Lorraine Freeman

It's either that of they might jack them up like you do when your changing a car tyre lol

Don't worry Nik, as I wrote on another post my 9 year old daughter turned to me on say 5 and said
" mummy, you've turned back into a baby cause all you do is cry and drink" lol
I promise you this does get better, it lasted about 10 days for me. If people were nice to me.... I cried, if I was upset at something......I cried, if I sneezed...... I cried, you get the gist lol. Come day 10 I was laughing about it with family members. Your body and mind have just gone through a major trauma and it takes time for things to get back to normal but hd on in there it will get better. I thought I would never feel "normal" again, I'm 5 weeks out now and I am honestly fine now. Sending love hugs and tissues to you. Chin up. Xxxxx

I had stitches and was cleared for a bath straight away.
I don't know about anyone else but when I am in the bath my tummy is mostly out of the Water anyways. Xxx

This is totally normal to feel like this.
In my experience eating did become a chore in the first month to 6 weeks as you are learning to eat again. I am coming up to 4 months out now and am totally used to my smaller portion sizes etc now.
I don't feel as hungry now as I did before my sleeve but do get the odd hunger pang (not nearly as intense as before sleeve).
The way I look at my sleeve is that I can and do eat everything in moderation. I don't believe in treating my sleeve as if I am on a diet as I know I will never be able to sustain this long term. I do make healthy meal choices now but if I fancy something not so good for me I don't deprive myself (I don't pig out either). My dietician told me that as long as I'm good 85% of the time then a packet of crisps or chocolate bar a couple of times a week really won't hinder my progress.
I wouldn't say I feel 'normal' now as there really is a huge difference in portion sizes, however I am very comfortable with my new 'normal' , as I say its difficult in the beginning but its amazing how fast your body and brain adapt.
Hope this helps. Xxx

Lol@Laura. yeah it's fish eggs but it really is yum and doesn't look like fish eggs.

Lol@Laura. yeah it's fish eggs but it really is yum and doesn't look like fish eggs.

Totally agree with you Cheri, I lost 16 pounds in the first 2 weeks and thought I would lose the weight at the same pace no probs (duh) The reality is I lose 3 pounds a week now (3 months out) After reasons lots of your posts Cheri, I have come to accept this weight loss every week and actually be content with it. So I would like to thank those that take time to post threads like these, which give people the confidence and realisation that this ox totally normal and that they will still get there if they follow plan. Xxx

Lol, I wondered why there was 2 extra assistants in the operating room, one to support each boob. ;0)

Lol, I wondered why there was 2 extra assistants in the operating room, one to support each boob. ;0)

I didn't actually want to lose weight, I wanted to be healthier. It was never about looks for me and as a matter of fact in my psych eval I told her how petrified I was about losing weight because it meant I had to start confronting the issues behind the desire to be invisible. At my heaviest I am also my most confidant and to be able to go through life doing my thing without people commenting on my appearance at all is preferred. The psych thought it wouldn't be as big of an issue as I may have been anticipating but I think time is telling how wrong she is.

My dietician told me the 20 rule, you chew everything at least 20 times, wait 20 seconds between bites, and anything left on your plate after 29 minutes has to be pushed away. Hope this helps. Oh yeah and bites should be no bigger than your thumb nail. Xxxx

Yeah I got this also, its just your body healing. I used to get it if I turned or bent a certain way, it felt like a sharp pain as if someone was sticking a needle in me from the inside.
If its sore all the time I would get checked, otherwise just keep an eye on the incisions to make sure they don't become infected.

This is totally normal at this stage. My nut told me that it should take you no longer than 20 mins to eat something, as soon as you get to 20 mins whatever is left should be put away.
As you get on to solid foods the feeling of restriction becomes easier to determine and the stuck/full to the top of your throat feeling subsides, you feel it in your stomach like you did before your op. everything just takes time to heal and get back to 'normal'
When you get on to solids just remember the 20 rule, chew everything 20 times at least, wait 20 secs between bites, and anything left after 20 mins should be pushed away.
Hope this helps. XXxxx

when you move to solids you will know, trust me, you will know....I felt the same when I was on pureeds, and my NUT told me to just wait until I move to soft solids...and when I felt it I was pleasantly surprised...
Now everyone has a different full signal, from pain in the shoulder to like me, you just feel uncomfortable if you take another bite.....I have spat up before, mainly because I wasnt paying attention to eating and I was shoveing food in my mouth and talking...that was a lesson learned....
you will know when you are full...

