Wheetsin

My surgeon prescribes Arixtra injections for post-op, starting your first full day back home. I ended up with a weird allergic reaction to something I was given at the hospital, and was told not to take mine. It's not universal, but it's fairly common. You'll most likley be given something during pre-op too, Heparin or equivalent.

There are forums specific to the amount of weight you have to lose. While not a BMI, it might be close enough. You can find them here http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/38-weight-loss-specific-gastric-sleeve-surgery-vsg-support-groups/ Alex (the admin) will need to approve all new forums, and create them. He doesn't read all messagse so if one of the above forums won't work for you, try posting your suggestion(s) here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/69-vertical-sleeve-talk-forum-assistance-suggestions/ You also might want to specify the intent of the forum you're suggesting. I.e. is it for people with starting BMIs of 35, or anyone with a BMI of 35? What's the advanatage of a BMI forum over a weight forum? Etc. (You don't need to tell me, it's just an example of info you might want to include in your suggestion).

I've mixed it with Water, and with Crystal Light water (even when I do the "roadside lemonade" I still mix in lemonade drink mix). It's been a while since I've tried it - I may have also mixed it into a tea. But to be fair, I generally do not like fruit punch flavors, or cherry. I've done the roadside lemonade straight up, mixed in inced tea, mixed in plain water, and mixed in crystal light water (lemonade, strawberry lemonade, pink lemonade). My favrite for it is in the lemonade.

You're the only person, ever, in about 7 years of doing this, who has stated the words, "I" "like" and "isopure" in the same sentence. Ok, not really, but they're usually not considered one of the better tasting powders. Their RTDs, some of them... ok ONE of them... is pretty good. GNC doesn't carry the Syntrax (maker of the nectar line). You can buy sample packs online, or big tubs. The best Nectar IMO is "Roadside Lemonade". It's not good but I can get it down. I've heard the pink grapefruit is OK, but it's not my thing. I've also tried the fuzzy navel (gross) and fruit punch (gross). Here's the sampler, so you can see what it includes. I also think some of the stores will mix grab-n-go boxes, but I'm not sure.

I read "random comments about me changing afterwards" but to me it sounded like it was referring to changing your body/lifestyle/weight/appearance. Not "changing" as in something that was going to be a distressor to the relationship. I've been through some of this. I weighed almost 400 lbs when I had my lapband surgery. I was about 185 when I met DH. After gaining 215 lbs there's just no way that I was the same person he married. Physically - I wasn't me anymore. Mentally - I was no longer truly happy, confident, sure of myself, etc. Emotionally - I blocked too much out because I just wasn't willing to deal with it. Everyone says things like, "But you're still the same person he married" when actually - no - I wasn't. Physical attraction is still a requirement in a marriage, even if it becomes a little tiny requirement. And physically I was nothing close to what my husband considers attractive. This impacted our relationship, too. This was all about 8 years ago but it's something I still discuss with him and still send out "feelers" about. Exercising togeter is a great idea. Especially if you can find a way to bring your kids into it - family bike rides, family gym membership, swimming, etc. Help him understand that you need to increase your stamina, not jump into the fire. Have you tried having a frank conversation with him about his perspective of the relationship, and about his worries/concerns/fears specific to you losing weight? I'm a "talker" in a relationship. I don't like things to go unsaid. I like to have checkpoints & just make sure things are still as I assume they are. So I'm not trying to imply you guys don't communicate at all... just that a conversation for the sole purpose of seeing if you can get him to open up might help.

Whatever's on your post-op diet for that stage.

There is a world of difference between "weight" and "fat". Weight doesn't matter, so don't freak out over it. I had my DD about 3 years after having the lap-band. I got pregnant at my low weight of about 215. I was 275 after I delivered. I was OK with every single pound I gained.

