CrankyMagpie

I can't drink water. (OK, I haven't tried today, but I sure couldn't yesterday or the day before.) When I first got home, Jello was almost the only thing I could tolerate. I have also been getting my liquids as hot tea, then hot tea with protein shake mixed in (like you'd put milk into coffee), then protein shake alone. Last time I tried protein water, that was also better than water. To be clear: I haven't hit 64 ounces of liquid. I'm on track to get to maybe 40-45 today, which is better than yesterday's 30-couple. I might see if swapping in some popsicles will help increase that, too.

My bedroom is on the third floor, relative to where we park. I'll be real: the drive home (just a few miles, though the roads here are crappy), followed by the trip up the first flight of stairs, nearly made me throw up. I didn't, but it was very close. I didn't enjoy the trip to the third floor, that evening, either. Today is my second full day home (surgery 10/3), and I don't notice the stairs especially much, now. I haven't been outside to walk yet. I just do laps around the living room and pace up and down the hall. I didn't have enough sugar-free Jello in the house when I left for my surgery. I sent my spouse to get more. I like the premeasured cups, because it's easier to know how much I'm getting. I don't have enough premade protein drinks, either, but that was kind of by design, since everyone said "your tastes will change." I also wanted to know what would settle. I'm doing well on Unjury. I haven't tried the one Muscle Milk I have left in the pantry, yet. Quest powder mixed with water might be OK, but I think it's going to be too thick if I try it with milk--I'm definitely going to hold off another day before risking that.

Eggface has some tips, including "double milk." http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2008/08/wls-on-cheap.html

My team says they usually clear people for whatever exercise they want to do after a month. So. Seconding that "don't do planks until you're a month post-op" suggestion.

My team allows it if you let it go flat first.

I haven't had any protein shake yet, so you're ahead of me! I did have some protein water today, the rest of a bottle I had abandoned in my fridge at the end of my pre-op clear liquid day. And a lot of decaf hot tea. I'm going to try one of the "thicker" protein shakes (something more than just protein water) tomorrow, really slowly. I don't like that I've gone two days in a row with basically no protein, but I did make sure to get extra before the surgery. A popsicle made me nauseated at the hospital, so it was late in the day, today, when I finally gave in and had one, to see if I could handle it better. That was good, so I see more of them in my future. If I'm feeling as much better tomorrow, compared to today, as I felt today, compared to yesterday, I should be able to get to the 64 ounce goal on liquid, and hopefully have a lot of it be protein, to boot. I'm glad you're feeling so much better already! That's awesome!

I'm not going to make it to 64 ounces today. (They sent me home yesterday.) If I really push, I can make it past half way there before bedtime. I never believed people who were like "plain water hurts, but I can do [some more interesting thing]," so karma showed up to put me in my place. I do OK with jello! Hot (really, warm) tea seems to do OK, too. Protein water I can do, but I have to go slowly. Plain water HURTS. I think I'll try my first protein shake (not just protein water) tomorrow. Anyway, I'm glad we're both back out in the non-hospital world and moving forward! ❤️

OK, this is the list for people to find their sleeve buddies, if they want. Forgive me if I made any mistakes, please -- I'm not on the fun pain meds right now, but my head's still fuzzy today. I did my best. I'll fix any mistakes I made, just let me know. (Bonus points if you do not quote this whole post, because it is huge.) Oct 1: aapb79Gmail.com chicagogirl74 chuckwalsh clara1900 cw19147 irishgal21 JennieJuniper momofmjbm Red Alicia Yare_2018 Oct 2: bmatt418 cindy t Deanayeah jgirlnyc Lizzieming Marla522 nikoleroze Oct517 Oct 3: boringtessa crankymagpie LosingLbs18 mamadownsizing sekud02 Oct 4: AriesMary25 btrfly kerbear1980 mspink702 rnchaveri1 sleevemebaby7781 swisskath Oct 5: greener pastures mommytina rafc100 Suesloosinit Oct 8: Crystalmartin82 jhojho90 Oct 9: bigcurt mailchickie76 Oct 10: busyforever fandangle MeeAhhh oct102018 Oct 11: aussie Ange healthygirl05 kathy060464 UncleBeezy willowfinely Oct 12: afer0841 Tabularasa2018 zpratt Oct 14: katiemarie22 Oct 15: allyb15 annaisbananas April1965 JessLess llrn90 MegsNiko (or maybe the 17th?) recreating_courtney redaj954 Tina6769 Oct 16: 2shea beccaconaty87 br3n Thisismytime ummyasmin Wincy Oct 17: Chello219 Fawksy Grapefruit Jlh2350 JustKeepSwimming OpsMatt Oct 18: shazz73 Oct 20: Lucybear22 Oct 22: clb164 GizzlyKitten kimberlymi laceco marciamae3474 Oct 23: emccomis kdiddle31 llhill mimi tahoegirl96118 Oct 24: Beachladee3 GirlShrinking Lovingmyselfforever tuttlemomma Oct 25: AndreaK. kiwiangel23 teenyshell Oct 26: amanda-xo carebear38 shany1567 Oct 29: 1BigHeart JadineC jflower88 Kai91 kjallen nedawson1908 notmyname Rgiannos Oct 30: sleevegirl88 wishful.shrinking Oct 31: relaxrelaterelease

