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.

I just found your fabulous website, forum and iPhone app today, and I couldn't be more pleased. I've read some of the other member stories and find such courage and conviction in their words. I hope I can be an encouragement for someone as well some day. Here's my story; I've carried too many pounds since I was 14 years old trying to escape a childhood of abuse. Those pounds were the wall I put up to protect myself, but long after the child abuse ended, the wall of fat remained. Over the years I've gone the Weight Watchers route (minimal success because I hated the weigh in), Jenny Craig (moderate success, but I got bored with the meals), Optifast (liquids only? You're kidding!), Atkins (wildly successful but gee I missed bread), and Meridia (very successful until the FDA took it off the market) to name but a few. The fat always came back! Late last Summer (2011) after a couple of painful but productive years of therapy, I started to think about why I was keeping that wall of fat up around me. I'd faced my childhood demons and survived the showdown, I was in a stable marriage (my 1st, his 4th) and had developed the sort of female friendship I'd previously only imagined existed. I felt stronger emotionally than I ever had, and ready to face my weight head on. So I started to research the various weight loss methods available to me, including bariatric surgery. By late September 2011 I was 99% certain I wanted to proceed with the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. I'd found a local hospital and doctor with a proven track record, and my research indicated this particular doctor had substantial success with the VSG. Having done my due diligence, and feeling confidant of my decision, I called the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management, to schedule my attendance at their informational seminar for the first week of October. That evening I listened and took notes as the doctor and Bridges spokesperson discussed the various weight loss surgeries. By the end of the evening I was 100% comitted to the VSG and ready to get the insurance and doctor/hospital balls rolling. The following morning I phoned my insurance company to find out how many hoops they'd require me to jump through. Next came a call to my primary care provider to meet and discuss the required 6-month pre-surgery diet. Luckily my pcp was able to see me the following day, thereby avoiding any unnecessary delay. I guess it didn't hurt that I was pretty insistent about getting in to see him. Just as I was insistent with Bridges to get things going on their end. By the time 6 months was up I'd received my Cardiac clearence, Pulmonary clearence, Diet clearence, sleep Apnea clearence, and Psych clearence. I'd lost 30 some pounds, read nearly every book on the subject of successful weight loss following VSG and had joined one of the several on-line obesity forums. I had also created a large portfolio of positive verbal affirmations and photos and had posted several around my home and on my computer for reinforcement. I was so ready that had the insurance company called to ask if the doctor/hospital could get me in sooner, I'd have jumped at the opportunity! I can honestly tell you that since that first evening informational seminar at Bridges, I have not had even a momentary doubt about this surgery, or my decision to finally and forever get rid of this fat. My surgery was April 19th 2012 at 09:30am at St Luke's Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona and my surgeon was Dr Daniel Fang. I couldn't have asked for a better doctor/hospital experience. From check-in to discharge St Luke's runs a tight ship, and Dr Fang is fabulous to work with as well. I was in the hospital overnight, in large part because I'd asked my husband Keith to kick my ass if need be, to keep me from laying in bed. I wanted him to push me to get up and walk ... not that I needed much pushing. Even after he'd gone home that night, I was out of bed every 2-3 hours walking around the surgical floor. The more I walked, the better I felt, and that meant I'd be able to go home the following day. Right on plan. The first few days at home were all about discovering how to sit and sleep comfortably, and what and when to eat. As expected, I was on Clear Liquids for the first week before transitioning to full liquids. I have to say here that having our Tempurpedic Adjustable bed was a Godsend! I could not sleep on either side and sleeping flat on my back was also out. Having the upper part of the bed raised just a few inches did the trick! Not only could I get into and out of bed unassisted, I could sleep easily on my back with the additional help of two bed pillows under my knees. Thankfully, my husband is really easy about things like this, and the bed's still raised two weeks post surgery. Today I saw my surgeon for my first post-op appointment. He was very happy with my 15-pound post surgery weight loss (43 pounds total since I began my WLS journey). He cut me loose for driving and exercising, and gave me the green light to advance to "mushy foods" ... woohoo! Tonight my husband made me a scrambled egg for dinner and it was delicious! I have a very long way to go in my journey, and I believe I'm well prepared. I'm not under any illusions that the road ahead will be easy. I know better. But I also know that the alternative is much, much worse than anything I will encounter in the coming months and years. I deserve a healthy future, and it's completely within my power to make it happen. I'm on my way, and the road ahead doesn't frighten me, it actually excites me. This isn't a diet. It's a change of lifestyle - for the rest of my life.

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!

I'm loving the VT app for iPhone! SunshineSleeve