Orchids&Dragons

Mine was in church yesterday! I could kneel without pain and my belly didn't rub on the back of the seat in front of me when I knelt! Woo-hoo!

How about everyone share their latest NSV (non-scale victory) in one spot. I love reading about all the steps that make up the journey, so please share!

Woo-hoo! Congrats! Can't wait til I say the same!

Welcome, thanks for sharing your experience. I look forward to seeing your progress updates!

You're just a new-age Mary Poppins, aren't you?

Oh, my! You look amazing. Thanks for sharing your inspirational pics!

My doctor said that I didn't need to crush them if I could swallow them all right. I could, so never had to crush.

I know exactly what you mean. Between the loss of taste, the nusiance of measuring, and the fact that you get full so quickly (often with a lump in the back of your throat), it hardly seems worth the effort!

I haven't tried popcorn, but as to the acid reflux - My surgery was the same day as yours. I got my doctor to put me back on PPIs 2x a day. Once wasn't enough and I was miserable.

"Why am I hungry? Everyone said with the sleeve you don't feel hunger, but I am feeling hunger pains, my stomach rumbles all the time." Yes, sadly, this is pretty common. Mostly it's head hunger, but from the inside you can't tell the difference. Your cravings will ease up once you get to purees or soft food, but until then, it's tough. Your pain should improve in the next day or two.

Wow, sorry you're having such a rough time. Transitioning from one food stage to the next is on an "as tolerated" basis. Your stomach may still be too swollen to handle the pureed foods. That's not a mistake you're making, it's just your individual situation. So long as you get adequate liquids and protein, don't worry if you transition more slowly than others. And if you can only handle 1/2 a tablespoon, so be it. It's so hard not to compare yourself to others, but you're unique! Comparisons aren't "real". When you read various people's stories, you realize that there's no consensus even among doctors as to an "ideal" time to transition, either. Some doctors are very conservative, others push faster. In the end, it all comes down to what you can handle. Be kind to yourself. You've done some really mean stuff to your insides, and they just need time to adjust.

This is definitely a conversation to have with your doctor. No one else knows whether you're currently vitamin deficient. Good idea to plan ahead!

Congrats!!! Hooray for you!

Yaaaaay!

That is fantastic news, what a way to start! Congrats!

Well, I can't be a May-June Buddy since I was sleeved in February, but otherwise, I'm here for you! I'll be 59 in July and our heights/weights and goals are very similar. Let me know if you have any questions or if there's anything I can do to help! Best wishes on your surgery and transformation! Now, I'm off to the gym!

Liquids for that long is tough, for sure. Try some of the bone broths for more protein and variety. All the sweet from protein water gets old! My doctor advised clear liquids for 2 days, full liquids for 2 weeks, purees for 2 weeks, then soft foods for 2 weeks. He cleared me for solid food at my 6 week checkup. Unfortunately, my stomach disagrees with this plan of action. Any solid protein I eat Just sits in my stomach like a handful of hot rocks, so I've gone back to purees and mushy foods for a while. I can eat 2-3 ounces of soft food, but only 1-1.5 ounces of solid foods. I'm not typical, though. You'll just have to see what your stomach can handle. Good luck!

Sorry to hear that. I've had tenderness there since my surgery. My doctor ran some lab work to see if it was inflammation in my liver or pancreas. Liver appears to be unhappy, but (for me), not enough to be concerned about yet. The first six weeks, I kept a heating pad on it every evening because it was so sore. No sharp pains, just very sore. Incisions all healed quickly.

The Gas-X chewables were a life-saver for me! OK, too dramatic, maybe a dignity-saver?

Just remind yourself, this is a marathon, not a sprint! I had surgery 1 week after you and have only lost 28# since then. I'm happy about it even if it is slower than I'd prefer. Heck, I'd like to be under 200 already - oh, well! You are always so encouraging and supportive to others, send some of that back inwards and ROCK ON!

Wowza! You look fantastic! Thanks for sharing the inspirational pics!

I'm nearly 8 weeks post-op and all of a sudden, my legs and ankles are swelling badly. I checked the amount of sodium I've ingested, and it's miniscule. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks

Awesome!

I hope you find them soon!

Congrats on your weight loss so far! That website looks amazing, thanks! I can't wait to try some of the recipes.