mjb123

I get the hiccups like that too. But they don't last too long. I usually get up and walk it off. Walking seems to be my fix for everything! I started using firming lotion right after the surgery, but I still have dry skin. It has been a long cold winter where I'm from and dry skin is normal.

I felt the exact same way you do. A lot of us have. The pain meds were also causing me to throw up all the time so I had to stop them on day 2. I found comfort in walking around the house and yard A LOT. I would drink a little, then go walk, it really helped with the gurgling and I found it necessary. I am still walking even after I eat now to cause it just feels better. I also rested in a recliner instead of the bed because it was so hard to get in and out of. I only did one gas x dissolvable strip, but am taking the PPI twice a day. I don't think I really have heartburn though. But the dissolvable gas x strips may help you. You really have to do everything you can to get that water in you and get up and walking. You need to stay hydrated to heal properly. Try flavoring it. I noticed this past week that although I was able to get in all my fluids, I could drink the flavored water easier and am actually able to drink over the 64 oz now. I really like the Crystal Light Raspberry Ice and The Fruit Punch. If they are too sweet you can dilute them down. Try different things and you will find something. I hope you start feeling better soon. I am going on three weeks on Tuesday, am still a little blue, but have been able to get all my liquid protein in and water in since day 5, but it has taken a lot of time management to make sure I can fit in everything. I still have some burning pain from my inside stitches, but my doctor told me that would last for a couple weeks. Other than that, and lower energy, things really do get better each day. Hang in there, and keep at it, you will see!!!

Hang in there and I hope things start to go smoother for you!!! Hugs

To give you an idea of how much protein, I am 5'7 and my nutritionist wants me to have a minimum of 76g of protein per day from the day I was discharged on. That is my magic number.

Congratulations on your smooth recovery (and can I also say I am soooo jealous that you only had to spend one night in the hospital)!!!! We were sleeved the same day! Best of luck with your journey!

I'm on the full liquids currently, 1 week post op. and I only have one more day to go until I am on pureed foods. I haven't really got bored and I've only had two different things. The protein shake 3 times a day to get in all my protein and the last couple days I've been have strained or blended cream of potato and have been satisfied I think. I haven't really had any cravings so it's more of just using the food as fuel. I stocked up on all kinds of different liquid protein things and have only been able to stomach one of them, so don't go too overboard!!!!

ME TOO!!!!! Also sleeved 3/8, I was just telling my husband today, I just don't understand the feelings yet. Experienced folks please help!!!!!

I am 33, 294 and I just had my sleeve last week. I am on tract to go back to work in 2 days shy of 2 weeks. I work in a lab, I manage it, so I am going to limit my activity to only scope work and paperwork for the rest of the 6 weeks. If your job is straining, and if you can't modify anything while you are healing, I wouldn't take any chances on your full recovery so I would plan for time off based on that. This is the beginning of the rest of your life!!!!

I agree with walk walk walk. It seems dreadful, but helps sooooooooooooooo much. You really feel better each day.

Is there anything safe for us to take to get back in a normal sleep pattern? I've only slept about 3 hours for a couple nights now. I am tired and not too uncomfortable, I just can't sleep.

I spoke to my nurse from the clinic yesterday and after letting her know I had tried Benedryl (which was on our list of safe meds to take) she told me it was ok to try tylenol PM. I slept 8 hours last night. I feel SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better. Thank you all for your suggestions!!!

I've have 4 more days of fluids till I can move to pureed. I am excited, not because I've been hungry, but just to see how things go. To see if the new stomach works, I don't know what my thought process is really. I haven't had an appetite yet so it is just eating to live right now. I do not like the protein stuff in any form I've tried so doing that is like a chore. I can't wait to have to not do that to get all my protein in. And I am excited to have some warm mashed potatoes!!! You'll do fine if you keep focused on why we all are going through this. Best of luck.

You're doing fantastic!!!!! One of the things I had on my list was to be able to go to theme parks with my family. I can't wait for that!!!

