Katie713

Sorry to hear its a struggle now, that's what I was posting to you about prior to surgery, it takes time to heal and let that swelling go down so that you can get the nutrition you need. A thick creamy shake is probably impossible right now, but clear protein like Isopure might work and warm tea and broth. Go easy and think positive.

Oh Liz...hope you get through this part quickly and start to be able to get oral nutrition and some semblance of normality. I know this is not a" happy" time but wishing ypu the blessings of Christmas and time with family. Keeping you in my prayers.

I agree, it doesn't "feel" different once you are completely healed, but it has it's limitations and when you get full, you get full fast and it gets uncomfortable fast. Your stomach is alot noisier too, it gurgles and you feel it more acutely when you eat. If it doesn't want something, it lets you know fast.

If it doesn't let up, go on in to urgent care. You need to monitor what you can keep down so you don't get dehydrated. Severe nausea and other symptoms, fever, feeling weak and faint are signs you need medical care. The signs of a leak begin in a very similar way...so be cautious. Not trying to scare you, but this surgery does carry risks, so listen to your body and if you get worse, just get yourself to the doctor.

Nurse Ratched from Cookoos Nest

You won't have a normal feeling in your tummy for awhile Becky. With the stomach swollen, you feel some sense of nutrition from the liquids, but no fullness the way we were used to. It will be the same with pureed diet, and you start to normalize with soft foods as you move through the stages of eating. On my program, I was released to firm solids at about 6 weeks. That is when you truly feel the restriction of the sleeve. You will know with certainty what full feels like and it is not comfortable. I am 8 months out and still getting used to it. One or two bites too many does not feel good. You get this little uncomfortable feeling and that is when to stop. Then I get 1 or 2 internal hiccups and 2 regular hiccups and I'm done. Like clockwork. Many people get the hiccups with fullness with the sleeve, or a runny nose. It's weird but true. My family all laugh when I hiccup and say, "That's it she's done!" or "Put a fork in her she's done!" Have a good weekend

chiki...you've gotten a lot of good advice and a couple of digs on this thread, but I know you are frustrated with the slow weight loss, of course you are, you've had 2 surgeries! What we take into our bodies is the most important thing now, and it sounds like your body is resistant to losing weight, the smaller stomach is not a magic fix....you still have to do the work. I am losing slowly now too but I have lost 100 pounds and the only way that happened was to eat about 1000 calories daily and less than 50 grams of carbs. Start fresh after the holidays and give up the bread, tortillas, rice, potatoes and all sweets (sugar) and focus on protein and veggies, a little fruit and exercise daily, drink tons of water. When you eliminate the carbs, your body has to turn to it's fat stores for energy, that is what you want to happen. If you eat the wrong things, lots of carbs for example, your body uses that glucose for energy first and your fat stays put. You have to get your body to burn that fat, and surgery won't do that, only diet and exercise provide that element. Good luck!!!

Sounds like you're doing ok. Good for you. Each day should get a little easier as the swelling goes down. Just take it easy, you don't want to tear any internal stitches. I kept a log of everything to make sure I was getting my 70+ grams of Protein and keeping hydrated.Sometimes warmer fluids go down easier, so I would have my chai tea all morning long, with Protein shakes in between, and Soups of course. Good luck!! Enjoy your holidays.

But of course Iggy! You know I get my low carb veggie nutrition from bloody mary's made with V8! I had to give up my margaritas, but one bloody mary does the trick these days, and yes I do count my calories. As far as wine is concerned, I'm partial to a nice sweet red but its for medicinal purposes only, for my heart health, you know.

You got the right idea girlfriend!! You know back in the old days, they would take women who were out of control to sanitoriums and administer the same kind of therapy. It worked wonders then, and it works wonders now.

I did the Options program out of Panorama City, CA from September - December 2011 (12 week program) We had to turn in our food/exercise logs and lose 10% (although not everyone lost a full 10% but still qualified). It was a phenominal program, and I learned so much about the process, felt completely confident in the surgeon as well. I finished the program and got the call from the surgeons office in January 2012 at West L.A. Kaiser. I was approved and could have had my surgery in as little as two weeks, but I opted to wait until April because of work commitments. My surgery went well with no complications, plenty of follow up care. West LA is a fantastic facility to have surgery at, and I had Dr. Zelada-Getty. Good luck!!

