Foxbins

I figure if I'm eating them, my body's going to use them so I count them. That's why I gave up the Calcet chewy bites and use Reviva liquid--I'm saving 20 gms of carbs a day.

$8750 for me as well in Jan 2011; plus about $150 for my RT flight (I am in California) and $15 for last meal and margarita. I tipped Ernesto $20. The restaurant meal can be put on a credit card and the pharmacies take credit cards as well if you want to buy your Nexxium there. I didn't, I have a good drug benefit with my insurance. I already had a passport.

I do a lot of hiking and I have a Camelbak. It holds 72 oz. and aside from the weight of the water is very light. I have worn it to amusement parks, national parks, and long walks around my house, and at the gym. It really works. Hope you are feeling better today.

Putting a heating pad under my left shoulder helped me; also liquid Tylenol if your doc didn't send you home with pain meds. It goes away a little at a time, I was still achy at five and six days from surgery but the first 4 were the worst.

What's the total box weight and how many legs are in it? I'd figure out how much from those. I wouldn't eat more than 2 without a scale.

My surgeon says 600-800 calories during the losing stage. I can't imagine eating 1200-1400 calories a day and losing-I certainly didn't when I was dieting. I've always had to be under 1000, which was why I always regained from a diet. Now I'm fine below 800 until I reach goal.

You need a "complete" mulivitamin. Flintstones "complete" are okay, Centrum chewables are okay, or pick up a bottle of something "complete" at any store and then compare to the house brand. Here in CA I found "Spectravites" at Walgreen's to be the same as Centrum but cost about half as much. You need to take 1200 mg of calcium citrate. Citrate is needed because calcium carbonate is poorly absorbed anyway and is even more poorly absorbed in a less-acid environment like our stomachs after surgery. This is the Citracal brand of pills, not chewables. You may need to pay $$ for a chewable calcium citrate from a bariatric website initially--I have not found a reasonably priced chewable citrate in drugstores. Citracal petites are smaller pills that you can swallow at about 8 weeks out. Whole Foods carries a calcium citrate liquid for about $10 and costco used to but I haven't seen it there lately. You must take a sublingual B-12 because the part of the stomach that manufactures "intrinsic factor" which is used to absorb B-12 is gone after surgery. I am taking a 2500 mcg dose twice weekly and my B-12 levels are great. If you still have periods, you probably need to take supplemental Iron. Iron should be taken with Vitamin C to increase absorption. Vitalady sells "tender" iron, it is in the form of carbonyl iron which may have fewer intestinal side effects than the ferrous gluconate form found in most iron supplements. You can find carbonyl iron formulations at drugstores and health food stores or you could try the ferrous gluconate. I take the carbonyl, 60 mg/day, with 400 mg of Vitamin C at the same time. For maximum absorption, you cannot take calcium and iron at the same time. Separate them by 2 hours.

For liquids, I had tomato soup with plain yogurt stirred in, chicken broth, protein shakes, plus pretty much anything I could whizz in a blender and thin out to the consistency of a thick liquid. I could only get one or two tablespoons down at first. I had trouble getting in my water, too, my urine was dark for ages but I forced myself to drink so I wouldn't end up in the ER with dehydration and you must drink more than 6 oz. in a day. Sip, sip, sip, and walk, walk, walk, use your spirometer and take big deep breaths so you expand your lungs and don't get pneumonia. If your surgeon gave you a drain you would know it, so if he/she didn't (some don't) that is one less annoying thing to deal with. I did not have much pain but I slept most of the first week when I wasn't walking or drinking something. Day by day you will feel better and in a few months, you'll feel and look great.

Look at my ticker! I am 56, post-menopausal, and have hypothyroidism. If the sleeve works for me it can work for anyone and really, it was easier to follow my surgeon's guidelines than any diet I've ever been on because I am one of the lucky ones who lost my hunger. Read LilMissDiva's posts, and Oregondaisy, and Tiffykins. All have lost huge amounts of weight and are active here in the forums. There are lots of success stories.

No nausea, no vomiting, no real pain, but the first night after surgery my mouth was SO dry. Like desert dry, drought dry, Sahara dry. I rang for the nurse and they speeded up the IV drip and I felt lots better until the next day when I could have some liquid.

Vacaville worked out well for me and FeedYourEye. Is anyone from there? We had a snack at a bakery on Main Street that was quite nice, but I'll defer to a Vacaville native (if there is one) for a meeting spot. Can't do August 6 or 13 but the last 2 Saturdays I'm free.

I slept in my bed even though I have a recliner. The bed was fine as long as I took my time getting in and out.

My surgeon said it depended on your BMI; over 40 he recommended a pre-op diet to shrink the liver, but as I was 35+ I didn't have to do it.

I'm guessing an umbilical, inguinal, or incisional hernia since you didn't say and I expect a hiatal hernia would have been fixed during your surgery.

Pho broth was what got me through clear liquids. I think I drank it 5 out of the first 7 post-op days. I was so sick of sweet liquids! Thanks for helping me remember--I should go get some this weekend.

Oh, good heavens, NO! This is one of the reasons I don't care for blogs that don't attribute odd requirements to the persons who require them. It just scares folks.

How funny that you posted this! I used to sneeze when eating before my sleeve but now I don't! I wonder why??

Will the Davis Clinic see you? They do bariatrics exclusively. If they won't, ask if there is someone they could refer you to.

Try another PPI; sometimes another works when one doesn't, even thought they are all chemically related. You can try Prilosec (generic is omeprazole) or Protonix (generic is pantoprazole). You might also try adding an H2 blocker like Tagamet, Pepcid, or Zantac if you're at the max dose of PPI and still have acid.

Foods that "slide" right down because they chew down to nothing, don't make you feel full like dense Protein does, and spike insulin levels so that you feel hungry again shortly after eating them.

I had my surgery three weeks after I decided to have a VSG and contacted Dr. Aceves' office. Didn't need financing so that was not a factor for me.

I'd say you're done. I had gas distension in my abdomen (I looked pregnant) for about 2 weeks after surgery and an achey neck and shoulder for about the same time. Thankfully, I never had any intestinal issues.

What type of surgery did you have? I had a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and a Hiatal Hernia repair What was the reason you had the surgery/ Obesity What was your chief complaint that resulted in the surgery? Obesity How long were you suffering from the chief complaint? All my life, but particularly the last 15 years excess weight was more difficult to lose with diet and exercise Was the surgery elective or medically necessary? Elective What treatments or diagnostic tests were done prior to surgery/ Blood chemistries, urinalysis, EKG, chest X-ray Were there any preoperative instructions? No food/drink after 10 pm Were there any preoperative issues or complaints? No What was the outcome of the surgery? Weight loss of more than 62 lbs in six months Was there a post operative visit? If so, how long post op? Post op labs were done at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months by PCP, not surgeon Were there any post operative complications/ None Was there any additional follow-up that has or will take place? Labs every three months until month 12; then yearly if everything is okay.

What kind of carbs? Bread, sugar, crackers, potatoes? or Broccoli, cucumber, cantelope? I adhere to my surgeon's rule of "protein first" and I can fit in a bite or two of healthy carbs. I avoid "white" carbs totally. If you don't and can eat a lot of them, they may be slider foods for you.

What Khy said. My dosage has remained the same so far but my PCP is doing TSH every three months. She expects I will need a dosage reduction eventually.