E-girl

I told everyone, family, friends, and everyone at work because I didn't want to have everyone asked me why I was out for two weeks or you look like you losing weight what's your secret. I personally wanted people to asked me questions or express their concerns before the surgery and not after. My family and friends was very supportive (mostly)...work was also supportive except for 1 person but she was a big B to begin with so I expected it. One of my work friends had a lot of questions about my experience...later to find out he is having by pass surgery at the end of the month. I am a very strong person and out spoken at work so I know most people wouldn't say anything negitive to my face which is fine by me. But people will talk and not always nicely...people still think this is a easy way out, which it's not...and some people will just think your sickly/pitiful/weak which is not the case because you are doing something that will hopefully extend your life and give you a better quality of life. To those people, I say "Yes, I cheated...cheated heart failure, high blood pressure, back and knee pain, depression, and an earily grave...so yes, I cheated". But to be honest, if I had to do it all over again, I would only tell my family and closest friends but not lie if asked by coworkers.

The anesthesia is the easy part. Most doctor's will say something like count backwards from 10 to 1 when they inject you but you'll be lucky to get the word "ten" out. The meds go in the via IV. Then you just wake up...you'll be cold but they have blankets that have been warmed. Don't forget to ask for a small pillow so you can cough. The coughing is normal but hold is tight to your belly then cough. It will still hurt a little but not as bad without the pillow. Good luck...and welcome to the club.

I just order a sample of Nectar. A man are they good!!!! I have a hard time with protein shakes too. The only one I could choke down was chocolate Unjury but one of the forums mentioned Nectar. They taste like fruit juice and don't have a funny smell. They are also aspartame free and have 23 g of protein per drink.

So I modified my breakfast for the last couple of days to see if that would help and it worked. I have strawberry mini wheats in soy milk and some banana. Went down great. But I have not lost any weight 5 days. In fact, I went up by half a pound and I am really trying hard not to freak out. So I worked out longer today. We shall see how I did tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Yes you will have sagging skin. My friend was 250 and lost 100 pounds. She had hanging skin in her inner thighs, belly, and arms. The belly skin was removed via a tummy tuck 2 years after WLS because she was getting a rash. Good news is that her insurance pick up some of the cost...it wasn't a lot but something is better than nothing. The arms and inner thighs she decided to live with. She wear 3/4 sleeve shirt and a body shapers under her pants. I have lost 50 lb and I already have hanging skin in the same areas. I also wear 3/4 sleeves and body shapers under the pants. I plan on getting a tummy tuck and lazer lippo in my arms and inner thighs in 2 years.

WOW...never thought I would be overjoyed to lose 0.2 lbs before but hey...a loss is loss, right?!?! Well Monday I will be going on a business trip away from home. This will be the first long trip since my surgery. I am very concerned about how successful I will be away from my refrigerator and my resources. But I am taking with me my protein packs and 4 – 4oz containers of mini wheat’s. I found a grocery store near the hotel and my boss is renting a car so I will be able to drive there on the first day. My doctor even wrote me a note that says I need to have access to frig and microwave. Hopefully, they will be able to meet my needs. If any of you have traveled this early with a sleeve (9 wks), tell me how it went.

I thought the guggling would never stop but it does. Its totally normal...annoying...but normal. It goes away within 4-6 weeks but sometime longer. I only get the guggles when I drink to fast. I used bean-o and walked. Also, once I was able to go back on prilosec it got a thousand times better.