Hope to hear you are soon home recuperating and that all went well.

Alot of our nutritional paperwork from the bariatric program does not condone the consumption of alchohol because YES, it can be harmful to the body in excess. With that said, in moderation, and after you have completely healed from WLS, a few glasses of wine (or a cocktail) is NOT going to KILL YOU. Here is how alchohol is digested: Here’s a road map to show you the route traveled by the alcohol in every drink you take. Flowing down the hatch from mouth to stomach: The unmetabolized alcohol flows through your stomach walls into your bloodstream and on to your small intestine. Stopping for a short visit at the energy factory: Most of the alcohol you drink is absorbed through the duodenum (small intestine). From there it flows through a large blood vessel into your liver. In the liver, an enzyme similar to gastric ADH metabolizes the alcohol, which is converted to energy by a coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is also used to convert the glucose you get from other carbohydrates to energy; while NAD is being used for alcohol, glucose conversion grinds to a halt. The normal, healthy liver can process about 1/2 ounce of pure alcohol (that’s 6 to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounce of spirits) in an hour. The rest flows on to your heart. Taking time out for air: Entering your heart, alcohol reduces the force with which your heart muscle contracts. You pump out slightly less blood, blood vessels all over your body relax, and your blood pressure goes down temporarily. The contractions soon return to normal, but the blood vessels may remain relaxed and your blood pressure lower for as long as half an hour. Meanwhile, alcohol flows in blood from your heart through your pulmonary vein to your lungs. Now you breathe out a tiny bit of alcohol every time you exhale, and your breath smells of liquor. Then the newly oxygenated, still alcohol-laden blood flows back through the pulmonary artery to your heart, and up and out through the aorta. Rising to the surface: In your blood, alcohol raises your level of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), although not necessarily the good ones that carry cholesterol out of your body. Alcohol also makes blood less likely to clot, temporarily reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke. Alcohol makes blood vessels expand, so more warm blood flows up from the center of your body to the surface of the skin. You feel warmer and, if your skin is fair, you may flush and turn pink. (Asians, who tend to make less alcohol dehydrogenase than do Caucasians, often experience a characteristic flushing when they drink even small amounts of alcohol.) At the same time, tiny amounts of alcohol ooze out through your pores, and your perspiration smells of alcohol. Encountering curves in the road: Alcohol is a sedative. When it reaches your brain, it slows the transmission of impulses between nerve cells that control your ability to think and move. That’s why your thinking may be fuzzy, your judgment impaired, your tongue twisted, your vision blurred, and your muscles rubbery. Alcohol reduces your brain’s production of antidiuretic hormones, which keep you from making too much urine. You may lose lots of liquid, Vitamins, and minerals. You also grow very thirsty, and your urine may smell faintly of alcohol. This cycle continues as long as you have alcohol circulating in your blood, or in other words, until your liver can manage to produce enough ADH to metabolize all the alcohol you’ve consumed. Most people need an hour to metabolize the amount of alcohol (1/2 ounce) in one drink. But some people have alcohol circulating in their blood for up to three

Another possible explanation is a stricture, which is scar tissue that makes a very narrow opening near the esophogus. They use a balloon dilation treatment to stretch that narrowing. If it continues, let your surgeon know so they can test for it. For now back off to protein shakes and full liquids and take your vitamins, keep hydrated.

Good for you. Glad to hear it!!

Looks ok from what I read from the supplemental facts on line: A sustained release multi-functional micellar Protein matrix comprised of: (Milk Protein Concentrate, Ultrafiltered Whey Protein Concentrate [Milk] Rich in Alpha-Lactalbumin, Microfiltered Whey Protein Isolate [Milk] Rich in Whey Isolate Peptide Fractions, Micellar alpha and beta caseins and caseinates [Milk], Egg Albumen [Egg], Calcium Caseinate [from milk]), Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup Solids, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Vegetable Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carrageenan, Sucralose, Mono & Diglycerides, sodium alginate, Lecithin (Soy)

Don't be surprised if you can't handle it creamy right after surgery when you move off Clear liquids. When there is literally no room in your stomach due to swelling, most people want shakes as thin as possible. Just don't blend it if it bothers you too much and just use the shaker bottle, then once you get further along, blending works fine. The blender aerates the shake adding alot of air (thats what makes it creamy and fluffy) and air in your stomach is extemely uncomfortable right after surgery - and it bloats your little sleeve. After a few weeks, and as the swelling goes down, it will get easier, I promise. You are gonna be surprised as to what it takes to make you feel stuffed! Good luck on your surgery tomorrow!

