devint

I understood that the only problem with straws are that they can cause burping and gas so if yours doesn't i would say rock it. I can also understand missing yoga, because of the mental/emotional benefits of it. I'm only 2 weeks out but I'm already choosing to do my walking in a secluded wooded walk path so that I can get some "me time" and rest my brain while Im "exercising" Good luck in your journey and congrats on one more step "back to normal"

Hi SS, Before and after the surgery, it's important to take big deep breaths and imagine yourself healthy, sexy and strong to keep the negative thoughts out of your mind. I'm 2 weeks out from vsg 28 lbs down and my husband had vsg 8 months ago 100 lbs down. This surgery take away the choice of how much you eat, you can only eat what your new pouch stomach, (I call mine Grumblina) will handle which is not much. It is a tool to help you beat the inevitable truth of weight loss. Calories in must be less than calories spent. Sure there's lots of tricks to help you with that like drink Water, get in Protein, limit carbs, and get exercise everyday… but because it's so simple thats why this surgery works. I can't describe how not being hungry for days on end feels, other than it will happen for sure. I haven't felt hungry once physically. I had a lot of food dreams the first week, it was an actual emotional withdrawal from food comfort. I recognized it and now I'm over it and what I put in my mouth is fuel, not comfort. I did 50 carbs or less for 2 months before surgery, liquids only less than 50 carbs for 4 days before surgery, Clear Liquids for 3 days, full/opaque liquids up to current. Tomorrow I switch to "mushies" which is like mushed cauliflower, applesauce, yogurt type food. I take Bariactiv Vitamins, they dissolve in your mouth but you have to have something on your stomach first (not plain water) Reaching out on here is a great way to get support you need. Keep us updated and we're warming up a spot for you on the Loser's Bench!

How much/far are you guys walking now?

Hi Kimteehee! I am 2 weeks post op. I had never had surgery before and I am not one to take pain well. The first 24 hours were a 7 to 8 on scale of 10 pain, but only when I moved, which I felt like I was being pushed to do a lot to get walking. The first week for me was about a 4 or 5. I was sent home with both vicodin and percoset, strong stuff. I laid around the house all week, drugged heavily and napped every day and was still tired. By second week, the pain is a dull soreness around the incisions and abdominal wall and no more pain meds. The only exceptions to this have been the two times I've thrown up, once this morning was about a 3, and I also threw up once in the hospital and that was like a 9 but it passed in less than a minute. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I'm 33 lbs down and I also have the testimony of my husband who has lost 100lbs with vsg in 8 months. 100lbs in 8 months. It's amazing. Good luck on your journey!

I am speaking only from watching my husband go through this and other's post here on bariatric pal. Im 14 days out myself but haven't stalled yet. You need three things to lose weight with this and keep your body out of starvation mode and eating your muscle mass for fuel. 1. Water/hydration: our doc says 64oz a day 2. Protein: for female 65g-70g a day 3. Exercise: I'm using an app called "Pacer" it's free and it turns my phone into a pedometer. I'm working at increasing my daily step count. Our doc says 30 minutes of doing anything that makes you sweat, every day If you have significantly increased your carb intake that could also be a problem. Good luck Babish and keep us posted!

Each day gets easier! You got this! Keep being vocal about your needs. Welcome to the Loser's Bench!

I just experienced awfulness, threw up my vitamins because my stomach was empty. First time that's happened! Gonna have to take it easy today, TGIF.

Search week 3 for this weeks thread everyone

My surgery was about 2 weeks ago and to remind you why this is a good idea, I'm 32 lbs down. When they took me back to the prep area, they started my IV, asked a bunch of questions and I met with the nurses, the anestesiologist and the surgeon. I watched some "let's make a deal" because the patient before me was taking longer than expected. My surgeon asked me to empty my bladder right before they gave me the sleeping medicine. I did that, said goodbye to my husband and within 5 minutes of them putting the sleepy meds in I was out. It felt like a short afternoon nap and I woke up in recovery, for me the pain was about a 7 or so (I'm faint hearted with pain) and I kept dozing in and out for about a half hour. Then they wheeled me to my room to meet my husband there. Just speak up about how you feel both emotionally and physically and they will do everything they can to make you comfortable; that's their job. Good luck to you tomorrow!

Riding bike sounds so fun Laurie! I was wanting to do that but strangely I'm afraid if I fall or crash because my core isn't strong enough to do balance yet. Let me know how it goes for you, maybe you'll inspire me not to be a scaredypants!

Hey Party People! Mental fuzziness? Definitely. Ive been back to work since monday and my output is way below normal but I'm just glad to be here and not taking pain meds. Because of my incision complication mine are still sore and I'm still taking pain meds at night around dinner time to get to sleep in the recliner ok. In fact I just did something I never thought I would at this point in the game. I WENT OUT TO lunch AT CHILIS while still on my liquid diet! WOW when my boss said he wanted to do lunch with me to talk long term vision for my career I couldn't exactly say no. I ordered a cup of potato Soup and just dipped the spoon in the soup and brought it up empty so I could lick the creamy sauce off the spoon without any of the chunks. By the time that started to get hard because it was all chunks left I was full and done. It was surprisingly satisfying and it did not weird him out (that he mentioned anyway) I am now a $4 date. I'm also wearing a belt today. In public for the first time ever. My stomach is a 2 roll variety with the division at the belly button so wearing belts has always been embarrassing because the top roll always falls over and it accentuates the division/fatness. Today, I needed to put on a belt cause my pants are getting so loose they were being pulled down by the weight of my phone in my front pocket. I put on an A shirt in mens large underneath to smooth things out a little and bam I'm a belt wearer without a gross muffin top. It's a good day!

