A1220M

Nice!!! Congratulations! LOVE when hard work pays off!

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My surgery was May 18th. My first week was ROUGH to say the least. The gas pains, constipation from the pain drugs and dehydration made it hard to recover! I walked about 1/2 mile a day, but didn't get any relief until I stopped the Hydrocodone and relied on chewable Tylenol - the liquid burned the new tummy. I ended up having a couple of days of laxatives and gas-x along with the Tylenol-Worked like a charm.

During the second week, It took forever for the stomach cramps to go away - especially the ones that hurt as soon as liquid hit my tummy. Figured out that hot/warm water was the best way to go. That helped get me hydrated, at least. The protein shakes I had were all cold and felt thick and gross (previously LOVED them and didn't much mind the 2 week liquid pre-op). I ended up getting the ProtiDiet Hot chocolate . It was great! Existed on that stuff for a few days until I could tolerate cold things.

My third week is going very well. No more pains! I did sneeze and get a sharp incision pain, but nothing crazy. I'm freely drinking cold things, which is great. I made a giant pitcher of coffee+Premier protein caramel to drink at my leisure - that's been delicious. AND....finally eating fooooood! It's great to have a couple of bites of actual food. I know this restriction is temporary, but I'm absolutely loving it. It's the best of both worlds-especially after a month of liquids!
The only thing I'm dealing with now is the reflux. I've read all about other people's battle with this, so I knew it was likely to be an issue - especially while my sleeve is healing. It's no fun. Sometimes it's so bad I can't take anything down for a while. Yay for tums and omeprazole, but yeesh!

Just thought I'd do an update!!
My Surgiversary was May 18th - I'm officially 1 year post-op and LOVING IT!!
PROs: I can eat literally anything and I love it. Tiny portions were easy to get used to. I wouldn't change a thing. The portion control I used to struggle with is now effortless. It's nuts. Also, I ALWAYS have leftovers and it's pretty awesome. Weight fell off faster than I could keep up. My obsession with tracking calories is optional now. That's been nice. I can RUN up a flight of stairs - or two! It feels great being active. Now I understand why it was so hard to do things when my weight was higher. I can finally function.
CONs: The HORRIBLE constipation/gas pains the weeks following my surgery cannot go unmentioned. The pain meds that constipate are a special kind of hell. It was worse than my c-section BY FAR. At week #4, I was getting back to normal. Now that I'm a year post-op, The reflux is still plaguing me. It's MUCH better than the 4 post-op months. I can definitely live like this if this is as good as it gets. I go between taking 20 and 40 mg omeprazole depending on what the food plans are that day. Pretty easy to manage now.
Walking by a mirror is still odd. I've changed so much that I'm still surprised. When I buy clothes, I'm still confused by the sizes I'm fitting into. Never in a million years thought I'd lose so much in the 1 year post-op. Buying/fitting bras has been a nightmare, but that's for another post.
Glad I did it! I would do it again! I can run and jump like a kid again! It's GREAT!

Just thought I'd do an update!!
My Surgiversary was May 18th - I'm officially 1 year post-op and LOVING IT!!
PROs: I can eat literally anything and I love it. Tiny portions were easy to get used to. I wouldn't change a thing. The portion control I used to struggle with is now effortless. It's nuts. Also, I ALWAYS have leftovers and it's pretty awesome. Weight fell off faster than I could keep up. My obsession with tracking calories is optional now. That's been nice. I can RUN up a flight of stairs - or two! It feels great being active. Now I understand why it was so hard to do things when my weight was higher. I can finally function.
CONs: The HORRIBLE constipation/gas pains the weeks following my surgery cannot go unmentioned. The pain meds that constipate are a special kind of hell. It was worse than my c-section BY FAR. At week #4, I was getting back to normal. Now that I'm a year post-op, The reflux is still plaguing me. It's MUCH better than the 4 post-op months. I can definitely live like this if this is as good as it gets. I go between taking 20 and 40 mg omeprazole depending on what the food plans are that day. Pretty easy to manage now.
Walking by a mirror is still odd. I've changed so much that I'm still surprised. When I buy clothes, I'm still confused by the sizes I'm fitting into. Never in a million years thought I'd lose so much in the 1 year post-op. Buying/fitting bras has been a nightmare, but that's for another post.
Glad I did it! I would do it again! I can run and jump like a kid again! It's GREAT!

