irishprincess966

My surgery was April 18th. I had my check up yesterday and I am down 57 pounds! I hit Onderland on Tuesday and it feels GREAT!!! I bough new jeans in a size 14, tops in a medium and I can finally shop in regular stores. It feels wonderful to only go to Lane Bryant for their bras. lol. My hair is falling out so instead of freaking out about it I cut it off into a cute bob and donated 12 inches to Locks of Love. It feels so wonderful to be getting my life back. Amazing what a difference this sleeve and hard work has made. I guess I am not noticing the weight loss as much as other people are because everyone is telling me how great I look and how they dont recognise me. What a great feeling.

Thank you all so much! Just saw a co-worker I havent seen since before the surgery and she was amazed at how much weight I have lost. Its great. Good luck to all of you who are still working on preauthorization. You can do it!!

My dr told me to wait a year, I waited 3 months (and checked with him first) and have only had wine, since it is lower in carbs and not carbonated. I took a sip of mimosa once and it wrecked my stomach for the rest of the day. Let me tell you that I was no lightweight before the surgery but now a glass of wine puts me under the table. Its actually kind of awesome being a cheap date again. lol. I would check with your doctor before trying anything. At 2 weeks I was still on Clear Liquids and couldnt even imagine putting alcohol in my body. Its better to play it safe and wait at least a few more months and check with your doctor before trying anything because the last thing you want is to disrupt your staple line. Good luck!

I am 4 weeks out and 25 pounds down ((Woot!)) but I am still experiencing pain swallowing. not the initial part of the swallow but when the Water or whatever is about to go into my stomach. Is that normal this far out? Its making it very difficult to get anything in. Also about 4 days ago I started experiencing stabbing stomach pains when my tummy was empty. I thought it was hunger pain so I had a glass of milk and I got nauseous. I have an appointment with my dr on Wed for my 1 month check, so I am going to wait till then to talk to him. Just wondering if this is still normal for where I am post op. Thanks!!

4 weeks out today and down 25 pounds. I hit the 3 week stall at 2 weeks and the scale only started moving again on Friday. Been doing a lot of walking. Still having some pain in my stomach and when I swallow but I go back to see my dr on Wed and will talk to him about the pain then. Getting dressed in the morning is taking twice as long because clothes that fit me a few weeks ago dont fit me anymore. its nice to clean out my closet a bit though. lol. Glad everyone is doing pretty well. Cant believe it been a month already for so many of us! Keep up the good work!!!!!

That is so fantastic!!!!! Good for you!!!! Sometimes, the NSVs are better than seeing the scale go down. Keep up the great job!

Hi Husky, I found the recipe on Eggface's blog. She has a LOT of awesome recipes. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ I actually pureed and strained some for the latter part of my full liquids phase and left some kinda chunky (and added back in the strained pieces) for my mushies stage. I modified the recipe to work with what I had on hand, since I dont keep beef in the house. Shelly's Bacon Cheeseburger Soup 1 Sweet Maui, diced (I didnt put in because I dont like onions) 2 slices Bacon, diced (I used Turkey Bacon) 1/2 lb Ground Sirloin (I used Turkey) 1/4 cup Bruschetta Sauce (I used a half a can of canned tomatoes) 2 cups chicken broth ( I used beef) 1 (10 3/4 oz) can Cheddar cheese Soup 1 Tablespoon Steak Sauce (I added about 3 since I LOVE steak sauce) 1/4 head of Iceberg Lettuce (I didnt put in because I didnt know if my stomach could handle lettuce, even chopped up) dash Seasoning Salt a few twists of Black Pepper Shredded Cheddar for topping (for the mushies stage) Good luck! Hope you enjoy it.

I am 2 weeks post op today, and really starting to feel great. And the best part is I am down almost 20 pounds! I will be the first to admit I was having a really hard time the first 10 days until I figured I just needed to be creative to get through my full liquids diet. So I found Lobster Bisque Soup, 110 calories, 2 grams of fat and 8 grams of Protein. I mixed it up with some skim milk, blended it with my stick blender, put it through a strainer and it was awesome! I added some of the unflavored powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury too. Best lunch I have had in weeks. Thursday I did the same with a can of Healthy Choice Chili. Added a scoop of Greek Yogurt and it was so good! Now I know I will make it one more week on my liquids and finally be able to add some more things slowly to my diet. I am really starting to love my new sleeve!

