dsmith_rn

I'm a nurse and I've had catheters before (childbirth). If you had a catheter, you will know it when you wake up. Your urethera will tell you! I did not have a catheter, and yes, we nurses have seen it all. That should be the LEAST of your worries.

It won't be weeks..... It will be MONTHS before your sleeve can handle baked chicken. Even so, it will have to be very very moist and tender and you will have to chew it extremely well. You'll be better off if it has some kind of sauce with it to keep it moist. Chicken and beef are both difficult to digest and are generally the last foods to be added to your diet.

No. Water and Protein are 2 totally separate requirements. My surgeon told me that the 60 oz water per day "requirement" is just an arbitrary number. No good studies have been done to show that the body NEEDS that much water in a day. We also get water from foods--soups, fruits and veggies, etc. My doc knows I had a lot of trouble getting in my fluids for a long time and said as long as my urine output is adequate I'm fine. At almost 7 months out i drink around 40 oz a day and I'm very healthy and my labs look great, no sign of dehydration. It makes me nuts when people stress over a stupid, unproven number! Protein intake is very important, but not in the first month or so because your body has a lot of it stored up. Be patient with your new baby stomach. Things get so much better when it heals and all the swelling goes down. Eventually you'll be eating normally again, but hopefully is well be a "new normal. " Folks, you're not going to gain your weight back because you only drank 50 oz of water or only ate 45g protein. Regain is due to a return to old, unhealthy eating habits! That's where "bariatric failure" happens. I can literally eat ANYTHING I want. But I CHOOSE NOT TO eat foods that are not on my plan. I choose to be healthy and let my sleeve do its job. Saying "I can't have..." a certain food makes you want it more. If you tell yourself "I can have that, but I choose not to" it creates a whole different dynamic in your brain and you don't feel deprived anymore, but rather proud of yourself for making a good choice for yourself. Make sense? Pushing water past my comfort level and counting protein grams is not for me, it takes away the joy in my life. I'm aware of how much I drink and make sure I get enough to stay hydrated but I don't push. I make sure every meal and snack is protein-focused, but I don't count protein grams anymore. Life is a wonderful gift. For the first time in decades, I feel like I'm really living it!

It gets so so so much better, I promise! You new sleevers are in the toughest part right now.... making the most sacrifices and not seeing much results yet. It will pass! Months from now you will be able to eat with your family (hopefully ALL of you will be eating healthy meals together), and this will all be an unpleasant memory. Don't stress too much over the Protein and Fluid numbers. Your body has protein stores to last you for several weeks, and as long as you're urinating every 4 hours or so you've got adequate fluids. It's very hard to get all those "requirements" in at first when your stomach is so tiny and swollen. It does get much easier! As to not losing much in the first week post-op, keep in mind that they overloaded you with IV fluids during surgery to help with the nausea. It takes time for your kidneys to kick in and get rid of all that extra fluid, which weighs a lot by the way! If you follow doctor's orders, the weight will come off easily, I promise you! When you are buying clothes off the rack and everyone is telling you how great you look and you realize you have no more pain and haven't felt this good in years, you will have no regrets. Hang in there folks, remember the first 2 months are the hardest, and it gets way easier!

IT IS COMPLETELY NORMAL TO FEEL THIS WAY! It really hit me at about 2 weeks out. I made an appt with the psych in my surgeon's office. He told me to remind myself WHY I did the surgery in the first place, and to focus on my goals and the future. It helped a little, not a lot. BUT....it does pass on its own! Now I love, love, LOVE my sleeve and I'm so grateful I did it! At 6 months out I've lost 60 lb, only 15-20 more to go! I wear a size 14/large, which is getting loose on me already. I'm off my BP meds and my lipid panel and all other labs look fabulous, I'm healthier than I've been since I was a teenager (I'm 49 now). I constantly get compliments about how great I look and several people call me "skinny" (wow!). So it's definitely WORTH IT. The first 2 months post-op were really hard (mentally). I wasn't prepared for how hard it would be. I recall now how miserable it was not being able to eat solid food, but now that's nothing but a distant memory. I eat normal food now (always protein-focused, very low-carb), I collect bariatric recipes constantly and feel like I eat healthy AND eat well (meaning, sleeve space is at a premium, so whatever goes into my mouth has to taste fantastic!). Don't stress over the Fluid and Protein intake in the beginning. Mine was very low in the beginning. My sugeon told me that our bodies have enough protein stores to get us through a couple of months. I don't know what my protein intake is now as I don't count grams. I just make sure every meal and snack is protein-focused and don't worry about it. My fluid intake at 6 months out is about 40 oz/day which is absolutely fine. It took me awhile to get to 40! But I'm very healthy and my doc and I are both very happy. Hang in there, trust me it gets WAY better!

