Just Jess

i thought drinking with meals was a band thing not a sleeve thing... but i do remember my doc talking about it --- but much like disney mentioned above... i thought it was bc it WON'T go down not bc it would affect how you ate. thought i was a fortunate one who could. WHOOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have been drinking with my meals.. thank you for that reminder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hey all... i am concerned that i am starting to see the volume in which i am eating increasing before i am satisfied. for instance, i can eat 2 chicken strips with no problem and a half cup of veggies. just a month ago, i could only get in half chicken strip. my weight loss has slowed. i've lost almost 50 lbs. in 3 months... but this last month has been little to nothing. anyone else feeling this?

my italian seasoning says marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil

loooooooooooooooved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (put ricatta, mozerella, cheddar, and mushrooms on mine!)

this sounds so yummy... i cannot wait to make my first sleeved PIZZA!!!!!

no, my weight loss wasn't all post op... i was 290 on the morning of surgery. thank you for sharing! i have this "i'm doing it wrong" complex and just terrified to mess it up!!!!!!! and i am not hungry, by any means... just wonder why i don't feel that intense full everyone else described.

does anyone else feel they can eat more than 4 oz. of mushies??? i am only 2 weeks out (surgery on April 15th) and I'm hopeful that it is just bc they are mushies and not solid food - but i'm concerned that i take down 4 oz. very easily. i do not rush, def. take my time, but i do not feel uncomfortable at the end of 4 oz. i am NOT experimenting and taking more in - but i'm concerned that i think i could. anyone else a couple weeks ahead of me understand? does it change when you get to solid foods? i'm nervous that so many people said they could only have a couple bites of eggs... i ate 4 oz. egg beaters - NO problem. how about those who said they can only do 1 oz. cottage cheese??? i can do 3 oz. mixed with Jello for a total of 4 oz. NO problem. is there something wrong????

hi all! i am here with my first concern since being sleeved............ when on stage 2-3, did anyone feel they could eat more than 4 oz. at one time??? i am hopeful that it is just bc they are mushies and not solid food - but i'm concerned that i take down 4 oz. VERY easily. i do not rush, def. take my time, but i do not feel uncomfortable at the end of 4 oz. i am NOT experimenting and taking more in - but i'm concerned that i think i could. i have a complex about failure --- being i had the band and lost 100lbs. with it, then gained 100 lbs. without it. soooooooooo, i'm desperately praying that THIS is it for me. i'm nervous that so many people said they could only have a couple bites of eggs... i ate 4 oz. scrambled egg beaters - NO problem. then there are those who said they can only do 1 oz. cottage cheese??? i can do 3 oz. mixed with Jello for a total of 4 oz. NO problem. i also have had 4 oz. turkey pureed with gravy - no issues. is there something wrong???? please help!

ok... so, it's done! surgery was at 10:45 am Friday, April 15th. I am home now......... recovering! everything went well... doc told my husband it was "textbook" - so i'd say that is good. he was even able to go into all my old incisions from lapband surgery - the "scars" look good... but my tummy is still distended. my hubby took lots of pics of me getting ready, etc. that i will share a bit later. i want him to take some of my scars too so i monitor how they are healing. my only complaint thus far is HEADACHE. i have a chronic headache. i have been taking tylenol liquid more frequently than the liquid narcotic. but both taste absolutely disgusting. i will say it is REALLY hard to get in 3-4 oz. in per half hour... i am super TYPE A - so i, of course, made a check list of times to tick off as i drank. i hope and pray i stay hydrated... but it is NOT easy!!!!!!!!!!!! is anyone else having difficulties with nausea? i had to get anti-nausea meds in the hospital like 4 times and have been working on my deep breathing to help here at home. i have also been feeling the need to "cough" something up. but it hurts like hell. i am now just trying to SIP, SIP, SIP... everyone says how it's important to remember that... but omg - it's SO hard!!!!!!!!!! who would've trhought that 3 oz. every 30 min. would be difficult!!!!!!!!!!

starting to get nervous!!!!!!!!! THIS FRIDAY is the big day................ how are all our post-op april friends doing?????

my highest weight was 315.5 lbs. my starting weight on this journey is 310 lbs. my goal weight is 165 lbs. i look forward to following everyone's journey and helping one another as we try to drop 100+ lbs.

