CherieRyde

It's not really fasting. I was on a 2 week, mostly liquid pre-op diet. My NUT (nutritionist) prescribed a specific protein shake that I had twice a day, and gave me a list of foods that I was allowed to have for my SMALL meal once a day. Also, she gave me a list of things that I could have for morning and afternoon snack. It wasn't horrible.

Congrats to BOTH of you!! Lets be totally honest. The pre-op diet SUCKS. But it's worth it. Now ... post op will also be a liquid for a bit. The difference is, you won't CARE that it's a liquid only diet for at least the first 2 weeks post op. You can do it, and it's SO very worth it. I've lost 22lbs since my heaviest weight in May. I've lost *2* dress sizes since my surgery!!

I used a husband pillow to help prop me up so that I could sleep comfortably. I usually sleep half on my side and half on my stomach ... but I was too tender to do that for the first few days post-op. But yeah ... sleep however you can. Oh, and Congrats!

ER! It really needs to be checked. Especially since you've been purging for the past *4* years. Let us know how you are doing after you go to the ER.

Yep. It's carb, gluten, and sugar withdrawal all at once. Oh .. and if you are / were a coffee drinker ... it's also caffeine withdrawal. You'll feel like a new person by day 7. By day 7 post op, you'll be irritating your friends and family with how happy and wide awake you are in the mornings.

I'm go glad you asked this question because I was thinking the same things. I get my first fill on Sept 9, and I'm pretty well looking forward to it.

My doc said that it's OK to drink a LITTLE right before my meal, but not during or right after. So, I drink just enough to make sure that my throat doesn't feel dry (usually only a sip or two) before I eat. It helps a lot, and I also don't feel like I'm dehydrated by the time I can drink again about 45 mins after my meal.

Does your doc not have you on protein shakes? Mine gave me a list of things that were approved for my recovery. I did great for the first 3 weeks .... >.>

Ummm .. YEAH! We are all human, after all. Except for Bob over there in the corner. He's a cyborg. Honestly though ... yes. I had those struggles. My son and husband asked me to stop for fast food for them on my way home from the grocery store. I was on day 4 of my diet. I was so HUNGRY that I almost fainted at the grocery store, and then I was in tears on my way home because of the smell of their fast food. Then the following weekend was our son's birthday party. We had cake ... and EVERYONE kept telling me that it was so moist, chocolaty, and that I REALLY needed to try it. I was 3 days pre-op. I WANTED THAT CAKE. I decided to take the dog for a walk instead .... and cried while we were away from everyone else. Know what? It was worth it. I made it. The next hurdle you get to face is the first 6 weeks post-op. OMFG. I've not done as well this week, and I can feel the difference. I have to get myself back on track before I mess everything up. But I'll get there.

STOP! Talk to your doctor about this before you do it again! My doctor made it very very very clear that they chose these specific shakes for their nutritional content, and that any changes to them would directly impact my pre-op success. Yes, the things taste nasty, but do NOT change anything about them without your doctor 1) approving the changes, and 2) giving you instructions on how MUCH you can change them. Just because one person's doc was OK with this or that, or my doc was NOT ok with any changes, does not mean that your doc's instructions will follow suit. Talk to your DOCTOR about changes to your diet ... not us. We aren't medical professionals, and WE are not the ones doing your surgery. OUR advice could adversely impact what your DOCTOR is planning. If I'm wrong ... then awesome. But you won't know that unless you talk to him/her FIRST.

What brand is the shake? Is this a Dr / Nutritionist prescribed one? I *hate* artificial sweeteners, and it took me about 4 shakes to start getting used to the taste. By my 6th shake, I was OK. The things that helped the most was making the thing COLD. I even went to the extent of refrigerating my Water. Good luck!

Mine doesn't have an liquid in it ... and I've not had my first fill yet. That will happen on 9-9-14.

ABSOLUTELY! I'm finally past the feeling of being bruised, but if I move wrong, my port area starts bothering me a little. You'll be fine.

Before you consider the sleeve, I'd first make sure that you don't have any allergies to metals. ANY metals. I do, and that knocked me out of the sleeve and into the band. Reason being, they use metal staples to close the stomach once it's been cut to size. The sleeve is what they used to call "Stomach Stapling".

As everyone else stated, it has everything to do with your insurance company, their requirements, and how fast they move. Keep doing what you are doing, because you are doing a GREAT job!

