Robyn Owens-Miille

Keep it clean, keep it loosely covered and it will heal. As long as no oozing, redness or drainage, you're fine. Our skin is stretched and doesn't have the greatest elasticity any more. At 3 weeks out, you are well healed from the inside and this is just a surface incision. One of mine did the same thing.

My stools were liquid when I was on liquids. I'm just shy of 6 months now and struggle with constipation. I have become good friends with Miralax.

I was told you cannot use 100% soy flour that it has to be mixed with other kinds of flour. I personally have not tried it since surgery. I'm just not eating biscuits and such as I know they trigger my carb cravings.

When you get to purees get some egg drop soup and blend it!

I try and limit carbs to 40-50 grams a day and I get those from my low fat dairy products, veggies & occasionally a little bit of a whole grain bread product. today: breakfast- egg scrambled with turkey sausage & 1 tbsp of potato (I usually use mushrooms but I was out) lunch- small piece of meatloaf (3 oz) and 1/4 cup green Beans afternoon- 2 oz cheese & 5 grapes dinner- (work function that was an appetizer and wine tasting event) 1 baby crab cake (1 inch across), 1 piece of salmon (maybe an oz), 1 deviled egg, 1 piece grilled asparagus, 1 piece of grilled egg plant, 1 brownie bite (don't judge- I wanted the whole dang plate of them). No wine because I don't know my capacity yet. evening- feeling a bit hungry so I topped off my Protein with 3 oz cooked chicken with some salsa over it. (left overs from yesterday)

Go girl! Isn't it amazing????

I don't know anyone that has had this done but I wanted to wish you good luck.

It is so very different with -97 pounds! I have had to tell him to slow down a few times lately!

As usual our celebrations will be at my mom's house but I am offering to plan the menu. That way I'm in control and know there will be food I can eat. I am also not baking. I plan on buying a few Desserts and NOT taking any leftovers home. I plan on hitting the gym, drinking lots of Water and really watching what I eat the whole season. I will journal every single bite!

It's been 4 or more hours since I last ate, my stomach aches and I (usually) have a headache.

Red Lobster for grilled or broiled shrimp & fish. Yummy! We ask the waiter to only bring 2 rolls. I break off 1/4 of one and give the rest to my husband. I can easily get 2+ meals out of a restaurant meal.

I make a pot of 1/2 steel cut oats, 1/2 textured vegetable protein. I add some splenda to it and stick it in the fridge and eat it throughout the week. After heated up, I either add some greek yogurt (and some sugar free torani syrup) or some vanilla protein powder to it. If i'm feeling a little backed up, a sprinkle of flax seeds get tossed in.

I tried Zumba at our gym. I will say that I will NOT do it again in public. I am so uncoordinated. I definitely want to try it again at home.

You will start feeling full as you progress onto solid foods. Measure, measure, measure & chew, chew, chew your food and don't over eat. Trust me, puking hurts!!!!!

Look for a surgeon that will do a hiatal hernia repair (if you have GERD, you probably have one) at the same time you have your sleeve. They will verify the presence of a hernia by doing an EGD prior to surgery (for me it was the day before but he generally likes to do it a week or so prior). I had an EGD previously and knew I had a hiatal hernia so that's why we didn't do it early. it was just a formality. I had the hernia repair done by one surgeon, then my VSG surgeon took over and finished. I paid $7200 cash for my sleeve and the rest was billed to insurance (which is legal because 2 different surgeons did the surgeries.) Have not had any reflux issues since which I love almost as much as the weight loss.

The only thing that has changed about mine is the frequency has become irregular (even though I've had a tubal it still freaks me out to be late! ) I'm considering an ablation. My sister had one and she now has 2 day light, light, light periods. I'm also very anemic and on Iron supplements so both docs (gyn & VSG surgeon) think this is a good option for me.

With 3 small kids do you have a Wii or some other video game system? They have zumba and just dance and other exercise that you can do in your home. I have horrible knees and I started out with Water aerobics @ 1 month post-op, moved to the treadmill & light weights @ 2 months and by 3 months was on the elliptical. Now, I do 25-30 minutes on the elliptical and about 45 minutes lifting weights.

I took too much. Things I needed: robe & slippers for walking the hall (or they will provide you with a 2nd gown to wear backwards and lovely hospital footie socks) chapstick/lip balm to fight the dry lips comfy clothes for wearing home with shoes you don't have to tie cell phone/charger toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrush & hair tie things I didn't need: kindle fire book to read toiletries to shower (I wasn't up to it)

Oh, and those comorbidities should absolutely qualify you for surgery!

I am a HUGE advocate for the surgery. However, I think you need to deal with your other issues first. You mentioned that the sleeve will keep you from overeating... it won't though. You may have to limit your quantities at one sitting but emotional eating/ grazing will overcome the sleeve every single time. Once you have worked on your issues then re-address the sleeve. I love, love, love my sleeve. It's the first time in my life that I've been successful with a diet long-term. I have issues though with emotional eating and find myself fighting that due to work stress & financial stress at home. As a result, I've had a month where I only lost 6 pounds. Certainly not something I want to admit to at just barely 5 months post-op with approximately a 100 pounds left to lose. I have to face my issues or I won't be successful either. Good luck whatever your decision.

I have been sick for 5 days now with cold-like symptoms but no fever so I have just been treating it myself. Woke today with 101 temp and felt like the train ran over me during the night! So drug myself to my NP... diagnosed with bronchitis, ear infection and sinus infection. Got a shot of rocephin in one hip, decadron and depo-medrol in the other (long-acting and short acting steroid) in the other AND an oral antibiotic. I'm craving carbs.... Protein tastes like sawdust in my mouth. Can't do Protein shakes right now- they coat my throat and make me gag. Any suggestions on battling the cravings when ill are welcomed!

Some people are really sensitive to the sugar alcohols in sugar free products. I love Life Savers sugar free wild cherry flavor. They are primarily isomalt which doesn't bother me. I also like the Werther's sugar free hard candies. I try to use these only as a last resort. They aren't calorie free! But, they are obviously way better than my beloved Reese's PB cups!

Lean Cuisine is the best ones I find. They have about 4-5 different meals that are primarily protein and a side veggie that is non-starchy. If they do have a starch, I just don't eat it. For the first time in my life a Lean Cuisine more than fills me up!

Brush it off and get back on the wagon. You will still have these moments even after surgery (you just can't eat the volume you can now!).