I had all these questions just the other day, so I'll try to give you the answers I got, from here, and from the staff where I had my surgery. What if my liver is to large? Usually, if you gain weight, they will re-schedule your surgery, or they can do it as an open surgery rather than laproscopic. MY nutritionist told me that I shouldn't GAIN anything. I didn't think I lost any, but ended up losing 13 before. I still have 7 incisions so maybe they still had to work around my liver. An expert surgeon, will know how to handle these cases. What if something goes wrong? I can only speak for the staff where I was, but they were on top of every little thing. It is their job to make sure you get through this process successfully, and the clinic I was at only did bariatrics, I was a priority. PLUS, in the big picture you have to think of what will go wrong with your body if you do not take control and lose weight. What if I have terrible pain? You should probably expect some pain. WIth any surgery there is gona be some. The nurses called me a pain virgin and I still made it through. I am 4 days out, and jsut uncomfortable, but only in pain when I try to get myself up out of bed or something. Expect some pain, but also know they should be able to medicate you well to control your pain and will ask you often how you are feeling. What if I am very nauseous? What if I can't keep anything down? What if I can't take my medicines? What if I continuously vomit? You may be nauseous, but they have meds they can give you for that, and they will monitor what makes you sick and figure it out. I got nauseous, from the narcotics, once they took them away, and I was on nothing, I was able to start holding things down and start walking. What if I am still hungry and never satisfied? Trust that this tool will be what it takes to satisfy you and if not, know that it is only a tool and you have to be devoted to a lifestyle change as well. What if all my hair falls out? Get your Protein intake up as soon as allowed by following your diet. Don't skimp on the protein. Take your Vitamins. If you lose a little hair, they say it grows back. What if I hardly lose anything? Remember you have to be in the mindset to lose weight. This is only a tool. If you want to lose it you will, you have to follow the lifestyle changes, for the rest of your life. It is overwhelming, I am still overwhelmed just a few days out, but stick to your plan. Research till you are blue in the face and then just have a little faith and trust in your decision. Trust your surgeon and staff that they will take care of you. Know that there will be some hard times, but nothing we all aren't getting through together. Stay close to these boards for inspiration.

I took a whole bag full as well, but didn't use anything. My stay was 3 days and they had a little travel kit for me with shampoo and conditioner and deoderant and chapstick and toothbrush and stuff, but I didn't even shower while I was there. Yuck, I know, but I was so out of it. I did take my robe, never wore it, my kindle, which was great for my husband. So I would recommend the basics unless your stay will be much longer than mine was. Better to have to much stuff than not enough. Best of luck!!!!

You look wonderful. Keep up the great work!!!

I am glad you made it through everything well. I was sleeved the same day. I am doing just ok with liquids, still get the gurgly feeling inside my stomach when I sip, but I am getting close to my 64 oz. Protein.... I'm lucky if I'm getting 25, but I'm focusing on keeping down just plain fluids right now. Here's to feeling a little better tomorrow!!!

Day 0 pre-surgery: What am I getting myself into???? Day 0 post-surgery: The worst decision I've ever made. What have I done to myself and where were all the horror stories? Day 1 post-surgery: I can't believe I'm still alive and if I could go back and un do this, I would. The nurses call me a pain virgin. Never had any babies, tattoos, other surgeries or anything. And narcotics make me sick, so I'm just on Tylenol. Day 2: I can't keep anything down, and they want me up walking a marathon. I keep throwing up. Day 3: If I pretend like I'm able to eat and get my butt up and go walk, they may let my husband take me home. And they let me go home, so I'm wlaking, drinking, burping, hiccups, no toots. Day 4: My stomach is killing me. I keep cutting up tylenol. Sipping on my liquids and doing a shot of protein as I walk laps aroud the house, am now tooting and burping. Hoping Day 5 feels better. Day 5: Definately feeling better. I have a hollow feeling in my chest and only some localized pain. I have 7 incision sites. That seems like alot. I have been able to get in most liquids but not a lot of protein. That mix stuff is just nasty. I wasn't supposed to but I was so bored out of my mind today, that I drove to the grocery. I cooked supper. Jsut chillin now, looking forward to feeling even better tomorrow.

Love your play by play. It is so informative, and I appreciate your positives and negatives. A complete package. Best of luck in your continued healing!

