madambones

Me too...sleeved on April 9th. Had a few rough days, but it's slowly starting to get easier. After a diffucult attempt at Protein shakes, I had decided to focus on Clear liquids and staying hydrated for a few more days. Then a pleasant surprise occurred today when I tried a sample packet of unjury chicken Soup flavor Protein powder mix. it's very light and brothy and easy to get down. Tastes pretty good too! I was able to get down the whole 8 oz in about an hour (that's 21g of protein) with no problem at all. I ordered a container immediately. I'm excited to find something that works for my new sleeve! Looking forward to keeping up with everyone's progress. Best wishes to you all'

Your blog is one of the best things I've seen on VST. I am encouraged by your progress. Thank you for sharing so openly!

I'm glad to see this thread. I was sleeved this past Monday and today I decided to see if I could get in my required protein and water. I've managed 8 oz of protein supplement (mixed with milk) and 2 oz of water. It has just made me hurt and feel distended all day. I worry I am putting too much in my new sleeve. Maybe it would be ok just to focus on hydration for a few more days and give the protein a try again next week. I think I'll go back to clear liquids for a little while. My pain meds hurt my tummy too. What should I do?

Was sleeved yesterday. First day was rough. Feeling much better today. Had some broth for breakfast. Have been walking around and sitting up in a chair. I have 6 incisions! All is well.

Me too! Tomorrow at 7:30 AM. Might have trouble sleeping tonight! :-D

Spending my Easter Sunday on clear liquids. Then up bright and early on Monday to check in at the hospital! Excited and nervous. My surgery was moved up to 7:30 AM, so I have to be there by 5:30. Oh I am not a morning person! Who else is going Monday? I'll be thinking of you all!

Hey, AZ Sunshine! Good to know you're out there! Keep me posted on how things are going for you. I'll do the same. Not long now! Here are my stats: Highest weight 283 Current 271 Goal 145 I'll be thinking about you Monday morning. Best wishes!

In preparation for my post-op diet, I decided to get out the ol' food processor and puree some chicken. I had read that you could make a pureed chicken and broth mix and freeze it in ice cube trays, and then when you need a quick, small protein rich meal after surgery, well just pop a chicken cube in the microwave and presto! you've got a meal fit for a sleevie queen. Bon appetit!

I got such cold feet a couple of weeks ago that I considered canceling the surgery. I had all of these second thoughts and fears that suddenly came up -- What if I regret having it done? What if I die on the operating table in a bizarre twist of fate? What if I feel sickly for the rest of my life? So, being concerned that I was feeling this way, I looked for help. First, I posted about my fears to the VST community. ALL the responses were so helpful! Here is one of the replies (from happylife). It’s reading things like this that make me think things are going to be ok and maybe even great! "I second guessed my decision to have the sleeve too. I backed out once. Cancelled the surgery. Managed to have the surgery done and was the less than 1% with a major complication...lol. I really understand how rare I am. This surgery was one of the best decisions that I have ever made for myself. I am so grateful for it. I weigh 138 with a two lb bounce. I am really healthy my bloodwork came back excellent last week. I am never ravenously hungry anymore. But can eat pretty much everything just not a massive amount. The funny thing is you dont want to anymore. But I still enjoy food. You know I feel so good about myself. I really wish my happiness for everyone." The next thing I did was text my two best friends to tell them I was scared. They called me immediately and listened to me cry for awhile and helped me to think about things. After that, I talked to a friend at my office. Finally, I called a counselor and set up an appointment to help me figure out what I wanted to do and to help me move forward with confidence. Just opening up and talking about my fears to people who cared and wanted to help was the absolute best thing I could have done. I realized that the surgery is the right decision for me, that I don't want to go back to the frustrating cycle of dieting and losing weight and gaining it back again. My dear friend Julie had this wonderful advice for me: "There really is not an easy way to transformation whether we are talking about our souls or our bodies...it always has to have some sacrifice or pain. If I pray and read every morning it sets me behind at something else, but praying and studying are the path for transformation of the soul. If its our bodies, it's either time in the gym exercising or outside exercising. The sacrifice of the food we enjoy and the amount of it. Or the decision of a lifetime of change which means the pain of surgery and the loss of the eating style we love. And, for the soul or the body we have to remain disciplined. There just aren't any shortcuts. So, I was wondering, which path is the right path for your transformation? Either choice will have its pain and sacrifice. Which way can bring you the outcome and which sacrifice can you handle? I think they are both difficult, but it is probably time for transformation." So my recommendation for anyone who is having second thoughts about getting the surgery done is to open up and be honest about your feelings. Talk to people who care about you. Talk to the great folks in the VST community. Figure out what it is that you really want, and then go for it. Don't let cold feet get in the way!

Are you taking iron supplements? I had to stop taking iron because of the very symptoms you mention. Some people can't tolerate it because it tears up their bowels.

