DanaInNewOrleans

Hi, Thanks for sharing. When you say "tough", do you mean pain PAIN or just all around soreness or ??? Just curious. Congratulations! I bet you're gonna look fabulous!

Thanks everybody! I've been reading the posts while I'm trying to get down the giant nasty grape flavored chewable pill from hell....it's funny because I went with these ( they are sold on the Unjury site specifically for sleeve patients) because they had the best reviews as far as flavor. Well good Gawd! If this is the best flavored I'd hate to taste the others.....

I was sore for about 1 week but nothing major. It was the kind of soreness you have when you have a bad cold and cough constantly. We had holiday house guests staying with us and they were amazed by how "normal" I was acting after surgery. My hardest day emotionally was about Day 4..... I felt weak/tired and a little depressed. It passed by Day 5. Every day was a little better than the last....

Yes, by far the most restrictive. My first week included jello, broth, popsicles, sugar free fudge bars. Yikes. How did you do the first week? I think I would have lost my mind with just water...

I'm currently taking Opurity chewable (specifically for gastric sleeve) and I can barely tolerate them. I have to literally talk myself out of throwing them up /spitting them out/gagging while chewing. It's making me avoid taking them. What about gummies? Are there any that meet WLS post-op requirements? I'm also taking sub-lingual B Complex/B12. I don't start Calcium citrate until week 4. Help!

Hey, Can you guys share about how many calories you're getting in about 2 weeks post-op? Or if you're past this stage can you remember about how many you were getting at that stage? I'm now averaging probably 500-800 daily-- is this too much? My post-op instructions do not mention calories at all. They do say that if you do not feel like eating, don't eat, just concentrate on liquids and Protein and Vitamins.

Please please tell which vitamins you're taking. I ordered Purity chewables -- (they are specifically for WLS/Gastric Sleeve patients ) and I can barely tolerate them. Makes me dread taking them....

I do the same thing with the little cups! It really helps... almost like little challenges! Great idea about setting the alarm for vitamins.... I'm going to set up my phone to start that tomorrow.

That post op diet sounds like a very strict pre-op diet or just a strict diet diet....obviously that did not work for you ( or any of us) so you made the decision to have WLS. Is the post-op diet the same for all of your surgeon's patients?

I was thinking the exact same thing....that does sound like a rigorous pre-op diet....

Oh Gawd!! Am I considered a senior at 49???? I think of "seniors" as 70 and older. Of course, the 25 year olds think of "senior" as being over 40!

DeeDee, My heart goes out to you. I'm only two weeks out but I have been able to tolerate everything I have tried with no issues whatsoever. I can drink normally -- not guzzling but definitely not sipping. The only time I had an inkling of an issue was when I tried Cream of Wheat which I had not watered down.... after a few teaspoons I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I stopped and it went away after a few minutes. Yesterday I wanted to eat (ok, slurp) all day...which I sort of did. Never much at one time and I still stayed under a 800 calories (I usually average 600 now) but it worries me. I had my first post-op visit yesterday -- I told them I almost feel like I never had surgery. They assured me that once I transition to more solid food I will be able to feel the restriction. I hope so. Maybe you are stuck in a cycle-- not losing weight, getting depressed, eating..... If you can maybe go back to full liquids for a week and see a major loss-- maybe that would help you get back on track? Keep posting and sharing.... the fact that you recognize the problem and are open about it is really a good thing....you're not sticking your head in the sand. Maybe you can find someone who you are accountable to on a daily basis... say a friend who can remind you to drink, take your Vitamins, Protein etc....I asked my husband to try to remind me -- I asked him to call me and ask Have you taken your vitamins? Are you drinking?? ..and it has helped. When he calls I immediately go and make a Protein Drink or take my vitamins. Just a thought...

So, you know how there's been so many controversial posts lately about the differences in physicians' post op instructions? Sally can only have Clear liquids for 2 weeks but Mike can have pureed immediately? Or Deb can't eat beef for 3 months but Dave is eating Wendy's chili week 3? I had my first post-op appointment yesterday and was talking about this with the nutritionist and NP. I asked her to level with me.... I suspect that there is more to it than just being cautious about damage and healing of the sleeve and I really wanted an explanation. It was driving me crazy because it just did not make sense ( my husband says that I try too hard to understand EVERYTHING and always look for logic) I asked if it was also to make sure patients stay on calorie restriction for as long as possible ( I mean, how many calories can you consume in clear broth??? ) She said yes, that Dr. Lavin's post op conservative philosophy is really not just about the healing process ---it is also to help patients see significant weight loss immediately and once patients transition to more complex foods their weight loss tends to slow down. This makes perfect sense.....

