bewell

SYNTRX fuzzy navel saved me during the liquid phase. It's the only thing I can eat for the 1st few hours every AM. It tastes great. Trying other flavors now.

I went to a local WLS support group yesterday. There was a woman who was about 8 yrs post-op sleeve and still looked fabulous. She is a staff member from the WLS clinic I went to. One of the main topics for the group was fear of failure. We all felt it. Her encouragement was to focus on healing for the first 6 weeks and not worry about failing. Follow your doc's plan and you won't fail. It's normal to feel the fear. ...We've failed so many times before. It's a life time change we've made and it will take a while and some time to figure out how to live our new life style. We didn't get obese overnight, and we won't change our behaviors overnight. The best advice I heard is that The WLS and new sleeve hit's the pause button for us while we loose weight and figure out how to live our new life. She said that soon enough the pause button starts to move to forward, so make your behavior changes now and get your NEW way of living life (and eating) a solid practice. And stop worrying. We have choices, it's up to us to make good ones to be successful. I thought it was wise council.

Veronica I think your Doc is wise to encourage eating the way will do for the rest of our life. They do all seem to recommend a different plan. They told me no potatoes, rice or bread ever cuz it stretches the stomach. I'm OK with no rice and potatoes and with my lap band I couldn't eat bread so I'm OK with that. Although I do love shush. Guess I'll be doing sashimi. Someone on here tried soda with no problems. Just want to add that just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should. Carbonated beverage can STRETCH our new tiny stomach and put pressure on our incision. You may not feel it but it might not be good for you. Sorry for the lecture. Bottom-line, just like our recovery, pounds lost and what and when we can eat is individual. That is so interesting to me as of course I am tempted to compare myself TO EVERYONE!! HEHE

At 5 weeks out, what I can eat right is very limited. And it changes day by day. I've been able to eat yogurt but last night i had a little (two very small bites) after a meal and vomited it right back up. Just didn't settle right. I still do protein drinks mostly and eat one small (1/4 cup) and maybe two meals a day. I have to eat something soft with meat or I can't get it down. And I still have to work to get in 800 calories. My stomach is very sensitive and the food will come right back up. The AM is the worst, it takes a while for my stomach to wake up. Thank heavens for Fuzzy Navel protein drink. It's the only way to get my protein in. And it tastes great. I'm wondering if it will be this way forever. It does make meals easy because my selection is so limited.

Hello January Sleevers! Can you believe that all of us have been "together" in this journey for 3-7 weeks. Still just newbies really. This blog is such a support for me. In general I'm very happy with how I am doing at 5 weeks. (I was a band to sleeve revision) No regrets but I am learning every day that life will be very different now, especially how, what, and when I eat. I am still struggling with what I can eat and how much. I still vomit if I eat too fast or too much. (And too much is over 1/2 cup of food. And too fast is about 1000 times slower than I ate pre-sleeve.) It's hard to get in 800 calories a day. Water still tastes weird and the only liquid I can get in is watered-down no sugar Fruit drinks. When I see all of you taking long walks, hikes etc I do get a little envious. I can walk about 1/2 mile before I get kind of tired. I am older (63) and have an arthritic hip from carrying this excess weight so long. Weight loss will make it easier but as my Doc said, WLS isn't going to heal that worn down hip. I can certainly do more than before the surgery and weigh loss but I am not running any marathons just yet. (I am so happy when I see some of you in your younger years losing this weight before you ruin a hip) Today I have to share that I am missing the feeling of over-eating and the haze/daze it gave me. The brief emotional feeling of fullness and satisfaction of some binge food. Of course I am overjoyed that now I can be outside more, be more active, feel better, look better, etc. I am still learning to accept this activities as my new satisfied full feeling. However, I've used food as an emotional support for so long, I am feeling some loss that I can no longer eat to get that feeling from eating. It's great that now I eat to stay alive. But still, if I'm honest, at least today, I miss that old eating experience. (I know it was always followed by the self-hate, but there was a few moments of feeling pretty darn good.) Hummmm, is the honeymoon over for me? I had a lap-band so I am well aware of the initial high of losing weight and feeling so great. I know it feels like it will last forever. I'm a little leary of that high because at some point we will all be past the easy weigh loss (and even now some are struggling) and we'll have to work a little harder and be more aware of the downs and find the inner emotional means and external support to get thru them. I know this loss I'm feeling today will pass, and I'm not looking for advice just sharing where I am. Maybe someone else might the same. Rather than having this feeling of loss and emotional changes trip me up now or later in my weight loss, I think I may look for a councilor that knows about this stuff. All the best to you all. baj

Oh and my doc said reflux is common the first few months and it generally settles down.