So today I had my Pre-admission testing. After not eating and drinking all night, I had to be at the hospital at 7:30 am. I work at night so I went straight there after work, exhausted and parched! They did all kinds of blood work, I had to meet with a respiratory therapist, had an ultra sound of my gull bladder, pee'd in a cup (When are they gonna make ladels for us ladies?) I hate peeing all over my hand! Anyway, I had to go give more blood, apparently my blood doesn't clot properly, but the internist doesn't think this will be a problem with proper medication. Then to the nutrition class. I only have to be on clear fluids the day before surgery, then for the week after surgery it is full liquids, then 1 week of mushy then 1 week soft then on to regular as tolerated. This was quite a surprise to me how quick their plan steps it up, but I am glad I do not have to do a liquid diet pre-op for any long amount of time. So I am set for my surgery in 6 days. Am scared, I had made the decision early to not tell anyone but my husband, but I really wanna talk to my momma about all this right now....

I’m Mindy. 33 years old, just married the most wonderful man in the world in May. He has saved my life in so many ways. I do not remember a time when I wasn’t overweight. My sister, who is about 18 months older than me, was always smaller than me, a tiny thing. The beautiful cheerleader she was. I was always her younger, bigger sister, with a beautiful smile and a great personality. Even in elementary I remember my Aunt taking us school shopping and I always had problems finding clothes. I think even at that young age I was already looking in the plus size clothing. Though I look back at my pictures and I wasn’t that big. Just bigger. So I think it started then. My struggle with who I was, what I looked like, I always had great friends, not so many boyfriends and the boyfriends I did have, ended up liking my friends. Thank God for that though, I feel like all of that led me to my husband, and we were made for each other. I want to remember these struggles, that have made me who I am today. I am a strong, successful, confident, happily married woman, who has never taken care of herself, but I feel was made better by my circumstances, and am ready to make myself healthy so I can live forever with my husband. So I’m going to write down these things that are so difficult for me now and have been all my life so I have that reminder of why I am doing this and why I can’t stop what I’ve started. Like everyone, I’ve dieted, so much I’ve lost myself over and over again to only gain it back and more. I was healthy and athletic in high school, but still obese, and always pushed myself to the limit to play sports to be with my friends. There were times I thought I would die, but I was always happy, I thought. I remember one of the first boys I had a crush on in the 5th grade. We had it all planned where my best friend would tell him that I liked him and see if he liked me. I remember when she told him that I liked him, his first response was “fat chance”. Really, at that age, humiliated and crushed. Another time I remember in college. My freshman year, my best friends and I were at a frat house. I had been hanging out with this guy, a cute older guy, who was clearly not important because I now don’t even remember his name. I remember at one point leaving the room and over-hearing my best friend talk to him. He said, "if only she wasn’t fat". Crushed again. My first job, I did well. I have always been successful at everything I’ve tried to do in my life except taking proper care of myself. One of my employees, though he was foreign and abrasive anyway, told me I would be the prettiest girl at work if I'd lose weight. It upset me so bad, that this guy felt like he should say this to me, I actually wrecked my car on my way home. I couldn’t see through my tears. At that point in my life I was actually in the best shape ever, but still fat. I threw myself into my work, forgot about all the other important things in life and stayed happily single until just recently when I met my husband, and forgive the Bridget Jones quote but this man loves me “just the way I am”. He sees me for me and loves me unconditionally. I can’t wait to have this surgery and show him how beautiful and healthy I can be for him. So for years these are the things I’ve have dealt with that I want to remember after the surgery to keep me motivated. It is hard to even wipe and wash my butt. Isn’t that the most ridiculous thing. My husband’s sister worked for me and she is the one that introduced us after me avoiding it for over a year. I remember talking about the plans for our first date, and she was asking what I was going to wear. I told her and I remember her saying, “don’t worry, there are lots of big women in my family.” I didn’t even ask about that, she just offered the comment. I avoid airplanes because I hate hanging over into the other person’s seat and killing my stomach trying to buckle the seatbelt. One time this guy in the seat next to me had the flight attendant switch him with a skinnier lady. He said he just thought his shoulders were too broad to sit beside me. Right… at least he had the decency to not say he wasn’t comfortable sitting next to the fat lady, though he stood in the isle for about 10 min waiting for the flight attendant to find a lady to switch with him. I won’t go to the movies. I’m just not comfortable sitting there. I avoid at all costs, going to the zoo, though I love the zoo. It is too much walking and although I can walk it, my face turns so red and I get so winded it is just ridiculous. My considerate