theantichick

It's definitely because the food is awesome, and I want to eat more of it because it tastes so good. I don't really have a lot of hunger drive anymore. And I've been working with a therapist for almost a year over emotional food issues, so that's becoming less and less of an issue. Most of the time now food is just fuel for my body, and I don't care if I leave a plate full of it. But there are a couple of restaurants we go to where the food is just so awesome, I find myself a tiny bit sad that I can't enjoy as much of it as I used to. But I take tiny bites, sample off everyone's plate (LOL), and chew slowly so it lasts longer and it's OK. I remind myself that we can come back other times and I can make plans to try each food I want at a different visit, if I want to. It's such a tiny thing compared to all the health benefits I'm getting with the weight loss, that it's well worth it.

My rings have gotten loose. But I have rheumatoid arthritis, so there are days (like today) where they're swollen, and my rings fit right this second. Before the surgery, I couldn't wear my rings on most days. Eventually, I'll have to get a new wedding band, because we got tungsten carbide rings and they can't be resized. But hubby says he'll be happy to buy me a new ring at that point. Some of my other rings I'll get resized. I'm just super careful when washing my hands, as that's the time I tend to lose rings.

I highly recommend therapy if you have access. I started working with a therapist about my food issues before surgery, and it's made a world of difference.

I luckily don't have this fear. I'm a nurse and was a paramedic and have let people practice sticks on me because it just doesn't bother me. I have a friend however, who will actually pass out at the sight of a needle, and her blood pressure goes through the roof. For yearly needed blood draws, they give her an anxiety medicine to take in the morning, and she has to have her husband drive her to and from the doctor's office. It's the only way they can get it done. She was hospitalized with a medical emergency, and maintaining an IV was a disaster. For a lot of patients, I can usually get them to slow their breathing, not watch the procedure, and we can get through their anxiety when I need to start an IV. They do make a lidocaine spray that can help numb the skin and help some, they use it in pediatric cases. I didn't find that it helped much, but then the needles don't bother me in the first place. Bottom line, this is actually pretty common, don't feel ashamed or bad about asking for help making the experience easier to get through. Nurses and medical people see this all the time, and there are a few things we can do to help. If your anxiety is particularly severe, talk to your doctor about a little pre-medication.

I swear that the warranty runs out at 40!! I know what you mean, though. It seems like every time I turn around my body is throwing another wrench in the mechanism. I just know it's easier to deal with chronic stuff with less weight to carry around. Good luck with your surgeries!!

I'm only a few months out, so I don't know long-term what the answers to some of these questions will be. But a couple of your questions stood out to me. As for a "clip breaking"? Once the suture line is healed, there is nothing to "break". You have to be careful the first several weeks to not eat anything that the doctor hasn't approved in order to protect the suture line, but after that, it's not subject to breaking or failing in any way. As for eating out, I usually box up most of my meal, or share a meal with my husband. I can't eat everything I want, so I have to be very selective about what I choose to make room for in my sleeve. Sometimes if the food is spectacular at a restaurant, I feel a little sad that I can't try/eat as much as I want, but it's really not a huge deal. I am trying to eat more slowly to avoid discomfort, so I don't finish that much before my companions.

We are burning 2016 in effigy. Fire pit in the backyard unless it rains, then we'll be doing it in the fireplace on a smaller scale. There are a few good things that have happened in 2016 - my VSG being one of them. But overall, the year has been a stinker. My numerology friends say that 2016 is a "9" year, which is one of endings, and 2017 is a "1" year of new beginnings. I hope to heck that's true. Most of my friends have had horrible enough years, or are physically sick, so we're all pretty much just holing up like hobbits and doing an online chat at midnight to send the year off. Most years I'd be completely toasted by midnight, but I'm a lightweight now so one or two hard ciders is probably all the imbibing I'll manage. LOL.

1 cup of food is apparently a typical capacity for a lot of sleevers about a year to 18 months out.

There's too many factors to answer a question like that over the internet. LOL. The signs of an infection post-op are fever, high pulse, pus from the incision, a mass/swelling at/near the incision site, increasing redness at/around the incision site, severe tenderness at/around the incision site. If it's just a tiny amount, then it's probably just serous Fluid from the healing process. If it's a significant amount, it could be something starting. If none of the symptoms I listed are present, then it's probably not cause for a run to the ER. I'd advise calling and seeing if someone is available in your surgeon's office to give you some feedback, and maybe even see you if they think it's necessary.

If there are internal stitches used, they are the type that dissolve. I can attest from my knee reconstruction that when they do dissolve enough to pop, it's a VERY odd sensation like a rubber band popping inside your skin and a twinge-y pain that subsides very quickly. VERY weird feeling. Double check with the doc, but if there's no residual pain, you're probably fine.

My doc had me on statins for a while and I developed horrible muscle pain, like the flu but worse. I stopped them and refused to take them. Caused stress between me and my doc for a long time. She was convinced it was something else and that I needed them. Then I learned in nursing school that statins have a rare side effect called rhabdomyolysis where the muscles break down and are "eaten" by the body, and it severely damages your kidneys. I don't know if I was on the road to that or not, but it tells me I was right to stop them. My research said that coq10 is essential for protecting/rebuilding the muscle. You might ask your doctor about that supplement (I don't know of any contraindications, but it's always good to check) and see if it helps.

Be sure your doctor knows your family history of clots. Blood thinner shots for several days to a couple of weeks after surgery has become very common practice, even more so if there is reason to suspect a high risk patient. Getting up and moving as often as you can post-op is the best thing you as a patient can do to prevent them other than being compliant with the blood thinners if your doc prescribes them.