Please let us know what your surgeon tells you? He needs to address your questions. If it were me, I'd remind him that you are on this blog and people are always asking for recommendations and you'd like to be able to say his follow-up after surgery was outstanding but right now your not feeling it. I sure can get a panic attack going pretty easy. If you don't have a fever it is unlikely it is a leak. (I"m not a doc of course, this is just from what I've read.) This is scary stuff but so many have been thru it and the complication rate is really low. I keep reminding myself that but it is also good to check any concerns out. Even those who have had complications get thru them. Not sure if this helped but the bottom line is I do understand, I have been thru the scary wake up in the middle of the night. Mine was always a false alarm and my overactive mind getting the best of me. Best to you and hang in there. I keep hearing from the old times that it gets better, just hang on!

Hope by now you've called your doc with your symtoms. I had a similar experience and yes acid reflux caused nausea for me. I started vomiting often when I started mushies. Made my new stomach very sensitive. Had the fever, chills and vomiting. My doc had me come right in for the swallow test to see if there was a leak. There was nothing showing but they saw acid reflux. Had to go back on liquids, and kept taking the prilosec. Took 5-6 days but everything settled down and I'm OK now. I have to be real careful not to eat too much or too fast. Introducing new foods slow and one at at time. Still doing mushed food really cuz I chew tills it pretty much liquid. RJ is right on, my fears are most often way out of line with whats really going on. Keep up posted and take care.

Cleo's Mom I hear you! I had a lot of fear and concerns. Even now as things are fine I wake up in the AM and wonder what have I done? But given the alternatives, I'd do it again. I was out weeding in the yard today. Normally I never get down on the ground for fear I"d never get back up. But I tried it and got back up with pretty easily. Not lifting an extra 30 pounds made a big difference. I had a big smile on my face and day dreamed about being 50, 60, 100 lbs lighter and getting up from the floor. YES! I avoid so much because of my weight. Also agree with you, even in 10 years they will have much better alternatives for obesity. I also believe they will find obesity is even more complicated than they know today. In 20 years they'll look back at the sleeve and think it was barbaric. (35 yrs ago I knew a women who wired her mouth shut to lose weight. OMG!!) Wishing you the best and whatever you decide will be what's right for you. No one can tell you what to do. It is very individual. But also want to say that who you really are is not about your body, or your size, your age or anything else. You are beautiful just the way your are right now!

I'm 4 weeks post-op and my transition from liquids to soft food was disastrous. I started vomiting most days and my stomach was very tender. Doc even thought I might have caused a leak with the vomiting and had a swallow test which was OK. The nurse kept asking me if I was eating too fast or too much. I kept saying NO cuz I was eating like 2 tablespoons of really mushed food and chewing it like craze. Like I did with the band. Well I went back on liquids for a few days and then started the soft food again. AND I ate less and slower. MY LESSON--- the lap band gave me an immediate notice if I ate too fast, too much or didn't chew enough. My sleeve doesn't!!! It is much more subtle for me. When they say with the sleeve, stop eating as soon as you feel the 1st sign of being full is right on. I hate to admit it but I wasn't doing that and paid a price. Since I started noticing the fullness at even 3 small bites and stopping, (sometimes waiting five minutes and eating another few bites) I have not vomited. It was the same with Protein drinks. I think, no I know, I am eating less than my cat! A lot less. Today I noticed it getting easier to eat a bit more but I had a few bad weeks getting here.

The human body is so interesting. The way our bodies respond to a pretty serious surgery and a tiny stomach and how fast everyone recovers from surgery is so individual. So is the weight loss. I try to remember this is an individual journey before my crazy human mind jumps in and tells me I'm not doing it right, I'm bad, I'm never gonna get it, and then I get on the downward spiral of depression. It's going to take some time and my journey is most likely going to be different than anyone else's. Seems I can get as crazy eating 4000 calories a day as I can 400 calories. LOL I NEVER in my life thought I'd only eat 400-500 calories a day and not be hungry AND NOT LOSE WEIGHT. I do think I am getting some muscle back. I was pretty much a sleeping or sitting for the 1st 3 weeks after surgery. Muscle weighs more than fat so I just figure I'm getting muscle. Clothes are getting looser. Even got a ring on my pinkie that I haven't been able to wear for 20 years. Best wishes to you all and I know we can all do this. It's just gonna take some time and patience.

