shewolf143

I had mine done Sept 12 & I am doing great!!!! No issues with the actual surgery & no issues with anything I am eating except I am allergic to whey protein. In fact, we had a bake sale for our United Way fundraising & I had to man our table & it didn't bother me one bit. I also had bought mini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, which is my favorite & got frosting on my fingers when putting them into baggies-I did NOT lick my fingers, I wiped them off on a paper towel. I could not be prouder of myself!!

My Dr told me that your body just went through something traumatic & its natural tendency is to hold on to fluids. He told me to just follow the plan & the weight WILL come off. It takes anywhere from 6-8 weeks for your stomach to start healing. I have heard about a 3 week stall. Is there nowhere for you to call for follow-up in Mexico? If so, you might want to do that. Another option is to find a local bariatric Dr that has a nutritionist working with him & see if they will allow you to see him/her for a fee. The hungry thing I'm not sure about as they removed that part of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone. I can honestly tell you, I have had no hunger whatsoever since my surgery 9/12. Could it be "head hunger"?

Justine13-we aren't passing judgement-we are trying to help her. She may not like what she hears but it is the truth. Sometimes you have to use tough love when someone is that down or fed-up. We don't want her giving up already-we want her to be a success. Please don't take what I posted or what Amazon13 posted as being judgemental-that was not my intent & I dount it was Amazon13's either.

I'm going to use tough love here. First, if you were that happy fat-why did you have the surgery? Secondly, your goal weight of 165 will NOT happen with that kind of attitude. Does your Dr not have an aftercare support group? Have you gone & seen him & told him what is going on? I found out I am allergic to whey protein & it has made it difficult to get my protein in as the alternatives don't taste that great-but ya know what? I went into this knowing it was NOT a quick fix...that I would need to change my eating habits & my thoughts about food for the rest of my life. I was ready! It sounds like you are not mentally prepared for this. Are you sure your sips are sips & not gulps? Make sure the liquids aren't ice cold. Make sure you are taking small bites & taking 30 min to eat. No liquids 30 min before or until 30 min after. These instructions make a difference in how it feels to your stomach. It takes 4-6 weeks for your stomach to heal. In the meantime, it is inflamed, so adding things to it is going to hurt a little but it shouldn't hurt that much. Again, make sure your Dr is aware of the issues you are having & make sure he takes them seriously. You CAN do this if you really want it!!!! I wish you the best of luck. I had no problems at all except the whey allergy. First day home from the hospital, I got my 64 oz of water in & my 70-80 g of protein. No pain, no heartburn.

Don't forget, you usually lose 70% of your weight with the sleeve. The rest is up to you to work at getting it off. Congrats-that is so totally awesome!

I questioned myself.....for about 5 min! LOL Because I am a food addict & a binge eater, I knew no conventional diet would work-I have pretty much tried them all. If I had all the money back that I have spent on programs, pills, etc....I could retire. This surgery was the only thing I knew would allow me to get a handle on my eating issues. You ARE making the right choice! Do NOT kid yourself that you can go back to eating the foods that got you here in the first place....I did ALOT of research before I decided to do this & everything that I read says if you start eating bad carbs (breads, rice, pasta, pastries, etc.) you will put the weight back on. Once in a blue moon as a treat but not on a daily or weekly basis. Those that have failed like to blame the surgery but when they are honest-it is what they ended up eating.

We all share the same struggles....we understand!!!!

They say your tastes can change after the surgery. I take the gummy vitamins & love them.

Do NOT get discouraged. Keep the goal in sight. It will all be worth it...trust me. I stuck to my 7 day pre-op diet & lost 10.2 lbs. That was so cool. Now, I am 17 days post-op & I am down a total of 20 lbs. I feel great & have lots of energy. I feel in control for the 1st time in a very long time!! I control the food now-it does NOT control me.

That is awesome!! 2 weeks post-op, I've lost 20 so I hope to do as well as you. I am walking or doing the staionary bike for about 20-30 min....should I do more? I am waiting til I am 4 weeks post-op before I go back to ZUmba.

From what I have read, it is throwing up a mucousy substance & it is from eating too fast or not chewing well.

leeofmeismore-does it mix well? I tried another brand of eggwhite powder & it totally sucked when it came to mixing it with anything....

You will find that your stomach makes ALOT of noise, especially after eating on the pureed stage. Don't know if anyone else can hear it but it is loud! I must have alot more fat in my abdomen than most as where the incisions are never hurt or pulled or pinched or anything. It was all very minor. I have been walking & riding the exercise bike & all is good! I hope to start back to Zumba at the 1 month post-op mark! I weighed at the surgeons office yesterday & I have lost 20 lbs in 3 weeks!

