foxgirl74

You are not alone! I have been hungry since about a week out from surgery, and it's the smells from making food for my kids and husband that get me the worst! But we knew this would happen, and it's not much different from a regular diet. It's about making the choice to say no and lose weight. Lucky for us, even if you decided to eat you would fit very, very little in your new little tummy. Not that you should, but that is the point of this surgery. Once you move to mushie stages it should help with the hunger issues. Try to stick with protein mushies. The shakes don't help with my hunger much either, but a piece of cheese, a little bit of egg, or some canned chicken with light mayo has helped me a lot with hunger. It will get better!!

Alright, I know everyone feels at some point they are that slim percentage that this surgery does not work for, but omg really?!? It's so hard because we all come on here and read about stalls and pray we don't go through them, or hope when we do we will bounce out of them quickly, but seriously this is maddening!! I have been in a stall for almost 2 weeks now. I lost such a huge amount right before and after surgery it literally felt like I lost it overnight! But now I am jumping on the scale every few days (I know I know too often) and I am seeing nothing!! Not even ounces. I should be thankful I am not gaining, but at only 300 cals a day it's hard to be thankful when I should be losing! Seriously, on "good" days I got up to 600 calories. Most days it's around 300. At that rate I should have been losing at least 2 and a half pounds a week even if I did no exercise whatsoever. And I have been exercising. So to see nothing makes me feel like a big fat f-ing failure. I told myself once I have this 20 thousand dollar tool I am going to succeed, and I'm not right now. I know this too shall pass and I will start losing weight again, but this is taking a giant mental toll that I am not handling very well. I am getting in my water, my protein and some exercise. There is no reason this shouldn't be working. I know my body is freaking out, and in the rational part of my head I know this, I knew it would happen, I know it will pass. But the other section of my head is flipping out wondering why God hates me and wants me to stay fat. I have even been avoiding this website because I don't want to have to report the hard part of this and feel like a failure and put it out there that I am not losing. I also didn't want to read everyone else's success because I am jealous, but I need to get over it, press on and try to keep the faith that this will work. Slowly and surely this will start again, weight loss will start picking up. But for now, I am sulking, wishing I could gorge on something, anything to "make me feel better".

I am two weeks out and use a straw all the time, better yet, I have a Camelbak and LOVE IT! And I have personally not had issues with either one. I would try it, wait a little bit and if you have no issues go for it! If it helps get in the liquids I don't think it's going to be that big of deal.

It's bitter sweet eh?!?! lol Thanks, and good luck to you! I see yours is just days away! How exciting!!!

As the title explains, I am married to the chip guy. My husband works for Frito-Lay. No big deal, right? Normally no. Any given day prior to having surgery I could care less about the stacks of boxes of Frito-Lay products in our living room that we hand out to friends and family. I got over chips a long time ago, shortly after he started working for the company because they were always around. But I have one weakness. I love me some freaking Cheetos! Even those I got over, but now as I allow my son and daughter to split one of the small bags I find my head back in my old habit of wanting to eat about 10 mini bags of Cheetos. I'm over it, physically anyway. I restrain obviously because I know I have too, but damn does my head and my taste buds want them. It is mainly the smells that get me, make my mouth water and mess with my head. I am finding this with a lot of the food in my house that my husband and children eat. So, I figure it's just as good of time as any to really phase out all the junk and get them to eat, and hopefully crave, healthy food too. I know I have seen a topic online here somewhere about Camelbaks, or hydration packs. Let me just tell you if you do not have one or worry about them for air intake or whatever reason, don't! Get one!! I love mine. I have been able to sip water from mine all day long and get in so much more fluid because it goes everywhere with me, so I have no excuse. It's a constant reminder to drink the fluids!! And I am only 12 days out and have no issue with the amount of water per sip, nor any air issues. The same goes for gum. I am a huge gum chewer and I decided to brave it, and no issues whatsoever! I know everyone is different so please be careful should you try either, but I am a huge advocate for both and suggest you at least give it a try!! My Camelbak holds 48oz of water and it's my personal goal to finish my entire pack in one day. Plus I have other fluids, like Crystal Light that I drink to get me to my 64oz. Protein is still kind of hard for me. I just use the Professional Strength Whey Protein from Walmart. It's like 17 bucks for a big container and I double my scoops so I get in 52 grams in the morning and try to get in additional 26 at night. I still need to take my measurements but I am dreading it. I know in a month when I measure again I will be glad, but for now I am kind of mad that I am fat. I know that sounds weird, and it's not like I expected to be skinny two weeks after surgery, but this is a mad I have been for years. Two hours of an operation on my stomach is not going to instantly take away the anger and bitterness I have over being fat. It's a process, I know, but one I am ready to be done with. Guess it's never really done. Gonna have to work on wrapping my head around that. Until then, just gonna take it one day at a time! What else can I do!? Anyway, good luck to all you sleevers out there and to those in the process keep fighting for it, it will be worth it!!