Cleo, I understand, it was really hard for me to decide to do the revision from band to sleeve. I am also a self-pay. I had to rob my 401K to pay for it. I thought about it for months and then researched it and followed all the blogs for a few more months. All the while trying to lose weight but only gaining more. I was miserable. It really came to the bottom-line that there was no way I could lose the weight myself and as I aged being obese was causing more health problems. I know my husband was ready to retire and we wouldn't be able to travel or do fun things, and he was concerned he'd have to take care of me for years to come. It is elective surgery but at my age, I really feel I had no choice but to do it. I was scared to do it but even more scared not to. But so far so good. No complications with the sleeve. A few rough days but at 4 weeks out, I'm glad I did it. There is no way I could do this myself. I'm committed to do this. I have to. I don't really have any words of encouragement but at our age I think we have some wisdom to know we only have one more chance to get this right and be healthy. We know the dangers of being obese and watching our joints fail. We are more aware of the lies we can tell ourselves about having just one bite of something sweet. I could still ride a bike at 260 lbs but it was getting harder and harder. I could see me in a wheel chair before I reached 70 along with hip and/or knee replacements and diabetes. The future was looking pretty grim. I'm glad I decided to get the revision to a sleeve. I know there is still a lot of hard work ahead of me. For the rest of my life I'll have to watch what I eat. I have to make serious life style changes. (just read the blogs of people with any WLS who gained back all the weight, it can happen) I have to do this or my final years on this planet will be miserable.

619raf So sorry you are discouraged, hope it gets better. I call the nurse, skip the NUT. Maybe if you tell them your are nauseous and afraid you might vomit, and not losing weight, the nurse might be able to give you info the NUT can't. (I actually was vomiting) I tried every Protein Drink. The only one I can do and actually like it is HMR. It's not talked about much on the blogs. I like the chocolate 70 pudding mix, lactose free. I add extra Water so it isn't so think. http://www.hmrprogram.com/index.cfm/HMRFoods/HMRShakes Best wishes!

Everything tastes different to me, even Water. Most foods have a metallic taste. Fortunately my favorite Protein drink is OK. I'd do dream about cheeseburgers and wonder if food will ever taste good again. An experienced sleever told me to enjoy it while it lasts because at some point when the honeymoon is over, food will taste good again and I'll want to eat more than I can or should soon enough.

I'm about 4 weeks postop and still on purred liquids and a few mushies. I'm pretty new to this obviously but I think it is very individual. Some eat right away, some are on liquids for 4 weeks. I tried mushy foods at 2.5 weeks and kept vomiting it right back up. And then, since I irritated my new tiny stomach I started vomiting liquids. I had to re-group, go back to liquids, and start all over. My doc said if I vomit or get real naseaous it is one of 3 things. Ate too fast Ate too much Introduced a food too soon. When they say stop eating at the 1st sign of fullness they were right. A few times I think I ate a few bites more and it all came back up immediately. Being a slow learner, now I take a small sip or bite, wait and see how it feels. Then try another and wait. And now I stop long before I feel full. I can always eat a little more later. The amount of mushy food I can eat is very little. A few table spoons, bite-wait. Bite-wait, can take 10+ minutes to eat. So WEIRD compared to the huge amount I used to inhale! It is so different.

April, so sorry you are having some challenges. Sounds like they have it figured out tho and you will feel better soon. Our bodies are amazing and it's incredible how it will heal itself. Keeping positive and trusting yourself and your docs is key. We are all here for you.

