CAsleeve

So glad you can say your ordeal is behind you and you are finally on the mend! Obviously surgery can go terribly wrong. This is major surgery, it is not a breeze at all, even recovering without the complications you have had to endure. Good for you and now you can concentrate on healing rather than battling. Best.

4 weeks ago today I had my vsg surgery! That is the day I woke up from what seems to have been several years of hibernation. I am freaking happy, happy, happy! I've lost 30lbs (by my scale) so far and I can't imaging the level of happiness when I hit the -50, -60, -70 and so on and so forth milestones! To celebrate I'm going for a long walk along the San Francisco Bay (right outside my office) and will throw in several flights of stairs this afternoon. I'm so excited to move on from the 4-weeks of fluids - yes, I made it for 4 weeks. Ok, there were a couple times in the fourth week where I had a couple teaspoons of some mushed up beans and potatoes and some hummus (just needed something with texture), but all is good. I have my follow-up appointment, Thursday of this week. My doc was out of the country, so I wasn't able to get a 2-week follow-up appointment (I could have seen another doc, but I'm not having any issues). I'm excited for that appointment. All is wonderful. Life is good. Jah bless, Jah guide! One Love.

jhope - You might 'think' you can drive on meds, but...please for the safety of others, especially that cute little one in your photo, (and yourself) don't! Well, you are in Texas so you have lots of space. I'm here in the congested SF Bay Area and would like to tell everyone please do not drive on our congested highways and roads whilst on meds! (Although I'm certain most are on meds by the way they drive!). I drove 7 days post-op. You also feel every bump in the road while you are in a car up 2-3 weeks out.

Congratulations! So glad you are frisky teenagers again!!! You are blessed to have such a supportive husband, I have one of those also. Wonderful accomplishments and you should be proud. Very encouraging! Thanks for sharing.

My first thought reading your post, without reading others replies, is...What a selfish jerk (well I would give him another title, but might get flagged). He's your boyfriend? You are a strong woman and I wouldn't put up with that sort of disrespect. He's disrespectful to you, your health and well-being. If you don't have respect, and you have to show it for yourself and not be manipulated, then it is not a healthy relationship. Bag it before you get any more involved. Just sayin'. Take care of yourself first and time for yourself. Can't hurt a thing. One Love.

Wishing you the best. Sounds like you have a wonderful support system ready to be there for you during your healing. That is very important. Just remember to take care of yourself during the healing time and let you support system help you by getting you up and walking, but let them also take care of themselves. You will be there for them soon. Congratulations! Very excited for you. It is a trippy journey and I personally am thrilled to be on it. Love your positive attitude. It will carry you farther than you know. One Love.

It helps a bunch to press a small pillow up against your stomach area when you cough or sneeze. Coughing and sneezing were very painful for me. YIKES! You took out your own pain pump!? All that was done for me in the hospital. Thank goodness. I think I would have passed out. Each day gets even better. Stay strong! One Love.

I'm pretty sure we all have had the same thoughts, fears, concerns that you have had and are having. First of all, like the comment above, BREATHE and follow all of your doctor's orders. Calm your thoughts breathe into your belly and breathe out, over and over. Bring positiveness into your being and thoughts. You need to heal your body first. I'm almost 4 weeks from my surgery date and I'm still not fully healed. I am however so happy to be losing weight and have such a diminished appetite. Trust me, I still love food, but I am going to fuel my body with good nutrients. By getting vsg surgery, it is a life changing action. There is no reversing it so let your new sleeved stomach work for you to assist in making a healthier, fitter, stronger you! It is what we are all striving for. You (we) now have the tool to make that happen. One Love.

Congratulations! I feel the same way. Love it! You are doing great!

