Finding Myself

I'm almost a year out and went through that. It gets better with time! Just take good care of yourself. I've exceeded my goal and feel great, celebrating my one year surgiversary in two weeks. Hang in there!

Paleo bread is not made with wheat. It's made with either coconut flour or almond flour. If you are like me and avoid gluten at all costs (read the book Wheat Belly!!!) then you eat no wheat! I keep paleo bread in my freezer but only use it occasionally. It's good for some things but if you're expecting something like wheat bread... It's nothing like it. But I do like it a lot! I follow a paleo type of diet. 9 months out and at goal.

It's probably more related to your sinuses than anything. Our stomachs function just fine. I had sinus issues a few years ago and ended up needing surgery for it. See an ENT.

Butterthebean how long does your green shake stay "good" in the fridge?

I haven't been on VST too much lately but checked today and I'm so glad I came across this thread! I am almost 8 months out... was a "low BMI" before surgery but honestly for my height, I was just plain fat. Started at just under 5'3 and my highest was 197 lbs. Now, I'm down to 127 lbs and feel GREAT! It hasn't been a super easy journey but I'm thrilled with how things have turned out... This surgery allowed me to break my addictions. Simply put. I can say it allowed me to lose weight because of portion control, but at the end of the day, what it really did was give me the power to break my food addictions. That's what made it hard! Giving up massive quantities of sugar and processed foods. Anyway, I am slowly converting to Paleo and I'm so thrilled to see others doing the same thing! I CRAVE nutrition like this now, and am starting to see my beloved McD's double cheeseburgers as "plastic food" now. I am a very very firm believer in Paleo. I wish more than anything I could have done it and stuck with it before surgery, but I couldn't... so here I am now. So many things I was scared of, and here I am now, 5'3, 127 lbs (and still losing, my original goal was 125 but I think 120 or even 115 is more like it) wearing size 6 jeans and I feel GREAT! My hair, that I thought would turn dull and fall out, is growing like crazy, long, and I'm NOT BALD! I think my improved overall nutrition was far better than anything else! ANYWAY - for you Paleo eaters... isn't it weird how SO MANY OF US convert to this after the sleeve?????

I had surgery with Dr. Kelly last June too!! And Omar does rock. I just talked to him this morning. You are in good hands with both Dr. Kelly and Dr. Illan!!!

You have NO worries. Dr. Kelly was my doctor and I have done fantastic. The bougie isn't a die-hard measurement; it's merely a guide and they don't suture right next to it anyway. So a moot point. I had surgery with Dr. Kelly last June and I'm at goal and doing fantastic. I had a BMI of 34.2, and now I weigh 130 lbs and feel fantastic. Do not choose a doctor based on this bougie size because it doesn't matter that much! What will matter is how you work your sleeve as a tool, post op. Good luck!

Siren, I was so glad to read your post! I'm the same way... just over 4 months out and I'm doing really well. I am about 15 lbs from goal! Finally feeling "normal" and loving it. I went to a party last night and saw people I haven't seen in 15 years - and it was GREAT to be the THIN one for a change!!! And listen to comments from people who remembered the "fat" me. It's a great feeling to be comfortable in your own skin!!!

You said you received no after care - you didn't get your go-home packet of info, of medications, etc? No info on diet? It was his wife who went over that info with us. I got sick at the hotel, 2 days after surgery, and when I called Dr. K and told him, he was there in 15 minutes, taking care of me AT THE HOTEL. He's a busy man for sure but if you have questions, then contact him on FB or just call. Omar gets about 200 emails a day, I try to tell people that if you don't hear back on email then you need to call. But honestly, what exactly did you expect? Your surgery went great, you're losing weight, and no complications. I'm not sure I understand what has annoyed you? I had surgery on my sinuses a few years ago. I met the rude doctor once before, he was late the day of surgery, and his office didn't do ANY follow up with me after surgery. It was a far worse experience than I had in Mexico, and it was here in the US!

Hey Guys, wanted to chime in, too... I was sleeved down in Mexico in June - 4 months out yesterday! I'm about 10-15 lbs away from goal (I say that because I'm at 140 right now and looking lean and mean so my original goal of 125 may be too much). I am finally at the point where I love my sleeve! It was a journey, for sure... and still is! Like Louisianagirl said, you will learn a whole new set of rules for staying healthy along the way! Good luck to everyone!

Dr. Kelly is my doctor and I could not have gotten better care through ANY other doctor or hospital. 4 months out, almost to goal, not one complication and still have terrific follow up by Dr. Kelly. Be wary of what you read on these forums as there are a lot of lies and back stabbing. Contact individual patients if you can. I quit using Obesity Help because it was nothing but a bunch of gossip that made a hard decision even harder. Make an informed decision for sure.

Yes!!! I knew someone on here talked about triggering that valve! I'm curious to know more from PDX.

Iggy I am a HUGE foodie and even did some wine tasting a few weeks ago paired with food. Yes I cleansed my palate between wines with water! I think these are exceptions to the rules. You aren't gonna eat like that every day! You also need to go by how you feel. If its not agreeing with you, or you feel nauseous or too full, then you need to stop. But if you take tiny bites and chew well and don't take big gulps you'll probably be fine.

I'm referring to those of us who drank large quantities with our meals. I suspect I was not as satisfied as I could have been because I was washing food right out of my stomach! I used to drink huge amounts with my meals, not just sips. That's what I'm talking about.

Thank you Nyxa. I think your posts are awesome. I am a meat eater but I am only 3 months out and CRAVING vegetables. I can't eat enough right now to get it all in so I'm looking for sources of Protein that are not animal based. I'm also having some kidney stone problems so looking for alternatives. Can you recommend any good books for us? Probably did in your post but no I couldn't read all of it. I'm not looking to go vegan, just looking for alternative protein source recipes.