BLERDgirl

I didn't have a pre-op diet or a bowel prep for my sleeve surgery, but I did have to do a bowel prep for my hysterectomy years ago.

It's up to you to make good food choice. A good rule is if you are hungry and it's not acid in your tummy and you've eaten what you're supposed to then drink Water. Not everyone gets sick from food. I have tolerated every thing I've tried. Some foods are slider foods. These are foods that go down easy but offer little nutritional value. Often they are carbs. Ultimately it will be up to you to make good food choice. If you feel you are eating the right things and are still hungry try eating 4 - 5 smaller meals instead of 3 or talk to you nutritionist about increasing your calories.

Completely safe. Please do not let people get in your head. I would think that you took care in choosing your surgeon and trust him. Let him do his job. Some people get worried and afraid at the thought of surgery. I had zero problems and zero pain. My hysterectomy was more uncomfortable than my sleeve surgery was.

I don't think it's very encouraging to focus on the negative. Especially on a board that should be about support. I had an absolutely wonderful surgical course. Zero pain, gas,nausea, vomiting, constipation. I walked in recovery and had no problem sipping Water. I say so repeatedly because I would like to encourage those who are worried or afraid that not everyone has horrible gas pains, etc.... Some of use have completely uneventful hospital course. Hearing horrors stories might be the thing to scare someone off from a potentially life saving surgery. Why not focus on the positive?

OMG ! Gabapaten almost killed me! It was just after I was recovering from the shingles and the neuralgia pain was so bad that my face literally just throbbed. Nothing worked so the doc prescribed the gabapaten. Worked beautifully for all of 5 days. Then I suddenly had my tongue swelling and my throat closing up. I ended up spending 10 hours in the ER getting IV benedryl treatments. I was uninsured at the time so I had paid out of pocket for those pills. $200 and I had taken 10 pills. The ER doctor wanted to admit me and I was in tears saying I couldn't afford to be admitted to the hospital. I was already drowning in debt from paying the specialist to treat my shingles. The kept me in the ER and wouldn't let me go home until my airway was clear and remained clear for 2 hours. The doctor told me NEVER, EVER take that med again.

Exactly! I didn't notice it in the hospital because they were always in socks or slippers but when I cam home and sat on the couch, I looked at my feet and was surprised how small they were!

The phlegm and vomiting are from eating too fast. We have to eat super snails pace slow. You can try the Eat Slower app or simply take a tiny bite. Wait 2 full minutes. Then take another tiny bite. Again wait 2 full minutes, and so on. As for feeling weak you may not be getting enough nourishment with the vomiting. Are you taking Vitamins and supplements? Are you getting in all your fluids? Have the doctor prescribe something or take double the dosage of the OTC stuff. For the constipation you can try a variety of things: colace, ducolax, miralax, benefiber, prunes, prune juice, psyllium powder, flax powder, Metamucil.

@@mysleeve It's not unusual. I was approved before I completed my testing. I think I still had my nutrition class, my Pulmonary function test and my sleep study to complete.

Drink the real thing. Just be cognizant of the calories. It's not like you can drink a ton of the stuff. If the citrus cause acid, try diluting it.

Could be gas. Also try to eat super slow. I found that if I ate slower my brain and belly had that 20 - 30 mins time frame needed to communicate and I would indeed feel full. By the time I could drink water I would sometimes feel to full to even sip it.

I didn't have edema but my feet were always on verge of being swollen. For some reason that IV had me running in the hospital. I peed a LOT. When I got home my feet were noticeably smaller. I lost 26 pounds from DOS until my 2 week f/u. I'm sure at least half of that had to be water weight.

I'm not allergic to nuts but I am allergic to all seafood and a host of things so I can sympathize. Oddly enough my friends jokingly call me "bubble girl". cheese cubes would be a good grab and go snack. You could make you own Protein bars. Use sun butter, dried fruit and oats. Even toss in some Protein Powder if you want. Add a bit of carob chips if you like. Mix it all together and separate into ball s or bars and chill. Then just slip a few in a zip lock bag and toss in your handbag Make you own granola, with oats, sunflower coconut oil, maple syrup and mix then bake until crispy. If you prefer to buy something the LUNA bars are nut free and not too pricey. They also often have sales.

