G'day fellow sleevers!

While I'm slowly forcing down another meal replacement shake for "lunch" (even though it's almost 3:30pm now) and can smell my pot of pea and ham soup cooking away, I thought I'd post an update on how I'm doing 9 days post op. (If nothing else, it may help encourage other newbies who are frightened by posts about hunger and complications etc).

I've been lucky to have quite an easy time of things. I've been obese since my late teens and stopped dieting over a decade ago because it always left me heavier in the long term, and in worse physical and mental health. I did however work on improving my eating behaviours and thinking, which made me a lot healthier (but still fat, 121kg BMI 49 fat).

After progressively cutting out processed carbs and caffeine ahead of my 3 week pre op diet, I found the VLCD diet easy to tolerate and was rarely hungry, despite being on 600-750 calories a day. I was really surprised by this.

My surgery went without issue, and for the most part my recovery was swift and very good. I'm still waiting to see if I get in trouble with my surgeon next week for discharging myself from hospital the night before he wanted me to leave, because the buzzers kept waking me frequently overnight and I couldn't safely eat any of the hospital provided food (optifast and reconstituted soups, loaded with aspartame and MSG (in various forms) which are both massive headache triggers for me). I had been off IV and taking all medications by mouth already for two days. I did not need to be there.

I stepped down medications over the past week at home, only continuing the one for reflux. I was cleared to drive 5 days post surgery, and was back to most normal stuff at home immediately (just getting hubby to empty dishwasher and hang up washing to prevent risk of tummy strain).

Like most people I'm really keen to get out of liquids stage and have some decent food to chew, but I've been feeling ok still serving up the regular meat and veg dinners for the family while I have my soups, and I haven't felt overly jealous when making the kids sandwiches etc. Today I even bought some lovely 2.5 inch thick T-bones for my hubby to enjoy over the next few weeks (I keep reminding him he is damned lucky lol).

I decided I wanted some more variety beyond my current pumpkin, and cauliflower with sharp chedder soups, so I'm making pea and ham soup today and will make some chicken and sweet corn soup soon too. I'm also making myself use up more of my remaining meal replacement powder for lunches before there are far more appealing lunch protein options available from next Wednesday. I made 3 dozen birthday cupcakes for my daughter to share at school yesterday and managed to only have a couple of licks of the batter (quality control requirement )

In summary, I'm doing well, I'm feeling well, I'm being well. I worked hard over the past decade to sort out a lot of food and other mental demons and have been able to commit myself to this change fully.

15kg down, already 25% of the way to the finish line, and I am determined to be in the minority of successful sleevers that make it all the way to normal BMI and keep themselves there. I've missed out on enough of life due to my weight. The new version of Taoz will be fearless and unstoppable (except still not doing sky diving, because that **** is just crazy lol, hubby will have to try that on his own).

Love and best wishes to everyone chasing their dreams of a lighter and brighter future.

Taoz

WTG!

Congrats. Love the positivity. Wishing you continued success!!!

Thrilled to hear you’re doing so well!! I was sleeved on 5/8, so I’m only 4 days out, but I’m doing better every day as well.

My first night was rough because I have orthostatic hypotension, which I didn’t know about until I tried to stand up to go to the bathroom and nearly fainted. Once the doctor gave me the okay to get off bed rest, I started walking the hallways of the hospital and felt sooo much better.

I’ve been home since Thursday and things are continuing to improve! I have no desire to eat anything. I’m sitting here now while my family is eating pangang curry (a favorite of mine) and it’s no big deal. I know I’ll have it again someday, but right now it doesn’t control me. Unfortunately I can only have water, protein shakes, broth, and jell-o, so my diet is pretty bland, but I’m not hungry and I’m not having cravings so it’s all good.

How are your incisions healing? I think mine are fine. My dog greeted me with a gut punch the day I came home so I was a little worried about that, but everything down that seems okay. Right now I’m rushing for everything to just heal so I don’t have to worry so much.

Hi Taoz, it’s inspiring how well you’ve done. I definitely have a lot of mind/emotional work to do on myself to make this succeed. Even though I am so ready to be slim - physically wanting it and dealing with constant daily food temptations in life are so hard. I am hoping the smaller stomach makes those battles so much easier.

I started gaining weight in my teens when I was put on large doses of prednisone off and on till about 22ys. I went from being very slim to suddenly putting on weight for the 1st time in my life. This began a lifetime of starving my weight down and regaining repeatedly.

I think we all can feel a bit short changed when in groups,family or friends who all look slim but can routinely eat a hearty plate of food. If I was to eat the same amount of food regularly I imagine I’d be housebound by now. I think a lot of us deal regularly with hunger and feeling we can’t eat till satisfied and then when we do we gain so easily. I imagine a lot of people on this forum find this is the case for them and not necessarily terrible food choices. I’ve found that misconception has been applied to me due to my weight. I have definitely seen people surprised I don’t usually eat second helpings and would rarely snack on crisps and never on sweets. I would bring my boys and me for a McDonald’s on average once a month, and probably enjoy a takeaway Chinese or Thai once a month which I don’t feel is excessive. I still plan to enjoy these things some of the time but not all the time.

15 hours ago, CleaClo said:

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How are your incisions healing? I think mine are fine. My dog greeted me with a gut punch the day I came home so I was a little worried about that, but everything down that seems okay. Right now I’m rushing for everything to just heal so I don’t have to worry so much.

Incisions are healing well, though one on the left was itching annoyingly from 5 days post op and I must have been scratching at it at night as the covering was pretty much peeled off a couple of days ago, so I've recovered with a large bandaid now until I see the surgeon Tuesday. Similarly the top centre incision I had lines up nicely with the bottom edge of my soft-cup bra so it kept getting rubbed looser and had to be replaced by a band aid. The other coverings are peeling a bit at the edges but staying on over the incision sites, so I'll assume they are doing ok too. Nothing has been hurting thankfully (except Aunt Flo the last few days had me doubled over in pain, the rotten sod, Happy Mother's Day to me lol).

I know it's Monday 14th May,,in Australia and you're probably just waking up. So Happy Mothers Day to me and a happy blessed? Day After To You?