Lissa_S

I am about five weeks out since I started eating and drinking for myself and I am on soft foods now. Next week I should move to totally normal foods. I started having softer crackers (ritz) a few days ago with cheese and tomato. Yum! They are going to be a life saver when i go back to work! I can only have 2 but they are yum. If i didn't need the Protein from the cheese I would probably axe it but weight loss isn't my problem at this stage, so I use it for the calories and protein. I have such a small amount I don't think it really matters at this stage. As you all know, my experience wasn't normal and I probably have moved through the stages a little faster than usual but I did so under the guidance of my NUT who has called me every week since I left hospital which has been great. Saw my GP today and he has (grudgingly lol) cleared me to go back to work part time next week. I am quite excited as I really am looking forward to getting back to work. Hopefully it won't be too long before I am back full time. Hope everyone else is going well. Congrats to those who now have surgery dates! I remember how exciting that was! Cheers, Lila

Hi all, I have had a better week this week. I have been able to eat a little more and drinking is no longer a problem. I am getting to know a little better what it is that my stomach is trying to tell me and I am trying hard to listen although the signals still get crossed a little. I am going on to soft foods from Monday (yay) and am really looking forward to it. I am hoping to get back to work in another week so being on soft/normal foods by that point will make it a lot easier. I am finding that I am getting a little energy back which is great as I've been quite worried about that. I have actually been getting out pretty much every day this week to do something which I've appreciated. I've lost another two kilo's since last week which is good and means that the weight loss is finally slowing down a little. I have now lost a little over 34 kg in total. I am pretty happy about the amount of weight lost and can't believe that I will be in the 120's for Christmas. I can't remember how long it has been since I was in that range but it's at least 5 years. If not longer. So that is the exciting part. With the food, I guess I am still struggling a bit in terms of quantity but figure that given where I've been, it's not too bad. I don't seem to struggle with Cereal or potato etc. I feel better when I eat more Protein rich foods and am concentrating on that as much as I can. I guess the lesson I am learning is to CHEW and CHEW and CHEW - I don't think I really chewed my food before. So that has been a learning curve too. So many of them I am going out to afternoon tea with family tomorrow and am hoping to try a little soft fruit. A grape or cherry (ok, maybe a few)...my dietician seemed okay with trying things telling me to just back off if it doesn't sit well. It will be good to try something fresh though and not pureed Hoping this finds all of you well! Cheers, Lila

My prayers are with you and your family Kelli. Hoping for good news soon!

Hi Kelli - my dietician has me on a mix on stages between puree and mushies at the moment. Her advice last week was to try things and to pull back if there were any problems. So i definitely pulled back perhaps a little too far. I ended up going to stay with my parents for three days because I was so worried. I actually now think it was a combination of strained muscles and anxiety that stopped me from eating. I ended up doing as you suggested and went back to puree things and today had a little fish. It stayed down pretty well thankfully and I speak to my dietician again today so I will talk to her about it a little more. Thanks for the advice though - it makes a lot of sense! Cheers, Liss

Hi guy's So my recovery continues to be slow I had a bad day yesterday and was dry reaching for about 30 minutes. Yuck. And I've been coughing and sneezing a lot the last few days. And then I had some loose mince last night and was in pain for about three hours afterwards. I am freaking out. Today, I still have pain but think that it is muscle rather than a leak. It has totally freaked me out though...I haven't really eaten anything today and when I do, it hurts. I think that it's anxiety that's doing it but damn, this journey is more of a head game than I thought. On the upside (sorry to be a downer today) I have lost 33 kg now. I haven't been this light for over 5 years. So the surgery worked at least Hope everyone else is going better! Cheers, Liss

Hi Mimz, I hesitated to respond since my situation is so different but I still struggle with nausea. I actually have to tablets still. But as I said, I am probably not the person to ask. Cheers, Liss

Just spoke to my dietician who green-lit my nutrigrain What a relief! She also cleared me this week to try mashed veggies instead of pureed ! Life is GOOD! lol (I never thought I would be so happy to have a vegetable lol!)

Hmmm....had a little "wobble" today on my post-op diet...had really soggy nutri-grain. Seemed to go down okay and I chewed it really well. I am going to 'confess' to my dietician today but can't see how it would be harder to digest than the oats. I just couldn't face more of the same lol. So my question - did anyone else have post-op "wobbles" or diversions from the plan set out for them?

