kranky813

I start mine on Friday but here are some suggestions that were given to me: Refried Beans - add some taco sauce and cheese to spice it up Ricotta Cheese - add some marinara or pesto sauce Cottage cheese plain or add some seasoning - I like to add the dry ranch mix to it Moist chicken (I bought some in a can) - puree it to applesauce and add your own flavorings (buffalo sauce, BBQ, etc...) Tuna pureed eggs with mayo and mustard Chili - pureed. I made a big batch a few weeks ago and froze small portions Any pureed Soups - cheesy broccoli, chicken noodle, beef barley, etc... Pureed Roast beef Hope those help. Otherwise google Eggface she has an amazing website with lots of recipes.

Thank you everyone! This is all some really good advice! I cannot wait to get started, I guess that means that I have to get up and start walking more I have never in my life thought of myself as a runner. I have always been the overweight kid/woman and honestly that thought of running intimidates me a little bit. Everyone's words have been so encouraging and I am going to get started ASAP! I'm 4 weeks out tomorrow and I think as a present to myself I am going to buy some really good running shoes.

I am 3.5 weeks post op and feel like I want to be a runner (one of my goals is to run a half marathon) How did you who are runners get started? I see so many of you that have completed 5k, 10k and up. I just want to make sure I am doing it the right way and not getting started too early.

Originally I was set to have 2 weeks off. After being readmitted to the hospital for 3 days due to dehydration in the beginning I decided to take another week off. I went back to work today and couldn't make it a whole day. I now have 2 more weeks off. So 5 weeks total. If you have the time use it. It's a complete lifestyle change and takes time to adjust.

I had a lot of the same fears. Being the bread winner at home really struck a cord with me. I honestly couldn't go on the way I was anymore. I felt horrible, had not self esteem and the path I was on was going to kill me the way it was. The risks of surgery are actually less than having your gall bladder out.

I can and do chew gum. My doc said if I swallow it that it can cause big problems so I just don't swallow it, lol. It helps me with the horrible breath.

Ohh sounds good, I honestly didn't think about that.

Weird question I know but I am curious to see if anyone is willing to share after pictures without having plastics? I know everyone is different but I am curious to see what the body will look like after I lose the weight. My Hubby and I paid out of pocket for surgery (17k) and I don't think it will be in the budget for plastics. My biggest problem areas are going to be my tummy, arms, butt and thighs. I will get some before pics of me to add so I can say I am sharing too. Thanks!

If the pain continues I would call your surgeon or go into the ER. It shouldn't be that bad. I will say that for me drinking the first few days was awful due to the swelling and spasms. I was re-admitted to the hospital for 3 days due to the fact that I was so dehydrated and it hurt so bad to drink. I didn't have a hernia so that could be adding to the discomfort. I will tell you that it does get better. Once the swelling goes down and the spasms stop. If you are experiencing spasms have the doc give you some Levsin to help. It dissolves in your mouth so you don't have to swallow it. Also try using Ice on your tummy/chest to help reduce some of the swelling. It will get better. You just have to suffer though it and be patient. I know that's not what you want to hear because it's not a quick fix, but it does get better. Also - sip, sip, sip. Sip though the pain. It sucks but it sucks even more to get dehydrated.

Walk, Walk, Walk. Trust me it's easier said than done. It's hard to do anything when you feel this miserable. I had a really rough 8 days. I cried all the time, regretted my decision and thought I was losing my mind because I was in so much misery. IT WILL GET BETTER!!! I promise!!! Drinking gets so much easier. If you can't handle the Protein drinks Mixed or not I found the best way for me to get the protein in was to take the Isopure Zero Carb pre-mixed clears (they can be expensive) I mixed 8oz of that with 8oz of Powerade Zero and 8oz of Water (ice if you can handle the cold). That got me in my liquids and some protein and I started to feel better the next day. The misery will subside and you will feel great, just keep walking and drinking.

Clears for 2 weeks, Full Liquid for 2 weeks, pureed for 2 weeks, Soft for 2 weeks then add in solids very slowly after that to see how it is tolerated. My surgeon and others are very conservative. My surgeon wouldn't touch me unless I agreed to follow his guidelines. He states that he is very protective of the sleeve. Once you get a leak it's very difficult to treat and can lead to months of nothing to eat or drink except a tube down your nose so I take his guidance very seriously. I DO NOT want to get a leak. Everyone heals at different rates and that is why some take such a conservative approach. Follow your doctors orders. I know it sucks as I am still on full liquids right now but after you get through the phases you won't even remember how sucky it really was. Right now your job is to protect the sleeve and still get in the nutrition that you need.

Just watch it closely. If you continue to throw up after eating everything call your surgeon, it could be a stricture.

Are you getting enough fluids in? Dehydration rears it's ugly head by bringing on nausea. Make sure you are drinking AT LEAST 64oz of Fluid every day. I find that sometimes I still will feel a little nauseated in the mornings. Once I start drinking and get some Protein down it goes away. If it doesn't stop try taking something for it.