YAAY!! So glad to hear from you, and glad that you are doing well!

GRATS!!

Yeah .. the eggs got stuck. They were hard boiled for egg salad, and I apparently didn't get the whites chopped up enough. NOT. FUN.

Be careful with the pineapple. It's hard to digest. Peaches on the other hand ....

I've been struggling with this stage too and am actually back up to 232 because everything is so damned fattening. Also, being in Bander's Hell isn't helping. OH! With the eggs ... I've learned that you have to be VERY careful and chew a lot. Even if you think it's been chewed enough, chew more. I thought the eggs I was eating were not just mushy enough, but also chewed enough, and they got stuck. I can now say that I've experienced Sliming. I felt like my cat after she's had a really nasty medication shoved in her mouth. For veggies ... baby food. I get the stuff in the squeezable pouch. It' not bad. It's not GREAT, but it's not horrible either.

Congratulations! I'm sorry that your husband isn't on board. That's going to make recovery a little more frustrating. HOWEVER. You CAN do this without him. You'll do fantastically, and he'll just do what he's going to do. Stay strong.

This is a normal part of the healing process. It goes away, I promise.

I'm happy to help! By the way ... by the end of week 2, you'll feel mostly normal. There will be some residual pain at the port site (slightly left of your belly button) but this is completely normal. Also .. fluctuating between being constipated and having the runs seems to be the current new normal. LOL

I read in another post that the port pain lasts anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Mine hurts sometimes too, but I've noticed that it's only when I move certain ways.

I found it! That was fast. Now. Remember ... no matter what is stated below, listen to your surgeon. All of them seem to have different ideas of what's ok. 1) Stock up on broth, Propel, RTD Protein shakes, and children's liquid Tylenol NOW. Remember, you are supposed to drink 3 Protein drinks a day. 2) Clear out that colon the night before your surgery. If you aren't comfortable with the idea of an enema, then stay on a liquid ONLY diet for the last two days. Otherwise, an enema before bed time is highly advisable. The medications they pump into you during surgery in addition to the pain meds post op dry everything up. Trust me ... you do NOT want to be constipated post op. That pain just adds to the other pains you will be experiencing. 3) Make a little nest out of a recliner for yourself. Laying down in bed sounds like a grand idea ... until you need to get up to go to the bathroom. There are so many muscle groups that are supported by your abs .... things you never IMAGINED were connected in any way. Trust me. It's easier to get out of the recliner. 4) Walk up and down your hallway as soon as you can tolerate it, but do NOT try to go to the store with anyone. You will want to go if only to get out of the house. BAAAD idea. Sit on your patio/deck/porch if you want a change of scenery. 5) If you can, don't let your self get too hungry. Keep going with the fluids. Just be careful to not over do it. It's a hard balance to find, but find it. Dry heaving because you are too hungry sucks just as much as throwing up because you drank too much. 6) Make sure that you have someone who can help you out for the first week at least. I'd be a WRECK right now if my husband hadn't arranged to work from home for the first 2 weeks post-op. 7) Pain is going to be a constant companion for a few days. There are different things causing the pain, but it all hurts. You have incisions (I have 5 of them) in your abdomen, they pumped you full of gas so that they can see everything and may not have gotten all of it out, you have the band and port (aka foreign bodies) taking up space where there was nothing before, and you will be hungry. There's really no way to prep for this. The only advice I have is to stay on top of your meds. This WILL pass ... it's just going to suck a little while you recover. 8) Connect with someone who has already been through it. One of my biggest supporters is a lady who had the Gastric Sleeve done earlier this year. She shared her experiences with me, and they have been pretty much on par with what I'm going through now. Just this morning I pinged her on FB and said "Emily .... I got desperate because it HURT ... and I gave myself an enema. 4 DAYS of constipation .." and she knew exactly what I was talking about. She is simply amazing. So, yeah ... connect with someone that you can ping at any moment. 9) Beware of your "enemies". Their names are : Burps, laughter, hiccups, nausea, extreme temperatures, and laying all the way down (ie without extra pillows to keep you propped up). I call them your enemies because they WILL make you hurt. It's all part of the recovery process. this won't last forever, so keep your head up. You can do this. 10) Remember that this pain is only TEMPORARY. Seriously. So far, this has felt like the longest 3-4 days ever. BUT. The end is in sight. I know that I can make it through this. You can too.