Lissa

So tell the nurse that you don't want him with you when you weigh. Not a big deal. Pre-op, I wouldn't DREAM of telling someone how much I weighed. Now, I don't care. I've come so far that I will shout it from the rooftops!

I haven't tried that one. See if there is a place to order a sample online. Amazon often has stuff like this, or links to websites that are reputable to order them.

I didn't have those dreams, but I assume they'll stop with time. I dont' have the same crazy dreams I had pre-op, i.e. flying, being chased by Grimace the Menace, falling off cliffs. Now I have dreams about my mother coming to tell me something, or I dream about what it will be like to finally be "skinny", which I'll never actually be! LOL

There is a book called "When food is Love" by Geneen Roth that I read many years ago. I still reference it sometimes and it discusses using food as a crutch to make ourselves feel better. I literally ate my problems pre-op and I'm now having to deal with all those issues, both internal and external, on a realistic basis rather than eat food to cover them up. It's very similar to an alcoholic, but my drug was food. I see a therapist regularly and I talk to her about the crazy urges to eat junk food. I do well so long as I keep myself busy and keep the junk out of the house. My splurges are that I allow myself chocolate flavored Protein bars for breakfast and I do allow myself one single serving bag of cheetos a month. For me, it works because I know that I CAN have something that meets my craving, but I can't have a ton of it. The sleeve definitely helps with that!

Our stomachs are sleeved, not our heads. This is why it's SO important to change your lifestyle along with the sleeve. We have to incorporate better food choices and exercise...and realize that this isn't a diet. It's a lifelong change.

I'm not sure if this goes here or in Fitness, but here we go: Some areas of my body (tummy) aren't moving much at all as far as shrinking. I know, I know, tummy is the last to go. However, I'm noticing major changes in other areas, like my butt and hips. I used to be fairly bottom-heavy and now I'm more in proportion, except for that darn tummy. Has anyone else changed from a pear to an apple shapewise?

I'm doing oddly well in those two areas, but my tummy... argh, my tummy!!!

Yes, there's a lot of work to do, but it's SO worth it when you start having those NSV's !!!

It seems that you're leaning towards the sleeve, but you should take your doctor's recommendation into account. IIRC, though, you can revise to a GB or DS (duodenal switch) from a Sleeve if there is a need. Some of my reading indicates that the sleeve procedure was originally used in WLS patients as a precursor to a full GB, but the sleeve worked so well it began to be used as a stand-alone procedure. Did he give you other specifics about why the GB might be better for you than the sleeve? Perhaps your doctor is more comfortable performing the GB than the sleeve. In that case, you may want to seek a different surgeon. Ultimately, it is your decision. My surgeon and I discussed all three options (VSG, GB and LB) before he recommended the sleeve, which I had already been leaning toward anyway. Had I wanted one of the others, Dr D would have given me what I wanted, but he made a very clear cut case for the sleeve vs the other surgeries, IMO.

TJMom, I think you're doing great!! I keep saying I couldn't walk before surgery because I couldn't go from my front door to my car without being out of breath, but you're blowing me out of the water!!! Every day you are getting a little stronger and one day you'll be posting that you "couldn't walk before surgery" and that you're now using that wheelchair to grow flowers in the back 40! Great NSV! I hope you'll keep us updated on your progress. I wonder how you could track the lessening need for the wheelchair on a ticker?

I wish I could double-like you post! I keep thinking I don't have a flattering angle! I'll try that when I take pics again, probably this weekend. Today is a long day of work for me, or I'd try it today.

Yay!! that's great news!!

I agree with call your doctor. Our sleeves heal at their own rate, no matter what stage we're "supposed" to be in post-op. Some of us can handle denser foods much earlier than others, despite the timeline. I was told to step back a stage any time I vomitted. If you're having a tough time with soft solids, you may need to give yourself a couple of days at your earlier mushie stage to give your sleeve a little extra time to heal.

My sleep apnea machine (BiPap) has made a tremendous difference in how much energy I have and in how much sleep I need. I'm down to about six hours a night, no matter how hard I try to sleep more.

I took my BiPap to the hospital as welll and was required to use it. I agree that you should be using it, especially if you're taking pain meds.

I should add that you have to take into account whether your doctor takes on higher risk cases when looking at the doctor's leak stats. My doc has had two leaks, but the day we discussed that (after surgery, mind you), he told me that taking on more complicated cases might also drive up both his leak and his mortality rates. Yet he feels compelled to take on higher risk cases (like mine) because he has a real heart for people with obesity issues. If he hadn't been willing to do my surgery, despite the risks, I might not be here today.

Call your doc on this one. I can think of pros and cons to eating something like that. My biggest worry would be that you'd still have some in your tummy on surgery day and end up with a piece of the seed caught in your incision/staple line.

Oh, I forgot! Welcome to the loser's bench!!!

Tpn is liquid nutrition, usually given through a tube of some sort. Leaks are not usually the "fault" of the patient. They are usually because you had a weak area (possibly from prior WLS like the band) or because a staple didn't seal the sleeve like it was supposed to seal it. The best way to prevent a leak is to make sure you've chosen a surgeon who has a very good track record in regard to leaks, IMO.

I wish I had words for you to give him. I don't, but you are STILL in my prayers. Perhaps letting him know that people all over the world are praying for you will ease his mind somewhat?

I don't drink with meals, and sometimes I'm still uncomfortable drinking within a half hour after eating.

chicken broth was my preferred food for the icky feelings. For some reason warm went down much easier than cold.

BTW, I now do between 1/2 and full hour on the elliptical or the recumbent bike 3-4 times a week, with circuit training and/or weights every other day. I'm 10.5 months post op. You should see my biceps and my thigh muscles! They are KILLER!

Chad, A little walking won't hurt you. If you're totally unused to it, try walking up and down the hallway in your house. I could barely walk pre-op...out of breath between my front door and the car. I started walking up and down the hallway, literally. By three weeks post-op I walked 1/4 mile around the lake in my apartment complex. I was so excited you'd have thought I completed a marathon! You CAN do it! Every little tiny bit of exercise helps. Lift a can of peas in each hand a few times twice a day... If that's all you can do, it's still exercise.

Try to stick to Protein as much as possible. Tuna, chicken, pork and hamburger are all cheap options for food. Peanut Butter is also good. Eat mainly unprocessed foods (no hamburger helper or frozen meals). Avoid potatoes, but there are plenty of cheap veggies available now at the farmer's market that you can have on a low carb diet. Drink Water or iced tea, avoid sodas and try not to drink caffeine. They do make decaf iced tea. I hope your daughter's recovery goes well. It's tough to deal with that stress while you're doing the pre-op diet, but you need to find something else to do to deal with stress, like exercise, maybe? I'll keep your family in my prayers.