Bryn, you can do it. It may seem like it is taking forever, but it will be here soon enough and you can start getting really creative. The other night I made cheeseburger soup that was really good. even my 9 year old liked it. Of course I didnt have to puree hers. lol Good luck!

Today I am 10 days out. I am feeling better than I thought I would. I have more energy than I thought I would, even though its not a lot. I only took 6 days off from work and returned Tuesday, but I have been having some concerns and could really use some guidance from more experienced sleevers. When I was in the hospital I was in terrible pain. It didn’t feel like my stomach was accepting anything, i felt liquids were getting "stuck", and I was very nauseous. I threw up after having my swallow test and it was 4 oz. I was amazed my stomach was holding that much. Isn’t that a lot for 1 day post op, or should I not be concerned? I had my follow up yesterday and my dr showed me a tube of toilet paper and told me that was how big my new stomach is. That’s pretty darn big! Can that be right? Also, since I am sitting I am feeling my main incision "stretching" I guess would be the best word. Its like its pulling me from the inside out, and it hurts. My incision pain hasn’t been too bad, but with sitting its really bothering me. Any suggestions, other than to get up and walk? I have lost about 15 pounds since my surgery (depending on which scale I use). I have seen other people who have lost 30 pound by the time they are 10 days post op. I know 15 is a lot but why is it coming off so "slowly" by other peoples weight loss rates? I am doing 2 Protein drinks a day, and yesterday I started 1 oz of applesauce and 2 oz of greek yogurt. I am still not feeling full but I am too scared to have any more than that. And finally (for now lol) I am angry. Angry at myself for having gained so much weight, angry for not being able to get it off on my own, angry because I am having terrible head hunger and cravings that are so bad there are times where I wonder what the harm would be if I just ate a piece of chocolate or bite of a hamburger, and then I get so angry at myself for having these thoughts that I start to cry. I know most of this emotional rollercoaster is normal, but its probably the hardest part for me.<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break">Sorry for the long ramble. Any suggestions would be great. Very few of my friends know I did this, so there is not a lot of people I can reach out to for support. Any help would be awesome. Thanks!

Thank you so much Amanda! You comments made me feel so much better. I am doing better mentally and physically. The incision pain is getting better. Sneezing still hurts, but not much I can do about that. lol Once I realized that I hadnt damned myself to a life of protein shakes and broth I started to feel much better. I snuck a hershey kiss the other day and it actually didnt taste as good as I remembered. lol. Unfortnately I have hit the dreaded stall already, but I know that this too shall pass. Thank you again for your encouraging words. If you ever need someone to talk or vent to, I am here for you too!

It is Bookbinders Lobster Bisque that I actually found it at The Christmas Tree Shop. It was $2 for the can and worth every penny! I was a bit off on the nutritional info... 10.5 oz can has two servings. Just for the soup it was 100 Cals, 4 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs, 5 grams of protein. Plus I mixed in 4 oz of skim milk (2 oz per serving) which adds another 20 calories, 3 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein. A serving was 7 oz which was more than I can eat so it lasted me 3 meals. Not too shabby!

Outback has a very yummy steak kids meal. Get it with veggies on the side and its low everything. Back when I started Weight Watchers (the first time) that was our staple for going out, or even ording to go. Most other places have good appetizers or soup to eat. Good luck!

Hooray for April 18th! It was a good day to start our new lives. I am so sorry you had the complications. Hopefully you are feeling much much better soon. I did not do so well with the anestesia and was throwing up most of the time in the hospital. It was pretty lousey. I had to stay 2 extra nights because I couldnt get anything down or keep it down and they had to put me back on IV pain meds. Oh well. I went back to work 8 days post op and I have already lost 16 pounds. Woo-hoo! Trying to walk everyday, but with the crazy weather we have been having in NJ I havent been able to do it regularly. Been having incision pain on the left. I am wondering if I am doing too much or if this is normal. @smiley, I was all black and blue around my belly button area too. Dont know why but the stitches are healing so I am not concerned. Good luck and congrats to everyone. Its great having people to go through this with.

Good luck to everyone getting their sleeve this month! Hope everyone's recovery goes smoothly so we can all start our new lives together. I am a week from today and getting nervous but I am so glad I found this website!

