Sleevedreamz

Thanks, I had the surgery on the 4th so I'm almost 3 weeks out. I stopped breaking out a day before the surgery so they went ahead with it. Yay!

I have bought a few things, but I don't want to spend too much because I have no idea what size I will be around goal. Previously at that weight I wore a size 0 or 2 and I know my body has changed drastically so I have a hard time knowing where I will end up and don't want to waste too much money. I've bought a few tops for this winter that I thought were cute and figured I'd be able to get into, but haven't ventured out to buy any jeans or skirts. I have jeans of every size bc I kept all of my old ones, but I know I will want to buy new when the time comes bc I'll be so excited.

So, I have been worried about loose skin since before my surgery. I will admit I am a little vain when it comes to my hair/skin. I used to be thin and had a rocking body so the thought of being thin again and having my skin hang down everywhere has made me a little crazy. (I feel the same about my hair.) So, I have done my research and am going to give skin brushing a fair try. What do I have to lose??? Started this last night and it felt very strange. It did not hurt, but it was not that pleasant either. lol. Anyways, for those of you also worried about this, some people swear by it and I was able to get the brush and jobaba oil on amazon for less than $20. I am still somewhat young and have only been overweight for 6 years so I am praying I still have some elasticity left on my poorly damaged body. PLEASE, PLEASE!

18 days post op and I seriously feel like I'm going to explode. Before surgery, I felt like I was never going to lose weight and now I feel like I'm going to lose it, but I will shrivel and die before it happens. I am so excited to get down the road I can hardly stand it. I have never had much patience and can't usually wait for anything so this is making me climb the walls. I'm off work for 6 weeks (4 weeks remaining) so things are going quite slow for me bc all I can do right now is sit at home and wait. My weight loss, however, is going amazing. I am down 17 lbs which is essentially 1lb a day. So, I'm not so much complaining as I am saying how nice it would be to fast forward 2-3 months down the road so I can actually see a difference and be back into a normal routine. I can't wait to go shopping for new clothes. It is my 2nd addiction and I haven't been able to enjoy it in such a long time. I am fighting every urge possible to keep from ordering an entire smaller wardrobe online as it is. I have no idea where I will end up so I know how crazy that sounds, but when you sit home all day alone for almost 3 weeks straight you tend to go a little crazy. haha

I am still very swollen so I was hesitant to get on the scale, but I couldn't resist the temptation and I have lost 10lbs since Tuesday. I couldn't stop smiling. That is just so amazing to me. I can't wait until I'm able to start working out and building muscle and working on toning as I go. This is just such a blessing!

My favorite so far has been Lowfat White Chicken Chili bc it was packed full of flavor and protein and only took about 40 minutes total to prepare: 4 cans great northern beans, 1 lb. chicken, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced onion, 2 t. Oregano, 2 cans lowfat cream of chicken, 3 cups lowfat chicken broth, 1 can diced green chiles,6 oz low fat/fat free sour cream, and 2 cups low fat monterey jack shredded cheese. Cover your skillet with olive oil, add the diced onion, crushed garlic cloves, chicken (I added whole pieces and cut up later, but you can cut up beforehand if you want), and canned chilies. I set the stove top on about 4-5 and covered with a lid and let all of this cook together. I went ahead and got my larger pot ready and added the beans, cream of chicken, broth, and oregano and let this start heating up on low to medium heat. After about 10-15 minutes (when my chicken was cooked through) I added the skillet ingredients (I cut my chicken up at this time) into the pot so that everything could cook together. I cooked on medium heat for about 30 minutes. At the very end, we added the 6oz of sour cream and the cheese and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes and then it was ready to go. I added about a tsp of sour cream on top of soup right before I ate it and I loved it. I will probably have this again for lunch tomorrow. You could also add unflavored protein powder to this mix and I doubt you'd notice it was there. Good luck!

Try adding unflavored protein powder to anything you are eating whether it be broth during your liquid phase or soups, etc. during and after your pureed phase. I am only able to eat about 4oz per meal and I'm in the pureed stage so I'm trying to eat soups that have meat, cheese, and beans (chicken chili, broccoli cheddar, etc.) as well as cottage cheese and skim milk which also has protein. I am probably not getting it all in (I'm only 3 days out) but I am sure trying to make sure everything I put into my body is loaded with protein. Good luck!