Hi, I tried everything I could to get them to waive it-- I wrote a letter to Aetna (I also have Federal Blue Cross which is secondary). My surgeon's billing manager told me they had only been successful in getting one patient's pre-op program waived (and it's a large practice --8 surgeons) and that was only because he was in a life threatening medical crisis. They also explained to me that if they officially try to submit it before the 3 months there is a 99% chance that they will deny it and then to resubmit it would actually have to be submitted as an appeal to the first denial. Which of course would take months to go through the process. I decided I did not want to risk pushing it back further by submitting early. I finally resigned myself that I just had to wait. It did go by quick though....

Surgery 12/21 Down 15 pounds

Wow! 40 pounds in 2 months!! That is awesome! I don't know the statistics but I would think that much weight loss is above average??? Congratulations!

I love Seattle.....hiking must be awesome up there. We spent a week in Seattle a couple years ago and just loved it. We spent time exploring Mt. Ranier and the Mount St. Helens area.

We sound so much alike. I too was always the fat girl who wanted to do all the physical things that others were doing. I was very active and participated in sports as a kid ( but still fat) but as I got older and fatter of course all the sporty things were off limits. I cannot wait to play tennis again, horseback ride again, learn to play golf.....

Did anybody's nutritionist or doc give them an idea of many calories they should be taking in during the different stages? The first week while on Clear liquids I had no appetite but now during week two ( full liquids) I do feel hungry. Should I feel hungry at this point? Also, I see posts that say they are only able to slowly sip liquids....I can almost drink normally (but not guzzling/gulping). This concerns me... do you think there is not enough restriction? I'm worried my doc left too much of my stomach!! Many posters have said that heartburn can be confused with hunger but I am on Prilosec so I don't think that's it....

Thanks for sharing your story.....congratulations to both you and husband for being able to do this together. How exciting! February will be here before you know it!

Uh, I think it would be good idea to remember that everybody's post-op sleeve experience is different. Just because you did not have a particular issue does not mean that another person won't. And it certainly does not mean someone has disregarded their proper post op guidelines. I have been able to tolerate almost drinking normally ( not sipping but not gulping/guzzling ) from day 2 however, many people can barely sip without discomfort. There are as many post op variations as there are post-op patients. Please stop being so judgmental and arrogant. And if anyone needs to see in black and white how physicians guidelines differ, take a look at Cornell University Medical Center's post gastric sleeve guidelines/instructions..... my doc had me on Clear liquids for 1 week then week 2 full liquids, then mushy. Cornell starts giving patients pureed meat/veggies in the hospital........ http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf

I'm wondering the same thing...

This has been a very hot topic over the last few weeks. And I've got to say that things can get pretty heated and very preachy. Now, I know the "preachy" posters mean well and many have survived very harrowing life threatening complications (Iggy is one of them ...she nearly died). BUT, when chastising one person for "cheating" based on his/her particular doctor's conservative guidelines you are completely discrediting the other 50% of the docs who have more liberal guidelines. It is obvious from the wildly varied physicians post surgery instructions and "absolutes" that there is NO standardized guidelines. One surgeon allows mushy foods in the hospital, one says Clear liquids for 7 days, another one says clear liquids for 2 days then full liquids for 7 days then mushy, the next one says full liquids immediately after a leak test..... and on and on. One of the recent threads has a poster who was allowed STEAK 3 weeks!!!!! Obviously there is no consensus....and I'd find it hard to believe that the docs who are more liberal with post-op diets are incompetent or negligent. And in order to be so arrogant about one surgeons individual directives over another, that is the approach you would have to take. So, at this point I believe that the more conservative docs may be in CYA mode because people can be given and inch and take a mile. And I can say with almost certainty that the more liberal docs have never run into a complication that they believe was caused by patient compliance or their liberal guidelines. If they would have they would have immediately turned to the conservative route because malpractice sucks.... Now, to my individual experience. My doc's instructions fall into the conservative category... (clear liquids for 7 days then full liquids for 7 days then mushy).... I am 11 days out and for me to believe it poses a danger to eat some mushy oatmeal or thinned mash pototoes would mean I would have to believe that half the bariatric surgeons in the US are incompetent and negligent. Now, that does not mean I'm going to go hog wild and order a pizza and eat a steak tomorrow. I have no intention of eating solids until I've progressed along the actual phases. I am using common sense, my own research and my brain to make choices.

I thought of another one... Play on the beach and in the surf at Cape San Blas