bewell

@@shellyd88
Shelly, you describe pretty much how I felt. First, it does get better. My doc said to just focus on healing and getting liquids in. I also was weak and shaky. I had diarrhea and had a very hard time getting liquids in. Yes, everything tastes terrible but just sip and get it in. I did get dehydrated and had to go to the ER for fluids and I felt much better after that.
Keep in contact with your surgeon, it's very important.
Complications are really rare. You just had major surgery. I know we read on here how some sleevers feel great right away and can eat anything. It is an individual experience, everyone is different. Just pay attention to you.
One thing my doc said to watch for was a high temperature (101+), racing pulse, chills and sever abdominal pain which could be a leak. I know, you just had surgery so of course you abdomen hurts but a leak is the major complication they are concerned with. If you don't have a fever, chills, or a racing pulse you are probably fine.

You won't believe this (I didn't) but right after WLS you won't miss those foods you are thinking about having with your daughter. Instead, you will be overjoyed to simply drink a glass of Water or eat a vegetable/fruit. My first divine food after surgery was steamed broccoli; it was nearly orgasmic! Honest

You won't believe this (I didn't) but right after WLS you won't miss those foods you are thinking about having with your daughter. Instead, you will be overjoyed to simply drink a glass of Water or eat a vegetable/fruit. My first divine food after surgery was steamed broccoli; it was nearly orgasmic! Honest

@@Veronica Page
Great idea to lock up the scale. I think weighing once a week might be as hard as the pre-op diet!

You won't believe this (I didn't) but right after WLS you won't miss those foods you are thinking about having with your daughter. Instead, you will be overjoyed to simply drink a glass of Water or eat a vegetable/fruit. My first divine food after surgery was steamed broccoli; it was nearly orgasmic! Honest

I started with the band at 270, the day of my revision I was 263, my initial goal weight was 150lbs, and I hit goal in 6.5 months weighing 148lbs. I continued to lose for another 4 months and my body has settled at around 125lbs. My total loss with the sleeve alone is 138lbs in 10.5 months.

THE DREADED STALL at 8 weeks post-op. Had to come sometime.
Had my 2 month checkup and the nurse said to get off the scales so often. She said I'm losing even if the scales don't show it and try weighing once a month. Yikes!
Also noted that I am slow to heal and not to fuss about it. Everyone is different. My tiny-tummy takes a few hours to wake up each AM. I on liquids for the 1st 4 hours of the day. I'm still on soft food the rest of the day otherwise I'm pretty uncomfortable (not painful tho) and can still vomit introducing new foods. So I'm sticking to a small range of foods I know I can eat. Increasing exercise as I can.
The fantastic news is I can finally drink a glass of Water pretty much the same as pre-surgery. I sure missed that! And things are tasting close to normal.
The scary part is I think I'm starting to get tempted to eat carbs which to this point didn't interest me.
What a steep learning curve this sleeve is! I had no idea. (I'm a lap band to sleeve revision and this learning to eat is much harder. But the lap band hurt SO MUCH MORE. Nurse also told me that after the initial healing process there is a LOT LESS complications with sleeve, gastric bypass and other. Lap band has many more complications after healing cuz of foreign object which can erode, slip, break and just plain hurt. So happy to have that thing out of me.
Best to all of you January sleevers, we can DO THIS!

You aren't doing anything wrong (except maybe moving to soft cheeses and purees before you are cleared to?). Some people have more trouble than others with liquids and swallowing post-op. It's all about how your stomach tissue reacts to the trauma of surgery. Some people have a lot of swelling that makes even getting liquids in difficult. Some people have temporary damage to their nerves which make them just not feel full even when they are. We all end up in the same place a few weeks out, once things have healed up.

Isopure got me thru the clear liquid phase but did taste bad as did everything that went into my mouth.
After the clear liquid phase, the only Protein drink I could do was Sytax fuzzy navel. I love it and still drink it daily. It's tasty and not thick. (Thankfully someone told me about it on this site. Saved my day!)
Sorry you have to go back to work so soon but get it. Take care.

It works but keep in mind that you have to work hard at it too. I KNOW there is no way I could have lost weight without WLS. But ongoing it is 40% WLS and 60% up to me to keep it working.

Glad you are asking questions and checking weight loss surgery (WLS) out. This is a great place to get a lot of opinions!
Here is one more opinion---I had continual complications with my lap band for 10 yrs and just had a revision to sleeve in jan. Short story of lap-band-I hurt every minute of those 10 yrs. Now for the 1st time in 10 yrs my stomach and belly does not hurt. And that is after major sleeve surgery.
I just heard this and wish I had heard it 10 yrs before........when you look at the statistics for complications after 3 months after WLS surgery, the lap-band has the most ongoing complications and problems. Yes, the others sleeve, bypass etc have more in the first 3 months but the band by far has the most after. A foreign body in your belly that can slip, erode, get covered in scar tissue...a port that turns and hurts.....well just had to say that.
As for cooking----I never cooked before my sleeve and now I am! I'm always looking for receipts that are healthy and taste good, easy to make, and can be made in small batches. It's still early in my sleeve life but I think cooking will be fun
Zakly, I bet as a chief you can cook up an amazing book of receipts for us WLS folks.

I've been on this journey since August, getting my surgery in 5 days.... I have had family and my best friend, and strangers tell me I am taking the easy way out, and why can't I just stick to the diet if I've done well enough on it this far. Honestly - I have so much more respect for the people who endure these surgeries from lapband to sleeve to bypass, etc.
From the pre diets, testing, liquid phases.... to surgery, pain meds, exercising, and complications.,... to having to change our ENTIRE lives forever for this TOOL we take on so we don't fall back into bad habits....
I respect, and have so much awe for those who have preceded us in getting these surgeries and working hard to get their lives back from years of weight issues.
Screw those who think less of us. We are amazing and we are stronger than any person who "can just do the diets and go to the gym".