Another person here old enough to be your mother. And a screaming introvert who has always had the private thought that people just tolerated me, and insanely scared of being rejected. Trust me... go out and do things you enjoy... join a group for geocaching or a role playing group or a reading club... whatever the things that interest you are, go find groups on Meetup or wherever (mom voice here, just be safe and meet people in public places) and join in... they are looking for people who enjoy the same things or they wouldn't be having a group. You will find your "tribe". I was 30 before I found mine because I was too scared to go looking for them. Now I can't imagine life without them. Incidentally, this is also how you find significant others... LOL.

Also an RN here, they seriously need to evaluate their protocols. If they are afforded the chance to fix this internally, it can save them a huge amount of embarrassment and money. I wouldn't report them to the authorities, but I would make sure management is aware. If this happens to someone else and they are reported, the fines can be huge and heads WILL roll. I know that while the frontline employee getting in trouble won't appreciate it, the company WILL appreciate the heads up and the opportunity to fix their procedures that allowed this to happen.

Especially being limited to only 3 meals a day with no Protein shakes or Snacks between, and only 1/4 cup food at each. That doesn't seem enough macronutrients to me.

I got nothin' then. I don't get how plans that have you eating so little can get you enough macronutrients, especially Protein. I'd check with your team.

Are you staying fully hydrated? And are you still drinking Protein shakes in addition to the 3/4 cup of food a day? I wouldn't think you could get enough protein and macronutrients in with just 3/4 cup of food total a day, much less stay satiated. Most plans in the puree stage are intending the pureed food to supplement the Protein Shakes. If you're getting plenty of protein in - not sure what goals your doc set, most want 60g+ a day minimum, and you're getting PLENTY of fluids in, then you should be OK to walk whatever you feel up to. I would suggest working up to it so you don't overestimate your endurance, and make sure you take fluids with you.

I completely lost my hunger drive for a month or so after surgery, so I literally had to set a timer on my phone to remind me to eat every 3 hours or so (as ordered). I would set out my ounce or two of whatever I was supposed to eat, and get as much of it down as I could. As time went on and I could get all of my measured portion down, I'd just stop with the measured portion. Fullness, as others have described, is feeling like things are starting to "stack up" at the base of my esophagus. I have to eat very slowly and pause between bites, because it's literally one bite past that initial "stacking up" feeling that pushes me into discomfort bordering on pain. A hiccup or productive burp tells me I'm past full without realizing it and no matter how good the food is, I stop. One of the greatest blessings of this surgery has been to allow me to completely separate the "head hunger" voices from the physical hunger. I will get the grinding stomach hunger if I go too long without eating something, and it's absolutely physical. Or I'll start feeling like my battery is running down as my blood sugar drops too low. If I get cravings from physical hunger, it's usually for a category of food... I crave Protein or fruit or dairy or even bread, and if I think about it it's been a few hours since I've eaten anything. If I'm having head hunger, I find myself thinking about an individual food... Oooh, a chocolate pudding would be nice, or I want a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. The head hunger is easy for me to divert at this point, I get a glass of Water or a Protein shake and find something to do and forget about it. Physical hunger is a cue my body needs something, and I am learning to pay attention to it. I'm sure it's not the same for everyone, but that's been my experience.

scar tissue is harder than regular tissue, so unless there's other concerning symptoms, I'd not worry about it.

Absolutely. While other research and experience is always good to have, your surgeon and team are the ones who know you as a patient. Their recommendations/orders should (almost) always trump anything you hear/read from other sources. I say (almost) because as a nurse I have run across the rare occasion where a doctor is just spouting crazy talk and should probably retire. But 99% of the time, your doctor should be the final word on anything regarding your health, and certainly over anything on the internet. If you do have concerns about a doctor's recommendations, you should be seeking a second opinion from another doc.

Nicotine also interferes with the healing process.

Recent studies show that while excess protein in a sitting isn't truly discarded (the old wisdom of "you can only absorb 30g at a time") it takes a lot longer to absorb more than about 30g, so it's always better to spread your protein intake over the course of a day instead of trying to get all your protein into a single shake.

It'll be interesting to see how the suit comes out. I couldn't watch the whole video, but found the following link with the info: http://www.law360.com/articles/865678/protein-powder-maker-accuses-rival-of-false-advertising The suit is brought by the makers of Syntrax alleging false advertising that is hurting their business. It goes to the heart of the technology claims by MuscleGen, and will be interesting to see if the evidence is sealed or left open to public inquiry. The suit is SI03 Inc. v. MuscleGen Research Inc. et al., suit number 1:16-cv-00274, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. SI03 brings claims for false advertising under the Lanham Act, as well as Missouri common-law claims for unfair competition and unjust enrichment. The company seeks an injunction barring MuscleGen from misleading advertising and an order requiring it to correct any false impressions consumers might have about GENEPRO, as well as trebled damages and profits, attorneys’ fees, and pre- and post-judgment interest. Of course, it'll potentially take years to wind its way through the court system, and will likely even settle out of court. But it'll be interesting. I've already looked at the raw data from the clinical trial MuscleGen cites, and though I see flaws in the construction of the study, I came to the conclusion that Genepro is likely at least as good as any other Protein powder and since it dissolves better than the others I've tried, I use it. I don't know if I'm getting as much protein as they claim, but the Protein Powder you use is better than the protein powder that sits in the tub because it clumps or changes the texture of the food unacceptably.

meats are hit and miss for me still. Doc said that'll be the case for a while, if something doesn't sit right, leave it for a few weeks or months and try it again later. Just because it doesn't sit well early on doesn't mean it's a forever intolerance. Our sleeves have a lot of adjusting to do. She said eggs for example are on the soft foods list, but a lot of her patients can't tolerate them that early on, but if they try them again after they're tolerating chicken then they do fine.