Just thought I'd do an update!!
My Surgiversary was May 18th - I'm officially 1 year post-op and LOVING IT!!
PROs: I can eat literally anything and I love it. Tiny portions were easy to get used to. I wouldn't change a thing. The portion control I used to struggle with is now effortless. It's nuts. Also, I ALWAYS have leftovers and it's pretty awesome. Weight fell off faster than I could keep up. My obsession with tracking calories is optional now. That's been nice. I can RUN up a flight of stairs - or two! It feels great being active. Now I understand why it was so hard to do things when my weight was higher. I can finally function.
CONs: The HORRIBLE constipation/gas pains the weeks following my surgery cannot go unmentioned. The pain meds that constipate are a special kind of hell. It was worse than my c-section BY FAR. At week #4, I was getting back to normal. Now that I'm a year post-op, The reflux is still plaguing me. It's MUCH better than the 4 post-op months. I can definitely live like this if this is as good as it gets. I go between taking 20 and 40 mg omeprazole depending on what the food plans are that day. Pretty easy to manage now.
Walking by a mirror is still odd. I've changed so much that I'm still surprised. When I buy clothes, I'm still confused by the sizes I'm fitting into. Never in a million years thought I'd lose so much in the 1 year post-op. Buying/fitting bras has been a nightmare, but that's for another post.
Glad I did it! I would do it again! I can run and jump like a kid again! It's GREAT!

Saving this gem, good stuff here ↑

Saving this gem, good stuff here ↑

I’m in Canada so I can’t get the Cafe Latte flavour ? Once the border opens (and doesn’t require Covid Tests both ways) I plan to do a shopping trip.

One month post op June 17th and down 30 pound. Was ashamed to say I was 300 pounds starting weight and now I'm 270 I don't feel like I look different but people say I look like I've lost weight.

I gained some. I was afraid I was going to be one of the people who had a hard time eating certain things afterwards but that is definitely not the case. In fact my husband and I went to roadhouse to celebrate my father (who has passed away) on Father’s Day and we split a cheeseburger. I am three and a half months out and I ate half of my half (a quarter) and was stuffed to the brim but I didn’t have any issues with the hamburger or the bread even. Any yes I know that bread is not a good choice in the losing phase but this was a one time thing (we never eat out) and I skipped a snack to make up for the calories.

1 month update: I lost 34.5 total (since 5/1) and 23.5 since surgery (5/11). I feel great, try to walk about 2 miles a day and do a lot of work around the house, including gardening. I found I can eat almost anything, as long as at each meal I eat 2 oz or less (definitely have to scale everything). I end up eating about 5 meals a day, and I am able to get the 80 grams of protein as I focus a lot on fish. I've adventured to try (in small bite-sized quantities) other things: ground meat/burger (without bun, of course), 1 rib (that was not too great --it's a bit too fatty). Have not really tried raw foods yet, except tomatoes. Have definitely noticed that need to keep drinking to be hydrated. There are some days where I am not as careful and then I need to take 3-4 hours to rehydrate, including my body waking me up during the night to go get water. I am not hungry and it's great! (I used to be sooo hungry before, all the time!) I wonder whether people who never gained weight always have felt like I feel now (with no hunger..): It is very liberating, to be honest, to not have that thing in your stomach and head tell you that you're hungry. Thank you for listening! Hope everyone else is doing well!

Hi all. Just found this forum and I'm excited to read other people's experiences. I'm coming up on 1 month post surgery. May 18th was my sleeve. I'm currently down about 33 lbs since surgery. My doctor has me eating fish, turkey and cooked vegetables. Amazingly, I've never once vomited after eating and my reflux has been pretty non-existent. The one thing I've found frustrating is getting tired pretty quickly while exercising or doing yard work. Things I used to do before without a problem are really tiring me out. I guess I just have to remember my body is adjusting to the much lower calorie intake, which means less energy for now.

