Catherine707

No nuts, seeds or berries for 6 weeks on my plan, then added in as tolerated. I waited until 8 weeks for nuts and popcorn. No bad effects from either for me. I tolerate most food well, but I don't overdo it with the fibrous foods either.

Procare is a good multivitamin but you would still need to take calcium as there is iron in the procare and Iron and calcium can't be taken together - they counteract each other.

Ivgirl24 - well light headed and weak was "normal" for me at one month, but there is a wide continuim of how people feel at one month. I "healed" slower than most. As I said above, focus on getting in 60+ grams of Protein and 64 oz of Water, and moving a little (even if you are just doing "laps" in your house). If after reaching those goals you still feel crummy then contact your doctor - you could have a Vitamin deficiency that is making you feel cruddy. I didn't start to feel human and able to handle life until around week 5. Went back to work part time week 7 and full time week 8. Most of all be kind to yourself and don't worry if you don't bounce back at the same rate as other people on this site. I'm happy for those who go back to work in 3 days, but not everyone heals from this surgery that quickly. Hang in there it does get better!

I am still waiting to "feel better". I am down 53 pounds, but still dealing with ankle issues that prevent me from exercising regularly. I had "magical thinking" prior to surgery, and thought that once I healed I would feel terrific. Some people do, and I am happy for them, but for me I am still waiting for it to happen. I believe it will, and anticipate that I might need to be down 75+ pounds before I start to feel great. Be realistic and be kind to yourself, no matter what, this is a positive step for your health and overall wellbeing.

I struggle with this every single day. This surgery took away my best friend and comfort - FOOD. I have been seeing a therapist regularly and it helps, but I just have to take one moment at a time and try to be honest with myself about what I am feeling and will food actually help. Hang in there, you are on a long journey. We didn't develop the food problem and gain the weight overnight, and it isn't going to get better quickly either. I am finally at the point where logic and feeling are in synch (most of the time) and I realize that eating over bad feelings isn't going to help me deal with what ever is bothering me.

Many people stall in the weight loss at weeks 3 - 5. Sometimes it is for a few days, other times for a few weeks. Your body is responding to the shock of the surgery and the many changes it is going through. Focus on getting in all your protein, water and moving / exercising as much as you can and you will get through the stall quickly. I also found that I needed to ADD calories to my day when I hit the stall. But I would stay focused on the protein and water first.

Karnie - The pill box (w/ 7 days) makes taking the vitamins much easier. You don't have to open up each bottle every time you want to take a dose. Plus I can look at the pill box and see if I took mine that day or not. I had my 3 month post surgery labs and everything was good except I need more Vit D, but I was just low, not rock bottom like you.

You can try eating banana (half a banana a day) and that will give you a good dose of potassium. Otherwise it sounds like it might be time to talk with the dr. I hope you feel better.

I combine trips to my surgeon and Trader Joe's they are both 120 miles away and 2.5 hours each way (it is a very long and curvy road)! I don't buy anywhere near as much as I did prior to surgery, but there are still healthy, protein rich foods you can get at Trader Joe's. I miss not having one 5 minutes away!

Congrats on taking the first steps to a healthier you! You have a long road ahead of you, but every journey starts with a single step!

It is WAY too soon to worry about sagging skin! Your skin will adapt and shrink, just be patient and give it time. You have youth on your side, and I'm sure your skin will conform to the new body within 6 months of you reaching your goal weight.

You don't mention your starting weight or any other co-morbidities besides GERD. There are a lot of factors to account for in deciding what is right for you. When I was researching WLS I discovered that the lap-band has a lot of complications (10 - 15%!!) and wouldn't really help me lose 150 pounds. Looking at gastric bypass - I had a really hard time accepting the malabsorption issues and dumping syndrome. Both of those issues forced me to look at the gastric sleeve and determine it was a good fit for me. I wouldn't expect a PCP to be up on the latest WLS, so they probably are reflecting what they have seen that works in their population of patients. The Surgeon though is an expert on WLS and if they recommend one surgery over another you should understand WHY they are making that recommendation. If your Surgeon thinks that by-pass is most appropriate for you, why do you think it isn't? That is where the discussion needs to take place. You could also get a second opinion with a different surgeon!

Only the celebrate is ordered online. The Centrium and GNC I buy in local stores. I calculated the monthly cost as most of these are sold in more than a 30 day supply.

NO! I would not recommend doing that yet unless your doctor told you it would be ok!

How about milk? I would also suggest "fortifying" greek yogurt with flavorless protein powder (I like the GNC Whey protein) and adding a bit of milk to thin it out. The Dannon Orange Dream yogurt tastes wonderful and doesn't have any fruit chunks in it to upset your new stomach. It has over 30 grams of protein when you add the yogurt and the protein powder! Three months post surgery and my breakfast is either a protein shake or the fortified yogurt everyday - I start the day with a protein "punch" and my day seems to go much better!

