ShrinkingPeach

I was sleeved May 15th and also had a hiatal hernia repair. I was done as an outpatient and had liquid hydrocodone for pain. I took it faithfully for 2 days as prescribed every 4 hours...then day 3 I went to 6 then 8 hours and day four I took none. My pain really was only ever mild. The only time I really felt tender was when I got up or sat down. Overall I was really surprised at how pain free I was.

No sense in starting off cheating as recommended by@@SaintTeresa. A lack of willpower has gotten us to where we are now. I applaud you for following your doctor's orders. The ability to do the right thing now means you are more likely to succeed later. Everyone says look what I did and nothing happened with all kinds of things in life but there are reasons why we have these rules. Someone has ignored them and paid a price, don't let it be you. I am continually amazed by people on here who say, "sure go ahead and eat it". Way to be supportive. Way to help when someone is trying to stick to their plan. There always has to be one bad apple.

I was on the pain meds for 3 days after surgery. I did every 4 hours at first as prescribed then I started stretching them out until I was at 8 hours, then quit. I am on a whole regimen of Vitamins per my surgeon and he also said not to start taking them until a week post-op.

Congrats on your weight loss! You look amazing and I bet you feel even better. Thank you for sharing as that gives me such inspiration. I hope to be where you are at that point! Great job!

So sorry for your flare up, I have no experience in that area. As for the straw, my nutritionist said 2-3 months but I am better able to get my liquids in with one so I started at 5 weeks out. It didn't cause me any problems. Good luck and I hope you get through your flare up soon!

Whatever you are mixing with your Protein shake, Water or milk product, you can use more to thin it out. The issue I had was the thickness of it with the tightness of my sleeve after surgery. I would try again when you can. The most important thing initially is to stay as hydrated as possible and the protein will come as you heal. It is very difficult for most, as it was for me, for me to get those Fluid levels they want you to attain initially. Good luck and just try a small amount to start!

How very brave of you to share your story. Thank you for your post. Congrats on your progress and wishing you continued success. Isn't it amazing to see the changes from week to week? Keep posting and letting us know how you do. Thanks again for sharing!

Good luck to you both and wishing you much success! Your lives are about to change forever! Enjoy the ride and wishing you both smooth surgeries. Keep us posted on your progress!

Agreed with @sleevenv. The plan is to eat healthy and exercise so in a way you will be doing the things they say but with an added tool of the surgery. If you don't wish to tell them then don't. You should only share with those that will support you not tear you down. When they ask what you are doing then you can say that you are eating healthier and exercising. It is none of their business unless you want it to be. Good luck!!

I don't mix with Water as all fluids count toward your daily goal. I do use unsweetened almond milk with my Protein shakes. How far post-op are you? If you must use water I have the Syntrax nectar are tolerable.

Glad things went well and you are feeling so well. Keep us posted on your progress and successes. Welcome to the losers bench as they say!

Welcome! Your date will be here before you know it! Less than 30 days away! Good luck and wishing you a smooth surgery. Which procedure are you having?

Have faith this will happen. Sometimes it happens in its own time and sometimes it is when it is supposed to happen and not when we want. Hang in there and keep us posted. Sending prayers your way for approval...

At this point you are definitely still healing so you should be getting tired sooner. I have heard of some folks who have had their sleeping patterns changed after surgery. I also now sleep through the night and early on I was ed and went to bed early. It is much better now at 6 weeks out for me.

The pre-op diet is to shrink the liver to assure a safer surgery so they can retract it without damage to get to the stomach. All doctors are different but the length of pre-op diet ties in with your BMI and how much they need it to shrink. Some people feel hunger the day of surgery and some don't for a long time, that is also different by person. For some it is head hunger but for some it is the genuine thing. As for me, I am 6 weeks out and no hunger.

That is totally normal. The majority of the volume of your foods should be Protein and good veggies. You could always up the calories with less than healthy choices but of course that is what we want to avoid. If eating properly you should be able to stay full and eat healthy at 600 calories.

Welcome to the family. Ask questions and read the posts here. Research, research, research. the more you know what to expect and do, the more successful you will be. Good luck with your journey!

Going to dinner tonight with a group of former co-workers. We have dinner about twice a year to catch up and stay in touch. They have not seen me in over 6 months and I am down 67 pounds. Nervous to see them because I am not going to be telling them about surgery but excited to see what they say about how I look. How has it gone for everyone when you see someone you haven't seen in a while? What do they say to you?

I used premade shakes for work and used mix at home. I also have the Blender Bottle with the compartments for powder from Target.

Congrats! Very happy for you and know that you are very excited and anxious to get started. Wishing you much success!

Even before surgery our weight fluctuates daily, some days we have more Water retention, some days less etc. It is o different now. I can't help myself I weigh every day sometimes and every other day sometimes but sunday morning is my official weight for the week. I try not to get too obsessive with a sale I wouldn't dare get on before. Good luck and try to create a stress-free relationship with that darned scale... Oh! And even when the scale doesn't move you are still losing inches so take your measurements if you haven't already and redo them weekly or bi-weekly etc.

6 weeks out and no issues here, have at it!

lol me too...thought your ticker wasn't ticking right! Glad to know it is fine! Good luck!

Hi Leesa and welcome into the light! For my first appointment with my surgeon my vitals (weight, height, BP and temp) were taken. I saw him for the consult where he asked about my weight history and attempts at dieting and what happened. He asked did I have any thoughts on what procedure I wanted and I told him I wanted the sleeve because I already have Vitamin deficiencies and the malabsorption of the RNY seemed to not be a good fit for me. I also did not want the lap band because for me I didn't want a foreign body in me and I didn't want to have to have "fills" done forever. He aged that the sleeve was a great option for me. After seeing him I was taken to their insurance person who went over my coverage and gave me a checklist of things to get done and paperwork to gather. I had to do blood work, an upper GI, an EKG, I had to get a letter of recommendation for the procedure from my primary care, I had to get copies of doctor notes from my primary care for 2 years. Most of those things were required by my specific insurance. She gave me an overview of the process and what to expect with timing. Then I saw the nutritionist for an initial conversation. She asked me about eating habits and gave me a copy of the diet that would be required prior to surgery. For me I had to do a 2 week pre-op diet to shrink my liver to make surgery less risky. As far as pro's and con's of the procedures I can't answer those but I will say that I see a lot of folks who had lap bands being revised to sleeves here. The sleeve is a relatively newer procedure but seems to be taking the place of the lap band. For questions I would ask if a hospital stay is required (I was done as an outpatient) Ask about pre-op visits as well as hat they require post-op (when you will see him) Everyone is different and your weight loss is a percentage so there is no specific goal to ask about typically. Ask about the pre-op diet and what their plan is post-op (every surgeon seems to be different) Call your insurance and ask for a copy of the coverage for bariatric surgery. They will mail you a copy of what is required and covered. I did that because the surgeons office asked for a copy. Good luck!

Congrats on your success and a couple reasons to celebrate! Way to go!!