Fusilli66

I just got mine out Wednesday and I experienced all the same things as you are. The drain was really annoying and I was glad when it was gone. I also had another small tube from another incision and that one was causing me so much pain. Now it's gone and it's still causing me terrible pain at that incision site. I called the doctor about it and he explained that it is the incision that the stomach came out of. It's bigger than the others, about an inch long, and it is stitched from the inside out. Plus its just in a bad spot. It's right where the crease is when you sit, so it hurts to bend in any way. But it is what it is. I'm sure it will feel better in a few days, it just has to heal some more. Still all in all I would do this again tomorrow if I had to. No buyers remorse here. I'm already down 9 lbs since surgery, 21 since the start of the preop diet. Very happy! Good luck and feel better soon!

I haven't posted here since I joined this group and wanted to let everyone know that I am 1 week post op and I'm feeling great. The first few days were a little tough, not really that painful but just uncomfortable and lethargic. I started feeling a lot better yesterday and today even better. Tomorrow I'm seeing my surgeon and he is removing the drain (thank god - the drain is the worst part). I have lost 7 lbs in 7 days, which is nice. The first few days just even sips of liquid were hard to get down. But every day I'm able to ingest a little more. I am in the full liquids stage and I am allowed Protein drinks, yogurt (plain or vanilla or anything whipped without fruit chunks), cream of wheat (not a fan), pudding, Jello, ice pops. When I first came home the doctor told me to make hydration my priority and nutrition second. Today is the first days I could say that I have taken care of both. I had 2 Protein shakes and a plain greek yogurt which adds up to 78 grams of protein! I make my Protein Drinks with powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury (20g/protein) and Smart Balance Lactose Free Milk (10g/protein). I have also drank some Water with lemon and some decaf coffee. I really feel good. I have no hunger at all, but I do miss food a little bit. But I truly couldn't possible ingest anything if I wanted to so that makes it rather easy. Today I even went to the supermarket and walked up and down all the aisles just to get in some extra walking (while picking up a few things that I needed for the family). I just made dinner for them also and the food doesn't bother me or even appeal to me at all. Anyway, for all of those who are almost at your surgery, or are a few days past, I wanted to tell you that it is not that difficult to get through and it really gets better everyday. Just say what i say to anyone who asks how you're feeling....Better than yesterday, not as good as tomorrow! Take care sleevers! You can do it!

Prior to surgery I was keeping it on the down low and only telling a few. I had told my immediate family, parents, brother/sister in law, about 4 friends and my co-workers & boss. Now, since I've been sleeved, I don't mind telling people and I've been telling more than more. I've only been sleeved a week now, but I think when I start noticeable losing a lot of weight, and if people ask me how, I will tell the truth. I just feel like now that its all over with, no one can give me a negative reaction about having surgery (not that anyone has) because i've already done it and can't undo it.

I have GHI/Emblem Health in NY and they will only approve the procedure if it is done in a Bariatric Center of Excellence. Luckily there are plenty of them in NY so I had no problem finding a doctor who does his surgeries in one.

I am so sorry you are going through this. Making the decision to do it, and then the pre-op diet were hard enough. I can't imagine doing it without the support of my husband. I really feel for your situation. I also commend you for sticking to your guns and continuing. i don't know that I could have. But you are one determined lady and you should be proud of that. I have read similar posts on here about bf's or husbands who are not supportive and usually its a case of that they feel threatened. He already said as much. I loved your answer to him that you would leave him because of what he's doing and not because you are hot. Perfect answer. I wish I had advice for you on how to handle him, but honestly it sounds like you have already handled him with all the right answers and analogies (especially comparing it to his former drug addition - that is a truly perfect analogy). But you don't seem to be getting through to him. All I can say is that the problem is his and not yours and to just keep on doing what you are doing and what you know you need to do. Remember, this is your journey, not his, and although it would be nice if he were supportive, you will take the journey with or without him. Best of luck to you!

It's your stomach telling you its too soon for foods. I am 1 week post op, so I haven't gotten there yet, but it is supposed to take me 8 weeks to get to regular foods. According to my doctors plan its is: Clear liquids (in hospital only) Full Liquids (2 weeks) pureed Foods (2 weeks) Mushy Foods (about 3 weeks) Full Foods That being said, I doubt I will follow that plan to the letter, but I'm going to stay close to it. I may do mush foods for a little less than 3 weeks because that puts me into Thanksgiving week and I would like to be able to sit down with my family to a normal meal. Also, I know every doctors plan is different, but it seems really soon for the bread and the pepperoni parts of the pizza. Feel better!

I was sleeved 2 days before you. I only had to do the clear liquids in the hospital but came home on full liquids. As for the Protein, I'm still not getting in the proper amount of protein yet but my doctor said that my priority right now is hydration and nutrition will be later. I'm seeing the doctor again on Wednesday so by then I think he will tell me to make sure I get in the protein. On the full liquids I am also allowed plain or vanilla yogurt and pudding. So I have been trying to have a chobani yogurt a day which gives me around 20g of protein. Good luck to you!

