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I was sleeved in July and could have done it alone. I would suggest that you get all of your post op supplies beforehand, and maybe stay in the hospital an extra day. They will let you if you can't drink enough fluids- you can arrange that. I would have liked the extra day to regain strength. Make sure you have all of your power cords handy- phone, laptop etc. You will want to go on this site to connect with all of us. You will go through your "omg-what did I do - am I insane - life really wasn't so bad before -how could I- stage and worry about not losing much the first week, that early stall, and the pain in the left ribcage/shoulder area. We will be glad to listen and calm your fears and cheer you on. This is a judgement free zone! Im sorry your wife left, that must have been quite a blow, but as the lbs drop off, you will become amazingly confident and feel and look much better and everytime you hear from others how great you look, the pain will become less! Good luck!

I brought the sleep mask and ear plugs- and extras for my roommate and we were the envy of all the ward! Those places are crazy loud! Oh, and if you use a CPAP, buy the smaller eyemask. The foam molded ones are cumbersome with the CPAP but the fabric ones work just fine and fit better.

I go by Sonic and get a 32 oz unsweet tea with XX ice and sip on it all day, then stop on the way home and get it refilled with ice and water with a slice of lemon and lime, and sip on that the rest of the day. I don't finish either all the way, but oh well, close enough. Oh, and when I swallow air.........I burp. Problem solved.

I was talking with someone about this procedure, and she asked me if it was easy to stretch the sleeve out and if it got stretched, was it possible to shrink it back. I really don't know how hard or easy it is to stretch it, and I have heard that the stomach can shrink, anyway, I wasn't sure how to answer her. Any info on this topic?

I was told to take calcium citrate from the beginning, never really knew why so thanks for the education! As for a PPI, I took it for the first week or so but then never could remember to take it and never really needed it apparently. I do get hungry though, so I wonder if I started taking it again, if my hunger would go away.....any thoughts?

I am sitting here in total disbelief! After all you had to go through to get the sleeve, I sure hope you learn to use it to help yourself. You have been given some good advice and I sure hope you heed it. I would hate for you to regain your weight. In addition to what they said above, maybe start changing the places you eat, such as Subway instead of burgers, deli sandwich instead of pizza, etc, Good luck and I hope you get a handle on this soon.

Hi guys and gals! I was sleeved 5 weeks ago and feel amazing now. I hope your experience is wonderful. I just wanted to let you know of a few things that might make your hospital stay easier. First of all, I suggest a sleep mask and ear plugs. Hospitals are noisy and the lights are bright and constantly going on and off. People are always walking and talking in the halls and the machines are constantly beeping for one reason or another! I brought mine and was the envy of the other patients! Bring a couple of extra pair in case you lose one in the sheets or feel sorry for your roommate if you are in a semi-private room. Sleep masks are cheap and can be found at Walmart or Target. Don't get the big molded ones (the ones that look like a bra) if you use a CPAP machine. The small ones work just as well. Another suggestion is the Special K protein water mix. Walmart carries it with their vitamins- usually next to the pharmacy. The strawberry-kiwi one is good but they also have pink lemonade flavor. I couldn't stand the taste of water but this helped. Music is a good distraction, especially the nature music. It can be very calming. If you want to wear a bra while in the hospital, Walmart carries the Ahhh Bra. It is WONDERFUL! Well, hope this helps! Good luck to all of you!

I went through that also. Fruit Bars frozen popsicles were my saving grace. I would go through nearly a box a day some days. I got the long skinny ones with no sugar added . Between those and the egg drop soup from the chinese restaurant (strained out onions- kept in egg pieces) I managed to stay hydrated. Good luck. I promise it gets better.

I guess everyone has different experiences with it, I never had the horrible gas pains. I had a slight twinge under my left ribcage but it didn't last long. The only real pain I was ever in was heartburn because I couldn't swallow the nexium powder without vomiting. That eased after about a week. You are supposed to let that powder sit and gel for 3 minutes but it was sooooo gross. So instead, I just mixed it with water and shot it down and was able to keep it down. That helped the heartburn. I never felt any pain at all from incisions or the drain removal. Good luck! PS, be sure to bring a sleep mask and ear plugs with you to the hospital if you want to get any sleep at all. Otherwise, the noise is crazy and lights are always going on and off!

I love my CPAP! I don't use the mask, I use the nasal pillows which is much less clumsy and much more comfortable. I was a mouth breather, but with the nasal pillows, I wake up if I open my mouth so within a couple of nights I became a nose breather! My machine starts out on a slow setting which allows me to go to sleep and then the air blows full force. Now I just start it on the full setting. Good luck!

