PdxMan

Uh ... I don't know about being all up in your threads (I assume that is what you're talking about). I look at the recent threads on the right side of the webpage. I have many small intervals in my work day, so I come on here and see if I am able to share my experience, strength and hope. There are many folks on here who truly struggle with this journey who are not looking to validate poor behaviors, but rather looking to make a change in their lives. That was my case when I was new. I wasn't looking for the loopholes, but to make a change. The folks here helped me tremendously. Sometimes it was through tough-love, which is what I needed. I hope you find what you are needing here. Just know, it may not be necessarily what you want. There is a difference.

Oh, before this thread blows up, let's remind ourselves about THIS.

Instead of the PCP, if your insurance allows, make an appointment with the urologist.

Sometimes posts can be interpreted as being negative, but really are meant to be supportive. Soooo many people come on here looking to validate behaviors they know they shouldn't be doing. Then, when they don't get the answer they want, they get upset. There is an old saying, "People ask advice when they know the answer, but don't like it." ... and another, "Advice after mischief is like medicine after death." I recall a torrential thread about 15 months ago from someone who was a week post op and was asking what they could order at Dairy Queen. The thread blew up. Really? If someone posts something like this, it is just hard to sit back and watch them. I still get sad when I drive past car accidents.

I love NO NO cat. I've been watching that video for years and it makes me laugh every time.

Another question for you Miss Kitty. Do you think threads should be hijacked taking the attention away from the OP and focused on my sillyness?

Miss Kitty, do you think CAPS LOCK should be used on forum posts, even when we are really frustrated?

I guess she didn't like my reference.

Man ... do I get any appreciation? ?

I would call your surgeon and let them know. They can direct you to the next right move.

Yes, it does go away completely. I had a repair and it did hurt to swallow for about 10 days post op. It will get better.

10 days after surgery or 10 days after you take the CAPS LOCK OFF. Whichever comes first.

Hate to be a downer here, but I really believe those who don't lose a noticable amount of hair have genetics working in their favor. Why do I say this? Because I tried it all. I was exercising like crazy, taking Biotin daily, getting in excess of recommended Protein and liquids. I took all my Vitamins and then some. (Fish oil, for instance) I was getting around 1,800 calories in daily, too. What WAS happening was I was losing fat. It is MY belief that it is the hormones stored within the fat flooding the system that causes the increase in hair loss. I say increase because we naturally lose hair every day, regardless of diet. I started losing at 6 months out and it subsided around the 9 month mark. At 1 year out, you would have never known I went through it. Do a site search on hair loss. This is probably the 3rd most common question/concern here. There are hundreds of posts about it.

I was in the same boat at 5 weeks out. I was taking a 2-3 hour naps pretty much every day. Saturdays could see me taking two naps. This was just not reasonable. I contacted my NUT because it was so bad. She said I needed to increase my good carbs. I was still in the light puree stage, so I increased the vegetables in my Soups. 2 days later it was like I was a new person. I had energy and didn't need a nap anymore. I had truly turned the corner. For those who think increasing carbs will slow your weight loss, think of this ... Having the energy allowed me to start an exercise routine which my fat just started melting off of me. If you don't have the energy to move, how much exercise are you going to get?

Sorry ... trying to track all of this and I just want to make sure I get this straight. Are you disappointed you got pregnant less than 2 months post-op and that has thrown off you weight loss? Are you disappointed you lost 115 pounds? You do realize you are going to "lose" a bunch of "weight" when the baby is born ... right? Did you get sleeved to lose weight or lose fat? Do you consider the baby to be your fat? Do you really think that losing weight while pregnant is a good thing? I would be proud of myself for not losing during pregnancy. From what I understand, the Drs don't want you getting pregos for several months post-op. The body has enough of a hard time supporting the sleever with the drastic reduction of calories, so to take on a pregnancy so early is really tough. Disappointed you haven't lost weight since February ...? Really? To be honest, I'm rather proud of you. Good job nourishing your baby. Also, the pouch test is really for bypass folk as their pouch is made of the fundus which is still a stretchy part of the stomach. When it gets stretched out, the pouch test routine helps to get it back to size. This does not relate to sleevers. We pretty much do the pouch test thingy on a daily basis with our restriction. Are you planning on breast feeding? Be careful going on a "diet" so soon after giving birth. You are going to be sleep deprived for a while, so be careful not to be nutritionally depleted, too.

You can take just about anything and puree it by adding some form of liquid and tossing it in a blender, but my favorite choice was Soups. I made smoked ham and lentil, chicken vegetable and turkey chili. I used a hand immersion blender to puree it up. As time progressed and my stomach healed, I pureed it less and less. I pureed baked chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes once, too, but I could only get about 2 bites in. I don't know if I'd be pureeing nachos just yet, but you can puree most everything ...

Have y'all seen THIS sub-forum on here?

We have a few 3+ year members and a couple right around 4+. I'm only coming up on 2 years in a couple months, but I can't imagine my eating habits changing any over the next x years, as it relates to your question. The thing you have to remember is that the sleeve is a tool that helps me eat more like *regular*, non-obese folk. These people do put their utencils down in between bites, and now, I do, too. They do not inhale their food like it is a race or the last meal they are ever going to eat. That is how I ate before, but I do not do that now, nor do I want to go back to that style of eating anyway. That is why I got sleeved. So, yes, I eat slower than I did pre-op and I love it that way. I put my utencil down between bites and actually have conversations without food in my mouth. As far as the whole drinking while eating thing ... you do get used to not drinking while you eat. It becomes natural. If I need to increase my calorie intake, I do drink with a meal so my stomach clears out faster and I can eat more. But it is an exception. I prefer not to do it as I have the *full* sensation longer, which is what I wanted anyway. 6 months out is when I could eat anything and everything. I can eat more now than I could at 6 months, but I would say that I eat about the same as I did when I was about 9 months out. So many folks worry that they are going to miss their way of eating. I couldn't wait to get rid of mine ...

HERE is a thread with some thoughts on salads.

Doing the right thing, there. Good shoes are expensive sometimes, but the old addage, you get what you pay for, has never been so true when it applies to shoes. They can make such a HUGE difference in so many things that you do.

I DID lose the weight on my own prior to surgery. I just couldn't maintain that diet lifestyle. I DID lose the weight on my own after the surgery. I worked my @$$ off and ate the right foods. The sleeve helps me maintain that lifestyle. If you or anyone thinks VSG is an easy ticket to weight loss, I have bad news for you ... Only regret is not doing it sooner.

One day ... Yes. Just not today ... Or tomorrow.

Yup, sounds about right to me. Just imagine what your stomach looks like right now. It is none too happy being all swollen. Anything passing through is going to be gurgly.

Premier makes awesome packaged RTD protein drinks and I often have a package of crackers in the glove box for when my carbs are running low. Don't overthink it. It really is quite easy to adapt. You have to remember ... *normal* people do this all the time.

This is a popular topic this morning. HERE is a post I recently made.