hello all! my surgery is scheduled for april 15th and i am looking for others having the sleeve in april as well..... let's band together and stay in touch to get through the next few weeks successfully!!!! it will be so wonderful to have support from people going through the same thing I will be at about the same time!!!!!!!!! i also am looking to make better connections with others on this site! my nerves have really gotten more apparent this week... i'm in the 3 week window and so afriad i'll be a failure at this as i was with the lapband... i am trying to push that out of my head and stay positive... but i want to be real as well. how are all of you feeling???? Wow... You April 11th people are so lucky to have so many sleeve sistas!!! (or brothers?) i will be following closely behind - being sleeved on that Friday, the 15th. TAX DAY becomes MY DAY! I also cannot wait to start a new life. I had the lapband in 2006 and lost it in 2008, so i am really trying to stay positive that i can be successful with THIS one --- which will be the LAST one! What does your pre-op diet look like? What does the cleanse consist of? hey, hey... no emailing --- keep it here so we all can benefit!!!!! ONE DAY AFTER ME!!! GOOD LUCK! another person a day after me! i hope to have some words of wisdom to impart to you from the recovery room!

thanks, thanks, and more thanks for all the sharing!!!! i look forward to seeing what my nutrition requirements will be. on march 15th, i'll be one month out...... i may start something like one of the above suggestions just for the hell of it - take off as much weight as i can pre-op!!!

hey all, i was wondering if anyone would care to elaborate on what their pre-op diet was? i was just approved for surgery and got my date: april 15th. but my nutrition class isn't until april 7th and i cannot wait to hear what it's all about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks in advance if anyone can share what i'm in store for!

thanks for the notes!!!! i feel SO sure about this!!!!!!!!!!!

karen - thanks for coming out of the shadows and saying hello!!! are you a fellow b2g friend? CONGRATS on your success thus far! please keep me posted as to your progress!!!!!!!!!!! to all: I GOT MY DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i will be sleeved on April 15th!! WOOP! WOOP!

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE your signature, btw!!!! thanks!!!

hi there!!! whereabouts in baltimore are you? i live in annapolis, actually, but my doc is in catonsville (Dr. vonReuden). which surgeon did you use? i am SO happy to have a close by friend!!! maybe we can meet up sometime and i can pick your brain about everything!! Thanks girl!!!! :)

hey all, EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOST 3.6 inches in THREE WEEKS of working out!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOP! WOOP! So excited!!! I met with my exercise psychologist today and got measured. After working 2.5 hours with a personal trainer last Saturday, I bet that's where most of it came from! hahaha --- AND I hope to start aqua aerobics next month, too!!! WOOP! More good news: went to the doc Wednesday and learned that I AM APPROVED FOR SURGERY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I made up my mind and talked to all the right people about all the questions I had... and I'M IN!!!! Looking forward to getting my call with a date... hoping for spring break or early summer! SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Howdy almost neighbor! Maybe once I get this thing, we could meet half way sometime for drinks and/or dinner and talk more about our journeys. When I had the lapband I met a group of 6 wonderful people on another support group and we were from different parts of MD, DC, and VA... we used to meet in Crystal City or Alexandria -- it was SO wonderful sitting and chatting with people who REALLY understood!!! Thank you for sharing your story! Best wishes to you! I look forward to getting to know you better. Hey girl!!! Thanks for looking out! hugs! Thank you very much for the honest and detailed post!!!! ps - love the name!

Is Johns Hopkins still conducting this surgery? I am pre-op and live and work outside of Baltimore.

Hello everyone, It's "Just Jess" from Maryland... I am here to learn as much as I can about the sleeve. Here is the scoop on me: In 2008, I had the lapband put into place... I lost about 100 lbs. bringing me to my lowest adult weight of 207 lbs.... Unfortunately, I had an esophageal dilatation in the summer of 2008, so they unfilled me completely and I had to wait it out - turns out the band had to be removed ... I went through a little while of "mourning" - and even more unfortunately - GAINING. Currently, I am almost to my highest recorded weight, which makes me sick. For the last year, I've attended therapy through an eating disorders clinic in Baltimore. I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and "disordered eating". I currently still see my psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and nutritionist... I just began seeing an exercise physiologist as well. I hope to make it PERMANENT this time!!! I am looking for THE TRUTH... don't sugar coat anything - I want to know the good, the bad, and the "you wouldn't know it if you weren't sleeved" (please?) Thanks for letting me introduce myself! I look forward to getting to know all of you.

FABULOUS! THANK YOU! And love your humor!!!

I am a patient of Dr. VR at St. Agnes. I live in Annapolis, but work in Brooklyn Park... so St. Agnes is convenient for me. I was recently unbanded but today Dr. VR submitted my approval to the insurance company. Send me positive thoughts!!!!!! I hope to soon be back in bandland! Jess