Introduction from a newbie

[Gingertastic 5]

Hello everyone. I am new here and wish I had found this months ago. I’m Ginger, I’m 42 and started my journey in November of 2017 at 285. I followed every direction given, quit smoking, got the sleep study, tracked, etc and got approved within 2 weeks from my insurance company in May.

I had sleeve surgery on July 2 weighing 248. I had HORRIBLE nausea in the hospital that first 24 hours but luckily it went away for the most part. I’ve been on liquid diet since my release on July 4 except I’m struggling big time. I am not a sweets person and I’m sick of it. The pre-op diet was bad enough, 2 weeks of soft mushy food but at least I could have cream of wheat. I keep looking forward to being approved to have eggs next week except it’s unlikely I’ll be able to enjoy them. I CAN’T hardly choke down 2oz at this point. I usually forget about meals and if I remember I have to force myself to finish it. To make it worse plain Water sits in my chest like sandbags making me miserable. I can drink the Protein water easier but don’t want to live on it and its higher calories. Is this common? I have yet to be able to take in 200 calories in a day and I’m sipping water every 5 minutes -with a timer- to get my 64 oz.

My second issue ... I have no one to talk to really. My family didn’t really support the idea cuz they love me how I am blah blah and I’ve isolated myself from making friends. I feel like I’m overthinking everything and making it worse then it is. Help. 🤦‍♀️

[Lolo 2020 236]

I haven’t done my surgery yet but have a good friend who did it and what u describe is normal. She looks so amazing now , I can’t wait to do it . Chin up, u will look and feel great soon!

[Buonnatale 22]

I have the same issue with plain water... I used to love it but now, I get a heaviness when drinking it. Crystal light helps a lot. I know they push fluids but early on, I had issues taking in that much. I was bloated and uncomfortable from forcing fluids, my surgeon told me not to force liquids... I felt a million times better after that. Im 6 weeks post op and still can get in all my Protein. The shakes have the same effect as plain water... its too heavy. My bariatric coordinator said the first 3 months is when u are really going to lose the weight so I should enjoy not having an appetite now.

[BostonWLKC 806]

Try- Hot water! (Like Decaf teas). I could drink cold Water for the same reason. Have you tried to water down your shakes so they’re not so sweet?

Come here often- post and respond to others. It helps the isolated feeling. Get out of the house too

Hang in there 😊

[Frustr8 7,886]

My Grandma had an odd motto I understand more with each year
The Good Lord never made a itch he didn't make a scratcher to fit it!
Translation There is always an answer,for your difficulty. Sometimes it's trial and error, sometimes you have failures along the way, but eventually if you take a deep breath, think about it for a minute, an answer will present itself.
Rest in Peace Grandma Ada, your heritage lives on in me!❤Love, your little Frustr8

[James Marusek 5,244]

After surgery your body is in major heal mode. It is common to not be able to meet your Fluid and Protein goals right at the beginning. Just keep working towards those goals and you should be able to get there.

It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Be willing to experiment. After surgery, my taste buds changed dramatically. Even Water changed. In the hospital it tasted excessively chlorinated and I could not drink it. So I experimented. sugar free popsicles became my best friend. Some individuals find hot or cold can help with fluids. For me, I found that I could tolerate flavored water. So I began using Crystal Light. I also found a new drink Bai which I liked cold. In the winter, I found that I tolerate Hot Drinks such as piping hot cocoa. But you have to use the "No Sugar Added" variety. Also fine English teas were very good.

The fluid requirement is met by a combination. It is not only the water that you drink each day. But also the water you drink when you take your Vitamins and medicine. It is the milk you drink. It is the fluids content of the Protein Shakes. It is the water component of the Soups you take. It is met by flavored water such as Crystal Light. It is met by sugar free popsicles. It is met by tea and Decaf coffee. It is a combination of all the fluids that you consume during the day.

[Orchids&Dragons 9,046]

6 hours ago, Gingertastic said:

Hello everyone. I am new here and wish I had found this months ago. I’m Ginger, I’m 42 and started my journey in November of 2017 at 285. I followed every direction given, quit smoking, got the sleep study, tracked, etc and got approved within 2 weeks from my insurance company in May.

I had sleeve surgery on July 2 weighing 248. I had HORRIBLE nausea in the hospital that first 24 hours but luckily it went away for the most part. I’ve been on liquid diet since my release on July 4 except I’m struggling big time. I am not a sweets person and I’m sick of it. The pre-op diet was bad enough, 2 weeks of soft mushy food but at least I could have cream of wheat. I keep looking forward to being approved to have eggs next week except it’s unlikely I’ll be able to enjoy them. I CAN’T hardly choke down 2oz at this point. I usually forget about meals and if I remember I have to force myself to finish it. To make it worse plain Water sits in my chest like sandbags making me miserable. I can drink the Protein Water easier but don’t want to live on it and its higher calories. Is this common? I have yet to be able to take in 200 calories in a day and I’m sipping water every 5 minutes -with a timer- to get my 64 oz.

My second issue ... I have no one to talk to really. My family didn’t really support the idea cuz they love me how I am blah blah and I’ve isolated myself from making friends. I feel like I’m overthinking everything and making it worse then it is. Help. 🤦‍♀️

Congrats on your surgery and glad you found us. The people on this site are very supportive!

I, too, am not a sweets person. broth was my friend. You can even get commercially prepared Soups and strain out the chunks. (This is easier when they're warm) Hope this helps!

Edited July 14, 2018 by Orchids&Dragons

[Gingertastic 5]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I will definitely keep these in mind for getting my fluids in. I’m so fearful of messing up or doing something that will cause me to be sick or in pain that I just suck it up. I already feel better at reading the responses. The feeling that I’m on my own greatly reduced by the encouraging words and suggestions. Thank you everyone.