My doctor didnt give me any preop Protein "requirements" but suggested drinking 1-2 of the nectar protein suppliments. The more protein the better your body will be able to heal afterwards. I only have to do 1 day of the liquid diet. I feel bad for anyone who has to do any longer than that because it cant be easy. Good luck and drive carefully!

Thank you all so much for your help. I went to my pharmacy and even the pharmacist was confused. lol. @AutumnLily.. I went to Rite Aid yesterday and found a 16oz bottle of the Wellesse for $5. I know its a touch more than the costco, but I figured I could try it out, and it would time me over till I can get there. And I was surprised it only has 4 grams of carbs. Thats not bad at all! Thank you for the heads up. I am going to Costco this week to see if they have the big bottles since my surgery is a week from today *gasp* and I have to get the Protein drinks and such. Thanks so much again!

My dr told me to take 1200mg a day of liquid Calcium Citrate once I am on the full liquids part of my diet. So I went to vitacost.com and found this one which seems to be a flavor that I will like. http://www.vitacost.com/Lifetime-Liquid-Calcium-Magnesium-Citrate-Pina-Colada Then, while on there I decided to get the Magnesium citrate that I need for the day before surgery, and my search once again came up with this. http://www.vitacost.com/Lifetime-Liquid-Calcium-Magnesium-Citrate-Pina-Colada. Am I looking for two different things or are the liquid calcium the same as the magnesium citrate? Please help. I dont want to get the wrong thing. Thanks!

There has been a lot of back and forth between my various doctors and insurance. We hemmed and hawed about submitting since my insurance company changed their requirements and I didnt formally meet the new "6 months no smoking" requirement. But the wonderful woman at my doctors office got me approved today for my original surgery date of April 18th. Now everything is moving so quickly. I had canceled all of the plans I had made for work and my daughter when they told me it probably wouldnt happen, but it is and I am thrilled! Hooray for officially being one of the lucky "April Sleevers!"

Thanks Ladies! So very happy I can barely contain myself. Cant believe this is actually going to happen now.

So I have Federal BCBS. Last June started seeing a nutritionist in order to started on the process of getting WLS. In August I started seeing my metabolic dr who put me on weightless meds, a new exercise plan, etc. I did everything my doctors and insurance company told me to do to meet the surgery requirements. I had to do the standard "dr supervised diet and weight loss" for 6 months. I have lost almost nothing. Come February I made my appointment with the surgeon. I called my insurance company to make sure he was still covered (they don’t always update the website) and found out that all of the requirements had changed as of January 1st. Now it is 1 year of Dr Supervised diet and weight loss, 3 consecutive months with a Dietician, 6 months of quitting smoking prior to surgery. I spoke with the nurse who reviews the cases and she said they have some flexibility and made me feel more confident that they would approve my April 18th surgery date. Well that was just a bunch of hooey because now my claim is in and they are saying that they do not have the ability to waiver at all from the requirements and the soonest they can approve it for is August. Here is the problem, I am in training for work in from May to August and then start Grad School at night starting the end of August, 4 days after my training is over. I am going straight for the next 3 years so I can finish before I start losing credits. So after all of this, it looks like I won’t be able to do it at all. I feel like all of this time I was running a 5k and just found out that it is actually a 10k triathlon, and I don’t know how to ride a bike or swim. Maybe I should just resolve to be fat and unhealthy because I have tried all of the “conventional” methods of weight loss and none of them have worked. I rescheduled my life to be able to have this surgery on April 18th and now it looks like it was for nothing. It took me so long to get to the point where I am willing to do the surgery, just to be let down and not be able to do it. I am so frustrated and angry I could start crying again. Anyone have any advice on how to fight the insurance monsters?

Plain greek yogurt is pretty disgusting. You could try what I do, since I buy the big container of plain Chobani. I put in a splash of vanilla extract, a splenda and a dash of cinnamon. I also throw a few slivered almonds on top for some texture sometimes. And if you freeze it it tastes like custard to me. Enjoy!

My family is not supportive of me having the surgery at all, so I am just not telling them. I am not a fan of keeping secrets, but with my family I will be in a much better emotional state if they never find out. I have friends who have had WLS and they are my support group. You can do this. Just remember that you are doing this for yourself to live a long, healthy life, and their negativity is not necessary during this adventure. Good luck!

