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I am feeling really overwhelmed. If I could have eaten 6 small meals, tracked all Water, Protein, calories, and carbs, I wouldn't have gotten myself in the position of needing WLS. I am frustrated with myself because I don't know what I thought -- I knew the sleeve was just a tool and wasn't a magic wand. I guess I just thought that it would be easier to keep track of stuff in my head without having to worry about looking up nutritional information and writing it all down every day. Any thoughts?

Wow! Great blog entry! And I think everything you're feeling is totally normal and I "get it." I'm starting to face the fact that I'm never going to stop wanting to eat "bad" stuff. And, you're right, we are surrounded by it. As far as the irritable...I TOTALLY get it! I had to apologize to my son, my daughter, and my ex-husband ALL today. I know I'm cranky and unreasonable and I just can't see to help it!! Great job! You go girl! And keep blogging when you can!!

I'm in the same boat too! Sleeved on Aug. 22 and I can drink as much as I want with no ill effects. I try to remember to just sip, but it's hard - old habits die hard. I'm in the same boat with food and I'm worried about it. I can eat a 5.5 oz yogurt with no real trouble and no ill effects. Just went to Panera and had their cup of tomato Soup and felt very satisfied, but not overly full afterwards. Is this normal?? Also, I see you guys are walking like crazy.... Man! I am still just exhausted! I could sleep all day if I let myself....! Thanks for all the posts!

WOW!!!! I just don't have any other words. It doesn't look like the same person! Congratulations!

Just wanted to weigh in and say I know how you feel! I'm Day 5 post op and today has been my crankiest day. I'm just OVER it. And yet there is no "over it." I'm stuck with it. I'm going back to bed myself....

Hi all. I was sleeved on Aug. 22. I had no complications and the first couple of days went well. Things started going downhill on Day 3 post-op and now on Day 4, I am really cranky and uncomfortable. I don't think I feel worse than I did at Day 1-2, it's just I thought I would be getting better by now. I am in quite a bit of pain at my incision sites. It hurts to get up and down and in and out of bed. I'm getting my fluids and Protein in but I still feel hungry. Although I'm sure some is head hunger, I swear that some of this is REAL hunger. And I'm soooo tired. I could sleep all day/night. I'd love to hear some of your experiences - specifically when did you start feeling better? When were you truly "pain free?" Thanks in advance!

I was sleeved on Aug. 22 (day 4 post op today). I gotta tell you guys - I'm pretty miserable. I keep seeing people say they have no pain, they didn't need pain meds after getting home, etc. That is not my story. Although I'm getting in my protein and fluids, I am SOOOOO sore. My incision sites hurt like crazy. Also, I feel hungry. Which is making me really cranky because my stomach won't tolerate anything. I hope this gets better. Today has been a rough day for me.

Aw man! You guys are doing great! I'm on Day 4 post-op and I'm exhausted and really, really sore. It feels like I did 100s of sit ups. Honestly, losing weight is the least of my worries - I just want to feel better.... (I had no complications at all...)

I'm in the same boat. Not sure exactly what you guys are approved for, but I'm allowed greek yogurt and unsweetened applesauce. That helped a little bit today. I also got a cookbook of smoothies so that I can mix it up a little bit. Looking forward to what others say.... Let's hang in there!

Hi there! I was sleeved on Aug. 22, home on Aug. 23. I am doing about like you. I am hungry for "real" food. I am getting my Protein and liquids in. I'm really sore (in fact, on Day 3, this is probably my most sore day). I am very mobile. I just showered, put on makeup and am getting ready for a birthday party. I'm sure I'll be exhausted afterwards. Yesterday, I slept all day. Literally ever four hours would get up and drink and then go right back to bed. I am not shorting myself on the pain meds. I figure they were prescribed and I'm going to take them. In terms of what else to eat, I just had some Greek yogurt and it was AMAZING. It was a little too sweet for me (which is hilarious because I love sweet stuff). I'm going to try the unflavored next. So far, no BM. I'm trying not to worry yet. I do belch quite a bit. thanks for the post - nice to have some comparisons! Best, Angela

Like you, I needed something pre-made to grab and go. Here is what I tried: Muscle milk light (Walmart) = DISGUSTING. Premier Protein (costco, but I bet you can get at Walmart and/or certainly online) = OK. Not disgusting. Lean shakes from GNC -- very tasty! 160 cal, 6 g of carbs, 25 g of protein. Right now, they are buy one, get one 50% off. I highly recommend. good luck!

