Leslie Hudson-Couch

Very happy for you and a positive attitude is a must. This will be one of the most challenging experiences in your life but so very worth it. I'm in week 4 and am feeling fantastic!! I'm blessed that I've had very little issues at all since my surgery. You will do great!! Congrats!!

Thats what I want to do is the Zumba!! It looks like so much fun and many moon ago I was a dancing fool!! lol I think its the best excersize ever!! Good luck to you!!

lol just looked at your profile also and.... my bday 10/14!!

Hi I am in Amarillo.... where are you? Not far I'm sure lol. I had my surgery 7/17 at BSA with Dr Bell.

I literally can feel your pain.... I'm reading this while I have a heating pad on my back! lol I just told my husband earlier today that if my back would quit hurting I'd feel fantastic!! I feel great but back not so much. I am hoping with more weight off that it will get better or at least tolerable. Hang in there!!

I think maybe a helmet too?? Jest sayin' lol

Okay so you have to be my younger sista' from another mother!!! lol I am loving your blog and being that I am a major klutz can appreciate how inanimate objects repeatedly do the most obnoxious things and injure me on a repeated bases. I cant tell you how many times my husband has gasped over huge bruises that I had no idea where they came from. I also get the drinking thing.... I personally am an honorary Mexican and tequila is my game!! lol Being that I'm only 3 weeks out I have not partaken as of yet. Believe me a glass of wine sounds really good about now!! But I'm behaving and just found that Crystal Lite make Mojito, Appletini, & Margarita flavored drinks!! May be virgins but at least they will taste good! Hope you stop by my blog some time... I also have one on WordPress with other things under swtcaks99. Hugs!!!

I've had infections from a previous stomach surgery (not my sleeve) so I do understand how scared you are but I strongly suggest you find a primary physician and a gastric dr if one is available. You want to make sure you stay on top of this because it can spread quickly. I promise I am not trying to scare you its just I know because I have been on the very worst end of a post surgical infection. My dr even made sure I had no signs of infection prior to my sleeve due to my history. Please find someone there on Monday morning and do not hesitate to go to the ER if it looks any worse today or tomorrow hon. I will be praying for you and keeping you in my thoughts.

:wub: I hear you my fellow Texans.....born & raised in Dallas, lived in RGV for 20 yrs, and now in Amarillo...... No matter where you go its hot! lol But at least up here I have winter to look forward to!! I have major breathing issues so heat and I dont get along too well. I am doing better but still not great. In another month I want to start Zumba cuz I am a salsa loving fool and I want to start going to water aroebics with some friends of mine. Doc doesnt want me straining my knees too much til I'm thinner. I totally agree!!!! Also I'm always freakin' thirsty and I'm afraid I'd get too dehydrated. Being 51, I'm trying to be careful. Love the idea of the walking at home tapes. Thank you. Hugs!!

It did. That is an older blog. My newer ones are here also. Thank you though for the suggestions.He was not the problem actually, it was the hospital and they would not offer anything because (lol) it is considered an "elective" surgery. Forget it has already saved my life but who am I to argue with the system right? Should be considered a life saving surgery since it has to be backed up with medical proof of necessity... Okay jumping off my soapbox!! lol

My husband is going to be soooooo excited that I came to this forum!! lol I have had multiple surgeries in the past and we have always had to wait about 6 weeks (all of them I was butterflied!! lol).This is my first labroscopic surgery so we weren't sure. Thanks everyone for all the info!! Rock on!! lol

Howdy all!! Well the end of my first week back to work and 3rd week post-op and while I feel pretty darn good, I am pooped! lol I think I've expended alot of energy during the week. My stomach is doing good, no nausea, etc. I had a SlimFast today and it was great! And it has 20g of protein..... hmmmm chocolate AND protein.... yeah works for me!! lol I plan on sitting by the pool and getting some sun time in! Hope everyone has a great weekend!! Hugs!

Thank you so much! I think we all inspire each other! Hugs!

Got that right!! lol Divas rule!!!

