June 2012 Sleevers Post Op Check In

[mrslittle 18]

Sleeved on the 30th, these gas pains & acid reflux are driving me crazy, I don't want anything not even liquid!

[MinaT 669]

You guys are just out from surgery. I had surgery June 4th. Sip as much as you can rest, and walk. I was in the hospital for 5 days so I can't imagine being home so soon. I literally sipped, walked, slept for those 5 days. When I came home, I sipped, walked, slept. It took me until the drain came out to feel almost human again and that was on the 13th. I was almost 2 weeks out when I quit the naps. I still sip, walk and try to keep busy and still struggle with my Protein, but every single day I feel better than the day before.

Good luck everyone, and feel well soon.

I can't wait until my next Doctor's appointment. I'm still on Full liquids and I'm 4 weeks out!!! I am so looking for Pureeds.

[Ready?Going.. 10]

Sleeved on June 20 in Houston by Dr. A. Ahmad. After an extra night in the hospital (my bladder REFUSED to wake up post op, so I was cathed every 6 hours or so until I could pee)........and a "superficial" blood clot in my right bicep had me lay around the house for another 5 days............I am now happy to say I'm up to my old tricks and down on the scale by 20 pounds!!!

My energy isn't quite back to where it was. I still need a nap about 3 pm but life is goooooood. Last night was a beautiful 4th of July and I celebrated with my husband, daughter-in-law, and 2 daughters by having dinner @ Blackfinn and watching the fireworks from roof top. I've discovered tea (w/o ice) is my friend and Soups (low spice, no cheeses) are most reliable to eat when you aren't sure about other items.

I am excited and hope the rest of my June buddies are too. If you are having a hard time now, remember tough times don't last............but tough people do!!!!

[MinaT 669]

Sounds like things are going well. Good for you. I hope everyone else is doing well.

I got okayed to get in the pool and walk around, which I have been doing. Getting in no problem being in no problem getting out - I do feel a bit of tugging and pulling on my tummy and that's due to that silly thing we call gravity. While inside the pool your body is compressed by the Water, the 1/2 way in with the belly and 1/2 way out is not that comfy.

My incisions are healed, but I have a few annoying white stitches (suppose to be dissolvable sticking out that will need to be trimmed which irritate me a bit.

I'm still on full liquids, though I have gotten in some watery instant mashed with added Unjury unflavored Protein, I did try watery scrambled eggs (less than 1/2 egg (eggbeaters) and a few teaspoons of 1% cottage cheese (these are considered pureed - but the Protein Shakes were gagging me and I had to try something).

I live mostly on seriously pureed and watered down bean and bacon Soup I can get in less than 1/4 cup of soup for dinner. I had Cream of asparagus last night, which was pureed first before adding skim and cooking. I can only get in 1/4 of a cup of soup a day, plus 1/2 small container of yogurt or 1/2 a sugar free pudding. I'm still hitting on 450-489 calories a day. I'm doing better on my protein. I bought the nectar, which I had yesterday but though I decided to try my frosty chocolate this morning to see if I am doing better than Monday, each sip is still hit or miss, but I'm getting it down better today than Monday. I try to get in 6-8 Isopure a day too.

I have had a lot of personal tragedies in my personal life which has been painful lost a friend and a beloved pet last week, but I'm trying to stay positive, though I admit I am getting cranky.

5 week post-op check up and meeting with nutritionist is Monday. I better....be allowed pureeds...I would like to try pureed tuna and I have had the stupid pouches in the fridge for 2 weeks hoping for the day I get to move along.

Sometimes I worry that I will never be able to get down more than a 3 teaspoons of anything down at a sitting and I will always be abnormal.

It's not really about the food, it's about the fact that I take a few sips of soup or 2 teaspoons of cottage cheese and I felt like I had a 16 ounce steak and baked potato.

Poop talk below - beware!

BM's are hard to come by. For those suffering liquid in liquid out, I miss those moments. I miss the gas and water. I am taking a prescription of amitiza (like colace) and resorted to suppositories for now and am waiting to see if I can start metamucil or something else soon, because ....I know I'm a girl, but I miss farting and I miss pooping.

