suez1105

I am three weeks out as well and on mushies. It amazes me how little I can eat now. I know with time, everyone's sleeve stretches a little which means now I can only eat a few bites, but down the road I heard I will be able to eat about a cup to a cup and a half at one meal. I know people on here who can eat 1 slice of pizza. I will be totally happy with that, I could eat at least 3 - 4 slices of pizza pre-op. You are going to lose weight on this. I do get hungry sometimes, but I am still amazed by how little it takes to fill me up. This isn't just a physical change, it's a mental change too. I am just going to have to keep reminding myself that I don't want to stretch my sleeve and I think that will be enough for me. Good luck and don't stress about it too much. I know I am early out, and things can change down the line, but right now I feel I made the right decision.

I had heartburn alot and I contribute most of it to being overweight. When I was thinner, I never had it. I was sleeved Sept 19 and just this past week as I moved to mushies, I started noticing it coming back. I didn't have it for the first 2 weeks after surgery. I started taking prilosec once a day and when that didn't work I started taking it twice a day. That didn't stop it either, so I called my doctor and he told me to double it and take two prilosecs in the AM and two at night. So far so good. There are a lot of stong prescription acid blockers and reducers that you can get to help and honestly, I am curious to see what happens when I get thinner, maybe it will go away on it's own. If not, I will just stick with what the doctor prescribes and if that doesn't help, well, the good news is I can always revert to the RNY. I have heard of a lot of people having trouble at first but then it goes away after awhile. I guess you won't know until after the fact. Wish I could give you better advice, lol. Good luck!

I too advanced my diet each week a couple of days early. The end of my first week, I almost passed out in the shower. My dad made me some strained bean with bacon soup made with milk. It was the best thing I had ever eaten then. It really helped and I felt soo much better. I only had to do clear liquids for 1 week then I could go to full liquids for the next week and then mushies for the third then regular food the fourth. I honestly felt better and I am glad I moved on earlier and I am fine and leak free as far as I know. Good luck.

I had them too and it was awful. Mine lasted about two weeks. I never thought it would stop but it did. Hang in there, it will pass. I was sleeved on the 19th and am finally now starting to feel a little more normal. I was pretty miserable the first couple weeks and this past week I started feeling like I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It was funny, I was just kinda hitting my breaking point and then all of a sudden it just got better. It's weird, I am on mushies and have been eating what I have been making my family for dinner(only with a lot of gravy mixed in to make it moist). I get that stuffed feeling only after a couple of bites and it's a great feeling! I now feel like it was worth it, but I was seriously having second thoughts there the first couple weeks. Good luck it will get better.

I just ran into the kitchen to make these!! They are in the freezer cuz I want mine slightly frozen!! I can't wait!!

Favoredone, glad to hear that it works for you. Like I said it has been awhile at least six years or so since my first consult and I am glad things have improved. I will have to tell my one friend who was asking about it a couple of years ago. By the way, aren't you just thrilled with the results? Best money I ever spent!!