OMG! That picture is like food porn! I laughed with you about 3 of you sharing an 8oz piece of halibut! That's good stuff! I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY SOME OF YOUR RECIPES!

Thoughts from this group on whether a stool softener is appropriate?? (I'm 2 days post op and in the same boat...no gas/no BM). Thanks!

Today has been pretty uneventful. I slept all day. Literally. I got up every 4 hours to walk a little and drink a little and do some deep breathing. Then...back to bed. I got in 32oz of fluids (and I'm sure I can get in another 10 or 15 oz). As far as I'm concerned, this is pretty amazing. I thought very seriously about going to my kids' soccer games this morning -- that's how ok I feel. I ended up staying home just because it is Africa hot here and I knew I could sleep. My tummy is still swollen - I look fatter than I was when I went in for surgery. That said, some of the fluid has started to drain off. I was 230 on DOS. I came home at 237. Today, I'm back to 230. So that is very encouraging. (I'm not concerned about the weight loss right now - but it is nice to have the swelling go down). I took a shower today - I highly recommend it. It made me feel more human. After the shower, I changed my dressings. I wasn't prepared for these big honkin' staples. They are sore and itchy. Burping remains an issue. But it is way easier to drink today as compared with yesterday. Tomorrow is my 8 yr old son's birthday. My BFF is hosting a party for him so all I have to do is show up with the little birthday boy. I'm confident I can do it. While napping today, I had a dream that I freaked out and went inside and ate all the icing off the red velvet cake. Total reminder of my "old" self. Eating in secrecy, feeling guilty, etc. Soooooo glad I don't have to do that anymore. Finally, I know it is too early to say, but I can't imagine that I won't be ready to go back to work at the end of week 1. If I absolutely had to, I think I could go back Monday (I have a desk job). Don't get me wrong....it wouldn't be easy, but it could be done. I say that just because I know there are lots of people out there wondering about work. My advice: take off as much time as you can but don't let a lack of time off prevent you from having this surgery. Okay...I'm about ready for bed again...hahaha! Tomorrow - FULL LIQUIDS HERE I COME!!! (Not a moment too soon!) Love to all, Angela

Just wanted to let you know that I was sleeved Thursday as well and I am miserably hungry! Not sure whether it goes away, but my misery loves your company. Let's keep the faith!

Okay...so.... don't sweat it. On Day 3 of my 7 day liquid diet, I had a total freak out. I ate 4 pastry crisps (those Special K hundred calorie things). Then I had a PB&J. I felt horrible about it. Then I got back on the wagon. I had surgery on Thursday and did great. Post-op is easier than pre-op IMO. Hang in there girl. You can do it!

OMG, yes like crazy! Don't know what it is and don't know when it goes away, but yes I have it!

Just wanted to send you a note to cheer you on. I just had surgery on Thursday and I felt ALL the things you mention -- wanting approval from others, nervous about whether my liver had shrunk, and mostly worried that I wasn't going to be able to cope with the new lifestyle. I promise you that if you can just get through the next couple of days, you'll be fine. The pre-op stuff was much harder than the post-op. Even though I feel kind of crappy right now, I am SO happy to have surgery behind me. All those nerves are finally gone!!! You can do this - keep us posted!!

Great post! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. It is very inspiring to those of us who are behind you in the process. I had surgery on Thursday and am really looking forward to being one month out...!

Right on!!!! Thanks for posting!

I'm trying to get my fluids in but every time I drink something, even just a swallow, I get a feeling like i have to burp and it feels like I'm going to throw up. Is this normal? Does it go away? (I am trying to walk and I'm taking a PPI prescribed by my doctor - hoping that may help). Bottom line is that I'm obsessed with figuring out what is normal and what is a sign for concern. Thanks!

