Shae

I would like to add a different perspective. I too was a smoker/addict for years. I quit all drugs except the cigs when I took a pregnancy test that came up positive. That was September 9, 1999 and I have not touched anything since. I quit smoking in Dec of 2003. Unbeknownst to me, I transferred my addiction to food. One's too many and a thousand is never enough never goes away when you are a recovering addict.
I saw an add for Weight Watchers and at 235 lbs, decided to join. I was instantly hungry, no starving! That is when it hit me that I had transferred my addiction. I yo-yo dieted for a few years then found out about the sleeve. It's not covered by my insurance but my husband is retired military so I qualified to have it done at an MTF (Military Treatment Facility). I saw the doctor for the first time at 258 lbs and was sleeved at 240 lbs.
I had to do two weeks of the liquid pre-op. It was really miserable and I even went so far as to go buy things that were zero calories or pretty close to it (pickles, celery, lettuce). I kept thinking that it would get better after surgery. If I can be pregnant for 9 months then I can drink for two weeks. As an addict, it did not get better after surgery until I realized that it was my addiction, not hunger that was plauging me. I was distraught because I couldn't eat to soothe myself and get my "fix".
I went through what I call a grieving process but it was more like withdrawls. I view it now as something that had to happen. I will forever be an addict of something, be it exercise, shopping, shoes, crocheting, etc. But, I will never be an addict of food. That took a lot of getting use to and I am still working on it today. It is a battle that does get easier as time goes by.
Therapy helps. So do meetings and support groups and this forum. You have quit drugs, alchohol, and cigs and transferred that addiction to food. It will be tough but you can do it! You will transfer that addiction as well so be prepared to find something healthy to get addicted to, like spending time with that precious little one in your picture, or anything that occupies your mind, hands, and body.
Having the sleeve is the best thing that I could have ever done for myself (and I'm less than 6 weeks out!) and I would go through all of it again!
Shae

Is there an MTF in your area? If so, call to see if they have a bariatric department. If they say no then ask for general surgery to see if they have any bariatric surgeons. This is how I had to go about it here at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. They don't have a bariatric department but they have bariatric surgeons. The MTF can do the sleeve without needing Tricare approval. I have Tricare Prime and got sleeved 10/19/11 at Keesler.

Has anyone had the VSG at Keesler Medical Center on Keesler AFB recently? I am just beginning the process and am interested in hearing other's experiences.

I know I am telling you what you have already heard but please don't get discouraged. This is a MAJOR change. Part of the fatigue could be a lack of Protein or maybe you just need time to heal. Being upset and stressed can also add to your fatigue.
Try to relax. Think positively. Try the gatorade that has Protein in it so you get the protein and hydration. It costs a little more but it goes down better than the shakes or powders because it doesn't have the "protein" taste.
I would also recommend adding Vitamin D and maybe getting tested for Diabetes. Are you on the pain meds? If so, they could be dropping your blood pressure and causing you to feel wiped out. Just a few suggestions that I have seen here.
The first few weeks are a bear but we are all here for you cheering you on. You did this for you because it was the right choice for you. Look ahead to how good you will feel when you do feel normal and not obese. It really does get better every day.

I started this midday on Jan 5. I didn't get a gallon of Water in (more like 20 oz or so) and being from the south, I didn't avoid salt. By the morning of Jan 7, I had lost 4.9 lbs. Today, Jan 10, I have lost 6.4 lbs. I added other color veggies last night and had about 40 oz of Water yesterday.
This means that MY STALL IS BROKEN!!! And, it means that I was causing the stall.
I have learned so much about myself in the last three months that it's hard to keep up. I sometimes just ignore what I know and do what my addiction to food drives me to do. I am better equipped to recognize and deal with these issues thanks to the people on this board.

I'm not a medical person in any way but I can give you my opinion.
You have a small pouch for your food. If you drink while you eat, you will eat less than you should simply because there is no room for both.
It has been my experience that if I have something to drink with my food, I am more likely to get the slimies. Or if I drink too soon after I eat, I get hungry again sooner and don't feel as good. My guess is that the food needs to stay in your sleeve for a while to absorb some of the nutrients. But this is just my experience.
I have started having a few ice chips if I need something to cool off the spiciness of something.
I am curious as to why as well, I mean the medical reason for it.
Shae