My favorite so far has been White chicken Chili bc it was packed full of flavor and Protein and only took about 40 minutes total to prepare: 4 cans great northern Beans, 1 lb. chicken, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced onion, 2 t. Oregano, 2 cans lowfat cream of chicken, 3 cups lowfat chicken broth, 1 can diced green chiles,6 oz low fat/fat free sour cream, and 2 cups low fat monterey jack shredded cheese. Cover your skillet with olive oil, add the diced onion, crushed garlic cloves, chicken (I added whole pieces and cut up later, but you can cut up beforehand if you want), and canned chilies. I set the stove top on about 4-5 and covered with a lid and let all of this cook together. I went ahead and got my larger pot ready and added the beans, cream of chicken, broth, and oregano and let this start heating up on low to medium heat. After about 10-15 minutes (when my chicken was cooked through) I added the skillet ingredients (I cut my chicken up at this time) into the pot so that everything could cook together. I cooked on medium heat for about 30 minutes. At the very end, we added the 6oz of sour cream and the cheese and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes and then it was ready to go. I added about a tsp of sour cream on top of soup right before I ate it and I loved it. I will probably have this again for lunch tomorrow. You could also add unflavored protein powder to this mix and I doubt you'd notice it was there. Good luck! Rach

Are you still in the pureed stage or have you graduated to regular foods? I am still so unsure of what is and isn't safe in the pureed stage and I would love to have an egg that isn't blended into oblivion.

I was sleeved on the 4th also! I have been trying really hard to come up with a new dish every day for puree so that I don't end up going crazy from things being too bland. So far I've been sticking to homemade Soups so that when they are blended it doesn't feel as though things are way different than they were before. It is a mind thing for me so having "soup" would naturally be creamy and I don't feel so weird about it plus my family can have the same thing (without blending). I am only eating about 4oz per meal (sometimes only 3 bc 4 can make me feel too full at the moment). The great thing about it is that even using fat free and low sugar and sodium ingredients in the house is eating healthier and no one has noticed a difference. I was always cooking before so I feel like it's important to continue to try to keep things somewhat normal while making much healthier choices. My husband is always super honest and he has loved the food I've come up with both nights. The only difference right now is that I had some complications to the anesthesia so I am currently immobile so I have had to sit at the kitchen counter and walk my hubby through the steps to get the food made. Maybe a chef will be born...lol. And, although everything I've used is lowfat, etc. there's no way I am getting too much sugar, calories, or fat since I can only eat 3-4 oz and both of these meals are full of Protein and can have unflavored Protein powder added if you want more. All that said said, we made broccoli and cheese Soup yestereday and white chicken chili tonight. So far, the white chicken chili was my favorite. Posting recipies below: Broccoli Cheddar Soup: (1/4 butter, 1/2 chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup skim milk, 1 can fat free Campbell's broccoli/cheese soup, 2 cups fat free chicken stock, 1 bag of steamed broccoli florets, 8 oz fat free sharp shredded cheddar, and pepper to taste. (the recipe calls for salt but I left this out so that it's healthier and I couldn't tell the difference.) Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat, and add in the flour, stirring constantly. Add milk, can of soup, and chicken stock. Bring to almost a boil. Then add the broccoli and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the cheese last and then give it time to melt before serving. White Chicken Chili: 4 cans great northern Beans, 1 lb. chicken, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced onion, 2 t. Oregano, 2 cans lowfat cream of chicken, 3 cups lowfat chicken broth, 1 can diced green chiles,6 oz low fat/fat free sour cream, and 2 cups low fat monterey jack shredded cheese. Cover your skillet with olive oil, add the diced onion, crushed garlic cloves, chicken (I added whole pieces and cut up later, but you can cut up beforehand if you want), and canned chilies. I set the stove top on about 4-5 and covered with a lid and let all of this cook together. I went ahead and got my larger pot ready and added the beans, cream of chicken, broth, and oregano and let this start heating up on low to medium heat. After about 10-15 minutes (when my chicken was cooked through) I added the skillet ingredients (I cut my chicken up at this time) into the pot so that everything could cook together. I cooked on medium heat for about 30 minutes. At the very end, we added the 6oz of sour cream and the cheese and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes and then it was ready to go. I added about a tsp of sour cream on top of soup right before I ate it and I loved it. I will probably have this again for lunch tomorrow. Anyways, sorry this went so long, but I love when people give me ideas so I wanted to share what I've done so far. Rach

