Pennie

You are very wise to be thinking about this now. Really - serious applause to you for that. So many people go into WLS thinking that it will be some magic bullet that will not only melt away the pounds but also make them happy/successful/insertanythingelsehere. These are the people that end up unhappy (and possibly posting videos about it on youtube!) My support group leader always likes to remind everyone that sleeve surgery is surgeon on your stomach and not your head. Any life issues you have now will not be resolved just because 85% of your stomach is removed. Most surgeon's offices have a psychologist either on staff or a list of therapists that they refer patients to. You may want to consider meeting with the psych and just discussing your fears and expectations. They are really in a good position to help you work through this because your concerns are VERY common in the bariatric community. I honestly think the fact that you are aware of these issues, and are thinking about them now, speaks volumes. That, in itself, is seriously half the battle. Now, the other half I don't have any specific advice for you other than talking it through with a professional. Our individual psyches are too complicated and unique for any sort of blanket advice I can think of. You are going to do well... I can tell. Good luck and congrats on your upcoming sugery!

Oh, yeah! The incentive spirometer! I forgot about that little torture device. LOL! It does get easier, the further out you are from surgery. I could barely get that ball up when I was just a day out. When I was sent home from the hospital, the instructions were to use it every single hour. I hated it, but I did it. It actually turned out to be really satisfying to see the improvement and be able to quantify it. Congrats on your sleeve!!!

Honestly, the first three days of the pre-op diet were really hard for me. I turned a corner on Day 4 and 5 and it was (relatively) easy from there on out. It's such a huge adjustment - mentally and physically. Take good care of yourself and know that it WILL get easier. I promise! I always say that the pre-op diet was the hardest part of my entire weight loss experience! It's so much easier after you are sleeved and you have that powerful tool to combat hunger. For now, you gotta tough it out without the sleeve. Take it a day at a time (or maybe an hour or even minute at a time if you need to). You will get through this and you'll be sleeved before you know it. Congrats on your upcoming surgery! I hope you love your sleeve as much as I love mine!

It gets better. Believe me. I very much enjoy going out to eat with my family. I usually just ask for a "to go" box at the same time I order my food. When the food arrives, I put a lot of it (ok, most of it!) in the to-go box and eat the sleeve-sized portion on my plate. That way it doesn't look like I'm not eating (if you are self-conscous about that) because your plate is empty when the waiter comes around with the bill. Also, having the small portion on your plate ensure you won't overeat and get a sleeve-ache. It takes time to adjust to the new way of doing things. You'll find little tricks that make you feel comfortable and confident when eating out at resturants. The great thing about the sleeve is that once you are fully healed, you can really eat anything with fear of dumping or food getting "stuck" (which happens with RNY and lap-band patients). I think most sleevers have a it a bit easier at resturants than folks with the RNY or bands. You'll feel healthy normal soon... don't worry. Just be patient with yourself and you will find your own way.

You know what? I told people really early on that "I didn't want to focus on numbers." In reality, I was weighing myself every day... but I didn't want to share the numbers with anyone other than my husband. I didn't want people always asking me how much weight I lost. Some people like this - they feel it helps them to be "accountable" - but I didn't feel a need to be accountable to anyone but myself. So, don't be afraid to put down your foot early and draw some clear boundries. You don't have to share personal information with anyone, and you don't owe ANYONE numbers or a blow-by-blow on how you are doing. Do what feel comfortable for you. The earlier you make these boundries clear, the easier (I think). Congrats on your sleeve!! And for whatever it's worth, I think 20 pounds is absolutely amazing!

That is hilarious!!! That guy had to be so embarassed, but I think it's so sweet that he was "sticking up" for you when he thought your husband with with a younger woman. This is one of the best NSVs I've read in ages! Thanks for sharing!

Did you gain a lot in the hospital? I know I did.... It took me a good week just to get back to my pre-op weight! Also, this may seem counter-intuitive, but if you are dehydrated that you also cause you to retain Water. So try to make sure you are getting your liquids in. Your body has been through a lot! If this continues, and you are worried, why not give your surgeon's office a call?

3 oz of Protein plus some mushy veggie doesn't sound like too much to me, especially give that you are 5 1/2 months out. It sounds like you are doing great! I'm in maintenace now, but I still sometimes go back to liquids if I feel like I'm falling off the wagon. After a couple of days of liquids only, my restriction always seems even tighter! (could be psychological, though... lol!) I HAVE to ask - what is a zombie 5k? Is it as awesome as it sounds?

I was in and out in less than 24 hours, but I didn't have any complications. I was given the option to stay another night if i wanted to, but I also wanted to get home to my babies!! I know it's hard to be away from your little one. But, it is also hard when you are home because you will really want to pick them up - but you can't! A healthy mom is coming soon! Congrats on your sleeve!

Go slowly (and carefully!) but if it feel comfortable to reach, you should be just fine.

Good tips and I'm glad you were able to avoid hairloss. I drank plenty of water, always got my protein in, and took biotin. Still, at 3 months out I started losing hair. A LOT of hair. It fortunately started to slow down at around 6 months out, and a month later was pretty much falling out at a normal rate.

I'm also going to vote for EAS! It's a good price, and it is honestly my favorite RTD shake. It's not too heavy, nice flavor and texture. I get the chocolate.

I agree... at the puree stage, it was still hard to really feel "full". Once I started more solid foods, it was very evident that I couldn't eat much at all! In these early stages, where most of your intake is liquid (or liquidy anyway) it is especially important to measure what you are eating. It would be easy to ingest more calories than intended if Protein shakes tend to not fill you up. Anyway, my feeling of "full" is very different than it was before surgery. It's more like a pressure or an ache even. I know another sleever who says she feels it more in her chest than in her stomach when she gets full. Everyone is different, of course, but with time you will learn your new body cues. Congrats on your new sleeve! Just be sure to take it really slow when it comes to eating!

Yeah! Nice work on breaking the stall! You are doing great - you're husband's jaw will drop, I'm sure.

Sorry about the delay. It can be SO frustrating. Once you make the decision to have the surgery, you want it NOW...er, more like yesterday! Your day will come soon. Just focus on getting as healthy as you can right now. Any pounds you can lose now are pounds that you don't gave to lose after the surgery. Really, you've already started your sleeve journey. Hang in there!!