Gingertastic

On 07/21/2018 at 17:20, Bellasoo said:

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to check in. First off, I am 8 days post op and I am 15 pounds down! My highest weight was 298 and I am at 239 today. I’m so excited. Everything seems to be going fine except for the occasional diarrhea. My doc said it’s fine and I see her on Tuesday for my follow-up.

I do have a question. I really do not feel hungry. Every once in a while I will get a gripey hungry feeling when my stomach is empty I remember the doc saying that the hunger hormone would be reduced after surgery but, I honestly thought I would be starving. Does anyone else feel this way? And does that raging hunger ever come back? (I hope not!) I just feel like I need a timer to remind myself to eat.

I had surgery on 7/2 and still have almost no hunger pains or queues. I set a timer to remind me to take a drink every 5 minutes and now the 30 before and after “meal” time but really I just follow a schedule. I was told by my doctor that it happens and to make sure and get my fluids in.

I was told absolutely no alcohol for the first 6 months and then to be careful of carbonated beverages after the fact. I realize every doctor has different schedules so listen to your doctor.

That being said I would warn anyone about alcohol use after surgery. I worked as a substance abuse counselor for many years and treated many individuals that cross addicted from food to alcohol. It is a very slippery slope. I’m not saying anyone here is headed in that direction but just a friendly reminder that it is very possible. Unfortunately those individuals not only had to address new addictions but had generally caused many additional medical issues as a result of the drinking.

I had surgery on 7/2 along with a few others. One of the others shared at our check up that she is able to drink 4-6 oz at a sitting and is still hungry. She was told not to do it and that she’s not hungry, it’s in her head and that it happens that way for some patients. Also they were concerned that even though she felt good, she could rupture something inside. I use a timer set to go off every 5 minutes to drink my Water and to make the 2oz meal last. You should talk to your team to make sure you’re not hurting anything.

I totally get where you are. I’m 3 days from seeing the doctor and getting the green light to move up in foods. I’m tired of shakes, pudding, yogurts, etc between pre-op and post-op we’re talking 4 weeks of nothing... BUT... my way of doing things got me to where I am!! So every time I get the urge to eat something off my list I remind myself what I want and walk away. I’m not hungry, I don’t need it, and it’s not worth it. If I cheat now, I’m just giving myself permission to cheat later. If you’re truly hungry, call your team tomorrow and get permission to move on. Just my thoughts.

On 07/13/2018 at 00:50, CourtsinPDX said:

Just wrapping up day 3 post-op here! Managing pain with just Tylenol and Ibuprofen, and fluids are easier to get down everyday! Walked over a mile yesterday and today! So thankful to have a wonderful support system at home- and reading all of your experiences helps big time! Virtual high fives to you all!!

Congrats on your surgery. Just wondering about the use of ibuprofen....I thought that was a big no-no. I know every doctor is different but I’ve seen that in a lot of places.

I had sleeve done on 7/2 and left hospital 7/4. I’ve struggled with getting my liquids in but haven’t had to go to hospital. I’m off the pain meds but still feel sore and exhausted. Lucky for me my pain meds was in liquid form but no such luck with my ADD and blood pressure meds. 🤢 I’m still super confident in my decision though and haven’t had any regret. We got this!

Thank you for all the suggestions. I will definitely keep these in mind for getting my fluids in. I’m so fearful of messing up or doing something that will cause me to be sick or in pain that I just suck it up. I already feel better at reading the responses. The feeling that I’m on my own greatly reduced by the encouraging words and suggestions. Thank you everyone.

Hello everyone. I am new here and wish I had found this months ago. I’m Ginger, I’m 42 and started my journey in November of 2017 at 285. I followed every direction given, quit smoking, got the sleep study, tracked, etc and got approved within 2 weeks from my insurance company in May.

I had sleeve surgery on July 2 weighing 248. I had HORRIBLE nausea in the hospital that first 24 hours but luckily it went away for the most part. I’ve been on liquid diet since my release on July 4 except I’m struggling big time. I am not a sweets person and I’m sick of it. The pre-op diet was bad enough, 2 weeks of soft mushy food but at least I could have cream of wheat. I keep looking forward to being approved to have eggs next week except it’s unlikely I’ll be able to enjoy them. I CAN’T hardly choke down 2oz at this point. I usually forget about meals and if I remember I have to force myself to finish it. To make it worse plain Water sits in my chest like sandbags making me miserable. I can drink the Protein water easier but don’t want to live on it and its higher calories. Is this common? I have yet to be able to take in 200 calories in a day and I’m sipping water every 5 minutes -with a timer- to get my 64 oz.

My second issue ... I have no one to talk to really. My family didn’t really support the idea cuz they love me how I am blah blah and I’ve isolated myself from making friends. I feel like I’m overthinking everything and making it worse then it is. Help. 🤦‍♀️