I was also one who only needed to lose 50-60 lbs. I was sleeved a month ago and have lost 25 lbs to date. What you will probably find is that your loss will be slower than the higher BMI's which can be frustrating. You will read the posts that say "I am one month out and have lost 40 lbs" and you will see your losses only creeping in ounces. But, try not to get to frustrated, especially early on. Low BMI's usually hit a stall after about 2 weeks, which can last a week or two. I had read this and then experienced it myself. But have faith in the process. It works. Believe me, it was well worth having the big part of my stomach cut out for my 50 lbs! I have only lost 25 so far and I'm so happy now I almost would have done it for this, but I know it will continue!

You know, unless someone has really bad problems with the surgery itself, or someother physical problem afterward, I can't imagine that anyone would prefer to go back to their previous state. However, I know that for some people, fat is like a wall and when that wall is knocked down, they feel exposed. It is easy to hide behind tonnage. I see the people on the hoarding shows who use their garbage as a type of security. I'm sure people use fat in the same way. I'm so sorry for anyone who can't embrace the gift of being able to walk without pain, sleep without a machine, get out of a chair without struggling, shop in regular stores and most of all, the gift of being able to remove so many health risks by simply eating less, without starving. I mean, you can even eat most anything, just in small portions. But just like the hoarders, sometimes useless junk or old ways of living are hard to give up. Good luck to you and know that if you do this you will have moments where you regret it, usually within the first few days, but after that, you may, like many of us, thank God every day for this gift!

The worst part for me was that they kept coming into my room to check this and that on both me and the person in the other bed. (same surgery) I brought a sleep mask and earplugs which allowed me to sleep well and I recommend you do this also. I even brought an extra pair in case I had a roommate- I did so we both rested! I also told the nurses and techs to feel free to check anything they want, just don't wake me unless they have to. They obliged me! Also, even though you can't have water for 24 hours, they will let you brush your teeth so rinse your mouth several times! It helps with the dry mouth.

It is annoying, I agree. I came out of surgery weighing 5 lbs more than when I went in, then I lost ounces for the first few days, then the water drained. I was losing about a lb a day until 2 weeks post..... then nada, nix, nihl, ZERO, for about a week and a half! It has picked up again and now I am losing about a half a lb a day. I was told by my NUT that a lb of fat is bulky, so I can lose a lot of inches before losing a lot of lbs. She said, a fast drop in lbs usually means we are losing muscle. So just stay the course and let your clothes be the judge. They will get looser even if the scale won't budge!

I get that if I take one bite too many! Ouch!

Frozen yogurt was fine so long as I didn't put mounds of candy toppings on it!

Oh good, I'm so glad you went ahead with the sleeve! The first couple of weeks are the pits, but actually, the first month passes before you know it. Today was my 1 month surgiversary! I can't believe it came so soon. I am in a stall right now for the last week actually, but I know it works so I will just be patient. Good luck with your move. Where are you guys moving from / to?

All these suggestions are great. If you want to really wow her, clean the house, including the baseboards, bathrooms etc. , do all the laundry and detail her car. If you spring for a mani/pedi too, you will be the bomb!! That would definitely wow me!!

I had to take 10 deep breaths per hour using a gadget that made me take long, slow deep breaths. I found that this worked the gas out of my chest really quickly. I had to blow out all my air, then inhale for a count of 12, expanding my lungs as far as I could, then slowly exhale. (I had to work up to a 12 count.) Once I started doing that, I no longer had the bad gas pains. Good luck to you! Every day gets better.

I feel for you! This is a rough time to be adjusting to all this especially since the fashions seem to be tank tops and flimsy little sleeveless shirts! I can't find a good ole button up shirt to save my life! I'm just trying to hang in there and look forward to fall when the styles will once again have sleeves!

I'm not sure who you were asking this question to, but since your post came after mine, I will assume you were asking me. (If not, sorry.) I started at 195, and now I am at 171. I am 24 days post-op. I lost nothing during week 3 which was terrifying, but finally last night I finally went from 172 to 171, whew! I realize my calories and carbs are low, but so is my activity lately. Once I am back to work and more active I'm sure the weight will continue to drop.

I found the Special K protein water tubes and love them. They are sold at Walmart but are not with the drink mixes, instead, they are with the vitamins and protein powders and drinks (usually close to the pharmacy). They come in strawberry-kiwi and pink lemonade. Each tube has 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber! I think they taste great! Also, during my liquid phase, I became addicted to egg drop soup from a neighborhood chinese restaurant. It is heavenly!!! I strained out the onions but left in the little egg peices as they are almost liquid. Also Miso soup was wonderful also and again, I strained the veggies but left in the tofu- extra protein. Once I found these I knew I could endure the liquid phase. Good luck to you.