Lissa

I wouldn't. Your new sleeve is very swollen and raw inside. That drink might make you hurt for days. Alcohol on a new wound burns like crazy, right? Imagine that inside you! My doc said six months for alcohol. I waited 4 months.

Nancy, I had one doctor like that, too. I was really glad the girl took my BP before he walked into the room. I'm not normally into Indian men, but this guy was a cross between Elvis and Johnny Depp. YUMMY!!! He's also the doctor who was supposed to put in my filter. I was kind of glad they switched docs on that at the last minute!

I'm loving this! It's great to see what you're accomplishing!!

I did the same as Mews, although I didn't take my coumadin at all until 1 week after surgery because I was on Lovenox shots. Ask your surgeon specifically about each med. It might even be a good idea to take them in for your pre-op appointment.

Pre-op I thought there was no way I'd ever enjoy going to the gym. Now, I'm becoming a regular gym rat. I sweated through yesterday because it's my "rest day". It about killed me not to go. Today was such a relief, to climb on that bike for my warm up and then work my way through the weights. Ahhhh, it was delicious! If you'd have told me 8 months ago that I would say anything close to what I just said, I'd have told you that you were INSANE. I'd rather be addicted to exercise than to food!

I look at the conflicting opinions like this: Your surgeon knows his or her own surgical technique and what has worked for his or her patients in the past. Hopefully you trust your surgeon to know what works best with his or her own handiwork...and our new sleeves are definitely the handiwork of that surgeon. I would follow the instructions your doctor gave because your doctor knows what works best with their method of doing the sleeve. My doctor uses a drain and a fairly restrictive diet post-op, but he's had 2 leaks in all the sleeves he's done. One was a band to sleeve revision and one was not. He's very open about possible complications and I trusted him, literally, with my life. I followed his instructions and, so far, haven't had any major problems. For me, it was that simple. When it comes down to it, though, it's YOUR sleeve. You can do whatever you think is best for your situation. I just think you have to take into account the risks. If you push forward faster than your surgeon recommends, then you might end up having problems that mean you'll have to do liquids and mushies for a lot longer. I wouldn't take that risk for myself.

You don't know how happy I am to hear that it's "just" shin splints!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!

So, I signed up for Planet Fitness this week and I've been hitting it pretty hard with a friend. I need to know whether I should continue my high reps, low weights philosophy or start working on higher weights. I've read a couple of posters talking about working to muscle fatigue, which I'm willing to do. What I'm looking for, though, is what's the most efficient way to get the maximum benefit out of my gym membership? Should I be concentrating on the regular weight machines, or doing the 30 minute circuit? Should I instead use the free weights? I like the machines because they seem to be designed to make the user do the exercise properly. I'm still doing my 30 minutes of cardio per day, plus I've added in at least 20 flights of stairs (10 up, 10 down) daily. Help me out, oh Exercise Gurus, please?!

I literally started out with walking very short distances, building up as I went. I also bought some 2 pound weights and started doing 10 repetitions at a time of basic arm exercises. As my endurance built up, I added in some time on the exercise bike (5-10 minutes to start) and more walking time. 5 minutes on the treadmill kicked my butt early on, now I can do 30 minutes on the treadmill at a 2.5 mph pace, although I still can't run on it. I'm up to 30 minutes on the bike every day, plus a full circuit of low weights, high reps at the gym.

I'd call the doctor now. I did have a blood clot and they are BAD NEWS. I have a tendency to assume blood clots with unusual leg pain, I know, but the phone call will not hurt anything. Clots are a big risk for those of us who are early post-op. They are a big risk for obese people, period.

Southern Girl is right. Many surgeons don't want their sleeve patients to ever use straws. I didn't start using one until I was past the six month mark.

Jeni, That's because milk is denser...and isn't technically a liquid. It's like tomatoes aren't technically a vegetable.

58%

Furby, Why not let hubby read here at VST? The search box at the top right of the page will let him look for answers to any questions he has and let him read about the real life journey of people who have been sleeved.

I gained a bunch of weight from Depo, too. It's still on the market??

Great job! Congrats and Welcome to the Loser's Bench!!

No. You'll be able to drink more water at a time in just a few weeks. The sips are so you don't end up trapping air in your new sleeve, which can be VERY painful.

Cranberry, It's just a matter of telling yourself that you must do it. It has to become as important to you as breathing or eating. For me, it's now a part of my routine, one of those things I must do every day. I do cardio daily because my doctor requires it for me to stay off coumadin, which has some nasty long-term side effects. I think weights are the key to keeping myself from looking like I melted. Both motivate me to get up every day and "Just Do It". You will find your own motivation, but there is plenty of inspiration here on VST.

There's nothing like having the support of someone who is in a similar situation to help us deal with our own situations. My first husband was in the Air Force and was sent to Iraq twice. I doubt I'd have coped without the other wives from his unit. I'm still friends with several of those ladies and I count their families as my family. One great thing about being sleeved is that you'll have a lovely surprise waiting for hubby when he returns from deployment, which will make the reunion that much sweeter. Good luck!! And, thank your husband for his service, please!

If you need the pain meds, take them! There's no award for being in pain. If necessary, set a timer for that second dose at night so that you take it before you start hurting again. I've read that others have had to sleep in a recliner rather than in a bed. Some claim that a heating pad helps them. Whatever you need to do to manage your pain, you should do. Good luck!!

Well, for me, every day is a bonus. I was given 1 year to live if I didn't get the weight off me. That was June of 2011. I had VSG in August, 2011. I'm fairly sure that I can expect to see my Surgiversay, barring accidents. My late mother in law had a VSG-type surgery for stomach cancer and lived to 73. She had a total of 4 bouts of cancer, and she passed in late July, 2011. But, she lived successfully with her stomach surgery for over 15 years, even dealing with chemotherapy and all the meds she took. There is a movement that claims the people who barely eat live longer than those who eat regular meals. I'll have to ask for the name of it because there is a group of those devotees in my community. The premise seems to be that eating small amounts of food increases the metabolism and turns on our inner fountain of youth. I think that VSG increases our life span, no matter what. Even if we don't reach goal quickly, the sleeve helps us take off significant amounts of weight, which means our bodies aren't struggling as hard just to do the basics. That's got to have positive benefits on our longevity!!

Mammamia, I'm glad you are able to focus on what you can control. Let your higher power deal with the rest for now. If there is something you need to do on those other situations, you will know, but the situation will not get better just because you do or don't do something. Besides, following through with your surgery will help you take better care of yourself, which has positive benefits for others in your life! Good luck!! We're keeping your spot on the loser's bench warm!

Kim, That's definitely a reminder that we have to slow down and under-eat the sleeve, hmmm? It's only happened to me once, but that was enough. Nancy, It's not inevitable. Just remember to always under-eat your sleeve and don't drink with meals and you should be fine.

I eat all the other salad veggies, but I don't do lettuce. It fills me up too fast and doesn't have much nutritional value.