I'm not a medical person in any way but I can give you my opinion.
You have a small pouch for your food. If you drink while you eat, you will eat less than you should simply because there is no room for both.
It has been my experience that if I have something to drink with my food, I am more likely to get the slimies. Or if I drink too soon after I eat, I get hungry again sooner and don't feel as good. My guess is that the food needs to stay in your sleeve for a while to absorb some of the nutrients. But this is just my experience.
I have started having a few ice chips if I need something to cool off the spiciness of something.
I am curious as to why as well, I mean the medical reason for it.
Shae

I started this midday on Jan 5. I didn't get a gallon of Water in (more like 20 oz or so) and being from the south, I didn't avoid salt. By the morning of Jan 7, I had lost 4.9 lbs. Today, Jan 10, I have lost 6.4 lbs. I added other color veggies last night and had about 40 oz of Water yesterday.
This means that MY STALL IS BROKEN!!! And, it means that I was causing the stall.
I have learned so much about myself in the last three months that it's hard to keep up. I sometimes just ignore what I know and do what my addiction to food drives me to do. I am better equipped to recognize and deal with these issues thanks to the people on this board.

I know I am telling you what you have already heard but please don't get discouraged. This is a MAJOR change. Part of the fatigue could be a lack of Protein or maybe you just need time to heal. Being upset and stressed can also add to your fatigue.
Try to relax. Think positively. Try the gatorade that has Protein in it so you get the protein and hydration. It costs a little more but it goes down better than the shakes or powders because it doesn't have the "protein" taste.
I would also recommend adding Vitamin D and maybe getting tested for Diabetes. Are you on the pain meds? If so, they could be dropping your blood pressure and causing you to feel wiped out. Just a few suggestions that I have seen here.
The first few weeks are a bear but we are all here for you cheering you on. You did this for you because it was the right choice for you. Look ahead to how good you will feel when you do feel normal and not obese. It really does get better every day.

I am 30 days post-op today so I thought I might post about the things I have learned about myself in the past 30 days.
1. I am way stronger than I ever thought I was. I can walk past foods that I never could before and be happy about passing them up rather than dwelling on a missed opportunity.
2. My love affair with food is an addiction that I will grapple with for the rest of my life. However, I am no longer controlled by my addiction because I control what I eat and my sleeve controls how much.
3. I lost a part of me when the surgeon took out 85% of my stomach. Her name was Fat Lady or Fat Girl and her name only came out of MY mouth. I would joke about her as a defense mechanism. I got divorced from her and will never see her again.
4. I lost my best friend, my confidant, my protector, and my crutch: large amounts of food. I went through a grieving process and went through every stage. However, I went through it and didn't get stuck in it. "This too shall pass" was my mantra.
5. No matter how well prepared I thought I was, I was not prepared for most of the things that I have gone through in the past month. You think you know how to tell when you're full - nope. You think you know how to sip - nope. You think you know how to judge a measure of food - nope. And the list goes on.
6. I did this for me. I am happy with my decision and it was the right one for me.
Here are some sleeve specific things I have learned:
1. You will probably need a PPI at least for a little while.
2. Crushed pills are the nastiest thing ever so try to find liquid versions pre-surgery.
3. Too much Protein is just as bad for you as not enough.
4. Too few calories = no weight loss
5. If you don't walk and move around, it takes longer to feel better.
6. Don't compare your weight loss with anyone else's.
7. You don't have to finish what you served yourself. You can save it for later.
8. The "slimies" suck. One more bite WILL hurt.
9. Let your food settle in your sleeve for a while before laying down (yuk).
10. Miralax is your friend! Take it every day and all will be well.
11. People who have never been overweight are ignorant of what you are going through, even those who try desperately to be helpful and understanding and supportive.
12. It will get better!
It has been a rough ride so far but I wouldn't trade it for all the chocolate or Dorito's in the world!
Shae

After talking with my doctor and my pharmacist, the dosage of the medicines were changed. My Strattera increased and the Lamictal is the same mg but given as two time released pills rather than one. I should have thought of this because I have to take two 20mg nexium rather than a 40. Weird how it works but it works. I take them at the same time. I'm feeling like myself again. Thanks to all for the advice.

