Free2B

Thanks for your insights. I especially agreed with your observation that everyone's journey is different. It's important not to compare yourself against anyone else!

Congratulations and good luck! I was six days ahead of you and want you to know I had a few unexpected problems, but still consider the overall experience to have been very positive. (Did you run around tonight like I did during my last couple of hours of "real food," eating "my last chips," "my last piece of cake", etc.?) Best wishes to you on your big day - I bet you'll do great!

Hi Gunning2005, I haven't had to try it myself but my doctor also recommended Milk of Magnesia if no BM for a few days. You might check with your doctor and then give it a try. Constipation is sure no fun and can wear on you as more time passes.

Courtines, thanks for the encouragement. While I'm really looking forward to something besides Protein drinks, every "new thing" makes me a little bit nervous. That first sip of Water, which didn't come for two days, was kind of scary. On the other hand, yesterday I nearly stuck my finger in some store-bought guacamole my husband was serving to a visiting friend. Naughty thoughts! Phyllis, I so appreciated the message you sent me before my surgery about the power of positivie thinking. I have sort of a superstious, opposite view: if I worry about something enough, it won't happen. This was kind of borne out for me as I worried about a leak and about nausea and they didn't materialize. But I never gave much of a thought to my liver and it was the problem. So there you go. JP, I'm thinking about you all the time and sorry that you're still uncomfortable. It sounds like you're on the upswing, though, and that you're strong enough to handle the challenge! I was a little disappointed that I couldn't sleep in my bed last night and had to use my reclining chair, as it was painful to be on my back so much in the hospital. But when I try to lay down on my back or either side, it feels like my innards don't have enough support and are pulling. Oh the positive side, though, I haven't even had Tylenol since yesterday at noon and I'm lucky to get to be home and sleep whenever I want to. BTW - did the rest of you get weighed in the middle of the night at the hospital? Yup - every morning about 4am they brought in a scale and I dutifully got out of bed. They measured in kilos, though, and I was too groggy to ask for a translation to pounds!

Hi October Buddies, I had my surgery Tuesday and was supposed to come home on Wednesday, but things did not go as planned. I had a large hiatal hernia that I knew had to be repaired at the same time but no one knew that when the doctors got inside they would find a lesion on my liver. When they were unable to take a small piece of it to biopsy, they cut out the entire thing. The lesion was benign - hooray! But in the process I apparently was left with internal bleeding. My blood pressure dropped very low and the blood count also went down, down, down. The day after surgery I was given two pints of blood and the blood count, while remaining low, did stabilize and I was sent home this afternoon. My pain has been quite tolerable after the first day and I'm off the heavy-duty pain killers. No nausea or vomiting, I haven't been getting all the fluids I'm supposed to, but since I just came off the IV I'm not worried about it yet. I notice my prescribed diet seems quite a bit more restricted than others'. I get four Protein drinks and non-caloric liquids only for the first three weeks, followed by three weeks of soft foods or "mushies." I felt a little hungry this afternoon, but the Protein Drink is filling. Even when I was feeling pretty bad in the hospital, I never had any of those thoughts of regret. Every day will be a little better and hopefully every day I'll be a little slimmer. Right now I think I still weigh more than when I went in for surgery - stomach like a basketball - ha! Blessings on you all - thanks for letting me join you on the losers' bench; I've been waiting a long time to get here! Bonnie

Hi Kelly, I've been watching your progress for several months now and hope I can do as well. Thanks for the good wishes! Bonnie

Hi gracemarie, I'm 62 and also had my surgery on Tuesday - congratulations to you! My recovery wasn't quite as smooth as yours, but today was a good day (came home from the hospital) and I feel very optimistic. I'm looking forward to following your progress. Take care, Bonnie

Congratulations!! What a burden off your mind! I'm scheduled for tomorrow so can't officially join your November 2 group, but will be thinking of you and your 11/2 sleeve sisters, watching your happy progress.

Hi Lisa, This is a great thing to hear!. My surgery is tomorrow and I was one of those who had to go on a three-month lean Protein, low carb diet before approval. I experienced something similar to what you're describing, though perhaps not as strong. When I would get hungry and think about my choices, they weren't always appealing so I sometimes just chose not to eat at all. What a concept! It made me realize how much of my hunger was "head hunger" and cravings. I also discovered how much longer I went without feeling hungry after eating protein rather than, say, a pastry. Thanks for your insight and best wishes to you, Bonnie

Congratulations, AZ. I appreciate your encouragement to those of us of a certain age, as I'm 62 and scheduled for Tuesday. Wish you well with your recovery and look forward to seeing your progress.

INTJYou are: moderately expressed introvert moderately expressed intuitive personality slightly expressed thinking personality moderately expressed judging personality

Thanks, Suzanne, for sharing your update. You are an inspiration to me, as I am in your age range, surgery scheduled for next week. I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise and that you were able to fully enjoy yourself without any adverse consequences when you got home!

Well, I guess my plan takes the prize so far - it calls for THREE WEEKS of nothing but protein shakes and clear liquids after surgery! No doubt that will be my first temptation to "cheat." Congratulations on sticking to it - you earned every drop of that Chai Latte!

Congratulations! Hope things go smoothly for you and that hardest part is over now. It's always good to get home to your own place. Don't quite understand why they won't let you gargle, but I suppose they have their reasons. Believe it or not, I'm jealous of your jello. My doctor says no jello the first three weeks after surgery!?!

Hi Kara, I live in Washington and am guessing you had your surgery at a clinic in Edmonds, perhaps? I'm so sorry to hear about your nausea. That happens to be one of my little fears about my surgery, scheduled for next week. Did they have you take something like Emend beforehand? Best wishes to you - I hope you continue to feel better, quickly!

If my math is right, that's 15 pounds in 12 days - good for you! My doctor suggests about two weeks off work so it seems to me you have every right to tired. Don't wear yourself out, okay?

Hi Kristen, it's good to hear you are doing well. Those of us still to be sleeved (such as this coming Tuesday - gulp!) appreciate your thoughtfulness in not dwelling on the negative. Your idea of preparing some food ahead of time for your family makes you a better woman than I am. My husband will be fending for himself for a few days after I get home - ha!

I think there are four folks on our roster scheduled to have surgery tomorrow. Good luck to you all, and please know that we're thinking about you and wishing you well!

Congratulations on getting your date, Teddy. I think we're all pretty excited - and happy, nervous, eager, reluctant, curious, etc. It's kind of an emotional roller coaster!

Hi there - does your surgeon have suggestions regarding pre-op Protein drinks? If not, you could try to search this site - I think there have been many threads on that topic. I'm one of those who doesn't have to do a pre-op diet (I did a three-month insurance-required diet instead.) The three-month diet required a Protein shake once a day. I found I liked the Syntrax nectar chocolate Truffle made with FF milk. There are websites like Bariatric Advantage that allow you to order a number of sample packets so you can try different flavors. Good luck to you!

Even things we look forward to can make us a little anxious. When I get nervous about what I'm commiting to with the surgery, I try to think about next summer and how nice it will be to wear all new clothes, be comfortable again in my kayak, go hiking, etc. Perhaps we'll even be okay with wearing a bathing suit in public! Hang in there - we other October sleevers are rooting for you!

I don't have any advice other than that given you by all the previous posters, but want you to know that many of us are rooting for you and sending positive thoughts your way. I especially hope your pain continues to lessen and you are feeling much better very soon!

Hi, I'm scheduled for October 25th - hooray for us!