MrsPenguin

Afraid of needles, with extremely small veins so I had to be poked several times until they found it.
All and all though, this was the least memorable part of the surgery. I knew getting paid meds and fluids was a priority so I was happy once they'd fixed the IV

What a day! Will post with details when I can stay awake more. Thank you all for your support!
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@@jellybean12 You mention that you never follow the rules 100% because you like to have a little control...this surgery should be GREAT for you, then, because you truly control whether it works for you or not! Just like you found out with the Cookies, you can eat what you want...or you can take control and eat the Protein that you need instead of the Cookies your head tells you to eat.
This surgery has given me back control of my life and my weight, in a way I didn't have previously. I literally COULD NOT stop eating before. Now I can, and it's the most satisfying thing I've ever experienced in the realm of weight loss.
Congratulations on figuring out the cookies vs Protein thing...some WLS patients never really do, I'm afraid

You can not stretch a gastric sleeve. It's impossible to do.
liquids, including Protein shakes pretty much go right thru your sleeve into your intestines. You only need to set meal times to get into the habit of not grazing.
The volume of the shakes doesn't matter. The powder is about 20 grams. The goal is to get the amount of grams the surgeon or NUT recommended.

Here's the article that explains what happens. No worries!
A "stall" a few weeks after surgery is not uncommon, and here's why.
Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs. of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of Water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. As it puts back the 2 lbs. of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs. of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even GAIN for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

Just keep sipping...that is a priority for you right now...to stay hydrated. Sucking on ice might help too. Water can be hard to get down at first. Take small sips and I found taking a deep breath can sometimes relieve that stuck feeling. Mixing a little bit of juice in water made drinking a lot easier for me. What you are going through its normal. Every day will get better. Hang in there!

I had a great experience. Nothing scary after they took the chickens out of the operating room.

I would have pains when my sleeve would get completely empty post-op that kinda felt like hunger pains. And I would get queasy and have an odd bubble pain behind my breast bone if I drank or ate too fast. For the first couple of weeks, the answer was to always be sipping on something - Water or Protein drink. That kept something in the sleeve, kept me hydrated, and the sipping (and I mean REALLY TINY sips) kept me from drinking too fast and getting pains. It's a learning experience to be sure.

Here's a festive idea....1 scoop vanilla Protein powder, 1/2 cup low fat eggnog, 1/2 frozen banana, just under 1/2 cup Water and a few ice cubes. Sprinkle nutmeg on top to complete this healthy festive drink! It helped me today.
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That's kind of a mean thing to say...that you could do it on your own. Yeah, I did it on my own so many times I lost count, only to gain it back plus more. I am not like some other people, I needed the surgery.
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That's kind of a mean thing to say...that you could do it on your own. Yeah, I did it on my own so many times I lost count, only to gain it back plus more. I am not like some other people, I needed the surgery.
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No one told me I was brave for having the sleeve surgery and taking control of my health for the second half of my life...so I am telling myself that. I am BRAVE! And now I'm telling all of you. You are courageous souls for taking this step and I honor you!
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Once a week. Daily would drive me nuts.
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I was as skeered at a little kid. Bravery is fear hanging on just a little longer. Good luck with your own new beginning!

There's a lot of misinformation out there about the surgery. From the "it's the easy way out" (see link in my signature for my response to that) to "it doesn't work, everyone regains" to "it's so dangerous". Most people are just misinformed.
I know the only real concerns any of my friends and family had were because they'd personally known someone who had died and it was attributed to the surgery (bypass for most cases) but it was always years after the fact, which means there were other things going on than just the surgery. And it was years ago, and a different surgery. None of those people were unsupportive, just concerned. Once I explained the current science and risk factors, they realized I'd done my homework and were very supportive.
My response is always based on how invested I am in the relationship with that person. If it's someone I work or interact with a lot and care about the relationship, I educate them about the surgery and the scientific evidence and the true risk factors. If it's not a close friend or family member, I don't go into personal health details, but if it is I explain why my particular case points to this surgery. If they still don't support me, I just stop discussing it with them. If they bring it up, I change the subject.
If it's not someone I am close to or care about, I just tell them that they might want to look into the current research because it doesn't sound like their information is up to date. And then walk away. LOL.

Yeah, people just don't understand that the surgery is the only thing that will work for folks like us who have lost and regained so many times. I plan on not telling many people just because I know I will get sick of explaining and I don't want to hear the negativity. When people notice the weight loss, I will just say, "yeah I've been working on it."
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I boiled carrots, potato, a few thin slices of ginger root and half a bay leaf in 16 oz of seasoned chicken stock, until the vegies were tender. Removed the ginger slices and bay leaf, then whizzed the Soup in a blender until smooth. OMG, it tasted so good.
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You can eat a little every few hours, and drink Water in between. That is working for me right now.
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I went from Mexico to New Zealand a week after surgery. I was given a post op diet by my surgeon, but I have had to take responsibility for my post op care. I spent a lot of time researching what to do and also made a list of questions for the surgeon. In New Zealand, I have made an appointment with my GP here just to let him know I did the sleeve and have an appointment with a bariatric nutritionist to make sure I'm on the right track. Good luck with your journey and do some homework ahead of time.
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I did 10 days of Clear liquids and started Protein shakes on day 11, per my doc's instructions.
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I believe you can buy clear Protein drinks too.
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In the end, I decided to Wait a little longer for spicy food. Why chance it, I say.
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In the end, I decided to Wait a little longer for spicy food. Why chance it, I say.
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Ok thank you for your help. I hope I feel better soon!
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everyday will be better..but once you got sleeved bypass etc.. we are not "normal" anymore
BariatricMatters

Check with your doctor for sure but I know that I had problems with pepper in the first couple of weeks but strangely enough wasabi was fine.