2muchfluff

Congrats on your weight loss. I was sleeved on 11/29 and am also 5 weeks out, 6 weeks come Monday. I have lost 30 lbs also. Isn't it great? I too had an uneventful recovery and not had any problems. I have been functioning completely normally for the last couple of weeks. I can't even tell that I have had surgery other than when I look in the mirror and when I eat.

I had my surgery on a Monday and went for my first checkup on that Friday. I was told by the surgeon and the dietician that I could start creamy soups, yogurt, sf pudding, etc. Just no chunks. I did fine.

I was not "officially" diabetic, but I did have fasting blood sugars over 100 pre op. Post op fasting blood sugars have been in the 80s for the first time in a while.

I was fortunate enough to have an excellent surgeon that has a nutritionist on staff and she is a WLS patient! So she has an excellent point of view. Everything about the program is coordinated and they give you handouts with all the dietary instructions about what to eat for each week post op. Protein first is their motto.

I too, have had my thyroid completely removed due to the fact that it was huge and riddled with nodules. I was already extremely hypothyroid, so I saw no need to continue to get painful needle biopsies to wait and see if I would develop cancer. I am on total replacement, and I also finally convinced a doctor to switch me to Armour thyroid so I could finally get my life back. Today I am 4 weeks out and have lost 29 lbs. so far. I was afraid because of thyroid issues that I would not lose the weight, but so far so good.

My surgeon said to drink as if you are drinking from a bottle cap the first few days, because too much at a time will make you nauseous. And the hospital nurse also said that if you do get dehydrated you will become nauseous and unable to drink. So hydration is the key, but slow and steady. Hope you feel better soon.

It will get better. You need to stay on pain meds and try to get them in before the pain takes hold. They work better that way. I had my surgery on a Monday and Friday night was the last time I took pain meds, and I did not have the esophagus repair that you had, though.. Try not to rush it. You are still brand new. You will get a little better each day and soon it will just be a memory. Hang in there.

I have also noticed that smells seem to be more apparent to me. When I walk by the stove where I had cooked my egg for breakfast, I could smell the egg on the skillet and spatula and I had never noticed that before. Also, when I am eating and I eat a little too much for my tummy and I don't feel good, I have to get the rest of the food away from me so I can't smell it. Even an empty plate smells if it is sitting next to me and makes me feel worse.

I had that problem pre surgery, but it was due to being hypothyroid. Dry skin, brittle nails, falling hair all are related to lack of thyrod hormone. So you may want to have it checked next time you see your doc.

I had to switch to Isopure instead of the shakes becuase they were so hard to get down and made me want to hurl after. I still occasionaly try to do a shake, but I have to thin it down to keep it from being so sickeningly sweet. I can drink the Isopure as easily as crystal lite, so it is much better for me. No heavy feeling after.

I am also stalled, but I am still noticing my clothes fitting much differently and better, and I can see the changes in the mirror, so this will be enough for me until the scales move again.

I was told by my surgeon that you cannot absorb more than 20 grams of protein in a sitting. All the educational materials I was given to read before surgery say this same thing.

Most likely from a heparin shot given to prevent clots.

Hi all. I have not been on here for some months. Personal issues that I will not go into here, but I had my sleeve on 11/29/10. So far I am very happy with the way I feel. I was taking Lasix to get rid of excess fluid pre-surgery, but my dr. did not want me to continue it post surgery. I was alarmed at first, because, of course I started retaining fluid and actually put on 5 lbs, from surgery day through 5 days post op. He was right in his decision, because I would have been dehydrated had I taken it. With that said, after I lost that 5 lbs of fluid plus an additonal 10 lbs during week 2, there has been no further change in weight. On monday I will be 3 weeks post op. I have been getting in 64+ ounces of fluids, getting in all my required 60 grams of protein, walking 1+mile on the treadmill for a week now with no further change. Am I doing something wrong, or is this normal?

I have come to the conclusion that my body may be resisting my greatly reduced caloric intake and going into starvation mode coupled with the fact that I am staying well hydrated which adds some weight. Anyway, I am glad I am not the only one experiencing this. Thank you everyone for your replies. And Dawn, I am getting in my fluids with the help of Crystal light. Walmart sells the Great Value brand, and I love the Strawberry-Orange-Banana flavor. And, after the first 10 days or so, I can swallow much more than the tiny sips I did at first. I can swallow about an ounce to two ounces in one swallow with no discomfort at all. I also mainly use Isopure for my one protein drink. I sometimes use the shakes, but they don't go down as well, I feel too full, and they are so sweet, they make me want to gag. I have advanced to eating chicken, eggs, tuna, cottage cheese, string cheese, etc. I try to get my protein in with my food as much as possible, but if that doesn't happen, I supplement with protein drinks.( (I corrected my first post to say that I lost an additonal 10 lbs the second week.)

Four 200mg over the counter ibuprophen is the same thing as one 800mg prescription ibuprohen.

Yay!!! Happy ending to a sad beginning!

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

This question may have been answered elsewhere, and if it has, I apologize for asking again. But, when I first looked at the sleeve option, I got the overall idea that after the pre-op and post-op special diet and healing took place, the diet would be normal foods, only in smaller portions, with special attention to protein content. Am I wrong in my assumption? After looking over a lot of posts, it seems that most people don't eat a normal diet, but still eat the protein shakes and other "food substitutes". I guess what I am asking is, are the protein shakes and other bariatric drinks and foods a permanent thing, or just till you reach goal? I am not asking this in a negative way, I just want to be completely informed with no surprises. Thanks.

I was convinced that the band was for me, too. Mainly because of the "revesribility" option. I was not too crazy about the after care part, though with the fills, etc. Then someone in the drs. office told me about the sleeve, which I had never heard of. Now I am working toward getting mine as soon as my insurance company allows. Keep us updated on your progress.

Hello, Brenda. I am from Georgia and considering the sleeve.

Tiffykins, I do not want to get involved in the battle of words that is going on here, but I just want to say that I am new here and just came here to be able to make a more informed decision on my own future WLS. And also that you were the very first person to greet me, make me feel welcome and encourage me to proceed with my life changing journey, and I appreciate that. I have also noticed that you are very helpful, upbeat and informative. And, yes, I got the impression that you love your surgeon and he was right for you. And when I decide on mine and have my WLS, I will probably love mine and tell everyone that will listen so. I think that is perfectly alright. It is an opinion and that is why most people join forums. To get others opinions and experiences, be they negative or positive, and then make their own informed decisions. Thank you for your care and concern.

I also belong to the clean plate club and continue to eat, even if I don't really like something, just because you are supposed to "clean your plate".

I went to the seminar with Dr Whipple and I liked him OK, but he was in a rush on his presentation, and started answering questions from the audience after, but after just a few questions got a call and abruptly left. The handouts also outlined out of pocket costs of around $850. Since my insurance would be paying at 100%, I called the next day to ask if that would apply to me, and was curtly told that yes, it applied to everyone. Not that I couldn't come up with the money, but the literature seemed to be all about the money. So I went to a seminar in Augusta, which I liked much better. Dr Chasen spoke for an hour and answered questions throughout. Then he was available afterward for private questions. And there will not be any additional fees, other than the dietician, which most insurances do not cover.

I will be attending an informational seminar in Savannah, GA and I know there are surgeons in Augusta. Has anyone in this area used a surgeon in the South Georgia area?