I just went through this and the answer is that it actually gets easier with time. The first few days I could have eaten the walls. But after that I lost my hunger to the point that it was easier to resist. So my advice is to just hang in there a little longer and you will make it. Btw my prep diet was 4 weeks so just say to yourself thank god its only 2 weeks!

You can also try the unflavored protein and add that to just about anything like soups or puddings or jello. Plus just try getting as much protein from food as you can.

Thanks all. I'm feeling a little better today. No pain, just the gas bubbles discomfort, and not as bad as yesterday. I was able to drink 1/2 of a Protein drink, a little bit or orange crystal lite and I ate a little bit of vanilla greek yogurt. Still not enough liquid in, but I'm working up to it. I will try another Protein Drink now. I haven't taken any pain meds (didn't even fill the prescription) because I generally don't like them. If I do feel pain I'll just take some tylenol but so far I'm ok. I'm up and mobile, walking around the house alot, in between resting and just watching tv. A good balance of rest and movement I think. Every time someone asks me how I feel, my answer is - better than yesterday, not as good as tomorrow! It keeps me realizing that every tomorrow will be better than today, especially all the tomorrow to come in the next few months when I start seeing the progress and it becomes worth it.

Hi all, its my first time posting in the post op section as I had my surgery 2 days ago. I am having such trouble getting any kind of liquid in. I know it will get better but is this common. I mean a sip or two and then it hurts. It's also because i still have all this gas in my chest. Every time I sip i hear this gurgling noise like the gas is moving, but unfortunately it doesn't expel. Other than that I'm just a little tired but I don't have any real pain, just some discomfort at the spot where the drain is and only when I move alot like to get in and out of bed or stand up from a chair.

Just wanted to say hi to all in the October club! My date is 10/11, 2 weeks from yesterday and I just can't wait to be sleeved. I am in the midst of a 4 week doctor ordered liquid diet. Yup, you read that right - 4 weeks! Don't know why but that is what my doctor wants of all his patients for liver shrinking. The first week and a half was pure torture and caused me a lot of meltdowns and tears, but the last few days have gotten a lot easier. I guess my stomach is shrinking because I really don't feel that hungry anymore, but I do crave certain foods. Did anyone ever notice how many commercials have close up pictures of food in them!!! I never noticed until now. I have to look away sometimes. If it were a drinking game I'd be drunk by the end of a 1 hour show. Lol. Anyway, so glad to be a member of the October club! New beginnings are around all of our corners! Good luck to you all!

So I have come down with a cold and my surgery is in 3 days. Just exactly what I needed. I don't have a fever but I had a sore throat that is better today but now I'm all congested and sneezing. I can't take any cold medicine because they told me not to take anything within 10 days of surgery, other than Tylenol. So I'm just sniffing vicks to open my sinuses. Ugh. just venting. There's nothing I can do so I'll manage to get though this also but I feel like my body has nothing to fight with because I have been on this liquid pre-op diet for 4 weeks.

I had that also from the pre op diet. It was constipation. I think its because my diet was very fiber filled before and there isn't much fiber in the protein shakes so everything wasn't moving along as it usually did. I lived with it for a few days and then it got really bad so I took laxatives and then it got better.

Thanks guys. I'm so annoyed that this had to happen now. I can't even remember the last time I was sick and of course I had to get sick now. I am so congested that I can't even use the netti pot. I tried, but its wasn't pleasant. I did use some Afrin, which i hate to do but I couldn't take it anymore. I slept for about 3 hours and was woken up when my son came home and now I'm like wide awake. I am worried that its going to make my recovery worse or the surgery is going to make the cold worse. But I have waited too long for this surgery and I'm not postponing it. I just hope that I am well enough by Tuesday.

I feel your pain. My surgery is the day after yours, but I had to follow a 4 week pre-op diet. Sounds like the exact same diet as you are following. I had the option of 2 shakes and 1 meal or 4 shakes and I did the 2 shakes/meal for the first 2 1/2 weeks and I've been doing the 4 shakes for the past week.I have lost slightly more than you, but not much. I lost 5 lbs the first week and another 4 pounds in the following 2 1/2 weeks. So a total of 9 lbs in 3 1/2 weeks. My doctor had not required me to lose any weight leading up to the surgery, other than this 4 week diet, so I'm sure the big drop the first week was the Water you lose like when starting any other diet. Very very frustrating and it really worries me. I feel like I'm consuming less now than I will after the surgery, yet still not losing. So what's going to happen after surgery. Is it possible that I still won't lose weight? It's like my body won't get rid of this weight. It is a little concerning to say the least. So I empathize with you, but lets hope the surgery will work and we just have to be patient. Good luck on Monday!

I just feel like if your office knows your out for surgery of some kind, or even if you just take a leave of absence and don't say surgery, and you refuse to tell them why, it lends itself to more gossip than if you tell the truth. People will be thinking boob job or tummy tuck or even worse, that you have some kind of serious disease. I just think Water cooler gossip is bound to happen more so when the field is wide open to all kinds of speculation and whatever they are talking about is worse than the truth. But once you come back and you start losing mega weight, they will probably figure it out for themselves anyway. It's easier to hide from people you don't see often, but people you see on a daily basis are going to put 2 + 2 together. Not just the weight loss, but the change in food habits and all that. People notice everything. Just my opinion.