Congrats!!! Now to the rest of your journey! How cool that your doctor took a picture of your removed stomach. I got some pics of my insides while he was doing the procedure, but would have loved to seen my stomach part that was cut out! Here's to your speedy recovery!

Sounds to me like you are doing everything exactly like you should be! The water and protein is so vital and you seem to be doing great on both, and having that low carb intake is key. It will depend on the surgeon, but mine considers the protein in the protein drinks just the same as with food. I think you have done awesome losing 20 pounds in a month and if it slows down a little that is not such a bad thing. Only weigh once a week, and make sure you take your measurements! That will help show even when pounds are not dropping inches usually are! I try to think of weight loss this way, it works from the inside out. First our bodies need to burn the fat that is suffocating our lungs, kidneys and other essential organs, then it can focus on burning some of the outer fat. Plus, we do not just lose fat, we do lose some muscle mass. I think you'll notice more improvement with the light resistance training and once cleared by your doctor try and increase some of the muscle building and toning work outs. I wish you the best!! It will work, we have come this far, we just gotta be patient and let this process work itself out through our body like it should!

I have the SAME feeling just about every time I drink. I found warm fluid seems to go a little easier for some reason. It's so hard for me because I LOVE water and love to gulp it and now I simply can't! I think it will get easier, but maybe you should try warm water or tea and see if it helps. And take tiny sips, like a tablespoon at a time and wait 5 - 10 min then do it again. Who knew this would be so time consuming?!?!

I ran a 99 for a few days after surgery. I was told this is normal as antibodies are released to help heal all the incision sites and that unless my temp got to 101 or above there was no concern unless I had other accompanying issues. Best bet always is to call the surgeon and ask what he or she would like you to do.

Don't worry, EVERYONE has a hard time getting fluids down the first few days!! And it gets easier everyday to get the liquids in so you'll be fine I'm sure. Congrats on the new sleeve!! I had a day of remorse too, but there's no going back even if we wanted But trust me, in time it will be the last thing we will ever regret!!

My insurance covered my surgery, but they actually required a letter from my PCP recommending my surgery and notifying them of her support. So, it will just depend on the insurance if you are using that, and if not it's probably just up to you, but it does sound like you might as well have them in the know. For nothing else like others have said, you can probably avoid duplicate blood work!!

Something like this is entirely a case by case type of thing. For many people the best option is to simply tell your family you are having your gall bladder removed and going on a high protein diet to prevent the chance of kidney stones. Then, once you have lost the weight and feel better about coming clean you can explain what really happened and why you felt you needed to be covert for a while. Your family of all people should want you to be happy and healthy, but it's in your hands to do what needs to be done to get that way. You will still need to get on a treadmill after this surgery, and by all means I hope you don't think this is easier then a diet. It's just a forced diet that gives your chance of success far higher numbers. Good luck in whatever you decide!!

Thanks for the replies guys! I am just a little worried because I simply do love the taste of food! I love even healthy foods! And I am going to have to train my brain to be satisfied after a very little amount of food. I need my stomach to tell my brain to tell my taste buds I had enough! I think over time I will get it down. I am hoping that as time goes on I can become less interested in food like so many others have.

Hi Sleevers! I have noticed so many comments from a lot of you saying you get full after just a bite or a few when eating and how you love how your sleeve makes you full after just so little. So, my question is, does your full feeling also make you feel satisfied after just a few bites?? This worries me a little because I used to have to get very full to feel satisfied after eating and even all these posts that mention fullness I realize do not equate to satisfaction. I also understand that satisfaction may be something we might have to learn to live without, but I would just like to know what that's been like for a few of you experienced sleevers! Thanks so much!!