Now I pay $100.00 each time I go for my entire chin, neck and sides of my face. I am in the maintenance period now so I only need to go once a year or twice a year. When I first started going, my lady charged me $200.00 for the first 3 visits and you do it 6 weeks apart for the first 3 times. After that it was $100.00 and I think I went every few months after that and then it slows down. For my lip it is only $100.00 every time I go regadless of how many times I need to see her for it. You need to go every six weeks for the first few times, because this is how the cycle of hair grows. It is really expensive to run the machine, that is why it's a little pricey. Like I said shop around, some of the Laser centers you hear about on commercials can be pretty expensive, but you also want to go to someone reputable. I wouldn't say it hurts, it's a little uncomfortable at first and of course can be more sensitive in areas. My lip hurts a lot more than my face/chin does. I think it stings, people reference it to lightly snapping a rubberband on yourself. Afterwards, the area feels a little warm which reminds me of a light sunburn, but I go home and put a cold washcloth on my face and it goes away within an hour or so. Let me tell you, my hair was pretty bad, I was plucking everyday and waxing every week and bleaching whenever I could. My face around my chin was so broken out from the irritation it was horrible. This is the single best thing I did for myself and I advocate for anyone who has this problem to try it. I had done electrolysis, didn't do a thing for me. After my first laser treatment, it was a huge difference and I cried because I was so happy. For the first time in my life, I wasn't embarrassed to have my husband caress my face. I mean in just one treatment, the hair was completely gone for a few weeks until the next cycle started to grow in. I tell everyone who will listen that I would do it again in a second. Yes it was a little pricey and when I first started getting it done, my husband and I were struggling to get by, but I skipped eating out lunch at work, stopped getting my nails done and cut corners as much as possible because I deserved it. I suffered with the embarrassement for so long and it feels so good to be mostly hair free. Also, one other thing, they say it works best on people with fair skin and dark hair. Something about the pigment of the skin and the laser. So unfortunatley African American people they say it doesn't work as well, but then again, it has been a few years since I got the whole shpiel so that may have changed. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me and again, if anyone is near to Philly I can set you up with my girl, she is fantastic!

I am right there with you my friend. I just called my doctor again asking for him to call me in a Rx for something stronger. I am suffering as well and it started right at the 2 week mark as well. I am really hoping he calls me something in and that is works for me cuz if I have to live with this for the rest of my life it would really suck! Good luck to you and talk to your doctor about calling something else in stronger for you. Acid delays the healing and I know how painful it is the first few hours after I wake up with it, everything hurst going down, that can't be good for us.

Have any of you tried laser hair removal? Let me tell you, it has done wonders for me! I was just sleeved on 9/19 so I can't tell you if losing weight will help with it, I do know that I always had a hair problem, ever since I was young and I was thin back then. I would say if losing weight doesn't help with it, please look into the laser. For the first time in my life I don't have any on my face. I go for a clean up once a year now and I feel normal for the first time in forever. It can be pretty pricey so shop around, and if anyone lives near Philly, I can set you up with my gal, she is awesome and reasonable I think!! Good luck!

Everyone's diet is different post-op, but just wondering what anyone else's is like. Mine is 1 week of Clear liquids, 1 week of full liquids, 1 week of mushies and then I can start to introduce reg food. Thanks!

I am 10 days post op, can you have orange juice if it's watered down? I cannot stand another sip of crystal light or plain Water or water with lemon. Running out of choices here. Thanks!

Is Prilosec the best stuff to use? Or do you recommend something else?

Thanks, I saw my surgeon on Monday and told him about it. He said that side would hurt because it's where he removed my stomach from. Thank you for taking the time to post about my health though, I really appreciate it! Also, I am 10 days out and feeling more miserable today. I am totally exhausted. I am def not getting all my Protein in, I made an awesome shake Tuesday morning with skim milk, vanilla whey and a tiny bit of Peanut Butter and it kinda made me feel sick all day! My NUT said to use lactaid, so I am getting some today and hoping that sits better with me. The shake was absolutely devine, it tasted like a vanilla peanutbutter milkshake, but I was so disappointed when it made me sick all day.

Does groung meat count as a mushie if it's most and done really fine? I am starving and only three days out so I am really looking forward to week three. I want taco meat with lost of guacamole and refried beans and cheese. I can't wait!!

I think since you are starting back on regular foods at four weeks out, your body is holding on to everything. It feels traumatized because for the first three weeks it was hardly getting anything and your body was starving. Now it's holding onto everything incase you go back to starving it again. Since you are back to eating normal again and will continue to do so your body will start dropping pounds because it realizes you aren't going to starve it again. Good luck and I am sure you will see some weight loss soon.