Good luck with your operation Scotty and please let us know how you get on! Cheers, Lila

Hello fellow sleevers. It's been two months since my last entry and this is because I am one of the unlucky few that got a leak post surgery. I was still in hospital when it happened and was rushed into emergency surgery two days after my original operation. I had a brief stint in ICU and then a two month stay on the surgery ward at my local hospital. I can't describe how awful this time has been. There were several complications in addition to the leak (although I had no indicators of being high risk prior to surgery) so it wasn't just the leak but without the leak they wouldn't have happened. For anyone considering this surgery, I don't want to put you off or to scare you. But even though I was aware that this could happen to me I had no idea what it would mean. So I just wanted to break it down a little - for me it was: Intense pain following the surgery; Heart rate over 150 beats per minute Two central lines inserted in my neck Inability to breathe properly 6 hour emergency surgery Two stomach drains Drips Being fed through drips for 7 weeks Pneumonia Collapsed lung two drains inserted through my back to move the fluid from my lung so it would reinflate Inability to sleep lying down for two months due to drains and drips etc No privacy Inability to see to my basic needs without help Depression Anxiety countless tests Know what you are getting into. Even though I am now home, I am not sure that I would have gone through with the surgery had I known. I hope that over time I will feel better about that . Anyway, I hope that anyone going into the surgery has a better idea of the risks and that you make an informed decision. I have to note that my surgeon and her team were amazing!! They kept me alive and got me home and for that I will be forever grateful!

Thanks for the responses guys - it makes me feel so much better hearing what your experiences were. It sounds so much like where I am. One of the problems I have is my very caring parents who just don't get that this is normal for this operation and the struggles I have. Out of concern I know, they came around last night and tried to yell me into drinking more which just made me feel even sadder given I struggled with nausea all day yesterday. In the end I had to say I love you but need you to leave. I am anticipating their return this morning which doesn't feel great. I am so glad to hear that other people felt the same way in relation to their discomfort - I know that I am panicking a little about every twinge and bit of discomfort - which is silly. I am just so concerned about another leak - although I've been sticking to the recommendations from the dietician and surgeon to the letter. They've had me on fluids for quite a long time now so I should be fine but there's always that niggling doubt. And I am just dying for "normal" food. A bit of toast, an egg etc. Veggies. I don't know how on earth I would tolerate this food, but it's what i want. I am so sick of Soup it's not funny. I am going to try to get out a little today and walk around though - it's hard but I am worried that unless I do I will hold up my recovery. I've lost so much strength and conditioning over the past two months that it's going to take some time to get back to normal. Not sure when I am going to get back to work at this stage. I was hoping a week on Monday but my GP put the kybosh on that I'll just play it by ear. I don't think I will feel that things are back to normal until I am back to work. Given I would work about 65 hours a week pre-surgery I am not used to having all this time on my hands... Again, thanks to everyone...I will no doubt be annoying you all with questions as things continue over the coming weeks... Cheers, Lila

Hello fellow sleevers. Sorry again it's been so long since I have signed in but wow, things have been moving quickly. Last Friday I was discharged from hospital. In the end, I asked to be discharged as I couldn't face another night in hospital. After two months, I'd had enough and as soon as I felt I was able, I wanted outta there! Yesterday I arrived home in Gunnedah and it is so wonderful to be in my own house! I am so pleased to be home! It's been a difficult transition to having to rely on me to have enough fluids and nutrition. I admit I am not doing as well as I would have hoped. I am only managing about 1.5L a day of fluids including "food" like Soup etc. Although it is getting a little easier every day it's really hard. I wasn't expecting it to be this hard! So I have a question for the forum - in the first week post op (which essentially where I am I guess), did you struggle too? I get uncomfortable so quickly and food is simply unpalatable most of the time. I do get hungry but not for what I can eat. Mostly I am having yoghurt or soup to eat and the rest of the time, it's Water with a little juice in it. I've had a callippo today which was nice (thanks for the suggestion Jules) but mostly everything is super sweet and just a bit gross. The discomfort I feel is like a pressure in my stomach. In the past few days it does seem that it takes a little more for me to feel this way (now it's about 75-100 mL I can get in before feeling like this). I am also really struggling to get in Protein. Not having shakes as I just can't manage it. I am hoping that when I move on to the next phase it will be easier. Thanks again for all your support over the last few months. It's meant a terrible lot to me and Iook forward to posting better news. Weight update - I've lost 26kg so far. Not the way I wanted to lose weight but at least it's coming off I am almost into the 130's - last weighed at the dieticians on Monday at 140.3 (shoes on lol)...