@@Pepper123 - I have ground flax. I add it to my protein drinks sometimes.

"failing to plan is a plan for failure" - is very true in my case. I plan everything. The way I eat now is pretty much the same way I ate pre surgery only in smaller portions. I eat chocolate, I use real sugar and raw honey. I don't use diet foods or have cheat days. I plan and incorporate every into as healthy and balanced a daily eating pattern as possible. The other thing I keep in mind is that nothing is more obnoxious than a former fatty who goes to the opposite extreme and becomes self righteous. We're all human beings trying to make this weight issue work. If you think you have food addictions around a particular food, work on that now. WLS isn't going to magically whisk it away.

I agree with @CowgirlJane. You may want to get some counseling because there may be a self esteem issue at play as well. You deserve to be happy just as much as anyone else. Please don't settle for anything less.

@erp- It's a sort of hand in hand thing. I have a sweet tooth. Always have. I could probably eat a baby if it was dipped in chocolate and I'm a vegetarian! I don't limit or use sparingly. I have it when I want. However what has changed is my desire for them. This morning I had a mug of coffee, I put a good half tbsp of raw honey in it because I like it sweet. However other than some fruit I doubt I'll have more sugar today. Unless you actually eat this way it's hard to explain, but the less artificial sweeteners and additives I have in my diet, the less I want them. However I am completely satisfied and do not feel deprived.

@@erp - I think what's getting lost in this discussion is whether or not it is possible to follow a bariatric diet without eating fake foods. If splenda and such work for you, go for it. There just happen to be some of us who prefer not to, or in my case are literally healthier without since I am severely allergic. The OP was asking if she could do this without fake foods. Fat free milks are slightly different than using splenda instead of sugar. There are no chemical additives. Fat free milk is typically just a matter of removing the milk fats from milk. IIRC they just spin it in a centrifuge and since the cream or fat is separated as it sinks or floats. The greek yogurt I eat is 0% because it's made from fat free milk.

I bought mine from The Vitamin Shoppe. The smallest size it comes in is 2lb canister. Save your receipt and if you do not like it you can return it.

@@Grateful_Love - I have experienced no chalk or grit in the time that I have been using it. I don't drink crystal lite so I don't know if a chemical reaction occurs with using them together, but I doubt it would. I personally found the Isopure an easy way to add protein to my normal foods.

Why worry about what others eat? The way this thread is titled sounds very judge-y. If the question is where is the restriction, then I'll say this: you have to work the program. The sleeve limits the amount you can eat in one sitting, but it's still up to you to make good food choices. Focus on yourself and your choices. Do not compare yourself to others either positively or negatively.

Find some new friends. Channel that hurt into new social situations. Join a few groups on meetup .com or sign up for a class at the local community college. True friends would not shun you because of you size or be threatened by your weight loss. You deserve better. I would never accept that in my life. If you like me, you like me for who I am, not my physicality.

Hello, try doing a search on what to bring to the hospital. You'll find several threads with lots of helpful tips.

@@genise82 - It's taken me 4 mths to find a Protein powder I like. I finally tried Isopure Naked whey. Also known as unflavored protein. The only ingredient is whey protein isolate (26 gms per scoop). I mix it in my hot tea, in my soup, in 50/50 diluted apple juice and in my greek yogurt. I even mixed it in Water. It made it cloudy but didn't change the taste.

"Like you're supposed to." - WUT? When is the last time you lost 22lbs in a month? Stick to your program. Protein first, get your fluids and some form of physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, even if it's just walking. You sound like you're on your way to me.

@@onikenbai - When I went to my first WLS appointment I introduced myself to the nurse as May Cause. She looked confused since that was not the name on the chart. I asked her, "you know how on every prescription in the fine print it says 'may cause X,Y or Z in 1/10000 people? ' that's me, I'm *may cause*" She laughed but she got the point. Part of what was so difficult about my chronic conditions it the meds that are commonly used to treat them would trigger my allergies. Long story short, I look up the side effects of every medication I am every prescribed. I am not trying to tell the doctors their job but I know for me that I have to be vigilant for the potential side effects. As for what you are dealing with now. See if your doctor can prescribe aqua therapy for you. It's a gentler way to get you moving and may help alleviate some of the soreness in your joints and bones from the fribro.