kczar

Yeah that doesn't sound right at all.my surgeon repaired a hiatal hernia when her sleeved me. It's very common in overweight patients. I saw the eob from my insurance and he filed for each procedure so he was reimbursed by insurance. Maybe your surgeon isn't confident with doing the repair. Does he primarily do bariatric surgery?

If you're not lactose intolerant, maybe try making your shake with milk? I can't stand then mixed with water. If you're not bothered by sweets, you may want to try Syntrax Nectar brand. They're really tasty but a bit too rich for me post op. Also, check out the world according to eggface site. She had great ideas for getting your protein in. Hang in there.

I'm not sure what you mean by you feel it. Can you physically feel it or is it the gurgling and fullness after you eat/drink? You will probably feel odd sometimes. I'm over three months out and I sometimes feel like I have an alien inside. But it does get better. You've had major surgery and it does take time to recover. If you're worried, I would suggest calling your surgeon. Good luck!

I think that all sounds pretty standard. My insurance would only cover the surgery if done at a COE. My surgeon didn't have me do the injections pre-op, but he did have a sonogram of my legs done to make sure I didn't have any issues with my veins. If I did have a problem, I may have had to do them before surgery. As it was, I did them for 10 days after surgery and had another sonogram done of my legs one week post-op. If I still had my gallbladder, they would to an ultrasound on it at six months. If you really want the sleeve, I would push for it. Personally, I think it's the best option. My nephew's wife had the bypass done in March and I was sleeved in August. She's lost 65 pounds and I've lost 68. Of course, she's much shorter than me so that is a variable but I saw how much she was eating over the holidays and I don't think it bodes well for her long term success. Hopefully, the sleeve will continue to give me good restriction for the long term. And by the way, my daughter has a friend that just had her gallbladder removed and has been admitted to the hospital twice with complications. So it can happen from any procedure. You just have to trust that your surgeon is the best possible one for your procedure and pay attention to any warning signs your body gives you. Good luck!

Me, too. I was fine with water immediately post-op but now, at three months out, it just tastes yucky. I'm also having problems enjoying ice tea, which was my absolute favorite drink before. I've been drinking some Vitamin Water Zero which seems to be working pretty well. Crystal Lite and Mio are kind of too sweet for me. I hope this eventually changes.

Today is my 3 month anniversary. Here's my stats: Highest weight 305 Starting weight 294 Day of surgery 267 Today 227 So I'm 78 pounds from my highest weight and 40 since surgery. Not the fastest, but I don't remember the last time I've lost 40 pounds in three months. So far I haven't noticed any hair loss, which is good since it's pretty thin already. Everyone seems to be doing great. Keep it up!

How far out are you? I'm at 2-1/2 months and it's definitely better. Probably because I've tried eating some of the things that tempt me and it didn't go well. Cheeseburgers don't taste as good without the bun and since I can't eat bread yet, they're out. So hopefully, you'll have the same experience and all those treats that were tasty before will turn you off.

It's probably because of the stitches in your stomach muscles. I had some terrible pain as well for about a month. It's because you're moving around more and pulling on those stitches. Once they dissolve, you should be fine.

Amazing news about your diabetes! I've had a couple of backsliding moments myself. Our success is based on the decisions we make every day. The chocolate and chips aren't worth it (I'm saying this to myself, too.)

Sorry you're feeling bad, sweetie. It will get better! I'm a bit over two months out and I feel amazing. In fact, I just got a new pair of jeans. Size 18 jeans! That's down from wearing 26/28's before surgery. It will happen to you, too. Keep your eyes on the prize. You'll get over this soon.

How often are you taking your ppi? I took it twice a day plus Tums as needed in the first month. Is it possible that you're feeling head hunger? I've rarely felt actual hunger but I know there were times when I really felt like I should be eating. You'll also start feeling more satisfaction once you are able to eat solid foods. I hope it gets better for you. Hang in there. You'll do great.

For the first 6-8 weeks, I used chewable Vitamins almost exclusively. I bought Centrum Silver chewable multivitamin and magnesium, Iron, Vitamin D and magnesium from Celebrate. Once I ran through those, I switched to regular supplements because I was sick of the fruit flavors. I'm still using sublingual B-12 and Biotin. My favorite supplement is the calcium chews from Celebrate. They have chocolate and caramel flavors that taste like candy! Work as diligently as you can on your vitamins. You're going to need them to make up for the deficit in your eating.

Thank you, makemyownluck! No real secrets other than just working the sleeve. Even if I think I'm hungry, I remind myself it's my head not my stomach. That and the fact that sugar and starches don't sit well. You're well on your way, I see. I had to do the six month monitored diet and psych eval. I think it was the best thing for me since it gave me time to research (this site has been awesome for that!) and really decide that this was the best option for me. Keep us posted on your progress! You're gonna love your sleeve.

