SunshineSleeve

I'm just over 3 and a 1/2 months out, and still cannot eat pasta, potatos or un-toasted bread without becoming physically ill. They simply will not go down. Sometimes I think it's the taste and texture that I miss the most. But get sick trying to eat it once or twice, and you'll shake that longing fast!!! I know that breaking my bad food habits is a big part of the VSG success, so it isn't all bad. I guess it will just take time for my sense of taste to return to some normal level, and by that point, I will have learned much better eating habits. I have already!

I got my sleeve on the 19th of April, and I think my taste buds are on strike. I can barely stand the chocolate protein shakes that I used to love pre-sleeve, and almost every thing taste so darned sweet! Even drinks that are supposed to be sugar-free are horribly sweet. I'm not even enjoying coffee all that much anymore. What's most tolerable are sour tasting drinks/foods, like Nectar Lemonade or Grapefruit and Bari-Wise Pineapple/Orange or anything lemon. The bigger problem is solid foods, I just don't seem to like the taste of foods unless they're either super, super ****y or very tart/sour. Is this really going to improve? Eating just seems like a chore, I don't enjoy anything about food anymore. I've taken off 46.6 pounds since surgery, and a total of 75 pounds since beginning my journey in February, and of course I feel great about that, but it gets more and more difficult to face food every day, and I know I'm not getting the nutrition that my doctor has prescribed. Any feedback or advice?

I almost started this post by saying I WISH I had the runs ... but of course I don't. I just wish I wasn't always do miserably constipated. It seems that Colace Caps have become my constant companion. I had bouts of constipation pre-VSG (done 19April2012) but it seems to have gotten worse, possibly due to increased protein intake. When I am blessed by a bm, it's such a paltry amount that I still don't feel a big sense of relief. Other than the Colace or MOM, any suggestions for getting and staying "regular"? I'm still on soft foods, hoping to be released to eat "regular" foods on the 15th of this month. All constructive feedback is appreciated.

I still had pain above my largest incision at 4.5 weeks out. Remember that everyone heals differently, there's no set time at which you'll be "done" healing. Keep the incisions clean and use a good moisturizer after your steri-strips come off. If you have difficulty sleeping on your side due to incision pain, consider a body pillow. I'm now 6 weeks out and have no incision pain. You'll get there!

I agree with the others who've said drink more water. The other thing I've found helpful is to go brush my teeth. I know it sounds odd, but "delaying" eating to brush my teeth does two things; my mouth feels nice and clean and I find I don't want to lose that, and the delay is usually enough to derail my hunger. I do take an acid reducer (Dr's RX) daily, I'd check with your doc before adding that.

I just bought the Syntrax Nectar Lemonade and Grapefruit, and I like them both. They do have that slightly proteiny taste, I added a nice big slice of lemon to the lemonade and thought it was refreshing. I plan to try the same thing with the grapefruit tomorrow.

I buy different kinds of flavored tea bags from Celestial Seasonings and a couple of English ones I find at Cost Plus World Market. Some I drink "straight", others I really have to add more water & ice to. But they're a nice change from artificially sweetened drinks. If any of them need sweetening, I add a tiny bit of Blue Agave syrup or I pluck a couple of Stevia leaves from my herb garden, and muddle them in the bottom of my glass.

I had my VSG April 19, 2012 at St Luke's Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ. My surgeon was Dr Daniel Fang of Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management. I chose Dr Fang after nearly a month of research (on dr and hospital). The Bridges program is very comprehensive and includes not only outstanding phone support, but also monthly support group meetings with a wide variety of topics. I find Dr Fang to be both professional and pleasant, if somewhat reserved. His office staff is exemplary in every sense! The hospital staff charged with my care was top notch from check-in to discharge and everyone in between. The nursing staff at St Luke's was wonderful; friendly, caring and attentive. My surgery was covered by insurance (United Healthcare) and was approved on the first request. Though there were several hoops to jump through, I did what was required without incident. I have zero complaints about Bridges, Dr Fang or St Luke's, even though I'm struggling with some things getting stuck (which is my fault most likely). Even a call to Dr Fang's office about this matter was treated with great urgency and care. I would recommend Dr Daniel Fang of www.bridgesaz.com with total confidance. I'm 20 pounds down since surgery and couldn't be happier with the choice I made.

Awesome post, and certainly helpful. I wish I'd seen this before my VSG, but even 2 weeks post-op I learned a lot. A big thank you for answering the burning question of sleeve stretching. It was on my mind too!