ValerieDee1975

I'm also looking for unflavored ideas...I bought the NOW Pea Protein from Amazon...NEVER GET THIS...it is NASTY and makes everything you put it in NASTY! lol

I'm about 2 months out and were as most of the time I am loosing or maintaining...there have been a few times I have gone up a little...but no more than like 2lbs....mainly it is caused by constipation or period crap...a couple of times it's cause I have eaten horribly the day before and not gotten in enough liquid and protein

Hi, I take even more than that and my surgeon had me change everything over to liquid or chewable, well, turns out I did not need it, I was taking a few of my really need meds the evening of my surgery...now, everyone is different so if your surgeon wants you to switch, do it! better safe than sorry....I can take my handful now, just get heartburn ever so often BTW, I wasn;t told that I need to change them until a week prior to surgery and had to scuttle...so ask your surgeon asap to give yourself time to get it all ready...some insurances will require preauth and that can take time......good luck!!

You will be fine...I cheated and had a lot more than that and my surgery was beyond textbook....did so well...please don't worry about it!

Hi Krystyne! I'm Valerie, I had the sleeve done on May 13, 2015, I am down 39 lbs. as of this morning! I highly recommend to anyone interested to watch the surgery on YouTube, fascinating! And as a nursing student, it should creep you out It's actually a fairly fast surgery and I had watched it several times before my own. I have had ups and downs since of course (constipation, heartburn, etc....just getting used to the new pouch [named her Rosarita btw since she loves Mexican food lol]) There is so much to research and I had researched WLS for about 17 years before I finally did it. ​I give you mad props for canceling before! If it doesn;t feel right or if you aren;t ready...DO NOT DO IT! Do not let ANYONE pressure you into anything like this...it is a MAJOR life change and you must do it for you, when and if you are ready. This time for me, pre surg weight loss seemed easier (lost 62 pounds before surgery from my highest weight of 383 last year) and I had no butterflies at all...I was SO ready and I do not regret it for one second, no matter what (so far ) Good Luck!!

Hey, for the nerves, if it's really bad, they will give you something once they get your IV in. I wasn't nervous at all but they still gave me a relaxant (think this is standard, at least here in ROA VA) I have sleep apnea and they only intubated me once I went to sleep and took it out before I woke up...they WILL NOT place it while you are awake...please trust in that.....just try to relax as much as possible, in no time at all you will be on the other side and feeling better and better! I have not used my CPAP since my surgery and feeling great, don;t feel the need for it (nothing official yet) When I woke up (became aware) I was already in recovery, very groggy, but felt fine...nurse kept hollering at me to take deep breaths (need to expel all that C02) but I kept falling back asleep lol....by the time I was taken to my room, all was good, felt great, even moved myself to my bed from the gurney...the nurses were surprised...pain had not kicked in yet...but you get a pain med pump soon after...still I didn't really have all that much pain (high tolerance myself) You will do great! Good Luck!!

I was sleeved on 5/13 and my BMI was about 58/59 and as of this morning I am down 33.8 lbs. Everyone is different though I can't work out as much as some due to a low back problem, but I am working this sleeve as much as I can Good Luck!! I was sleeved on 5/13 and my BMI was about 58/59 and as of this morning I am down 33.8 lbs. Everyone is different though I can't work out as much as some due to a low back problem, but I am working this sleeve as much as I can Good Luck!!

Ok, first...you are NOT a failure, you are human....and none of us would be getting surgery if giving up food was that easy Second, forgive yourself and move one...what you ate is nothing...I did MUCH worse before my surgery and it turned out great....the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver...mine was still big and it was ok. Our surgeries are tools, not miracles...we live and learn....it's gonna take a while to get used to , well, everything Forgive yourself and love yourself ...accept what you can handle and move on Good luck!

We can take Acetaminophen...hope that helps!

