kids05

I am trying to be patient, it's really hard. The fact that I can't keep any Protein...shake, unflavored powder, Isopure smoothie or isopure drink in me...for more than 20 minutes anyway, is freakin me out! If I dehydrate, I'll be back in the hospital. Work, lets not even talk about that, they're gonna be ticked if I'm not back Monday! I'm afrais I'll lose my job! bleep @#*! This has been a really tough week and a half! Glad to hear your appt went well.

Why, oh why, don't I proof read?? That was ANY protein shake, drink, smoothie or unflavored powder.

friend of mine said chili with chicken then pureed was awesome...someday I'll get there. This is getting depressing, I should be starting my mushies too. pout

Well, like I said there really is a narrowing...a squish...lol. Everything just trickles through there...if its a clear. Shakes, pudding and yogurt are a little thicker so they dont trickle as well. I'm waiting...hoping....its post op swelling (fingers crossed) not a stricture. I'm in wait and see mode....

I tried sleepin in bed on my side day 3 and it was so QUIET not being in the hospital, that I think my brain & body went with it. I propped a pillow under my belly, and had my fiance shove one behind me so I didn't lean back...needed support. It worked! Day 7 post-op was when I decided we were 'going for it' I would say make sure you're smart with position, obviously he can't be on your belly...giddy up! wink wink.

mine hurt a bit coming out but only for a minute...having it out...SO WORTH IT!

Congratulations! Enjoy the new clothes, I cannot wait to shop!

I thought no pills...thats my MD's motto. Everything is liquid and chewable. I was allergic to morphine, nausea and headache...allergic to dilaudid, itching and same with the liquid lortab. Luckily I went and grabbed a childrens liquid tylenol (well, store brand) to have in case I needed it. I used it once for a headache...other than that I felt better being off meds. There is even centrum liquid multi vitamin. I never knew all this! Good luck and feel better!

The pain at the largest incision, near you belly button? I know thats the one that hurts me the most, but I was an OR nurse. Its the site where they use a subcutaneous vicryl (dissolving stitch) to bring together the fascia. I have found if you walk push in on it. It should help...its the pressure and sweeling of your belly pushing on the site probably. I have 7 incisions and the drain hole KILLED till the drain was out, but I think that was the stitch pulling. I cringed when I saw staples. I think staples in incisions are lazy and mean! Its quick to close but everyone in that OR knows it hurts more. Sorry you have them. I asked my doc before surgery to stitch and he said he always does...whew! Your belly does look great though, mine is all lumpy and bumpy and swollen! Feel better soon!

I am 8 days post op and cannot tolerate lots. I was back to Clear liquids because the middle of my sleeve is squished. Well, it felt so much better I tried...well, I was bad and tried cottage cheese. Small curd and smooshed the tiniest bites up before I swallowed...wooohooo, it went down ok and I'm feeling good! But I had to sip Water while I was eating it because I was afraid it was too solid...it was fine. I don't want to 'stretch my sleeve' but I had to sip some water. Today I am getting the water in fine, plain water seems to go down best. Protein water...much slower, even crystal light takes loner than water (but less than a protein water) Funny huh? Maybe because of the flavors? Play with your fluids and find what slides down best and sip like a crazy gal! I'm supposed to have 3 Protein shakes a day (8oz) each between each meal...but I cannot! TOO FILLING! I did one 8oz Protein shake with almond milk and added a scoop of flavorless protein...BAM 48grams of protein, then that lil 4 oz cottage cheese was 11 grams of protein! 59 grams of my daily 60 right there! So do I really need 3 protein shakes??? I'm thinking no. I'll sip the protein water to get in a little more (we can use minimum 60 but up to 80 grams a day) I don't know if this is right, please all you pros out there let me know if I'm making mistakes....but this is how I am surviving at this point! Good luck. ps...all it took was the threat of going back to jail...I mean the HOSPITAL for IV fluids if I dehydrated...to get me sipping like a crazy woman!! Some days its exhausting, others ok!