OK, I'm home, after my surgery yesterday (10/3). The medical staff all said I seemed good to go home, and I wasn't going to argue, but I'll be real: getting my 64 ounces tomorrow looks like an insurmountable struggle. I nearly hurled after the car ride and the walk up stairs, but happily I did not. Also, they really wanted me to do shots in my stomach, even though I definitely warned the surgeon I wasn't going to be able to do that, so I have to walk extra to make up for not having any blood thinner. It's a little scary.

You are so cute! 😍😍😍 More importantly, what an achievement!

Got my call! 11:30am tomorrow. I am supposed to show up at 9:30, and they're going to let my partner back with me once I'm wearing the surgical gown and have my IV in. That's pretty much exactly what I'd hoped for. I have class until 9pm tonight, a half hour drive from home, so I was dreading them saying "come in at 5:30am" or something like that. Instead, I'll have several hours to toss and turn and not actually sleep, lol, and my spouse will be awake enough to function, getting me to the hospital. And we don't have to do our teary goodbyes out in the waiting room, with me contemplating my fate alone in between doctor visits--he can sit with me and chat until they roll me back into the OR. ❤️ I am so nervous. But I'm ready, too. I've done all the prep, so much reading. I was perfectly happy on the three month "practice" diet for phase three, and I feel good about that lifestyle. Over the past week I've followed the liquid diet religiously, no cheats. So the parts that are within my control, I know I can handle, and I really need to stop dwelling on the parts that are out of my control--I picked a really good surgeon, I'm in the best possible hands, there's nothing worry will do for me.

I have a charm bracelet (in the Pandora style, but it isn't Pandora-branded) that I'm adding a charm to, every time I lose 10 pounds.

For folks starting the liquid diet, or like @katiemarie22, in the first few days, you might find that it helps you to get some salt (or if your team is like "bleh bleh low sodium," bone broth and sugar-free drinks with electrolytes) and stay VERY SUPER DUPER hydrated. Rule of thumb: if the sports drink tastes sweet and not salty, you need the electrolytes. @aapb79Gmail.com, thank you for the update, and I hope your nursing team keeps the pain under control from here on out!

I have kind of gone back and forth, sometimes using sugar-free stuff and sometimes avoiding it. I had a bit of a diet soda habit over the past couple of years, so I guess I'm used to aspartame, at least. Though I do notice the flavor--I can tell it from sugary stuff by the aftertaste (or lack thereof, in the case of sugar). I don't notice an aftertaste with sugar-free Jello, the same way I do with a lot of the sf stuff. It just tastes like Jello to me. I hope you're as lucky, there! I haven't told anyone in my family, besides obviously my husband, who is ... worried, but really supportive, and trying not to burden me with his worry. (That's why I didn't tell my mom. I'd spend all my energy reassuring her, and she'd harass my husband all day on the surgery day.) Well, I told my younger brother, but he lives in another state, and his wife just had the sleeve, plus he's thinking of doing it early next year, so that conversation went well. It's safer than a gallbladder removal or a joint replacement, statistically speaking, and those are also considered to be safe surgeries! I hope that we are both on the right side of all of the statistics--safe, pretty easy recovery, no complications, etc. ❤️ I look forward to hearing how great you're doing when we both check in on the 4th!

No stress! I hope it goes really well, and you have an easy recovery!