Jrr-it is definitely the whey as I am only itching about 1% of the time now. My Dr had said to give it til Mon. so it should be totally gone by then. ereneeh-I have never had problems with acid reflux or heartburn. That is why my Dr was surprised I had a large hernia. he fixed it while in there. I still have no heartburn at all so I know it isn't that as I am not on any meds for it. I bought a vegetable Protein at Vitamin Shoppe on the recommendation of an employee (he drinks it) but I didn't like it-it actually made me nauseous so i took it back today, got store credit & bought one called Harmonizer. Instead of going with chocolate, I am trying vanilla so I can add stuff to it, like berries, etc. I hope this works as I am so frustrated. Thanks for all of your comments/suggestions.

I agree that it is individual. I was very pleased with the way things went. I had almost no pain at all-used no pain meds at home & was out walking around my neighborhood the very next day.

I also have RA and my Dr told me to stop my injections of Enbrel one week before the surgery & then continue my usual dose after the surgery. Losing the weight will DEFINITELY help take the pressure off the joints!

I had no abdominal pain at all. I had a little bit of discomfort in my shoulder/armpit area from the gas they use to inflate your abdomen. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being high-it was a 2.

I have a sample of a rice Protein one but I haven't tried it yet. I was told they tend to be gritty. Jrr-vanilla what? I just assumed vanilla of any of them would taste worse than the chocolate. LOL

My NUT basically said that carbs are a huge no-no. Protein FIRST, then veggies, then fruit, if you have the room. If you start eating carbs-you will gain weight.

I bought some adult gummy vitamins. My NUT said to get one with at least 200% of the RDA.

epattys-I actually like the protein drinks & it upsets me that I can't have the whey ones...at least until I figure out if it is that or not. I tried alot of different ones to find the ones I liked. You said you tried soy-it is a strong after taste? I tried the Jay Robb egg white protein drink in chocolate & didn't care for the after taste : -( I guess it comes down to personal preference. Justine13-We had our surgeries the same day! I finished my 2nd prednisone pack with no relief. I'm still itching but it seems to be a bit less than in the past 3 weeks. I actually got through work without itching at all but it started on my way home. I find it odd it is only my extremities & the back of my head. I see my surgeon tomorrow for my 1st follow-up so I am going to get his feedback on this. Why can't they make protein in a pill form? I wonder if there is anything stronger than prednisone?

I was drinking the protein shakes or Isopure-Isopure has 40 g protein & no carbs but it is in a 20 oz bottle so it takes a bit to drink it. Pure Protein makes a Banana & a Strawberry that both have 35 g protein. I found them to be tasty. I haven't had any problem since the day after surgery getting my protein & water in, but now it looks like I may be allergic to the whey & finding a tasty alternative it very difficult.

Alithinos-I did take two & it made me really dizzy. Went to my PCP today & she thinks if I lay off the whey, it should stop in 3-4 days-if it IS the whey causing it. I tried the Jay Robb egg white chocolate & I'm not crazy about it-it has a funny aftertaste but I could choke it down if I have to. I tried another type & it was drinkable if I added more water to it. It is called PureGreen Protein & it was the mixed berry. They come in other flavors as well. I have a couple more to try. This is just so frustrating...... Justine13-when was your surgery?

I didn't experience any of that. I never lost energy & I am averaging 400 calories a day. I am anal about getting my 70-80 g protein & at least 64 oz fluids! Are you taking any vitamins?

epattys-Benedryl over the counter hasn't stopped my itching at all. I am miserable & I have huge welts & scratches all over me. I may try something called Raw Protein. I will see if doing the eggwhite Proteins stops the itching so I know if it is that for sure or not. Alithinos-I am a tiny bit lactose intolerant & I haven't drank milk in over 40 years. I don't drink almond or soy milk either. I did go to Vitamin Shoppe last week & bought a couple sample packs of Jay Robb's. I tried the dreamsicle one & it was ok. I didn't buy any of his egg protein but I may now since they have more protein in them than the eggwhite protein powder I just bought. I am not a big fan of greek yogurt-it is too thick & has too strong of a taste but I have forced myself to eat it mixed with flavored extracts or crystal light. It has alot of carbs & I try to be conservative with the carbs. I just can't stand this itching anymore. My arms & legs are tore up like I was attacked by a wild cheetah or something, lol.