MegInNOLA

Chrissy, I'm one of those who has had a lot of throwing up post surgery. But I'm not in the majority. Before being sleeved, I would do ANYTHING to avoid throwing up--I absolutely hated it, and it was just the worst thing ever. I was really worried about it, too. I ended up with a very tight and super picky sleeve, and sometimes he decides he doesn't want/like what I put in there. But it's not the same sort of throwing up as before. I'm about to be a bit graphic, so forgive me, but I want to try to allay some of your fears about it. Post-op throwing up is quick. It's not accompanied by the same sort of hot/cold flashes, cold sweats, etc. that you get when you get a stomach virus, for instance. Some people do feel nausea; I don't. It's more a mechanical thing, more a matter of the food physically won't go in there or can't be physically tolerated, and it needs to come back out. It's not acidic or painful. It's not pleasant, don't get me wrong, but it's nothing like being sick with a virus or something. Most likely, you won't have any problem at all. If you do throw up once (or many times), it will still be okay. I have totally lost my fear of it now--because I know it's just about removing the food. You will eventually learn how to eat so that you minimize the likelihood of it happening. And even my sensitive sleeve goes for LONG periods of time without rejecting stuff, so I imagine you're going to do just fine. It's a trial and error process, and that's okay. I have found that I can now tell early in the process (sometimes after just one bite) if I'm not going to be able to tolerate the food, and if I stop then, I don't get sick. I can switch to some other reliable food and be just fine. So hang in there and don't let this be a worry to you. If you are one of the few, the proud, the thrower-uppers, welcome to the club, and you'll be okay. If you're not, even better. Hope this doesn't scare you or gross you out too much--I'm just trying to give you some honest feedback and some comfort, since I'm there. :-)

Hey Foxbins, I'm just seeing this. Hope everything is progressing well, and like the others, I'd love to see pics!

Oh, I'm sorry you're feeling so wiped out. But you did just have major surgery. Give yourself permission and time to heal. I stayed at home for a week, then went back to work--but I had a pretty easy time of it, since I only had a couple of classes a couple of days a week to teach at that point. I also really hate pain meds, so I didn't take any--love how they help the pain but absolutely hate the mental fog and would rather deal with a little aching. As soon as you're off of them, you'll feel a difference. Also, try to keep sipping on fluids. It's easy to get dehydrated during the first days after surgery as the fluids they pumped in there dissipate. Keeping hydrated will help keep your energy level up. Best wishes, and welcome to the losers' bench!!

You're going to be so glad you're keeping a picture record! I really, really wish I had done that. And I can really see the difference already--you're looking great! Congratulations on your loss so far!

Hey Shelly! (waving from Covington) Nice to "meet" another N.O. sleever. YEAH, cold like you wouldn't believe. I've been cold since I woke up from the surgery; don't know why. :-) I don't mind it most of the time--wait until you go through this summer--you won't believe how much more comfortable you're going to be in all our heat and humidity! The other "issue" will resolve with time. Mine actually came BACK after being gone for almost a year (oh joy), the day after surgery!!! If you continue to have problems, definitely check in with your gyn.

Y'all hang in there--once sleeved, there is an intense period of having to deal with food ("What should I eat? When? How much? Can I have ___?"), and then, things shift into place and you start living life without worrying about it any more. It gets to be automatic; worries or even thoughts about food don't really intrude any more, and it certainly doesn't control your life or your behavior. Freedom! Those days are coming!! 101driver, best wishes on your surgery tomorrow!! Looking forward to watching your progress as you join the losers' bench!

Lissa! What a terrific story! And you're not nearly done--I'm excited to see all your future victories!! Congratulations!!

I know from family members' experience that your bipolar meds can and do cause weight gain. Talk with your doctor about your medications and see if there are other, effective options for you that don't have such a strong side effect profile in weight gain. Definitely stay on them until you talk with him/her, but there are a variety of medications that have more or less weight effect--your doc should be able to help you with that choice. Best wishes!!