Hello all of my fellow sleevers!! Hope this post is finding you all feeling fantastic or at least better. I have had an amazing week personally although I have to say I'm feeling punky today. I started back to work on Monday and everyone at work was so happy to see me back and feeling so good. I'm very blessed to have a lot of supportive people in my life. Several people in my office have had some type of bypass or sleeve done and most of them were shocked I was back so soon and that I felt so good. I just tell them I have Frequent Surgery Miles and am tougher than a $2.00 steak!! lol I think I am just one of those lucky few who heal fairly easily and can handle the stress on my body. So anyway, Tuesday was officially my two week mark and Wednesday my first check up. I was shocked, amazed, and ecstatic that not only was I feeling super great but I lost a whopping 32 lbs!!!! Oh yeah baby!!! I knew this was going to work but I guess I just really didnt expect such great results right away. Needless to say, I'm one happy camper!! The eating thing has been hard because until yesterday, I didn't experience any hunger pains. I have been making myself "eat" drink and be merry! lol I am up to soft baby food consistency things (even baby food). Add a little seasoning and they aren't half bad. We did buy one of those individual cup mixer machines (dont know if brand names are allowed) so I'm going to try pureeing my own stuff probably next week. I'm looking forward to watching my progress along with people on here. You all are amazing and courageous!! Its not for the weak of mind thats for sure!! Carry on with your journey and hold a song in your heart. The journey is only as worthwhile as you make it!! Hugs!!

It has now, officially, been one week since my surgery and, BOY!, what a difference a week makes! While I am still not 100% yet, I am feeling fantastic!! Yesterday, I actually felt human again and even shaved my legs!! Okay, now that may not sound like such a big deal to most but for me it was huge! I may be a big girl but there are some things that I, admittedly, am very vain about. I like to look good and have my mani/pedi's etc so, yeah, huge!! I also fixed my hair, plucked my eyebrows (vanity!) and put me on some face paint! I even had my dear hubby take me out for a drive and we ventured into Wal-Mart! By the time we got home, I was pooped but in a good way. I have had this huge amount of fluid just languishing in my body for almost two years now. This has caused great swelling in my hands and face and my left leg which has caused the dreaded cellulitis. It has also been like a ton of bricks on my chest which in turn has affected my breathing considerably. I am very happy to report that I can now see my left ankle, my cellulitis has cleared up and I am breathing much, much easier. I am still and always will be asthmatic but not having to gasp for every breath with every move I make is amazing! I almost forgot what it felt like. It's amazing to me that these changes have happened in only one week. I still have a long way to go but after not feeling so good last week, this is a welcome change in mind and body. I am really looking forward to going back to work on Monday and seeing all my friends there who have been so supportive. Just to get back to my life in general will be wonderful. I don't want to neglect my wonderful, supportive, loving and all around good guy, my husband, Mike. He and his family have all been so good to me ever since we got together almost four years ago. I could not ask for a better family to be apart of. Guess that's it for today folks! Hope you all have a wonderful day and Hugs!!

I stayed in the hospital until yesterday and it's probably a good thing because I have breathing issues and I had a lot of pressure from the air they blow your stomach up with. Having never had a laparoscopic surgery, I did not appreciate just how much they put in there. You would think someone would come up with some ingenious idea to let the air out. Another good reason for me to not have done this follow-up is that, apparently, I was drunk texting people, which is never a good thing. And, yes, my friends and family happily have been torturing me with these various text messages. So my public service message is; don't morphine and text! My musings of the surgery is that it is not something to take on lightly. I did a lot of research prior to doing the gastric sleeve. I have had many surgeries due to hernias and intestinal strangulations so I did not just decide to do this. I can only speak for myself, but the actual surgery has not really caused me a great deal of pain, however, I have been quite uncomfortable. The pressure, for me, has been extreme and caused havoc with my breathing. The solution to relieve this is, yes folks, passing gas. Not pretty or very lady like but a necessary evil. Unfortunately, you have to get mobile to get the engine going and that is a problem for me so I'm still fairly uncomfortable but it is getting better. I was shocked when I looked at my stomach for the first time. Part of the hospital procedure is to give the patient a blood thinner every 12 hours. It's interesting to see what this does. Every where I got a shot, I have a big bruise. They don't hurt but they look gnarly. My other incisions have no stitches but are instead super glued! They are mildly tender but really are of no consequence. Probably my very worse experience was yesterday when they had to remove my drainage tube. I am really glad my husband was not in the room at the actual moment it was removed because he probably would have gone ballistic. There is a small balloon that keeps it in your body and cannot be deflated. It has to just be yanked out quickly. I will not sugar coat it... it hurts like a s.o.b.!!!! My husband and sister-in-law came in just after while I was still in my throes of pain. Not a pretty site I'm sure. I really felt bad for my sweet little nurse because she felt so guilty but it was a necessity. I think I will go back to bed now and rest. Hugs to all!!