I am just about 4 weeks out from revision lap band to sleeve. Lapband was in 2006 and complications at every turn. My revision took 3 hours. 1.5 for lap band removal and 1.5 for sleeve. My lap band was encased in scar tissue and my port was hard to get out. Two incisions are still a little sore where they had to pull the band and port out and one incision they removed my stomach. Nothing that I need pain meds for, just notice the soreness still. I was on pain meds for 5 days and happy to have them. My Doc prefers to do the revision in one surgery if at all possible because he feels it is easier on the patient. Two surgeries involve all the pre-op diets, anesthesia twice, recovery twice, etc. For me, starting liquids and eating mushy foods after surgery was very different than with the lap band. With the band I knew immediately if I had too much or didn't chew well enough. My experience with the sleeve is if I start to feel nauseated it's probably too late. With the sleeve they say to stop eating AS SOON AS YOU FEEL FULL which is right on. A few times thinking it was like a lap-band experience, I ate a few too many bites and/or ate too fast and vomited immediately. (which we want to avoid as much as possible so as not to challenge the new stomach and staple line) It took me too long to figure this out and I vomited about 6 times over 10 days. Once just on Water and a pill but I expect I drank too much water in one gulp. Also on a Protein drink that I took too big of swallow. So being a slow learner, now for me, It is sip, wait. Sip, wait. Take a small sip of pureed drink, wait a few minutes. Take a small baby spoon bite of pureed food and wait. Try another, then wait. The lap-band let me know immediately that I had goofed up. The sleeve is very different for me. With the sleeve I literally can only eat two tablespoons of mushed cottage cheese and it can take 15 minutes to eat that. Even a Protein Drink. With the band a protein drink would go right thru. This is not my experience with the sleeve. I'm told that this very sensitive time will pass and it will get easier. My doc keeps reminding me that I'm healing for 3 months or more and to be careful, go slow. It takes a while for the new stomach to settle down. It is different for each person but swelling can continue for a while, especially if we vomit. After vomiting I had go back on liquids because they were concerned I had a leak due to the vomiting. Like the band after surgery we have to do all we can NOT to vomit. I'm just hoping I didn't cause a leak but it seems OK now after a few days of slowing down, I haven't vomited. As for energy, it is about the same as for the lap-band. I'm slowly getting back to normal. What I am eating is very limited. Protein drinks, mushed cottage cheese/beans, Soups without the chunks, watery oatmeal, nibble on cheese. Everything tastes weird. I loved plain water before, now it tastes terrible. I have to mix some fruit juice in it. Before surgery I could drink crystal light, now it tastes very bad. Things change. Just my thoughts on the diff between the lap-band experience and the sleeve. Hope you won't make my mistakes.

Well, I was still vomiting almost every day on one thing or another. I felt I was eating slow and small bites. Today I got nauseous and vomited and it was just Water. Maybe I drank it too fast but I don't think so. They were worried about a leak so had me to the swallow that crappy stuff and X-ray it going down. Didn't see a leak but told me vomiting was not good. So back to liquids for another week. i wonder if I ever will be able to eat real food. yikes

Me too!!! 3 weeks out today and the list of what I can eat can be listed on one hand. It is impossible to get the protein in, fluids a real struggle. Nurse says not to worry just keep the liquids going. I vomited just brushing my teeth, even a protein drink came right back up (maybe too big of swallow.) So I"m keeping it pretty simple and will introduce new foods one at a time, and only one little bite at a time. So this is what they told me-if i'm vomiting it is one of 3 things 1-ate too fast 2-ate too much 3-introduced a new food before new stomach was ready. Not sure where brushing teeth comes in but I get nauseous very easily.

I started mushies a week ago and had to go back on pured food. I was so anxious to eat some sort of real food, I ate too much, too fast. I vomited a few times after only a few bites of mushed cottage cheese or mushed refried Beans. The vomiting set me back cuz then I was nauseated and my stomach irritated. Even vomited brushing my teeth. From my experience, take it slow, really slow. Eat a small bite, think baby spoon full, mush it in your mouth even more and swallow a little bit. Let that sit in your new small stomach for a minute then try another small bite. I am now back with mushies but limited. And only a few tablespoons at a time and it takes 15 min to eat that. I eat from this really small bowl and use a baby spoon. I know, I know I heard that all before I had the surgery but guess I didn't believe that meant ME! 15 minutes to eat a few tablespoons of mushed up food. I could have just inhaled that pre-surgery along with a lot of other food. Well, they were right. So my suggestion to you, don't make my mistake, take your time and go slow. Try one new food at a time.