Hi all! I'm 6 months out, I've lost 60 lb and about 15-20 more to go. I'm in a really bad stall. My surgeon is happy with my progress but he says the stalls will be more frequent now and the weight will come off much more slowly. Do most low-BMI folks lose all their excess weight? I have some fear that this is it...I won't lose any more and might even start to gain some back (although that hasn't happened yet, I'm able to eat more now so I'm a little fearful). I'm pretty happy with where I am, but I'd sure like to lose that last 20 lb!

Here is a pic of the chocolate, sugar-free, protein mini-donuts, and a pic of my breakfast with the mini-quiche. Today I'm making pumpkin protein mini-donuts with orange glaze (made with Splenda). They keep well several days in the fridge--if they last that long. My (very picky) kids gobbled mine up!

One cup of food is still a lot of food for just 4 months out. I'm 6 months out and can't eat that much unless it's salad, because I pretty much stick to my protein sources which are very filing. What have you been eating? Too many carbs? Remember that ALL your meals should be protein-focused, with maybe a few bites of veggie or fruit, IF you have room in your sleeve. I believe if you stay protein-focused, you will be satisfied with a smaller volume of food. If you went back to eating carbs, I highly recommend you cut them. No bread, pasta, rice, crackers, chips, tortillas, etc until you reach goal, and then add them back slowly (if at all--they are a lot of empty calories that take up room in your sleeve). I will eat 2 or 3 small bites of rice AFTER my protein, and I can be satisfied with that. Some people can't, and eating carbs sets them on a binge. If that is you, eliminate the refined carbs. Also, are you drinking with meals? That will allow you to eat more. Don't drink with meals! Is not that hard to remain protein-focused, especially if you can cook. I read labels and I hunt for recipes whose ingredients fall within my eating plan. Yesterday for breakfast I ate a crustless bacon and egg mini-quiche (I make them in muffin tins, automatic portion control), a chocolate, sugar-free, protein mini donut (these are easy to make and delicious), and 6 raspberries. A very delicious, satisfying, and guilt-free breakfast that falls well inside my eating plan. Lunch is a spicy tomato soup with shrimp, crab, and scallions. Takes 10 minutes to make, very healthy and satisfying. You CAN stay protein-focused and eat well! Try to keep your day balanced as a whole. If i have oatmeal in the morning (with a scoop of peanut butter cookie protein powder added) then the rest of my day will be very low-carb since oatmeal is a lot of carbs. I still eat it, it's good for me and falls inside my eating plan if I add protein to it, but i limit it to once a week or less because I choose to limit my carbs to leave room for protein. Am I making sense here? I've been craving a grilled cheese sandwich, but I choose not to eat bread. So lunch today will be a slice or two of turkey breast rolled up with cheese inside and maybe a pickle or a green chile and grilled in a pan so I can still get the enjoyment of that cheesy goodness and stay on my plan. Sometimes you have to get creative to kill those pesky cravings! I will say that my carb cravings are WAY down since I stopped eating refined carbs. It's true what they say, eating carbs makes you crave more carbs! I would talk to your doctor if you have real concerns, but I believe getting back to your eating plan will probably solve your problems. Snacks should be things like cheese, nuts, cottage cheese, half a protein bar, hard boiled egg, protein shake, etc. But limit snacks to once a day, it's easy to go overboard on snacking. It's not difficult but it does take some planning. If you have only healthy things to eat in your home, you will eat healthy. Feel free to PM me if you need more tips on staying on track. The sleeve is a tool. USE YOUR TOOL.

