JerseyGirl68

Welcome!! Wendy, you are among friends here. I have found this forum to be a wealth of knowledge, laughs and encouragement. Best of luck going forward to all prospective sleevers! Best decision I ever made.

Often times you can look on a airline's website to find out about seating size. It varies depending on the plane. I believe you can ask a flight attendant for an extender if you find you need one once you are on board. Most are very discreet. Typically the first row seats give you more legroom, I would imagine for your flight home this might help a bit so you can stretch. Good luck!

Congratulations! You sound like you are doing great. Trapped air was the most discomfort I felt too, and it wasn't that bad. Walking definitely helps. Good luck in your recovery!

I think the biggest issue is sitting for so long (dont' wan't to risk blood clots so close to surgery), as long as you take breaks so you can walk around a bit, I don't see why it would be a problem. A medical professional may differ. Worst case, call your surgeons office, I'm sure they can advise.

Do you pre made shakes or powder? I didnt' like the premade ones at all, but I always like Pure Protein, chocolate powder. I like to add sugar free syrups (peppermint is my favorite) to it to mix up the flavors, or PB2. Unjury makes a chicken Soup which is very good also. Good amount of protein and savory. Good luck!

Congratulations!! Slow and steady, you're doing great.

Just so amazing Chris, I'm very happy for you. Enjoy every minute!

The liquid meds always made me a bit naseaus. Maybe try the pill form if available? Sometimes the daytime meds have ingredients that make them "non-drrowsy" (I can't remember what specifically, caffiene maybe) that at times makes me jittery.

You really just have to drink all day, keep a bottle in your car for when you are well enough to drive and have one handy all the time. The first week, I drank every 15 minutes out of a 1oz. medicine cup. I was able to track and not take in too much. Do you know what stage you will be on when you get home? Because I was home alone, I kept my doctors information on a note on my refrigerator with the medication information on it, just in case. Folks that were checking in, knew where my info was.

Very smart to prepare for everything. I had support, but live alone, so I got everything I needed ready. I put things I needed every day in a place easily reachable so I didn't have to bend or stretch. I kept a pillow with me, it helped getting up. I did laundry is very small batches, I was prohibited from lifting more than 10lbs. for the first 6 weeks. A few things that really helped and not typically thought of.. I had my charges handy and on long extension cords so I didnt' have to reach for them or keep getting up for the phone/ipad, etc. I only stocked up on cases of water ( I wouldn't' be able to lift them for a few weeks) and had my meds and tylenol available. I actually didn't drink a lot of water, it didnt' go down too easy, I also had Vitamin water zero on hand and sugar free ice pops. I only took the pain meds the first day, tylenol worked fine after that. I made some homemade Soup a head of time and froze it, so I didnt' have to fuss after surgery. The week home recuperating went very quickly and was uneventful. Best of luck!!

Frustrating to say the least. I've had the same experience with slowed down loss/almost at a stand still. You body will take some time after such a big drop. Are you still tracking? I know that I got more lax with tracking so not as easy to "see" what I was doing different. You might need to up your exercise or change it up for awhile. Search in the Vet's forum, there is a lot of information specific to being further out in this process.

I had researched weight loss surgery about 8 years ago, then bypass and lap bad were the choices. Neither really appealed to me. I knew a few folks that had lots of issues with the lap band. I didn't' want the long term absorption issues that can come with bypass either. My biggest issues with unsuccessful weight loss in the past has been appetite. I did have a big appetite and portion size was and issue. About two years ago I started searching again and found info on the sleeve. This seemed to be a very good option for me. And my doctor agreed. I did my research and was convinced. I am 13 months out and could not be happier. Good luck in your choice, get all the answers you need!

Definitely possible to not know you have an issue. I had no symptoms for years. Lab tests tipped off that I had stones, ultrasound confirmed it. i knew about them for about 3 years until I became symptomatic. And trust anyone who has had a full blown attack, you don't want to keep the gall bladder. My doctor was going to remove my gall bladder when I got sleeved, so if it needs to come out, ask if they can come out together. Good luck! Much better to know now that its an issue than after.

That is awesome! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!

Warm liquids help me, try some herbal or any de-caf tea. Also a heating pad can be helpful too. Good luck!

Congratulations!! Good luck on your surgery and recovery!!

I'll echo the walking, walking, walking comments... Gax X helped relieve the gas in my stomach, but not gas trapped in my body from surgery. A heating pad helped a bit too..

Wow, Thankfully no "major" complications, but man, you got the mother load of all the other things that can happen. I'm sorry your recovery was not smooth, but congratulations on your surgery. You do a lot of folks pre-op a big favor by listing the things that can happen, so the are not blind-sided. I was fortunate. I had almost no discomfort and no adverse reactions after surgery. I did initially go in for the sleeve and Gall bladder surgery, but half way through my heart rate shot up and they had to stop. The best they know it was a reaction to the anesthesia & anxiety triggered it. When I went back in for my sleeve a month later, they knew what to do to keep it from happening. I had no surgical history, so no way of knowing. Other than that, nothing but a super smooth recovery. It will get better every day. Thanks for sharing. YOu're doing great!

