Tiffykins

I'm so glad to hear that you are doing so great at your one week mark. Good job on your walking, and listening to your body. Here's something for you to look forward to in the future. I can eat 3 chinese dumplings from TGI Fridays and our local Chinese buffet, and do so often. The band didn't allow me to eat them either, and when I tried them for the first time with the sleeve, I felt the Earth move because I was literally so happy. Seems silly I know, but the band really robbed us of so many good foods, and when we can once again enjoy something even in small quantities, I feel we get part of our lives back. You're gonna do fabulous, and I'm excited to follow your progress. Plus, it sounds like you have an amazing internist that is extremely supportive, and will help you along the way.

Our local Publix and Winn Dixie carry Dreamfield as does our commissary. But, our Wal-Mart Supercenter does not carry it which is so ridiculous because they carry 500 other varieties of pastas.

I swear the Dreamfields pastas are really yummy, low carb. Spaghetti Squash is a really nice alternative as well. I eat regular Pasta a few times a week. I know it's tough when you're watching carbs, but 1/4 cup of pasta isn't going to stall out your weight loss. Have a little and make up for the Protein later on.

My memory is actually worse post-op. Of course, I don't think it has anything to do with my weight loss. I believe it is directly related to my horrible recovery post-leak repair and the 5 days I spent on life support. I have to have to reminders set on my phone for every bill, every appointment, every outing, I especially had to set reminders early out to eat and drink because I honestly just forgot to consume anything.

I was cleared for alcohol at around 3.5 months. I drink wine on a fairly regular basis. The first time you drink, I would recommend drinking at home, and go slow. For me, I can drink a glass of wine, feel a little bit of a buzz, and then it kind of fades. I've had 2 "girl night out" and I drank a bunch of rum/cokes, and various shots. I maintained a good buzz, and then got really drunk. I did drink a lot, I mean I can't even tell you how many I drank. The one rule during the losing phase that my surgeon stressed was that alcohol is wasted, empty calories so don't go overboard. I've sipped on a margarita, but it didn't taste good, and it didn't really settle all that great. I also drank some Tuaca and sprite one night, and that was pretty awesome. Now, with that all said, I'm much further out obviously, and I drink soda occasionally as my surgeon does not believe that soda causes any type of stretching like is found in band and RNY pouches. Sorry for the ramble. Some surgeons tell patients no alcohol until they hit goal others are more lax.

Diane, congrats on getting your date, and it being so close. I think nerves are pretty normal especially if you haven't had surgery before. One thing that really helps my nerves before they wheel me back is that I ask for a pre-anesthesia cocktail, it's typically IV valium. It calms my nerves because honestly I get very anxious in the OR holding area. I cry, and get pretty emotional. I'm also very claustrophobic when it comes to objects, or people hovering around my face so I make sure they know that they can't put that mask on my face while I am awake. When you talk to the anesthesiologist be honest with them, and tell them how you are feeling. I firmly believe that going under anesthesia relaxed and not stressed out helps tremendously with the recovery and waking up part. I've had 4 lap surgeries in less than 2 years plus 3 other surgeries years ago. The sleeve is wonderful tool, and it is absolutely fabulous that you are doing this for yourself. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers for an uneventful surgery and smooth recovery. Keep us posted once on your progress. We're all scooting over on the loser's bench for ya ! ! !

I used the reduced sodium bouillion cubes. That way I could dilute or make it stronger for my tastes. The daily recommended value for sodium intake is 1400-2500mg and I didn't have high blood pressure so I didn't worry about sodium intake as it's very necessary for normal kidney function.