I was on my period when I had surgery also.when the surgeon came round to speak to me before surgery I informed him sheepishly that I had my period and that It was pretty heavy (tmi) He told me to keep my pants and pad on for surgery even though the nurses would tell me to take them off. I explained to the nurses what the surgeon said and all was fine. ( I didn't have a catheter but made sure I went to the toilet straight before surgery). Ask your surgeon when he comes to see you before surgery, I'm sure he will be fine with you keeping your pants on, just be sure to pack loose fitting ones so that they can easily roll them down and back up again if required (over your tummy) Xxxx

Yeah I had those thoughts all the time. I am from Scotland and its a two year wait before surgery and you are required to lose 10% of your body weight in the first year a d then at least maintain it in the second. After I did this I asked my surgeon if he thought I could "go it alone" He said it was up to me but in his opinion surgery was for the best as this would ensure that I wouldn't gradually fall back into bad habits and the weight go back on. He said that 90% of people that have over 9 stone to lose, without surgery would put the weight back on.
In Scotland we don't pay for surgery, so he had no reason to lie about it.
I am 10 weeks post op and can honestly say I don't regret it at all. I'm not going to lie, the first couple of weeks were rough but now that I'm through them every day becomes less and less obsessive about having had the surgery and more about living a "normal" healthy lifestyle.

Hi, it's totally normal how you are feeling, especially the feeling that you are obsessing about things.
I thought I would share how things went for me immediately post op in the hope it helps.
Day one post op went in a flash, I spent the first few hours post op very groggy but not in pain. Don't get me wrong, I knew I had had surgery and was uncomfortable where my stomach was removed but it wasn't an unbearable pain. I was on an IV for the first 24 hours with nil by mouth, just little sponge things to keep my lips moist.
Day 2 : I was still uncomfortable and found that a few times I did have to ask for a little bit more pain relief, again nothing that a little top of mess didn't handle. On day two I was given Protein Shakes throughout the day and a jug of iced Water to drink throughout the day. Drinking was hard and slow and I felt weird about not being able to just down water as I had previously. The wind (gas) as you call it, was really bad but walking certainly helped. I did laps 3 laps of the ward every 45 mins and pumped a lot :0s. Mid morning of day 2 I was given my leak test where they make you swallow what can only be described as the most fowl tasting liquid known to man. You swallow the liquid and they watch (on X-ray) as it goes down and into your new tummy, making sure everything enters and exits through the correct route. sleeping was uncomfortable and as they kept checking on my oxygen levels etc during the night very disturbed.
On day 3 I developed what can only be described as the worst case of the runs I have ever had in my life (sorry TMI) doctors were reluctant to let me home in case I became dehydrated but its amazing what some crying like a 2 year old can get you (cringes) so on the evening of day 3 they had had enough of the 33 year old cry baby and allowed me home, this was when they reality if the operation sank in for me.
While I was in the hospital for some reason everything somehow seemed surreal like when I got home everything was going to magically be better after a good nights sleep or two. Obviously this doesn't happen and every day became like an obsession over the surgery, it was all I could think about from first thing in the morning til I eventually went to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't in a great deal of pain or anything I just couldn't get what I had done to my body out of my mind, it was like my mind was in delayed shock or something. Fluids were slow but steady and got better every day, however my mood and buyers remorse ( although you don't pay across here) got worse, the oh my goodness what have I done to myself hit along with the this is irreversible surgery what am I gonna do now?
For about a week my mood was really low but with every day it got a bit better until about day 10 when I was feeling "normal" again.
The best advice I can give you is take every day as it comes, don't be a martyr to pain if it hurts ask for pain relief, walk, walk, walk, sip, sip, sip and have a good support network back home waiting for you, not just for helping out in the house etc but for the emotional roller coaster that most people endure.
I am 7 weeks out now and feeling great with no regrets but I am not going to lie and say its not hard because it is. However every day things get a little easier and I am a step closer to feeling in control of my life again. I know this is a bit long but hope it helps. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. XXxxx