I’ve definitely had the burping issue. I think it’s because sometimes I am trying to finish the whole 1/4 cup of food and it’s just too much at that time. My dietitian said it can be a sign I’m just full. Or maybe it’s just because I’m always talking and inhaling too much while I eat ??‍♀️ I’m just glad to hear I’m not the only burper out there ?

Before the 3 week stall police come and tell you to do a search, I'll tell you its normal and right on time. Could last a few weeks.

almost everyone has that early stall soon after surgery (it's usually the third week, thus we call it "the three week stall", but for some it comes earlier or later). Just stick to your plan, stay off the scale for a few days, and know that it will break and you'll be on your way again. It'll last 1-3 weeks. Mine was weeks 2 & 3 after surgery. During week 4, it broke and I dropped like 6-8 lbs almost overnight.

P.S. if you do a search on this site of the three week stall, you will find something like 17,500 posts on it. And no, I am NOT kidding.

Tummy Tuck, Breast Lift and Arm Lift for me in Dec 2019.
Yep, I have scars, and yep, I was hurting.
Still one of the best things I've done, though ?

I have my first tummy-tuck consult on Monday. ?

Yes, I did in January. I had a tummy tuck, breast lift & augmentation and an arm lift. There was some pain post op, but only the first few days were rough. Yes, I have scars. They’ll fade over time and I’d take them any day over the loose flappy skin.

Yep, it takes a while to learn what "full" feels like now. I did the same thing once. Once. ☝️

@SummerTimeGirl I'm sorry it's so rough right now. It's awesome that your husband is so supportive! Please keep us posted on how you're doing. @Elahnen Sorry it's so rough to be left out, glad your husband was supportive too! I spent the weekend with my semi-ex-boyfriend who is skinny as a rail and he's being super supportive of my trying to lose weight in preparation for my upcoming surgery (no date yet ?) . We walked and walked and walked and he supported me as I left food on my plate sometimes.

Small update.
FOOD:
So last night I has some sugar free pudding, since that's on my list, and did fine with it. Today I had some Light Greek, Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt. Had about 4 ounces in about 3 minutes and felt fine. Again I worry about this because yeah, I understand not having restriction with liquids but this? I'd think since there was/is more substance to it it would be different. Hope I'm wrong.
CRAVINGS:
Strange enough, can't say that I've been too hungry or starving or anything, considering I've only had liquids for like 3 weeks straight now....lol, but at times I do feel hungry. And during those times I find myself craving lots of strange things. Some of it is stuff I don't even eat like steak and liverwurst. Most of my cravings have been about meats and salads. Can't wait to have both!!!
SLEEPING:
A lil progress. I was able to lay flat and sleep in bed without too much pain and today I woke up feeling even better. I have been icing my stomach regularly for the last two days. Wondering if that's been helping?

I wouldn’t worry about the no restriction with liquids issue. It happened to me (and a lot of others) and I was just sure it meant my surgery didn’t work, but as promised, restriction showed up with solids.

Congrats on being on the other side!