25 lbs is terrific. Celebrate your accomplishment - it is huge! lift a weight that is 25 lbs and you will feel just how much lighter you are. It's your life, don't worry what co-workers might say or what they might think. What does it matter? Worry gets you no where! My surgery was 1/17/12 so I think we are at the same stage post-op. I went back to work just under two weeks post-op. I was tired, but it was good to be intellectually stimulated rather than being at home and thinking about....food. I'm still surprised you are eating solid food. I'm on liquids until 2/14 and then go to the 2 week pureed phase. Exercise is key. Walk at least every day and if the weather isn't permitting, get up, put some music on and dance or walk in place in your livingroom, lift your knees up high and move your arms around. It will help with your psyche if anything - gotta get the blood flowing. Think positive proactive thought as they breed positive proactive actions! Give Thanks!

Fabulous! That is definitely something to be proud of. You are doing it right and eating like a woman in control. So awesome.

You know... I noticed this also. I've also done a cycle/spinning class and a good workout on the elliptical and weights the past couple days and I used to sweat buckets doing both, however, I just barely broke a sweat. Yep, chalk it up to the body adjusting. We've gone through a huge change in the past several weeks. For me, Tuesday, 2/14, will mark the 4 weeks post-surgery milestone. It's been a long wonderful (at times) transitional month so far.

I also had the breathing spirometer but I believe it is common they want you exercise your lungs so you don't get fluid in your lungs which can lead to other complications, pneumonia, etc. It's to keep your lungs active. Use it as often as possible. It will only help. Get up an walk several times a day. Get things moving. This is MAJOR surgery that we undergo. It is not a walk in the park. As each day progresses, it gets better and better. During that time, at least for the first week or two though it doesn't seem like it will, but, please be assured it will. I'm surprised they didn't give liquid pain med, ask for it! I took liquid pain med for about a week or less, but only to sleep. You will need to sleep sitting up or at an angle for the first week or two. Follow the instructions and heal. Your body needs time to repair, but get up and move around and walk as much as possible, get your fluids in, sip, sip, and sip some more. Most importantly guide your thoughts actions in a positive manner to heal. We are all routing for you!

Hello readyforachange, YES, definitely. There is all kinds of protein in plant based foods - greens, legumes (beans), tofu, etc. I highly recommend watching the movie Forks Over Knives as it is a great introduction. There is also an fb page Forks Over Knives and all kinds of info out there. Once you watch this movie it opens up all kinds of doors. The science behind it is confirming. Best to you and I'd be happy to keep in touch and share info.

Hello! Day 15 post-op and I'd say most everything is wonderful. Today I am super crazy busy at work, didn't get a walk in yet, and..haven't gotten all my protein in just yet, and I feel it. I am also have a bit of difficulty getting in my vitamins and the calcium citrate. In the last two days I've gotten about 50% of it down, but these chewable vitamins and calcium citrate make me want to hurl. I would really like to swallow a pill instead of having to chew them. I was ok with it at first, but truly can't stomach them, never really have been able to even pre-surgery. I think in one of my blogs I made the statement...thank goodness for the chewable vitamins, just to have something to chew. Well, I take that statement back! If anyone has any recommendations for palletable vitamins and calcium citrate, I welcome all suggestions. My husband says I don't snore anymore. Yippie! Also, I've been having really vivid dreams which is something I didn't have previously. I am copying here a comment I posted on someone's posting about in response to their love and obsession for food and wanting to eat just about everything. I copying/repeating it mostly because I feel it is important and I really want to get the word out about the movie I reference. So, please take a read: I LOVE FOOD. I went to culinary school, I've done lots of catering, I worked at a winery for 12 years (previously) and did many events with pairing wine and food, I order catering for my group at work all the time and plan parties and great food and wine is always up front and central in my thinking and life. I will not give up good healthy food. However, I now and previously, look at food as nutrition. I want the best nutrition possible. I will use this fabulous sleeved stomach as a tool for a forever healthy, fit, lean, life. I believe down the road I can/could eat anything I want, but it will just be in much much smaller portions to be satisfied. I truly believe poor un-nutritive food, processed food, junk food, SAD (standard american diet) diet is the culprit for the majority of disease and obesity. We all have to make your own decisions on how we fuel our bodies. You can fuel your body with fat, sugar, white flour, processed foods and junk and do not one thing positive for your health, or you can fuel your body with food and calories that count and provide good nutrition for an ultimate healthy life. I personally will be sporting a plant-based nutritive diet for the rest of my life - once I am done with this liquid phase. Will I ever consume a meat product, dairy or something not all that healthy and nutritious?, yes, very likely, but it will be on a very rare occasion. I highly recommend a movie - Forks over Knives -http://www.forksoverknives.com/. Just watch it, it doesn't mean you have to change everything you do/eat, but it will enlighten you and will likely change something in a healthy positive direction with your diet. It was life changing for me and many people I know. Ta-da! One Love!