I have had severe issues with intestines in the past with adhesions around them, and I have had diverticulitis and I get polyps and I just know that going potty is good for you, not going potty is not good for you and that's playing with my head a bit.

The weather is humid and hitting a 100 and nobody in my family really wants to go walking with me at night. I almost went this morning but it was already miserable out. I am going to attempt the gazelle again, but it pulled a bit too much on my tummy a few days ago when I tried.

Unfortunately, I had a hernia repair and of course some pretty good complications so I have to take it light, but I would really like to get more exercise in.

Weight loss has slowed to a crawl, I have weighed the same basically for almost a week (i've gotten on the scale in the afternoon to enjoy a 3+ on the scale just to be down the next day) and it's probably due to the heat and I'm going to cut myself some slack though it gets on my nerves a bit.

Everyone says I look like I lost a lot more weight, so maybe it's inches though my tummy is still nice and swollen. I would think after 5 weeks it would have dropped by now. I have nice curves on my sides but 2 inches above my belly button is jetted out still. Obviously I'm healing slow, maybe my age and Lupus is causing me to be a slower healer.

I'm still happy I had the surgery. I had a goal of 199 by July 18th, the way I was losing I was certain I would make it, but this up & down thing has me crawling.

I hope everyone else if feeling well and every day is a little better than the day before.

Good luck healing and enjoying the loser's bench.

[blondeej 111]

Mina - I lost 30 lbs my first two weeks and will be 4 weeks post op on Monday and have only lost about 4 the past almost 2 weeks! I know it's the very common 2-3 week post op stall but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I actually even went UP 2 lbs from a low I saw last week... I really wanted to be under 300 by my 4 week post op, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. I'd have to lose 7 lbs by Monday and at this rate my scales not moving at all! Been eating around 300-600 cals. Now I feel for all those people who's threads I read pre-op that were complaining about their stalls - I TOTALLY know how it feels now!!

[iwannabslim 67]

MinaT, I am so sorry that you have gone through so much. I am truly sorry for the loss of your friend and your pet. How can you NOT be grouchy? You have gone through so much! Don't be down on yourself if you DO get cranky. All things considered, you are doing a very great job dealing with it all! You have had complications that you are moving past. You have dealt with personal tragedy. That is a LOT! Each day, I pray, will continue to get better physically AND emotionally for you.

I am exactly 1 week out today. I have my first follow up appointment today. I get to start full liquids. I can say, with complete honesty, that I haven't really felt any true hunger. I have to admit that makes getting my Protein Drinks and Water in VERY hard. I guess I am going to have to set myself an alarm or something to just eat (ok, drink) when I need to because otherwise, I will NEVER hit my Protein goals. I am already struggling to get my fluids in, but that improves daily. I know we aren't really supposed to be worried about weight this early, but I did weigh myself. I haven't lost anything but the fluids I gained in the hospital from the IV bags. That is a little discouraging. I decided to measure myself, and I have lost some inches in places. My belly is still very swollen though.

I hope everyone is doing well!

[MinaT 669]

Blondee, as long we continue to do the stuff we're suppose to do this stall shall soon pass. Good luck with your appointment on Monday. I'm afraid I'm not going to be down much by that which means, I lost most of my weight the first two weeks and the last two have been nothing but a crawl, so I feel you there.

It will come and best wishes.

Iwannabe, good luck to you at one week out it's still so tough. Worry mostly about your Water intake, you aren't going to become Protein deficient for a while, I'm still struggling at 40-65 grams a day, and I try hard. I'm about 345 - 465 calories a day and I think I need to up my game up but it's hot and today I am so behind on my liquids because of phone calls etc.

I pace on the phone and my schedule was out of wack.

I did the pool this afternoon for a little bit and I love being in there, I am suppose to walk but I did a few leg exercises and getting in is awesome, getting out pulled a bit on my right side again. It's a little concerning. I'm going to relax a bit this afternoon and hopefully it won't be bad so I can get in this evening. I'll just try to walk and do not leg exercises. Maybe my tummy is moving more than I think it is.

Have a great day and I hope everyone is doing well.

[karen74 27]

Same thing is happening to me. I was losing 2 pounds a day for a while. Now... its only 0.2 pounds for the past few days. Its frustrating. The last time i saw the 200's was 16 years ago. I'm 22 pounds away from the 200's! I'm still on liquids (3 and a half weeks post op and i don't cheat at all.) I am however on my period so hopefully that explains a lot!

