Tiffykins

It's removed. There are no foreign bodies left in the body except for staples. You can view many videos on youtube.com of the actual procedure.

Yeah, being weak is a common thing especially the first month or so. If you're willing to take the risk to feel better about it to get through the day then no one can tell you different. I think everyone has to choose their own path. I just hope no one has to walk halfway down my path because of something that is preventable. I know it sucks, honestly I do. And, I hope you know that it's strictly out of concern and care when these posts are made, and I give my honest opinion on it based on what I've been through, and what I've seen other people deal with.

Congrats, and keep us posted as things progress ! ! !

I agree with your surgeon, but I'm pretty biased. There are a lot of threads on bougie size where I have posted pics for reference, and sizes, and explanations on how it all works. In the search box up top, just type in bougie/boughie and you'll find them.

Bougie is a long tube that is slid down your esophagus during surgery that your surgeon will use as a guide for measurement purposes to staple off the large portion of your stomach, and make your sleeve.

Welcome, and glad to see you around here. Best wishes for tomorrow, and update us when you can.

Hi and welcome to the forum. Congrats on getting your date, and I agree with Chancie. I love my sleeve, and have nothing but wonderful things to offer on this surgery. Keep us posted on your progress.

I like Fage, and Oikos brand of the vanilla flavored or plain. Tracey suggested using sugar-free strawberry jelly, that definitely helps. Other people use the sugar-free Davinic or Toriani syrups to help cut the bitterness. I mixed splenda with mine and that was enough for me to be able tolerate it. You can also use greek yogurt in place of sour cream in Beans, or with a little marinara sauce just for a different flavor.

Those numbers are fabulous. Are you getting in the 64oz of water? If not, increase your water to flush everything out. It really does help. But, you're doing really well.

Yeppers, been there done that. Good news is that it is temporary, but it's also not completely gone for me. Some days I simply loathe eating. I don't know what it is to be honest. It's better than what it was when I was around 3 months out. But, the one thing that has helped me is to change up my menu. I have become obsessed with recipe sites. I have 8, yes 8 recipe apps on my Iphone that I surf every day. I make something new and different for us at least 4 days a weeks. I have some "stand-by" favorites, but we always have at least 4 "new" meals per week. That has really helped me combat the lack of desire to eat. Plus, I've been trying new flavor profiles. Adding different spices, seasonings, gravies, condiments, just to add a little variety for my tastebuds. It does get better, I promise.

Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid and Protonix seem to be the most popular among VSG patients. Prilosec and Protonix are available in generic. Prilosec and Prevacid are both available over the counter. I am on prescription generic Prilosec 20mg once daily.

Definitely no seedy fruits. I promise I don't mean to sound lecturey. I've just been through the wringer, and I get pm's weekly about progressing diets quickly and then people suffering the consequences. If I can keep just one person from enduring what I went through, I will be happy. Edit to add: Remember as well, you aren't going to get a full signal while on liquids, it's liquids in, liquids out. Plus, your stomach nerves have been cut, stapled and severed. It's not to punish you, it's simply to let your body heal. Believe, I've read horror stories about people having infections, ulcers and leaks due to progressing through the diet too fast. One lady was stopping for chicken salad 3 days post-op. 4 weeks later, she was hospitalized with an abscess on the staple line. It's just not worth the risk when in a few more weeks you can eat literally anything and everything you want.

Every program is different so I'm not trying to scare anyone. Some raw veggies and fruits are high cellulose foods which can cause a bezoar. Google "bezoar", it's pretty much like a hairball in cats, but it's from food getting trapped in our stomachs, and then other food building up around it. They typically have to be surgically removed. Also, fruits are high in carbs, and during our initial losing stage, we were advised to steer clear of all fruit, including no more than 4 ounces of juice per day. We couldn't have fruits and veggies until we knew could tolerate solid food without problems.

