jaymecaye

My gastric sleeve was done 1/22/22. I had a 10 day pre-op liquid diet which was a lot and lonely. My nurse was supposed to call and check on me about half way thru- she never did- nor did she return my voicemails. I also was in a weird schedule shift at work so I worked 8 of the 10 days- which I think was a blessing in disguise since I was busy and not focusing on what I was or wasn’t eating. Due to COVID it was a drop off pick up situation. So my mom dropped me off at 5:20 am. I was in communication with her until my nurse anesthetist came in and they put my phone in my bag. I don’t remember anything after the operating nurse coming in and putting my hair net on me around 7:20 am. The next thing I knew I woke up in recovery with a nurse sitting on either side of me. They were super great- my mouth was very very dry so they let me suck on a sponge. I was also very close to the desk in recovery so I could tell my mom was on the phone with them. I immediately requested my phone from my bag and called my mom. It was about 11:30am and she hadn’t heard from my surgeon- she was not happy. But had a lot of relief hearing from me. The conversation was short as I was still out of it. The nurses also put some Vaseline on my lips since they were super dry. My room wasn’t ready yet so I was able to just relax in recovery for a bit. Lots of naps in and out and some texting with friends. Once my room was ready the wheeled me away from recovery. Once I got to my room I was given goals. -Manage nausea -Manage pain - go to the bathroom -take a sips test -walk around -sit in the chair I didn’t find my self nauseous until they gave me a different pain med via my IV. Luckily I didn’t throw up and they gave me some spearmint patch on my gown which was nice. Pain was managed via IV for the first bit. I really felt like I had to go to the bathroom so the nurse helped me on my feet within about 2 hours of being in my room. No luck on the bathroom- but I found I could get up and move. After that we did my sips test at 1:15 which went really well. After that I got white grape juice watered down and water to sip on. Goal was 5 med cups (2 tablespoons) an hour. After that another nurse came in wanting my to start walking. He helped me into my really comfy pj pants- no open booty walks for me! We did 2 laps around my ward. I ended up in the locked pediatric location so they were a little more lax with me about walking on my own. During this time I also attempted to go to the bathroom a few more times. Finally before 8pm my nurse came in turned the sink on and basically told me to relax and I was in my head about not going. ALAS- it worked- a ton of relief happened from being able to go. That night I walked more- drank more- slept more and prayed I was gonna be able to go home. I swear every time I was falling asleep the nurse aid came in to take my vitals. ☹️ the nurse aid also had no knowledge base in what I had done so when I asked for broth she told me to order… there were no ordering food for sleeve patients. The broth was in the kitchen on the floor so that was a bit of a run around but it all worked out well. The next morning a different bariatric surgeon came in to talk to me- mine didn’t come in on Sundays…. But he was cool and told me I could go home! So I got my paper work and then a nurse came in unhooked my from my IV so I got dressed. My nurse came in gave me a cart and some directions and away I went. I got my meds filled there and then waited for my mom to pick me up. The first day I was home I was very slow moving. Ended up sleeping in a recliner because it hurt too much to get out of bed. Monday and Tuesday went similar- very quiet working on getting liquids in and moving around as much as possible. Today I can get up much easier and moving around a lot more. Since I’ve been home I’ve only taken Tylenol for pain killers- they gave me more but I haven’t felt like the pain was bad enough to use them. Here are my number so far… Starting process- 270.9 Surgery day- 258.6 2 days home- 256.6 So far I’ve lost 14 pounds. I can’t wait to see where I am in a month. I’ll definitely keep posting my journey here. Wish me luck!

Hey all- sorry I have been MIA. I’m not gonna lie- I went to a dark place. This thread seemed to change from me well us sharing our experiences post sleeve to people complaining about the financial side or honesty telling me I was wrong and other pointed comments in my inbox. So I took a break. But there were quite a few of you who are so supportive and I’m sorry I ghosted. Here’s my update I’m almost two months (roughly a week shy of 2 months) out and down a total of 36 pounds. I go to the gym 3-5 times a week and do quite a bit of weight lifting and cardio. I feel so much better. I’m down two pant sizes which is fantastic. Lately I’ve been having odd soreness in my lower back and shoulders so I contacted my nurse- she thought it was that my body was still holding it’s self like I had those 36 pounds still. She recommended I get a massage- hey doctors orders I’m not gonna say no to a little pampering. But honestly it worked. No longer am I sore in odd places. I hope you all are doing well on your journey and remember every body is different with the loss. Listen to yours and your care team.

I’m sorry you’re going thru that. However this thread is about the recovery process from being sleeved and adapting thru the food stages. Medical costs are not the place for this forum- everyone has a different situation for how their medical bills are covered. Personally I’m in the US and lucky enough to have met the requirements to have some coverage via my insurance I have thru my employment. I know there are other threads that speak to costs.