I was sleeved 10/19/11 and although I have known for years prior to surgery that this was the best decision for me, I have had moments since surgery when I wondered, "What in God's name have I done to myself!?"
I suffer from depression and have for years. One of the things that was not mentioned to me was that while in the hospital, I would not be able to take my four different medicines that keep my mood stable and my emotions in check. For three days, I did not take the medications and on the fouth day, I was a wreck. My mood swings were all over the place, I cried, I laughed, I was pi$$ed at the world, lonely, anxious, hopeless, and just generally UNPLEASANT to be around. I tried on day four to crush the meds I desperately needed (only two of them because one is very tiny and the other is time released) and that was a big mistake. Applesauce was my method of delivery and the cold, bitter, and now medicine filled half spoon made me soooo nauseated and a few times I felt like I was just going to loose it. I was told in the hospital that throwing up could be very dangerous so I should do everthing possible not to. I managed to hold it down but the next day, I just swallowed them whole with a Protein shake. Now I am just over two weeks out and as long as there is a little something Protein rich in my stomach, I can take all of my medicines with no problems, even the timed release ones.
With the medicines back on board, I expected to be back to normal. HA! Pre-surgery normal is what I was looking for and, well, I will never be that way again. I am slowly coming to terms with this. As well I should because I had this surgery to change my life so I should not ever expect to be my pre-surgery "normal" self, duh! Having this epiffany has made me re-evaluate myself, my goals, who I am, and what I am about. I am still thinking like the "Fat Girl" or the "Fat Lady", two of my favorite pre-surgery terms for myself. My husband said to me just yesterday that as long as I think of myself in that way, I will remain that way emotionally (the sleeve won't let me be that way physically). Another epiffany: The Fat Girl or Fat Lady and I got divorced at the same time that 85% of my stomach was removed! I need to think of myself as free from her and be HAPPILY Divorced!
Healing, both physiologically and psychologically, takes time. Physically, I feel fine. Psychologically, not so much. I have been obese for the last 11 years and overweight most of my life (I was called Skinny Mini until I was about eight or nine). I have to learn not to think of myself that way any more. It won't be easy, but it is definately something I can do!!
Shae

I have an appointment on Feb. 7 to discuss my meds. I don't crush, chew, or open any of my meds and the Strattera only comes in a time release capsule. As far as I know, any ADD medicine for adults is in tme released form. I will talk to my doc and see what my options are. Maybe since I am not digesting enough of the medicine, I may need to have the dosage increased.
Thanks to all of you for the input!!

Sounds less like dumping (which I feel is more related to sugar alcohols and fats than the surgery) and more like an issue with blood sugars. I was diabetic before sleeving and what you're describing sounds exactly like what my blood sugar would do if I consumed too many carbs, or if I ate a heavy carb meal after avoiding them for a long period of time.
A lot of people experience dumping symptoms have an issue with a sensitivity to sugar alcohols (because so many of us jump into the low-carb lifestyle post op) or a reaction to eating fatty foods after avoiding them for a long period of time. I had these same symptoms prior to surgery after going on a strict diet, too. I also thought I was dumping post op but in reality, I had developed lactose intolerance and was being horribly affected by the huge amounts of dairy I was consuming post op to boost my Protein intake.
If you're riding the super low carb train and then feeling sick after pizza or Pasta I'd say it's the huge boost to your sugars that's the problem. If you want to avoid that but still eat small amounts of carbs, I'd boost your daily intake a little so your body isn't in shock afterward. And if you don't want to eat those foods, then don't eat them. I still can't eat Pasta without feeling incredibly sick - both from the stomach pain and the lightheadedness afterward. Other foods don't bother me the same way. I can eat one small chocolate chip cookie and not have the same issues caused by three bites of macaroni.
Hope you figure it out and come up with a solution that keeps you happy AND feeling healthy.
~Cheri

My switch, unfortunately, did not shut off. I have times where I catch myself eating even though my sleeve is not hungry or drinking with a meal so that it goes down better and I can have more. I still think about food a lot. Granted, I think about it less in that I don't think about supper when I'm eating lunch but about an hour after eating, I am thinking about it again.
If I feel like I didn't pack enough lunch and Snacks for work I get anxious and think about it all day. I get anxious about what and where we will eat if we have a shopping day planned. I could go on and on...
I am both happy for and envious of those of you who had your switch turned off. I think my weight loss would be further along right now had mine been removed.

I started this midday on Jan 5. I didn't get a gallon of Water in (more like 20 oz or so) and being from the south, I didn't avoid salt. By the morning of Jan 7, I had lost 4.9 lbs. Today, Jan 10, I have lost 6.4 lbs. I added other color veggies last night and had about 40 oz of Water yesterday.
This means that MY STALL IS BROKEN!!! And, it means that I was causing the stall.
I have learned so much about myself in the last three months that it's hard to keep up. I sometimes just ignore what I know and do what my addiction to food drives me to do. I am better equipped to recognize and deal with these issues thanks to the people on this board.