Alright, time to come clean! The two days at the hospital were really great, I was released early and I felt so good. I have not been on any pain medication since the day after surgery. The last few days have been very hard for me for some reason. It really blindsided me and I really don't know why because I really want this and did everything within my power to make sure I got it. So, I sat down and did some deep thinking about it and I figured out I think it's a major control issue with me. It's no longer me in control, it's my stomach, my body. When I would diet before surgery I still had control over what I decided to put in, even if that meant cheating on my diet. Obviously I didn't have as much control as I convinced my mind that I did, otherwise, my diets would have worked, but now the control is 100% beyond me. Sure I could try and eat something, but I know the physical aspects would hurt very bad, not just be a cheat on the diet. It really got to me the last few days. I have been hungry, and have not been able to get in hardly any protein. Maybe 20 grams a day, very little calories, and the results have been very hard for me to adjust to. I have been so tired, gotten blurry vision occasionally, and felt so run down and I saw my house falling apart a little so it was getting to me mentally. The water intake has been at about 30oz a day, if I'm lucky! Another major reason I was frustrated. All this piled up on me and I felt so betrayed!! By my own body, and my own mind. I felt like I worked so hard to get this for me and now all I wanted was a freaking egg or 1/2 cup of real soup to eat. But now it's reckoning time! Time for the complaining to stop, the whining, the longing, the wanting, it all needs to end! I have done this, I wanted this, I am healing great and losing pounds every day and there is no going back! My sister has been staying with us because my husband works a lot of hours and I have needed help with my littles ones, and I saw her this morning and realized all over again one of the reasons why I did this. I know all the medical reasons and health reasons, but for now I am going to remind myself of the physical appearance reasons as well. I have so many clothes I have bought over the years that at one time I fit in, or thought I would fit in shortly if I could just diet a little more.Well, obviously that did not go as planned so I have loaned so many out to my sisters over the years who have fit in them just fine. So I looked at my sister this morning wearing one of my favorite shirts that I am still about 55 pounds away from fitting into and It just clicked! Why the hell am I still whining about my intake? About being hungry? About how hard this is or how tired I am?? This is just one more piece of the diet I should be on anyway right now, and I am thankful for it! I am going to follow the plan my surgeon gave me, and lose the weight, and deal with the head and food issues, and get back MY life! MY clothes, MY health, and MY ability to take care of MY kids and MY house! I am anxious to get back to exercise, I have been walking, but I really wish I had a treadmill. I have an elliptical, but I am being careful as I know I need to heal all the way before I start anything harder. I know I will get to a place of loving this sleeve rather then just accepting it. Once I see some more physical results and transition into a little bit healthier phase of fuel for my body I except that love and bond to the sleeve to start, Anyway, I rambled on long enough, but I needed to get this out. I know I have read about others struggling a bit with their sleeve and other issues, so I know it will get better for us all!

I got a little, but only cause I took one of my sleeping pills. But with only 5 hours to go be careful taking something or you might be way drowsy when you wake up! You could try just one tylonel p.m. if you have one available.

Wow Day Dreamer, I feel your pain! I was about 50 pounds less just a little over 6 months ago, but I could not, no matter what I did, drop below 180 lbs, which was still 55 pounds overweight for my height. So, I had to gain weight just to get this surgery to make sure I can finally get past 180 lbs! How sad is that? It was the first time EVER I went to the doctor and actually hoped I weighed enough, or more, for WLS. i can really relate to all the tings you said you feel about yourself. I hope you can get insurance approval and can get a sleeve or bypass. I don't recommend the LB if you have more then 50lbs to lose. I went to my first seminar not ever expected to qualify, but here I am a little over two months later, laying in a hospital bed typing to you, and freshly sleeved! Bad choices didn't all form over night and they can be changed, in my opinion, with the wonderful tool of WLS. It's not the cure, the answer and will be suddenly easy, and you won't like yourself in the mirror the day after surgery still, but it gives you hope that in 4, 6, maybe 10 months, you will look in the mirror and find that beautiful you that you knew if there under the fat.

So, here i am the morning after surgery. It's early, only 1am, but I am having a bit of a hard time sleeping. I doze for a while, but it's hard to get good rest. And I can't even blame the nurses, they are great and really don't bug me, but this guy across the hall has been moaning and yelling for "someone, come on!" for hours now. He was so mad they wouldn't let him go to the bathroom, even though they told him over 10 times he has a catheter!! I have been doing really good, just some soreness, but sipping my ice chips, walking, peeing, breathing into my little spirometer, wearing my foot cuffs and and my oxygen. I do not have to push my PCA for morphine near as often as I thought I would need to. I have the ability every 6 minutes, but I would honestly say I only need it and push it about every 30 minutes. But I can feel some more soreness creeping up and itching glued suture sites. I am all alone since my husband has to work today and we live in another city other then my surgery, but I don't really mind. I did have an OMG moment about an hour post recovery room with my husband, asking him why the hell I just cut out 85% of my stomach. But I laughed it off because I know exactly what I did, why I did, and that there is no going back, but that's ok cause I don't wanna go back anyway. It was just surreal it had actually just happened though. It all went fast after my one and only seminar meeting on Jan 5th, 2011, but I have been wanting this for years so it just kind of hit me in a good way that I had actually succeeded in this goal and journey. Now, I know the journey has just begun, but know I feel I have every tool I need to make. So, that being said, I cannot be more grateful for such an online community like this and all the support. I hope one day I can help support other's who are facing this challenge. That's all before I start slurring my typing, and making even less sense then I normally do. It's almost 2am and I have my leak test around 8 or 9, so time to grab some needed shut eye. Congrats to all you March 16th sleevers today! I am excited for us!! Oh, btw, I lost 12 pounds on my pre-op diet, and Doctor said my liver and all looked great! So all that worry for nothing!! But encouragement to any on there pre-op, stick to it!! You'll feel better that you did, results WILL occur and your surgeon will be happy!