Hi all! Sorry it’s been a few days! I’m not on the puréed stage of eating. Taking it super slow. I added some cottage cheese to my diet today. Ive been instructed to just add one food at a time. I couldn’t eat much. Just a few bites- my book from my surgery says I should be at 1/4-1/2 a cup at a time for food. I’m definitely no where near that. It’s officially my weekend. I only have 2 more overnights before I switch to my new work schedule :)

So last night was my first night back at work. It went well! I’m glad to be getting back into my routine. Here’s my first NSV! When I went to put my watch on it’s on a tighter loop! Woot woot! I have to say switching back to overnights has been rough on me and we are only going into day two. Yesterday was a liquid only day for me. I just couldn’t have imagined trying to do mindful eating and dealing with first day back things. It’s been wonderful reading other peoples experiences on this thread as well! I started it because for me there was such an unknown of what it was going to be like post hospital. I may not be an expert- but I’m going thru this day by day. Thank you for being with me on this journey! 💙

Today is my last day off from work. Back at it tomorrow night. Today I worked on getting ready for my work week and finishing my project of organizing my bathroom. I’ve been feeling so good today that I totally forgot and took a huge sip of water. I was ready to throw up- instant hot flash and in the bathroom I went. Thank goodness it was only water and I didn’t do it with any sort of food. Now I’m freezing and just laying low. Hope everyone else is having a good day!

Hello all! I definitely am protecting the pouch! The most strenuous thing I’ve had is 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt! :) I broke my stall today! I’m now 244.6 with a 2 pound weight loss!! I’m so happy! Definitely thinking the fact that I hit my liquid goal yesterday had to do with the loss. Staying hydrated is super important! My meals yesterday… 20 oz coffee Protein Drink (fairlife coffee flavor with Starbucks blonde cold brew black coffee) 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt About 4 oz of a creamy puréed chicken bacon potato Soup. And lots of water! Today I’ll be taking my Christmas tree down. Well- everything but the actual tree due to the weight restriction. Then I’ll go walk at the gym. Only today and tomorrow left of my medical leave. Back to work on Saturday night. :)

Another day without a weight loss- I’m kinda stuck at 246.6. Still better than the starting weight I was at. Todays win is that my favorite pair of lounge pants aren’t so tight. :) Yesterday I definitely didn’t hit my liquid goals. So I’m gonna focus on that today. Currently I’m enjoying a coffee with protein drink. Out of the 20 oz I have about 5 oz left to drink. Only about 44 oz left for the day. I have my 38 oz water bottle with me as well. So I’ll be working on drinking that as well today. The remainder will probably be another shake so I’m getting my protein in. I also have a dentist appointment for a cleaning and I can not wait! Let me tell you- not being able to chew and being on a liquid only diet for almost 4 weeks has made my teeth feel gross no matter how many times a day I’m brushing/ flossing and using mouth wash. ICK. Last night I went out with friends. We walked around a mall, then went and saw a movie. I found it easier than I expected to be with them as they had movie theater snacks. I was very happy with my water- I also snuck a protein shake in if I felt like I needed something more. :) I know I’m supposed to be working on establishing 3 meals a day but it’s really challenging with such a limited variety. It’s totally psychological for me due to my normal schedule. I currently work overnights but have switched my sleep schedule to more of a normal one while being home on leave. So everything is kinda goofy and it’s gonna stay that way for a little bit. I just found out yesterday I have about two more weeks of traditional overnights then I’m moving to a semi overnight schedule. I’m ecstatic to be moving to a different schedule that’s a little more normal. :)

Good luck! For the pre op diet make sure you stay super busy. I was lucky with having a weird switch in my work schedule so I worked 8 out of 10 of my days. Made me wayyy less focused on food. :)

So today is the first day I woke up without a weight loss. I know this is super normal but emotionally I just feel like I’m doing something wrong. My clothes fit better- but nothing is too big for me in my closet yet. The second something is too big is going to be the best NSV ever. I’m gonna let myself have a bit of a lazy morning- getting some laundry done then I’ll go walk at the gym and just keep moving forward. One day at a time.

Thank you all for the support. I had my one week post op appointment today. It went very well. While I was only on semi full liquids at my one week mark I am now on full liquids. (Malt o meal, cream soup, Greek yogurt- and removing fruit juices since those will now be empty calories) Tonight I’m having a little creamy soup rather than broth to see how that sits. I’m supposed to be setting up for 3 meals a day- it just seems like so much! Today I’ve had 54 oz of liquid- 20 of those being a diluted protein shake. (Coffee and a fairlife coffee protein shake) but I was also on the run all day! My appointment was in the morning, followed by a little shopping before meeting a friend at the gym for a walk followed by a hair appointment. I made sure to keep a water bottle on me and keep drinking as much as possible! But now I’m home and EXHAUSTED! Can’t wait to snuggle up with my pup and watch some tv! :)

So I’m at the point where my hormones are definitely starting to change. I’m irritable and really seeing the fact that I have zero support from my mom or sister and that I’m in this alone. All I want to do today is chew on something- I think we all have this day. It has nearly been 3 weeks since I have had any sort of real food and I’m emotional about it. My mother does this thing where she takes all of her calls on speaker phone even when watching tv with someone else. This morning she was talking to her friend about the dinner her friend was making for some dinner party. This afternoon she and my sister were talking about what each of them was going to have for dinner- and it’s not even that I’m hungry- it’s just the thought of being able to chew real food sounds so good.