husband will ask me if I want to sit awhile and I think why, this is normal. I can’t ride a bike anymore. Again, just a few feet and I’m about to have a heart attack. We have safety fencing at work, I work with very large male pigs, and there are just metal posts that are staggered as the fence so the employees can just slip through to get out the way of the animals, instead of jumping over a gate or something. Guess who is not slipping through those posts? I had to bend a couple out just to be able to squeeze through and it is still so tight, it bruises my belly. My belly gets in the way of me and my husband when he snuggles with me. I try not to sit right beside my husband because I do not want him to look at me from the side and see how it doesn’t look like I have a chin or a neck. I have avoided vacations; we haven’t taken our honeymoon yet because all of the places I want to go involve crystal clear Water, beautiful beaches and a bathing suit. I wanted to zip line through the jungle, but after searching found that there is a 300lb weight limit. I am originally from Ohio, but have been transplanted in Michigan. Those of you who are from around here will understand when I say, I made the BIG gesture and got me and my husband matching Michigan sweatshirts to wear only when Ohio State isn’t playing Michigan…… however; mine doesn’t fit. I didn’t want to have a real wedding because I was too embarrassed to be in a dress for a big person, and not to mention the pictures. Though what we did was small and perfect, it wasn’t the wedding every girl dreams about. I believe my father will never forgive me for not allowing him to "give me away". I dread when I go out to eat with my boss or anyone actually because everyone wants to sit in a booth. To squeeze in and out is so embarrassing and to sit there during with my boobs resting on the table is humiliating. I'm afraid to ask for a table because it is like they all will know I am asking for a table because I am fat. And I don’t really need to go into detail how envious I am of people who get to shop in normal people clothes. I’m young, but fat and the only thing there ever seems to be for me is clothes that look like they are for old people. So, luckily I get to wear scrubs at work, because I don’t think my everyday attire of sweatshirts and sweatpants is appropriate. So this is where my journey begins. My husband and I were talking about one of his friends from work who had the lap band and he was just amazed at how happy this guy has become as he is losing weight. This started our conversation of how uncomfortable I am in certain situations and how controlling my weight has been. My husband didn’t know I was affected by it so greatly. He encouraged me to just think about a surgery, though it worried him, he just wants me to be healthy. I called the clinic that day and they actually had me come in that day for a consult. This was in December of 2010. I weighed in at 315, my height (I’ve shrunk, I used to be 5’9”) is 5’7” so my BMI was high enough to qualify me immediately. My surgeon is Dr. Poplawski. He wanted me to have a sleep study. I had it back in early January and they found no sleep apnea. I just had to have a psych consult and that was all my insurance required for approval. My husband’s insurance is covering the surgery 100%. Amazing. Before him, I wouldn’t have been able to consider this financially. I had insurance, but not good like his. My Pre-admission testing was scheduled for today, but my area was hit with a huge ice storm so my tests were rescheduled for next Tuesday March 1st, 2011. My surgery is the following week on March 8th, 2011. I started taking Vitamins a few weeks ago, but the one-a-days that I had make me have projectile vomit, so I’ve found a gummy one that I will take until they tell me to switch to something else. I gave up Mountain Dew before Christmas, and a couple weeks ago gave up Diet Pepsi. Just drinking water and crystal lite, which the crystal lite is funny, my favorite flavor is Raspberry ice and it turns my teeth pink. I haven’t been told to change to a liquid diet but they sent me a menu that I should try to follow. So, thus far, everything has been pretty easy. We will see what they want me to do starting next week. The only person that will know is my husband. I have struggles with telling anyone else because I just don’t want any kind of negativity or doubt in my decision. I know that I need support, but the people closest to me do know that I am making a lifestyle change and that I want to be healthy. I have bragged that I got a treadmill for valentines day so I am setting them up for big changes in my life. I’m looking forward to my new life. I’m so excited and am glad I have found this forum to read about everyone’s experience. It has really helped solidify my decision and has answered so many of my questions. I have no doubts and each day I think of something new I can’t wait to do in my new body. Thanks for letting me share my experience. I’m looking forward to continuing to document this journey and have a group of peers that will help me stay accountable.

This may seem like a silly question, but I'm wondering if the staples dissolve or if they are in us for good??? Anyone???

We have the same surgery date!!! Best of luck!!!

I am glad I have found a place where I can relate with everyone. It's very personal and I have chosen to only tell my husband so it is nice to know there are people out there who feel or have felt just like we do is ironically comforting, though I would never wish this condition on anyone. I'm looking forward to hearing more of your story. Good luck next week.