I drove today too! Surgery was 4/12! Driving was ok, but I drove to my doc appt in the professional building at the hospital where I had surgery. LONG WALK!!! Had to park on the flippin roof! That was way more than I had bargined on! 1 1/2 hour nap when I go home, I was whooped! LOL...it was nice to ride alone...music all mine, no noise..oh and out of the house! Yippie! Congrats to you too!

Happy Birthday and you did fantastic! Great Job!

ok..this is amazing advice I got in the Hospital by a PA. Don't use a pillow...too soft! Use a book! I am a nurse, he asked me if I had a PDR, yes I do...he said use that! Press a big old book HARD into your belly, you won't hurt yourself and then..cough and get it out! I'm 1 week post op so he wants a few big deep coughs a day! Hard...like one day my laptop, one day the cutting board I was near...work sooo much better! I have spent my nursing career telling people to hug a pillow...a book is so much better! Good Luck!

Thanks Mel...just saw your reply. I do not have a leak...but the middle of my sleeve is squished! I swallowed the gastrograph and watched (I knew the radiologist and he let me get in a position I could see) as I swallowed...emptied into the sleeve then pooled up...drizzled through the center...then pooled up again to empty into the small intestine. Cool to watch and LIKE I SAID TO EVERYONE FROM DAY 2....something wasn't right!!!!! GRRRRRR! Now the doc isn't calling it a stricture yet...we are calling it post op swelling that may take a little longer to go down...??! Sigh.....back to clears and suck it up was my answer I suppose. Oh and I was soo incredibily SICK after the procedure, I can only imagine this was what dumping feels like. As soon as I changed my skin got ice cold, I broke out in a sweat all over, pulse racing, dizzy and sooo nauseaous! A passer by got a wheel chair and they got me to my surgeons office when I got to the bathroom and began vomiting. Minutes later began diarrhea that lasted all through yesterday as well. Now I have have a new isse. Dehydration. I have never pinched my hands so much! LOL...its actually amazing to me that these are my hands, the skin just stays pinched, so yeasterday began the fight to stay out of the hospital for iv fluids...sip, sip, sip, sip.....all I am doing! I see the doc at 10....wish me luck!

PS...he pulled the drain! OUCH, stung like a bleep bleep bleep as it pulled through the fascia! Woah....glad I didn't attempt that one! LOLOL

I suppose there could be a fraction of truth in that statement, but just a fraction...and I WOULD smack my doc for that (and he knows it...lol) Anyway, I wen in for an upper GI...the middle of my sleeve is squished! I watched the upper gi...it went into my sleeve, pooled up....drizzled through the middle and pooled up at the bottom again till it emptied into my small intestine, GRRRR! Doc said it might just be swelling, not calling it a stricture yet, even if it was...too soon to treat. Nothing we can do about it with such a fresh staple line (sleeved 4/12) So clear fluids only. CLEAR FLUIDS ONLY TILL WHEN I ASK??????? His reply, talk to me Wednesday when you come in for your 1 week post-op appt. Well kids...today is wednesday...he better have some answers for this chica! I'm very unhappy being knocked to just clear this far out! I was knocking on the door to mushy heaven!!! So not fair!

Honestly, I am a nurse. If it's new, call the doctor. You can never go wrong, running it by your doc. You don't want to let anything...any change...go post-op. CALL! Good Luck!

wow, wha happened to my letters, should be, **you said joint pain...do you take....

I was denied because my BMI was 'only' 40 and I had no major comorbidities. I was at high risk for Type II Diabetes, borderline HBP, borderline OSA, what nailed it for me is that due to back pain I take CELEBREX every day, sometimes motrin or aleve. You CANNOT take NSAIDS with other procedures...so the one thing I had precluded other weight loss surgeries! ou sai joint pain...do you take any anti inflammatories??? Maybe that will ramp up your next appeal??? Good Luck!