OFFICIALLY ONE WEEK PAST SURGERY TODAY!! Things are going ok today. However I’m noticing it’s easier to drink liquid in the morning than later in the day. Water is still the easiest thing to consume. I tried yoghurt today- not good. I got very nauseous and immediately stopped. My larger incision is still painful- but getting better. My energy levels are a lot lower than they have been- I’ve done less walking today. But reminding my self that I’m only a week out and healing still. I’m focusing on getting protein in and hitting my liquids. I’ve added unflavored protein to soups, and mixing my protein drink with milk just to do what I can to boost it.

Okay so yesterday I felt like I woke up hungry and nothing I was doing was fixing this. So I called my nurse for my program. Turns out since I’m younger- 27 my swelling and healing is going faster than normal and I’m not getting enough calories on clear liquids. Due to this she has recommended me to start drinking protein shakes a day early. I did my first one watered down just to be safe. This morning I have a mixture of a shake and fairlife milk just so I’m getting the most protein I can. It’s going really well so far. I still start my day with a bottle of water so I can take my meds without something thick. Also out of curiosity I weighed my self again- it seems like I’m loosing just under 3 pounds a day! I hope this progress keeps up. I can’t wait until I can get into the gym. 3 more weeks until that can happen. I debated taking a walk but it’s so cold here and slippery I’d be afraid of hurting my self. So I settle with walking my house as much as possible- something my dog is entirely entertained by. :) Last night I didn’t wake up to take my dose of Tylenol and I could definitely tell in the morning. All of my pain is focused around the larger incision to the point where I was starting to get nauseous. I sat in my bathroom on some cold tile- sipped some water until I felt confident I could take the Tylenol. Thank heavens it worked. So far I haven’t thrown up since the procedure- I’ve been reading others stories about how they have been and I couldn’t imagine the pain that would cause. I’m being very cautious- when I first tried my protein drink with water I took a tiny sip and just waited about 15 minutes before trying another sip. Thank you for taking this journey with me. It’s honestly really helpful writing it here and sharing it with people who understand. 💙

Thank you for the well wishes! Here is my update for 1/27/2022 I was able to sleep in my own bed last night! I had been sleeping in a recliner so I wasn’t getting the best sleep due to the larger incision. I just weighed my self as well… currently I’m weighing my self every other day just to stay motivated I guess. I am now 251.6 for a total loss since process began being 19.3 pounds! I’m starting to get a little worried tho- I swear I woke up hungry today. I’m really hoping it’s just my stomach gurgling and me mentally thinking it’s hunger. I can’t wait until I can move forward to a full liquid diet tho. Forcing my self to drink protein water is getting really hard. It’s super sweet even watered down. I’m still having pain from the larger incision site. Ice packs and rest help a lot. But I’m moving around a lot better already so that’s what really matters to me. I’m hoping my sleep quality improves. I’m getting roughly 4-5 hours a night. Something I’m seeing as a common trend.

Okay- so I was sleeved on Saturday it’s now Tuesday. My back is aching on my right side- maybe some gas stuck? I’m forcing protein water down- it tastes awful but I know if I get protein in I’m gonna feel better. I’m doing well getting my liquids in. It’s hard to move around due to the larger incision- but again making my self do it. Also definitely not sleeping enough- currently sleeping in a recliner because I can’t get my self out of bed without wanting to scream due to using abdominal muscles. The nurse called yesterday- recommended I use a pillow on my stomach to brace myself to get up. The nurse was also frustrated I didn’t get a binder when I was in the hospital so she recommended I get one or use high waisted compression leggings. Hoping I’m going to turn the corner in pain soon!

Okay. My surgery was yesterday. Going home soon. I have incision site pain on my right- where the two stitches in my muscle are. Took forever to be able to urinate on my own- started to scare me even but now everything is well in that area. Kinda questioning wtf did I just do to my self tho.

Okay. Y’all I just started my liquid diet today. Please tell me this gets better?

Starting my liquid diet on the 12th! Any advice?

I got my date yesterday. 1/22/2022 When I met with the surgeon he told me he had never seen any go thru the process as fast as I have. Hopefully I am ready and they didn’t just approve me early? I’m total it was about 2 months of appointments.

Yup that’s the right date. I’m in Minnesota and they are finding Saturday Surgeries aren’t being canceled as often as weekday. My Surgeon does about 3-4 sleeves a Saturday!

I’m in Minnesota

I’m feeling good! Just nervous. My last nutritionist appointment is the 6th :)

I got my date yesterday! 1/22/2022. Excited but nervous. My surgeon told me he had never seen anyone go thru the process as fast as me….