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I eat it regularly. In fact, I had it this past weekend. 1 regular size gives me 2 meals. Yum! For mushy or pureed stage, you'd have to blend it up to the point there are no chunks, but I'd think it would be OK.

Thanks Fluffy! My weight loss has been slow, but I feel GREAT! As much as I'd like to take credit for those healthcare workers putting themselves on the line, I cannot. I am a nurse consultant who works from home. I haven't left my house in over a week! My DH deserves the credit. He's still out there working and braving the chaos in the stores for me.

For me, soda is a slippery slope. It's not about whether I CAN drink it, but whether I should. I gave up soda after I was banded years ago. After I had the band out, I started indulging again. Not a lot, but enough. I cannot tolerate a lot of artificial sweeteners and soda has a lot of empty calories. So, I gave it up again when I started the sleeve process. Aside from a small sip of low carbonation rootbeer about a year or so ago, I just don't. I don't miss it and don't plan on going back to it.

3 weeks out and eating veggie burger with asparagus? That seems rather advanced at 3 weeks out. I was still eating very soft and mostly mushy food at that point. I agree with AJ Tylo above. You're not hungry. Your mind is playing games with you. I think I also read somewhere that in some people the part of the stomach that senses fullness is damaged or cut in the surgery process. Maybe shocked or numb. Please be cautious. Your stomach and the suture line are still healing. I recommend that you measure out your food and stop eating when you've eaten the portion prescribed by your doctor (usually 1/4-1/2 cup). If you need to, set a timer for mealtimes and don't snack in between.

I added a small amount of smooth peanut butter to my protein shakes (occasionally) while in the full liquid phase (cream soups). As long as you aren't indulging in "crunchy" peanut butter, it fits with a soft food phase. Disclaimer: when in doubt, always check with your bariatric team. The biggest problem with peanut butter is that it is calorie-dense and your whole goal here is calorie restriction.

I'm just shy of 2 years out and I am cold almost all of the time. My hands are cold. My feet are cold. I'm just COLD. I have a "sluggish" thyroid, but not enough for my doc to prescribe anything. My vitamin routine includes a thyroid "supplement" which helps with some of the other symptoms common with thyroid, but not the cold. I wear heavy socks and slippers all year round. I have a heated mouse pad that looks like a tent to keep my hand warm while working. My office is equipped with a space heater and a supply of lap blankets and light jackets. At night, when I watch TV, I am covered like an Eskimo and I often sleep with socks on because my feet get so cold. I don't know what to tell you other than it's common. I don't expect it to go away.

Unfortunately, if you're already experiencing hair loss there really isn't much you can do at this point. Look up Telogen Effluvium. It can happen after surgery, psychological stress, extreme weight loss, change in diet, hormone changes. Get it? We're inherently at risk for this and if you've already started in with it, no amount of vitamins or specialty shampoos will stop it. The good news is, it will pass. It takes a few months, but it will pass.

I second Fluffy's suggestions. All sound good. Here's what I did: 1 box SF instant pudding 2 cups Fairlife milk 1 scoop unflavored unjury Sets up like normal and you can enjoy any flavor of pudding you like. *I stayed away from adding flavored powdered protein to already flavored pudding mix. It just made it too sweet for me. I like Fluffy's suggestion to use greek yogurt with your favorite flavor of powdered protein. I may have to try that for an easy, high-protein dessert one of these days.

I don't have this particular scenario, but I see these kinds of scenarios in the type of work that I do and I can tell you with reasonable certainty that your back problems and pain are directly affected by morbid obesity. When you're obese, not only are you carrying around a heavy load and putting stress on all of your joints, but you often alter your posture to accommodate the weight. This can lead to progressive degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, radiculopathy, etc. Also, it's not uncommon for the joints adjacent to the spinal fusion to develop issues like herniation. It sounds like you're in a bit of a chicken/egg situation. The excess weight is definitely exacerbating the back condition, but it's hard to do anything about the weight because of the back issue. Losing weight will not "unherniate" your discs, but I have seen cases where a herniation sort of retracts a bit and no longer impinges on nerves with proper physical therapy. Of course, the likelihood of that depends on the severity of the herniation. I would strongly encourage you to have this conversation with both of the doctors. Meaning, the bariatric doctor and the orthopedic/neuro-surgeon who is treating your back. Not just the pain management guy, the SURGEON. Flatly ask them which one they would recommend you pursue first. Then, ask them to explain WHY. Once you understand, you can proceed in confidence knowing the situation, the benefits, and the consequences. <disclaimer>I am NOT a doctor, but I routinely work with individuals who have had back injuries, degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, sciatica, radiculopathy and the like.