Thank you...I need them, now if I can just stay calm till 1:45pm...ugh.

I have been in contact with my surgeon since this began friday night and we have been monitoring it. I have to go back to have an upper Gi today to check for a leak (he said the shoulder symptoms are probably the drain irritating the diaphram and that would explain the pain on inspiration) I just was FLOORED when I took two sips of the shake and could literally feel my pulse in my back! I felt lousey after drinking tea last night for hours but attributed that to it being the first time I had tried warm tea...but I am now wishing I had payed attention to my pulse then...I woozy, not dizzy, slightly nauseaous, not horrble nausea like post op...and confused and scared. I felt great when I got up this morning...now this??? Its just not fair.

Hi. Well I had a convo with the doc last night. The shoulder pain I have developed had me really scared. It hurts when I inhale...like from a 0 to a 7 or 8 pain level in one breath. It sucks, that with having had the hiccups (which can be a sign of a leak) I was just worried. He said it could be a leak or it could be the drain irritating my diaphram causing the pain. I am supposed to take it easy and wait for his call. Now my drain is clogged...ugh. Since he is supposed to call me today to see how the pain is, I have been waiting, but I'm getting nervous he's gonna wait till later to call and then say I have to go to the hospital. I just can't win...grrrr. I'm a nurse, can't I just pull this stupid drain myself??? As for drinking, today I drank a 16oz protein drink that had 32g of protein in it. I ate 4oz of yogurt, that was @ 15 grams of protein (only because I added some flavorless protein powder to it) and like 6 oz of water. I feel like all I do is think about 'eating' and drinking...isn't that what I was doing before...lol??? As for this being a dim memory...wow, that cannot happen soon enough!

Hi! I was sleeved on Tuesday and I am in no way feeling normal. Actually tonight were the first tears. The pain in my left shoulder is so severe when I inhale, that I am actually taking pain meds again. I was considering calling the doc it hurts so much. I hadn't taken any pain meds since Thursday morning. I am sick of liquids already and want something to CHEW...like chicken or veggies. UGH. I have slept in bed since I got home from the hospital on my side (I too am a side sleeper) I found if I wedge a pillow behind me to keep me from rolling and one tucked under my belly I'm ok, but I do seem to wake up on my back. My only issue when I am on my back in bed is that I tend to cough (ohhhh baby that hurts!) I to would like a normal date...lol. Unfortunately I HAVE to return to work on Wednesday...only one week after my surgery, eek. They wouldn't give me anymore time, so I'm stuck. Will I feel normal by then???

I had my surgery on Tuesday as well. I was incredibily nauseous when I came out of surgery then I met the devil himself...his name is HICCUP! I kept getting the hiccups...it was awful. Now I am home and I feel better, hiccups seem to be less but my belly!!!! Its so swollen and lumpy!!! Is that normal!? Its bigger now for goodness sake. I got my pants on to come home but the tshirt was embarassingly snug (the drain looked like an extra lovely little bulge as well...lol) How do you know when you feel full? I just don't know. When my stomach gets all gurgly I stop...thats what it does after a few sips...churn & gurgle. Is this normal or could something be wrong? I am just a bit worried but feel pretty good so...??? Could you all please let me know how you feel when you drink? I was on clear fluids for a day then on to full fluids. I have had Protein juice today some yogurt and some broth...but I want to do this right so please help! I never saw a nutritionist before surgery just a nutrition doc that cleared me but didn't discuss diet at al, I just want to stay on the right track. Let me know asap! Thank you sooooo much. Best New Diet Product Phentramin-d at Weight Loss Center

Today is the day! Surgery is at NOON! I am terrified and completely excited at the same time. My emotions are all over the place! OMG...what am I doing mixed with OMG, I can't wait to be skinny! Join our Weight Loss Forum Community Today!