Joiebean

So I mentioned this in a previous post a month or so ago, but I am sooooo craving chinese food. I admit it....its my weakness. I'm just about three weeks post op and on soft foods (my surgeon is really from the school of 'try it...if it works, then great' except for bread, crackers or anything really hard that could cause a leak.) I think I'm just craving it cause I "can't" have it and once I do, I may not want it.....but ohhhh how good does some general tso's sound right now. Too soon?? I know that we have to focus on good food....but I've been really on track.

Update-well it turned out to be mexican food and then (sorta) chinese the next day. And I took advice from here and a few other topics and ordered of the al a carte menu and got a cheese enchilada with refried beans and salsa. Went down okay but filled my stomach up really quickly. I ate about 1/4 of the enchilada with two teaspoons of refried beans and a tablespoon or so of salsa. It was reallllllly good. And it only cost me $6..lol. I tried general tso's wings yesterday and they were okay, but the greasyness of them and fat did make me feel very good. I tried a boneless wing too and that just got stuck. Its funny...after all that, all I wanted was cucumbers and healthy food, that I knew would go down okay, tasted good and would give me a sour stomach.

I should have added...I eat, at most, a 1/2 cup in one sitting. BUT the great part, and the part I'm sure you'll love, is that you are totally satisfied after that. From what I gather, that will gradually increase to mayyybe 1 cup in a sitting, but not much more than that. Before surgery, I could just never get enough, it was like a bottomless pit...but now I eat what I can...and then I'm just done. I don't get that awful full feeling or bloating...I'm just done...i don't need anymore. That's probably the best thing I've experienced so far.

A few tips from my experience that would have been nice to try before surgery: focus on getting 64 oz of fluids a day and 60 grams of protein. Always eat your protein first, then veggies, then carbs. Start experiementing with some of the protein shakes (although a lot of people's tastes change after surgery) to. Its amazing how much 60 grams of protein is when you can't take all that much in, in one sitting. I'm always either drinking water/crystal light or eating small amounts just to get in what I need to.

supermom......i think your right too. I'm so tired of sweet stuff. I used to have this big sweet tooth, but now, its just awful. I got a skinny latte yesterday from Starbucks and they put a touch of caramel on top....it was so ridiculously sweet I couldn't drink it. Before being sleeved, I would have added equal or sugar to it. Interesting how your tastes change.

Oh and one other thing...I haven't had to much of an appetite since surgery, but the last day or so, boy is it coming back. Not overwhelming or anything, but I starting to feel hungry again...I haven't felt hungry since surgery.

I totally understand your concern. I've called my surgeon's assistant more times then I care to admit, but everyone here is right. We make a huge commitment to this surgery and the surgeon has made a committment to us to make sure everything is okay. I was really concerned about that left sided pain and my surgeon said it was really nothing to worry about, but just to be safe, I went to the internal doc that I had to see before surgery and had him do a follow up as well to make sure everything looked good from his standpoint. Gave me much more piece of mind.

Hello everyone! So first day back at work. Packed my foods and liquids...just have to remember to keep sip, sip, sipping all day. Its kinda weird being back and feeling really different. Its like there is a whole new outlook. No coffee runs, no going out to lunch, well...considering my computer was upgraded in my absense and hasn't been fully restored yet (meaning all of my files, programs, etc are gone) I am just kinda..hanging out. How was everyone else's experience going back to work? I'm tired and my attention span isn't the best. Those LONNNNNG emails from the boss got put in a "to be read" file.

That has been one of the biggest realizations for me. I really went for the food, cause I LOVED restaurant food. When you took that away and then really had to converse with people, I found that I am not nearly as social as I thought I was. LOL! Go figure. Even though I'm only a few weeks out, I know that my social life won't be the same. I used to go out about 3 times a week with my husband for drinks and usually dinner. Now that drinks and dinner have been taken out of the equation, I'm perfectly fine just hanging out at home after work with my husband. He enjoys it much more too...and so does our bank account! lol!

I feel the same way. I looked in my fridge this morning and I have all sorts of leftovers of stuff I haven't finished. I've thrown out a lot and will have to do a fridge clean out today because I just can't eat all of those leftovers before they go bad. But I suppose we'll get more in tune with exactly how much to make so that there isn't so muhc waste.

I planned on making some chicken fajiatas without the shell. Add some cheese and gaucamole. yum!! I made pulled pork too (in the freezer till Sunday) but its really soft and mayyyyy go down. Not sure.

I'm right there with you. I dropped 17 lbs in the first two weeks. And now....nothing....one lb lost, one lb gained. I'm doing my best to get all the water and protein in, but Im just exhausted. Someone mentioned the weakness and tiredness that comes with the first few weeks.....and boy I'm feeling it.

My surgeon recommended two weeks at the minimum and I ended up taking 2 1/2. I was scheduled to come back (I have a desk job too) after two, but wasn't ready. I was still sore and my attention span was pretty bad. Side note, for some reason its common for your attention span to be bad after surgery so at least for me, I usually read like crazy, and during recovery, couldn't even get entertained with the idea of reading anything nor watching anything longer than 30 minutes. I think some people have gone back after a week, but that's pretty ambitious. I didn't have a lot of time either, but I requested medical leave and disability covered part of my pay, and then I was able to supplement the rest with sick or vacation time, so it really maximized the days I did have.