This is one of those things I would never tell anyone outside of this forum, because they wouldn't understand. Historically I kept a wide range of sizes too.. Just in case. Not this time, I'm not buying bigger clothes either... At the end of last year, I cleaned house for all the reasons you listed above. Undergarments were the last to go for me too. I hate the idea of throwing away any good items, but no one wants used panties.. lol Everything else in good condition got donated. I even found a website that takes formal wear for girls who otherwise might not get prom dresses.

You bring up very valid concerns. The biggest difference is the quantity of food you can take in at one time. Everything else is up to the individual. I don't think anyone regained weight by staying on plan - smaller portions, focusing on Protein first, then veg, then carbs. There is no magic pill to get us to stop eating the wrong things. Speaking for myself, in my experience with long-term dieting, what always got in my way was ME. I got bored with what I was eating, I got tired of feeling deprived, tired of feeling hungry. I like feeling full when I have a meal. The sleeve provides me with that. Anyone can eat around it, you can fill it with ice cream and chips and gain easily. You can decide that you dont' need to exercise and gain. I really believe that those of us with life-long weight issues are wired differently, we have a different relationship with food than other folks. We can either get it under control on our own or go another route, for me that route was surgery. I don't have a crystal ball, this may not work for me long term either, but I do know that this time around I feel differently. It has been easier for me to lose the weight. I don't feel deprived and I am never hungry. I stay on plan, I work my favorite foods into that plan and I can do this because portion control is built in. I have altered my recipes to be a bit more healthy overall. But my goal was not just to be a smaller size, it was to get healthier. I like how I feel now, more than I want a snickers bar. Keep in mind that a lot of folks that are doing well don't post every day, they don't tell cautionary tales because they don't' have any. I respond to posts daily, but I never really start any because I'm not having any issues that I need to address. I am so thankful that those who have had complications post as much as they do. I knew the risks going in. It should be very telling to you that even though some had complications, they would still opt for the surgery. My main food issue was portion size, the sleeve was a perfect fit for me in that regard. I can imagine that if a person's issue is they binge on chocolate and chips that they may have different success after getting sleeved. For any weight loss effort to be successful we have to come to terms with what our issues are and tackle them. Emotional eating is another issue for me. The sleeve does not take away those impulses. Reminding myself that I had 80% of my stomach removed to get healthier snaps me out of it most times. It was a drastic step. But drastic times call for drastic measures. I never saw a nutritionist before I contemplated surgery. I wish I had, maybe things would have been different for me. My NUT is another tool crucial to my continued success. My doctors are all working together to give me the best shot at staying healthy. I get blood work done every 3 months so I don't let a deficiency catch me off guard. But I need to stay diligent. I need to keep taking my Vitamins. Today I'm committed to doing everything I need to do. I don't' pretend that one wave of a magic scalpel changed who I am and what my issues have been. I need to stay on top of things, I need stay focused. It is up to me and me alone to determine if I succeed. I'm armed with a tool that gives me the edge I need. Keep asking the questions you need to, and make the best decision for you. Best of luck to you going forward!

I will try my best tracking was never ny friend but I need to get it together cuz the fact that im not loosing...im not doing something right..just now have to put my finger on it and cut it out completely...thank you for your advice tho I give you a lot of credit for taking control at such a young age. As many times as I wish this surgery was an option for me at your age, I dont' know that I would have been able to make the drastic changes I needed to. I have faith that you can get a handle on it and not have to endure decades of dealing with obesity like so many of us had to. Give yourself credit for moving forward, and embrace the changes you need to make this truly a new beginning for yourself. I always hated tracking by writing it down, I use MyFitnessPal on my phone and computer. Easy/on the go tracking and lots of folks on here use it too.

I think you hit it on the head, and already know what is going on. Aside from it being your time of the month, which always causes me to gain, you were eating junk. Simply put, I think you're confusing your body. It is burning the junk, not fat. I Re-focus, start this morning, track everything and get your Water and Protein in. If you are doing all you need to, the weight will start to drop, but you need to do your part. It's hard to change old patterns, we have a lifetime of excuses why we sabotage ourselves, but the only time things change is when we change them. Having the surgery was only a small part of what we need to do. You got this! Start fresh and follow your plan, if there is junk in your home, get rid of it. Use this honeymoon phase to optimize your loss. It will slow down quick enough on its own over time, so this is the time for you to really do what you need to.

Awesome, John!! It will go quick. And my hope for all you new sleevers is that you have as smooth a surgery and recovery as I had. Not a moment of regret. Good Luck!!

I had my gallbladder out right before I had the sleeve, what you are experiencing does sound like the start. But the ultrasound will tell you right away. The Gallbladder surgery is a piece of cake. and trust me. you do not want the attacks getting worse, if it is suggested that you get it removed.. do it. That was the most debilitating pain I have ever experienced. Best of luck.

I know it is frustrating to be so ready and be told you have to wait. I love your attitude. There is a great thread on here about the pre-op being an opportunity rather than a punishment. I felt the same. The time will go by quickly and you'll be as prepared as you can be. Best of luck!!