consultation so she can ask questions to the surgeon too. Tell her to come here and search posts or even make an account and ask questions. Leaks can happen, but are rare. The "stretchy" part of the stomach is what is removed. What is left will not stretch much. It will change over time, but if you don't push your limits, you'll be fine. Even if it does stretch somewhat, there is no way you'll be able to eat 6+ pieces of pizza at one time again. It doesn't stretch THAT much. I've read plenty of stories here and other places about women who have had the sleeve and have had children down the road. Although the sleeve isn't exactly the same thing, there have been people who have had gastrectomies to be treated for stomach cancer and other problems for a long time and have lived long lives afterward. For me, there were more problems and issues and possible failure with the lap band & it just wasn't an option for me because of all the crap I've heard about it.

If you have help to pack, move, and unpack, it would be okay probably. However, if you aren't planning on having a good deal of help, I would try to postpone the move. I know everyone is different with recovery. I think my recovery has been pretty easy so far. I will be 4 weeks out on Monday. I'm feeling better and being more active every day, but I wouldn't see myself being ready to move at 8 weeks out.

I'm like Char, I like to weigh daily. However, it is definitely a personal preference. I actually like seeing my daily fluctuations because it helps me know my own body better. I can then understand if I gain 5 lbs because of my period or because of having more sodium even though I know I didn't really gain 5 lbs overnight. I still remember someone on Nutrisystem saying she gained 2 lbs one day, but felt bloated so she walked around "tooting" for a little while & weighed again & the 2 lbs was gone. Weighing daily helps me learn my own fluctuations. However, I know that it's too frustrating for some people do to it that way. Another thing is to make sure you're doing measurements either weekly or monthly. Sometimes the scale doesn't move all that much, but inches do!

The actual volume is the same, but how much you can handle is completely different. I can drink about 8 ounces of something in less than 30 minutes depending on what it is and I'm not "full" at all, but I am satisfied. However, I can only eat about 4 ounces of thicker things (I'm still on pureed foods now) in 30 minutes and they keep me full for at least a couple hours. As I add in more solid foods, I'm finding out how different the capacity is for different things. There is definitely a different capacity for liquids. It might just be that they flush out of the stomach sooner, but it is definitely a different feeling. It's hard to describe & realize until you actually go through it.

My doctor said most people should stay within 800-1000 calories during the "losing phase" even with exercise, but if you're burning 600+, then yes, you probably should eat at least some of your exercise calories. I HATE how MFP automatically adds in exercise calories into your daily limit because I don't agree with that at all. I do think that we shouldn't completely zero out our calories (like eat 800 and burn 800), but I also don't think we should eat all our exercise calories (like MFP says if my goal is 800 and I add 600 exercise, then I can eat 1400 calories). However, I do think we should eat SOME of our exercise calories sometimes just to survive!! It's a trick to find the right balance, but you should definitely make sure you don't overdo it and pass out. Make sure you hydrate as you exercise & either have protein as you exercise or right after too.

I think it's very normal. I only started feeling restriction when I started having thicker things, like ricotta and refried black beans. Other things go down just fine. I'm almost 4 weeks out. My surgeon has a slow progression of food, so I just tried that thicker stuff this week. I can eat a whole can of creamy soup without a problem (although it does take a long time), but can only have 1/2 cup to 1 cup of thicker things & they normally take 30-45 minutes to eat them (or more).

Personally, I don't think it has anything to do with pre-op diets. I think it is more due to other things, although I'm not really sure what. I know I was really prepared for surgery as far as knowledge. I actually expected to be in more pain than I was. The Bariatric Coordinator at my hospital said he thinks women who have had kids or other surgeries and those who are a little older have an easier time than others. There was a lady in her early 20s who had surgery the week before me & complained a lot about pain. I'm almost 37 and have 2 kids. I don't really know if that made the difference or not, but that's what he said his experience has been with various patients. I did have a 2-week pre-op diet that was limited to 650 calories with at least 70 g Protein, less than 60 g carbs & around 15 g fat. I had much less pain than I thought I would have. It was about an 8 in Recovery, but by the time I was in my room it stayed around a 1-2 with or without pain medicine.

So awesome!! Congrats!! I love seeing those inches go down!!!!

Yes, I actually ended up doing some of it through CareCredit, some through MedLoanFinance, and some through eFinancingSolutions. The MedLoanFinance and eFinancingSolutions both have high fees in addition to finance charges, so in the end we're actually going to end up paying about $25,000 if we take the full 4 years to pay it all off even though my surgery was $15,100. However, we really didn't have another choice at this time, so we decided it was worth it. The payments are affordable and if our finances improve we can pay them off early to save at least a little bit.

Awesome!! Congrats!! I was self-pay too & it was frustrating figuring it all out. Our credit isn't great, so our fees are higher, but still workable for us. Good luck with the rest of your journey!!

Congrats on your loss so far!! As far as slowing it down goes, I really think it depends on how much you have to lose. I know a lot of people on here who lose more than 2 lbs a week for the first 3-6 months after surgery. I know for non-WLS people the goal is usually 2 lbs a week, but I haven't heard a limit like that before this with WLS patients, especially at the beginning. It kind of seems odd to purposely try to slow it down as long as you don't have a medical issue with losing. The only thing I can think of to slow it would be increasing your intake and/or decreasing your exercise, but again it seems odd to me at this point in the process.

Do you use MyFitnessPal or SparkPeople or some other way of tracking exactly what you're eating & burning with exercise? That helps a lot with accountability. Even if you're tracking things, you just need to be patient with your body. We throw a lot of things at our bodies during pre-op & post-op times & they need time to adjust. The other thing is - are you weighing first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom & without clothes (or with the same clothes)?? If you're weighing at your doctor's office and you're wearing different clothes and your appointment is at a different time of day and you've eaten different foods, then you can't just go by what their scale says! There are SO many things that influence our weight! I recently wrote about this on my blog - the direct link to that particular post is http://mygastricsleevelife.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-thoughts-about-dreaded-scale.html - if you want to read it. The other thing is - are you doing measurements? Sometimes the scale doesn't move, but the inches do. Basically, keep doing the best you can & have patience! It is much easier after surgery than before, but you can still have success before surgery too. Even if the scale doesn't cooperate, you're learning great skills now that will help you after surgery too! Keep up the good work & don't stress, especially since stress makes us hold on to weight too!!

Mine didn't give me any sort of breakdown of costs. I just paid it all to the doctor & he divides it up where it needs to go, so I don't know how much is for each thing. I do know it was going to be about $600 extra if I had to stay in the hospital an extra night. I actually got mine financed, so because of finance charges & fees, I'll end up paying almost $25,000 over the next 4 years unless we can pay it off ahead of time. However, for me it was worth it & worth the peace of mind. I know some people are fine going to Mexico & they get aftercare here if needed, but I didn't want to do that & it wasn't really an option because of my family situation & other things right now anyway. I had surgery just after Mother's Day & my husband joked & said he's never buying me a $15,000 Mother's Day present again! :-) I said this wasn't really for Mother's Day, but it is the best money I've ever spent on myself to benefit the rest of my life!

I had to stop them for 30 days before & after. I was lucky that I had only taken one pill in my new pack when I stopped. I would actually ask your surgeon or gynecologist if it's okay to stop in the middle or not. As far as after, I just talked to my gynecologist yesterday & he said to wait until my next period & then start the pills again (which should be around my 30 day mark anyway) and also to make sure we use condoms for the first month back on the pills again since they've been out of my system for 60 days.