Lee

Marie74, how are you doing? Please come and let us know you how are. You know we all send good thoughts your way!

Tiffy, you may be half your former physical self, but your spirit is more than doubled. You have enough energy to fuel and entire cheerleading squad. You are an angel to all of us. You give the best support and are tireless in your willingness to help all of us, new and old. I'm so proud of you for the changes you've made in your life. Keep shining as you truly light up so many of us and encourage us to follow in your footsteps! Thank you for each day that you come here and share your story! :blushing:

I'm having a down day today. Very little energy and a lot of pain on the big incision site. I'm sipping away and tooting away as well. I just don't have energy for anything but movies today. I guess that's ok! will check back later.

MellaElla, I didn't suffer from nausea. I had my Sleeve on the 17th, so I'm 4 days out. Today my big incision is causing me a lot of pain and I'm coughing which hurts like a bear. My energy is not as good today as yesterday so I'm having a movie day and relaxing. I'm sipping just fine. A cold mix of sobe Vitamin Water 0 calories mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with cold water. I also love fruit juice popsicles. I haven't tried warm fluids yet. Tomorrow I move to full liquids. I hope you feel better!!

Hey John, How come you get to start Stage II a day before me. At class they said surgery is Day 0 then 3 days of Stage 1 - Then Stage II on day five. Maybe Doc Fisher has a different plan than in the binder. We get to shower today. YAY! Warm things are not my friend. I'm living on fruit popsicles and a mix of sobe 0 cal pommegrante with 1/2 and 1/2 water. I'm a little more tired this morning. Looking foward to some protein tomorrow. I don't think my PPI is working because I woke up all night with acid burning my throat. I think I'll email Dr. Baggs today. I have zero hunger at this stage. Zach is eating lasagna and chinese food in front of me and I have zero interest. Pam, maybe you should check out Obesityhelp.com in their lapband forum. There are people who are working the band and getting to goal. My friend Kerniac got to goal of 144 (I think) from I believe 280 and has been maintaining her loss. Maybe just go see how others are doing it. I know Kernie is on a forum with me where we write every bite of food and all exercise to be accountable. I find it to be very helpful. Back to resting for me. Have a fun day everyone!!

John, so happy to read that you're doing ok! Popsicles are my fav right now. I ate 7 which are two ounces each. 25 calories each. I made some baby ice cubes that are 1/2 ounce each out of the diet pommegrante/cranberry drink. I also liked mixing sobe lifewater 1/2 and 1/2 with water because it was too sweet without the water. All in all I was at around 24 oz today. I'll up it tomorrow. I feel great tonight, just really tender at the two huge incisions on my waistline. The other three don't hurt as much. Too bad he couldn't use the 5 scars I have from my gallbladder coming out! It seems like everyone has had a great week with their bands. I'm so happy to read that! My friend just left to go pick up my son at the airport. I'm stoked for that and looking forward to walks on Lake Merritt over the next three days while he's here.

Yes Catherine, that was a main concern along with others. I've had Rheumatoid Arthritis and couldn't take the meds should I ever need them again in the future, if I had the RNY. I had no interest in RNY, it was either sleeve or a long lifetime of major dieting.

Pat, congratulations on your fabulous weight loss. That is so great!! You're so right about the energy drain. After being up for those hours, I completely lost steam at 1pm and had to go back to bed. I can think of worse things. I'm sipping away. I still have to get in 6 oz today for my 20 oz requirement. I can do it. Popsicles really please me right now. I guess you're right about no calories and lack of energy. All I've had since Tuesday is a couple of popsicles. Maybe I can drink some broth tonight. Back to bed.... Lil'Mo.... Onederland??? How cool is that young lady! :sad:

I think maybe American hospitals are a shorter stay? I was operated on at 11:30 Wednesday and released at 4:30 Thursday afternoon. It took me 2 hours to sip the required 8 oz at 1 oz every 15 minutes, then they let me go.

