BelleOfBatonRouge

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the support. I would say today was my best day post-surgery, and I’m hoping I have more good days than bad days ahead. I hope everyone has a good weekend

I still have all of my female plumbing, but once I started the pre-op diet and immediately after my surgery I had TWO periods in 2 weeks and I’ve also been spotting pretty frequently, which I’ve never had an issue with before. I also had some crazy mood swings but that’s leveled out. I guess fat cells love to store estrogen, so when we lose weight we deal with that excess estrogen? Don’t quote me but that’s what I was told.

I have been feeling frustrated, and I figured I would share with others who may have experienced it or currently feel this way. I was sleeved three weeks ago on 10-17. I am currently in a 4 week soft food stage- if I can mash it with a fork I’m allowed to have it. I have been slightly stretching what is and isn’t a soft food, and I worry I’m going down the wrong path. I am finding it very very frustrating to stay under 800 calories, but I don’t know if that’s because I am actually hungry or if it is all head hunger. I do feel like volume wise I am able to consume more that I should, or at least do it out of old habits. I also do occasion feel like a gnawing in my stomach, but I don’t know if that’s me being hungry or an ulcer (I’ve never had an ulcer and have had no issues with scid reflux, but I think that can sometimes be a sign?) Law school finals are in three weeks, and at this point during all past semesters I would be stress eating. It wasn’t healthy but god it was so much simpler. I do get around 80 grams of protein a day (sometimes more, sometimes less but never less than 60), and I do struggle a bit with water- I usually end up right at the 60-64 oz mark for the day, but I know it would be good to get more. Ultimately, I think my biggest battle is that I love to munch. I can’t wait until I can crunch into some freshly sliced cucumber with a tablespoon of Greek yogurt. I meet with the nutritionist on november 19 and I know that will help. I also will be seeing a therapist starting next week, because it’s free through my school so why not? In the mean time, I am scared and frustrated. I think week 3 has been the hardest, even compared to the immediate post op recovery of week 1.

I am officially 2 weeks post op, so I’m being more creative in my soft foods and went to one of my favorite restaurants. I ordered a la Carte. 1 side refried beans, one shredded chicken taco, one side of guac. Then I made my little plate with beans, some of the chicken, and about a tablespoon of guac total. Here is my before and after

For me, egg salad is the same base as potato salad only without the potatoes -diced boiled eggs - mayo -mustard -pickle Relish -s&P -paprika -dill. I usuallt eyeball it. I would say for 4 eggs I used about a tablespoon of mayo. In my most recent version I added a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese and a heaping teaspoon of jalapeño relish. The end result should be held together but not too liquidy, with the eggs the star.

I love eating out, and while it is tricky it is something I enjoy with friends so I made it a priority to try and make it work. I love Mexican food and was looking forward to going out to eat and getting refried beans. My surgeon said beans are great but restaurant beans are awful for hidden unhealthy ingredients. That being said I went to place similar to Chipotle (but with better food, IMO) and for a burrito bowl. I got beans, no rice, chicken, cheese, cilantro, red onions, lime juice, and salsa. Flavor is incredible, but I do have about 6 potions to one order. I went to a sushi place with a few friends and split the snow crab ramen. I had some of the broth, the egg yolk, and a few delicious pieces of the snow crab. My friend had broth with noodles and all of the other ramen fixings. Both of us were satisfied, and I had leftovers. Wonton soup from PF Chang’s. The carb count isn’t awful if you decide to eat the wonton, plus it’s just delicious. You can get a big bowl and have leftovers, or just get a cup and be satisfied. I did the soup and sandwich option at a local place called Newks. I got the half chicken salad sandwich and cup of soup. Ate about half of the soup and the chicken salad part of the sandwich, not the bread.

It’s my first before and after! Sleeve performed 10-17-18 1 oz moist chicken (cooked in the crockpot with cream of mushroom soup. When chicken is tender but before overcooked I took it out and cut/shredded it. When plated I topped with a spoonful of the mushroom soup cooking liquid) .5 oz egg salad. Pretty standard recipe but with local jalapeño relish rather than regular pickle. So good. Finished with a sprinkling of volcanic sea salt.

Huh. Maybe my hours of gagging blood wasn’t as normal as I was told.

Hi friend! I’m 24 and sleeved on October 17!