I had my surgery almost 6 months ago. I've lost 60 lb and feel great. Off my BP meds and lipid panel is normal for the first time in my life. I lost a lot of hair but that finally stopped. I cut it shorter and it looks better and what i have left is healthy hair. I went through a stall that lasted for 5 weeks but i just kept doing what I'm supposed to and it eventually broke. I realized stalls are good. They are your body's way of trying to set a new weight setpoint. If my weight loss continued at that pace i would waste away to nothing. I'd still like to lose another 30lb or so, and I'm sure I'll get there. I'm in a losing phase again, but feel good that i probably won't waste away. Lol My body will adjust and i look and feel great. Some people at work call me "skinny." That's something i don't ever recall anyone calling me! Right now i wear a size 14 or a large, but my large scrubs are starting to get too big so I'll have to buy new ones again soon. Not that i mind! Stalls don't worry me much, nor my surgeon, they are just part of the journey. A journey I'm so proud of myself that i had the courage to take. NO REGRETS!

You just have to ride it out. Remind yourself that it is temporary, and that as you lose fat and gain muscle, that muscle weighs more than fat! A stall is your body's way of trying to set a new weight "setpoint" for itself and it will do this several times as you are losing. I went through a stall that lasted 5 weeks! Don't be discouraged, stay on the path and trust your surgeon and your sleeve. Whatever you do, don't use a stall as an excuse to "cheat"! Hugs

That seems like a lot of food for your stage. I don't even eat that much at 5 months out. Probably not a good idea to eat after dinner at all. But as always, trust your surgeon's advice. Call your nutritionist and see what he/she says.

I could be wrong, but 800-900 calories/day seems like a lot for only 2 months out. My surgeon told me that my 500-600 cal is more "normal", post-op. You're getting almost twice that. What are you eating? How much? Eating at night? Drinking with meals?

I know it's scary to think about, and i won't lie to you, the first month after surgery is pretty rough (mostly mental). But my only regret now is that i didn't do this years ago! I'm 5 months out, down more than 50lb, wear a size 14, looking and feeling great! I'm off my BP meds, lipid panel looks gorgeous. The first time someone said to me "you're so small" or "hey skinny!" I knew it was all worth it and i wouldn't trade it for anything. It feels great to walk into a store and know people aren't staring, saying "Eww, fat lady!" LOL Hang in there and constantly remind yourself why you are doing this. See you on the loser's bench soon. Keep in touch!

I've been losing hair for a month. My hair is already thin/fine and falls out easily, but it's really coming out now. I'm starting to see some scalp and I'm worried because I know this can go on for several months. I've seen a dermatologist but honestly there's not much we can do but hold on and ride it out. I wash and brush my hair very carefully, use a special shampoo and conditioner, and take Journey Hair Balance Vitamins, and hope for the best. I still have no regrets.

Try to have patience with yourself and your new tiny stomach. Don't stress about the protein! The only thing you need to focus on right now is Fluid INTAKE. Your body has enough stores of nutrients to get you by for several weeks. This is what my surgeon told me and it was such a relief not to have to stress about counting protein grams in the beginning! I still don't count them. I just make sure each meal or snack is protein-centered and i eat very few carbs, no bread, Pasta, rice, crackers, tortillas, etc. Fluid intake is still difficult for me, i average around 30 oz a day or so, but i am healthy, feel great, labs are all normal. I'm off my BP meds and blood pressure is totally normal, my lipids too. My sleeve healed very nicely and i adore it. The first 2 months are tough, don't kid yourself. I was unprepared for how difficult it would be both physically and mentally. I had buyer's remorse about the surgery, bigtime. I cried and chastised myself for doing it. But trust me, it gets SOOOOO much better! It's hard to be patient, I know this, but it will pay off! Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. And CONGRATULATIONS on taking this positive step in your life!

I have a wallet card too, but i know medical personnel are trained to look for med ID bracelets, they don't necessarily go digging through your wallet right away in an emergency. Also, i don't always carry my bulky wallet with me.