How about the melted cheese off a slice of pizza? Is that considered a mushie? I don't like cheese except the cheese off of pizza and melted cheese on the pintos and cheese from taco bell. Can I eat that? Also has anyone tried anything slightly spicey? I am worried about that but I like crushed hot peppers in my tuna salad which I can't wait to have next week but worried how my stomach may react. I mean I can eat it without just wondering if it's too early to have spicy foods?

I am three days post op and can't stand any of the Protein powders I have now. My dad has regular whey protein but it has soy and milk products in it. If I mix them with Water can I drink that? It has milk so I am not sure I am allowed I thought we had to stay away from milk for the first week. Also my stomach is growling n I am starving. Is this normal???

I too find that cold makes it worse but I am freakin starving!! Not that I want to eat a burger but I would love an atkins shake and some sugar free pudding right about now!! The water is going right thru me but I can't stomach the protein I have. Do you think it would be bad if I tried my atkins shake early?

So it's ok in my first week to have a protein powder that has milk and soy in it as long as I mix it with water right??

I thought everything had to be clear the first week? I am three days out and miserable as well. I can't stomach any of the protein I have so it's just been water, ice pops, and crystal light. I am starving I guess from lack of protein, but I was not prepared for this as well. I read soo many people on here saying it was hard but noone said it was this bad. I am having pain in my stomach everytime I drink n I think I am having stomach spasms. Also I am having pain only on my right upper abdomen but it's not close to where any incisions are. I mean it hurts especially when I move but it's not terrible but is this normal?

I hate the way a lot of people are so supportive of drug addicts and alchoholics yet can't find any support for obese people. Although, if you have never had to deal with a weight problem, why would they ever understand?? food addiction is very real and a constant battle, thing is, I can watch some of my skinny friends eat and eat and eat way more then me and sit around like slugs yet not gain a pound. Obesity is not about being lazy or eating too much, sometimes it is genetics, I don't care what anyone says. I mean why is it a lot of people can drink alchohol normally and in moderation while others turn into alchoholics? There is something a lot deeper here than just over eating or over drinking. My mom's whole side of the family were/are obese, all of us have battled diet after diet after diet, for some it just doesn't work, that is where WLS comes in. I feel no shame in getting it if it is going to give me what I want! In fact, you can poo poo me all you want, I will be the one laughing all the way when I am wearing a bikini next year on the beach living life to it's fullest for the first time in years. People are mean, some do it just because they are hard hearted, some do it because they are jealous. Oh well, that's their problem not yours. In fact, let's be honest, by us getting weight loss surgery, it def opens up the gates for other overweight people who may be contimplating WLS. I know for me, I only knew one person who had it done, and I really didn't talk to her at the time. When I started a new job at a hospital, I was suprised by how many nurses and techs and secretaries had it done. Then you start to think, hey that could be me, and hence my journey into WLS/. I would never force WLS on anyone, but I will freely talk about and advocate for it from now on. I have my surgery tomorrow, so I am a little premature lol, but if I can help just one person who is too scared or too shy to check into it then it will all be worth it. I don't care what anyone else thinks, asking for help or looking to interventions to give you what you want in life should not be something that is looked down at. I guess all those skinny people who get a kick out of picking on the obese will have to go turn their attentions somewhere else, I feel they do it to build up their pathetic lives and you know the old saying that misery loves company. I really wish my BFF would get it. She was always overweight, always. When I told her I was getting it done she wasn't really supportive, but she knows I wouldn't care anyway. She said she could do it on her own, she just has to get back to the gym. I of course keep my mouth shut, no offense to her, but she has never been able to lose more than 30 pounds and she probably has a good 80 or 90 to lose and she is one of those people that is not happy with herself and constantly wants to be skinny. I am hoping to be an inspiration to her too. Good luck to all of us and let's not try to let our haters and unsupporters get us down!