I thought you were doing something other than the sleeve, though? I set myself the task of connecting all the sleevers, not connecting everyone getting a surgery at all. Which isn't to say I mind adding you (I don't! it's fine! I'm adding you now), just ... if I'm remembering right, you'll have a different experience. Obviously, if I'm remembering wrong, I apologize, profusely! (Part of why I tried to only add sleevers is that the list is already very long. Part of it is that the RNYers will, on average, be miserable a little longer at the outset than we are, but then their losses will be greater over time. "Don't compare yourself to others" is good advice, but it's hard to follow, because we're human, you know?)

How are our October 1 sleevers doing? Tomorrow's folks - @bmatt418, @cindy t, @Deanayeah, @Lizzieming, @Marla522, @nikoleroze, @Oct517 - are you ready? Best of luck to you all! Check in when you can! I'm one of the October 3 folks, and I won't do my post-surgery check-in before I get home on (here's hoping) the 4th--I use these forums through the browser, not the app. I also won't update the list of surgery buddies for a couple of days, so if someone else wants to, feel free? But I'll scroll back and add people, once I'm up to it, so no worries. Here's the list as it stands now, so you can all find and befriend your surgery buddies! ❤️ Oct 1: aapb79Gmail.com chicagogirl74 chuckwalsh clara1900 cw19147 irishgal21 JennieJuniper momofmjbm Red Alicia Yare_2018 Oct 2: bmatt418 cindy t Deanayeah Lizzieming Marla522 nikoleroze Oct517 Oct 3: boringtessa crankymagpie LosingLbs18 mamadownsizing sekud02 Oct 4: AriesMary25 btrfly kerbear1980 mspink702 rnchaveri1 sleevemebaby7781 swisskath Oct 5: rafc100 Suesloosinit Oct 8: Crystalmartin82 jhojho90 Oct 9: bigcurt emccomis mailchickie76 Oct 10: busyforever fandangle MeeAhhh oct102018 Oct 11: aussie Ange healthygirl05 kathy060464 UncleBeezy willowfinely Oct 12: afer0841 zpratt Oct 14: katiemarie22 Oct 15: allyb15 annaisbananas April1965 JessLess MegsNiko (or maybe the 17th?) recreating_courtney Tina6769 Oct 16: 2shea beccaconaty87 br3n Thisismytime Wincy Oct 17: Chello219 Grapefruit JustKeepSwimming OpsMatt Oct 18: shazz73 Oct 22: clb164 kimberlymi laceco marciamae3474 Oct 23: kdiddle31 mimi tahoegirl96118 Oct 24: Beachladee3 GirlShrinking tuttlemomma Oct 25: AndreaK. kiwiangel23 Oct 26: carebear38 shany1567 Oct 29: 1BigHeart jflower88 Kai91 kjallen nedawson1908 Rgiannos Oct 30: sleevegirl88 Oct 31: relaxrelaterelease

It's weird how the plans are all different. Today's my 6th day on full liquids, and tomorrow is clear liquids only. No bowel prep, which maybe I am grateful for? I don't think I'm allowed to have V8. (I didn't ask, since tomatoes settle badly for me, anyway.) Sugar free Jello has been the unsung hero of my week, and I think I might actually sing about it tomorrow, when it is the only "thick" thing I'm allowed to have. Anyway, I hear you about second thoughts. I am really full of them, myself. I'm mostly worried about the near-term, right now--getting through the next month or so--but I share some of your longer-term concerns, too. Anyway, I hope your surgery is quick and easy and your recovery goes well! Check in on the October 2018 Sleevers thread when you're able to, after surgery, OK? I'm on the 3rd, too, but I probably won't check in on these forums until I'm home on (fingers crossed) the 4th.

Soo I confirmed at least part of my theory about all this to myself: I split a can of low-sodium Campbell's chicken noodle soup with my spouse last night (he got the solids; I got the broth) and this morning my weight is up, despite staying true to the liquid diet. Some of the noodle starches definitely get into the broth, and that appears to lead to water weight. Even the "low sodium" broth tasted salty. ... OK, friends, I won't lie to you: it tasted like heaven. But I really don't think it was the salt, in this case. And it had calories, but nowhere near enough to get me within shouting distance of my BMR, let alone enough for me to gain anything. It's water weight from switching (at least partially) back to glycolysis! I bet I'll be hungrier today than I was in previous days, too. 😕 Guess it's good I did that experiment with one more day of full liquids to go, instead of doing it tonight, when I'm on clear liquids all day tomorrow. (I'm going to eat so much sugar-free jello. So much.)