There are literally more things that impact weightloss (and fatloss) than you & I could count together, so I'm not sure where to start. Your info says you're down 22 lbs do I'm assuming you lost some pre-op. That has to be factored in. Losing is losing. You don't lose "before" and "after". It's cumulative. So don't inore the weight you lost pre-op. You also have to factor in an average over time. You're going to have rapid loss, and slow loss, and no loss. But are you maintaining a good rate on average? It's also fairly common for weightloss to slow a biut when you hit solid Proteins, and if you're already eating lean meats and vegetables then it sounds like you hit them pretty early. That might be playing a role. 10 pounds in 3 weeks is over 3 lbs per week. That's above the average rate of loss. There's a lot going on inside your body. A lot of things changing and adjusting. Almost all of them are based on Fluid, and fluid is heavy. I ate under 650 cals for 10 weeks and lost nothing. Obvioulsy I can't truly lose nothing on that intake, or no one would ever be able to starve to death. But there were things going on in my body that kept my weight (not necessarily my fat) unchanged. There are also "rabbits" and "tortoises". Men tend to lose a lot faster. People with more to lose tend to lose faster. Etc. Just be patient.

If you're still pre-op, don't buy too many of them until you're know whether or not you'll still tolerate them post-op. I stocked up on all of my "go to" Proteins that I kept during the last 6 years, and now I don't drink a single one of them. As far as RTDs, these are also pretty good, but you need to drink them when they're _cold_. The premieres aren't my favorite, but it's hard to beat their Protein count.

Something that might help is understanding that pain is relative (not that you don't understand, but just keep it in mind). What I say hurts, someone else may find agonizing. What I say "was the worst pain of my life" someone else might say "barely batted an eye". So when anyone describes any pain, especially via text, it's going to be interpreted by the readers in different ways. Where exactly is the pain in your side, and your back? Side & back are both pretty large areas. Left side or right? Near ribs, and if so - which? Near some other muscle/organ/bone? High back or low back? Etc. All of which will be helpful to give you some (any) advice. My side pine was - noticeable. It didn't make me pass out, but I did what I could, within reason, to avoid it. It hurt the most when I would get up out of a chair. It wasn't so bad that I sat there and peed myself, but there weren't may things that could make me get up. The side pain is generally more than a "twinge" - but again, some people have no pain while others swear to the worst pain they've ever felt. How do your incisions look? What does the skin immediately around the incision look like? What type of movement hurts which area (side/back) the most? Does it lessen when you take your painkillers or is it persistent? Etc. And if laying in bed seems to exacerbate it, which is entirely possible, you might want to try sleeping partially upright, like in a recliner. At only a week post-op, this really may help. BTW side pain for me lasted about 4 weeks. Did you go to the same ER where you had your surgery? Did they draw blood?

It's hard to know what to say without having any idea what comments he's making. The only comment you mention is about the workouts, and I don't see anything there that would be confusing. What kind of comments is he making, and how are they confusing you relative to knowing he wants you to lose weight? I think that's a missing piece of the puzze.

Having a bout of no loss at your point is completely normal. You just wait it out. There are stall-busters, but those are for "real" stalls. What you're going through is most likely just a glycogen cycle. Look up "3 week stall". Should be more than enough info.

I just have one, who was about 3.5 when I had my surgery. I told her a mix of things. Mostly just that mommy was going to have to go to a doctor to get fixed and feel better. When I got back I was very open with her about the incisions. She wanted to kiss my owies every night, and touch the staples. I had to explain things to her like, "I can't pick you up right now because of my owies, remember?" And after a few days if she saw me bending or anything she'd yell at me to stop because of my owies. Food-wise, I was honest with her about it but I did not make an overt point of drilling the WLS idea into her head. When she asked me why I needed to go to the doctor to feel better I answered her honestly and with logic appropriate for her age. I had my band when she was born and for most of her life so she's used to me not eating very much. She has not questioned portions yet, or when I opt to just not eat. She sees my scars and remembers them as "mommy's owies" but never comments on the details. Sometimes she wants to share her food with me and when I tell her "I'm not hungry" or "I can't eat right now" she asks why and I tell her it's because of how the doctor fixed me when I got the owies. One of these days she's going to be more curious, and I will be completely fine explaining it to her in as much detail as she can process.