One of my issues was not getting in my protein shakes in between my meal. During yesterday's visit to my doctor's I admitted that I just couldn't do it. It was smell and taste that would make me gag! And I tried quite a few different types. The only one that doesn't bother me as bad is chocolate flavored ones, which is funny because before the surgery, I could drink chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, etc. I even made shakes with oj and lemonade...for example if you mix vanilla powder with oj it tasted like a creamsicle...or strawberry powder with lemonade....yummy then....yucky now. So all your pre-surgery folks...be prepared...what you like now you may not like after. I have noticed that my hair is falling out more so than normal. The nurse explained that this is normal for two reasons...(1) the shock of surgery and the sudden drop in calories will cause this to occur and (2) not getting enough protein also causes hair loss. Good news is that is only last between 3-6 months and it can be corrected. Sooooo my goal is to ensure that I drink a protein shake twice a day as directed. My hair loss is really not that big a deal for me because I have A LOT and I mean A LOT of hair and my hair is very thick and coarse so I don't think losing a few strands is going to break the bank but I will say that my girlfriend who had bypass loss her hair and it did not look good. She looked like she was balding. She was not getting her protein in at all. Today, she looks normal but she also gained back 50+ pounds. I am happy to report that I am able to drink a full 8 ozs of a protein shake at this point in one sitting but it does take an hour. The other issue I have been having lately is diarrhea. It's not all the time but very random and quite sudden. Since I have not been tracking what I have been eating everyday (which you should be doing by the way), I have no idea what was triggering it. The nurse said that it is not uncommon to become lactose intolerant after surgery and that milk can cause diarrhea. Or sugar is the problem...I know what you are thinking...you had gastric sleeve not bypass...well guess what...you can get dumping syndrome in a gastric sleeve as with bypass but without the horrible cramps as with bypass. She explained that when you introduce large amounts of sugar into the system this will cause your body to “dump” water into your intestinal track to flush it out causing diarrhea. I asked about fiber sups to help. She said she would not have an issue with that but I have to get in at least 64 oz of water in a day and I am not there yet. If you take fiber sups. without adequate water you will be constipation. SOOOOOo…I am trying Silk instead of milk. Read the labels because Almond Silk only has 1 gram of protein and regular Silk has 6 grams. Also, I was admitted that I had a tall skinny caramel macchiato which has 24 grams of sugar!!!!! (the light came on). NOT TO CONFUSE PRE-SURGERY READERS but you are only supposed to have 6 grams of sugar per meal…that’s added sugar…naturally occurring sugar is ok like in fruit. Anyways, it time for lunch…

Going back to work was a lot harder than I thought. My job requires that I travel to local site 2-3 times a week and sometimes I would forget my lunch so I had to eat out. But I think I have finally adjusted. I hate to admit it but I had buyer's remorse up until week 6. Three things happened...(1) I was able to get into a size 14, (2) I was able to drink 50 oz of water and didn't have dry mouth any more and (3) my husband told me that he was going to go through the surgery as well. Eating is better too. So today I had my 8 week follow up with the nurse and dietition. I am not longer under any restriction. I can have strawberries, nuts, and drink through a straw. YAY!!!!!! Also, I have lost 43 lbs and I fit into a size 12 comfortably but can squeeze into a size 10. My back no longer hurts. My knees no longer crack. I can run up and down the stairs no problem. I feel great! It was totally worth it. Oh...and my sex life is amazing!!!!! :wub:

Its really just a test. Mine consisted of a 259 question (that's right...not 260 but 259) online quiz and a one-on-one interview with the pychologist who did a memory test where you look at a series of shapes and have to redraw as many pictures as you can remember. The quiz was on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being most likely and 5 being the least likely. The quiz consisted of questions like...I like my mother...I hear voices...I see things that are not really there...I am always happy...I hate my mother...I sometimes wish I did not exist...I like to hurt myself...etc. Its not a big deal...They just want to make sure you are normal and not suffering for any disorders that would impair your ability to make a rational decision.

Drinking was my biggest problem after surgery. I lived off of sugar free popsicles. But at 6 weeks it suddenly got better. I was able take bigger "sips". I think in the beginning I was able to get in 20 oz at the most. I am at 8 1/2 weeks and I can get 40 oz. It gets better with time. I am still really thirsty all the time jut not as bad as in the beginning.

I have tried a Chobani and Fage (both baby/kid and adult) several times, several different flavors and they are all nasty. I can't stand the sour after taste. However, yesterday I tried Yopait and it was by far the best. It was very mild. Tasted closer to the regular Yopait yogurt that a Greek style yogurt, but with all the benifits of the protein. I tried the blueberry one. It's is very thick so I think I might add a little milk to thin it out. They make them is two different sizes. I got the smaller one (4 oz cup), which was the perfect size for early sleevers. Contains 8g of protein. The 6 oz container has 12 grams of protein.

Do they not have an after hours number? I would try to get a hold of someone tonight!

I want to wish you the best of luck. I won't lie to you. You will have good days and bad days but it is all worth it. Welcome to healthy!

I hear ya! I feel the same way. I can't even say "there are days when..." because it is everyday. In the very begining I really regretted doing it all the time, all day long....but now... it like once a day I reget the surgery because I want to eat the same things that family is having at dinner time. After that, I back to normal remembering why I did it in the first place. I am much happier now not being classified as morbidly obese, being able to tie my shoes without holding my breathe, and buying clothes in the normal sections instead of the womens department. I take one day at a time. Sometimes I think I could do fat too but then I remember how unhappy I was. I would much rather be angry/depressed for an hour a day about not being able to have all my comfort foods and pigging out than being angry/depressed for being morbidly obese and afraid of an earily grave. It does get easier. Its a learning process...thats the point of the surgery...to help you make better food choices.