Congrats! You'll be happy with it!! I'm a little over two weeks post op and am happy with my decision. Be prepared for some tough moments, but you'll get through it. That's what we are all here for. The people here have helped me a lot in the last few weeks. Welcome to the club!

So...um...how long are we supposed to wait post surgery? Same as when we can exercise??

I'm about a week and a half post op (which you all probably know since I've been posting all the time.) But my husband's sister's 40th birthday party is tomorrow (Saturday) in a bar.....mind you...the bar the was my favorite bar pre-surgery and that my husband and I recommended for the party. Not smart in hind sight. We are also in charge of the cake (which I ordered) and balloons. I don't mind leaving the house, but I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to do while I'm there. Can't drink, can't eat solid foods, and can only talk a maximum of an hour before they drive me nuts (in-laws = forced conversation) I know my husband well enough that he will want to spend more than an hour there...and I've barely left the house since I got home from the hospital. I need some encouragement my fellow sleevers!!

I am in the same exact boat and have been trying to figure it out. My left side hurts a lot, but the surgeon said that it was because they had to stitch the muscle back together and that it would be sore for a bit. I was also sleeved on 1/17 so we're right in the same place. I couldn't deal with the liquids cause I couldn't find anything that I could get down. I talked to my surgeon about it and he said I could try pureed foods, and surprisingly those went down a ton better. Sweet potato soup (just puree up the sweet potato, add skim milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. My aunt adds sugar free maple syrup to it too..its wonderful!!) You can make it as liquidy as you want with the milk (I use lactaid..easier on my stomach.)

There's a PURE brand too that I switched to. I got so sick of crytal light fruit punch...switched to this PURE tropical punch...and only put enough in just to give water some flavor. Have you considered the flavored waters?? Adirondack brand has this white grape flavor that also has vitamins in it, without calories.

Regarding the comments family members are making....its up to you how much "weight" (pun intended) that you let them have in your decision process. I pretty much made the decision on my own, with the support from my husband, but my family and some friends werent completely supportive. Now that its done and I'm recovering, they have all come around and are supportive and helping out where they can. I can understand the concern for your daughter...my brother is going through cancer treatment and the majority of the energy everyone has is going towards his care. I went through all the thoughts like "am I being selfish to do this for me while he is going through cancer?" I spoke to my therapist AND the folks on here and got a lot of support that I was doing this to make myself healthier too, just like my brother is doing. And you know what...my brother actually became supportive (he was probably the most against my surgery) when I got closer to the date. Its a hard decision, and one that you have to make for yourself and what's best for your daughter. Good luck and make sure to seek the advice of the people that have your best interests (and yet can be objective) at heart. Hope this helps.

Totally understandable. The last week and a half before my surgery was just anxious tension..a 'hurry up and get here" and I totally went overboard getting prepared with stuff I didn't end up using. But do what you need to in order to be mentally prepared. It sounds like you have a great outlook and wonderful grandchildren to keep you motivated. Hang in there...it will come :-)

LacieMC is right. It sucks for a bit at first...you just have to get it in. I HATED and couldn't get down the whey protein shakes I bought, but my aunt told me about the CVS brand and its awesome. FINALLY! and it has 26 grams of protein per serving. I have also been mixing it with Lactaid. I tried soymilk, but got really sick of it. And I DO NOT like milk at all, but chocolate milk is good and this stuff (when blended up with lactaid) tastes just like chocolate milk. Just keep at it. You'll get there. The day that I finally ate a whole jello cup was an amazing day....and I was so proud of myself. You're only a couple days out. Most important is to stay hydrated. Just yesterday I got stressed out, couldn't eat anything cause of it, and ended up jumping in bed and throwing the blankets over my head in frustration. You'll have good days and bad....but just keep going.

So this may sound strange. I am just over one week post-op and got the drain removed today, which....yuck....awful experience. I feel better with it removed, but I have this really weird feeling when I move. When I try to lay down on my side, I can actually feel my insides moving.....and they move differently then they used to. Its like something is trying to fold inside. Has anyone else felt this sensation?? Trying to figure out if this is normal.

Has anyone else gotten a really bad pain in their side. It feels like a stitch and is really painful. Its actually the only pain I have right now, but its really uncomfortable. I think its just the stomach muscle that was stitched back together during surgery, but how do I know the difference between that and a leak?

Update-I made it. I ended up ordering some mashed potatoes while everyone else was eating fish and chips, cake, sandwiches, etc. But I made it. I drank my juice and at my potatoes and talked with my husband's aunt's who are great. Actually one aunt just had lap band surgery 6 weeks ago, so we had a lot to talk about and she gave me some great tips. Overall, turned out much better than I anticipated. My husband did want to stay longer but I made it 3 hours and he was willing to leave cause I was obviously getting tired and getting sore. Thanks everyone for your encouragement!

Careful with these. My doc nor the hospital would let me use them at all!!