Yeah, it can work. I've lost 115 pounds so far (1 pound to goal); surgery was April 18, 2011. As the others have said, it's a matter of doing what you know you're supposed to do--and you don't have to have the strength or the willpower to do it all alone. You have very important tools now to help you succeed--your sleeve and us!! Since you were sleeved in November, you've probably lost a good chunk of weight already; are you starting to worry if that's going to slow down or stop? It will eventually, but if you follow the advice of your physician and your eating/exercise plans, you'll be able to maximize your loss. Most importantly, this isn't a race. You've got the whole rest of your life to take care of your health, and you'll be around longer with losing weight--plus the quality of your life is going to be so much better without that weight! Hugs to you. Keep us posted!

I think you're liable to find quite a few very different responses to your question. I, for instance, eat five or six times a day; my sleeve doesn't hold much at all, even at 9 months out, so I eat "mini-meals" and eat frequently. You should definitely follow your physician's plan; if you find your sleeve won't tolerate that, you may have to make some adjustments. Best wishes to you!

Congratulations on your loss and on your maintenance!! Looking great!!

I'm 9 months out now, and I agree with the others that hunger feels different now. I don't get the overwhelming feeling of "I've got to eat now" that I used to--in fact, sometimes I'm busy and remember later that I need to eat; sometimes I feel physical hunger, but it's less a growly tummy and more a sense of needing fuel--and I don't have to run right out and find food that second. And a very small amount of food will satisfy that hunger now. It's really important for me not to overeat, since my sleeve will reject the entire contents if I eat only 1 bite too many. It is not pleasant. I deliberately undereat my sleeve--I aim for "eat until not hungry" as opposed to "eat until full." Makes a big difference. Protein first, then veggies. Small, frequent mini-meals. Vitamins and Water. It works. :-)

I don't think I had an "old" addiction... I will say that I enjoy shopping a lot more now, but I don't think it's an addiction, just an enjoyable activity. Something kind of strange, though--I worry less about keeping things "perfect" now. I used to be a neat freak, totally organized, unable to relax if things were disordered. Not so much any more!

Funny you should bring that up--I was just talking with my husband about this this morning. I would love to have plastics, but I don't think I'm going to be either brave enough or in a financial position in which to do it. My husband says he's okay with how I am now (his exact words: "I think you're hot!"). Since his is the only outside opinion I value, I think I may just learn to deal with the excess skin. I already feel so much better when dressed. At any rate, I would not consider plastics seriously for at least another year, to see how much of this I can get rid of first. Are you seriously considering plastics after a while? What procedures are you thinking about? I absolutely love your "umph" quote, btw! It's so very true.

If you're getting even that much in, I think you're doing great! Absolutely don't worry about it for this week. Focus on getting in your water and on walking and resting. There's plenty of time in the near future to focus on advancing your diet. Sip and walk and rest.... let your tummy heal. Congratulations on your sleeve!! Will be watching to see your progress as you go through this fantastic transformation!

Congratulations on all your big news! Gallbladder isn't fun, but it won't take you long to be up and at 'em--they took it out laparoscopically, right? Glad things are going so well for you. :-)

Congratulations to all of you newly-sleeved and soon-to-be-sleeved losers!!! :-) HUGS!!! You're about to have the most amazing transformations!

Cassandra, my go-to foods for public meals (business lunches, dinner with friends, girls' lunches, etc.) are shrimp cocktail or remoulade, Soup, or a small salad (if you can handle grilled chicken or tuna or shrimp on it, great!). Kurt is right; we are much more aware of our eating than others are. These days, 9 months out, it's standard for me to just order Water (so the waitstaff don't freak out and keep asking me if I want a drink)--you can order water with lemon, if you want something that looks festive but you know you won't be drinking much of. Then I say, "I'd like a cup of soup as my entree, please," or "I'd like the appetizer shrimp cocktail as my entree, please," smile, and move on! Another option, if you're with friends/family who won't mind and with whom you can discuss ahead of time, is order an appetizer for appetizer time, enjoy it, and then "split" an entree with someone--you take only a little food onto your plate--again, nobody is going to pay much attention, because restaurant portions are so huge these days and splitting Entrees is so common. I promise, my husband and I split entrees everywhere now (we're both sleeved), and no waitstaff has ever so much as raised an eyebrow. Our families know we're sleeved, but we eat often with other people who don't know, and they don't pay attention, either. Enjoy your mom's special day!! Celebrate, visit, and know that you've done something for your health that will let you be with her longer. HUGS!!

