BajanSleeve

I am assuming you are post menopausal having not had a period in 3 years. Or perhaps you have had other medical history and are young and simply did not get your period. So a bit of background matters. I have read a few articles online that says the stress of surgery /going under can induce a period. But depending on your situation, if you are post menopausal, I would check with my GP right away to see if that means anything different. Its like the hormonal changes. How long ago was your surgery is also an important factor. Better to ask a doc a question on that one

I'm asking for prayer for a door of employment to open or a way to make income. Our economy in Barbados is in a very bad place (4th highest GDP in the world) and we are about to be hit with extremely high increased taxes and cost of living

cooked any way, tried soft boiled and tried soft scrambled. They feel immediately stuck in my throat/chest and when it hits my stomach it hurts

Really? Wow. Well my instruction leaflet said I could eat soft cooked eggs in the pureed stage which I am in. But yes, they REALLY feel as though they are stuck in your throat/upper chest but not only that, it causes pain. Thanks for sharing

I wonder if any other sleevers have issues eating eggs. This is the third time I have tried eating eggs with the same result - pain!!! I love eggs so really hoped I would be able to eat them since its a major protein source. When I start to eat them it gives an immediate fullness in my throat and feels like its stuck in my chest and then the pain starts. I have no idea why since they are soft cooked. I wondered if anyone else experiences the same with eggs or if this is just me?

Be encouraged! I woke up today 3 lbs lighter after a 10 day stall. whoohooooo. It moves. I am 3 weeks plus 1 day post op.

@moondoggie1983 That is a really good thing - not really on protein powder because it makes you very conscious on reading labels and getting to understand your nutrition. I need to start doing that myself. Fortunately I LOVE cheese too. I buy the string cheese in the individual packages so I know the calories and nutritional info exactly. I00 lbs is amazing!!! Throw a party I am planning on a big celebration when I do. Thanks for the encouragement

@moondoggie1983 Thanks I woke up today 3 lbs lighter so my stall has broken. I am celebrating being in the 260's! It seems unreal that only 3 1/2 weeks ago I was 298 lbs. I am working on upping my liquids, I know it helps with the weight loss. There is where I put all my protein too. 3 scoops of protein at 30G per scoop so I HAVE to drink it and not waste the expensive protein powder.

I am definitely not hitting my liquid target. I drink between 20 oz to 45 oz on a very good day. I definitely eat more calories than I should too. I am almost 3 weeks post op and I likely eat about 700 to 900 cals per day. On top of my vitamins but right now only doing about 65 g of protein powder

It seems that instructions for post op diets vary from doctor to doctor. Eggs fall under soft foods in my instructions leaflet and not suppose to be had until 3 weeks post op. I did liquid only for 2 weeks but added milk and blended vegetables to the soups to beef them up. I also did a watered down mashed potato with no butter but milk. It takes time to adjust to a totally new way of eating. That cant happen overnight or in a few weeks. Give yourself time to learn the new way My parents came back with me to Barbados after I had my surgery and I have been cooking meals for them and hosting a lunch tomorrow doing all the cooking. It actually gives me a kind of satisfaction just seeing and smelling the food - weird. But I know I cant eat it or if I try some (because I am 3 weeks post op almost) I got to smash it up. I can eat so little! Otherwise it really hurts. Your body will certainly tell you when you are full because if you go over it will HURT and it will stay that way for a bit over an hour. You learn what will work for you by trial and error

oh I am really cracking up reading these posts My farts still do not smell and boy did they used to! Since I have had surgery I have had great poops! I used to suffer with constipation badly but since surgery the pipes have been running so good, no issues and easy coming out which has been a welcomed change. People spoke about not pooping for days and days but I have gone every day since surgery except for 2 days after surgery. Seems like the by pass people are the ones who have smelly poo challenges? Do whatever you have to do man - poo Pori and I am sure the people around you appreciate it ha ha ha

It does get better! The first 3 days are hard, no way around it. I took GasX strips 24 hours after surgery which I found gave some relief. Try to drink something hot like herbal tea because the heat helps the gas come up Use your Spirometer. Don't ignore it. Important you use it every day for the first week. Congrats on a successful sleeve

