BarrySue

I usually deal with discomfort/pressure/pain for 20-30 minutes after eating something my finicky, picky, annoying sleeve doesn't like (which is like, every food I try to eat). Tunafish was one of those "safe" foods I've loved my whole life, but I can't eat it now because it also gives me trouble.

Nurse here, a few tips: 1. Don't use hydrogen peroxide! It can cause further tissue damage! 2. If it is the incision your drain came out of, it may have slight yellow/red drainage that is not the result of infection. Look for other signs (is the area swollen, a deeper/broader red than your other wounds, does it smell, does it look like Fluid is accumulating under the skin? Do you have a fever, chills, or any other sign of an infection?) 3. Use mild unscented soap and Water to clean the wound, unless your doctor prescribes something specifically for you 4. Keep it dry! Put a clean piece of gauze over it to keep moisture and sweat from accumulating. If your breast lies directly over the sight, it is especially important to keep the wound dry as there is a stronger chance of microbe buildup. 5. All of this is simply advice and should be secondary to calling your surgeon first and foremost.

Honestly, this is not a question you can have the answer to until after your surgery. Some people heal faster, some people feel more soreness, some people have complications, some people are jogging at two weeks (yipe, I wouldn't risk that). My recommendation would be to take six weeks off, and let your employer know there is a chance you may be cleared to return earlier. If you feel better and a doc agrees, you can always go back sooner. As a former waitress, I probably would've had to wait longer to go back to serving than I did at my current job. I think about squatting to pick up glass racks or sweeping under a table and it makes me stomach hurt!

Mine goes down to the upper 40's when I'm on pain meds and sleepy. It's fine. Hell, there are some athletes and super healthy people that will breathe 6-8 breaths a minute because their bodies are simply that efficient.

Gherlin is the hunger hormone, but also not the primary reason we overeat to the point that our BMIs are insanely high. They can remove the hormone producing parts of your stomach, but they cannot cure "head hunger," the compulsive, nagging, twitchy part of you that has you walking to the fridge constantly and opening it, or craving something sweet/salty to distract you. The psychological aspects cannot be healed by any surgery.

My doctor ALWAYS recommends the most expensive option first. He's pushing the 40k duodenal switch, then tries to negotiate bypass at 30k, then grudgingly agrees to do the sleeve (he does not perform lap-band). He does this with everyone starting at the information session regardless of BMI, co-morbidities, age, or any other factors. The cynic in me says it's a money thing, but he always shows the numbers where the more extreme the procedure, the greater the weight loss is (although sometimes not by much). Just try to remember that doctors see statistics, not necessarily individuals. *You* know yourself, and you have to do the research and figure out what is best for you. I personally did not want the nutritional deficiencies, and since I'm young, have no problems with mobility, and don't have any co-morbidities, I went with the sleeve anyhow. And I'm VERY happy with that decision.

If you tell one person, you risk everyone knowing. I would tell NO ONE at work. They aren't entitled to know why you need time off, and if you inform one co-worker, everyone will be privy to the information. Also, because nothing is guaranteed and the situation can change on a time, I would avoid telling anyone until the surgery date is set in stone.

banana, Soup, low-fat cheese, couple ounces of no-bean chili mixed with a bit of low-fat cheddar, few slices of lean deli meat, and fairlife milk either hot with sugar-free cocoa mix or cold with sugarfree strawberry syrup. Those are the only things I've had over the past month that didn't make me feel sick or doubled over in pain. Even yogurt became really off-putting to me (everything is suddenly too sweet!) Protein shakes make me ill. Even my pain meds make me ill. My sleeve hates almost everything, lol. Down 43 lbs, but it's pretty miserable not being able to eat anything. I think I'll feel better when I start work and school again (three more days, Jesus!)

I had pizza last night and was so surprised and scared that I didn't feel full off of one slice. I stopped after that one though. Did you feel full from 2 slices? Pizza is my favorite food. I couldn't get through half a slice of thin crust. It was so disappointing!

I will be a month post-op on Tuesday, down 43 lbs. My tastes have changed quite a bit, basically limited to three or four things like don't gross me out or cause me pressure/pain. I'm having trouble getting above 500 calories per day because of it. Ugh, can't wait for my sleeve to heal more so I can tolerate meat!

As a nurse, I can tell you that having a BM every 2-3 days is within normal limits. In fact, believing that you need to pass stool every day is what leads many people to laxative abuse. Additionally, given the extremely restrictive diet and consuming liquids, this is fine. Unless you actively feel constipation and colonic pressure and need to poop but can't, it is acceptable.

That's why we're preaching Fairlife! It's ultra-filtered to remove sugars and lactose, and it packs 14g of protein and 1/3 of daily calcium in ONE cup. For me, someone who can be sensitive to higher amounts of lactose, it's a godsend. Almond milk had more carbs and less protein for me. How you manage to find so much success as vegan is AMAZING. It's hard enough as a carnivore trying to cobble a decent diet together!

Some places apparently have an 11oz size, but I've never seen it at my local shops. Glad to know it doesn't last well. The expiration date on mine is way off, but I'm about to leave town and won't crack open a new one just in case!

It may depend on your region, but it is sold at most grocery stores and as well as places like target and walmart.

Fairlife milk with sugarfree strawberry or chocolate syrup. Or served hot with diet cocoa mix. I am seriously starting to feel like a Fairlife salesperson, lol. Beyond that, I mostly just do water.

If it's in your chest, it may be reflux in your esophagus. When you said throat, I thought you meant airway. In any case, check with your doctor. Hopefully you are on nexium, protonix, or some sort of antacid.

Glad you liked it! Like I said, it was a total game-changer for me and goes down so easy. I hope you try sugarfree chocolate or strawberry syrup for a cold treat, or the diet cocoa mix (not the sugar free, diet has fewer cals/carbs) for a hot treat!

Honestly, you may simply be getting sick and have the beginnings of a sore throat.

Yeah, I had the sleeve, and did three weeks of pre-op dieting.

Yep. On July 13th, in a hospital not far from you (Orlando ). Down almost 40 lbs as of today.

As long as you keep doing what you're doing, it'll be fine. Your body is not magic, it is not above physics, it will follow endothermic/exothermic reactions and burn fat if you are sticking to the diet. The 3-week stall is a rite of passage. Consider it your initiation into the Loser's club.

Quest energy bars have some of the most delicious flavors! It doesn't feel like punishment to eat them.

I was beginning to have this problem before surgery, and I'm only 31 with no kids! I'm a nurse, and before that, I was a waitress, so my whole life I've held it for 10-12 hours. Add that with extreme obesity weakening the pelvic floor and putting pressure on the bladder, and wham! Problems. Stress incontinence can be a combination of factors, so eliminating obesity may go a long way in easing your symptoms. However, it may also be a result of multiple childbirths. I'd definitely recommend seeing a urologist and figuring out whether you need surgery to stabilize your bladder/internal muscles.

"Sorry, on my period right now and I feel so gross and bloated, ugh." If it's a woman, they'll sympathize. If it's a man, they'll shut up immediately.

Once I topped nearly 350 lbs and started getting scared about loss of mobility (I'm a pediatric nurse, so I'm up and down chasing after kids all day), I started to consider it. But what really sealed the deal was winning a prestigious scholarship and not being sure I needed to take time off and try to save money. But when my mother offered to loan me the money up front so I could get it done before starting the next leg of my education, it got very real very fast. After all, what was the point of going to grad school if I'd be dead or disabled in 10 years?