Veda

Sandy, Thanks for your response! My health was that I was pre-diabetic, high cholosterol, fatty liver, pallops (spelling?) had to be removed when they did the pre-op endoscopy and during surgery a hernia was repaired. I also was really tired a lot and was told I have nodules on my thyroid, which is badly messed up - thus the weight gain. I now have lots of energy and I'm only 5 days out! Dr, Barverman, NEW Program in Newport Beach, CA is one of a team of 3 doctors who only do WLS. They have preformed over 2,500 of them and seem to be very enthusiastic about their work. They have had 1 death due to taking an extremely high risk patient. As far as complications, their record is the best in the country according to the third party they all report stats to. I had 2 weeks of a pre-op diet. I did not like it at all - they use a product called Bariatric Advantage. To say it tastes bad is an understatement. I best to you! 43 pounds down and counting - wow, congrats!!!

Friday, 11/18/11, I was sleeved at 8:45am and was home by 3:00 on the same day. No nausea, came home and slept on my side and can turn in bed just fine, no pain - feel like I've done too many sit-ups that's all, no drain, no pain meds at all, and plenty of energy. This morning, Sunday, forgetting I should take it easy, I actually plopped myself down in the recliner. Not so lady like, but it didn't hurt one bit. Today, I'm just slightly sore. I drank 3 Protein drinks that I got from costco (30g each) and then drank a large mug of yummy tomato Soup made with Water, not to mention the 2 bottles of water I emptied - all of them consumed today. I haven't felt restriction, but just drink in sips - well, to be honest I drank more than sipped a couple of times today out of habit. I could have easily gone to work today. Tomorrow I will begin Christmas decorating, albeit slowly because I don't want to over due it. I'm going to call my surgeon tomorrow and ask how large my stomach is now. I hope he took more than a pinch out! LOL! How has your experience been and what do you think accounts for the differences? It's weird to feel odd because this has been so easy. I'm so glad to have had the encouragement from people on this forum!

I was sleeved on 11/18/11 and can also echo the statements about taste changing. When I used to read what people posted, I just could not imagine ever thinking anything was too sweet. I LOVED and lived for sweets! Yesterday, I ate sugar-free Jello and almost couldn't swallow it. I thought, well I guess I don't like that brand. Then I tried a popsicle - the same ones I was eating right up to being sleeved - AND yucky. Awful. I'm so excited that sweets are not my deal, at least not now anyway. Also, a lot of people cannot tolerate ice cream. Some think it is the fat that causes the problem. I guess we are in the process of exploring what our bodies like at this stage. All the best to you and your journey!!!

Thanks everyone!!! I will take all experienced advise I can get. Taking it easy and realizing that restriction is probably going to happen soon. I won't worry about losing weight for now AND will ask about size of bougie when I see my doctor the next time. Christmas decorating will wait - I will take it easy, despite how I feel. Happy Thanksgiving!

I had to do the Protein shakes, 3 of them daily, for 2 weeks prior to surgery. I was sleeved on 11/18 and am sick and tired of them - I liked them before. My taste has changed quite a bit since last Friday. What makes it easier for me is to start the day with a Protein shake, 30g, so I at least have one of them out of the way. Also, a BIG help was going to Jamba juice and ordering a shake with 2 scoops of whey protein, 24g. I concentrate on the protein before the Water, since so much of it has lots of water in them anyway. I'm a newbie compared to you, but do feel your dislike for these darn boring shakes.

November 18th is my big day. It will be nice to read this forum to find out how November sleeve buddies are doing. I'm a self pay for the NEW Program in Newport Beach, CA. I will be having this done as an outpatient surgery and, if all goes right, my hubby will take care of me by the end of the day on the 18th - he's good that way.

Just had my sleeve done on 11/18. Read my post on Banana Babes if you want some encouragement as to how easy this can be! All the best to you!

I was sleeved on Friday morning. I had so much stress from work that the surgery wasn't the uppermost thing on my mind and that probably helped me. Although not everyone has it as easy as I am, this surgery has been the oddest thing because I feel like nothing happened. My stomach has the scars, but I just feel like I've done too many sit-ups. I can sleep on my side, don't feel dizzy, can take care of all my own needs, and have no nausea. I wish I had done this years ago so my health would not have been compromised by waiting and hoping counting points would work if I tried it for the 20th time! It is so odd to me to have major surgery with so little discomfort - I hope my surgeon really did take out some of my stomach - LOL! If you decide to go through with being sleeved, I hope your experience goes well too. This forum is filled with people like me who are doing very well right out of the hospital. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that my surgery took place at 8:45am and I was home by 3:00 as an outpatient.

So glad to hear you're ok. I'm sitting on the bench with ya as of yesterday morning! I hope you continue to feel better. Big hugs.

