Hello everyone!

I was approved a few days ago (after only waiting a week) and received my surgery date for December 12, 2018! I chose this date out of the few offered to me because I am currently in college and I will be able to finish up my classes prior to the surgery (which was a huge worry of mine.) It's about two weeks before my birthday too!

Anyone else scheduled out in December?

1 hour ago, Lolo 2020 said:

I had sparkling Water with cranberry juice at a work function the other night and all was fine . I only drank a little bit of it , was more for optics ..

Wow! I’m afraid to do anything sparkling or with bubbles. My doc and nutritionist are against it. Lol!

On 01/14/2019 at 19:56, Ms. Stacy said:

Wow! I’m afraid to do anything sparkling or with bubbles. My doc and nutritionist are against it. Lol!

Ms. Stacy - my doc and nutritionist wouldn’t allow that for me either. I had my surgery on Dec 27 and I’m totally afraid to try sparkling anything. I just started drinking decaf coffee and not every day because I’m afraid.

My dietician said the caffeinated coffee can cause ulcers more easily to form in the stomach lining.

It’s pretty diluted by ice and juice. Just so everyone knows - u don’t explode or anything LOL

9 minutes ago, jaadan79 said:

Ms. Stacy - my doc and nutritionist wouldn’t allow that for me either. I had my surgery on Dec 27 and I’m totally afraid to try sparkling anything. I just started drinking decaf coffee and not every day because I’m afraid.

Me too! ?

I’m 9 Months out I Drink with a Straw for a few Months now .Have chewed gum pretty much from the beginning,I don’t take in a lot of air with Straw or Gum .As far as Coffee goes had Decaf first 5Months I now have caffeinated Coffee 2 to 3 cups a Day .Im down 73 lbs no issues .I also hit my water and Protein mark Daily.

1 hour ago, kjuno said:

My dietician said the caffeinated coffee can cause ulcers more easily to form in the stomach lining.

If you are prone to acid, or already have an ulcer, then that would be a case as well that you'd want to either not drink coffee, or maybe switch to cold brew (which is not really acidic at all.) It would kind of be treated the same way someone would deal with tomato products (since tomatoes can also increase acid production.) I'm sensitive to tomato products (or so I think, my acid production prior to the surgery could have been a result of my weight and poor eating), so I try to reduce what I can. Right now my stomach is handling chili very well, but I'm also taking an acid reducer.

1 hour ago, Darci kendall said:

I’m 9 Months out I Drink with a Straw for a few Months now .Have chewed gum pretty much from the beginning,I don’t take in a lot of air with Straw or Gum .As far as coffee goes had Decaf first 5Months I now have caffeinated Coffee 2 to 3 cups a Day .Im down 73 lbs no issues .I also hit my Water and Protein mark Daily.

Wow Darci! I drink from a straw no problem. Can’t chew gum yet. I take in air. I’m 3 weeks out. I’ve lost 20lbs so far. Only had 1 decaf tea and only had 4 sips. What do you do to get in your water and protein? I struggle with that part. But I made it today. ?

December 17, 2018 VSG surgery. Can't handle hot coffee, but iced coffee with little milk no problem.

Can drink from straw too with no problem. Chewing gum since second day out. Down 23 pounds.

15 hours ago, SteveT74 said:

As for the hydration issue, that's true. Caffeine is a diuretic But if you're getting plenty of Water (more than 64oz a day), hydration is not going to be an issue for you. You just don't count coffee towards your hydration amount and you might want to add extra water 8-16oz of water per day for 8oz cup of coffee you consume. Personally, I have been having issues with constipation, so I added one 8oz cup of coffee to my diet per day (with some premier shake in it instead of milk). It has definitely helped get things moving to the point where I am not taking stool softeners!