[Gene1970 179]

Sleeved on the 13th and doing great. Like Karen74 I was losing a couple pounds a day up front but that has slowed as I expected it would. I'm still losing although slower which is fine for me. I know i'm dropping weight and that's what's important. I didn't gain 2lbs a day so I don't expect to keep up that pace in losing it. Between pre-op and post op I'm down 46lbs which is a ton more than I could have done on my own in this period of time. I'm seeing plenty of NSV's and couldn't be happier.

[MinaT 669]

Karen and Gene, we got this though, we know about the stall, we are still doing what we are suppose to be doing.

Monday will be 5 weeks and I know most people are on pureed foods before 5 weeks so it's starting to get old and I hope I am ready to move on. I did lose 1.5 inches of the swollen belly in the last few days, thank goodness.

[karen74 27]

Thank you Mina and congratulations. Isn't it weird how all of the sudden all these strangers. Now feel like family. Only we can relate to each other. I feel a bond to all of you.

[Kraze Gamer Girl 15]

I was sleeved on the 25th got out of the OR around 9.... don't remember much until around 11pm The pain wasn't so bad it was the gas and those feet cuffs that pump your blood at around midnight they started getting really tight i woke up feel like it was about to squeeze my legs off... so i got the nurse and got up for the first time walked around in a loop for about 5 minutes before getting back in bed... got up 2 or 3 more times to walk.. I was able to pee no problem however i was so nauseous that they gave me nausea meds 3 hours early... around 8pm i was released from the hospital... the first 3 days were the worst I went through a phase that i didn't wanna talk (my jaw was clenched) but the 3rd day I came around and haven't shut up since. again the first 2 days i was trying to gulp and i was dry heaving and in pain trying to throw up with nothing really in my stomach...

So far so good though i walk anywhere from 1.3 - 2.5 miles a day

I am eating cantaloupe, deviled eggs (just today! 7/6), 3rd stage baby food (chicken Noodle by gerber), low fat Soups, mashed potatoes......I even have a pinky sized piece of pizza.... probably a bad idea but my tummy didn't fight back on that one Liquids are ok.... Protein is decent because of 30g shakes I have.... I have forgotten to take my Multi V including today.... just thought about it.... for some reason it gets me nauseous...

[keldolbeth 262]

I am eating cantaloupe, deviled eggs (just today! 7/6), 3rd stage baby food (chicken Noodle by gerber), low fat Soups, mashed potatoes......I even have a pinky sized piece of pizza.... probably a bad idea but my tummy didn't fight back on that one Liquids are ok.... Protein is decent because of 30g shakes I have.... I have forgotten to take my Multi V including today.... just thought about it.... for some reason it gets me nauseous...

I was sleeved on the 25th also. But I'm definitely not talkin 2 miles a day! lol I was told to wait until 2 weeks post-op for anything that intense. To me, if I sweat, it's working out! (Although, it's 100 degrees in Ohio so I guess walking to my car is working out. ) Prior to surgery I was doing about 8-9 miles a week. I hope to get back there soon; I'm just still dealing with serious fatigue and sleepiness.

About the multivitamin... at the pre-op class they told sleevers to start it 2 weeks post-op. When I went back 7/2 the NUT told me to wait until 4 weeks because VSG patients are more prone to nausea and Vitamins can make it worse. She did tell me to start a sublingual B12 now. If it's that bothersome, I would ask your DR or NUT.

[Elsa Munoz 7]

my surgery date was june 11 ,2012 Im not complaining still trying to eat and drinking still in puree .I also feeling down depress on and on .I was seating i tryed to get up but i feel so heavy my body i couldn't so I told my oldes son to grab my machine to test my sugar to find out it was 50 i recheck 4 time in different finger so i quick try to eat a popstar cherry i brough it back to 99 .thank God i was still up .. any one experince this after surgery thanks fo you responds

[karen74 27]

Yes.... i too am experiencing low blood sugar. I have learned to always have glucose tablets with me everywhere i go. They are cheap. $2.00 at Walmart for a tube of 8 tablets.