mjb123

What is/was your losing plan: How far out from surgery you are what percentage have you lost? How many times a day are you eating? What is the amount of normal food (non liquid) you are now able to get down? What kind of supplements are you taking? Types and Brands How much Protein are you supposed to be getting and how much are you actually getting in daily and what are your sources of protein (brands of shakes etc), How much Water you are actually getting down each day What is your exercise routine, type of exercise, and how often. How is your energy level? I know I can find this in bits and pieces here on the forum but would like a go-to place with just this info as I go through this journey for ideas, motivation, and to just make sure I'm normal! For me: - I am almost 5 weeks out and have lost 22% of excess weight since surgery for a total of 37. I am very pleased. - I am trying to eat six times a day per my nutritionist, but sometimes only get the big shake with most of my protein and a couple other nibbles so on average I would say 3-4 times a day is what I'm getting done. - I can only get in about 1.5 - 2 oz. 2 oz makes me very uncomfortably full - I have just switched to the one-a-day gummy Vitamins because I was just so sick of the chewable ones from BA. I also am taking a Celebrate b-12, and Zantac twice a day and whn I need to get regular have been chewing a couple of the Benefiber chewables.. I'm supposed to take a Celebrate Iron every other day but haven't started yet becase I really fear the side effects. I have not started Calcium yet, my doc has actually not ever said anything about it. - I am supposed to have 76 g of protein daily. I get it with a Wheyabolic Protein Shake form GNC in chocolate, I have cheese, not doing too well on meats yet but try chicken, ham and hamburger, and some egg. I have only gone a couple days where I protested protein and just gave in to my lack of hunger. - I am getting in 64 plus on non caffeinated, non-carbonated liquids, but there is a bottle of Mt Dew in the kitchen that looks oh so tempting...... - I have just been able to walk a few times a day for about 10 minutes at a time. - My energy level is so so, borderline blah. Sometimes I feel good but others, like today when I showered, I just felt like my arms were going to fall off and it took everything I had to rinse my hair..... Thanks in advance for everyone's input, I'm looking for a great collaboration to refer to at every stage of this journey.

That is a pretty good list. Keep in mind...... The only thing on that list that has effected me is..... weight loss. I like to think that the people who have this surgery don't experience any of that like me and that we are a majority! Nothing else has bothered me at all. But it is good that you are making yourself aware of all the bad stuff...... but in my opinion, that bad stuff wouldn't ever stop me from making the decision to have the surgery a thousand times over again! One bad thing you may want to add. - you will have to throw away or give away all of your clothes on the way down! Good Luck!

I am farther out than you, but I had to take antibiotics about three months out for a sinus infection, my doc said they would be round pills, but when I got them back from the pharmecy, they were capsules. I wasn't going to take them, but tried and I was able to swallow them and got along with them fine. Hope you get through this ok. Mindy

I am just over 3 mos out and I get that "hungry" feeling when I try to stop as well. My doctor wanted me off the zantac but everytime I try I get that feeling. I hope there are no long term side effects of staying on the PPI but I just don't like how I feel when I stop taking it.

