My first month with a sleeve

[drydzynski 35]

Tomorrow marks exactly 1 month post op. I never thought I'd be saying that! Time flew by! I have not had a single problem what so ever and can't imagine my life without it. I started at 254 pounds, after my pre op diet/day of surgery I was 247 pounds. Today I am 221 pounds. That to me is amazing. I remember being about 190 pounds and telling myself I would never let myself get to 200.... Well not long after that I had surpassed 200 and counting. I had given up clothes shopping a few years ago because I could never find anything that fit so yoga pants and sweats it was. I even gave up doing my hair and make up and going out for months. At 20 years old that's a big deal! But even loosing the 33 pounds has my self confidence boosted up. I can't wait to loose more and start shopping again. Most people I know, even half or more of my family don't know I had the sleeve, they were told I just had a hernia repair. I'm not embarrassed, I just feel that many people wouldn't understand. Now everybody see's me carrying around my lunch box when I know I'm going to be out of the house for a while- but I learned quickly you have to do that. Otherwise you will fall so far behind on your Proteins & liquids. Nobody asks questions, just keep telling me how skinny my face is (like I lost all 33 pounds in my face). I've had no trouble eating anything but have stuck to my food guidelines strictly. It's sooo tempting to eat "just that one last bite" tho, but other than that, I feel like I'm getting back the life I never had.

[A_ReNUDE_me 148]

Tomorrow marks exactly 1 month post op. I never thought I'd be saying that! Time flew by! I have not had a single problem what so ever and can't imagine my life without it. I started at 254 pounds' date=' after my pre op diet/day of surgery I was 247 pounds. Today I am 221 pounds. That to me is amazing. I remember being about 190 pounds and telling myself I would never let myself get to 200.... Well not long after that I had surpassed 200 and counting. I had given up clothes shopping a few years ago because I could never find anything that fit so yoga pants and sweats it was. I even gave up doing my hair and make up and going out for months. At 20 years old that's a big deal! But even loosing the 33 pounds has my self confidence boosted up. I can't wait to loose more and start shopping again. Most people I know, even half or more of my family don't know I had the sleeve, they were told I just had a hernia repair. I'm not embarrassed, I just feel that many people wouldn't understand. Now everybody see's me carrying around my lunch box when I know I'm going to be out of the house for a while- but I learned quickly you have to do that. Otherwise you will fall so far behind on your Proteins & liquids. Nobody asks questions, just keep telling me how skinny my face is (like I lost all 33 pounds in my face). I've had no trouble eating anything but have stuck to my food guidelines strictly. It's sooo tempting to eat "just that one last bite" tho, but other than that, I feel like I'm getting back the life I never had.[/quote']

Congratulations...your story is inspiring to preops like myself..Keep up the good work, it seems you are on your way 2 a healthy happier you!

[smckean 2]

I'm getting sleeved on the 16th. How did you feel when you came out of surgery? And then first swallowing, what was that like?

[drydzynski 35]

First coming out of surgery I felt a lot of pressure from the gas they use. But as soon as they gave me pain meds & simethicone for the gas I was good to go. Groggy, obviously, but other than that I was fine. I was expecting the worse, this was my first surgery ever, but I was good to go. I didn't take any pain meds at all after I left the hospital. They give you liquid lortab and you have to drink a lot of it for the full dose and the taste is so gross and you can only take tiny sips so it would take forever and was not worth it to me. You get ice chips at first and swallowing was no problem either, you can only take small sips at first, again, obviously, but not as small as you would think. And you can take bigger sips each day.

[Ljones1 48]

Great job your doing keep up the good work.I'm due to. Be sleeved 10-10 just been trying to get some thing's I'm going to need post op.Now debating on powder milk or liquid milk for my Protein I will get a few ready made also I'm just excited to begin I'm 254 start 1000 calorie diet now so feeling good.Any advice to what's needed would be great.

[drydzynski 35]

I am ms ultra over prepared for everything lol I bought so much stuff I didn't need and wasted a lot of money. I use lactose free fat free milk, it was easier on my stomach but if you do fine with dairy you can use regular milk. For the first week out my staples were luigis Italian ice (went threw about 3 boxes),sugar free Popsicles are good too. I couldn't tolerate plain Water so I bought lots of g2, quite a bit of broth both chicken & beef. A pill crusher to crush everything. And stock up on Tylenol because you aren't allowed to take anything else from now on. I couldn't handle the liquid tab either so I used Tylenol the first few days. And an absolute must, gas x strips! You will go threw a lot of this the first few days. The key for me in the beginning was to change up the temps of my liquids threw out the day.

[drydzynski 35]

Also Miralax, or else you will get very very backed up

[Kay York 53]

Thank you for posting this! It gives me high hopes! I am 248 and I will be sleeved 10-21. This gives me a good Idea of what the upcoming holidays will be like for me. The tip on keeping a lunch box with you is a great idea. I was trying to figure out how I would do this on the go. I haven't told many people at all. I don't think they will understand.

[Sweetness88 10]

Did you really get a hernia repaired I have to get a hernia repaired or should I say closed I have a space open between my diaphragm and stomach was wondering Ig anyone else had that problem they found it when I got my EDG

[Savvigirl 24]

That's amazing and I'm happy for you .. Its funny cause I use to say the same if I get to 200 just shot me my highest was 217 I'm now at my pre op I'm 204 looking forward to my surgery best of luck on your journey

[drydzynski 35]

I had my hiatal hernia repaired at the same time as my sleeve surgery. My surgeon didn't really give me a choice but I wouldn't have refused either. If you do have a hiatal hernia repaired you may feel it is a little difficult to breathe for a few hours after surgery. That is what happened to me so they put the oxygen on me and I slept threw most of that pain.

[drydzynski 35]

Also, when I make meals I freeze a few 2oz containers of it for when I just don't have time to make something. It makes it easy to throw a few containers in your lunch box and be in your way. I am out of the house 7:30am-11pm most days of the week so about 90% of my eating those days is spent on the go.