Edavidson

Gary823 Congratulations! 15 lbs. in four days is awesome! Keep up the good work we are all proud of you.

I stay hungry all of the time but I don't eat much either. It is still very hard for me to get 800<br />calories in a day. I keep premium protein drinks in my fridge. They really fill me up and it keeps<br />me from eating things I shouldn't. The sleeve is just a tool to help you control your eating. Try<br />to stick to the high protein diet and don't give in to your hunger. If you eat protein and drink<br />the shakes you will do better. I agree with everyone else, stay away from carbs as much as you can.<br />Don't give up, you don't want all that you went through to be for nothing. Good luck to you.

sorry, I hit enter to by mistake: blockages. I had emergency surgery on a Sunday night and they had to put a mesh across my entire abdominal wall. I was in the hospital a week, went home and they had to do another surgery four days later. It was the most horrific pain I have ever been in. My advise to anyone is if you think something is wrong and your Dr. is not giving you the answers you need find another Dr. Don't let it go thinking it is normal or it will get better. Now that I am well and back to normal I don't regret having the surgery. I feel like a new person, most of my weight is gone. I have 40 more lbs. to lose and I will be at my goal. It is wonderful to buy pretty clothes and not have to buy from the plus size catalogs.

I have heard of blood clots after surgery and that is why they tell you to walk as much as you can. I had a horrible experience with my sleeve but it was not blood clots. A friend of mine had shoulder pain for about four months. I am not able to lift weights, push, pull or tug but I walk all of the time. That has helped me overcome a lot of post-op problems. When I went in for surgery I had a thin abdominal wall that no one was aware of. Every incision I had from sleeve to prior surgeries developed a tear. I had over 30 hernias and I had a strangulated bowel, perforations and

All sleevers have different experiences with their surgery. Some do great and others not so good. The important thing to remember is that whether you have the perfect post op experience or a bad one the end result is worth anything that you go through. Your life will change forever and you will feel great when all is said and done. This website has answered so many of my concerns and I have had great encouragement. If it were not for this site I don't know if I would have been so supportive of the surgery. I did not do well but the results have been so worth it. When you see those who have met their goals and read their stories it motivates you to push forward. Do everything your surgeon and nurses tell you to do and you will be fine. It is rare that something will go wrong. There are more positive stories than bad ones. Good luck to you on your journey and new life.

LipstickLady: You are so beautiful, what an inspiration for those of us still trying to reach our goal. I can't wait to say "I did it".

Downsizing Annie: Amen! Couldn't have said it better myself. One day, I will be able to eat without getting sick. Even after 4 months post op I can hardly eat, maybe two ounces of soft food and protein drinks. I went with my friend to Long Horn just to get a steak. Ate one bite and got sick, but it sure did taste good.

bluegrass: OMG, how can you eat after surgery? It is so hard just to drink liquid, I just can't imagine. That is a sad story... It does happen though

When you have the surgery in Mexico do you have to do the pre-diet? How do they know if you are healthy enough? I believe all of my problems were because I was in such bad health. What if something goes wrong? Do you have to go back to Mexico? Priley: I had the same issues as you are having, it will get better. Hang in there and give yourself time to heal. You will be happy when all of that weight just melts away.

Thank you for your reply, it is good that there are options for those who have to pay out of their own pocket. I had never heard of having surgery in Mexico. If I had not been able to have the surgery in the U.S. I would have looked for other options.

I am just curious as well, does it have anything to do with insurance or something.

I am curious, why do so many people go to Mexico to have gastric sleeve/lap band surgeries. I am always reading posts about surgery in Mexico. Why not have it done in the states?

I am sure that most of us had thoughts similar to yours when we were put on our liquid diets. I actually did three weeks of liquid and was 6 lbs. heavier on surgery day. They didn't seem to mind. I was faithful to the end. I didn't even gorge myself on my favorite foods. I was so ready to lose weight that nothing could have tempted me. Each person is different and we all have a story to tell post-op. You will not believe how much better you feel when the weight comes off. I don't think there are words to describe the feeling of not being morbidly obese after so many years of being ashamed and humiliated. Best of luck to you.

skmnine: stay positive... Remember, 99.9 % of sleevers never have a problem. You will do just fine. You will not regret your decision, what a difference it makes in the way you feel.

Fortunately 99.9 percent of all surgeries go without incident. I am so happy for those who are about to have their surgeries. The difference in the way you feel is so dramatic that you wish you had done something sooner. I am 61 years old and have been overweight all of my childhood and adult life. For the first time I can see my feet while standing up straight. Even though I have had a rough four months, I am not sorry. My PCP is trying very hard to get me back on my feet and she is always reminding me of what I have accomplished. If you hit a snag after surgery, rise above it. Be strong and keep a positive attitude. Like my beautiful daughter is always telling me, "it is what it is" mom. This too shall pass and you will be a stronger person for seeing it through.