Congrats, my surgery is tomorrow as well. I am starting to freak and of course second guessing myself. I was laughing with some of my co-workers here today saying that my husband is probably going to have to drag me to the hospital tomorrow, lol cuz I am so nervous. I am definately going thru with it, just getting there tomorrow is going to be the hardest part. This is something I have to do, I will not back out. I don't know if I am the only one here who is like this, but I have been obsessed with being skinny my whole life. My brother is obese, my mom was heavy as is her brother and both her parents are obese. I was average growing up, but always battled those pesky 20 pounds. I was really active thank god so I know that is what helped me stay a normal weight. I graduated high school and boom it all came flooding on. When you are overweight, I would always think about the life I would have or could have when I would finally get skinny. Every show or commerical on tv that had women on it I longed to be like them. At night while laying in bed waiting to fall asleep, I would close my eyes and daydream about different scenarios of myself...if I were thin. I would think about the handsome doctor I would meet someday, because I was thin and beautiful, or the awesome outfit I would buy because I was thin and the man I would meet while wearing said outfit, you know? I can't think of anything else I want more, so while I am freaking already about tomorrow, I am terribly excited about regaining my life. Good luck and prayers for you tomorrow, I will be looking forward to hearing how it all went and have some support from somone who know's what I am going through. see you on the loser's bench!!

Ok, I get my surgery this Monday, 9/19. I am worried about the whole sipping thing and not getting enough water in. This is the part that I fear the most, can someone tell me or try and describe how much you are able to drink right after? Can you tell me how do you know if you are drinking too much or not enough? How much should you drink in an hour? What size sips do you take? I don't want to dehydrate, I am really worried about this. Thanks so much!

I too feel the pain of all of these things. I am soo happy I am getting sleeved on Monday, 9/19. It too was a long process. I went to one surgeon for a consult for lapband, they don't do the sleeve there. A friend I work with told me about her friend and gave me the name of the surgeon she went to. In the meantime, I went to my PCP to start my 6month supervised diet, because the original surgeon I saw told me this was a requirement from Aetna. I went and met with my now surgeon, he told me which pre-op stuff I needed to get done and I banged them all out. I had to see a pulmonologist, nutritionist 3x, psych eval and an upper GI for the sleeve. In between I was going every month to be weighed by my PCP and we talked about diet and nurtition. The hoop jumping is finally over and I now have my surgery date, yay. I started this in Feb, and I never thought it would get here, but looking back it really didn't feel as long as it was. You are kept busy with your appointments, you start thinking about what you are going to look like afterwards, you start thinking about all the things you are going to be able to do after surgery and it flies by. I found out through my surgeon that Aetna has 2 different plans I could have followed, I could have done the 6month supervised weight loss plan, or I could have done the 3 month pre-surgical prepartory program. I was already 3 months into my 6 month diet when I met him, but since I had to meet the nutritionist 3x, and hadn't done it, I had to stick with the 6month plan even though my surgeon considered it the 3 month surgical prep program. Call your plan and ask what the requirement is, do they require the 6month plan, or is theirs only 3? Once you know that go see your PCP and have them document that you are interested in weight loss surgery, but is starting a supervised diet with your doc. Make sure you go every month to get weighed. Then call your surgeon and find out what tests he wants you to do , and start making the appointments. Also ask your surgeon if they have a nurtitionist at their office for you to see, if not call your insurance company and ask them to recommend someone in your network. Also, on Aetna's website it said on there about me having to participate in an exercise program, I didn't do that. I mean I exercised at home on my eliptical and walked, but I didn't join a gym, I didn't have the extra money at the time because my husband was out of work. I don't know if that was an old requirement or I just got by because I also made my PCP document that I was working out at home. Good luck, I promise that all the hoop jumping will be worth it in the end. don't let your insurance company discourage you, I swear sometimes I think they make is harder for us so we give up and they don't have to pay for the surgery.

My doctor doesn't require any pre-op diet except for the day before I have to be on Clear liquids. That is why I think the whole 2 week liver shrinking thing is bull malarky, if it were really true I would think we would all be required to do it. Anyway, good luck to you too on Monday, PM me so we can chat after our surgeries!!