zbeeze

I remember feeling the way you do when I first had my surgery. Lots of doubts and regrets came rushing at me. However, in November I am 6 years out from my surgery. I enjoy coffee, wine, light beer and indulge in a little sweet now and then. The difference is....it's a treat to have these things and I only take a bite or two of dessert instead of eating the whole thing. Usually my husband and I split something.

You sacrificed a lot to go through this surgery, but the end result will make you so happy! We spend most of our time at our Florida house and my friends there are so supportive and compliment me all the time. Find your "people", they will be your lifeline.

Good luck and keep everyone posted! It will get better.

Don't feel so discouraged. This pattern will continue. I am 8 months out from my surgery and continue to have stalls. Have been in one now for a month, but then last week I suddenly dropped 3 more pounds. Go figure. I just keep doing what I'm suppose to and I know that it WILL come off. Not everyone's body reacts the same way, so make sure you get your Water and Protein in and I promise you the weight will come off! Best of luck to you, it has been so much fun for me to go through this journey. I hope you will look at it the same way in a few months.

I am 8 months out from my surgery last November. I only told specific friends and one family member. My response to everyone else is "I came to the point in my life that I needed to make major changes in my lifestyle so I could be healthy". I just leave it at that and not one person has snooped further or bothered me about it.

I have had thyroid problems for 30 years. Since my surgery, my medication has been "reduced" 3 times. I assume I will still have to be on it the rest of my life, just a lower dosage hopefully.

I saw my cardiologist yesterday. He was thrilled with my progress and agreed that I can be weaned off my High Blood Pressure medication! He is hoping that my leaky aortic valve with stablize too in the next few months! Don't have to visit him again for 6 more months!

My weight loss is slow and steady, averaging about 10 pounds per month. I am feeling SO GOOD!

Yay for me!!!

I am 5 months out from my surgery and down 50 pounds (60 if you include the pre-op). Losing slow, but steady with very few stalls. I have had NO issues or complications from my surgery. This was the best decision of my life, just wish I had done it sooner. I am no longer in plus sizes, hooray! The journey for me was not so much about "what" I was eating (we eat very fresh/ good meals, very little "junk" type foods), but how much food I was eating was killing me.

Now, I eat 6-7 times per day, choosing high Protein, low carb foods, but I still don't eat red meat and find that I really don't miss it. I was never a big cola drinker, so also don't miss that.

I can socialize with our friends and neighbors, and love having wine and liquors back in my life (just limit them and use my fitness pal for tracking those empty calories). When everyone is having Desserts, I am satisfied with a bite or two from my husband's dessert. The only thing I "do miss" and will "NOT" go back to is drinking beer !! SIGH !!

So, for me ~ NO REGRETS!!!! For the first time in my life, I feel "normal" and satisfied !

I drink Sobe lifewaters all the time. They are so good.

Eating slow is not the issue for me, it's the fact that my food is COLD because I eat so slow. Very frustrating, sometimes I end up throwing it out (after reheating) because, well, it's just gross! I need a "warming" plate for my meals! Good luck!

I was sleeved 11/8 and have been in the "stall" for two weeks now. Down 24 pounds and then nothing! Oh well, based on everything I've read this is normal. Saw the nutritionist yesterday, she said I need to increase my Protein and calories! UGH -- it's hard work consuming all of this in one day. Almost a full time job

I am feeling strong and good these days. If I over do it though (like Saturday), I'm down for the count the next day! So, I'm trying to learn to "pace" myself better. I still struggle eating enough and definitely have NO hunger and no desire for food, so it really is a JOB to eat. I'm on soft foods now until the first week in January, then the nut expects me to be at 1000 calories and NO liquid supplements at that time. Boy, do I have my work cut out for me.

I have never had nausea, nor any issues consuming any of the foods on my list. Just not interested in eating! What a weird problem (after all these years)!!!

I am 56 and had my surgery on 11/8. I'm down 24 pounds and feeling GREAT!

Me too -- always cold! It's going to be a very long winter for me in Northeast Ohio!

I have stairs at home, went up very slowly when I returned from hospital and didn't go back down for several days. My hubby brought everything I needed to me during those first few days. Be careful if you are on pain meds and trying to manuver the stairs alone. The last thing you want to do is trip or fall.

I'm 3 weeks out and go up and down our stairs about 10 times a day now! Good luck to you, it's quite an adventure.

I can only take liquid tylenol and I am 3 weeks out.

My surgery was 11/8 and I too have "stalled" in my third week. Thank goodness for this site and my doctor, at least I was forwarned that this it typical. Will be happy when the scale starts "moving" downward again! Good luck to you.