cowgirljane, thank you for your direct and tell-it-like-it-is personal experience. I'm 63 yrs old and FOR ME that delusional thinking that I can do this surgery AND NOT change my life style and attitude with food is just the crazy attitude that I've done all my life and got me where I was today, morbidly obese and unhealthy. This is my last chance and I have to be serious, very serious about how I live my life from now on. My attitude with food, my asking for what I need from family/friends which includes avoiding food vacations or illiminating some foods around that are my downfall, and avoiding food fests. I have to do it, especially the first year or so until I reach my goal weight AND can maintain it. (How many just go right back up? I did many, many times.) I won't be perfect, I know I'll sometimes challenge what or how much I eat but come on, I know what sets me off. I know what food or activity puts me on a downward spiral of cravings. I know what these situations and foods are, so why in the world would I play with the fire I KNOW will burn me, consume me and eventually kill me.

kmgaustin, I am 3 weeks post-op tomorrow. Doing OK, losing slow but steady. Feel OK but low energy still. I have stayed on the mushy diet longer cuz some foods (even a Protein drink) came back up, fast. The last thing we want to do is vomit and challenge our new small stomach and staple line, so I'm being very careful. When I was on the PRE-op diet and starving I NEVER thought I'd be saying this, but it is VERY hard to eat. The biggest challenge is everything tastes different and I am not hungry at all. Even Water which I loved pre-op is really hard to drink, it tastes so weird. It's hard to get all the fluids and Protein drinks in cuz I have to sip so slow and small amounts. I am maybe eating 500 calories a day if I'm lucky. I mainly do protein drinks and blended cream of mushroom Soup. My nurse said if I vomit it is usually cuz of eating too much or too fast or in the post-op diet eating something too soon. A long-time sleever told me to enjoy it now (not wanting to eat) because eventually the taste buds recover as well as the capacity to eat more of the wrong things. I bought a lot of drinks and Soups pre-surgery that I just can't tolerate now. Gatoraide, propel, crystal iight..tons of soups. I can't use any of it, tastes terrible. So I caution buying too much of anything pre-surgery. Try one bottle and see how it tastes post-op. What I loved to eat or drink pre-surgery just doesn't work post-op. That may change but for now it's a huge challenge. Also pills, its hard for me to take a small pill, just upsets my new little stomach. Some people do better or have an easier time, this is just my experience. (I am a band to sleeve revision so my recovery may take longer.) Best wishes to all of you about to have surgery. Even with the challenge, I'm happy I had the surgery. It will take some time to get used to a new way of eating and drinking but I feel better already.

I voted yes, back in hospital. To clarify- 2006 Lap-Band 2006, slip before I left hospital and had to have 2nd surgery to replace band. Never felt OK from that day on, lots of pain and nausea. Lap band did not work for me. Jan 13 2015 Lap Band revision to sleeve. No problems so far. Some dehydration. Feel much better than lap band surgery. Recovery so far much easier. My opinion- lap band works for many but not all. And from what I understand there is no way to determine that before hand who the lap band will work for. (may be the same for all WLS) I have always had a sensitive stomach and the lap and just never felt right. The lap-band is gone for me now and that tightness and nausea in by belly is gone.

BELLINGHAM, WA----just had a revision lap-band (2006) to sleeve on Jan 13 2015 at Northwest Weight Loss Dr Montgomery. He was amazing and so is the staff there. Many with WLS themselves. I also like and agree with his realistic pre-op and post-op food plans. Glad to find this thread for Washington folks. I have so much to learn. QUESTION: Does anyone know why EVERYTHING tastes so different now? Even water which I loved pre-surgery and now it's all I can do to get past the weird taste of water. And well everything else too Best wishes to you all and GO HAWKS!!!

HMR Protein is my favorite. 25 years ago I lost 100 pounds drinking it and it was amazingly satisfying. Of course gained that weight back but I still drink the HMR protein. HMR is the ONLY Protein Drink I can tolerate post-surgery. The pudding HMR70 actually does taste a bit like pudding. (yep nursemate2-taste changes dramatically WHY?) HMR doesn't have as much protein in it but I add some unflavored by Rob Roy. The HMR Weight-Loss shake Family HMR 120 Shake – 120 calories in each scoop, with Vitamins and minerals right in the mix HMR 70 Plus Shake – Make shakes or puddings with this 110-calorie, lactose-free mix HMR 500 Shake – Our original 100-calorie shake in convenient single-serving packets HMR 800 Shake – Smooth, rich shake that provides extra protein with just a few more calories