I played heavily when my hubby and I first were dating and quit right after cataclysm to plan the wedding. My husband reactivated my account and got me the lvl 90 boost 2 weeks before my surgery so I would have something to do while at home recovering. It was AWESOME spending all day horsing around in MoP for the first time, flying high on pain meds. I'm now 2 weeks out and he's all like "you sure do spend a lot of time playing wow, why don't you come to bed at a normal time?" You know how that convo goes... Good news is I'll make up for of with an awesome bod here shortly.

No I got three color pictures of them performing the actual surgery and a picture of my stomach mass in the disposal bag! Gruesome and so cool! The staple line looks nothing like I imagined, it looks like a metal foil zipper. I asked for a barium swallow pic but they didn't have that ready for my arrival and said they'd work on it for my next follow up.

Update on my doctors followup visit today... One of my incisions had the glue fall off of it and it was gaping open a little bit, 1/2" or so with some stitches from underneath poking out. My doctor numbed it, snipped the stitches "bunny ears", and taped it shut to heal together properly. It's not infected and I am praying for a clean heal without a heinous scar (anymore so than the rest, I guess) I also got pictures of my surgery showing my stomach before and after. It was so strange and cool to meet my new stomach face to face!

High weight 309 Starting weight before preop diet 288 They didn't weigh me at surgery so weird! Today 267!!

No FB for me thanks though, I'll keep plugging along here. Day 7: getting my fluids in but struggling with protein. Tried to mix unflavored protein into hot French onion soup and it was the tenth level of foul. I powered through it anyway and it made me nauseous for half the day. I got rid of the feeling by walking a 3/4 mile loop around a lake on a nice breezy day. All my incision glue came off (ok so I was picking at it to help it along more than I should) and all but one looks better than I expected. Wearing clothes is uncomfortable at the waist, which is unfortunate cause my work dress code requires you to be dressed when in the office and I'm going back on Monday. I'm sad to lose the me time that I have been really enjoying and I never make time for usually. I started having mystery cravings where I want the taste of something different but I can't put my finger on it. I've tried to increase variety of soups and flavors but still hasn't hit the spot.

I'm getting in about 60-70 oz of fluids a day full liquids and I'm actually enjoying creating new soups and flavors I never explored presurgery aka broccoli Soup and even French onion I had never had before. The surgical glue fell off of my main incision today, the one where the tissue was removed from. I was concerned because there was some weeping from it, hope it doesn't get infected now that it's open to the air. A couple things I've noticed, today was the first time I felt bad for 1 "eating" when I didn't feel hungry and 2 feeling like I was stretching my sleeve because of focusing on the oz count instead of how it feels. I am lucky and I'm not prone to throwing up, but I've made myself pretty tight feeling from thinking "oh I'll just power through the end of this glass" especially on Protein drinks cause I don't like the taste. Anyone else's head playing mind games about what it means to be full and guilt tripping yourself about the new regimen?

Nsv: My wedding rings are loose and almost fell off when I washed my hands! Haven't got on the scale yet but that has to be a good sign!

Day 5: my husband went back to work and walking our daughter to the bus stop made for a first (puny) bm! I got about three hours of work from home done and now I am exhausted and getting ready for a nap. Today I've gotten in 16 oz protein shake w half dose of miralax; 8 oz of chicken broth blended with a can of chicken chunk meat; 12 oz of ice tea. My barriers to getting back to "normal" are still needing half-doses of pain meds about twice a day, needing one or two short naps a day, and wearing any sort of pants or skirts with a waistband painful to my incisions which are only 1/2" above my waistfold and have 4" bruises around each one. I'm starting to feel bad for taking so much time off so I'm hoping things move along here.

I have the breather and I've been doing it about four or five times a day, not hourly as suggested. Today Day 4 for me I'm supposed to move to full liquids but I'm going to stay on clear today. Overnight I forgot to take my pain medicine before I went to sleep and I also tried to sleep in bed instead of the recliner. I rolled all over like an alligator, including sleeping on my stomach, and I am soooo sore on my incisions this morning. First time I don't feel better the next day. Hopefully the pain meds will knock it out and the day will end up good. I'm getting vitamins and one protein drink in but still only like 40 oz of liquid total. Time to step it up!

I'm getting in 2 half mile walks around the neighborhood and I'm also doing the steps in my 3level townhouse about four times a day. I feel like I could/should do more but it has significantly helped the gas.

I have been dreaming about solid foods every time I close my eyes. I look at it as the addiction breaking. When I'm awake, I didn't crave the good my husband cooked for him and the little one (Chinese stir fry) My husband got sleeved last year in October and I am now the fifth person in our family who has gotten wls. Watching the others go first, I'll tell you I'm grateful they were the trailblazers who had to bring their own food to holidays and redirect the family to celebrate in non-food ways for birthdays etc. Just set your own boundaries! And try to have a little grace for those who you're their "first" person they know who have done it. When you're rocking a 25 bmi, there will be an I told you so! Moment.

Hi everyone as of Friday I'm sleeved! The pain was pretty bad for me. Also my nurses switched my pain meds from dialaudid to 2 Vicodin pills. I've vomited everyday so far, sometime pus/slime sometimes just big gas pockets. I was sent home yesterday late, so late we had to go to three pharmacies to find one that was open. I tried to sleep in the bed but had to change to the recliner around 3am. The scopolamine patch made me dizzy and blurry vision so I took it off since I was sicking up anyways.

I've got my IV in, I'm waiting for the next step. I was unlucky and had to put it in my dominant hand. No crocheting in my room for me!

I'm on my way into the hospital and I know I'm forgetting something but can't put my finger on it. Nerves are making me head hungry. Thanks to all who posted status updates over the past few days. Reading them is one way I'm calming down. If anyone has found a great way to spice up clear liquids, let me know!