c0nnie53

Oh, I had this same issue! I also thought that my sleeve did not "take" because so many say they are never hungry, but I was constantly hungry! But, I also had a bit of pain when I would even have my Protein drink, which is why I had liquid Vicodin for when I got home. That helped a lot, when I had it just prior to my "meals" and did not have to deal with the pain. I'm only 2 months out now, and venturing into some new foods, but it still does not go down easy, tho I am told it gets easier! After my first week, my Dr gave me permission to get some canned soups and heat them up and puree them in the blender! This was like heavenly to me! It really kept me satisfied, and I could buy different flavors to change it up. As time went on, my husband got the idea to make our own soups so that I could get more protein in them, and he would get a whole chicken in it, but my servings were always pureed! Man, it was so good! I started feeling like I was being nourished! We put lots of good veggies into it as well, everything cooked real soft, but I still needed to puree it so that I could eat it. I would only get about a quarter of a cup down me in the very beginning, but as the weeks went by, I was able to do a whole cup. Homemade Soup is just such a comfort, if you have the strength to make it or have someone who can make it for you! I wish you well on your journey! Connie

Cindy, I hope you heal up nicely! Get your rest! It is a lot for your body to endure! I think there are a lot of folks who have to get their gall bladder removed either at the time of the sleeve or before or after. Seems to go hand in hand. I had to have mine out a few years ago, as I was having chronic pancreatitis and to have the gallbladder removed, helped so it did not throw little stones up into the duct of the pancreas! The nausea I was having was due to my missing my antacid pill by accident. It was a miserable day without it, but I was clueless at the time. This forum certainly has helped me so much by reaching out and finding wisdom in others! I hope you get well soon! Connie

I am now 2 months out from surgery, and for the most part, I am doing very well. But, I have been annoyed because almost daily, I have a bout of nausea. It does not seem to be related to whether or not I have eaten. It is actually mild, like background noise, and never to the point of actually throwing up, but just this uncomfortable sensation that is a queasy tummy. Sometimes it is only a momentary thing, other times it can last for a few hours. One thing that can set it off for sure is a ride in the car! But, it happens even if I don't go anywhere at all. I know I could take Pepto, but that will also stop a person up, and I do not want to do that to myself if I don't need to. So far, I am just living with it and decided today that I may as well ask you all if this is normal for others as well! I would also like to know if this is common, does it subside at some point in time, like is it just another healing side effect and I can hope it all goes away soon? Thanks for any insight you can offer! Connie

Thank you all very much for your imput! You were right, it is about the med, and I found out that the day I was complaining, I had not taken my pill! It was an oversite that I will not forget again! I was also doing more research and this seems to be an ongoing side effect/problem with having the sleeve done, the most common complaint as much as 6 years out. As long as I understand it and can get some relief, then I am OK with that! Thank you so much for responding and pointing me in the right direction! Good health to you all; Connie

I was wondering about that, but I have a prescription for Pepcid that I take 2X a day. I think I will call the nurse on Monday and see if perhaps I might need something different. I know that my stomach is extremely gassy, to the point I take GasX from time to time when it becomes unbearable, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I also wonder sometimes if what I am experiencing is a sour stomach, or more of the nausea that it feels like. I just don't know what to do anymore, and today it has been hours, not just a few minutes like it often is. I'm frustrated! Connie

I am also T2, since 2008, and pre-op, I was on 3 different oral meds, and still could not keep my sugars down low enough, ranging between 130-150 and sometimes higher, even tho I pretty much stuck to a low carb diet. When doing the research to make this decision for myself, I learned that the stats for eliminating T2 was 80% chance with sleeve and 90% chance with RNY. But, with RNY comes so many more complications, and you are under anethesia for 4 hours, approximately, where as with the sleeve, as someone else mentioned, you have better absorption of nutrients (important to me) less complications because your intestines are not rerouted, and you are in surgery for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your surgeons skill set. I also learned from my own surgery that my doctor has major skills, as she did not cut into any muscle, but it was explained to me that she goes between the fibers of the muscles and my pain was nearly nonexistent! That was an amazing surprise! Less skilled surgeons will cut thru the muscles and increase your healing time and pain levels greatly. OK, now let me speak to my personal results as to my T2. When I was released from the hospital, I still was on 2 of my oral meds, but one was dropped. About 3 weeks into recovery, another med was dropped. So, now I am still on one med, 2X per day, and for the past 3 weeks my sugars have been between 80 and 99 every single morning! I feel so much better, I can't tell you, and even if I have to remain on the one med, I am OK with that. But, I am told that as I lose weight, that slowly I can be weaned off the last med. That is so exciting to me! I also must mention that I am a hard core case, as in my situation it is genetic, passed on from generation to generation for several, and so the doctors have said it will be harder in the long run to keep me off meds, but if I am careful with my diet, I should be fine in the long term. Sometimes I think to myself that perhaps I should have gone the RNY route, but really, the sleeve for me has been so easy, for the most part, and I am only 2 months out. I have been healing pretty well, and tho I do have my issues as so many of us do, I think the diabetic question will resolve itself as I give it more time. In the end, you will have to make the decision that you feel most comfortable with. Whatever you decide, I wish you the very best in care and health! Connie