I agree that some of the "bariatric" Vitamins are way over priced! I decided to continue w/ my pre-surgery regime with some additions. I just had my blood work done ( 3 months post surgery) and everything was great (Vitamin levels too) except I am low on Vit D. Here is what I am taking: Centrium Silver Chewable Multivitamin (Daily) - $6 / month Celebrate Chewable Calcuim w/ Vit D (Daily)- $7 / month Celebrate Chewable Iron + C (2 - 3 times per week) - $6 / month GNC Biotin 5000 mg (Daily) - $ 7 / month GNC Vit B-12 Lozenge (Daily) - $3 / month I will be adding a GNC Vit D-3 tablet to my daily pills starting tomorrow. I have always resisted taking any vitamins, but I realized with this surgery and the reduction in food, that it was necessary. I put all of these pills in a 7 day pill holder and it really seems to be working for me. One thing to watch out for is the number of servings required to get the vitamins listed on the bottle. Some I looked at (gummies especially) require you to eat 3 or 4 to get all the required vitamins. That raises the overall price dramatically. I think $100 per month is excessive.

I work in a hospital in diagnostic imaging. I have to help lift patients and move heavy machines. It took me 7 weeks to feel up to trying my job. I went back half time for a week and then full time. For the first 2 weeks, I could only do my job and take care of me.... no housework, no grocery shopping, no bills being paid etc. Everyone is different, but with the job you are describing I would take at least 8 weeks off and then use as much light duty as possible before being thrown into the "furnace" again. Good luck to you! I hope your surgery is smooth sailing!

LOL, don't be so hard on yourself. This is a totally new learning experience for anyone who has the sleeve. It takes a while to figure out how much you can eat / tolerate and, even when you think you have it dialed in, there are surprises. I promise it gets easier, and the rewards are many!

I had to boost my calorie count to 1000 - 1200 in order to have a clear enough head to go back to work. I'm losing a steady 2 - 2.5 pounds per week, so the higher calorie count is working fine for me. Each person is different and you will have to figure out what level of calories is best for you.

I had surgery on 5/23 and went back to work part time on 7/15 and full time on 7/22. I work in a hospital and there was no way I could have handled my job any sooner. It is hard to predict how long it will take to get to the stage where you are feeling ok. I took longer than most, so I always like to give that side of the story since so many people talk about going back to work in less than a week. BTW - in 2012 I had by gall bladder removed laproscopically and went back to work in 5 days. I fully expected to be feeling fine after 3 weeks and to even take a vacation before going back to work. That didn't work out as I expected at all. Good luck to you, and I hope you feel terrific after your scheduled amount of time off!

I didn't have your vomiting issue, but it took a full 6 weeks before I was feeling human. Some people bounce back from major surgery and others take a while to get to the feeling ok stage. When I spoke with my doctor about feeling crummy and dealing with vertigo he suggested going back to the full liquid stage for a week and then trying soft foods. I found that the keys to my feeling better were the number of grams of protein (at least 60 per day), how much water I was drinking (at least 50 oz in addition to any shakes) and my overall calorie count (once I could manage 900 calories I started feeling a lot better). The bottom line is that everyone is different and you have to experiment to figure out what works best for you. Lots of people including your doctor can make recommendations, but figuring out what will and won't work for you is the key!

I know this is very confusing. Before I became a bariatric patient, I was trying to eat as naturally as possible. I am allergic to soy and the soy isolate proteins, and avoid them like the plague. Right now I use either the Premier Protein Shake or a fortified (with whey protein) greek yogurt for breakfast to start my day off with 30 grams of protein. The remaining 45 grams I get from whole foods - cheese, nuts, beans, meat etc. My doctor wants his patients to eat as much whole foods as possible to fill up our stomachs, reduce grazing and hunger and avoid stretching out the sleeve. I think there are many ways to fulfill the protein requirements and most of it takes trial and error to determine what works for you as an individual.

That is 2 months prior to surgery, then she should wait at least another month post surgery while her stomach heals from the surgery and the incisions heal. You really don't want to mess with this surgery. It is too important! Can her PCP help her quit altogether? I have heard that people are really helped by using Chantix that they stopped smoking after 1 week!

I had the same thoughts before my surgery 3 months ago and I have lost a total of 51 pounds! I know that wouldn't have happened on my own without the surgery. It is a scary process, making permanent changes to your body and your lifestyle but it is worth it in the long run. I think the people that work at being successful at the weight loss and follow their surgeons instructions are pretty much guaranteed to be successful! Good luck to you!

Drink water, lots of water, your body is trying to get rid of the anesthesia and needs hydration. Being dehydrated can also cause headaches.