I watched the procedure on you tube as well. It also made me feel pretty good about getting it done. I guess because the procedure is closed and laproscopic, it seemed like no big deal to me. I think it would have been harder to watch if it were open and you saw blood and guts on an open table, but this is all done internally so it seem ok to me. I was glad I watched it. And I'm not a nursing student nor do I have any medical training or background at all.

Yesterday was Day 9 of my 4 week pre-op diet. It has been difficult here and there, but I had a total meltdown yesterday and I'm still hoping I could pull it back together today. I had my morning shake and then for lunch I had my chicken broth. Then around 1:00 I started freaking out at work that I had to eat something. I was so close to driving through somewhere but I didn't. Instead I ran down the black to walgreens and bought a jar of Peanut Butter and some extra gum. I intended to eat a few spoonfuls of the PB but once I started i couldn't stop and ate like 1/3 of the jar (one of those small jars). Then i felt a little sick but I still had my second shake around 3:30. I left work at 4 and then went to the grocery store to buy something to make for dinner for my family (a job that gets harder as each day passes). I've been trying to make simple foods and use semi-prepared side dishes so I'm not fully cooking. So I bought pork chops and some pre-made mashed potatoes. My family was all late in getting home for various reasons (traffic, football practice) so the food was sitting there practically calling my name, especially the mashed potatoes. Finally when everyone was home I re-heated the pototoes again and while I was stirring them I just broke down and started crying. It took all the strength I had not to put that spoonful of mashed potatoes in my mouth after not having a carb for 9 days. I'm actually surprised at myself that I didn't. My poor husband ushered me away and told me that he would take care of everything to just go watch tv or something away from the food. (note: my husband is extremely supportive which is a huge help and a blessing). So I went in the other room and then went into full out sobbing crying because my WHOLE family was at the table for a change---with 2 sons ages 20 and 17 that rarely happens. So now I'm crying over mashed potatoes and the fact that I can't sit at the table with my family. It was a really tough night. But I finally calmed down, drank my other shake and eventually got through it. I really think 4 weeks is much too long for this pre-op diet. Most people have to do 2 or none at all. I love my doctor and believe in him, but this is very tough. He requires this of all his patients, not just me. My starting BMI is 40.1 so that's not the reason. But I wish I would have stuck to my original thoughts and just done 2 weeks anyway. Yesterday I kept saying that I can't do this for 3 more weeks, its too long. It's only a little over a week and I'm freaking. That being said, I also am due for my period any day and I usually do get a little emotional prior so that could be playing a factor too. Anyway, for those who are still reading this long drawn out post, thank you! I just needed to let it out somewhere!

"Reality" television is far from reality, and very deceiving. Plus, these people are living at this ranch, 24/7 for months, with no jobs, no kids to take care of and constant round the clock doctors, nutritionists, training. There is no junk food in the house to tempt them and none of them are living in the real world like we have to. And there is nothing to do but exercise all day. I read that they exercise 6 or more hours a day. That's just crazy and not something they can duplicate once they leave the ranch. The magic of television.

I told my boss and co workers because I felt that they would figure it out anyway and I didn't want to be a liar. I was originally going to say I was having surgery for "female issues" (when you say that no one asks questions) but then I figured if I suddenly lost all this weight after a surgery, they are smart enough to figure out I was lying or at least speculate that. The truth is nothing to be ashamed of so I went with that. It was easier for me. I am lucky that I work in a very small office so it's only a few people so no big deal.

"Reality TV" shows are far from Reality and a lot of it is staged and the magic of TV. You are not on a TV show, nd to compare you to that is wrong. But, I'm sure it came from a place of concern and probably some ignorance. Just know in your heart that you are doing everything you could do to lose weight, at whatever pace your body is ready to release it. Congrats on the great amount you have lost! It is awesome and you should be so proud of yourself!

Put me on for the 11th, thanks!

This post hits home to me because I was thinking a lot about the holidays when I decided to do this. I had a goal in mind - I had to have my surgery before November 1 or I would wait until mid January. My closest family members, who I spend Thanksgiving with, all know about the surgery and are all very supportive, but I wanted to at least be able to join at the table without feeling bad or making anyone else feel bad. My surgery date is 10/11 so I will be 6 1/2 weeks out by Thanksgiving and will certainly be able to taste a little bit of everything by then. As for Christmas, we Celebrate with extended family and I'm not telling them about it, at least not yet. They will also be supportive, but I just don't feel the need for everyone to know how I am losing weight. I just want to surprise everyone by Christmas. I don't expect to have lost too much by then, but I am hoping I could lose enough for it to show by Christmas. That was why I pushed so hard to get all my doctors visits done quickly. I have 1 day off a week (thursday) so for 3 straight weeks I had 2 or 3 doctors visits every thursday, and then a few more tests and I was all done with all of it in 4 weeks and was able to submit to the insurance company. Turned out they approved me in a week so I could have had it even sooner. Can't wait!