I just got sleeved yesterday and reading your post is awesome! Sharing lifts others up and thank you for letting us know of your accomplishment - fabuloso...

Please forgive me, but my computer does not like this forum's new format. I cannot read the profile names of any posters. My reply was intended for a woman (obviously). If this is not the case, I'm going to blame my lapse on the starvation mode I feel today - the day before surgery. Yikes! The person who posted some women like bald men is so right!

I know this may sound odd, but I would contact some breast cancer support organizations and ask them what their patients who wear wigs have to say about style, cost, natural feel, and comfort of wear. My Mom had a wig that looked a lot better than her own hair ever did. I'm getting sleeved in the morning and I will get a wig if needed - I have plenty of hair, but have had some of the problems you mention. I used to tell one of my former employees that her hair was so cute. It was a short and sassy style - cute, cute, cute! I loved it. She finally told me that she was wearing a wig due to cancer treatments she had. I didn't have a clue. Please let us know what you find out in your research.

I am pre-op, but I used to freeze from the inside out. I would be the one at the beach all covered up - cold when it's 80 outside. I would drink hot liquids all day and take up to 3 HOT baths just to keep warm. Once I had my hyterectomy, that totally went away. This is why I wonder if being so cold after getting sleeved can be caused by a change in hormones, especially since the part of the stomach removed produces hormones. Just a thought...

My surgeon says it's because the carbonation causes discomfort with a sleeved person. I asked if it will stretch the stomach; he said is will not do that, but is something sleevers will not want to do because of the pain/burps, etc. I think this is a subject that doctors will have differing opinions about - streching vs. non-stretching.

One sign to watch out for is any swelling, especially of the tongue or heart racing. This is a sign of a possilbe serious allergic reaction to meds. I don't have a medical background, but have had life-threatening problems with meds my body doesn't like. Better to be safe than sorry. I would vote for calling your doc asap.

My Aetna PPO 70/30 Plan does not cover WLS so I'm a self pay. So glad you got it approved!

I am also a November 18th sleever. ONE more week to go!!!!!!!!

Wow! That is determined. The best to you in you sleeve journey...

Amazingly encouraging! Congrats on all you have done to arrive at this point!

I've been on the pre-op diet for a week as of today - whew, the third day was so difficult, but now it's no big deal. I'm actually used to it, but I do work at a stressful job so I don't have time to think of food much. It's the pattern of eating that is tough to break - like going through fast food places on my way home to make the drive home go by faster. Now, I call friends on my blue-tooth to make the time go by and get support. I hope it gets easier for you. WE CAN DO IT!

Sounds a lot easier than what I am doing. My surgeon wants 2 weeks of bariatric advantage protein shakes (3/day), bariatric protein bars (2/day), 2 bariatric chewable vitamins, plus optional salad with 0 calorie dressing as desired. Clear liquids the day before surgery. The end of tomorrow will bring me half way there! THEN, after the sleeve, it's back to bariatric shakes and chewables for 2 weeks. This stuff tastes nasty. Worse products I've ever tasted - I've wondered if this is my doc's sense of humor toward his patients... lettuce never tasted so good!

I was just diagnosed with 2 nodules on my Thyroid a couple of weeks ago. The plan is for the sleeve surgery to happen and then a few weeks later they will do a biopsy. The endrcronologist says that only 5% are cancerous and treating those are not a big deal - radioactive iodine is used, not chemo. I hope this is helpful, and please follow up with what you find out and how you are doing.

I am so, so glad to see your post here tonight! I got on this site just to see what people are doing about their pre-op diets. I'm on my third day pre-op and have the same kind of Protein shakes as you do. My surgeon REQUIRES his patients to purchase them from the medical group along with Protein Bars and chewable Vitamins. I usually like protein shakes and bars - through the years I have tried a lot of them. This brand is awful!!! Today I tried something that made it a lot better. The sugar-free and no calorie flavoring that is used by coffee shops adds a lot of flavor to the shakes. The vanilla flavor is good with the vanilla shake. They can be purchased from regular grocery stores. I actually got them down today without my trying to keep from shuddering. The headaches the past couple of days have been the most difficult. Work should be interesting this week. I told my husband today that I cannot understand, with all the products out there now, why this brand is what the surgeon uses. Obviously, he hasn't ingested them. The bars taste grainy and dry. Awful too. And, I'm not picky! Oh, and the product cannot be returned even when unopened - the cost was almost $500! Thankfully people have responded with solutions!!! I don't have to worry now about this post-op, which was a big concern.

My PCP and the surgeon I am going to use both said the stomach after the sleeve cannot stretch to the pre-sleeve size. The tissue that makes up the sleeved portion is different from what is removed and, therefore, is not apt to stretch much so it won't accomodate a large portion of food. Slider foods and high caloric drinks are the challenge to keeping the weight off.