JerrBear:
Last night I had my first meal out. While those around me had some luscious, large portions, I ate a small piece of my husband's turkey, a couple of tablespoons of vegetables, and a tablespoon of mashed potatoes. And that was a victory! Easy, my ass! I look at the television commercials and magazines devoted to nothing but food, and realize that I can never view those as pleasure sources again. How is that easy? We chose to confront an addiction that is so socially acceptable, until it shows up on our bodies. As you said, this was a surgery for a life threatening condition! I know that people are talking. Let them talk! You are an incredibly strong person that put your health first. Water on a duck my friend, Water on a duck!

I think the only other thing that upsets me more than hearing that bariatric surgery is 'the easy way out', is when I hear someone refer to weight loss surgery as 'cheating'!!! I agree with all the other posts written here, and I've pretty much come to the conclusion that those who feel this way and voice the foolishness of 'ease' and 'cheating' simply are those who simply are showing their ignorance, since they have never gone through the experience or have lived the life of someone who has made this life saving/life changing decision and has in most cases come out the better for it!!!

I have a question. What if it WAS the easy way out? It isn't but what if it was? WHO CARES. What does he want you to carry a wooden cross across the public square and pay penance for you sin of being overweight? Give me an effing break. This whole notion that fat people are some sort of moral failures is so messed up. If there WAS an overnight pancea that required no surgery and no work on my part, I'd probably use that too. Why is MY BODY someone elses example for moral failing. Your health issues and decisions are none of anyone's freaking business. I think that's why people love that Biggest Loser show. they just love watching us cry, and puke, and basically get whipped and humiliated in public for just existing in these bodies. It makes me very mad.

I don't know what it is......Everyone has an opinion for everything.....I find it entertaining now as at first it bothered me..Now just this past week a neighbor told me that they (neighborhood) all knew what I did and not to hide it.She said it like she was accusing me of something!.. Hide what...What I decide to do for myself. Do I tell my neighbors anything I do. No..They mean nothing to me and so they can shove it where the sun don't shine...
I did this to better my life and if it causes them issues the issues are theirs.....Personally I think she should look into the surgery herself...Just saying.....lol

Well I just threw up in a trash can in my office during a conference call because I ate something that my sleeve didn't approve of so yeah, super easy. Your post is exactly why I didn't tell a single soul at work. People can be dense sometimes.

lol I love your response. For a few people who have made that asinine statement to me, I pretty much told them if it was so easy why didn't they have it done then come back and discuss it .. Most of the people who are making the ignorant comments are usually overweight people who are afraid you might be successful and make them look bad, or they are obsessive, compulsive runners who look like skeletons . Nothing wrong with exercise and eating healthy but anything to the extreme is obsessive. Anyhow, You don't owe anyone an explanation or reason for what you do with your own body. You are smart to realize while you are still young that weight has a lot to do with health. I was 66 when I had my surgery and it was not easy in the least.. Most of the criticizers couldn't make it through the pre-op diet.

It works but keep in mind that you have to work hard at it too. I KNOW there is no way I could have lost weight without WLS. But ongoing it is 40% WLS and 60% up to me to keep it working.

It works but keep in mind that you have to work hard at it too. I KNOW there is no way I could have lost weight without WLS. But ongoing it is 40% WLS and 60% up to me to keep it working.

THE DREADED STALL at 8 weeks post-op. Had to come sometime.
Had my 2 month checkup and the nurse said to get off the scales so often. She said I'm losing even if the scales don't show it and try weighing once a month. Yikes!
Also noted that I am slow to heal and not to fuss about it. Everyone is different. My tiny-tummy takes a few hours to wake up each AM. I on liquids for the 1st 4 hours of the day. I'm still on soft food the rest of the day otherwise I'm pretty uncomfortable (not painful tho) and can still vomit introducing new foods. So I'm sticking to a small range of foods I know I can eat. Increasing exercise as I can.
The fantastic news is I can finally drink a glass of Water pretty much the same as pre-surgery. I sure missed that! And things are tasting close to normal.
The scary part is I think I'm starting to get tempted to eat carbs which to this point didn't interest me.
What a steep learning curve this sleeve is! I had no idea. (I'm a lap band to sleeve revision and this learning to eat is much harder. But the lap band hurt SO MUCH MORE. Nurse also told me that after the initial healing process there is a LOT LESS complications with sleeve, gastric bypass and other. Lap band has many more complications after healing cuz of foreign object which can erode, slip, break and just plain hurt. So happy to have that thing out of me.
Best to all of you January sleevers, we can DO THIS!

You won't believe this (I didn't) but right after WLS you won't miss those foods you are thinking about having with your daughter. Instead, you will be overjoyed to simply drink a glass of Water or eat a vegetable/fruit. My first divine food after surgery was steamed broccoli; it was nearly orgasmic! Honest

It works but keep in mind that you have to work hard at it too. I KNOW there is no way I could have lost weight without WLS. But ongoing it is 40% WLS and 60% up to me to keep it working.

You won't believe this (I didn't) but right after WLS you won't miss those foods you are thinking about having with your daughter. Instead, you will be overjoyed to simply drink a glass of Water or eat a vegetable/fruit. My first divine food after surgery was steamed broccoli; it was nearly orgasmic! Honest

It works but keep in mind that you have to work hard at it too. I KNOW there is no way I could have lost weight without WLS. But ongoing it is 40% WLS and 60% up to me to keep it working.