Are you taking an Iron supplement? The reason I ask is because Flintstones are not a complete multi. I understand they taste good, and go down well, but you aren't getting everything you need. Yes, they are better than nothing, but you don't want to get into Vitamin deficiency, and yes it can happen to use because we eat so little. It may not happen for the first 3-9 months since certain vitamins/minerals can be stored in our body, but if we aren't eating big portions of food, especially iron enriched green leafy veggies for Vitamin A & D, you can get depleted very quickly.Therefore, we aren't getting all of the micronutrients and minerals from food because our quantities are so little. I know some nutritionist and surgeons "ok" these types of Vitamins, and honestly, they are better than nothing, but they are not a complete multi-vitamin. Please be careful, and talk to your nutritionist about getting on a good iron supplement before you get anemic. Calories 10 Total Carbohydrate 3 g ** 1%* Sugars 3 g ** ** Vitamin A 2000 IU 40% 40% Vitamin C 30 mg 38% 50% Vitamin D 200 IU 25% 50% Vitamin E 20 IU 100% 67% Vitamin B6 1 mg 71% 50% Folic Acid 200 mcg 50% 50% Vitamin B12 5 mcg 83% 83% Biotin 75 mcg 25% 25% Pantothenic Acid 5 mg 50% 50% Iodine 40 mcg 29% 27% Zinc 2.5 mg 16% 17% Choline 38 mg ** ** Inositol 20 mcg ** **

Spicy, heavy handed seasoned food does NOT give me any issue. I eat hot thai, mexican, chines and indian food on a regular basis.

The biggest concern with advancing early is: 1) You get a true food intolerance and end up puking your guts up causing stress on your healing staple line thus risking a leak just increased 2) Eating something that can lodge in the staple line, and while you feel great now, there is no guarantee that the food particles won't get lodged in there, work their way into an infection thus increasing the risk for a leak. Believe me, I understand missing food. Nothing, and I mean nothing, Water, ice chips, nothing crossed my lips for 22 days. I was on clears for 17 days once my leak healed and I was off the TPN bag, full liquids for a week, and then progress to mushies/soft solids. So, while leaks are very rare, you aren't doing yourself any favors by progressing your diet. I had a leak at no fault of my own, and almost died because of it. Honestly, you self paid a lot of money, what's going to happen if you have to pay for complications? My hospital stay with a5 day ICU stay for a total hospitalization 12 days was over $250k. That doesn't include the surgical fees, that's just the hospital fees and diagnostic work ups they did. My home health care meds for 2 weeks was 15k, and the home health care nurse for those 2 weeks with a total of 8 visits was around 10k. That's an awful lot of money in my opinion for a complication that can be prevented at this point. My program's recommendations for raw veggies and nuts was not until at least 3 months. Remember the motility of our stomach is slower especially if you are on an acid reducer, and those high cellulose fruits/veggies can cause an entire set of other complications. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm simply being honest, and do not want to see anyone endure what I have gone through.

I just kept thinking about try some spices, and seasoning to actually flavor the turkey instead of just butter. It was horrific. I could feel their arteries clogging across the table. I've never cooked like that, and can't even imagine eating like that everyday of my life. My husband came home feeling horrible from all the fat. You know they save bacon and sausage drippings and make gravy out of it? ? ? I just cringed and ate my little yogurts. I may have been a fat chick, but I never ate like that, and couldn't even try.

The swelling is starting to really subside at this point so it's not surprising that you aren't feeling the same level of satiety on just 2ounces of food. Because my recovery was different than every other patient's recovery out there, I found it really difficult to bump up to 3-4ounces of Protein and that's all I was eating at that time. I stayed with 3ounces for a long, long time because there was no way I could get more in. Anyways, if you have a good full signal, I would measure 3oz, eat 2.5oz, and see how you feel. Don't even think twice about that cookie. You'll burn off those measily calories walking to the john to pee. Don't sweat it.

I'm 9 months out, and fried foods even with the breading peeled off upset my sleeve. I've attempted it a couple of times, and it's instant discomfort for me. Now, with that being said, I've never been a big fried food eater. I don't fry food at home, I hate McDonalds and preferred places like Arby's and Subway over McDonald's or Burger King. Pack Protein powder and Protein Bars to supplement your meals. I had to do this because my in-laws fry everything, and I mean everything. 3 meals a day are fried. For Thanksgiving, all my mother-in-law does is take 2 sticks of real butter, and slather the turkey inside and outside of the skin with 2 entire sticks of butter. OHHHH, least to say, I survived a week in the hills of WV on protein bars, cheese and yogurts.