So here I am, 30 years old, single mom, grad student, full time employee, new home owner, and morbidly obese. I have been overweight since first grade. I was picked on, teased, ridiculed and made to feel uncomfortable in my own skin since I was 6. When I graduated high school I was around 180-190. Somehow I managed to gain almost 80 pounds in 2 years while dating my ex. The phrase “blinded by love” comes to mind because neither one of us realized what was happening to my body while he was romancing me with dinners out, chocolates, Breakfast in bed and other delicious treats. I would also like to mention that he only gained 6 pounds, and soaking wet never crossed the 160 mark. So then at 20 years old, I get pregnant. I step on the scale at the OBGYN and it says I am 267 pounds! I don’t know what was more of a shock, finding out my new weight or that I was growing a tiny human being inside of me. The pregnancy was good. No diabetes, some hypertension at the end, I actually lost weight and delivered at 263 lbs. I had a beautiful 8 lb, 13 oz baby girl to hold in my arms. I was in my pre-pregnancy clothes before I left the hospital. I joke that she was the best diet I was ever on. Lol. When I went back for my 6 month check up at the OBGYN he tells me I have to do something about my weight. He gives me the name of Dr. Bertha in Florham Park, NJ and tells me to look into the gastric bypass. I was shocked. I had no idea my weight was that bad. At 21 I was not ready to completely rearrange my digestive track without trying something first. So I did the usual… Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, South Beach, exercise 3-5 times a week. Nothing. I have gained and lost a thousand pounds. Last year I started seeing a Metabolic Specialist who put me on Phentermine. Still nothing. So here I am, same approximate weight that I was when I had my daughter nearly 9 years later and it is time for me to take the big step towards surgery. I fraught with a million questions and concerns and luckily I found this group to help me with them. I had my consultation with Dr Bertha a few weeks ago. He is still relatively new to the Sleeve but has done so many of the RNY procedures that I am not too concerned with him being new to this particular surgery. I would be about his 20th sleeve to date. I am scheduled for 2 months for today since I wanted to do it when my daughter would be on spring break. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t have to drive her anywhere for at least a week. I am also only telling a small handful of my closest friends that I am having the procedure since I don’t want the ridicule that I know will come from it, especially from my mother. Hopefully I can keep it all nice and quiet so that no one finds out if I don’t want them to. I have 2 friends who are going to help me out since they have gone through other types of Weight Loss Surgery and know what to expect better than I do. Now my questions: · Has anyone on this forum had Dr Bertha do their procedure? What were your experiences with him? · How long I am going to be out of commission. I am only planning on taking about a week off since I don’t want to tell my boss about the surgery. Is this going to be enough time? · I am also in a wedding in July, just over 2 months after my surgery. I am concerned with loosing either too much or not enough weight to fit into my bridesmaid dress, which I ordered 1 size smaller so that I hopefully won’t need to make too many alterations to it. Opinions? · Since my surgery is a week before Easter, am I going to be able to make it to church? I am sure I am going to have to come up with a reason why I can’t make it to dinner with the family, but that I can handle. · What other complications are possible besides for the leakage or problems with the incisions? · What happens if this doesn’t work and I don’t lose any weight at all? Or I gain it all back? Not having extensive studies on this type of procedure makes me nervous. · What will my skin and breasts look like after this is all said and done? Should I start saving for an augmentation now? lol I have a million more but will leave it at that for now. This forum has been so helpful to me by answering so many questions and concerns. I read your stories everyday and though some of them are scary, so many people are happy about their experiences and glad they went through the procedure. I am excited to finally be taking a hold of my weight, which has controlled me in a million different ways for almost 25 years. I am looking forward to going shopping in regular stores, not getting fat comments made at me by people who don’t think I can hear them, and especially for getting to live a longer and healthier life for my daughter and myself. I know that this is the right surgery for me. This is exactly what I have been looking for since 2002 and I know that this is the right time for me to do it. I am just so scared to be doing it alone. Thank you all so much for reading my very lengthy introduction/rant and for posting all of your stories and questions. You have made me feel like a member of this community without even knowing it. God Bless.

Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate it. I hinted about the surgery to my mother this weekend and she seemed very negative about it so I think I will keep it from her, at least until after it is over and recovery is moving along.