This is from a blog I have on WordPress. I started this on July 16, 2012. I'm just trying to bring you up to speed with my journey..... 07/16/2012 So I did not think I would be writing anything this soon... I figured tomorrow evening at the earliest but probably not until Wed or Thurs. However, the surgery devils had other plans! First you need to know that, while I am a very easy going, even tempered kinda lady, I am also very anal and like to know which row my ducks are in!! Having said that, I went last week to make sure all my ducks were quacking in harmony. Talked to everyone you are supposed to talk with and had all my testing done. So, knowing I have really good insurance and that I asked all the right questions, I thought nothing more about that part of it....until today. I get a call from a very pleasant woman about 1:30/2:00 telling me I have to pay a hellatious amount of money BEFORE I can have my surgery in the morning. I now know what it feels like to be hit with a ton of bricks. She also, very graciously, asks me if my finances were okay. I decided (somewhere in the fog) that it would be prudent of me to call her back, especially since I could no longer breath. Now I know that there are a select few people who may have an extra bundle laying around but that is not my case. While my husband and I are not in the poor house, we can see it down the road so, no, my finances are not okay for this kind of unexpected onslaught. So as I sit there, in shock, crying and hyperventilating (okay so maybe I'm stretching it just a bit for dramatic value), I am texting and calling anyone I can think of, as is my dear husband. My sister-in-law, very sanely, tells me to call them back and set up a payment plan.... duhhhh....oh wait, they won't because, although its going to save my life, it is considered an elective surgery. I had to chuckle at that one. Obviously, whoever makes these rules has never been in my situation but I digress. After a couple of back and forth conversations, my wonderful, could not ask for better, in-laws said that they would pay for me. Of course, I am paying them back but I can NEVER express to them how eternally grateful I am to them and to my wonderful husband who got that ball rolling. I love them all so much that words just really do not do it justice. I have been so blessed by this family that I thank God every day for them. So I can, once again, breath (well as good as I ever do) and can enjoy my evening with my husband and sister-in-law. Thank you to all who have expressed their well wishes and sent prayers.... love and hugs to you all!!!

I have decided to go on an adventure. It was a huge decision on my part because it is a life changing and body altering choice. First, I think a little back ground is needed. I have always been a "big girl" although, looking at pictures, not always as big as I thought. I actually prefer the term "BBB - Big Bodacious Broad" but that's just me! I have always been comfortable in my own skin. I was always active and a full participant in my life until a few years ago. Over the course of the years, I have had many, many stomach surgeries since my twins were born (that would be 25 years!). I realize that there are a lot of "always" but there really is no other way for me to say it. So this brings me to July 2009. I had two major surgeries in two weeks due to intestinal strangulation. This was a tremendous "wow" moment for me for many reasons. The main one was my dear husband. We had only been married for six months when this happened. Not only did I have these two surgeries but the next month, due to an infection, they actually had to do another surgery and leave my stomach open for over eight long months. I was connected to a wound vac and it was less than fun. This greatly impacted our life as you can well imagine. As it turned out, I had to have more surgery to close my stomach but the surgeon would not do it until I stopped smoking. I smoked for over 35 years so this was no small request but I think I was actually ready to stop. I took that medication (which shall remain nameless) that, in my opinion, is a miracle cure for smoking. Contrary to some reports, I had no side effects. Within ten days, I was done and able to have my closure surgery. I was doing fantastic!! I was breathing well, losing weight, helping to mow the yard, and actually walking. Shortly after this, we moved back to Texas, which I was totally stoked about because my kids and grandkids were all here. As it turned out, though, it was a bit stressful at first and I began smoking again. Not a good excuse and I knew I could not do that to myself so I decided to take my miracle medication again and again it worked like a charm. Well, okay, so there was one small issue this time. I was sitting at work and my hands started hurting. I looked down and literally watched myself blow up like a balloon. Apparently, the medication was reacting with another one I had started taking. From February to April of 2011, I gained over 60 pounds. The total since then is over 80 lbs and its all fluid. I have done everything that I have been asked to do but nothing has worked. So here we are to today, July 16, 2012. In 24 hours, I will be having a surgery called the gastric sleeve. I am very excited about this and cannot wait to have my life back. It will be a huge change in how my husband and I live our life, especially for the first few months. First off, I really won't be eating for awhile. My husband is a fantastic cook and it will be as hard on him because we are foodies. I'm not really worried though. I'm so looking forward to, first, being able to breath and, second, hopefully, not being in so much pain every day. All the fluid has made breathing a huge issue for me. I'm asthmatic so not a good thing. At 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, I will be happily, excitedly and enthusiastically going under the knife. I am going to continue to blog about my progress, not only for myself, but, hopefully, to help someone else along the way. I also am going to post a picture of me now which is a HUGE issue for me because as much as I am comfortable being me, I am not happy with me physically right now. But changes are a coming!!!