I started this midday on Jan 5. I didn't get a gallon of Water in (more like 20 oz or so) and being from the south, I didn't avoid salt. By the morning of Jan 7, I had lost 4.9 lbs. Today, Jan 10, I have lost 6.4 lbs. I added other color veggies last night and had about 40 oz of Water yesterday.
This means that MY STALL IS BROKEN!!! And, it means that I was causing the stall.
I have learned so much about myself in the last three months that it's hard to keep up. I sometimes just ignore what I know and do what my addiction to food drives me to do. I am better equipped to recognize and deal with these issues thanks to the people on this board.

Welcome! As you can see I am not Latino but I can relate to your story. I live with two guys (my husband and my son) who are what I call String Beans. Both are 6' tall and weigh 135 to 140 lbs. They eat like there will never be another meal! My plate is litterally 4" in diameter and sometimes I can't finish what's on it while they take large dinner plates and usually get seconds.
One thing I would highly recommend for you is a change in how you refer to yourself. I use to always refer to myself as the "Fat Lady" or "Fat Girl". You referred to yourself as a "Fat Spanish Chick". I would recommend "Spanish Chick" because you will be FAT NO MORE! I have said that I "divorced" the Fat Lady when they took out 85% of my stomach and I am no longer allowed to call myself that. My husband pointed this out to me and said that I had to stop thinking of myself as fat and start seeing myself as he does - Hot, Sexy, Beautiful, etc.
Good luck on your journey.

I think too many of us focus on the fast losers when we're planning for surgery and then we assume that once we're sleeved the weight is going to just fly off.
Not everyone is so lucky.
My starting weight is close to your preop weight but you must be taller than my 5'1" and some change because my BMI was much higher at your current weight.
I was a slow loser. Slower, I guess. There are a handful of people here that are even slower than I was. It took me 17 months to hit goal, to lose 107 pounds.
You cannot compare yourself to everyone else. If you're doing the right things and still losing, the sleeve is working. You can try to adjust your food or exercise for a better result but I caution you against doing anything drastic that you won't be able to maintain. Part of why the sleeve is great is that it does away with the need for that diet mentality and helps you build positive habits you can maintain forever. Some folks cut the carbs down to 20 a day, something I consider extreme, but if they can live their lives that way and get great results then it works for them.
My biggest piece of advice isn't one you'll like, but it's something you're going to have to get used to at some point or another. RELAX.
That's it. Because this isn't a race. I promise you, 85% of your stomach just got removed from your body so you're going to lose weight. I see this over and over and over again on the boards - people just so frustrated and worked up because they expected to lose the weight faster, or people that get mad because they feel they didn't need the surgery if they were going to be slow losers.
It took me 17 months to reach goal. It took me 17 YEARS to go from where I am now to my high weight. Am I any less pleased with my success because it took me longer to get here? Nope. I'm happy as can be.
Track your food. Eat responsibly. Get your Protein in, drink your Water, start moving more. In six months you're going to be posting that you're nearly to goal. Give your body a chance to recover from the fact that it's lost 27 pounds and undergone a major surgery the last two months. And yes, even if you want to break the scale sometimes, and even if you don't lose for two weeks of the month (like me) you're going to lose this weight.
So, RELAX.
~Cheri

Trixie, I'm finishing up my 2nd week post-op and I'm feeling the exact same things as you.
I came to a startling realization that I actually had/have a problem with food. Holy cow! I can't believe I was almost to 300 lbs and I honestly thought I didn't. I made good food choices, I didn't snack on crap all the time... but I ate too much quantity. Consistently & frequently to the point of feeling ill. This surgery has made me face this fact head on. I'm still struggling with old habits, bargaining with self, pity parties and the like, and I went through a VERY black couple of days at the end of the first week when I realized what had happened and there wasn't any going back.
But I'm getting better. The whole reason why I wanted this surgery in the first place was to completely eliminate the cheating, the bargaining, and the fatalistic thinking (e.g. "I blew it at lunch, might as well blow it at dinner too... in fact, might as well blow the rest of the week..."). Knowing myself as I did, I wanted a "hard stop" to all that behavior. And boy, I sure got it.
In the last couple of days it's become very clear to me that I've been eating to soothe pain and to fight sleepiness (I have fibromyalgia, among other things). Being off work has been a godsend in this department -- I am sleeping 8-10 hours a night and even napping on occasion. Before I was lucky to get 6 hours.
Now when my inner voice says, "I'm hungry," I do this little check-in on my physical state, and my emotional state. About 8 times out 10 it's reacting to pain, tiredness, anger, thirst, frustration, or just good-old boredom.
I've realized that it's important to remember there is a non-food solution for every one of these. I think this what people mean when they say "eating your feelings".