Keep up the good work Patrick! You're doing fantastic!!!

This is a great thread. BTB, your strategy seems very practical and I could see getting myself into this routine because I love lettuce wraps, salads and omelettes. I've been struggling with trying to play around with recipes and I end up with too much food, foods I didn't really like that much and avoid eating the leftovers (there are always leftovers!) or getting things to go on the way home from work, not the best choice. Obviously I can't eat much in a sitting, but this has led me to snack at times because of going beyond 3 hours and getting ravenous. I do have my good Snacks, but they should not be taking the place of REAL meals that are more nutritious. It is getting harder to lose the weight as I get closer to goal, but I am a fighter, I am not giving up and I am not cheating with loads of carbs, it is more about finding a strategy that is doable. DuranFan..l hope you feel more hopeful. Keep coming here, it helps to dialogue with like minded folk and people who are living this life and succeeding at weight loss. I was so big for my small frame for so long, I felt hopeless at ever making the change, but low and behold, I am now being called petite and I feel so much better, and I have so much more strength. You can do this!!!

Liz...hang in there. Keeping you in my daily prayers. I know this is all so tough, I am so sorry you are going through this. I was doing some reading on the internet about leaks, and some doctors do advocate just letting it heal without surgical intervention, just utilizing different nutritional techniques (TPN) that bypass the digestion in the stomach. Some people on this site who had the stint say that it is extremely uncomfortable and promotes acid backing up in the esophagus. I will say once Iggy got her claw, she had immediate improvement, I wish that was an option for you, but not everyone uses this newer technology. You will get through this. This community is here for you, if only by virtue of our caring and concern. Sending positive thoughts your way!!!

Perhaps the new year will prompt you to re-commit to the process. Don't give up on yourself, and you may need counseling to help you through this process as self sabotage is something so many of us with long term obesity deal with, with our without our sleeved stomachs!! You may need to clean out the cupboards of foods that are too tempting ro resist and plan some Snacks that are better choices. Your sleeve will not reject most foods, and in fact if that is what you were looking for, the gastric bypass would have been more effective, and for many years the gastric sleeve was a pre-curser to full gastric bypass, so this is still a viable option for you if you have insurance and your doctor concurs. Unfortunately, the sleeve is just a tool to limit intake one session at a time. If you keep eating, the calories will mount. I am losing slowly as well, but I keep on trying. I bought some string cheese and olives to nosh on if I need a snack, and I do buy the Weight Watchers frozen dessert bars for late at night watching TV. If you are doing well during the day, try and mimic the same thing at night, PLAN what you will snack on and make sure its healthy...i.e. an apple with some Peanut Butter spread on it, some deviled eggs, popcorn, olives, beef jerkey, some nuts, some low fat cheese. Just don't give up. You can do this, and if you need help, heck get whatever you need, even hypnosis!! Good luck on your journey!!

I had to take a pregnancy test just before my surgery in pre-op. I even stated that I am already in menopause, but they said it was mandatory. Follow up with a nutritionist will be paramount for you. I have read of others who got or are pregnant post-op and still lose weight, but having a high quality diet will be so important, and of course pre-natal Vitamins, etc. First thing is to coordinate with your doctor and nutritionist, and get your first appointment with OB/GYN so you have constant monitoring. Good luck.

Start reading the forum posts you posted in and you will find lots of helpful information. Sometimes we reach our limit with our weight and start to feel out of place, I get that, but remember, having a support system, and friends be there for you is helpful, and isolating yourself may lead to depression. It's the holidays, I would make a point to spend time with those I love, and let the surgery work for you next year as you get healthier.

Cold constricts, warm relaxes. I drank a ton of warm decaf chai tea and broth to stay hydrated until the swelling inside went down and I could tolerate cold liquids better. Luckily its temporary.

That kind of pain isn't normal. You may need to contact your surgeon or your doctor to make sure you are ok. Better to be safe than sorry.