I gained 1 lbs struggling with low blood pressure again. it was 86/42 last night and I was close to passing out. Really low energy so going to try a B12 patch today

oh boy do I relate to that feeling! I made that mistake and ate too much even though to me it was little. And I had pain for 1.45 hours. It felt like the food was stuck in my chest and it was just painful. I could only lay down till it went away. I figure that you just learn by trial and error what foods work, what amounts work and what food preparations go down well. My leaflet instructions say not to drink for 45 mins after eating because it would cause pain. So maybe your stomach is just overfull. im following the thread to see what people who have more experience in the overeating pain/food stuck feeling say

@oopsydaisy Binges are usually triggered. A food therapist helps work through the things that trigger you to binge or overeat. Are you able to access one of those? There is not one single obese person who cannot relate to this. I dare say 100 percent of people who are obese have binged. The WLS does not cure the emotional/phycological reasons why we use food to medicate our self so its a process of working through not only WLS but the issues behind overeating. Don't give up! But recognize it for what it is and pursue the help/therapy to pin point your triggers and then tackle those. Sometimes what we view as setbacks are actually things that manifest so that we can see that there are actually STILL issues we need to work out and not only the surgery related things. We are a work in progress and its up to us how far we are willing to go beyond just the surface stuff to really reach a breakthrough that brings real change. Do not beat yourself up for falling off the wagon today but don't get comfortable either. Keep going!!! I am sure there are practical things that help with binge cravings. I am told drinking the 64 oz of liquid and getting the 80 grams of protein helps keep hunger, which leads to binges, at bay. Are you meeting those targets?

@moondoggie1983 That is not dumb - congratulations!!!! You are really hitting great targets. I am no where CLOSE to liquid or protein targets at almost 3 weeks post surgery. So its encouraging to me to read that people DO get there. Never despise the day of small beginnings Call the gym you think you want to go to and make an appointment to meet with a trainer and usually gyms have a nutritionist as well. Let the trainer know when you call that you have never been to a gym and that you will need to be taken on the novice tour and have the machines explained to you. Most gyms will write you a basic program to start with where they show you the machines as part of your regular subscription. So start there and they will walk you through so you do not feel lost. How exciting for you!!! Its so good when you get that fresh wind and hope ignites

@lbug Glad you came through. I am almost 3 weeks post op. I still struggle with always feeling gassy and like gas is stuck in the middle of my chest. But I want to encourage you that it gets better. I take GasX strips which gives some relief and moving around definitely breaks up the gas. I thump the front of my chest with my hand like how you burp a baby and that helps gas come up. I still constantly burp and fart but thankfully its not smelly. They pump your stomach with gas during VSG so they can see the organs and lift and separate them so you may find you have stretching pains across the top of your chest as well as your sides and stomach. I was extremely sore from this for about a week and a half. A post surgery band really helped me manage that pain. Are you doing your breathing exercises? I was given one of those thingies that have 3 balls in it and you have to suck air through the mouth tube and make all 3 balls rise. This is to strengthen your lungs after you have been on a ventilator. It is also to help you keep your lungs strong so that you don't get pneumonia which has happened with some VSG patients when their lungs got weak. Ask your doctor or hospital if you can have one of these devices. An electric heating pad helps with the soreness on your belly and also helps bring up gas - that was my experience. Keep your eye on your blood pressure. With so little calories and liquid it can get low and create dizziness and weakness. Putting electrolytes in your water/drink helps with this for the first 12 days or so. You did it!!!

@Saddy I commend you for being honest. I was in denial about my morbid obesity for years. It was only when I had that ah ha moment coupled with some dangerous health issues that I understood my life was in danger and so I began to change my eating habits. I started counselling. After changing my habits, I decided to do WLS. I personally believe that until you get to the root issues of why we run to food, sweets, junk food to comfort or emotionally support us, no amount of WLS procedure is going to 'cure' us. Something has to switch in your brain FIRST otherwise you will just go back to the same cycles and habits. If you are able to find a bariatric therapist I think it would really benefit you before you commit to another surgical procedure. I have always been weak with self discipline in the area of food and I am only now, at 48 years old, realizing that there comes a time when you just have to tell yourself no and not give yourself everything you want whenever you want it. Its easy to eat 1200 to 1500 calories a day if you are eating chocolate bars, sweeties, ice-cream, gummies, etc. even on a reduced stomach size. I hope you find encouragement to keep on going deeper and support in your journey to get HEALTHY and not just loose weight. Cheering for you

being denied insurance Being discriminated against when applying for jobs not being able to wipe your own butt or wash it properly in the shower because you can't reach not being able to put on socks. Difficulty putting on pants and underwear because it requires some bending Health issues related to morbid obesity - type II diabetes; high blood pressure; pressure sores, blisters under folds of skin, rubbing of legs, lethargy, depression.... In my country I cant find nice plus size clothing