Well, I find this interesting and haven't come across this term or event yet. Thanks for the info and advice on how to avoid. Sounds slimey. :blush5:

Congratulations! You are doing great!

Geeze Louise! Be careful! Yes, best to go in and have them check you out. Take care.

So another positive thing, now 23 days post-surgery...my husband tells me I no longer snore, like not at all! Believe me, I sawed huge logs prior to surgery. Now that I've lost some lbs, I no longer snore. This is incredible to me as before surgery, I was going to go to a sleep clinic to see if I had sleep apnea and also because my snoring was horrendous. I also thought I needed to go and get an official diagnosis to qualify for vsg surgery, but in the end I qualified without that diagnosis. Lots of restful sleep for me and my hubby these days because I no longer snore!! Now, gotta do something about my husbands snoring!

Haven't blogged in a few days. Today is the 23rd day post-surgery. I'm feeling pretty darn good. I do admit, I am getting a bit tired/bored of protein shakes. I've gone through two containers of Beneprotein so far as I put it in everything. So, I've definitely been getting my protein in. It still floors me that I haven't eaten solid food for 25 days now! I will admit that I did have about three bites of a german potato salad, but I did chew it up to mush before swallowing it though. I've been doing lots of creamy types of soups and adding beneprotein, Bragg Amino Liquid (highly recommend this product on everything savory, so good and a raw life food), and hot sauce. I've been getting the Imagine brand soups at Whole Foods - Corn & Lemongrass (delish!), Tomato & Basil, Sweet Pea. Highly recommend these kinds of soups as a breakaway from the sweet protein shakes. Compared to the food I was consuming pre-surgery to the last 25 days is an extreme difference. I'm not physically hungry at all. I am mind and eyes hungry though. And because of this, I'm feeding my husband like crazy. He told me last night that l have to stop eating through him. It's all been good plant-based healthy food I'm pushing on him, but still. I am looking forward to crunching down on something and I have a huge craving for all kinds of salads and fresh veggies and fruit. So looking forward to that. I'm going to do my first real workout today and go to a spinning/cycling class at my work's gym. I love cycling classes and will take it easy today, but I really need a good sweat to boost the psyche. I am loving my new tummy and actually liking to look at myself in the mirror these days. And the beat goes on and on and on... One Love.

YES! Can't keep them down either and have tried several of the bariatric brands in addition to a generic CVS children's chewable. I'm going to go get some children's Flinstone's chewables or gummies (but my bariatric center at Stanford says chewable only - I think better to get them down than not though) and see if that works. I'm also not able to keep down the calcium citrate (Celebrate brand) and will look for an alternative for that.

You are doing great on your pre-op diet! Terrific. I hear you on the healthy lifestyle aspect. To me it is what it is all about. Why continue bad habits and an unhealthy diet and lifestyle after the sleeve, if that is what got you/all of us in a morbidly obese state in the first place. The sleeve is the ultimate helpful aide/tool to achieve and live the ultimate healthy lifestyle. I love my sleeve (today is 3 weeks from my surgery date) and I know you will also.

Today is 3 weeks from my surgery date. Yes, it seemed like my mouth was coated, not necessarily a white film, but some sort of film for a couple weeks after. But it also seemed like it was all over my teeth and mouth also. I brushed my teeth during that time like 5 times a day.

You look FANTASTIC and CONGRATULATIONS! Definitely an inspiration. Thanks so much for sharing.