swizzly

God, another area where I'm weird. I haven't been emotional or crying at all post-op. I am not much of a crier and didn't cry hardly ever pre-op either, but I thought I'd have some roller-coaster emotions or something. But no. The only thing I've noticed is that I get impatient and bit angrier faster than I normally would, but not so much that I can't still keep it entirely to myself when I want to. I'm a sleeve freak. {{{Crosswind}}} Cry all you want -- I SUPPORT YOUR TEARS!!!

Thanks for telling your story -- and congratulations on being such a success!! I hope I can be like you two years from now.

I think Fluoroscopy is the same as the barium swallow/x-ray thingy test. I had to do that one, it's pretty standard. Many WLS patients have had it. They do it post-op as well, to look for leaks. It's no big deal aside from the yukky stuff you have to swallow... ETA: And yes, I had the upper GI as well. Also pretty standard.

I'm 47 days post-op and my experience is so different. I am sometimes concerned by this...but pleased that I am not having a rough time. I vomited violently while I was still in hospital, but have not vomited once since three days post-op. I've been on full foods since day four post-op, so I've been eating solid foods all along and don't use shakes at all. I don't weigh my food, so I'm not sure what my capacity is, but I can't eat that much. Tonight for dinner I had two small pieces of chicken (like finger sized, but flat, each), about three tablespoons of cream spinach, and two very small pieces of potato. I was full and I knew I was full, I really try to never go past that point. Maybe if I did, I would vomit again, I don't know. But I find most foods sit well in my sleeve, I am not sensitive to smells, I still like the same things I did pre-op, I am still feeling hungry (but only when I'm actually hungry, which is pretty similar to pre-op), I can eat bread, rice still bugs me as it did before, etc. It's just odd how different the surgery impacts people so differently. Glad you've done so well, dudeman. Despite the vomiting, your sleeve is clearly helping you rapidly lose weight! Cheers.

I had to do all those tests and they also did a biopsy -- I think it's pretty standard. If you don't already know this, it's a good medical fact to remember: If they get inside you or chop anything off you ever, anywhere, they will biopsy it. That's just what they do lol. ETA: Hiatal hernia is VERY common, I've heard like 80%+ of WLS patients have them (and they are repaired during the WLS).

Yes, that's the same test I had, that gave the 1880 rate (I'm 5' 6.5"). I think this is due to the fact that prior to surgery I had NOT dieted in AGES. I had been maintaining at around 240 lbs (give or take 10, not more) for over a decade. But before that, I was the queen of hyper-caloric restriction, stupid GD diets, etc., and I'm just certain my metabolic rate was totally hosed back then, as I'd gain if I ate anything extra. So I'm HOPING that maybe my long plateau since the turn of the century (even though my body found a too-fat comfortable resting place as it were) helped "fix" my metabolic rate to a higher level. And thus I'm hoping that too-low-cal eating during the losing phase will NOT eff it up again. If I'm making any sense lol... Only time will tell at this point. I am trying to not to way overexercise now, as I didn't pre-op either. Though it is inherently active to live where I don't use a car. I have added in walking to/from work and may do some strength training as well. I don't know, just thinking aloud...

This topic totally intrigues me, because I can't imagine maintaining on 1000 calories. I'm trying to get to 1000 for the losing phase, still working on it. I'm wondering how much we can possibly impact our basic metabolic rate through this process? (Not a rhetorical question.) I have hypothyroidism (successfully supplemented...and unrelated to my weight IMO) and am 40-mumble years old, but my resting metabolic rate is 1880 calories per day. This has led me to believe that I will eventually have to be at around 1800 calories to maintain my weight. I'm hoping that being low-cal for a long period (ie, due to sleeve, during losing phase) will not lower my resting metabolic rate.

Amazing success -- congratulations!!!

My friend here who had VSG had a similar complication, where the sleeve sort of doubled up like that. Hers resolved on its own after a few days, but she was very miserable with it. I'm SO sorry you're going through this. Best wishes for a very speedy recovery. Hugs.

I have had a very easy recovery, and I was also moved to full foods four days post-op. I have not had any problem eating (chewing well of course) and I have had energy and felt well. My program doesn't have calorie or Protein targets, you're just meant to eat a quite balanced diet, including protein, fruit/veg and carbs. I have three meals and three Snacks per day, so my blood sugar stays fairly steady. I didn't feel that restricted at first either, but I think it was due to the nerves not being up and running again. I do feel it now. Before I felt it, I just made sure to not eat too much. Good luck!