So I am 5 weeks out now and had the sleeve. Have done great and getting better everyday, until when I got up today, I didn't know if I was hungry or if I just needed to take a zantac. My tummy wasn't feeling normal. I took the zantac and later had 1/4 of pb and jelly. I actually was feeling hungry or something all day which isn't normal for me now. I haven't been hungry for like 3 weeks. I made supper and told my husband I didn't know if my belly was upset or if I'm just hungry. So I ate a little because I hadn't eaten anything except the pb and j all day. I immediately started feeling all of this pressure in my lower ab area. Pressure like I had to pee or ... real bad. And my back is hurting too, between my shoulder blades and it hurt to even walk around. I laid down for a bit, but that was uncomfortable so I sat on the toilet for like an hour and tried to go but nothing. It started hurting so bad I was crying some. I called the surgeon on call and he thought since it hurt to put pressure on my lower belly that I should go to the hospital and have a scan. Now for the "bad me" part. I listened to the surgeon and my husband took me to the emergency room. None of them had heard of my type of surgery, and they didn't understand when I said that the only pain meds I could have was tylenol because everything else was either not allowed or makes me sick. They questioned this. So they tell me I may have appendicitis (sp) which isn't at all where I feel the pain, it is more in my bladder and lower belly, not to the right or left. They wanted to hook me up to an iv and have me drink 300 cc of the contrast in a half an hour, then wait another couple hours befroe the scan. The doctor told me everything was going to take like 6 hours. I just thgouht OMG, no way possible could I get anywhere near that amount of Fluid down that quick and I can't possibly stay in this ER room for that long without going crazy. So then they tried to do the iv and let me tell ya, I have BEAUTIFUL veins. No one has ever had problems with my veins. This nurse stuck one in a place I've never had one, like right in the side of my arm, and after 15 minutes of trying and me getting so dizzy and nauseas like I was going to pass out, she decided to try someplace else. I stopped her there. I was so discouraged at this point that I said to my husband, maybe I should just sleep on it, take some stuff for constipation and see if that helps. He got furious and asked if I was serious. I wasn't comfortable with the lady doing the iv, I was so dizzy from her doing it, they had never heard of my surgery and I admit I was scared they were going to hurt me because if they hadn't heard of my surgery, how could they possibly know how to treat me properly. I asked my husband if I could leave and he left it up to me and I did. He is so mad at me, and I know I should have stayed but I just couldn't. So I went to cvs and got some Milk of Magnesia to try incase I'm constipated. I haven't ever been constipated so I don't know what it feels like and I had a normal, but small bm yesterday. I know tmi..... sorry. I also don't know what a bladder or urinary track infection feels like. Could anyone enlighten me. Has anyone ever had this type of pressure and pain? I'm hoping it is a simple fix and that I am just constipated or something. I'm hoping to get better without going back to our local hospital. I would just die if I have to go back there.

Yes, I had the VSG. They are doing many these days now that it is as easily accepted as the lap band and RNY by insurance companies. In my nutritional class there was about eight of us that day and 6 were going to be sleeved.

I also went to Barix in Ypsi. My surgeon was Dr Poplawski. LOVE HIM and his staff. They have been there for me every step of the way, they are available to me 24/7 and as To Be Thin said, they only do WLS so they all really know what their doing and they take care of teaching you everything you need to know to be successful and provide you with a nutritionist as well. I also had BCBS and they covered my surgery 100% thankfully but my BMI was alot higher than yours.

Your story touches me, and saddens me also. How lucky you are to have had such a wonderful husband. I too have the most wonderful, supportive husband and I admire the strength and courage it took for you to go through with the surgery as he wished. I hope you are doing well, I'm sure you've got a guardian angel helping you and motivating you along the way.

For while I was in the hospital, my family had stuff like frozen pizza, lunch meat, and soups. I kept that all on hand for after I got home in case I didn't feel like cooking. I really enjoy cooking and ended up cooking dinner on my 4th day after the surgery. I didn't mind at all not being able to eat, but I haven't had any kind of appetite. I've been cooking since. I found it beneficial for me to stay moving around, plus I was absolutely bored out of my mind and had fun with some new recipes because I had the extra time. You will manage just fine. Like everyone has said, cooking ahead and freezing it is a fabulous idea. Plan ahead and you everything will work out!! Best of luck!!!