My mother was very unsupportive. She didn't say it was a quick fix (which sucks that yours did), but she just kept saying things to scare me. "What if....you get stomach cancer later on, die, have problems, etc. etc." However, my mother has never been supportive of anything or decision I've made so I am pretty much used to it. She is not educated on the matter and therefore she just says things she shouldn't say. She did the same thing when I became pregnant. I had back problems so when I got pregnant instead of being excited (like a normal person would) she made negative comments and really took the joy away from me. A few weeks later I lost the baby and I thought I may never forgive her pessimistic attitude towards everything. I realize every situation is different, but as you've said, you are your own woman and you are making this decision for you and for your happy and healthy future. Perhaps mom needs to go a few weeks without hearing from you in order to have time to realize that you have no space in your life for negativity. I completely understand being concerned, but sometimes I just don't get why people can't just be happy for other's decisions, etc. You have to do what is right for you and it is hard to want that approval and not be able to get it. You'll be in my thoughts as you undergo this transformation. I had my surgery Tuesday and I feel so excited for what the future holds.

My doctor only does 1 day of full liquid and then directly to puréed foods. I asked him about this and he said his patients have awesome results and get their energy back much more quickly this way and there has been no evidence that this method causes leaks. Mostly it is people pushing other solids too quickly or not having a good staple line, etc from the get go. If your surgeon is as successful and well known as mine is I would trust him. I am day 2 post op and already on puréed foods and my energy level has not even gone down a tiny bit. If I weren't having side effects from the anesthesia, I could probably walk a couple of miles today.

Everything seems to be a double edged sword, but I have been drinking crystal light today since getting in trouble over the juice. I normally drink unflavored Water just fine, but it has been more difficult than unexpected since my surgery. Diluting the juice also seems like a good option! I'll have to look at what's avialable and pick some things that are low in sugar or consider diluting. Hopefully I'll be able to do the plain water soon enough. Thanks for the great ideas!

I meant sugar free, not fat free...

Yeah, he said it isn't common for dumping with the sleeve, but says it does happen occasionally. Also, he said he doesn't want me taking in all of that sugar bc it can interfere with weightloss. I have actually not had trouble keeping anything down other than my pain meds which always make me nauseous, even pre-surgery. I have already been cleared for puréed foods today and have had a lowfat potatoe/veggie Soup (2g sugar per 1 cup) and I had only 4 oz, 2 oz cottage cheese and I've been trying to sip Water and skim milk. I have actually had very little all together, but feel very satisfied which is an amazing feeling all together! My main problem is getting on all of my water so I'm trying to focus on that for now. Keep the comments coming. I love hearing about everyone else. Makes me feel like I'm not doing this alone. Of course, my husband has been by my side every step of the way, but it is cool to have people who are actually experiencing this exact thing.

Unfortunately, due to a reaction I had to my anesthesia, I am still in the hospital, but aside from that I think everything is going well. My doctor did come in to check on me this morning and was asking me what all I kept down yesterday (liquid diet) and as I was telling him I saw his eyes get wide bc someone had given me apple juice. It says I can have fat free apple juice, but this was no sugar added and I drank two of them yesterday (4 oz each). I had no idea bc the nurses were bringing it so I thought they probably knew what they were giving me. Oops! I know now and won't do that again, but he was afraid of my body dumping bc of it although that didn't happen. Anyways, hope everyone else's surgeries and few days post op are going smoothly! I will hopefully overcome this postoperative myalgia soon and get to go home and see my puppy dogs. I'd love to hear how things are for everyone else. I am interested to get on a scale, but haven't had the chance yet. Best, Rach

I thought about this, but I don't think so. I think it was just bad luck and bad timing. I didn't break out last night so hopefully they will be able to move forward with surgery tomorrow. I am definitely nervous now and feel very out of sorts today knowing this is happening tomorrow. Hard to believe!