Just a quick post to let you know that I was discharged from hospital this afternoon am staying on the coast for a few days to see the dietician.bfore starting to go home on Tuesday on the free fluids for two weeks now but am just gld to be out of the hospital!

Thanks everyone they still have me on such limited stuff but fingers crossed I will go home soon and I will have a bit less food restriction

Lol weet bix not week box hahahahaha

I told everyone at work what I was doing...since I work in a medical field I couldnt lose this kind of weight without questions anyway. Lucky i did or I would have some 'splayning to do lol Still in hospital but getting better every day. A little help...struggling with the fluids part of the diet ...what did others eat in the first two weeks post op? I am hankering for something savoury . My hospital has me on Protein drinks and week box at the moment- kak

Thanks to everyone. I can already see that the biggest problems going to be me managing my eagerness to get the hell outta dodge. But considering where I have been, I think I can manage my own impatience

Hello fellow sleevers had another rough week last week but it was due to a reaction from the antibiotics nothing sinister. But the last three days have been pretty good and today hey retested to see if he leak has healed... And it looks like it has!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been on clear fluids for the past few days- the problems been the diaherrea post eating and vague nausea which is apparently due to not eating anything for so long. But that should settle over he coming weeks too. The plan now is for me to get off the TPN (IV nutrients ) and hopefully home by the start of next week. The last drain is coming out too! They have had me on 9300 kJ per day of nutrients but even so I have still managed to,loose 17 kg since the op six weeks ago. So I am pretty pleased with the world today no prolonged recovery, no gastric bypass- just normal stuff. I will no doubt be checking out with you guys over the coming weeks about " is it normal..." lol Anyway I am so pleased to have good news to share! Cheers, Lila

Hi all. Sorry it's been so long but it's been a very rough time the last few weeks. Last time I posted I had pneumonia. From there I got a large plual effusion on my left lung which then collapsed. I had some of the most painful procedures that included two underwater chest drains and insertion of picc lines an cannullas. It's honestly been the hardest weeks of my life. I have another ct scan tomorrow as I am worried that I will need another Chest drain (the last one only came out Friday). This is excruciating so please join my prayer that they won't do this. So what's the good? Today they placed me on a. PCA where I press a button and get pain relief. Prior to this the pain meds were insufficient and inconsistent. The pain has been horrendous and seemed never ending. Tonight it's a lot better not completely gone but consistently less which is nice. Not so good- they tell me now that the leak is still there and could be there for 12 months and if it's longer still they will go the full gastric bypass. The surgeon has apparently consulted with other experts and they think that since the leaks so small we should get me on food under supervision to try to get me back home in a month or so. So the other good news is food started tonight ( was too sick from picc line to have it though damn it lol) but can have custard or jelly or strawberry milk . First food in five weeks. And depending on how things go I could be home in early of November. I need to make an apology about name confusion - my nephew has called me Lila (couldn't say Lissa) and when none of my Lissa user names worked that I liked I changed it to Lila. I answer to it in real life as he still calls me Lila to this day. My name is Melissa Scott and that's why you couldn't find me. I am at Tweed hospital on floor surgical 1 room 25. I haven't been up to visitors the last few weeks and depending on the outcome of the scan tomorrow will inform me of how I am feeling for the rest of the week . Again thanks to you all for you kind thoughts and posts. I am hoping I will be well enough to pop online more regularly!, Thanks, Lila (Liss)

Hi all, it's been another rough few days. Recent surgery wasn't successful and they couldn't do the nasal feeding tube. I also have pneumonia. It's been a very rough 48 hours. On the upside the leak is healing. If I can just avoid any problems with the picc line and get a few days to recover I am hoping that they will have better luck trying the nasal tube next week. And that by then the pneumonia will be better under control. It still looks like I will be in here for two or three more weeks. It's now 17 days since I have eaten or drunk anything but occasional bits of ice. Not hungry but get fixated on having a drink. I am hoping that I will have better news to report soon. I've not been up to regular posts but promise to post when I can. Thanks all for your thoughts. It's great to hear from you! Cheers Lila

Wow Sheelz, you look amazing! Congrats !