Sign up for myfitnesspal.com. There's a thread here with several members' screen names over there, so you can add them. Most people have their food diaries shared, meaning you can see exactly what tons of VST members are eating day by day.

Here is some advice I can suggest based just on what you've said, so if it doesn't apply - disregard. A Protein shake for breakfast isn't going to give you enough protein. Bare min. 60gm divided into at least two intakes of no more than 30gm each (ideally). Hard Proteins will keep you fuller (i.e. eating less) than liquid proteins. If it's possible, try dropping the shake and going with a solid protein. Fruits are really just calories and arbs, with a smidge of protein. You might feel more satiated if you were eating "lots of protein" instead of "lots of fruit". Some fruit is great - I eat a couple strawberries virtually every day. But it sounds (in your note) like it's the bulk of what you eat. You might want to try counting caloires, catbs, fats, etc. If you aren't tracking it, it might surprise you. At least if you track, you'll be able to see your ratios, and that will help target problem areas. Whether or not the stomach can stretch is a debate. It probably can, a little bit. There just isn't a lot of stretch in what they leave behind. Factors like scar tissue (i.e. prior adhesions) can impact stretchiness too. After major surgery it can easily take 6 - 18 months for swelling to fully subside. So probably more than having stretched anything out, you're just feeling the gradual decrease of swelling. Also - not losing anthing for 2.5 weeks sounds PERFECTLY normal. Your body is going to go through periods like this. Maybe it will look like no loss, maybe it will look like a quarter of a pound. Make sure you don't have a knee jerk reaction and try to change everything just because of two weeks without losing weight. You can very well still be losing inches. I always tell people that 4 - maybe 5 weeks is OK. Beyond that, you can start looking for things to switch up. I had a 10 week stall just 3 weeks post-op. That too passed. It happens.

CIGNA denied me the first time. The two things they said I was missing were things that are kind of impossible to prove, beyond the proof we'd already given them. So I ignored one of their denial points, and went to hell & back writing up/documenting proof of the second (it was the harder of the two to prove). They eventually approved me, just as our coverage was switching, so I got to start over. Make it as clear & concise as possible when you re-submit. Here's what I would do (I worked in the insurance industry for years, and still do private consulting for a few companies). Next to each of their denial bullets (or however they formatted it) write in "see attachment page X", where X is the respective page that you're sending them. Then number everything you're sending. And at the top of each page, add in a note stating something like, "For consideration for the requirement of list requirement:" so they doubley sure know what the exact relationship is between what they're seeing and what you have to prove. This will give them a sort of quick reference "table of contents". They're not going to read big long letters, they're going to scan in effort to mark off a checklist. The easier you can make it for them to find what they need, the better your changes of winning the appeal. Just my $0.02.

In my case I would. If I'd had ANY success with maintaining loss on my own, I would not. I can lose, and I can definitely gain, but maintaining is something I've never been able to do. I was about 285 (up from a low of about 215) when my lapband was removed. I was determined to stay at that weight until I could get my sleeve. What did I weigh on the day of sleeve surgery (about 7 months after band removal)? 348.

I added sashimi salmon & tuna to my diet on an almost daily basis at about 4 weeks post-op. It was the only way I could get close to 60+gm protein/day. The only time I don't eat it is when I can't get it. I have some poke salad chilling in the fridge for lunch, as we speak. My sleeve tolerates everything, so far. Some things are a bit more uncomfortable. Fish is not as dense of a Protein as some other meats, so I can usually manage about 4 oz of sashimi or cooked fish. Not always, but usually. Sashimi is even less dense. It's just about the perfect sleeve food. I've done well with trout, swordfish, catfish, tilapia, salmon... the only thing I haven't done well with was haddock. I could eat it pre-sleeve, but post-sleeve the taste is different. It tastes really fishy to me, almost like mackerel. Yuck, 1 bite and I tossed it. Shrimp is the only other seafood I've tried so far (though I like all kinds). I've had it friend, grilled and scampi, oh and I smoked some prawns. All did fine, bit with shrimp I'm full after about 2 oz.

