Don't laugh at this comment: I am like a newborn baby trying to figure out what all the sensations she feels really means. Nothing is the same anymore. What is hunger? What is thirst? Pain..pleasure..gas ?:0/?..LOL

I was weak yesterday and had 2 near black-outs last night. Today I haven't even been able to be up and have felt like I had a baseball caught in my chest. I have drank to the best of my ability and even had two ounces of soup, but it just kept getting stronger and worse. I had already worked myself up in a tizzy diagnosing one of those awful complications that happens to 1/1000 people. Then at about 7:00pm, I decided I would try one of those protein shakes again, hoping maybe I wouldnt gag on the first sip this time. Hallalaujah *with hand raised* it was a miracle. After one sip, it immediately started to quit. I WAS HUNGRY!! All that pain and suffering and anxiety caused by the simple need to consume protein. My poor little sleeve {I call her Nae-Nae, because she is like a little banana} was balled up in the fetal position chewing her little back-bone off. Did she growl? Nope. Did she say, " that smells good? Nope. Just like a baby, she balled up, kicked, and fretted until I figure it out. But don't worry girl. This can go down in the book as VERY hard, but successful day; because we can say we know eachother a little better now and that will ultimately help me to help you to make me a much healthier and happier person :0)

It does get easier. I was a little more developmentally slower than others. It is a process. I too felt like a baby learning to eat and drink. I wanted to cry like a baby too! I was sooo frustrated sometimes. I just started my 10th week yesterday. I did not feel somewhat "normal" until about 6 weeks. Everyone deveops differently. I'm sooo glad I did it! It seems like you have a handle on things so far. You seem very positive. Good luck on your progress!

I started my third week yesterday and I can't believe what a difference another week makes. The best part is that I've had scrabbled eggs and some tuna. I am still down on my Protein intake. I have a hard time getting in 40gms of liquid Protein. Is there anyone else out there that has a hard time, too. I hope my hair doesn't fall out! My daughter got in all her protein and she still had lots of hair fall out.

Just my left side is still sore. I've been working (desk job) about 5 hrs a day since last Thursday. I'm very tired by the time I come home. I'm just glad to know I see improvement in my energy and nurishment every day.

I am 18 days out today, funny thing is i guess I been in some kind of warped time zone for I been saying I have been 2 1/2 weeks out for a week now...lol.

I am in the same boat, I am not getting enough protein in. I struggle to get 50-60 fluids in also. I know that is not enough. I still am on full liquids and thought I was fairly well. I walked a long while yesterday. I actually finally went to the bathroom. I also thought I would lose, weight, I have been not cheating on anything and now I am up a couple of lbs. Plus my chest hurts also. I won't be discouraged. Take a gas-x, walk and keep going.

Yeah, there's definitely a learning curve with a brand new sleeve! It's tough to remember all the things you read somewhere when you are in the middle of a bad bout of shoulder pain, or you're feeling like things are just "off". I think that's why we all say "Walk, walk, walk, sip, sip, sip." That was my mantra for the first couple of weeks, and I was concentrating so hard on it that I didn't realize my shoulder pain was from a full sleeve. I kept sipping my Water and walking, but the shoulder pain was pretty constant...until I realized that my shoulder hurt when I took a drink. DUH moment for me! That's when I realized my shoulder pain was actually my full signal!

It's changed now at 5 months plus out, but those first few days were tougher than they needed to be because I didn't realize what I was doing wrong. Once I backed off just a tiny bit, the shoulder pain went away. I was just drinking too fast.

It is real odd at first. Mine is named "george", because he reminds me of a 'george', haha.