Hi Tom! First, Good Luck to you for your surgery, you'll do great! I am almost a month out from mine and doing much better than I ever expected Ok, my nutritionist gave the advice not to buy too much ahead of time mainly for the fact that sometimes our tastes change after surgery...not sure why, but it happens sometimes.....that has not been so in my case however, thank goodness. Being OCD myself, I ignored this and stocked up...broths, soups, NSA Popsicles, SF pudding and Jello, low sugar juices etc..and honestly I really didn't eat hardly any of it...the hunger just wasn't there, so I had to make myself eat several times a day.. At first don;t really worry about pushing to get in your protein amounts, etc....it will get easier...just focus of staying hydrated, resting and healing. I found that each day for over week, i would hit this "wall: where I just had to nap before I passed out Listen to your own body...sip sip sip your liquids (and remember, Jello, broth and Popsicles count as liquids ) Now, protein powders...everyone has their faves so you kind of have to figure that out on your own. I bought mine from Walmart or Amazon...I just got one each of Vanilla, chocolate and Unflavored..figured no matter what I added it to, one of those would work...the flavors so far are good (Six Star Pro Nutrition Whey Protein Elite Series in Vanilla Cream, Body Fortress Super Advances Whey Isolate in Chocolate) The unflavored i got makes pretty much everything a little nasty..mostly an aftertaste so I need another kind (Now Sports Pea Protein...got on Amazon) Same goes for Protein drinks (read made) trial and error...My fave is Boost...they make a Glucose Control one and i get it at the grocery store (Kroger) and I like both the vanilla and chocolate and they have 16 grams of protein. Atkins (Kroger also) is also pretty good with 15 grams and I have also tried Level Life (got at Walmart in the diabetic section) isn't too bad, a little aftertaste but doable, and has 15 grams of protein and only 1 gram of Sugar.....I was told our protein drinks should have less than 10 grams of sugar. About the vitamins and such, I also bought them ahead of time, via Amazon...most of what I am required to take, i was taking anyway due to low levels, I just had to increase the amount the spread them out through the day...I take them in gummy form, much easier. The requirements I was given was : 1- 500 mg calcium citrate with D3 3x a day 2- Adult Multivitamin 2x day (not within 2 hours of the calcium to maximize absorption) These are to be taken for the rest of your life, so find the best deal! I have also been taking a hair, skin and nails supplement for years they told me to keep taking if I want, it has Biotin which is good for your hair, to keep it and help it grow. They also gave a list that we may have to add later after our month check up: 1- 500 mcg per day of B12 (was taking for low levels but stopped just before surgery due to high levels, but they will check my levels next week) 2- 18-27 mg of Elemental Iron daily (this will back you up so take stool softeners {I was already on prescription Colace cause I take morphine daily} and Miralax has been a life saver {even liquid Magnesium Citrate in a pinch, it's cheap but may cause a little cramping but works in minutes}) Your docs should be monitoring all these levels over time anyway...it may take a while to get it all leveled out, but you will get there.I know it seems like so much info and so much to do but it will become easier and become second nature :)Good Luck! can I send you a private message sure you can...or you can email me directly at delaney75@hotmail.com....you can ask me anything...I'll try to help as much as I can Valerie

Hi Tom! First, Good Luck to you for your surgery, you'll do great! I am almost a month out from mine and doing much better than I ever expected Ok, my nutritionist gave the advice not to buy too much ahead of time mainly for the fact that sometimes our tastes change after surgery...not sure why, but it happens sometimes.....that has not been so in my case however, thank goodness. Being OCD myself, I ignored this and stocked up...broths, Soups, NSA Popsicles, SF pudding and Jello, low sugar juices etc..and honestly I really didn't eat hardly any of it...the hunger just wasn't there, so I had to make myself eat several times a day.. At first don;t really worry about pushing to get in your protein amounts, etc....it will get easier...just focus of staying hydrated, resting and healing. I found that each day for over week, i would hit this "wall: where I just had to nap before I passed out Listen to your own body...sip sip sip your liquids (and remember, Jello, broth and Popsicles count as liquids ) Now, protein powders...everyone has their faves so you kind of have to figure that out on your own. I bought mine from Walmart or Amazon...I just got one each of vanilla, chocolate and Unflavored..figured no matter what I added it to, one of those would work...the flavors so far are good (Six Star Pro Nutrition Whey Protein Elite Series in Vanilla Cream, Body Fortress Super Advances Whey Isolate in Chocolate) The unflavored i got makes pretty much everything a little nasty..mostly an aftertaste so I need another kind (Now Sports Pea Protein...got on Amazon) Same goes for Protein drinks (read made) trial and error...My fave is Boost...they make a Glucose Control one and i get it at the grocery store (Kroger) and I like both the vanilla and chocolate and they have 16 grams of protein. Atkins (Kroger also) is also pretty good with 15 grams and I have also tried Level Life (got at Walmart in the diabetic section) isn't too bad, a little aftertaste but doable, and has 15 grams of protein and only 1 gram of Sugar.....I was told our protein drinks should have less than 10 grams of sugar. About the vitamins and such, I also bought them ahead of time, via Amazon...most of what I am required to take, i was taking anyway due to low levels, I just had to increase the amount the spread them out through the day...I take them in gummy form, much easier. The requirements I was given was : 1- 500 mg Calcium Citrate with D3 3x a day 2- Adult Multivitamin 2x day (not within 2 hours of the calcium to maximize absorption) These are to be taken for the rest of your life, so find the best deal! I have also been taking a hair, skin and nails supplement for years they told me to keep taking if I want, it has Biotin which is good for your hair, to keep it and help it grow. They also gave a list that we may have to add later after our month check up: 1- 500 mcg per day of B12 (was taking for low levels but stopped just before surgery due to high levels, but they will check my levels next week) 2- 18-27 mg of Elemental Iron daily (this will back you up so take stool softeners {I was already on prescription Colace cause I take morphine daily} and Miralax has been a life saver {even liquid Magnesium Citrate in a pinch, it's cheap but may cause a little cramping but works in minutes}) Your docs should be monitoring all these levels over time anyway...it may take a while to get it all leveled out, but you will get there.I know it seems like so much info and so much to do but it will become easier and become second nature :)Good Luck!