Day of surgery: I pop out of bed at 6:30 am because I am SO excited to get this over with. My sister drives me to the surgery center. I ask my surgeon again what are the chances that I'm going to die. My surgeon smiles and says he has done over 5,000 of these and he's never lost a patient. That helps some. I still beg for some "chill out" meds. They give me some and all seems okay. Then, the mask and that's all I remember until waking up in recovery. Recovery: I woke up feeling very sore where the biggest incision is. I had to move from the surgery bed to a wheel chair to get me down to the outpatient recovery center. That sucked. I remember thinking, "This is not do-able." But it passed. I was ready to walk pretty quickly. Nighttime: I got no sleep, but it wasn't bad. The nurse kept coming in to check my vital signs and I was vigilant about pressing my morphine button. I feel about morphine about the same way I felt about the epidural when my kids were born. They don't give out a medal for extra suffering...! Day one post-op: The soreness increases some but it is manageable. Also, I am drinking water and ice chips at a quicker rate than I should be. Nurse tells me to slow down. The dreaded pulling out of the drain turns out to be not that big of a deal. At this point, before leaving the hospital, I feel pretty darn good. Day one post-op once I get home. Things get a little dicey here. I find I can't hardly drink any water and I'm burping all the time. I vomit once. Then I crawl back in bed. Later, went to Target just to walk around some. Now, trying to get some more water in (I should say Crystal Light). Also, I'm on psych meds (Celexa and Lamictal). Doc says I can start taking them right away when I get home. I crush them and take them. I think it added some to my upset stomach, but for me it's totally worth it because I can't imagine having a full blown panic attack at this juncture! Also, I'll add this because I worried whether it was normal: My stomach is WAY swollen. I look like I am 6 mos pregnant. I haven't lost any weight since I got home. From what I hear, this is fairly normal so I'm not going to freak out about it. I mean, seriously, I just had 80% of my stomach removed - my body has to be in shock. Still... the bloating/swollen feeling is yucky (I'm way less concerned with the weight loss at this point - the weight will come off -- it has to given what I'm (not) eating! My biggest complaint: the burping, which makes me feel like I might vomit. Also, the soreness. The best way to describe it is like the pain you would get after doing a million sit ups. But, again, all-in-all, not too bad. IF I CAN DO THIS, YOU GUYS CAN DO THIS TOO!!!! I'll check in with Day 2 post-op tomorrow!

Thanks for posting your reality. Sometimes just getting it out there helps. I guarantee your feelings are normal. Check in with us tomorrow and let us know how you're doing. I bet you snap out of it!

I have to tell you guys -- this is bizarre, but I'm actually doing ok all things considered. I'm feeling a little squirrley, but for the most part, I'm just excited it is almost here! For those of you who are behind me in terms of timing on this journey, here have been the most challenging parts of this process: 1. Making the decision. Until I literally put down money (I'm self pay), I was having a constant dialogue about "should I or shouldn't I." It was exhausting. 2. Mourning the food. I felt like a crazy woman for the 2 weeks leading up to my pre-op diet. I ate everything I could get my hands on. Seriously. I went to a different restaurant every night. I ate until I was sick. It was horrible. And it made me question EVERYTHING -- I kept saying to myself, "You are pathetic. If you cannot control yourself better than this, then surgery will never work for you." I now know that was just self-sabotage (as was the crazy behavior itself). 3. Giving up smoking and alcohol. These were a bit tough, but not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I just feel like if my entire life is changing, my entire life might as well change (if that makes any sense). No use holding on to other unhealthy coping behaviors. And what's the point of getting my health risks down with the surgery if I were going to continue to smoke? 4. Thinking too much about what my life will be life after this surgery. I know this is an important part of the decision making process because this surgery is irreversible and life-changing. That said, I think I over-scared myself. I keep forgetting that the person I am today does not have the same perspective as the person I will be after surgery. For example, right now, food is the center of my world. I can't imagine life without big plates of pasta, and ice cream, and steak, (etc). But once I get used to eating with the sleeve, I am confident that other things will fill in that void. I have faith that there is life on the other side of food addiction. Okay -- off to eat my last popsickle before I make an effort at sleep. See you all on the other side!!!!

Welcome! Troll around this board a bit and you'll find all kinds of good advice. Most of us have had to be on some kind of pre-op diet. Some of these are 4 weeks, some are 1 week, some are a few days. I can't speak for everyone, but my 1 week of pre-op diet = 5lbs. Diet was 4 protein shakes a day, plus broth, plus sugar free popsickles (and 64 oz of water). Good luck! 5 lbs will be easy!