Hi, it's totally normal how you are feeling, especially the feeling that you are obsessing about things.
I thought I would share how things went for me immediately post op in the hope it helps.
Day one post op went in a flash, I spent the first few hours post op very groggy but not in pain. Don't get me wrong, I knew I had had surgery and was uncomfortable where my stomach was removed but it wasn't an unbearable pain. I was on an IV for the first 24 hours with nil by mouth, just little sponge things to keep my lips moist.
Day 2 : I was still uncomfortable and found that a few times I did have to ask for a little bit more pain relief, again nothing that a little top of mess didn't handle. On day two I was given Protein Shakes throughout the day and a jug of iced Water to drink throughout the day. Drinking was hard and slow and I felt weird about not being able to just down water as I had previously. The wind (gas) as you call it, was really bad but walking certainly helped. I did laps 3 laps of the ward every 45 mins and pumped a lot :0s. Mid morning of day 2 I was given my leak test where they make you swallow what can only be described as the most fowl tasting liquid known to man. You swallow the liquid and they watch (on X-ray) as it goes down and into your new tummy, making sure everything enters and exits through the correct route. sleeping was uncomfortable and as they kept checking on my oxygen levels etc during the night very disturbed.
On day 3 I developed what can only be described as the worst case of the runs I have ever had in my life (sorry TMI) doctors were reluctant to let me home in case I became dehydrated but its amazing what some crying like a 2 year old can get you (cringes) so on the evening of day 3 they had had enough of the 33 year old cry baby and allowed me home, this was when they reality if the operation sank in for me.
While I was in the hospital for some reason everything somehow seemed surreal like when I got home everything was going to magically be better after a good nights sleep or two. Obviously this doesn't happen and every day became like an obsession over the surgery, it was all I could think about from first thing in the morning til I eventually went to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't in a great deal of pain or anything I just couldn't get what I had done to my body out of my mind, it was like my mind was in delayed shock or something. Fluids were slow but steady and got better every day, however my mood and buyers remorse ( although you don't pay across here) got worse, the oh my goodness what have I done to myself hit along with the this is irreversible surgery what am I gonna do now?
For about a week my mood was really low but with every day it got a bit better until about day 10 when I was feeling "normal" again.
The best advice I can give you is take every day as it comes, don't be a martyr to pain if it hurts ask for pain relief, walk, walk, walk, sip, sip, sip and have a good support network back home waiting for you, not just for helping out in the house etc but for the emotional roller coaster that most people endure.
I am 7 weeks out now and feeling great with no regrets but I am not going to lie and say its not hard because it is. However every day things get a little easier and I am a step closer to feeling in control of my life again. I know this is a bit long but hope it helps. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. XXxxx

I took a bath at two weeks just didnt put enough Water in so that it wouldn't touch the incisions lets be honest when we lay down in a bath r bellys r out if the Water just dont soak the incision
Yolo

But kids...no boot camp this early. Thats for folks out some months.
In a quick nutshell, because I'm heading to the ballet with a hot date (my 7 year old LOL) Remember that diet you did to shrink your liver? Your liver shrank..and then you traumitazed your body with surgery and it went all gaddly goop. Then you started feeding it Clear Liquids and maybe even solid liquis or puree's but not your normal routine. At three weeks your body says....wooooo baby, what the hell is going on? It then sends fluids to the liver to fill it back up again, and tries to find balance. This is the "three week stall" which is common to 99% of patients. No need to panic Keep the course and you'll see a drop next week.

I have been quietly following you and am so glad that things (touch wood) seem to finally be looking up for you. Hopefully you will be home with your loved ones for the New Year and be able to start a new complication free journey. I really admire how strong you have been throughout this whole thing and would like to wish you all the best for 2013. XXxxx