I love eating in a good restaurant, and am finally getting to do so again after a long abstinence with the pre-op liquid phase and then the after surgery mushy sort of diet. Now, I'm getting more and more comfortable eating a meal, but still go for the Soup, as I can have a tasty dish, and not suffer for it. It goes down easy at this point! Tonight, I did have a wee bite of my hubby's chicken, just because I wanted to taste it. solid food is still iffy for me right now, tho. At least there are good chicken soup choices out there for now!

Wow! A lot of October sleevers here! Surgery day; 10/7/13 WT day of surgery; 298 CW 280 It is starting to get easier for me now. I mean, I am still having gassy issues, and even pain when I forget to chew the chicken well enough, and I still can't eat without a bit of distress, but I am in the middle of stage 3 and get to actually eat food now that is not blended first! I can get down about a quarter cup of solid food, but if I resort to blended Soups, and such, then I can drink a whole cup of that! I have been to a couple of restaurants again, and it is disconcerting to be able to eat so little, and the plates they bring you seem like a feast that can't possibly be consumedn by a single human! I can basically eat about 4 bites, and then I am done, cuz one more bite just because it tastes good is just no fun when pain and misery starts setting in. I guess I am still healing! Connie

I am about 4 and a half weeks out, and in stage 3 of the eating plan. I had homemade chicken Soup for dinner, and I have to say, that about the 3rd or 4th bite into the meal, this uncomfortable, almost pain starts to happen, and removes the desire for one more bite! I know I have to take small bites, and chew my food well, and I comply with that instruction. The noises of gas bubbles churning in my little stomach can be heard across a crowded room and are embarrasing. Once I push my bowl away and give up, that uncomfortable feeling will last up to an hour before I find relief, like burping a hundred or so times! Is this all a part of the healing process and should I just apply more patience to myself, or is this going to be the case for the rest of my life? That is a dismal thought, to say the least, but I feel a bubble of panic setting in and I want to nip it in the bud, of that is possible! Any reassuring thoughts will be most appreciated! Connie

Thank you for all of your comments! I am taking a prescribed anti-acid and was told I needed to take it 2X a day for the next 6 months whether I felt like it or not. But, what I am feeling seems to be more like gas than burning acid, and it feels like it is bubbling, and will finally, after a long period of time come out in burps, giving relief. I'm thinking that perhaps I should add a gasX pill to my day and see if that helps. But the other part is pain!!! Today it happened again, and I resorted to taking a small swig of the left over liquid pain med I was given when I got out of the hospital. It helped a great deal, taking away that pain in about 5 minutes. Now I am wondering if I need to go back on that stuff for a few days and see if the pain will calm down. I guess I need to call the doctor and find out if that is the right decision. I get hungry, but I'm starting to not even want to eat because it is being so painful, or back track and go back to all mushy stuff? This healing stuff is not as easy as I first thought it would be. Thanks for listening; Connie

Thank you, Laura, for your very swift response! You have given me a glimmer of hope! I so appreciate your taking the time to answer my question! I did a lot of research before I got the sleeve, but going thru the experience is completely different than just reading about it. I have been wrong about so many things so far, but I am trying to learn and get thru the healing part of this journey! I guess that I am still very much in the healing stage, and just need to give myself more time. Thanks for the hope you have extended to me! It means a lot! Connie

This is a great discussion! I also had the blues all during my 3rd week, and could not really understand it! I'm in week four now and feeling a lot better emotionally and have a positive attitude. I keep trying to remind myself that this is a process and a journey, and that I need to relish it because I worked very hard to be granted this solution to my health issues. I'm still healing and learning new things everyday. I appreciate everyone's comments, because it lets me know that I am just as normal as everyone else going thru this process, and alleviates my inner worries! In time, I will get back to a more normal social life, but I will just eat a lot less, and that is OK!