Surgery date: 4/25 Day of surgery: 240 Today: 193 Old size: 2XL/20-22 Current size: L/14 *Off my blood pressure meds with normal BPs *Lipid panel normal (I went from a heart attack risk of twice the average person, to now half the average person) *All labs normal, no deficiencies! (I take my vitamins! ) I eat good food, just not much of it and i never have room for dessert (which is a good thing). Tonight i made BBQ chicken pizza. I made mine on a small, low-carb tortilla and ate half. It was delicious! For Breakfast i eat greek yogurt or eggs or high Protein oatmeal or a Protein shake, I'm used to it and enjoy those things. I break it up by adding various toppings, flavorings, etc. It's nice to eat a little bacon and not have to worry about my cholesterol. I take my lunch to work; lunchmeat and cheese rollups, grilled chicken, tuna salad, half an avocado, cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil, cottage cheese with various toppings, cheese sticks, nuts, Protein Bars....that kind of stuff. I feel great and get compliments all the time. The sleeve is the best thing I've ever done for myself. Wish i had done it much sooner!

Oops, I forgot to mentinon that each one is CUSTOM MADE. The website tells you how to measure your wrist--and since we are all losing weight rapidly, you might like to know that they will resize your bracelet FREE in the first 6 months after purchase! Yay!

Just wanted to share with you all pics of my new Lauren's Hope medical ID bracelet. It just came in the mail and I love it! It is of high quality, and the pictures just don't do it justice! My medical ID reads: DIANN SMITH, RN GASTRIC SLEEVE 4/14 NO BLIND NG TUBES NO NSAIDS SULFA ALLERGY As post-ops, we should ALL have one of these! Last thing I want is some ER nurse in a hurry poking a hole in my sleeve with an NG tube. The medical ID plate has lobster clasps on either end, so I can easily change the bracelet to another one of their dozens of styles from the sporty to the whimsical to the elegant. I plan to order several more to go with my whole wardrobe! If you're interested in checking out their selection, the website is www.laurenshope.com

I took off 3 weeks and i work in NICU (no heavy lifting). Ask your surgeon for his recommendations. I wish I could have taken longer, i still didn't have my energy back at 3 weeks.

Muscle cramps can be caused by a deficiency in potassium, calcium, magnesium, or sodium. But for us post-ops, the mineral we are most likely deficient in is calcium. That's why I recommended a calcium supplement. Make sure you're taking calcium CITRATE. Calcium carbonate is not well-absorbed.

My surgeon says take 1500 of calcium of every day. The Wallgreens "petites" aren't really all that petite but I can definitely swallow them. They are for sure smaller than the regular calcium horse pills.

For muscle cramps, increase your calcium intake. We post-ops tend to be low on our calcium, and muscle cramps is one sign of it.

My surgeon and NUT don't recommend any particular type of vitamins. They are only a supplement, most of your nutrition (minerals, etc) should come from food. I don't take viactiv because it is calcium carbonate which isn't well absorbed. I take calcium citrate, Wallgreens brand, petites. For a multivitamin I take Vitafusion gummies with hair, skin, and nail support (extra biotin, lutein, etc). I also take sublingual B12 , 2 a day because my energy has been low and my surgeon said you can't OD on it and 10,000 IU of D3 because my D was very very low. On the positive side I'm off my BP med and I've lost 40 lb in the last 2.5 months, putting my BMI at 33. I still have nausea from time to time if I don't chew well enough or eat something too greasy or just not tolerated so I have to be careful what I eat but I'm pretty happy with my diet. I'm used to the tiny portions now and I feel like food doesn't have the power over me now that it once did. That first month was pretty rough though, much harder than I expected, so you new people should be prepared for that but keep in mind it gets WAY better so hang in there and be patient! Also I was in a stall at 206 lb for 2 full weeks. My surgeon said to expect that as my body was trying to establish a new setpoint. Also I was losing fat and gaining muscle and just hang in there and stay the course. I didn't do anything different, but this week the stall broke and I lost 6 lb! The new folks: your job is to concentrate on fluids and protein. That's it. Worry about the other stuff down the line when you are cleared for regular foods, but always be mindful of your fluids and protein intake. Good luck everyone!