I second EVERYTHING @FluffyChix said. I'm quickly approaching 2 years out and just last night, I had a conversation with my husband to the point that I have to remember to chew better and go slower. If I don't, I can feel that bite going down and it's not pleasant. Old habits are hard to break and even when you thought you'd conquered them, they sneak back up on you when you least expect it.

Essentials: Comfy/loose-fitting clothing (I wore that when I checked in and really only made sure to pack a change of underwear) Toothbrush/toothpaste Lip balm For the most part, anything else you need is provided. The hospital gowns aren't the greatest, but you'll likely have an IV. So, they're easier. They'll put a 2nd on you (backward) to act as a robe for your hallway walks. They'll give you little footies with gripping soles, so you don't need slippers. Anything over/above the essentials is your preference. Is there something you feel that you can't live without? Have a special facial routine? Special hairbrush? Can't live without your iPad or phone? Take these things, but be prepared that you may never take them out of the bag. I didn't. Not even my phone. The only time I opened my bag was at discharge. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, combed my hair and put it up in a clip. I probably looked like he//, but I wasn't there to win any beauty contests.

I assume they directed you to plain yogurt to avoid any "chunks" in a fruit yogurt, but did you know that there are flavored yogurts that don't have "chunks"? I liked key-lime and lemon flavored. Both are smooth, without fruit puree. What about SF puddings? I usually made mine with an extra scoop of unflavored protein for a protein boost. Also, there are alot of things you can do with protein powders and shakes to break up the cream soup monotony. Personally, my favorite was a vanilla shake with half a banana and 1 tbsp of peanut butter. When blended up in a blender, it's smooth and deeply satisfying. And remember, whatever phase you're on, you can still eat the phases that came before it. Broths, jello, SF popcicles, etc. Good luck!

When I had surgery, I only told my husband and maybe 3 very close friends. That's it. Not my children, not my parents, and not any extended family. After a while, it didn't seem as important to me to keep it private and I told some other people. My adult children started asking questions about my health. They thought I was sick because I was losing so much weight and wasn't eating as much as before. The usual excuses of "another diet" started to fall flat with them. So, I told my kids. But, to this day no one in the rest of my family knows. So, the privacy possibilities are yours. This is YOUR journey. Tailor it to your own personal needs. If you want to keep it close to your chest, you can certainly do that.

I work in an office, very sedentary work. I had surgery on a Tuesday and returned to work by the following Monday (6 days). I'd say that if you have a relatively sedentary job, you could probably return relatively quickly. However, just because you CAN doesn't mean you should. I know that I had pretty bad fatigue for at least 3 weeks after surgery. In my 1st week back, I fell asleep at lunch one day. And for several weeks, I crashed every Thursday and fell asleep in the chair right after dinner. If I had to do it again, I probably would have taken a 2nd week off.

Well, take this for what it's worth... "flap doesn't close properly" is called an incompetent lower esophageal sphincter (LES). "slowed down moving food" is called low esophageal motility I would think a surgeon contemplating gastric sleeve would consider these 2 conditions a possible contraindication for the sleeve gastrectomy. Reason being: if you have an incompetent LES then gastric juices can easily come up into your esophagus (reflux). If you have low esophageal motility, that slows any food down and compounds the issue with the LES. It can also be quite uncomfortable. The hiatal hernia, sliding or not, can easily be repaired during the surgery. I'm sure it's causing you some discomfort and making the other conditions rather miserable...hence the chest pain. Sleeve gastrectomy patients are at a higher risk for GERD anyway. I would STRONGLY encourage you to discuss your medical history and ask about your personal risk for intractable postoperative GERD with your surgeon before you move forward with sleeve gastrectomy.

I've taken Nature's Bounty Hair Skin & Nails for years. I took the gummy version in the early days of my sleeve because I was afraid of taking too many whole pills (I take quite a few supplements). The caplets have more in it, so I prefer sticking with these. https://www.naturesbounty.com/our-products/letter-vitamins/vitamin-b/hair-skin-and-nails-3000-mcg-of-biotin-60-coated-caplets/ *I get mine at Costco, but you can get them just about anywhere.