I wish I would have taken measurements pre-sleeve. I did a few months before my band on my last Weight Watchers attempt, but I've lost my book that had my measurements. I was scale-obsessed, and weighed daily. Luckily, I never had a true stall meaning I lost something every week. It might not have been more than 1 pound, but I never went the 2 weeks with no loss. I look back at my old pictures, and have kept 1 pair of my old pants, 1 old shirt, and 2 of my old bras just as a reminder of where I came from. I tore up my house looking for my WW book that had my measurements because I want to see my progress in inches not just pounds or sizes.

myfitnesspal has a free app for the IPhone I think Fitday has one as well, but myfitnesspal has been the best for me, plus it syncs everything to your online account as well.

This is the main reason I love the sleeve. Grant it, right now, I have a love/hate relationship with my body, but for 99% of the time, I absolutely love the sleeve and the way it keeps me on track. I went on vacation for 6 days, gained 5lbs and came home and dropped it within a week by getting back to my normal eating habits. YAY for breaking the 40lb mark, you're doing great. Are you ready to work-out? I am, I'm going to type up my routine on the dry erase board, and mark it off every day that I complete it. We're gonna do it, we're gonna get toned and slim. I can't wait ! ! !

I was still on clears at 2 weeks(as are all of my surgeon's patients) out so I'm not sure what else to offer other than your stomach may not be ready for this diet stage. Unfortunately, not all of us can advance the diet even if the surgeon okays it. I had to stay on mushies/soft solids much longer than the prescribed 2 weeks because I just could not handle dense Protein. Our bodies kind of tell us what it likes and doesn't like. I would go back to full liquids for a few days and see if you get any relief. Contact your surgeon/nut and ask for other suggestions.

http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf Above is the Cornell VSG dietary guidelines http://www.iabsobesitysurgery.com/Media/Forms/SleeveDietGuide.pdf From the Institute for Advanced Bariatric Surgery And the link posted in the reply above is fabulous. I used a mixture of the Cornell, my surgeon's guideline and Dr. Aceve's guidelines. I stuck to 600-800 calories a day. No more than 30 grams of carbs, 60+ grams of Protein, did not count fat grams, and 64ounces of Water. For Vitamins, every surgeon/nut is different. My nut hates children's vitamins for bariatric patients, but it seems to be a trend for some surgeons to recommend them just so their patients are taking something since they taste good. Walking for the first 6 weeks post-op, then introduce cardio, and lifting light weights at 6 weeks and moving forward. For the post op diet, my surgeon's program is: 2 weeks of Clear liquids 2 weeks of full liquids 2 weeks of mushies/purees then onto soft solids as tolerated and incorporate more dense protein as your body allows. No Nuts, raw fruit and/or veggies for 3 months post op. My meal goal was 4 meals a day consisting of 15grams of protein per meal. That gave me the 60 grams of protein requirement.

Hey Bubba, and welcome to VST. I'm USAF WIFE over there, and I hope you enjoy the forum. It's a great place, and if you and your girl are night owls or stay up late occasionally, you can typically find several of us in the chat room. We're usually in there between 8pm CST all the way to midnight or later some nights.

1) Do not progress your diet just because you feel okay. The prescribed post-op diet is there for a reason. Your surgeon gave it to you because he's the surgeon, and he knows what he is doing. It's not just for sh*ts and giggles. Suck it up and stick to it. 2) They operate on your stomach, not your brain. If you have food issues, get help with those before, during and after surgery. No surgery is going to fix head hunger, nothing is going to solve compulsive eating. Deal with the mental aspect before surgery, don't try to do it post-op, it's a bigger battle than most are willing to accept. 3) Get in your Clear liquids. Yes, it sucks, but do it, your kidneys will thank you, and you'll feel better. Getting dehydrated sucks. 4) Pick your own journey. No one can have the same exact path. I chose a very strict low carb regimen. I had fabulous, quick success, but others may not want to mirror my results or path. That's okay, do it your way, and don't compare yourself to everyone else. 5) Don't freak out over stalls. They happen to probably 98% of patients. It's pretty common, it's just added stress and your body is not going to let go of weight if you're stressing over not losing anything for a week. 6) Enjoy the victories, but realize there could be struggles. Remain positive, and don't lose sight of the future. 7) Surround yourself with positive people. If you don't have a good support at home, find a support group locally. 8) Do not beat yourself if you decide to have a treat occasionally. Be kind to yourself, and your body. 9) Research, research, take your Vitamins, drink your Water. 10) Do not under any circumstance let failure enter your mind. Finally, NEVER, I mean, NEVER trust a fart early out. Remember, liquids in, liquids out. Baby wipes are a good investment during that time post-op. Take good quality vitamins, and remind yourself that you have done something fabulous for your future health and life.