I got my sleeve on Oct 7th and was feeling the same way! I was so surprised that I felt hunger, because I had heard so many say they were never hungry! I felt like I was starving to death! Then, when I was moved into the blended stage, I began to feel like I was being fed! My husband made pots of homemade chicken soup, with all good veggies in it and lots of chicken. He then put a portion in the blender and pureed it, and it tasted like heaven to me! Also, I finally, finally felt like I was actually eating! Those first weeks are so tough to get thru, at least for me! I was getting depressed because I thought the days would never pass! But, see if you can make some good homemade soup, and blend it till smooth, and have a cup of it! You will start to feel better! Wishing you well on your journey; Connie

I was just sleeved on Oct 7th, and have been doing surprisingly well, so far! I learned that if I take my pain medication a few minutes before I eat, I can get more in me, and feel more satisfied than if I just try to tough it out thru the pain. Yesterday, I was able to eat a bowl of strained cream soup with no problem doing it that way, and for the first time in weeks (3 weeks prior to surgery, I was on all liquid diet) I felt full and satisfied. My question is this; Why am I actually having hunger pangs? I thought that the desire or the feeling of great need to eat would be gone?! I am up before the alarm this morning because my stomach is hungry and I can't seem to ignore it, but it is way too early to eat anything! I'm having these doubts that this surgery will just not work for me like for so many others! I have 2 more weeks of full liquid before I can move on, but I am dreaming about food already! This is scary to me!

Thank you all for your support, because it is certainly reassuring to know that I am not the only one with these strange feelings! Today, for most of the day, I felt no hunger, but as the evening began, I felt ravenous! I had a cup of broth, and about an hour later, I got hungry again, and ate another portion of broth! Now, after that, I feel normal again! I guess I have to learn as I go, because the signals my body is giving me is confusing to me right now. By the time I figure out stage 2, I will be in stage 3!

As this day as gone along, I am actually getting more comfortable! I have not had to resort to any pain medication today at all! That amazes me! Water is also now going down easy, as opposed to the razor blade feelings. I've actually consumed more water today than any other day so far, and I am relieved, because I thought if I didn't get my act together, I would wind up back in the hospital with dehydration! I was able to have a 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt today, and I am looking forward to my next meal. It did fill me up and I was satisfied for about an hour and a half, when I began to feel hungry again. But, that is when I began drinking water, and discovered it didn't hurt to drink it anymore, and have been adding that, and the hunger feelings have subsided! As to protein drinks, I have been not doing so well with those. I have them on hand, but I had so many in my pre-op liquid diet, I can't seem to look at them anymore. I plan to have one today at some point, because I know how seriously important they are for my healing and health, even if I feel like gagging on them. I have my doc appointment on Wednesday and I'm excited to see her and let her know these weird things and find out from her how far from "normal" I am or if I am right on target. My wounds are now itching, so that must mean healing is going on there as well! I'm already down 8 pounds, so that is also exciting!!! My clothes, which were already getting too big due to the pre-op diet and then the liquid phase before surgery, but now they are seriously getting ridiculous! When your undies start to want to fall off, you know exciting things are going on! LOL!

Thank you both for your comments! I really appreciate your suggestions and support! As for a bowl of soup, that was probably 1/2 cup, a bit more, I think. I did not measure it out, but it was the most I have been able to consume for one meal since the surgery. Most of my "meals" have only been a few bites, maybe adding up to a quarter of a cup. Then, because of stomach pain, or the feeling that every bite contained razor blades, I would just give up and call the meal done. My doctor has me on pepcid 2x per day, so I think the acid is OK at the point. The gassy feeling if finally subsiding a bit, which is a relief! I think it is correct to rememeber that my poor stomach has been traumatized, and is healing and that is most likely what I am feeling, not necessarily hunger pangs. I'm just so new to this that everything is either a surprise or confusion! As the days progress, I am sure I will get the hang of this!