My surgery has been scheduled for this Tuesday at 7:30am for a week now and suddenly this past Monday night I had a severe allergic reaction to some of the medications I'm taking. This has been going on for a week now. I have been breaking out in hives all week. I am so afraid they are going to cancel my surgery now which can't happen. If they do, I won't be able to have it bc I have already taken time off from work and won't be able to manage that again. So frustrated.

I am having my surgery Tuesday so I may be in your boat by then, but I doubt you'll always have to worry about throwing up everytime you eat, forever. You will learn what you can and can't have and how much you are able to have. I am guessing this will be 2nd nature. Hang in there young lady! You can get through this scary time. I too suggest seeking therapy to deal with the underlying loss and mourning of something you've done for so long. I know this is something I will have to deal with bc I turn to food for everything whether it be bc I'm bored, sad, mad or celebrating. Those are changes that will just need to be dealt with and I know we can both do it. Please keep posting so you can get the support you need from people who are going through what you are. I hope I don't have a break down, but I am glad to know I can come here if I do.

Good for you! My surgery is the 4th and I can't believe it is so close. I am nervous, but also excited to get back to the old me. Just hard to believe it's only a handful of days away! Best of luck to you!

Clothes shopping. That is a crutch I plan to use! I love food, but it made buying clothes much less enjoyable so I am hoping to replace my love of food with my love of shopping. Hoping it works bc there are things I know I'm going to mourn the loss of!

Reading about everyone's pre-op diets make me feel terrible. My doctor only requires a 1 day liquid diet the day before surgery so I feel spoiled. I am trying to eat healthy bc I don't want to go into shock post-op, but I do plan to have sushi one last time this weekend bc I doubt I'll be able to eat it for a long time bc of the rice and sushi is my most favorite food. Hang in there guys. You all seem to be doing good, even with a slip up here or there!

How scary for you. First of all, I would like to say that at your age, you shouldn't make a dnr decision while you are depressed. I can completely empathize with you and hate this for you. It sounds like a terrible ordeal to endure. But, please consider that aside from how hard this is, making a death decision while depressed is not ideal. I feel confident to tell you that I have faith that you will somehow overcome this. I know that there may seem like not even a flicker of light to look forward to, but that is usually the case when we are facing extremely horrible and depressing things...but, they almost always improve and I'm praying now that this will for you. It is unfortunate that some people have such horrific side effects, but we all go through with this decision anyways in hope of a better quality of life. I know it makes it worse to look forward to only to end up in misery. Please call your doctor's office every day that this is not improving in order to make them fully aware of the seriousness. Don't wait for things to change, call them everytime you have a problem so they can assist you before you become so dehydrated, etc. again. I feel so bad and wish there was more I could do or say. As for food, have you tried nibbling on mashed potatoes? I know they are carbs, which is not ideal after surgery, but this seems to be more about survival at this point and getting over this hump. When I have been sick at my stomach in the past and struggling to eat, these are a few things I have tried: Gatorade, mixed with water in order to dilute. It is full of electrolytes which can help plus you will be mixing with water which can aid in fighting the dehydration, but you don't want to get too much sugar. I'd probably try G2 mixed with water now that it is an option and there are several flavors so maybe you can find one that is tolerable. Mashed potatoes. I was able to nibble on these a little easier than almost anything else when I was severely sick. Another thing you may try is a light yogurt (this may be hard bc it is thicker, but it is full of protein so it's worth a shot.) There are some meal replacement drinks I use bc I can't drink anything thick (as it grosses me out). It is called Advocare meal replacement shake. It mixes with water and doesn't have the after taste or smell of most meal replacements and it's loaded with protein. What I love most is that you can mix it with less water than required so that it isn't so much to drink and it's still relatively thin. It may be worth a shot. It is a little pricey so I had to sign up as a distributor bc I need the discount as I am drinkinig this every day for my protein, but it is well worth it for me. Here's the site: www.AdvoCare.com/120531202 You can just go to shop and type in meal replacement shake in the search bar. I always use the chocolate bc I like that flavor in general, but I have heard the other flavors are good as well. I am so sorry for what you are going through and I am happy to lend an ear to help get you through this. I just have a strong feeling that you can and will get through this. Hang in there sweet girl. Rach