I'm a side-sleeper. I had to sleep propped up with pillows and on my back for almost a month. The incisional and gas pain was gone within a week or 2, but I still couldn't return to my side because it sort of felt like my guts were shifting around (towards gravity). It wasn't painful, just weird and uncomfortable. Like ms.sss above, I still frequently sleep on my back and still propped up with pillows to help with any possible reflux.

I had a co-pay for the surgeon's fees, which turned out to be about $500. All hospital charges were covered at 100%.

I second Jazzy's recommendation. Contact your surgeon to let them know what's happening.

1. I don't think they make a sugar-free Tylenol liquid. That being said, there are alternatives. Me, I used children's chewable Tylenol. I only used it for about a week or 2, so I wasn't concerned with the sugar in it. If you're that averse to any form of sugar: crush regular Tylenol (NOT EXTENDED RELEASE) and put it in whatever SF medium you like: protein drink, pudding, etc. 2. The only nausea I had was while I was in the hospital. It went away by the time I got home. 3. Headaches can be caused by multiple things. Yes, if you're dehydrated, you can get a headache. You can also get them from carb-withdrawal. 2 possibilities I see here. Stay hydrated and stay the course. It should get better. 4. Sorry, no suggestions for non-sweet protein water. BUT, Unjury brand protein supplements offer savory varieties. I like the Chicken Soup one. *They're a little high in sodium content, but a welcome break from the sweet varieties. 5. I didn't weigh myself for at least a week after surgery. I honestly didn't really care. I was so focused on recovering that I wasn't worried about it. Besides, I didn't think it would be terribly accurate because of all the fluid shifting related to surgery. They pump you full of IV fluids and your body itself is adjusting to the trauma of surgery. Be patient.

I had the immediate post-op pain, but I can't say as I felt like I had my stomach removed. The weirdest thing though: I'm a side sleeper and for the first month or so I couldn't lay on my side. It felt like my guts were shifting and it was very uncomfortable. Not painful, just weird and uncomfortable. Today, almost 2 years post-op, the only pain I get is if I eat a little too much. I see it as a friendly reminder from my sleeve that I've overdone it and I try to avoid it in the future.

My family loves to go out to eat, so I've had to develop several strategies that I employ (depending on the restaurant and who I'm with): Offer to share a meal Order an appetizer (this can be troublesome because they can often be fried or covered in cheese) Order a kids meal (most restaurants will allow this, BUT it's also a risk because a lot of restaurants have unhealthy kids meals like chicken nuggets, french fries, mac&cheese) Order a side dish (You can usually find relatively healthy side dishes, they won't be high-protein, but it may be the best alternative depending on type of restaurant) Ask for or bring your own "to go" containers. Lastly, and this was my newest revelation: some restaurants allow people to "add on" protein/meat to an existing meal. EX: my husband ordered a regular meal and we "added on" 4 grilled shrimp. This was PERFECT for me. I had the shrimp and ordered a side of broccoli. Best meal EVER!

Vomiting blood is cause for emergency. If you haven't already, go the ER. NOW. Go to the ER. Do not pass go, do collect $200. Go directly to ER.

The only way to know for sure is to have an upper-GI endoscopy. The doctor can visualize the sleeve and determine if you've stretched it. It's natural for the sleeve to tolerate larger portions over time. I'm 20+ months out and sometimes I can eat a cup or so of food. It really depends on the food. I've even noticed that the time of day can make a difference. For instance, my breakfast is always a smaller meal than an evening meal. If you aren't already, measure and track your food.

I work in a very sedentary, desk-job. I was off work for 6 days. At 6 days, I COULD work and I wasn't in pain, BUT...the fatigue was a major factor. I needed more frequent rest breaks. One day at lunch, I fell asleep for an hour and a half! For weeks afterward, I was still struggling with fatigue and every Thursday, I'd hit a breaking point. My husband joked that he could count on me falling asleep every Thursday night as soon as we sat down to watch TV. My advice, take at least 2 weeks and consider more. If that's not feasible, return only part-time for a few weeks. As a dentist and a doctor, you need to be alert. You may be able to sit while you're performing your work and you may be able to take frequent breaks, but the fatigue will adversely affect your ability to concentrate.