Are you taking iron supplements? I had to stop taking mine because of the very symptoms you're describing. Some people can't tolerate it because it tears up their bowels.

I'm doing the pre-op diet right now and will be having surgery next Monday. The diet is going fine, but I'm having trouble taking my iron supplement. I'm taking a Centrum chewable multivitamin twice a day which has iron in it, PLUS I'm supposed to be taking a Feosol Carbonyl Iron before bed each night. The Feosol makes me seriously ill. When I take it, I get this horrible burning feeling all over my body, severe sweats, abdominal pain and cramping, and diahrrea. It's bad...it puts me in bed and close to the toilet all day. Just the diahrrea wouldn't be so bad, but the pain is pretty intense. I can't keep doing this...I'm missing work, and sitting on the toilet weeping for half the day can bring a person down pretty quickly. Can I just leave off the Feosol? Is there something else I could do instead? It's so horrible, it makes me want to cancel the surgery. Any advice? Thanks to you all! : )

Mine is scheduled for April 9th, too. I was scared out of my wits earlier this week, but some great folks on here offered me encouragement, and now I think I'm ready to do this! Looking forward to hearing from all of you April sleevers post-op.

My surgery is scheduled for April 9th. Ever since I found out my date, I've had trouble sleeping. Last night my stomach was in knots and I woke up in a cold sweat. Today I'm second-guessing myself and experiencing a lot of fear and confusion. My fear is such that I'm actually reconsidering doing this at all! Any advice? I'm a total wreck! Thank you, thank you, thank you for any words of wisdom... Anna

Thanks, everyone. Your honest comments are so helpful. Feeling better about things today. I find that the more I talk about it openly with people, the less worried I am. You folks are great!!! <3

Thanks so much for all these informative replies! I guess it's a different experience for everyone. I'm hoping for an easy time, but trying to keep my expectations realistic. I figure if I expect recovery to be really awful, then I will be pleasantly surprised if it's not.

I've heard people say they had to stay 5 days, some say they did the surgery as an outpatient and went straight home... What's the average stay? What are the deciding factors that the docs look for before releasing you?

I'm being sleeved on April 9th. I'm new here, too. It's good to find people who are having their surgery around the same time as I am. What's the best way to keep up with each other's progress? Is there a calendar where you can see who is being sleeved on what date? That's a great tip about the seasick Patches...I hadn't heard of that before. I'm going to ask my surgeon about it. Question for those of you who are a week or two after surgery already: What does a typical day look like for you as far as food, Vitamins, and Protein supplements? Thanks!!!

Waco...to be sleeved on April 9

Hello. I just got my surgery date today, and so I thought it might be a good time to start writing down the story of this journey. I'm scheduled to have my VSG done on April 9th. As soon as I got off the phone with the surgeon's office this afternoon, I ate a piece of chocolate. So, yes, I'm a little nervous about it. Chocolate, cookies, or cake, preferably with milk -- these are my coping mechanisms of choice. The past five days or so I've been experimenting with the pre-op diet. A day on the pre-op diet involves drinking a couple of high-protein shakes, eating one low-carb/high protein meal, drinking a lot of water, and following a schedule of multivitamins, calcium, and iron throughout the day. (7:00AM - multivitamin, 10:00AM - calcium citrate, 12:00PM - calcium citrate, 2:00PM - calcium citrate, 5:30 - multivitamin, 8:30 - iron with vitamin C) The pre-op diet also means avoiding fats, sugar, and sweets, not snacking between meals, and steering clear of carbohydrates in general -- no bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes, and no fruit, fruit juice, or (gasp) sweet tea. So what's left that I can eat? Well, it's quite a lot like the low-carb diet I used to do way back when I lost 122 lbs., and before I gained it back again. That is, I can eat green vegetables, small quantities of lean meat, a little cheese, nuts, sugar free pudding, and...um...I think that's it. After about two days of this pre-op diet, I was careening around the grocery store in a weak and dizzy state ogling the boxes of frosted cookies and coming to terms with the idea that very soon I will never ever again be able to eat the things I love, at least, not in the way I have done for the past thirty years. Do I really want to undertake the horribly difficult challenge of a major lifestyle change? Most of the time, I think the answer is "yes," but that day in the store, face to face with the cookies, something deep inside of me shrank back and cried "nooooo!" Madam Bones is a very minor character in the Harry Potter series, and while I do admire the character and her role in the books, I chose to use her name in this forum because to me the name "Madam Bones" brings to mind, of course, the word "bony." Not the skeletal kind of bony, but the kind of bony where you can tell that the person has cheekbones and knuckles, ankles and elbows. A strong, slim, healthy, kind of woman who enjoys participating in life. She can run, tie her shoes with ease, sleep without a CPAP machine, and climb the stairs without huffing and puffing. There is a Madam Bones lurking somewhere inside this prison of obesity, and I'm going to set her free.