People talk about how they gain weight immediately after surgery (not everyone, but some folks). People talk about how, when they switch from liquids to purees they gain weight (again, not everyone, and I doubt many people fall into both groups). And everyone just nods their heads and says "yes, that does happen, don't freak out, stalls are normal at this point." I think some folks even have said "that's water weight, chill." (Usually more nicely.) I think the difference has to do with whether or not your body enters ketosis before surgery -- those of us on protein drinks and no juice or anything else with sugar will almost certainly be there after a week or more of that diet* -- and when you leave it. Switching from glycolysis to ketosis comes with a steep drop in water weight. (It takes more stored water for the body to perform glycolysis.) Don't get me wrong: you also lose fat, but not all of the miraculously fast loss you see is fat; anywhere from 3-8 pounds is water. Those pounds will come back as soon as you leave ketosis. Sorry. I know that's a bummer. The upshot is, if your IV bags have any kinds of sugars in them, or if the nurses give you juice in the hospital, you'll see that regain immediately after surgery, even if you were fully hydrated beforehand. (Maybe you would, a little, anyway, as your body does what it needs to do to heal from surgery.) If that doesn't happen, but you get home and start drinking juice or normal Gatorade or something, 1) that's probably not the best possible habit for the long term, and 2) you'll get that water weight back then. Or, box number three: if you are only drinking broths and protein shakes and not getting any carbs to speak of, it'll happen when you transition to purees -- refried beans, apple sauce, yogurts, etc. will have more carbohydrates in them, and you'll get your water weight back then. In my experience with coming out of ketosis (pre-WLS), my body only actually gains a tiny bit, but it "stalls" for 2-3 weeks before it goes back to losing normally. So, I think that's at least part of what is happening with the weird post-surgical gains. Before I stop writing this already very long post, I want to point out that ketosis is NOT the same thing as ketoacidosis, and you are not in danger if you go into ketosis. The transition is unpleasant (though making sure you're extremely well hydrated and you've got enough electrolytes, including especially sodium, when you cut out the carbs will help ease it somewhat), but once you make it, you should find you aren't as hungry anymore. I don't know whether there's any special benefit to staying in ketosis for the week(s) after surgery, before transitioning to purees, but speaking only for myself, I'm inclined to try, in the hopes that I don't end up super hungry while I'm only taking in liquids. (I don't get much say about what goes in my IV bags or what the hospital tells me to eat, so it may not be up to me. We'll see.) Public Service Announcement: Please do not buy ketone measuring strips unless you need them for your diabetes. They are getting harder for diabetics to find, because keto nuts are using them up. You don't need to measure the ketones in your pee if you're dieting. It is unnecessary. (Is your breath disgusting? Great, you're in ketosis.) Spread the word to your keto friends, please. *I only say "almost," because there are apparently a lot of people who get their broth by straining chicken noodle soup and not eating the noodles or the chicken. I don't know how many starches end up in a broth that had noodles cooked in it. Also, strained cream soups are allowed on my pre-op diet, and those will have a higher carb content than your average protein shake. We're allowed to use milk in our protein shakes, too, which could be enough to stave off ketosis. Also, I think the nutritionist allows G2, and that has some sugar. So it's not definite? But it's likely.

I can't believe it's October tomorrow! Good luck, @aapb79Gmail.com, @chicagogirl74, @chuckwalsh, @clara1900, @cw19147, @irishgal21, @JennieJuniper, @momofmjbm, @Red Alicia, @Yare_2018, and any other October 1 sleevers I may have missed! Check in when you can, and let us know how you're doing! ❤️

My surgeon doesn't want us to take any vitamins until our post-op appointment, 10(ish) days after surgery, and then the nutritionists really suggest chewables for the first few months. He does expect us to take Prilosec, even the first day after surgery, but I think that's the only one. (Well, and he gave me a prescription for some anti-nausea pills, but those mess with serotonin, so I'll do my best not to take those at all.)

Yeah, that's what it is! Our directions say to mix a can of cream of [whatever] up with milk, prepare according to directions, and then strain out all the bits and eat what's left. We're also allowed to go to a restaurant and get their chicken noodle soup, strained. (Apparently the restaurant is fine with doing that?)