Merrill, I am in Jacksonville, Florida. You have made a very important decision to take back your health and live a longer more full feeling life. Don't let others discourage you. I had both positive and negative attitudes from family and friends. Now all I get is positive feedback. They can see the difference in my health and disposition. This is not an easy way to go, you are changing your life forever. This is a great website for encouragement and happy endings. You have everyone pulling for you and we want to see you succeed. Good luck to you

chickenbugg: Best of luck to you and keep me posted on your progress. I will do the same. You want believe how much better you will feel. I think when we are overweight for so long we don't even realize how much our body hurts. I was on major narcotics just to be able to walk and get to work. I had congestive heart failure, chronic back and leg pain. Now, with so much weight gone, eventhough I have had a hard time, I am a different person. I am off almost all of my medicine and havevery little join pain. Take care and good luck to you.

Good luck to all of you on your journey to a new and better you. Losing the weight gives you such a feeling of pride and accomplishment. Just follow your Doctor's orders and stick to the plan. I have lost 76 lbs. since December 10, 2014. I am about to reach my four month mark. Each person has a different experience after the surgery. I have three colleagues that had no problem at all. I was a different story. However, I am still proud of the weight loss and no matter if you have a good experience or a bad one the end result is worth everything. I truly wish you the best.

Chickenbugg... Thank you so much for your response. I didn't want to frighten anyone but wanted to share my thoughts on what I have gone through. I know that a few months from now when I have reached my goal and I am healthy again I will be so very happy for my decision to take my life back and live longer. There is nothing like being able to walk without a cane for the first time in years and not to suffer with my back. I know that the sleeve surgery is a safe surgery and anyone with a severe weight problem should seek help. Being overweight is the most miserable, debilitating problem that I have had in my lifetime. I was so close to death from my obesity and now I know that I am going to be o.k. Good luck to you and thank you for your encouraging words.

I have not posted anything since the beginning of February. I had my surgery on December 10, 2014 and have not been well since. I have had two more major surgeries and I am still vomiting or sick at my stomach all day. My primary care physician is trying to get me back to normal. My bowels will not work without massive doses of prescription laxatives. I have lost a lot of weight but my overall health is the pits. I have many friends who have had the same surgery and had no problems at all. I just would like to say that anytime you have a major surgery there is always that small chance that something will go wrong. I was one of those very few. There have been some good things from the surgery, my back is so much better and my feet and legs. I do not have to use a cane anymore. I guess you have to take a chance and take the good with the bad. I really believe that the surgery is a good thing and saves more lives than it takes away. My point is to be ready for anything because you get more than you have bargained for. I have lost 76 lbs. in four months.

I will talk to my surgeon regarding the Omeprazole OTC. I have had so many responses to my problem with nausea and vomiting. So many encouraging words and advise. I don't know what I would have done without this website. I feel so discouraged that I can't get a handle on this by myself. The hardest part is getting sick at work, it is very humiliating. I actually read that some surgeons believe the patient has a psychological problem. That really made me feel like an idiot. I personally don't believe it is from my surgery because I feel I would have a fever or something. Hopefully the upper GI will eliminate that diagnosis. I am going to see my family physician as well this week. She will find out what is wrong or at least give me something for the severe nausea. Until I am going to the drug store and purchase the Omeprazole and see if that will help. Thank you all so much for the assistance. I still believe the surgery was not a mistake and at some point I will feel normal again. For those who are having the same symptoms, hang in there because it has to get better eventually.

I called my surgeon and they are going to do an upper GI to try and find out why I am throwing up and can't eat. I sure hope this will put me on the right track to recovery.

I took your advise, I called my surgeon. I can't keep this up

I met my daughter today for lunch at Sonny's Bar-B-Cue and I had a cup of their Chicken Noodle soup. My sister had given me some nausea pills so I took one of those before I left work to meet her. For the first time in the two months since my surgery I was able to eat the broth from the soup and didn't get sick. I know that doesn't sound dramatic to most but it was a great victory for me. Oh God, I hope I am getting better. What a ride this has been... I hope I will be able to keep this up. It is go nice to be able to share my thoughts and road blocks with others.

Do you eat solid food? I am only two months post op so maybe I will get better over time. I am very exhausted all of the time and i assumed it was from not being able to eat solid food but maybe this is normal. Thank you for your post, it was very encouraging.