sleevie.wonder

Today is my 3 week surgiversary. I can't believe how fast it's gone by. Yet it feels like surgery was sooo long ago. I'm doing really good. I managed to pull open my yucky incision and it was oozing. So freaking gross. But if that's the only problem then I'm totally fine with it. Looking forward to the next food stage (soft) next week.

The swelling sucks. I think my swelling was gone by week 2. After that it's mostly getting up, sitting down, twists and turns that hurt.

Oh my gosh that funny! I knew it would be even more torture if I licked one because that would make me want it even more

I get the bubble too. People always ask why I sit up straight after swallowing something or kind of move around. It's because I'm trying to get rid of that feeling! What are you eating? Are you getting all your Protein and fluids in? I noticed my weight loss slowed after I started pureeds. Scared about it stopping completely after starting soft food.

You aren't rambling at all. Love to hear how everyone is doing. It feels good to know there are others out there. Yesterday, it was like someone flipped a light switch at about 3pm. I suddenly had energy and felt great. I mean GREAT. (Well, not Deluded great...lol. But like really good peppy great.) it was two hours or so after I had my iron pill, and I made sure to take it with practically zero calcium (hard to do) and a vitamin c. Words cannot express how much better I feel! ( I am writing this at 5am... Got up without an alarm). I'm wondering if the iron finally kicked in. They say it takes a few days to a week. Before then, I felt like something the cat dragged in. If I was up moving, I just felt confused and like I wanted to pass out. I'm not even going to comment on your weather! Lol. It is 17 degrees and MI is still covered in crater sized potholes. I drive a big truck and they still jar you so bad they rattle your teeth. Good grief. So I figured out a way to describe this new feeling to my husband... "You know when you are at Maggiano's (amazing multi course meal with a trillion calories) and you are at the end, are so so so full, and they bring out the desserts and set them down in front of you? Now, there is no way that bite is gonna fit...but you take that bite anyway and you can feel it on the tippy top of your stomach? It's like that --- all the time." And that he could understand. Lastly, I have to say without Premier Protein shakes, I would be toast. They have 30g of protein and are small. I must admit they are getting to be gross. But I'm not aware of anything else that comes close to that protein density, so I will continue to "chug em" down. (At the rate of one per half hour. Ugh) anyone with tiny yet protein packed shake ideas.... I would live to hear them! One week ago I was getting ready for the hospital. Feels like a lifetime ago in some ways. Wow. My turn to apologize for the rambling now! Happy Tuesday everyone! That's actually a very good way to describe the full feeling! And I hear ya about the Premier Protein. So mashed potatoes are a no go. I gained a lb overnight after eating them. I think it has to do with the starvation mode kicking in, my body is storing fat wherever it gets it. Right now I am eating a little bit of scrambled eggs with a pinch of shredded cheese and some fresh salsa. Soo good. Lunch is a hit and miss... usually I am still too full from my egg to even think about lunch. I had some no sugar added applesauce earlier so this might hold me until dinnertime. We are meeting some friends at Chik-Fil-A (YIKES! Eating out sucks.) They have some chicken soup that I plan on sipping the broth out of.

I had my surgery on March 5th. My recovery has been pretty easy. No nausea and I didn't have gas pain, just a little discomfort while in the hospital. It's pretty much everything I was expecting it to be. Now at 3 weeks out I am having a hard time with head hunger. I tried to say before surgery that I would never get it. Ha! I am terrible about Protein. I'd rather sip Water. It's definitely caught up to me. I am very tired and run down all day. If anything, learn from my mistake and just sip the protein even if you don't like it. If it makes you nauseous try a different kind. It is SO important. My highest weight was 320 at the beginning of the year. I was 315 the day I met the surgeon, and a week later weighed 308 the day of surgery (after 1 week 1200 calorie diet). Today I weigh 282. Hoping this weight loss rate keeps up.

Awesome! I had to take 12 classes over 12 weeks and looking back they really flew by. I had surgery a little over 2 months later. Best of luck to you! It really will be here before you know it.

Jeanne so glad to hear you are doing so well! You are definitely one of the all-stars. Keep it up! I went back to work today. Got a lot done but holy cow did I feel wiped out. No energy whatsoever and very cloudy headed. Lack of calories will do that to ya though! Luckily I work from home twice a week. It's weird hearing how cold everyone is. I'm in so cal and commute out to Palm Springs for work. It was a little over 90 degrees out there today. Picked up mashed potatoes from KFC and have had a couple spoonfuls. They are VERY filling. It's weird, I was anticipating the typical "full" feeling. But this new full feeling is very different than I expected. It's more like a "uh yeah go ahead and take another bite and see what happens, I dare ya". Not the satisfying full that I used to feel. Definitely still trying to get used to it... Sorry for rambling.

liquids in liquids out as they say... Have you tried milk yet? I got diarrhea after trying it after surgery. Now I can't tolerate milk (not even lactose free). Just keep your liquids up and you'll be fine! Oddly enough I'd rather have diarrhea over constipation.

Ask your surgeon if he will prescribe Ursodiol. That is the liquid medication I am on twice a day to prevent gallstones. It's gross but I'd rather deal with meds than getting my gallbladder out! Plus after I finish the liquid I get switched over to the pill form.

Well you may as well get used to the sluggishness, because it doesn't get better after surgery. My surgeon says that getting all the Protein and liquids in will help. I am still struggling getting both in at 2.5 weeks out, so I am very sluggish all day.