Not sure if it's the same everywhere...but your doc or his/her office should tell you that....in my case, when I did the pre-op testing about a week before surgery, we went over all my meds and they told me which ones i could take that day. I had even had everything (almost) changed over to liquid or chewable beforehand. Once you are admitted, they will take over your meds...amazingly, I was actually able to take the pill form of my super needed ones (my morphine and lyrica) with no problems...just one at a time with tiny sips instead of taking them all ...but again, ask your docs office and make sure they are aware that those are ones that you cannot skip...they should be able to take it from there! Good luck!

I hear you...I am about 3 weeks post op (feels like longer) and still not feeling any real hunger...lots of head hunger...so much stuff smells and sounds good.....but I have thrown up once and I definitely DO NOT want to do that again I a tad ahead of the game, adding in a few things here and there and most I have no problems...grits are a no go (those are what I threw up)...the most amazing thing I have found that goes down really well is Taco Bell's pintos and cheese! I know...not supposed to have spicy, but I have no problems with it or the cheese, plus it's 11 grams of protein ok, sorry, got off topic kind of.....yes the head hunger will come back, but I have found it is much easier now to stop myself from actually going for it, where before I could justify just about anything to myself...don't do that now A bit of a paradigm shift for me ...it gets easier and better....just go with what YOUR body is telling you and you will be fine Good luck!

Try drinking more Water...it will help you pee more and that may help with the rest. Also, changing up what you eat, your work out routine and times....just making small changes could "wake up" your metabolism a bit and help! Good Luck!!

Hi! I am not in the same boat but I can give encouragement! With your co-morbidities, I can't see any reason why they would deny...as long as you have followed all the other "rules"....if you want, call the coordinator at your doc's office and ask about it, it's their job to deal with this stuff all the time so they may be able to help allay some of your fears about that Good luck! Personally, I am just over 2 weeks post-op (my BMI was over 60 and I have Medicare/Medicaid in VA...I'm 39 (on disability)) and it was the best decision I have ever made! I am down 22 lbs. so far and doing great...very little pain and hardly any "issues" See ya on the "other side!"

Katie! I am also just over 2 weeks post-op and I have found that a couple of those days I have seemed to gain a bit also...but have heart, also a day or two after I loose it and more...probably just hormone fluctuations or depends of you have peed, had a bm, what you ate, time of day, etc. lots of factors As long as it keeps going down, you are good I know it can be a bummer to see though...I was never one to keep getting on the scale but I find myself doing it at least once maybe twice a day We are still AWESOME!! Blessings!

Forgot to add...I have gotten into the habit of weighing just before bed each night...just to see how it's going...since my surgery on the 13th, I have lost 19 lbs. feeling pretty cool

