liannatx

Glad you are back home and feeling somewhat better. For me, every single day was SO much better than the day before. I hope it is smooth sailing for you from here on.

@Babbs Love it! I am just about 3 weeks and expect the scale to stop moving any day now.

I only had problems getting my fluids in for the first 3 days. Since then I have easily got 64 oz or more daily. Ice Water, hot tea, Protein drinks, etc... all go down easily.

@@BLERDgirl Thank you so much for this! I just did a quick scan of the ones at Lane Bryant and they have some cute stuff. I am always in dire need of really good support up top.... and I love Cacique bras. I am liking the "Illusion side swim tank" at Lane Bryant.

That dog is adorable!

Glad you are feeling so good! I also had an easy recovery and am very thankful for it!

Try almond milk or soy milk. I personally just make mine with Water and have gotten used to the taste that way.

I had surgery on a Monday, didn't have a BM until Friday and then had diarrhea all the rest of the day. Everything leveled out after that.

It is a mind game, because you have limits on what you can and cant have! Be thankful you aren't on one of the harsher stricter pre-op diets. Mine was 3 Protein drinks and liquids. I averaged 500-600 calories a day. Enjoy making the best healthy meals that you can on what you allowed, and know that these next 4 days will soon be over!

Did you gain any weight during that four months and how did you feel after the sleeve surgery? @@Liz W I started having problems with my band around 2008 and had a total unfill, followed by a cycle of small fill/unfill episodes, and was never again able to tolerate any fill after the original unfill. I gave up on trying to have the band function for me. I think I was back up to 170 lbs on my last unfill in 2009 and had an empty band since then. Over the past 5-6 years it has been a slow steady gain right back up to my Pre-Lapband weight of 225.... plus an extra 20lbs to add insult to injury, lol. So my regain was not really in the period between Band removal and Sleeve. To answer your actual question, Not really. I gained about 5 lbs in the 5 months between band removal and Sleeve surgery.

I wasn't taking anything before surgery, but my surgeon put me on PPIs post op. Call and ask about this, but it seems like if you needed them before you still might.

You look great! Thanks for posting these. Progress pics are so inspiring for me.

Fabulous! I joined in 05 when it was LapBandTalk, and now it is my go-to help line for VSG!

@@sleeveee I was also devastated when I came out of surgery and he hadn't done a revision. He told me it was a 50/50 chance he wouldn't be able to do the revision in one surgery, due to me having the band for so long... he anticipated scarring, but couldn't predict the extent. I was so hopeful that it was still crushing. Like you had I also had a mess of stuff going on in there. My surgeon said he had "excavate through the scar tissue and follow the port tubing" to locate the port. Adhesions on the liver, scar tissue build up inside my stomach where the band was, etc... Scary. However, when I went 5 months later he was able to do the sleeve with no problems! In and out in 1 hour. I found the recovery from this very easy. The first 2-3 days after Sleeve surgery were bad, but it was all smooth from there out... Had the sleeve done on a Monday and went back to work the following Monday. Just know that your surgery date will be here before you know it, and this will all be in the rearview mirror!

I am counting!!! I have 2 weeks off and then have to teach summer school though

@@CanyonBaby I will look for it on my next trip to Walmart! I might as well start slathering down any areas that I think will need some help as this weight comes off. It cant hurt to have supple moisturized excess skin

I had surgery on Monday and returned to work the following Monday. I had a pretty easy recovery, sore and tired but no pain after the 3rd day. I was tired at the end of the day the first week back, but I think getting back to work helped me feel better faster.

I haven't really noticed that. I had mine done in Mexico. I had one week of liquids only with 3 Protein drinks.

It really does suck, I hated it too, but if you drink all your Protein drinks and plenty of fluids from here until surgery you will be glad you did. Your surgeon needs your liver to shrink, and also deplete the glycogen, so he will have more room to maneuver during surgery, and it might make your recovery easier. The jumpstart on the weight loss from the liquid diet is probably the only nice thing about it, lol.

Nothing day 1, ice chips day 2. food progression started day 3. week 1- clear liquids week 2- full liquids week 3- full liquids week 4- soft/purees week 5 start trying solids beginning with chicken (thigh), seafood, ground turkey, veggies, etc... I am so sick of liquids.... I am beyond ready to have some refried Beans, tuna salad, or mock baked potato (aka cauliflower casserole)

@@CanyonBaby I love the CeraVe PM too. It has hyaluronic acid, niacinamides, and ceramides which are supposed to be great for plumping, retaining moisture, and anti-aging. I use it on my the back of my hands. I like Coconut oil too. I want to try the Bio Oil. I cant seem to keep enough moisture in my hands... they are my problem area right now from sun damage and age.

When I had lapband I didn't tell anyone at work, and almost no family or friends. I said I had "routine female stuff, nothing life threatening" and left it at that. It does create a snowball of lies. I said that the gas and anesthesia left some lingering nausea and that I had dropped 10 lbs recovering. After dropping 20-30 lbs I said that losing that 10 spurred me to try to drop some more. Tangled web stuff... Shortly after I just fessed up and told everyone that I had LabBand surgery. I told my closer friends and co-workers that I it was such a personal difficult decision, that I was afraid of failure, of being under a microscope, of being judged.... Everyone seemed to understand. Of course, by 30-40 lbs down all those initial fears were a thing of the past! I totally understand if you want to keep this a personal decision and journey.... for a while or for always. If you do, I would go with the hiatal hernia surgery. P.S. For my revision I told EVERYONE. I was put on a prayer list at work for my surgery day, and got many supporting texts while I was recovering. The encouragement has been very uplifting.

I love the Bali cami tops that let you wear your own bra, the ones that go under the bra. The ones I have are a struggle to get on, but once on are surprisingly comfortable. It smooths any back fat around the bra band, and if I really pull it all the way down I am able to pull it down to the bottom curve of my butt LOL. That way it covers the entire belly down to the crease of my thighs, my butt, and smoothes my whole back and stomach. I just put my panties on over it and it doesn't roll up at all. It makes a HUGE difference in how my clothes look and it eliminates any jiggles. When I got down to 140 lbs years ago I wore the bottoms that look like bike shorts. They are great if lower tummy, hips, thigh area just needs a little smoothness and extra control under clothes.

I cant wait for purees! I have one more week. I will keep my Protein drink for Breakfast, but for lunch and dinner plan on having: moist pureed chicken and tuna salad, thinned refried Beans with a little extra sharp cheddar, ricotta or cottage cheese topped with some Pasta sauce, cauliflower and cheese pureed. These are the ones I am waiting for!

The large incision was the most painful for me too, and 2 weeks post-op it is still a little sore. I really truly believe that the more was up and moving around seems help (this said in hindsight, I went back to work after 7 days). The gas pain sucks, to be honest. Walking and moving it around is the easiest way to work it out. Much of it is trapped air from the procedure, and not necessarily in the stomach or intestines. The common mantra is Walk, Walk, Walk. The Gas X cant hurt either.... I took it also.