Oh and I keep meaning to ask, is anyone on post-surgery meds? I am on liquid Zantac to prevent ulcers and help with heartburn, and I am also on liquid Ursodiol to help prevent galstones. Both twice a day. I will be on these a total of two months. The Zantac isn't bad but omg the Ursodiol is so gross. Luckily after I've used all the liquid I will be able to take them in pill form.

I am one of the "lucky" ones who can't tolerate milk after surgery. I bought lactose free milk and tried it and STILL ended up with a terrible stomachache and diarrhea. I even had a couple tiny bites of some lite tapioca pudding (made with milk) and got sick. Guess I will have to try soy milk next. One of my incisions (the only gross one) scab fell off and now I have a penny-sized crater on my side. So gross! The rest of my incisions are all stitched nicely and most still have the glue on them. But this one had to go and ruin it for me.

This is about how I would explain it too.

Sorry you've had such a hard time so far. Each day will be a little easier than the last. Then soon all this discomfort will be a distant memory. Hang in there.

It does get better. My stomach was so swollen and tender to touch, and like you said gravity wasn't being nice either. Try and walk around with a firm pillow, that helped me a lot. I'd say by the end of the first week I could walk around relatively normal. It was getting up and sitting down that was the most uncomfortable.

Eating pizza already is very worrisome. I would take this time to reevaluate your Protein and food guidelines that were (maybe?) given to you. I wouldn't dream of eating a slice of pizza until AT LEAST a few months out. You're still healing! Not to mention it's an old habit. I wouldn't worry about a perforation unless you are having pain. I would definitely go back to liquids and shakes for a few days.

Welcome . Congrats on the surgery date! All I can say is read, read, and read some more. There is so much information on these boards and on the internet in general. Understand that the sleeve is a tool. Understand that you are still in charge of what goes on the fork that goes in your mouth. Sure, you might get full faster, but there are unfortunately people who stretch their sleeve with old habits. Read about everything that could go wrong so you know about warning signs. I didn't like to read TOO much as I am weird and thought I'd jinx myself! I have a friend who had the sleeve two years ago and I asked her about what she eats and if she still gets full faster. She says she "definitely can't eat as much as she used to." She also described that she can only eat a cheeseburger with half the bun and a kids fry McDonald's . She has regained some of her weight too. Scares me. But it only encourages me to not become "that" person. Understand that this is a major surgery and you are going to feel like crap the first few weeks! People, especially around here, seem so upset that they don't feel good after surgery. I knew what I was getting into and fully embraced the pain and discomfort. Now in week 3 I feel pretty much back to normal. You will miss food. A lot. But they're what got you in this position in the first place. Always remember that. Bring your own pillow to the hospital (I forgot mine and was stuck with the flat excuse for a pillow at the hospital). Bring something to entertain you (phone, tablet, etc). Soap, toothpaste & toothbrush, hairbrush. You really only will need the clothes that you wore to the hospital because you'll be in a gown the whole time. I left the next day so I didn't need a shower. If you have any other questions just ask!

I had surgery two days after you (the 5th) and just started pureed yesterday. I feel full after about a 1/4 cup. What kind of soup was it? If it is more liquid then it will pass through quicker and you won't feel as full. My advice would be to not push it. Eat what your guidelines tell you (for me the meal sizes are 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup) and no liquids 30 minutes before and after eating. I just had 1/3 cup refried Beans with melted cheese and I'm very much full.

Muscle milk as a LOT of sugar in it, even the light ones. I drank a light peach mango one the other day because I couldn't find anything else when I was out. My guidelines say no more than 4 grams of sugar, the light one has 12. It also only had 20 grams of protein, which means I would've had to drink 3 of them to get the recommended 50-60. It all adds up. I think the Premier ones are the best, because they have 30 grams of protein, which means you only need 2 a day. I am struggling with them though because I'm not a fan of them, but I'm trying.

I've been going through the head hunger as well. The first two weeks I was just fine, then I just started week 3 and BAM my appetite is back and I am starting to feel hungry. My family still brings home fast food and cooks amazing meals. It is soo hard. I have to leave the room most times. I know this is my old routine and habits trying to kick back in. I know damn well the food tasted amazing, but I always felt like absolute crap after I ate it. And the numbers on the scale kept going up and up. I MUCH prefer them going down. It's going to be rough. No one said it was easy. Just take it one day at a time (or as I do, one HOUR at a time, lol) and we will get through this. It's all about taming those voices in our head that want us to fail.

There's no going back, only forward. Having regrets now will just upset you. Instead, just keep thinking about the positives. The first few days to a week is the hardest. I'm sure a week from now you will feel a lot better. Just take it one day at a time. Good luck

I agree that the liquid Lortab was a game-changer as far as nausea. The only thing is that (at least at my hospital) it was fruit flavored and verrry sweet, which was awful trying to get down. But the difference it made being on that instead of the IV morphine was incredible. Plus it seemed to help with the pain better, weirdly enough. Hang in there everyone, it gets better! I started pureed today. Currently eating pureed canned pears. I seem to burp them up a little but otherwise they are very satisfying.

That figure sounds ridiculous. You can finance a BMW for that. Maybe call and get the details as to why it is so much? I have Kaiser and it was only a $400 copay.

Hmm I might have to invest in some of the mouth spray. Even two weeks out I still get the awful dry mouth, and I am constantly sipping water. So happy for everyone! Congrats new sleevers!