Let me start by saying I'm not a doctor, psychologist, or anything like that. But being now 7+ weeks post op, I'm starting to develop a theory regarding hunger. Before surgery, my hunger was a mix of "head hunger" and actual "physical hunger". And after years of not paying close enough attention to the different signals, I'm fairly certain I wasn't able to distinguish between the two.
But now that the "physical hunger" is all but eliminated by the VSG, I'm able to see much more clearly how much "head hunger" I actually have. My theory is, since there's no longer any other type of hunger to confuse it with, I know that pretty much any hunger I have now IS "head hunger". And for me anyway, it's a bit scary how much "head hunger" I actually have. I also have to believe now that "head hunger" most likely made up the biggest portion of my total hunger prior to surgery.
For me, this is yet another advantage of VSG in that it's put a clear spotlight on something (head hunger) that I now need to get started addressing.

As someone who is only two months out, I have no clue whether you have stretched the sleeve out or not. What I can say is that you need to remember why you chose the sleeve in the first place. You, like most of us probably chose it as a tool to help YOU lose the weight. You bought a hammer to put a nail in the wall, so to speak. Now you have put the hammer down and are trying to get the nail in the wall with just your hands. Not going to work.
Here is my advice. You are a woman therefore you are strong (sorry guys but it's true). You have the inner strength that it will take to get yourself back on track. Don't be down on yourself; rather remind yourself that you are beautiful and you deserve to be happy in your body and you deserve to feel sexy! Remind yourself that you are worth the effort it will take to get back on track.
Now, to get back on track (I have read) is no easy feat. Go back to the basics - Protein before anything else. Eat slow. Drink non-calorie drinks or Protein shakes only. You could even try the pre-op diet that the docs put us on (protein shakes through the day and a small meal at night with no snacking). Or maybe try mushies or soft foods only. Stay away from the carbs until you no longer crave them. Exercise.
You can do this. As I said, you are a woman and you have inner strength that is virtually limitless. Reach inside, find it, and put it to work for you!! You are worth it!
We all share a bond of our struggles with food. These struggles are not something that will ever go away and we will always need to remind ourselves that we can overcome them because we are worth it.
Shae

Absolutely! You are not alone. I think they're are a few things you need to keep in mind.
1. This wasn't a slip. You gave yourself permission to enjoy the day. Don't ruin it with self-incriminations now.
2. Ask yourself what the calorie count would gave been pre-surgery. Rather than focus on 2500, think about what it could've been in your old life. 4000? 5000? When you look at it that way, today was a win.
3. One day will not ruin your sleeve. Even multiple days won't take you back to your former stomach size.
4. Higher calorie days will happen occasionally, what defines these moments is how you recover. So, get your game plan and get back on track.
Hugs!
Amanda

I don't think having a frozen meal when you're pressed for time otherwise would hurt you at all. I found a posting (forget where, was months ago) from a fellow sleever who doesn't cook. She wasn't losing weight as fast as her doctor liked, so her doctor gace her a list of acceptable meals with some guideline for trying others. here is that list. I saved it.

Lean Cuisine:
Glazed chicken
Three cheese Chicken
Chicken Parmesan
Meatloaf with Gravy and Whipped Potatoes

Smart Ones:
Chicken Marsala with Broccoli
Picante chicken and Pasta
Penne Pollo

South Beach:
Garlic Herb Chicken

Healthy Choice:
Beef Tips Portobello
Traditional Turkey Breast

Meals must meet the following guidelines:
*Fewer than 300 calories
*Fewer than 10 grams total fat
*Less than 45 total carbohydrates
*More than 15 grams of Protein
*Less than 600 milligrams of sodium (preferred but not essential)
Hope this helps!

Happy Birthday Diva!! I am nearly the exact age as you (you are 5 days older )!!
I read your posts and see your pictures and hope that one day, I am as sucessful in my journey as you have been in yours. Thank you for being you!
Shae