:-) Isn't it nice when these things come around!? And good for you for getting your exercise in!! Congratulations!!

Hey!! Congratulations! What a wonderful day!!

WOW! Congratulations to you on all your success!! You just keep on rocking that sleeve!!!

Yes, zap it up! Works just fine. If the soup has some beans in it, it will blend to a smooth, creamy texture. After you heat it up, you can add some cheese, sour cream, or Greek yogurt on top for added protein. :-)

PPI is a proton pump inhibitor, a type of antacid. There are different kinds. Prilosec is a PPI. If you try one type of acid reducer and it doesn't work, try another type--ask your doctor or nutritionist or pharmacist. Prilosec worked for me! And wow, reading back on this post, I realize just how fortunate I am to have had this surgery. Back in July, I was still coming to grips with it; now, 9 months out, I am THRILLED to have lost 113 pounds as of today, be in a "normal" weight BMI category, and be only a few pounds from my first goal. :-)

Definitely don't feel the same type of hunger, nor the same intensity. I do feel hunger, but it's more like described above, like sleevie is saying, "Let's have something," but it's not a desperate, gnawing hunger. I don't forget to eat, but on busy days (like today), I don't even think about food until I have a little down time. You really will feel different after surgery--the combination of a smaller stomach and less hunger hormone is a great help. Don't panic--if you do feel hungry, you will be able to eat. There will be food available when you need/want it.

I'm one of those who can't eat much at a time, even now at 9 months out. I eat snack-sized meals several times a day. You'll notice that there's a lot of cheese and veggie protein--my sleeve is horribly picky about meat and poultry. Typical meals (not all in one day!): 1. Iced coffee with 1/4 c. milk and some chocolate syrup (sometimes sugar free, sometimes not) with 1/2 a high-fiber Breakfast cookie--I'm deficient in thiamine and the whole grains were recommended by my doctor. 2. An ounce or two of cheese. 3. A few corn tortilla chips with cheese melted on top and maybe some sour cream--five is my max; three is more typical. 4. A small salad (around a cup of loose lettuce leaves), a little dressing, a TB of cheese sprinkled on top. 5. An ounce of cubed turkey or ham; VERY occasional, as sleevie doesn't always like meat. 6. A cup of soup--I usually don't finish the whole cup; usually split pea, navy bean, or some other beany-type soup. 7. Three or four whole-grain crackers with brie or camembert. 8. A small palmful of almonds or almond/cranberry/cashew mix. 9. 1/2 c. of grapefruit in juice, unsweetened. 10. Three boiled shrimp with cocktail or remoulade sauce; one of my go-to meals for a business lunch--shrimp cocktail! 11. 1/2 c. beans--pinto, baked, white or red, whatever. I always have cooked Beans in the fridge for a fast meal. In a typical day, I usually eat numbers 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8. The other meals are occasional; I listed them here to give you an idea of amount and type of food. I confess I eat what I want when I want. Because my sleeve is tiny and picky, I know I'm not really able to eat things that are "bad" for me or too much of anything! I do stay away from fried foods, bread and other baked goods, Pasta, and most sugar (although I don't sweat it if I eat some). At this point, my weight loss is picking back up again after slowing somewhat over the Christmas break (hmm.... wonder if Mom's homemade shortbread had anything to do with that??) and I'm heading to goal--or at least to my "first" goal!! Definitely keep in mind that everyone is different--I'm super tall, but my sleeve is super small, for instance--and we can tolerate different types and amounts of food. I post my stuff here in case someone else is feeling like I was at first--I really worried that I wasn't getting in enough of anything--I never met my Protein or Water goals and felt like an utter failure because I couldn't tolerate the types or amounts of food that seemed to be most prevalent. But my blood work is great, I'm doing fine, feeling good, losing, healthy, so I'm posting so others can see that it's so very individualized--no worries, y'all. Do what's best for your body!!