My surgeon's head nurse called me this morning. I let her know I really think it was constipation, after the milk of magnesia kicked in it was pretty obvious. She let me know, skip the local er and just come there next time and if I start to feel worse to come see them. Although they can't do a scan they could evaluate me and forward me on to a hospital close that would understand what i've been through. It's only a little over an hour away but worth it for the peace of mind since I'm so scared of people hurting me. My arm is very painful today where the er nurse failed to get the iv in. Horrible, ugly bruise. I am feeling better today. The pressure I was feeling is going away a little more with every bm, just still in a little pain, probably from being so backed up but the pain I was feeling in my back is gone. Temperature is good and I have done that skin test to see if I'm dehydrated and I think I'm ok there. I'm back on liquids for awhile, which is fine for me, and she wants me to make sure I am introducing more Fiber regularly, but to make sure I'm drinking plenty because even the benefiber can constipate me if I'm drinking enough with it. I know looking back at what I did was foolish of me for leaving and I just should've let them get the scan done, but I just was so uncomfortable and really scared for some reason. I was only eating about half a piece of bread with my pb and j and had actually only done that for a couple days. I started noticing as I increased my Protein through foods, which cheese is my go to food, that I was becoming less regular. So I'm thinking too much cheese.... But I will remember that about the bread. Thank you for everyone's feedback. I really appreciate it.

I was able to take the round tylenol pm tablets whole. I could feel them going down, but thankfully they did. My doctor said if I had to cut them to take the pieces five minutes apart.

It sounds like I don't have the bladder or urinary track infection. It doesn't hurt to pee at all, just a lot of pressure there. I could be dehydrated. I stopped measuring thinking I was doing good just drinking as I needed to and getting the 64 in, but I'm probalby not, and definately haven't today. Thank you for your words of wisdom so far!

I also had this problem right after surgery for a week or so. I was only sleeping for like 3 hours. I tried benedryl because it was on the ok list but that didn't even phase me. So I called my clinic and they told me I was able to take tylenol pm. It was normal for some people to sleep tons after surgery or very little at all. After taking the tylenol pm, I was able to start sleeping normal again and feeling better and better everyday. Good luck and sweet dreams!!!

I will look into that. My clinic that I had the surgery doesn't have the ability to do the scan, or I definately would've driven there to get it done.

Wow Kurt, that is awesome that you are at goal in just 10 months. Very motivating!!!

Thanks for the responses so far. Hopefully they will keep on coming!

I am so sick of protein, yesterday I went on strike. I just couldn't bear the thought of drinking or eating any form of protein, or anything else for that matter. I know it is bad, so I started early today and am very un-happily and slowly, because I guess it is my punishment, drinking 60 of my 76 required g of protein. I can't physically eat enough yet to meet the protein goals so I'm drinking my protein like medicine. Yuck Yuck Yuck. It is such a catch 22. I love that I have lost a lot of weight so far but omg I so wish it was ok to just drink water and take vitamins. I'd be great then.

I have read from a lot of people who do not feel much restriction that they are drinking during their meal. Could this be a possibility? I am also 3 weeks out, and I can get all my fluids and Protein in but still mostly through liquids. When it comes to soft foods, I'm only able to get in about 2 teaspoons and I'm done. I follow the guidelines of not drinking 5 min before and 30 minutes after very closely, but i have sipped if I needed to get something down. I wouldn't worry too much about the two pound bounce on the scale. It could be a number of things from your body retaining some Water, to weighing yourself at different times of the day. I would just stick to the guidelines that your surgeon gave you, measure out all your food and keep track of it, try not to eat until you are full, just the amount you are allowed which is about 1/2 to 3/4 cup from my nutritionist. If you keep a log, you will be able to review it with your Dr and they may be able to help you out further. Let us know how you continue to progress.

I was three nights. They wouldn't let me go until I was able to keep fluids down. 2 nights is the norm at the hospital I was at.

I only told my husband. Not even my step children know and they live with us. They just thought I went back home for a few days and I've managed to fool them for the past three weeks. I told my work I would be on vacation, and left it at that. It is possible to not tell anyone if you really plan ahead and have everything you need, but for me it has been wonderful to have at least my husband and his support. I knew I would keep it personal because I didn't want any negativity about my losing weight and how I was doing it. Everyone had known I was starting a new healthy lifestyle at New Years so I set them up for it. Good luck with your decision, and know that if you need support, this forum is great for it!