I feel you with the liquids...I am using a 24 oz. bottle and am lucky to get in 2 fills a day...I do get some other stuff that is considered liquid...but it does seem to get easier. Can't gulp but can take close to the same as before surgery....just a teeny bits of pain (well, more like a pressure) if I do it too fast too often. I also found that I can get more in if i add flavors...like Crystal Light, etc. (anything without Aspartame, makes me sick) I was done on the 13th...been trying out new stuff all the time...getting sick of sweet stuff Cheezits go down really well for me and saltines now....can handle tuna or salmon if I chew really well and it's moist. Last night I had my worst experience since the constipation issue...ok, CANNOT do grits...the first time I tried they did fairly well but gave me some heartburn...last night, it got worse and I ended up throwing up everything...I hate vomiting, ugh!! Ok, no grits for me for a very LONG time Amazingly when I have been out and can't get anything soft...french fries are really tasty if chewed really well, like mashed potatoes I even took a tiny bite of my bf's hamburger patty and it did great, so I may try getting in a bit of ground beef or ground turkey next week...thinking maybe meatballs might work better than anything.....I am still having trouble getting all my Protein but am working on it...will be adding some Prostat soon (it's basically pure protein in honey like form..2 tblsp = 17 grams - My Mom used to take it for wound care) I think I am done rambling for now Thanks all! Take care! V

May I ask what you are doing to get your liquids in...I had my sleeve on May 13th and I am lucky to get in 48 oz.

I use VitaFusion gummies, tasty...just chew well and I have had no issues, been using since before my May 13 sleeve!

Just an FYI about larger livers...the diet preop is supposed to shrink it....even after a 2 week diet, my doc nicked mine and it bled some...she wasn't worried about it, it stopped soon after said I just might have a little more pain in that area...I haven't...but it still could have been worse

Tracie, I am glad I could be of help...good luck, sending you positive energies!! Val

I get how you feel...I did lot of saying goodbye to my fave foods...but guess what? Eventually you more than likely will be able to eat those things again or try new stuff...it may be a little while and only small bits at a time, but you will be able to...keep that in mind. I was told not to buy too much cause sometimes (for unknown reasons) that our tastes can change...like if you like chocolate pre you might not like the taste after...so far, that hasn't been true for me. I made up some sf choc pudding today with some added Protein Powder in chocolate and it is tasty! I recommend saying a good bye to your faves with the idea that it will be ok, if it takes a while to have again or never again....keeping it positive really does make it easier and the more positive you push yourself to be the more real it becomes Good Luck! V

Hi everyone!! Ok, just went through the most horrific thing. As you may know, i am about 5 days post op now and it's been going great...I have even lost about 8 lbs. since surgery. My doc's only hiccup (not really a worry) was that I hadn't had a BM...ok, the crap literally hit me today and just did not want to come out and I know we are not supposed to push really hard, but sometimes you can't help it...nothing was working. Some background: I take Morphine twice a day anyway for degenerative disc disease in my low back, so I have prescription Colace to take with it...no help. I finally had to call the on call doc at my hospital and he said I could take my liquid Magnesium Citrate (already had some in house cause my Mom used to use it) and to add a Miralax to my daily pill list as well as double up on my Colace. Well, I hadn't even drunk half of the Mag Cit (found mine at the local Dollar Tree! They are great for some stuff) when stuff started moving! The doc said that with that there may be more cramping, but at that point I didn't care, just wanted relief! I got it, after A TON of sweating, shaking, pleading, etc...it passed...THANK THE GODDESS!!! I feel so much better now! Moral to my story? Be prepared...even if you have never had any troubles in that area, have some stuff on hand, better safe than sorry! Sorry if this was too graphic for some, but we are talking about changing our anatomy and are all adults...this stuff is an issue and we need to talk about it...to help the next one be prepared if nothing else! Good luck to all those waiting and Welcome to the other side for our post ops! V

I am no expert, but I don;t think this would happen...I was only required to loose 10 lbs., but I lost over 30 lbs.....had no problem, however I have Medicare and they don;t preapprove...they approve after the surgery (I know, it's all backwards)...but I honestly don;t think you have anything to worry about. Good Luck! What do you mean they approve AFTER the surgery? I have Medicare too. I am not sure if Medicare is different in different states, I am in VA...and here Medicare doesn't do anything on a preapproval basis...they decide after the fact if the procedure was medically necessary....now most of the time this is no problem...however if at anytime the claim is denied, what usually happens here (My Mom worked in insurance for many years) is that your doctor appeals that and then there should be no worry....I have never heard of anything being ultimately turned down, so I say you have nothing to worry about....if you want to check it out for yourself...Medicare should have a website for your state and you can research until you feel better or ask your surgeon's office how it was handled in the past...if you have any questions, ask your doc's office, they employ people who it is their sole job to deal with this stuff...there are no dumb questions...ask a billion...that's what they get paid for I'll say good luck, but you don;t need it......actually Medicare is one of the easier to deal with (less preop rules) even though it is gov't which can be a pain in the ass Take it easy!! V