During my losing phase, my average per week was 5-7lbs. Then it kind of slowed to 3-5lbs per week for the next 4 months. That's just averages. Some weeks I'd lose 1-2lbs then the next week I'd drop 7-9lbs. It varied for the first 4 months dramatically.

Go to USER CP, and hit EDIT AVATAR then upload a picture. Your pic shows up when I pull your public profile, but for forum posts and blog posts, you'll need to upload an avatar picture. Hope that helps. The Twinlab multi is supposedly a fairly small pill. I can take huge horse pills without issue, and my surgeon told me to not worry about Vitamins until I was on mushies. During the first couple of weeks post-op, his main concern is staying hydrated. I think Dr. Aceves rule for pills is that you can take them immediately post-op as long as they are no larger than a regular M&M candy. My surgeon had the same guideline. The chewable I have kind of tastes like the fruity Tums without all the chalkiness. I've taken them since before my band surgery so right around 2 years. The only reason I'm switching to the Twinlab is because our GNC on base quit carrying my Vitamin, and the Twinlab offers a bit more in some of the micronutrients than the GNC. Plus, the cost of the Twinlab is even less than the GNC when ordered from vitacost. You're gonna do fabulous, and one thing that I really liked was the chicken, and veggie bouillion cubes instead of the broth. I could adjust the flavor by adding more Water than the pre-mixed broth.

Here's a Vitamin comparison chart that can help you decide which vitamin is best for you. Children's Vitamins aren't really the best for us, but if that's all you can stomach, it's better than nothing. You'll need Windows Excel to access this spreadsheet, but you do not have to sign in or sign up for anything to access. VitsComparison.xlsx - Windows Live It's recommended that we take a good quality multi-vitamin, calcium citrate, and a lot of us take a sublingual b12 daily. I get my sublingual b12 at Wal-Mart, and it dissolves under my tongue. It has zero medicine vitamin taste. On this chart, I take the last chewable that is listed. It's GNC Solotron Chewable with bioavailable Iron. I've never had any issues with my labs post-op. I'm switching over to the Twinlab multi that is listed on the chart once this last bottle runs out that I have from GNC. There's a lot of different options out there for Calcium citrate. I am horrible with taking my calcium, but I have the Twinlab Calcium citrate that I take a few times a week. I order all of my vitamins, supplements, and my husband's Protein mix from vitacost.com as they have the best prices, and shipping. Plus, they give a 100% guarantee on their products. I also take an Omega 3 with DHA and EPA but that is a personal preference not a recommendation from my nut or surgeon. My nut hates children vitamins for bariatric patients. Even though we have no malabsorption, the small quantities of food we are ingesting for the first few months do not allow us to ingest enough of the micronutrients from food sources. She thinks as adults, we should take adult vitamins. But, check with your nut/surgeon to determine what is best for you.

I figured you were joking about the valium. And, I promise, I'm not on here that much. I may reply to a lot of posts, but it's easy for me considering I type about 85 wpm, and hitting new posts occasionally pops up the new threads so I reply when I'm taking a break from my other stuff. The forum may show me logged on, but that doesn't mean I'm on the forum constantly. I leave my laptop on, and am typically on here for a couple of hours a day, at different random times. Today, I've been off and on for a couple of hours, but honestly I have already done all the prep work for our dinner tonight, scrubbed both bathrooms, completed 4 loads of laundry, cleaned my kitchen swept and mopped, took inventory of my pantry and fridge, and played basketball on the driveway with John and Caysen. Also, I typically surf the net to relax. It keeps my mind occupied, I frequent pogo.com to play games, and read some research articles when I have the hankering. My stress is directly related to an issue we are dealing with regarding my husband's career, and the military in general. I had this happen when my mom and I had a huge falling out right before spring break. I was so distraught, and even though I was eating, I was losing weight. It's just weird how my body has changed.

