Hi all, I'm in the DFW area. Flower Mound for those of you who know the area. I was just sleeved 3 weeks ago on 9/11 at Grapevine Medical with Dr. Swanson. Would love to have some friends from around town. I work a lot so online support is so much easier for me then meetings. So excited about this journey for all of us.
Hello, I am in the Dallas area as well. My surgery is scheduled with Dr. Kim for Oct. 11, 2012. I was looking to be apart of a big support group of pre-op and post-op sleevers in my area. Please friend me and let's share experiences.
I am nearly 6 months post-op and a full meal for me now is approx. 3 oz of dense Protein (chicken, steak, etc.) and approx. 2 oz of veg. If I have even 1 bite too much, I feel very uncomfortable, get the "slimies" (excess saliva production and alot of swallowing) and usually need to walk around or lie down flat for it to pass.
You WILL feel the restriction, believe me! Once you're past the mushies, it will surprise you, how little you can eat and how quickly you get full! I still struggle with eating too fast and not chewing enough on occasion. Especially if I've been busy at work or doing errands and missing a meal time by an hour or so. I usually eat too quickly and after about 3-4 bites, I'm done and usually overstuffed!
The most important thing for you to do right now is to proceed slowly and introduce new food items, textures and options one at a time to see how you tolerate them. Things you ate before may not sit right, may not taste the same (or even taste good) and it will catch you off guard. Just remember you've been through a major surgery and your body is still healing (and will be for the first 6-8 months!). It takes time for your tastebuds to readjust, your stomach to accept everything and learn how to digest again.
The biggest challenge really, is to let your brain catch up with your body. You will look at your tiny portion of food and think "wow, that's not enough to feed a bird. I'm going to be starving in 30 min". But you won't be......it's just that your brain is used to bigger portions, more frequent eating (you won't be interested in snacking NEARLY as often as you were before) and craving items you either can't eat right now or shouldn't eat because that's what got you into trouble in the first place.
Don't let your brain trick you! Follow your surgeon and nutritionist's instructions, ask questions here on VST and go slow. You'll do great!