Okay so I definitely have the sense of humor part down!! lol I was like you and (excuse the pun) have weighed the pros and cons for years on having the surgery. While I pondered, I got increasingly bigger and in worse health. I am a severe asthmatic and it had gotten to the point that I couldn't walk across my small apt without gasping. Basically, my quality of life sucked. I also have a disabled son that needs his mom to be around awhile and 7 grandkids that I want to watch grow up. So at the tender age of 51, I had the surgery on July 17. I started at 340 and today, at my 2 week check up, I am down a whopping 32 lbs!!! I'm thrilled with that but what I'm the most excited about is I can BREATHE!! I have not felt this good in over two years and its only going to get better so please hang in there. And as a side note, I will say there are very well meaning people out there who will be naysayers but you have to decide this for you and not worry about what others say or think. You are the one who has to live in your body, not them. Alot of people are afraid of change and not willing to take a chance even if its to do something to improve their life. I know some people who are afraid I'm not going to want to be their friend and even my dear sweet wonderful husband has asked if I'm going to leave him when I get thin!! That would be a great big NO!!! He loves me like I am and I'm going to reward him with who I will be. Okay I will shut my trap now! lol Good luck to you hon and Hugs!!

Hey everyone!! Today I had my 2 week check up (surgery 7/17) and I could not be happier!!! I'm down 32 lbs!! I feel so good that I even asked my dr if there was something wrong with me! lol Part of the reason is that I've had a huge amount of fluid in my chest and has greatly affected my breathing but its mostly gone now and I CAN BREATHE!!!! Such a glorious feeling! My left leg was also very swollen and had a good case of cellulitis going on and that is all gone also. First week was rough but it was/is all worth it! Good luck to everyone. :wub:

Congrats to all you " losers"!!! Lol I love the idea of being a loser now!! I am day 15 and go for my first weigh in today. Can't wait!! I feel so freakin' fantastic I can't believe it. Keep it up and best wishes!!

Thanks for the info. Didn't even look at those

Hi ImnLeslie. I am 14 days post op but like you, I started testing the food waters months ago. I have had two different meat baby foods in tiny jars which is about the perfect size. One was chicken and the other beef. They both have 9 g of protein and if you add a bit of seasoning they arent half bad. I personally have only tried one "protein" anything that was decent which is a lemonade. Having said that, I was talking to one of my friends who steered me to Slimfast . You can get it with 10 or 20 g of protien. I got the 20 g one and by golly, its pretty darn good. Its not possible to drink it in one sitting but every little bit helps right?! Good luck! I will tell you the first week is rough but two weeks out Im feeling better than I have in over two years!!

I also have been trying different things for months even though Im only 14 days post op. One of the things I have discovered is that there is alot of protien (9 g) in some small jars of baby food. If u add a little seasoning they arent half bad. Even some of the baby fruit has 3 & 4 g in them. Also I have ordered protien lemonade which is not bad. My fav drink thus far though is good old SlimFast. I get the one with 20 g and its great. I dont think Im quite taking in 70 g a day but my legs have stopped hurting. I have experienced the muscle breakdown before and it is very painful so I am working hard at getting as much protein as possible. Good luck!