My husband keeps telling me my breath smells like dead minnows, lol. The other night he was coming in to "make out" but had to turn his head away because he said the smell was so bad. I seriously laughed so hard I thought I would pop a stitch. Does anyone have a little bit of a sore throat with their bad breath. My throat has sort of an acidy taste to it and it's a little sore as well.

I was the same way about coffee until this morning. I have been craving a nice hot cup of coffee with cream... mmm... sounded so good. Until I took a drink this morning. I have horrible heartburn and my tummy hates me for it. *Sigh* I no longer want to drink coffee.

There are a lot of people who have given advice on this in the past. I am not to that point yet but one person posted that they will eat a tablespoon of Peanut Butter every night and that has helped. Others say that your body will adjust as you are able to eat more and you will slow down/stop.

How easy it is not to eat and drink and how fast dehydration could set in (hospitalized 2 times in the first week) How much I HATE drinking today, lol. I look at my 64oz and feel dread. I know it will get easier but ugh... anyway. How happy I was to take a bite of cream soup... OMG heaven! How frustrated I get when the scale doesn't move down every day. How even though I have lost almost 30 pounds my pants still fit the same (although my boobs shrunk YAY!!!) How tired I get. I am zonked out at 8:30 every single night. How sometimes when I see someone eating a huge piece of pizza I feel a little regret. How my hair is starting to feel dry and brittle. How I really want to get a tatoo on my wrist that says NTAGASF - Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. Just for me so that even in the hard times I can remember.

aaahhh I want to know this too! I love Sushi! I am only 3 weeks out but I have been wondering the same thing.

As long as you are passing gas and not vomiting after everything you eat or drink I would say not to a bowel obstruction. You would be in so much pain you would be almost screaming if it was. I would take it easy for a few days. Keep drinking lots of fluids (cranberry juice) and see how it goes. The pain pills can make your bowels sluggish so be careful with those. Sometimes antibiotics can make us feel a little weird and since you have a smaller stomach now you may react a little differently to them IMO.

August 20th for me. I'm doing fairly well now. I had a really rough start. Re-hospitalized after being home less than 24 hours and was in the hospital for 3 days to re-hydrate. Then 4 days later was in the ER for hydration again. Ever since day 9 it's been pretty good. I am on liquids for 4 weeks. 2 of clear and 2 of full. Currently on Full. I sometimes get a little nauseated in the mornings but it's not too bad and once I start drinking it goes away. Still have a bit of the foggy brain but that isn't really too bad either. I am down 26lbs as of today and am starting to get some energy back. I am at around 40 grams of Protein a day.

I would talk to my surgeon if I were you. My plan is very different where I had 2 weeks of clears, and I'm not on 2 weeks of full liquids. Then it's 2 weeks of puree and then 2 weeks of soft. You might have to take a few steps back and go back to clears or full liquids again. Call your surgeon. Every sleeve is different and every person is different. As far as the depression goes. I suffer from depression and anxiety normally. The first week was hell. You have to remember that there are so many hormone changes that go along with losing weight. Maybe consult with a therapist and see if there is something they can do to help you. I would be lost without my meds. Good Luck! I promise it will get better. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It just takes time.

Yes, my doctor gave my a drug called Levsin. It dissolves in your mouth and stops the spasms. It is completely normal and it will go away. I took the levsin 4 times a day for 5 days and my spasms were gone. Call your doc and ask for some.

I'm not really hungry but my sleeve is a loud little girl! She grumbles and rumbles all day long, lol. Every drink I take every bite I eat she has something to say. It's not painful just annoying.... get used to it. From what I have been told it takes a while for it to go away if it ever really does.

I tried it Pre-op and DO NOT recommend it!!! First off the shakes are horrible! I had to add so much fruit to mine to even get it down. It tasted like watery play-doh. Secondly - yes, I felt great all day long. I had energy and felt good... until about 7pm. I crashed at 7pm every single night. When I say crashed I mean it, I could barely walk up the stairs to my bed I was so tired. When I talked to my rep she told me that there is another supplement that I can take around 3 or 4pm that would help with this. I was already paying a ton for it and now I had to buy something else to keep me going a few extra hours a day. You have got to be kidding me!!! Then..... When I went off of it I felt horrible for about a week. Headaches, tired, crabby, I was miserable! I talked to my NUT about it and asked her why all of this was happening and she told me that there are MASSIVE doses of caffeine in the shakes and pills and Patches and that is why you get the euphoric feeling during the day and crash at night. She said that the reason I was feeling so miserable when I quit it is because my body was used to getting the caffeine and I cut it off completely. She also stated that I couldn't use it post-op because of the caffeine. In my opinion.... STAY AWAY!

You're not. Drink what is comfortable to you. I was able to take larger drinks right away. I spoke to my surgeon about it and he said as long as it was comfortable to me it's fine. I can take 3 larger drinks at once and then need to take a break for a few minutes and then can take 3 larger drinks again. It really depends on the person. After a few weeks/months you will be able to drink like normal again.