Woohoo!! I am sleeved too! They did mine just this morning and sounds like we are in the same boat. I really feel very good, other then being so groggy, sucking ice chips and walking around just fine! So cheers to our great surgery and to our speedy recovery!! And to kissing ours pounds goodbye! !!!!! How I feel!!!!! lol

DazyKrazie, I have had the same thoughts about this being more damaging then helpful especially when I have babies to think about, but if we let our fears get the best of us then we wouldn't be doing the one thing that might actually give us a real fighting chance. Just think of this, my surgeon told me that being 150 over weight has the same effect on your body over time as smoking two, hear that TWO, packs of cigarettes a day!!! And that can cause massive damage and bring a much quicker death. So, trust your gut, and trust fate that this is just one step in taking back control and stepping farther away from death's door rather than closer. Hope all goes fantastic for you and look forward to your updates!

Try not to over stress about it. Get a good work out in today and stick to your diet from here on out. And think about why and how you are more likely to fail, what sets you up, what makes you fail and avoid it in the future. It happens to the best of us, all we can do is push forward. There is no going back now anyway, so just keep with what you know you need to do!

I am kind of bummed. I know I shouldn't be, but I can't help it. I have been on this pre-op diet for 8 days now and have honestly done really good. Sure a few times I had a few more ounces of chicken over what I was told, but I have never gone over calorie limit and have not splurged on anything. Not even eaten any foods I wasn't suppose too. Just a little extra chicken or veggies sometimes. But I just feel fat. I mean, I know I AM fat, but I thought I would be feeling a little better and for sure I thought I would see a number or two drop from the scale. I have been working out, cleaning and just all around been way more active. I am almost panicking, thinking, what if my liver is just too fatty?? What if I did this pre-op diet wrong? I should have lost a few pounds right? What if they see I didn't and think I am a poor choice for surgery because they think I didn't follow the pre-op diet? And all of this in my rational mind if laughing because I know it's silly, but it is just dumb paranoia that I just can't shake. My surgery is on Wednesday and I just want to go in there feeling like this whole kick off prior was a good thing and that I am on a good start to a new me. And right now, I just feel like the same old fat me, never gonna lose a pound, and nothing will work even this surgery. I am sure everyone freaks out thinking this will not work for them, and I keep telling myself that. And I need to stop comparing, but it's very hard not to. Oh well, one more freaking starving day at a time I guess. Ok, I'm not actually starving, but I do miss food, the taste, the smell, the texture, the momentary happiness. But I am so ready to find the new thing, and the new me. So, just cross your fingers that still do the surgery!! Ugh, dumb fat, just go away already!!

You know, I was just reading about the straw issue last night! Thanks for letting me know, last thing I need is air in there!

I am just about done with Day 4, and all I can say is Day 1 was the hardest for me so far. But just think about the end goal, how much safer it will be for your surgeon to work, a decrease risk of complications, and how happy and proud of yourself you will be tomorrow when you wake up on Day 2 knowing you did it! Stick to the plan, find something to do, and it will pass. The hunger pains suck, but being overweight is suckier, so do it just for this short period and then think of the reward of the surgery making those hunger pains go away!

Only a little over a week away!! So ready for this! I went in for my pre-op surgical visit and it seems all is good to go. Got all the things done needed, chest x-ray, ekg, and lab work. Took a two and a half hour class on how to eat after surgery and more info then I could have possibly imagined. It feels good to have such knowledgeable people I know I can ask anything to and tons of resources for this surgery. I am on the tail end of Day 4 of the pre-op diet and so far it really has not been bad. Day 1 was the worst for me because of the horrible headache from the caffeine withdrawals, I forgot about those! But I am all good now! And feel pretty good too! I have been able to get on my elliptical a few times, and then did some major house cleaning the other day so that was a work out in itself. I am shocked at how easy it is to really pack in the protein and not the calories or fat. I had 850 calories today, 150 under goal, and 132 grams of protein!! Which is like over twice I was told I had to make sure I got. So, only real thing I am worried about is that I love, and I mean LOVE, water, but I gulp, chug, inhale, breath it.....no take tiny sips of it all day long. I have never had a problem with water intake, but now am facing a small mouthful every few minutes deal? Yikes. So, I am practicing now, when vomiting is not such a scary thing, rather than after surgery when it is. I told my husband if I have to use coffee stir straws in order to sip less water and protect my new fragile tummy, I will! Oh hey, ONLY 8 DAYS GUYS!!!!