I had my sleeve performed on October 17 (yay sleeve! Down 24 pounds officially from the start of the pre-op liquid diet to today). From waking up from anesthesia to the next morning was VERY rough. I kept gagging up bloody saliva and dry heaving, if I had anything in my stomach I would have been vomiting. I couldn’t keep ice chips or sips of water down- within thirty minutes more gagging blood. I was in and out of consciousness between the blood, and since my mom was out of state I’m grateful my surgeon called her when he was done because it wasn’t until about 11 pm I felt okay enough to text people (I woke up around 4 pm, surgery was at 1) and she would have been freaking out. Nurses said I wasn’t allowed to walk around my room until the first day after surgery, so I ended up having a panic attack around 4 am due to claustrophobia of being trapped in that bed with the blood clot leg things and the nurse taking a while to get to me. Took a Xanax, then gagged up blood an hour later and was heaving so hard I peed myself. Thankfully that was the last of it and I’ve been pretty dang great ever since. I don’t want this thread to scare people, but I remember texting my mom that night that “I didn’t expect to be this miserable.” I genuinely was surprised at my inability to keep down water and about how uncomfortable I felt even with all the meds I was on (that first night they had me on dilaudad and an anti-nausea. There may have been more, but that is what I remember). My description of choice was “an over inflated beach ball that got hit by a truck”. I would love to hear about the first 12 or so hours after you woke up from anesthesia in the hopes of learning more and sharing the information.

I’m so craving salad. I think it’s the crunch I miss.

I asked my surgeon before he carved me up like a Christmas ham. His response was “trust nobody” when it comes to them following the pre-op diet. Well, at least he was honest. Also I lost 15 pounds during my 2 weeks but he said my liver was still fatty and I am miffed.

Supportive parents are the best. My mom flew in to help with my post op recovery and she is an angel. She is even sleeping on my couch! Never once in my life can I remember her sleeping on a couch.

You may even have less than that to wait! My operation was scheduled for 1 pm and the last thing I remember before the anesthesia knocked me out was the clock saying it was 12:48!

I’m so sick of broth too, so I’m not eating it. Today is my 4th day post op and I have had soup twice. I’m living off of lots of herbal tea (peppermint), flavored waters (hint is my favorite), and ice chips. Also trying to get down some clear protein drinks but they’re way grosser now. As a treat my friend brought me a sugar free icee and it rocked my world.

My coordinator told me that when I’m allowed chicken on my soft food stages, it needs to be super moist- like cooked in the crockpot and drizzled with sauce moist. She specifically used rotisserie chicken as an example of what not to eat when I enter soft foods. I love crockpot recipes, and while I have tons of favorites a good simple one is chicken (thigh will be juicier, breast if that’s what you prefer) with a can of cream of mushroom soup. Cook it on low for a few hours until it easily shreds. Mmm my mouth is watering now- I can have this in two weeks!

I started my pre-op diet on October 3. On October 9th I weighed myself and I was down five pounds. On October 13 I was down an extra 0.4 of a pound. On October 16 I had lost a total of 14 pounds. Just trying to give an idea of how crazy it all is.

Hi friend! Fellow gastric sleever performed on October 17th! We got this!

About a year ago I realized I was ready to take control of my life and have weight loss surgery! I had my gastric sleeve yesterday, and even though I lost 15 pounds on the preop diet my doctor said my liver was still fatty. Surgery was a success, the first 18 hours of post op recovery were awful and I did not expect it. My body kept trying to throw up but there was nothing except bloody saliva. I couldn’t keep any liquids down, and ended up having a panic attack at 4 am. That was fun. BUT I am finally starting to feel better. Rather then horrible pain I am a very uncomfortable bloated beach ball. I can keep fluids down, which is currently in the form of tiny baby bites of jello and sips of water. I am up and walking and should be able to leave in a few hours. I just feel an overwhelming sense of pride, and I can’t wait for this new journey.

It’s official! I really am losing weight. I stopped by to pick up my vitamins at my surgeons office and jumped on the scale. Down 14 pounds since starting my pre-op liquid diet! Surgery is tomorrow, so hopefully liver has shrunk appropriately

You are going to get so sick of protein shakes that I strongly recommend not starting sooner than necessary. Instead I would second @skinnylife and follow the real food stage plan with very low carb and high protein.

@frust8 how are you doing after your EGD? Did they figure out what’s wrong?

If water has a metallic taste try bottled waters like Evian, Fiji, or even pure distilled. Try sucking on sugar free popcicles Try hot herbal tea- play around with both the temperature and the flavors. Peach tranquility and mint majesty from Starbucks both have great flavor with no added sweetener. If what you need to do is rant and cry than rant and cry and hang on and put one tiny baby foot in front of the other. And soon, this too shall pass.

Real Good Foods makes a cauliflower crust pizza with 20 grams of protein and 6 grams of net carb per serving! I used to hate cauliflower crusted stuff but I snuck a small bite of my friends while on this diet and i loved it! it is amazing how my tastebuds and cravings are already changing-- I went from craving orange chicken from panda express in the first few days to craving steamed broccoli and sliced cucumber.

Hi @mousecat88❤️ Thank you for checking in. I really am feeling better knowing it is so close. It also helped me to start a list of foods I am craving that I will check off once it is safe to do so. I have this idea for lasagna cups with eggplant instead of pasta baked in muffin tins, and I really want some scrambled eggs with cheese and crumbled turkey breakfast sausage. Writing them down and reminding myself there are tasty things in my future helped me to not obsess! Also, finding the premier protein clear drinks were a game-changer for me- they are the best tasting protein drink out of all the protein drinks, with no after taste!