It sounds like you are doing great! I agree, the support person is KEY. My husband is my support person and is amazing. My surgery was 11/8 and yesterday I got to sit down with my husband and brother-in-law for Thanksgiving dinner.

My hubby made a beautiful plate of pureed turkey, mashed potatoes and light gravy, pureed peas and small helping of mashed sweet potatoes. I focused first on the Turkey (to get my protein), it was surprisingly wonderful. I ate all the turkey (1.5 ozs) and a small bite of everything else. The saltiness of the food was HEAVEN! I am not a "sweets" person, so I was growing very tired of just Protein Shakes. I also am having greek yogurt (vanilla flav), then we add a little honey and some cinnamon & nutmeg to it this morning. Such a nice change of pace.

Keep your support person close to you and I also suggest writing in a journal. I started mine about 5 days before surgery. It is a good way to record your thoughts and feelings. I look forward to writing in mine each day. On days I don't feel so great, I've read back through the old posts and realize how much progress I have made.

Good luck to you!

Dr. Leena Khaitan did my surgery at Geauga Hospital.

I am from Concord Twp (approx 30 miles east of Cleveland). Had my sleeve done on 11/8. Losing weight, but also dealing with some pain on my left side, which I pray goes away soon! That's really my only issue so far.

I will pray for your good health!

Thank goodness my doctor and nurse warned me about the hospital weight gain. I came home 17 pounds more than the day I left for surgery. I have lost all of that and 17 more. My surgery was 11/8. Tomorrow I can begin on pureed foods, going very slow with that. My issue is I don't like sweet stuff, so the Protein Drinks are challenging at best. Good luck - it will get better!

My surgery was Nov 8th. Doing well, except still having some pain on my left side. I'm down 17 pounds from the morning I left for surgery. Are you still having pain? I'm in my 50's so I know it takes longer for me to heal.

I am 12 days out from sugery and have lost 17 pounds so far. I have NOT strayed from the plan (mostly fearful of leaks) and I have NOT been physically hungry at all. However, this post is about my support person (a.k.a. my husband). I had an epiphany about him yesterday.

My husband is an awesome chef and has always cooked for me (20 years). So we always eat fresh (never canned), well prepared meals. Since coming home from the hospital, he has tried to eat dinner before arriving home in the evenings. But over one weekend, he worked outside all day putting away patio furniture and preparing for winter. I heard him talking on the phone after he came inside but didn' think much of it. He came upstairs to bring me my famous "protein drink" and announced that he had ordered a small pizza (from my favorite place). He then followed up that statement with since I can't eat any of it right now, he ordered the entire thing with anchovies! BLAH was my response (temptation ended)!

Then he cooked a turkey burger for himself a couple of nights ago. It smelled so good till I walked into the kitchen to take a look. He was smiling and announced that he had "spiced it up real good", and was cooking onions and hot peppers along with it. The burger suddenly took on a spicy smell (which I don't like) and that was the end of that temptation.

So -- he is a sly fox isn't he? I'm not letting him know that I am wise to his ways, I'll just let him going on knowing that he is doing his very BEST to be an awesome support person! I am truly blessed.

Had my sleeve done on 11/8, my blood pressure also dropped during the night. My hospital and nursing staff were "johnny on the spot" for me the entire time. Hang in there, it does get better. I was pumped so full of fluids when I got home I had gained 17 pounds in the hospital. I am now 10 days out from the surgery and doing amazing well. Only 1 bought of nausea (post ride home from hospital). Each day I feel better and stronger. Still sore, but find that the pain meds aren't needed anymore (unless I over do it). I have lost the 17 pounds plus 14 more since 11/8. It just feels so good.

Be sure to get up and move about, but also REST when your body tells you to. That's the key to success, learning to listen to your body and it's needs. Most of us have never done that.

I will pray for you, it will get better!

Good luck to you! Happy Thoughts

I am nervous, excited, and cautiously optimistic all at once! Seeing the doctor today (last time before surgery), praying that there are no issues with my endoscopy, blood work, etc. to postpone the surgery past it's scheduled 11/8 date. I'm in the "let's get it done" place.

My husband (who is the cook in our house) attended the class with me to discuss post surgery nutrition. He asked a LOT of questions about what he could cook for me (in the future) and how it should be prepared. He also asked about Thanksgiving and Christmas and what I could have since I'll be in different stages for each. I think the other people in the class were stunned that he was thinking so far ahead. But, I was so proud of him! Walked out thinking how lucky I am to have someone as supportive as he is. While my head was in the NOW, he was planning for our future!

That my friends set my priorities straight. The little bit of discomfort we will go through in the immediate future is nothing compared to the joy and happiness that our future days will have (and the fact that we will be here to enjoy them)! So -- on with LIFE. Please keep in your thoughts and prayers for Thursday!