I was hungry the day after my surgery and HUNGRY every day since! I envy you I was so looking forward to this non existent hunger that I heard about and was told would go away with a smaller stomach but I am in the percentile that that did not happen. So count yourself blessed

The liquid only stage is very hard. I felt hunger a day after surgery and hunger did NOT go away. It was difficult to feel satiated during the liquid only period. BUT I want to encourage you that when you get to be able to drink dairy and protein and blended up vegetables in your soup you will feel A LOT better. My blood pressure got SO low during the liquid only stage that the doctor instructed me to use electrolyte tablets in my drinks. @Angi B you should get some so that your energy level can go up. I started to drink soup with blended vegetables which I strained by day 9. It is likely the cottage cheese that is giving you the runs. Hold off of that for a few days and try the blended and strained soup instead. Are you checking your incisions to make sure they do not have pus or red? You have to change the dressings daily. I allowed my incisions to air out a week after surgery so they were not kept covered and wet. It is so important that you make sure they are not getting infected

@elforman I usually ask first, do you mind if I pray for you? A person has a choice to refuse or accept and that is fine. Someone may be Hindi, Muslim or another religion than Christianity and I have found that most are willing to accept a prayer regardless because it usually stems from kindness. But it is an individuals prerogative to say 'no thanks' and we (the offerors) should not get offended by that.

@MissPriss81 Yes I used one and still use it. I am SO grateful I got one, especially for the week following surgery when I had to take 2 flights home. An abdominal binder works kind of like how a tensor bandage works when you have sprained your ankle - it provides support. When you have had laparoscopic surgery they pump your stomach up with huge amounts of gas so they can see your organs clearly. As a result it stretches the skin around your stomach and sides. For me, it felt as though I had been bruised/hit all over that area and I was extremely sore. So every movement, trying to get up and down from a sitting or laying down position, even being pushed in a wheel chair and going over the slightest bump, really hurt. But the binder provided support and sort of held me in so that it minimized pain. I have since taken in my binder because it was too big and it worked fine doing that on a sewing machine. When I have to do a lot of errands I wear the binder and I swear by it. Here is the one I ordered from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/TOROS-GROUP-Elastic-Abdominal-Postpartum-Operative/dp/B012LA01ZA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1529366747&sr=8-1&keywords=Elastic%2BAbdominal%2BBinder%2B%2F%2BPostpartum%2B%26%2BPost%2BOperative%2BBelly%2BWrap%2B-%2BBeige%2C%2B3X&dpID=41o39hvCCpL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

What the heck!!???? What kind of surgeons did you have? Its making me feel that my decision to go to Mexico was really a smart one. I am shocked that you guys did not have a drain in the main incision that the stomach would have been removed through. Its just a tidy and safe way of making sure you don't get infected and all that guck is left inside you So glad you are going to your doctor tomorrow @Missouri-Lee's Summit because that sounds a mess You are not supposed to have that kind of bruising from laparoscopic surgery! That sounds like shoddy work to me. See what your doctors opinion on it is and take some photos as well. You can add that to your letter of complaint because it does not sound to me as though this is right - unless a pre-existing condition causes you to bruise

Miss Fish, welcome to this forum. Have you tried doing a google search or even a Facebook search to see if there are any local Bariatric or WLS support groups that meet in your area? Online forums are great but really and truly face to face groups are ideal. Also, have you ever tried going to therapy? Honestly I am a huge advocate of therapy having gone through it at various stages in my life. They will help you get to the root of your challenges and confront some of the reasons why you have used food as a comfort and crutch. Its important to deal with that because even after WLS those drivers are still going to be there. My pastors have also done great counselling with me over the years that have really helped me heal and pushed me to grow to the next level. By any chance do you go to church, synagogue, etc.? Hopefully you will find a place to express yourself on this website and get some encouragement along the way. Hugs from Barbados