Just wanted to fill people in on what my experience has been like thus far since surgery. If you want to know something I forgot to mention, please don't hesitate to ask.
HOSPITAL STAY:
So I had my surgery May 19th around 10:30 am. I was in recovery and waking up by 11:45 am. All that went smoothly.
The first day I was so dang tired that I drifted off and on while sitting in the chair in-between walking around and drinking. I felt bad for my husband who stay with me all day. He was totally content and happy to be there but I knew he too was tired so about 7pm I made him go home (visiting hours ended at 8 anyway). LOL
When I first got to my room I was like, OMG I have HORRIBLE burning like heartburn and even complained about it. They gave me some sort of Gas chew and it didn't do jack. It wasn't until I got up and walking around that I figured out it was NOT heartburn but related to that gas inside and the walking helped that feeling subside.
They gave me nothing but water or Gatorade Zero while there and I was totally fine and content with that. They mentioned medicine if I was nauseous but I never was. I felt totally fine and normal but for the one incision site that's to the right and up from my belly button. Doc said that's the typical complaint spot and where he pulls the extra stomach through so that's to be expected. But it hurt like hell when first standing from sitting and also wiping after peeing. Uggghhh. I slept in a chair sitting up that night when I could sleep which really only amounted to 3 hours total.
I was given Tylenol for pain and an Oxycodone once on that first night. They sent me home with the Oxycodone too for pain and so far I have only taken it once at night to help with that pain while sleeping.
The next morning they took more blood work and everything came back good and they allowed me to go home by early noon. Mostly because my pain was managed by meds and because I was easily able to get enough water down and I was not sick.
Also, I did not pack much but I did pack my cell phone, charger, kindle, Biotene, Chapstick, brush, toothpaste and toothbrush, extra underwear and that was it. I did not use ANYTHING but for my brush and, right after surgery, put on my own undies and a pad since I got my period the day before surgery. I did not even use my cell phone (maybe once to post here) cause I was just so dang tired (plus trying to get my liquids in and walking) and hubby did all the updating to others for me. I mostly watched TV as it was on for background noise more than anything.
MOVING AROUND:
Every day is getting better but this dang incision spot is a ******!!! Can't wait for it to stop hurting cause I'm really tired of sleeping sitting up. I tried every way possible to lay down and it's just not possible! The dang area feels like it's burning and tearing apart when I do. Otherwise I'm following orders and walking around. I do not feel I still have a lot of gas issues but I most definitely feel like I am swollen about my stomach area for sure.
APPEARANCE:
I was actually surprised at how weird my stomach looked after surgery. Normally my stomach is smooth/one size all over and flat/round-ish (except for my little fat pouch right under my left breast that's been there forever). But upon looking at my stomach after surgery, I feel like some spots are like poofed out and others dented in, if that makes sense. Especially the bad incision spot. Strange. Not sure how else to explain it. Today is day 4 and it looks like I'm starting to bruise around most, if not all, incisions. Just slightly.
FOOD/WATER:
So my after diet consists of 2 weeks FULL LIQUIDS, followed by 1 week PUREE, and 2 weeks SOFT FOODS, then finally normal foods. Strange enough, I have had NO problem getting in 64 oz of liquid at all. I've had no chest pain, full feeling or sickness. A few times I had what feels like if you drink too much how it creates a sorta air bubble that hurts for a split second but then it passes. Otherwise, no issues. In fact, a few times after trying to drink/gulp like I normally would, I had to stop and remind myself that I no longer could do that. So weird cause I feel, aside from the incision pain, I would never know I even had surgery. So right now since all I've been able to ingest is liquids, I'm not sure if this is gonna be a blessing or an issue. On one hand I'm glad I can seem to "eat" and drink normal and also have had no aversions to taste. But on the other hand, I worry that will not help me in the long run to lose weight. This remains to be seen but I am scared I won't lose for this reason.
So far I've had protein shakes, water, Gatorade Zero, the broths from creamed soups, sugar free popsicles and that's it.
MEDICINE:
I was told I wouldn't be able to swallow anything bigger than a tictac. That was a lie. I have been able to swallow all my pills, even the big ol Metformin, with no issue.
POTTY:
Had my first BM on my second day home. Had several a day since. No problems there either.
WEIGHT:
Not that I expected anything yet but, I have gotten on the scale and it's the same as it was the day of surgery.

I think that's it. Can't think of anything else right now but if you have any questions please ask.

you're still early out. Many people are eventually able to eat bread - but some never or rarely do because it bothers their stomachs. I can eat it, but not a lot of it - it feels like a rock in my stomach if I eat more than a little of it - but some people can eventually eat it without issues. Also, your stomach is probably still swollen from the surgery so it's still quite small, so you have to focus on nutritionally dense foods that your body needs. Bread isn't that nutritious. But in time, you may be able to eat it again.
you will definitely be able to eat more as time goes on. I'd probably be considered a "light eater" now. No one would be able to tell I had surgery, because although I don't eat a lot, it's still within the normal range, I think. I eat about the same amount as some of my never-been-obese women friends do.