I have an extremely open relationship with my 11 year old son. He knew about my band surgery, and my revision. When he would worry about things, I would ask him things like " won't it be fun when you and me can run around the backyard without mommy needing a break?" "won't it be fun to go out to eat and mommy not have to scoot the table closer to you and daddy" "One day would you like to give mommy your own bear hug because right now you can't reach your arms around me" "Won't it be fun when mommy can go to the beach without worrying about being tired from running in the sand?" I gave him things to think about that are age appropriate. Something tangible that could he could envision. I know this is probably extreme for some families, but my son wanted to see a VSG video of the surgery so I let him watch it on youtube. He saw how quick it was, and he felt reassured. Nothing makes him blush, or get sick at his stomach, so this helped him to see that they don't cut people up from top to bottom to do this. I explained that there were going to be at least 3 doctors with many nurses taking care of me in the O.R. 2 surgeons, and the "gas" doctor to help me sleep through surgery. Caysen's had 2 surgeries himself so this is something we can talk about, and discuss openly. Worrying is normal. If y'all are spiritual, have him pray with you. My son and I prayed together before my surgery. I let him say the prayer so he could get his emotions out in the open without having to necessarily tell me, he was telling God instead.

I think it's normal what you are experiencing. I think I'm just an stubborn, old goat that was hellbent on making this work for me. My mental state is what got me through everything. Sheer determination to WIN was my ultimate mindset. I never told myself that I was gonna fail, it just isn't/wasn't an option for me. I agree with Mini that you'll have to learn to decipher, head hunger vs. stomach hunger, and do not be discouraged if you have real hunger during the liquid post-op. Your stomach nerves have been cut/severed, and you can't get a full signal. So, just stick with your plan, don't progress your diet, protect your staple line. We're all here for you. Believe in yourself above anything else. Set your mind to it, and just do it, every day regardless of how bad that day is. I won't lie to anyone, there are great days, and there are rough days with the sleeve especially early out, but if you can just move forward, you'll be successful. Don't let the rough days turn into complete roadblocks, just think of them as speedbumps and navigate right over them. I'm honestly never, ever, ever hungry. My stomach never growls, and I'm 9 months out.

Thanks everyone, y'all are wonderful ! ! ! As for my exercise routine. I had a weight lifting program set up for me by a trainer at the YMCA. It focused on certain parts of the body. Like day 1 was front of the body muscles, chest, biceps, quads, abs, Day 2 was back of the body, shoulders, back (upper and lower), hamstrings. My 3rd day focused on extremities, and doing leg lifts with weighted balls, squats, lunges, and some ab work. I did one day of cardio. Now, I've cut the cardio out, just started lifting again after gallbladder surgery, and am doing major ab, butt, thigh work outs. I love, love, love Hip Hop Abs for cardio, also Zumba is amazing. My focus was to burn fat by building muscle. This did slow my weight loss down, but I lost inches quickly. Now, that I'm trying to maintain, my main focus is toning up at this point. I still have a tummy fat roll that I'm working on. It's way smaller than it was even last month, but I knew I would be left with a panni. It's annoying, but it helps give me that hourglassy shape that I've always wanted LOL. Cardio is great for calorie and fat burning. Weight lifting is great to burn fat, but you'll be building muscle which is leaner, and more dense that fat, so your numbers on the scale may not go down. Take your measurements before you start. This will help keep you going if the numbers don't drop.

Welcome to hormone H3LL. I went nutso for a couple months then would be happy as a clam for a month, drop 30lbs, and be the most evil woman in the world. Everything that seemed so trivial to anyone else was ENORMOUS to me. Everything that seemed huge to anyone else, I completely blew it off strictly out of spite. Literally, I had many mood swings, and it still comes and goes. I haven't found any consistency to it. It's hormonal.

Don't fear failure with the sleeve, it works. I promise ! ! ! He's home now so he gets to see all the new outfits first.

My revision was scheduled very quickly, I literally didn't have time to quit and not be going through withdrawls at the time of surgery. I quit while hospitalized both times, and picked it back up. I'm now trying to quit again, and am taking Wellbutrin to help me with withdrawls. I stopped taking the Wellbutrin right before my gallbladder surgery, and haven't started it again, but plan to do so once I meet with my PCP on Thursday afternoon to discuss my low blood pressure symptoms, and make sure I can still take it. My quit date was March 1st, it's now been moved to April 1st.