minaleigh

I've been drinking G2 (it's a nice break from water!), and even during the Vitamin Water craze (not sure if you went through it, but when they became super popular, I was in high school and everyone was drinking them!), I've never had one. I'll have to check them out. I do have an update though, with something I didn't mention before. If no one notices this post, I'll make a new topic just for it. Did anyone else get really winded easily after surgery? I'm almost 4 weeks out and doing simple things like getting ready in the morning, taking a shower, or even preparing a meal makes me short of breath and my heart starts racing. Even 35 pounds heavier, this never happened, at least not doing those sorts of things. I figured it might be because I had a more difficult time with having be in the hospital longer and therefore making me weaker. Like I said, I get my Protein in, so it's not that I'm low on energy. I've tried exercising, to build my stamina back up, but even walking a third of a mile makes me have to stop, take a breath, feel my pulse, and calm down. Before my surgery, I could walk at least half a mile and be fine. It's not a feeling like I'm low on energy, but more like I just ran a mile carrying a backpack of bricks! I asked my surgeon, but he didn't have an answer. My mom says it's because I'm not exercising enough. Well, I'm exercising more than I did before surgery (I was SUPER lazy), and I still get this winded feeling. Any help?

I'm almost 4 weeks out, and I still can't sleep through the whole night. Even right now, it's 3 a.m. and I'm supposed to be up at 9 to go to a doctor appointment. When I do fall asleep, I usually wake up every two hours. Never really had problems sleeping before surgery.

Thanks for the tips guys! Oregon- I'm surprised I could eat it, too. But now that I think about it, it took more like 45 minutes to eat it, which I know I shouldn't be doing. I also didn't eat the whole tortilla part, just the toppings. After I was done, I kind of worried that I was able to eat so much. I have some powders for Water (not sure what the brand, I've had them forever, way before my surgery), just haven't gotten around to trying them. My doctor and nutritionist both told me to stop drinking 30 minutes before a meal. I thought it was kind of a silly notion, because like you said, it'll just go right through. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to drink 64 oz of fluids in a day if our stomach can only hold around 3-6 oz. Besides, I never really plan my meals out, so I can't determine a time when I'm going to eat, so trying to stop 30 minutes before a meal gets a bit annoying. Sleeved Realtor- If longer-life was sleeved a day after you (and after reading her signature), that means I was sleeved 6 days after you. Right now, I can't imagine eating a 2 egg omelet with cheese! I tried one egg with a little bit of cheese mixed in and it was so uncomfortable in my stomach. I think I got the "foamies" that I keep seeing people talk about. It's weird I can eat the tortilla pizza, but not a whole egg with cheese! Longer-life- I'll give your suggestion about eating just a little bit when feeling hungry after eating a try. I've never had Powerade Zero or Sobe, but I'll check those out! Thanks, everyone!

My hospital experience wasn't the best. I had mine on Nov 21. Came in at 7 a.m. for a 9 a.m. surgery. I was going to be his second case that day. Promptly got into a gown and those thin hospital stockings. My mom was the one who drove me and my dad and best friend came in later. My friend was even contemplating missing his Spanish class (we're both 22 and go to the same university) so he could stay with me longer before I had to go; he's the best! After waiting around until 9:30, they took me to the recovery room. Poked, prodded, and finally was wheeled into the OR. I remember waking up in the recovery room freaking out because it felt like I couldn't breathe, even though I had a gas mask on. Fell back asleep and woke up in my room. It was a private room, as are all the rooms on the first floor of the hospital. Even one side of the floor are typically reserved more for bariatric patients. I don't remember being in a whole lot of pain, mainly just the incision that they took the stomach out of was bothering me. Sadly, it went downhill from there. Throughout the day, I did the routine walking and trying to get some fluids down. By the next day, I took a turn for the worst. I was using the shower and I felt very nauseous. I then threw up bile and blood while in the shower. They took me back to the room and tried different kind of cocktails of drugs, as they thought maybe my pain medicine was making me ill. They got two ounces of Water and one ounce of liquid pain medicine before I started violently throwing up. I was then wheeled to do an upper GI where I had to drink some nasty liquid chalk. They found out my stomach had twisted and whatever I tried to get down had nowhere to go so it was forced to come back up. On Nov 23, they performed an endoscopy and put a stent in my stomach to prevent it from closing up. The next couple days, I was so drugged up, when they asked me what my birthday was, I said JeeJee. After my endoscopy, I had to rush to radiology before the radiologist left. I was still heavily influenced by anesthesia, so as I was waiting in the wheelchair in the room where I was having my second upper GI done, they asked me my name, I said, "Miss....." Couldn't even remember my name! They concluded that the stent procedure fixed what was wrong. To finish up this part of the story, I was released two days later on Thanksgiving night after four days in the hospital. My story is already too long, so I'll try to shorten the next parts. I ended up having complications after being released. I saw the doctor that next Wednesday, on the 30th and he had me do a CT scan the next day. Came in at 6 p.m. on Thursday, forced to drink way too much of that iodine contrast, even though I told the nurse I was a bariatric patient and couldn't hold much, she just told me to basically drink until I almost burst. CT scan found nothing wrong. That night is when I started throwing up an average of three to four times a day. I called the doctor every day and did everything he suggested, but nothing was working. All this time, I was also producing excessive saliva and couldn't stop spitting. I was dutifully taking the liquid pain medicine the doctor prescribed every four hours. I tried going to school but could never make it a whole day because I was in pain. Fast forward last Tuesday, Dec 6. My mom ended up taking me to ER, where I waited in the lobby for 2-3 hours. They took some tests, weighed me (I had lost 25 pounds in 15 days). Turns out I was severely dehydrated. Put an IV in me, gave me another iodine contrast bottle to drink and did another CT scan, and still couldn't find anything wrong. ER doctor came in, poked my stomach, and then lectured me about how my stomach was smaller and I should get used to not eating as much. I told him the only thing I ate that day was 1/2 an oz of applesauce, and before that I was living off of one or two popsicles in a whole day. He just said, "That's no fun" and then left the room. They tried multiple times to call my doctor to get me admitted but he never answered. I was discharged at 3 a.m. Next two days, the vomiting continued, and even got worse. I couldn't drink, eat, or even move without feeling nauseous. I'd wake up from a dead sleep to throw up. I was so tired from not getting a night's sleep since my surgery, that I had fallen asleep sitting up in bed with a trash can between my legs and my head resting on my nightstand. My mom then called the hospital and I was admitted on Thursday at around 11 a.m. They didn't even weigh me or do proper vitals before the OR nurses came into my room and said I was being prepared to go to surgery. Around 1:30, I was taken into surgery where they removed the stent. Woke up feeling 110% better. It's Saturday and I haven't thrown up since! I've even been able to have pureed chicken, scrambled eggs, and applesauce! The only thing I can complain about is that my stomach muscles were exerted so much from throwing up, that they are now really stiff and sore! I'm just glad to be feeling better.

After reading several posts, it seems my doctor utilizes an extra slow process. I had my sleeve Nov. 21 and had to do two weeks of clear liquids. I'm on my first week of pureed and have to do it next week, too. I can start soft foods on week four and that phase lasts a whole two months!