I had my surgery on 2/7/2012 and I am back and forth all the time on my decision. Sure, I have lost 30 lbs in 4 1/2 weeks but I can't enjoy the same foods that my family is having. My husband and I work long hours so we used to go out to eat all the time. Now we go out and I have 2 bits of something and have to sit there and watch my family happy enjoy their food. Also some of the women at work treat me differently. I feel like I can't Celebrate my sucess or I have to down play it to avoid making others feel bad or jealous. I feel really alone sometimes. Eating and drinking is still hard. I am thirsty alll the time because can get enough in. On the other hand, I can bend down and tie my shoes without holding my breathe. I can walk up 2 flights of stairs without stopping at each landing because I was huffing and puffing. I stopped snoring in my sleep. AND....I am no longer classified as morbidly obese. I am not at a point where I can say I love my sleeve...but I do loving that I feel healthier then I have been in 10 years.

I am 4 1/2 weeks out and I have this problem too. It was worse in the very beginning. Walking helped a lot. It happens less frequently now but if I take a big gulp, the stuck burp feeling come back and I get nuseaus.

Sorry I haven’t been in touch for the past 10 days. So the day after my follow-up, things felt easier because I had an explanation as to why I was in so much pain. On Day 12, I was given permission to go from CLEAR (teas, water, crystal lite, broth, plus 2 protein shakes mixed with milk) to FULL liquids, which meant that I could have a creamy soup, vegetable juice, sugar free Jell-O, Cream of Wheat, sugar free pudding, fat free yogurt. On Day 14, I was given permission to go on the Mushy diet plan. The first thing I tried was tuna…not good. I was told that I should have 3 meals and 2 proteins shake. The meal are to be 2 tablespoon of a protein, 1 tablespoon of a veg and 1 tablespoon of a fruit…4 tablespoons total. So I tried 2 tablespoons of tuna with 1 saltine cracker (which is permitted also, if you’re not doing a fruit or veg)…an oh boy it tasted good going down but not so good coming back up. Soooo, I have learned that I can only take in 2 tablespoons at a time. I also wanted to report that I do not have any pain what so ever at this point. The only thing I have is an uncomfortable feeling in my throat if I eat too much. On Day 15, I went back to work…got a little sick at work because my friend and I were talking and I was not paying attention to how much I was putting in my mouth. But I am happy to report that I have only vomited one time. On Day 18 and Day 19…when out to eat with my family for the first time. It wasn’t to bad. I order soup and tea. Because I haven’t been drinking enough, my nutritionist said I can skip the 30/30 rule (for those who don’t know that rule…you have to stop drinking 30 meals before and after the meal) to only 30 mins after the meal. This has helped a lot. I will tell you that I am very tempted to gulp my water but that give me gas pain and it’s just not worth it.

So I went to my first follow up at my doctor’s office. The nutritionist said I was doing fine and to not worry about not being able to get 64 oz of water but to try to drink as much as possible. The gurgling was normal but it might be easier to warm up the water a little or add crystal light to the water. The nurse explained that because I was had a hiatal hernia repair I was experience more pain than most Gastric Sleevers, and that in 4 weeks I would feel like everyother Sleevers.

8:00 AM. Happy Valentine’ Day everyone! I feel great today. I can stand up completely straight longer than before. My incisions do not hurt at all. I only have slight lower ab soreness and I mean slight. I only notice it when I stretch. My stomach is way less bloated but still a little tender on the top half of my abs. I think this is due in part to the hiatal hernia repair I had in addition to my VS. I am having a protein shake for breakfast this morning. Will check in later. 9:30 PM. I finally was able to drink 32 oz of water. And I was able to get in 1 1/2 protein shakes. And I walked 1.0 miles today. I think I just turned the corner.

I have to agree with Sleeve Master. Your boss probably doesn't have a choice but sent you home. Employees can file a complaint about work condition not being sanitary. I can understand the employee not wanting you to stay in the office especially when it cannot be confirmed by the employee that this is a result of the sleeve and not a true illness.

Thanks everyone for your well wishes. I am seven days out and feeling a lot better.

Well, its time. I am now leaving my house to go the hospital. I am excited and extremely nervious but I glad the day has finally arrived.