I think that what will determine long term loss is how strictly we stick to the diet recommended by our surgeons. There is no fail safe method here. In the end, it's still up to us. What they give us is a tool. What we do with it is up to us. No guarantees. That said, the difference between 32 and 40 is so minimal. Maybe an ounce at a year out? We're still going to have to watch calories, restrict carbs and fat, but the Sleeve will make it so much easier. Let's just look at it as a challenge! :thumbup:

Determined, stick with your surgeon. Everything happens for a reason. if a little bigger bougie keeps you hydrated and able to get nourished, then whala! It's all good. Who knows, five years from now, they may determine that 40 is the best size given the 5 year study. Being able to eat 3 oz additional food over the course of a day is nothing. I think the most important part is trusting your surgeon and having the willingness to change your life in ways that will have you be successful regardless of the bougie size.

Diane, I have a 40 as well. We're going to prove that there's no difference in weight loss between a 32 and a 40! :thumbup:

Hello Team! I'm so happy to report that I'm doing fantastic! I went 5 hours between pain meds and probably could have passed on the last one, but I was afraid I wouldn't be as active without it. I've been out of bed since 9am and moving around the house. Watching TV and eating my new favorite food... 25 calorie Dreyer fruit juice popsicles! I think the cold feels terrific on my swollen tummy. I have zero hunger so I'm just trying to keep up with my 20 oz of fluids today. I graduate to full fluids on Sunday. I am so happy and energetic today. Ash.. so sorry to read about your son's ear problems and those of the new baby. Really glad that you'll be able to pay installments on the ear tubes and sleeve. I say go for the Sleeve and don't look back. I couldn't be happier with the decision! Tamra, which scale doesn't matter, just that it's going down. I think that eating that dense protein like the ground beef and cheese is going to be the best for you. It will keep you full and happy for hours. You're doing great. As far as whether to lie to Robin, what Bonnie taught me is to always be honest. The Kaiser team really just wants us to succeed. Everyone slips up occasionally and while it's not the best thing, just be honest about it. I want the team there to help me as much as possible. I think I have it easier because I live alone and my food choices are mine alone without people here at home tempting me. I think the other thing about being completely honest is that it keeps us accountable. If I really track every bite in Myfitnesspal.com I will be more careful about each bite that I take. If I let myself lie, then it will only hurt me because I won't be accountable. I'm counting down the hours till Zach gets home tonight. So excited to see him!

MellaElla, how are you doing?? I was sleeved on Wednesday and I'm feeling pretty darn good today!

I got a 40 on Wednesday. My doc uses it and says that there are a lot of other factors like Butressing and oversewing. He said that he wants me to be able to get in enough fluids and nutrition and thinks this will be best for me. I figure that it's all better than what I used to have. Now I have a tool and what I do with it is up to me. There's minimal difference between and 32 and a 40 so now it's up to me.

Shauna, YAY!!! I'm right here on the loser's bench with you. How are you feeling today. I was the 17th and I feel absolutely terrific today. Very little pain and just lots of excitement!! Has anyone heard about MellaElla and how she's doing?

Hi Everyone!! Thank you all for caring about me. It means the world to me! I woke up everything three hours for pain meds last night. Then I watched tv for an hour and went to sleep for two. At 6am I went back to sleep until 9am and woke up feeling great. I'm walking around the house, talking on the phone, answering emails. I can't believe how much energy I have. I waited 5 hours to take pain meds and probably could have skipped them, but I didn't want to stop being active. I have zero gas pains and I'm not passing gas or burping much at all. I think my homeopathic remedy "carbo vegetabilis" really does a good job with it. I had one gasx strip but didn't really need it, just more wanted to try it to see what it was. I've actually discovered that 25 calories fruit juice popcicles feel best to me. Maybe because I'm swollen inside. I just made some time ice cubes using Diet Cranberry- pomegrante juice flavored drink. I'm hoping those go down well. I'm working towards my 20 oz of fluids today. I have zero hunger. I went into surgery at 228.8 and this morning I was 230, so the surgery weight is already coming off. After gallbladder in November I was 10 pounds the next day. I couldn't be more pleased. If I needed to work from home today, I could do it, but thankfully I have until Tuesday for that. My son is flying in from NYC tonight and will be here until Tuesday morning. I'm so excited to feel so well. I'm looking foward to walking with him and watching movies and just having fun! If you've not been sleeved yet and are thinking about it, do it! I'm soo happy this morning. My mantra is still "everything always works out for me". I went into surgery thinking and hoping for the best possible outcome and so far, that's exactly what's happened.