Prilosec comes in generic form called Omeprazole so you should be able to get it in RX form for less of a co-pay. Nexium co-pays are usually pretty high so that sounds about right. I know for my insurance even through the military, my co-pay for Nexium was $39 per month. That is why I chose Prilosec, and I get it filled on base with 0 co-pay. If I fill the RX at Walgreens, it's a $3 co-pay for my generic Prilosec. Prilosec OTC is also 20mg so I'm sure that would work for you. But, when I checked the cost it was about 14-20 bucks for 28 pills. If your generic co-pay is less than that, I would see if you could get the RX. I'm all about saving a buck. I know that some people really like Prevacid, but I've never used it OTC or RX.

Congrats on getting your sleeve, and I never farted post op, but I did burp quite a bit which relieved the gas pressure for the most part. Keep us posted on your progress, and welcome to the loser's bench! ! !

Definitely go back to the eating plan prescribed by your surgeon. I had to stay on mushies, and heck even today I still eat mushies for a couple of my 6 meals per day. You can do this, and I truly hope the infection at the incisions heal quickly. Get some greek yogurt, and try to be gentle on yourself. On the gallbladder, I had mine out in February. I know it's scary and frustrating, but my gb was causing a lot of abdominal discomfort and made it difficult for me to eat and drink. You don't want the gb to get infected, and you definitely don't want it to turn into pancreatitis. There's a couple of members here that had to be hospitalized for the their gb and pancreatitis, so take care of yourself, and hopefully your GP can take care of you. Feel better soon Jen.

I tried taking melatonin, but I suffered from the lucid, vivid dreams. Totally creepy dreams that made me wake up shuddering. I did take Ambien for awhile post-op. Not every day, it was after my hospitalization in July, and I had to take it to sleep. I was extraordinarily stressed, John's communication was cut that month in Afghanistan, so recovering from the abscesses, zero comm/contact from the husband during a deployment, having the kiddo, and all of the normal life stress stuff, definitely caused insomnia. I used it nightly for a couple of weeks then just occasionally for another couple of months. I stretched the RX out so I could have it when needed. I did not suffer any weird side effects with the Ambien, but it was not the controlled release RX.

I've never taken Nexium so I don't truly have a preference for Prilosec over Nexium. Nexium is extremely expensive even with RX coverage. Some insurance companies will not pay for Nexium because there is not a generic available. Prilosec and Protonix are both available by RX in generic form, and most insurance companies won't balk about having to cover these 2 drugs.

Prilosec or Prevacid should help tremendously. It may take a up to 7-10 days for the Prilosec to kick in. I've never taken Prevacid so I don't know if it takes time to kick in or not. OTC Pepcid is not a true proton pump inhibitor, it's a histamine H2-receptor antagonist. It won't stop the over production of acid, it'll only help control the symptoms. It's mainly prescribed for ulcer patients. You can take Tums, Rolaids, or Pepcid complete chewables (I found those work better than Tums/Rolaids). For the Prilosec, my prescription and most other PPIs advise to take it, and then wait at least 30-60 minutes before eating. I wait the full 60 minutes. You may want to contact your surgeon to let him know what he is prescribing isn't working for you, and make sure you can take something different.

Try spaghetti squash for a Pasta substitute as well. (There's a yummy mac-n-cheese recipe for spaghetti squash on the food forum here) My husband and son tolerate it, they don't love it, but they'll eat it if I mix in some dreamfield noodles with it.