I've been a bit disappointed the last few weeks because I haven't lost a lot of weight. However, I had a couple of great things happen this weekend that's really encouraged me. First, I pulled out my winter clothes and I'm now able to button all my coats, which is something I haven't been able to do. Today, my sister offered to take me shopping for new jeans, since mine (size 24's) were falling off and I didn't have any smaller sizes. Before surgery, I had been wearing 26/28's. I pulled some 22's and my daughter encouraged me to try a 20. I thought there would be no way they would fit. Well, they did! In fact, they were a bit loose. Long story short, I walked out of the store with a size 18 pair of jeans! I haven't worn that size in at least 25 years! So those of you who may be in a bit of a stall or think you're not going to be successful, don't give up! It will happen.

Although I'm not losing as fast as I'd like, I'm still seeing some pretty terrific results. HW 305 DOS 267 (8/20) Current 235 I've also lost about 50 inches since I started on this path at the beginning of the year. I'm doing really well with food except for last week. I ate part of a bean burrito and was sick as a dog. I really didn't think I had that much of the tortilla, but obviously it was enough. Mainly, I'm sticking with my proteins and getting about 60-80 grams in a day. I don't really like the taste of any liquids but hopefully that will change soon. Hope everyone else is doing great!

Yeah, all liquids taste different to me now. I'm sick of water and tea has lost its appeal. I got sick of Crystal Light from the pre-op liquid diet so I haven't had any of those yet. I did buy some Vitamin Water Zero flavors that are pretty tasty. I've also squeezed some lime into my water occasionally. Personally, I still love the cold drinks. It's much harder for me to drink lukewarm water.

Your relationship with food will (or at least should) change. I was sleeved 8/20 and I had to put myself on a schedule to eat, otherwise I would forget. I never thought I'd be one of those people. Yes, good food still tastes good. But bad food may not agree with you at all anymore. If I have a couple of chips or part of a flour tortilla, my stomach starts making whale songs. Plus, they really don't taste that good. But other than starches (tortillas, rice, french fries, etc.) I can eat anything I want. I'm just eating a very small amount of it. I think one of the key phrases in your post was "The idea that I can't eat a normal meal is frightening to me for some reason." You'll need to retrain your brain on what a normal meal is. Because, quit frankly, what most of us were eating pre-sleeve were not normal meals at all. Eating high fat, high carb, high calorie meals shouldn't be considered normal. Do I sometimes miss Popeye's spicy chicken and red Beans and rice? Heck yeah! But their naked tenders are pretty tasty too. And I can eat one and a half of them and be satisfied. Like someone said upthread, consider getting some counseling or going to a support group now to prepare yourself. I had the six month approval process for my insurance so it gave me plenty of time to make sure this was really what I wanted. And I'm very happy with the decision. Hang in there!

Great job! I think getting back into your routine helps so much with recovering from any surgery. Just make sure you don't get too crazy for the first six weeks (no lifting heavy objects) and you'll be fine.

I'm five weeks out. I really only had the gas pain when I used the spirometer ( a little plastic device you breathe into to keep the lungs clear.) It hurt in my left eye socket! After that, it was mainly tenderness from the incisions. However, be aware that you will have stiches in the muscles where the largest incision is done on the left side. As you start moving around more, they will pull and burn, especially when getting in and out of a car. The stitches dissolve in four to six weeks and then you should be good to go!

My doctor said that there are some stitches done in the left side in the abdominal muscle that take 4-6 weeks to dissolve. I was experiencing the same pain (often pretty bad!) but it just went away this past weekend. For me, it was the only real problem I've had post op (except for picking up a box that was too heavy) so all things considered, not a bad trade off for a new life! Good luck!

Bethany, it's very common. I'm just over five weeks and I was feeling discomfort up until this weekend. So hopefully, you're on the tail end of it! The stitches in the abdominal muscles take 4-6 weeks to dissolve. Once that happens, you should have smooth sailing. Good luck! I hope everything is going well in your post-op journey.

I was sleeved four weeks ago today and all things considered, I'm doing really well. I've lost 19 pounds and 12 inches! I've had no problem with any of the stages and am starting to add regular foods. Unfortunately, I was feeling so good that I moved some heavy boxes last Tuesday and hurt myself. Luckily, I didn't cause a hernia, just a lot of pain. I hope everyone else is doing well.

Yeah, it was really stupid! But I was just feeling so great I didn't even think about it. I did go to the doctor today and he confirmed I don't have a hernia, it's just "tweaked it pretty bad", is how he put it, lol. My doctor was in surgery today so I saw his partner. He looked like he was 16!. Thanks everyone. I'm going to get my pain scrip filled and not lift anything heavier than my purse for a while. And maybe not my purse. That thing is heavy!

I ran across a great yogurt for sleevers who don't like Greek yogurt. It's Kroger Carbmaster. One six ounce container is 60 calories, 8g protein, 4g carbs and 1.5g fat. Really great flavors and inexpensive.

Totally normal. I asked my surgeon about it on my two week follow up and he said that there were stitches placed in the abdominal muscle. When you start moving around more, you're naturally going to tug at those stitches. He said they dissolve in about 4-6 weeks and the pain should go away at that time. I was sleeved 8/20 and mine still hurt like a mammer jammer. Plus yesterday, I lifted a couple of heavy boxes and I feel like I was sucker punched in the ribs. Be careful!