Hey everyone, Thanks for keeping John and me in your thoughts. Tamra, my son is flying in tonight from NYC and will be here until Tuesday morning to take care of me. Bonnie is coming this afternoon and another friend tonight. Thank you so much for the offer!! Candra, I was in the recovery room until 4:30 and had a really bad go of it in recovery. I just remember crying a lot. I probably did tell Bonnie that I didn't want visitors. I know she only stayed a moment. I was pretty messed up. But heck, now two days later, I don't remember how bad it was. That's the good thing about surgery, it starts to fade quickly. I was up every three hours to take pain meds in the night. Takes me 5 minutes to get down 1 tablespoon and a sip of water. Tiny sips from the sippy cup feel like elephant stomping on my stomach. I know that will be get better. All's good here. I love reading how you're all doing! Tamra, pick a scale, any scale and get off the other one! My scale is 230 this morning so the surgery weight is leaving quickly. Was 228.8 on the morning of surgery. My scale weighs exactly the same as Kaiser. I'm hoping for a very good 1st month. Back to walking around......

Just a quick note. I've been up every four hours to take pain meds and sip a little. Sipping really hurts. Temp is a little up, but not more than in hospital. I want to walk around a little, maybe watch a little tv and go back to sleep. Sleeve surgery is not worse than I expected, actually maybe a little better than expected, but it still hurts like a MoFo. John, good to read that you're doing ok. We'll compare notes later. In a few days we won't remember how this felt and we'll be so happy to see the scale moving down. I love reading how the rest of you are doing! Hey, how come I didn't get to see you all on Wednesday night? I think I was pretty darn out of it. I barely remember Bonnie coming by.

Hi gang, Just a quick checkin. I'm home! John left a few hours before me so he could beat traffic. I left at 4:30 and I'm so happy to be home. Yesterday and last night were hell. Wake up every two hours for vitals. Wake up to walk the halls every four hours even in the night. I had good drugs but trying to get up to p was hell and hurt so bad. By this morning I was able to get myself up, use the restroom and go walking by myself so I knew I was on the other side of it. At 1pm had to start fluids for the first time. 1 oz every 15 minutes for two hours. Yuck. Drinking really hurts at first. I guess just imagine a ton of restriction. My first three hours after surgery I just cried because there was an elephant on my chest. I ended up having three procedures. Liver Biopsy, Sleeve and repair of Hiadle Hernia I didn't even know I had. Go figure. Tonight I'm walking around the house, happy as a clam until I have to sip. I'm sure tomorrow will be even better! Nitey nite!

Thank you everyone! I'm home and going to rest but had to tell you that I'm fine. Surgery was more painful than I thought, but I ended up with the Sleeve, Hiadle Hernia repair and Liver biopsy so body is in shock. Coming out of surgery and then last night were miserable, but this morning started getting so much better. Sipping this afternoon was tough but they were going to keep me another night so I had to do it. :thumbup1: I'll write more tomorrow. I just wanted to send love back to all of you who kept me close and in your thoughts this week. I so appreciate everyone here! Nitey nite!

I got the sleeve because my mom had celiac and doc thought it was my best option. It's what I wanted anyhow. I think I'm in first stages of celiac but don't have any info for you.

Good Morning Everyone! I'm up, showered and ready to go! Getting picked up in 30 minutes just cause you can't ever tell about traffic around here. All of you behave while John and I are gone!

OMG!! I loved reading this! You have done such a fabulous job with your Sleeve. Congratulations on all your hard work!

PNW, I'll check in this weekend for sure. I've put my laptop next to my sofabed in the living room. I've set myself up with a place to sleep that has easy access to computer, Tivo and walking space. After Gallbladder surgery I found that I was more comfortable in there propped up on tons of pillows. Be well and let me know how you and Sarah are doing!