I was cleared at four weeks, but I have taken it pretty slowly. Everything has gone down fine for me. I <3 salads.

I have also heard this. Seems counterintuitive to take acid to cure acid, but hey, whatever works. I have no idea where I'd source unfiltered cider vinegar...maybe a health food store? That said, my acid isn't very bad so maybe I don't need to worry about it.

Following the HELL that was the first 72 hours post-op (only pain meds given were friggin paracetamol), when I was violently nauseated (and made more so by every nausea med they gave me lol), I suddenly felt loads better, and have just gotten better and better since then. I am a pessimist waiting for the other shoe to drop, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying feeling so good. Seriously, it seems to have even helped my entire digestive system, as IBS symptoms have also all but disappeared. *knocks on wood 17 times*

Meh, leave it to work to ruin your plans! I am also a scale-avoider, though I do own one. I try to keep off it except for once or twice a week. So far, I have done well with keep myself off it. I just get too caught up (read: obsessed) with the numbers and drive myself right over the edge. So better to just feel good and have clothes get looser and etc, and only find the weight from time to time. Well done, you! I am also a slower loser compared to most, but I am a-okay with that.

{{{Missy G}}} You poor thing, you have had a hell of a time post-op. I really do believe things will still get better, I hope you can find some relief in the meantime. Reading all the boards I do, it's clear that, regardless of which surgery people have (and I'm talking any surgery, not just WLS), some people just recover very differently and on very different timelines to others, regardless of any "reasons." Maybe try and do some cheesy positive thinking and picturing things healing and getting better; imagine yourself hugging your new little sleeve and making it feel better. Feel like you're on the same side as your body, not like it's against you. I don't know, try acupuncture too. And definitely that newer acid-preventer. I do believe things WILL get better. Which doesn't help right now, but will at least offer a little hope?

That 'have to burp' feeling is my new full feeling. When I feel like that, I know to stop eating.

I had one.

I didn't have much of a sweet tooth pre-op, AND I didn't really like chocolate. But now I do get a sweet craving every now and then, it's weird. And what do I satisfy it with? One small square of very dark chocolate. Weird, but it seems to do the trick.

LOL...some of the sugar-free stuff does suck very badly. And I should have mentioned, I also wouldn't have drunk soda with sugar in it pre-op either...more a personal preference thing. But yeah, the carbonation isn't sitting well in the sleeve yet anyhow, so it's all hypothetical at this point.

Oh my god, this HCG, which I've never even heard of, is just like airplane seatbelt extenders, which I had also never heard of (also never noticed anyone else using them). Do I like walk around in some kind of ignorance bubble??

I have to admit, that I would not do.

As with everything else, sodas are allowed in moderation on my program (which is all about moderation). As are coffee and tea, and I've been having my morning coffee since day four post-op, no problem. The thing I loved most pre-op was sparkling water, lived on it. I've had it since surgery (I think there's no truth to the sleeve stretching thing about carbonation, but that's JMO) and it just didn't sit well. I'll try again later. I was quite bummed I must say.

FWIW, my program moves to basically all foods (with a few exceptions) from day three/four post-op. The underlying approach is, as long as food is tolerated by the sleeve, very well-chewed and not stuffed in too much, it's allowed. Though Protein is important, the program calls for a balance of fruit/veg and carbs as well. And, as the OP alluded to, they believe it's much better for the body/energy and the entire digestive system to not get "lazy" on liquids and purees; they also don't have evidence that this approach causes leaks. (My program is very experienced and academically oriented, and the surgeons and head doctors have done several major studies (esp in re: to the VSG; they also stopped doing lap-band already a couple year ago) and are all well-published in the literature.) So the "stages" aren't written in stone. However, at the end of the day, I think this is just another example of how pre-op and post-op diets and approaches vary so widely for different surgeons/programs.

I am also six weeks out and have lost 25-27 lb (I'm weighing in kg and I'm lazy about converting it lol), but I am WELL HAPPY about it. It never occurred to me that I am a slow loser, I feel like an awesome loser. Seriously. I haven't lost an ounce in over a decade prior to surgery (also didn't gain one either, but that's another story) so the very occurrence of losing is MAKING MY GD DAY, repeatedly!!