I stayed 1 night (mandatory) in the hospital. My drain was removed the day after surgery, as they were prepping me for discharge. Tell you a little secret... I was freaked out about the drain. I freak out about the small things - the "unknowns" (I like to be in control.) My lapband surgery in 2006 was my first surgery that I could remember (I had T&A when I was 2 y/o). What did I have the most anxiety about, out of everything? Getting the IV. I'd never had an IV before, that I could remember. The anesthesia, post-op pain, adjusting the way I eat - it all paled compared to the IV. I've been through some really painful things, and have an above average pain tolerance. So I wasn't really afraid of the pain when it came to my drain, but I was afraid of the unknown. Never had a drain before. It just seemed like the creepiest thing in the world would be the feeling of having it pulled out. I read so many posts about how bad it hurt, or how someone passed out, how it was the worst thing ever. Normally when I see "worst pain ever" I attribute it to someone being dramatic, or having a low pain tolerance, but I was still nervous. I just couldn't even imagine what it was going to be like. When mine was pulled out, I felt nothing. Seriously. I didn't even know she had pulled it out until she said "Ok it's out." I MAYBE felt something like a cotton ball dusting the surface of my skin. Biggest relief I've had in a long time. Wish I could've read that once or twice before I had mine.

Oh, I was also having refried black beans with hot sauce during mushies. If you're craving spicy, that's a good fix. I also dipped some deli turkey into wing sauce as soon as I could have deli meats, which IIRC was around week 4.

Below in blue. I am 13 weeks out. I really enjoy hot/spicy foods as well. I tried hot/sour Soup in my (I think) 3rd week. I buy standard hot/sour from the restaurant, then bring it home and add sriracha, pepper flakes, and vinegar. Spicy itself never bothered my sleeve, but acidic foods did & continue to (heartburn that night).

Below in blue.

Famotidine is the generic of Pepcid (and a few others IIRC). It is not a PPI. It is an H2 blocker. Both PPIs and H2 blockers reduce the amount of stomach acid but they do it in different ways. PPIs work directly on the pump cells in your stomach. H2 blockers work on the cells' histamine receptors. PPIs take longer to work, but remain effective for a longer period. H2 blockers work more immediteately, but not for as long. Common names for PPIs: (Generic / Brand) Omeprazole / Losec, Prilosec, Zegerid, ocid, Lomac, Omepral, Omez Lansoprazole / Prevacid, Zoton, Monolitum, Inhibitol, Levant, Lupizole Dexlansoprazole / Kapidex, Dexilant Esomeprazole / Nexium, Esotrex Pantoprazole / Protonix, Somac, Pantoloc, Pantozol, Zurcal, Zentro, Pan, Controloc Rabeprazole / Zechin, Rabecid, Nzole-D, AcipHex, Pariet, Rabeloc

Oh it's absolutely possible to lose too much weight. But by the time they're at goal, I think most people's capacity has equalized with their body's needs. I personally know two people who lost a bit too much weight, but they both gained back to a healthy weight over time. In maintenance, 1500 - 1800 is a good range that seems to manage weight while still being doable with the sleeve's capacity. I'm 3 mos out and can barely manage 700 calories, but it seems like things tend to loosen up 6 - 8 mos out. (I"ve been told I may not loosen much due to having a ton of scar tissue, but I should loosen some.)

Oh, stores like Marhsall's/TJ Maxx will often have a bottle as well. I picked up a SF DaVinci Chai Tea syrup for $2.99!