Bacon-n-Limes

Interesting development... I was sleeved on 1 Dec 2015. I'm down about 75 lbs today at almost 6 months. Dealt with hair loss that started suddenly at the beginning of March and (mostly) stopped around the middle of May. Now it's June and hot outside. I work a weekend job that has me walking in a large parking lot for 6-7 hours on Saturday and Sunday. I used to put away a couple of gallons of water/Gatorade easily. Now I have a capacity problem. My sleeve lets me take in about 5 ounces at a time. I can tell I'm getting dehydrated, but I don't know what to do about it. I wear a Camelbak and alternate Water and diet Gatorade, but I'm still getting the headache and stupid feeling that warn me that I need more fluids. I didn't anticipate this.

In case anyone wanders by here and has the same concern... My doc gave me a depo shot and everything has been fine since. I laughed when she said it could cause weight gain.

I was sleeved in December 2015 and MzB nailed it. Especially about the hair loss.

I was accepted, but I don't know how my sleep apnea was presented to insurance. I was prescribed a CPAP, couldn't tolerate it, and ended up with a dental device.

All the prep I did at home was NOT helpful. I bought some Soup, but only ate one can because I didn't enjoy how salty everything tasted. (The low-sodium broth was better, but I didn't need a whole carton of it.) Popsicles were my staple - I made my own out of Kool-aid powder and Splenda. I slso got too much Jell-o and never touched the boxes of pudding I bought. The liquid phase, while it seemed like forever, really went by quickly. If I had it to do over, I'd get two cans of soup, two boxes of Jell-o, two boxes of pudding... Just two of whatever is on your list that you'll like, and then wait to get the rest. You're going to want to get out of the house and trip to the store for a few things is sufficiently tiring. Plus one can of soup is like 6 meals. Tip: I stocked up on those little 4-oz. condiment-sized containers that Rubbermaid and Glad make and portioned everything out into those when I made something. I write what it is on freezer tape. This has been helpful. I grab a Breakfast and a lunch from the fridge and toss them in my bag for work. No guessing on size and the prep is already done. It's helped me get an idea of what 1/4 cup looks like. By the way, if you slip up and eat something not on your list, it's not the end of the world. Some people get upset that they "cheated." I needed to eat a cocktail weenie with barbecue sauce at my company holiday party. I chewed it well and enjoyed it thoroughly. The world did not end, the Bariatric Police didn't raid my home, I didn't get sick from it, and it has more Protein than the ambrosia salad that I would have loaded up on presurgery. (French fries might be something to avoid for a while, just sayin'.) My point is that you don't benefit from beating yourself up for testing your sleeve. If you eat something you shouldn't, it'll be okay. It will either be a nonevent, or you'll feel really crappy for several hours and you probably won't do that again. I'm starting soft foods tomorrow and will share how that goes.

The staples were external on the incisions and were surprisingly big and scary looking. They cut them in half with a nipper and pulled the halves out with a twist and a rug. I'm pretty sure the surgeon said that there were also staples inside that they left in. I'll have to ask. It's been almost 4 weeks and the scarring is very minimal. One just looks like a little scratch.

Nobody told me about this! What is happening?! I haven't had a period since my endometrial ablation in 2009. Now I've been taken down completely for four days with cramps and, without being too descriptive, an apparent slaughterhouse of a period. I was sleeved on Dec 1. The explanations I've found online say that hormones in fat are the culprit, and this article (http://www.everydayhealth.com/pms/weight-and-your-cycle.aspx) might kind of explain it, but the ablation was supposed to end this sort of problem. For those of you who have more post-surgery time logged, will this be part of the new me? Do men experience a hormonal disturbance as well? And at less than a month out, what is safe to take for pain? The liquid kiddie Tylenol isn't helping at all.

Rethink that Nissen!! Seriously. Did your surgeon talk to you about the Torax Linx? It was FDA approved a few years ago and is a game changer. I wasn't willing to deal with the side effects of a Nissen wrap, and this was a perfect solution. Plus it doesn't require any rerouting and won't impede a sleeve.

Wait...

First follow up today. Everything looks good. The hiccups are most likely a signal to stop eating or drinking. Milk is probably causing the gas pains. (Once lactose intolerant, always lactose intolerant.) My inability to swallow the foul concoction the hospital sent home with me for reflux isn't a dealbreaker -- if I can swallow a pill, I can take that route. And yes it's 100% true: NEVER trust a fart.

Update I accidentally discovered something today that might make your ride home more comfortable. I live in MN, so weather is a real consideration when planning outdoor activities. We've had a run of 40-something degree days that are apparently about to end, so I decided that I really need to get my bike home from the shop today or I'd very likely get stuck paying for winter storage. It's less than 20 miles, so I risked it. The ride was chilly but uneventful. My biggest worry was that bouncing would be really uncomfortable, because it still is when I'm in the car, and this is a dirtbike, so the seat it like riding a cinder block. No need to worry -- the position I was in while riding made it perfectly comfortable, bumps and everything. It's more like being on a bicycle and leaning forward than sitting straight up on a chair. I can't drive in that position, but as a passenger later on, it worked. Just an idea...

I did have the IV removed right before, but they told me the day before that I could take one anytime. I just didn't feel like dealing with wet hair, so I waited. I reckon you'd want to ask your nurse, but I can't see why it would be a problem.

Hey everyone, I'm a week out today (Dec 1) and damn, I feel good! I wrote a post in the pre-op section called "What to expect at the hospital" about my experience with the U of M (and Fairview). If anyone comes here looking for recommendations, I'd give two thumbs up to the team over there. I started at Park Nic and felt that something wasn't right. They wanted me to go to treatment for a binge eating disorder that no one else in my healthcare corral has ever seen evidence of. There were some other things that put me off, too, but that was the biggest one. I really didn't want to start over, but I felt more strongly that I needed to feel confident about my team. Things got a little sketchy right at the end, but it all worked out and now I'm sipping Crystal Light with the other Losers.