As for your doctor's advice regarding caffeine stimulating hunger, that's absolute NOT true. In fact, it may be just the opposite. At best, caffeine is hunger neutral. In particular, at least one study was conducted to determine whether hot caffeinated coffee reduces hunger. In that study, the study, the subjects were given hot beverages and asked to rate their hunger. Each group was given coffee, tea, decaf coffee, decaf tea or just plain hot water. The study found that any hot beverage reduces feelings of hunger--regardless of caffeine content. In short, caffeine does not increase hunger and the debate is open as to whether it helps reduce hunger. It's ok, my surgeon did a great job for me, but I know some of the info his office gives his patients is pure BS. For example, the crap about never drinking from a straw and never drinking carbonated beverages against because they stretch your sleeve is total BS. You don't drink with a straw or drink a carbonated beverage because you will probably major gas pains if you do. Not a good thing!! However, later on neither a carbonated beverage or a straw is going to hurt you. Nevertheless, for many people carbonated beverages are trigger for drinking sugary drinks or diet chemical drinks loaded with artificial sweeteners that are bad for you. If you're going to have sparkling water one year post-op, you'll be just fine.

That's good to know because I miss using a straw!

I think the straw thing had to do with taking in too much fluid at once (another way to gulp) rather than sip and so was not recommended. Maybe also to do with sucking in air which is the last thing we need in our new tiny stomachs. I don't know - maybe I made that all up in my head. Either way, I haven't had any caffeine or bubbles yet and I'm at 5 weeks out tomorrow. I do have a follow up nutrition meeting tomorrow and I'll see what new things I'm allowed or expected to do then.

I will say that I promised myself that I would follow directions because having the surgery was a big deal and I want to make sure I do everything correctly for my health and well-being and best outcomes. So far, progress is being made in the right direction so I'm glad.

On 11/22/2018 at 9:16 PM, Happy Sleever said:

Anyone from palm beach county Florida?

Hi ALL December 2018 SLEEVERS! I just learned about and joined BP Monday evening! My surgery date was December 17, 2018. Moving into 5 weeks out on soft foods and beginning to figure out vitamin + supplement regime. Oh boy!? ;\

I live in West Palm Beach, Florida - originally from State College, PA - Go Penn State! My roommates in college were UM cheerleaders... but we worked it all out! Haha. ;]

Just wanted to introduce myself and wondered how everyone else is progressing? Wishing for a very promising New Year for us all! And, I think we all deserve "special credit" having endured pre-op liquid fasts (and other procedures) through the major festive holiday season, don't you!? :]

1 hour ago, Sophie7713 said:

Hi ALL December 2018 SLEEVERS! I just learned about and joined BP Monday evening! My surgery date was December 17, 2018. Moving into 5 weeks out on soft foods and beginning to figure out Vitamin + supplement regime. Oh boy!? ;\

I live in West Palm Beach, Florida - originally from State College, PA - Go Penn State! My roommates in college were UM cheerleaders... but we worked it all out! Haha. ;]

Just wanted to introduce myself and wondered how everyone else is progressing? Wishing for a very promising New Year for us all! And, I think we all deserve "special credit" having endured pre-op liquid fasts (and other procedures) through the major festive holiday season, don't you!? :]

Hey Sophie. I’m in Duval County! We are cold up this way. We are surgery twins ?.... I’m 5’7, HW 372, SW 339, CW 319. I’ve only lost 20lbs so far. I’m on soft foods and I was just able to get my water and protein in on Monday. So far so good with that. How are you coming along?

Hi Sophie , had my surgery done on the 20 th by DR Shillingford near boca . I am down 30lbs since I started the preop diet , 25 since surgery . Also on purées and soft foods . Have tried chicken salad and didn’t do well so I am sticking with 2’protein drinks a day and a little cottage cheese . Have only been able to get down soft flaky fish as a proper solid here and there . At 600 calories a day and 60-80g of protein the weight is steadily coming off 3-4 lbs a week. Interestingly the more liquid I drink, the more I lose . Getting close to the 200 mark now and really can’t wait , haven’t been under 200lbs in 20 years !