ladiJ

I am currently off work trying to adjust to my new food plan but I have the same problem, work in health care, they just did a big crack down and we cannot have even water with us. This means every hour I am going to dash across the hall to the lounge and drink a couple of ounces. I think as time passes we will be able to drink more at one time. of course we also have 2 breaks plus lunch.

that is great news, I too am happy for you!

thanks all, I feel better about it all today. I can totally live and be happy if I can eat around 1000 calories and 80 carbs a day. Sounds like after I am totally healed and eating more foods things maybe different. I am sure in 2 more weeks as my diet really expands I will be much happier.

ok so I am down 11 pounds since surgery and 20 pounds since my own version of pre-op diet with the goal to drop the 10 lbs I had gained while waiting for my surgery date. I am on "soft foods" My doctor doesn't "do" purees. only fish, eggs, cheese,yogurt and of course the soups and protein drinks etc.At times I have eaten to fast and had either pain in my chest, the burps or tossed my cookies. It is a learning experience.

out of habit I drank from a straw on two occasions in the last 2 weeks both times I became very uncomfortable It did not help that I was drinking and eating (though it was all soft food so not sure it counts as eating) anyhow once caused, pain, burps and hiccups and the other time caused me to expel the contents of my sleeve. Now when they bring the straw I have them take it away....

how exciting 2013 will be for you both, gratz!

whoo-whoo!!!!!!!!!!!! I am doing the happy dance for you!

I am sure a veteran will be along shortly and can give you some advice. I just wanted to offer each of you a hug as I am sure this must be incredibly frustrating. One thing that maybe helpful to others is if you provide a list of your daily intake of food and liquids. Are you using my fitness pal or a similar site to track? Are you taking your measurements?? any difference in your clothes?

I am sorry to hear of your complications but so glad you were all over it! sending you positive, healing thoughts and prayers.

Pants with an elastic waist.

I would like to know how far out before you could tolerate bread or the low carb tortilla or flat bread. I can't ask my doctor because he will tell me when I should not when I could. Trust me I understand the "shoulds" or rather the "should nots" and the need to use my tool to its fullest for these first 6 months but still I want to know when I can eat the above. thanks in advance!

thank you everyone! I know I need to make smart choices but just really wanted to know when it is possible. My surgeon is very strict and said you will never eat dessert, sweets, crackers, pretzels or grapes again, ever... so some things I don't have a clue when you could try.

everyone is different in their recovery rate but I think it is safe to say that each day that passes shows improvement.Keep on hanging in there.

Saw my doctor early this am who said I can start on liquids! If I could tolerate I could go home after lunch. For breakfast I took 2 spoons of beef broth but it tasted too salty to me. I drank the apple juice, it slid down easily, a sip at a time. The protein drink provided by the hospital which is a berry flavored, thin, almost juice consistency and a jello. It took me about an hour to get that down. I was determined to tolerate it so I could go home so took it very slowly. at lunch time I was provided the same tray. I took all my regular meds and my prilosec for tummy by mouth. I needed no pain meds since my last puch of the pain pump 24 hours before hand so they went ahead and discontinued my IV. Yea I was free from everything. They advised not to take a shower at hospital since the risk of infection. (you are always safer at home) and it was freezing anyhow. I threw my hair in a pony tail, I looked a hot mess, and put on my sweats and a large loose tshirt. I had been worried maybe my underwear, or bra or pain line would rub on one of my incisions but they did not. My incisions were covered with a dermabond and I could shower but was instructed not to rub. I was home by 3 pm and in the hot shower at 3:10 pm. I was so thankful to be back in my own bed. I watched tv from my recliner and tried out some fluids. For me the first day I was reluctant to attempt protein drinks. they seem thicker, so I started with apple juice, since I had already had it in the hospital. Gatoraide seemed a bit heavy for me that first day also. Still no pain and I was able to fall into my bed and sleep for 4 hours. After being awake every hour at the hospital this seemed like heaven. I continued to burp and hiccup after every drink helping to move gas. That evening I had a cup of chicken broth and kept my juice at the bedside constantly sipping. No pain, No hunger.

I was awake every hour on the hour while in the hospital, happily hitting my pain pump. I did not any real pain and was determined to keep it that way. My night nurse was great and brought me some swabs for my mouth as my doctor does not even allow ice chips until he sees you in the am. Around 4 am since I was awake my nurse asked if I was ready to get up and assisted me up and for a little walk around the unit. When I came back to my room I sat up in a chair for awhile and she brought my what can best be described as a microwaved package of thicker, larger. baby wipes to perform a bed bath on myself. I climbed back in bed and woke up 3 hours later. When I woke up my left arm felt cold and wet, turns out I blew my IV so no meds, fluids or my pain pump going meds were reaching me. The doctor came in as the nurse was attempting a new iv and said I could start on ice chips. YEAH!!!!!!!! The IV restart was unsuccessful but the nurse provided me with a large plastic container of BEAUTIFUL ice chips and small medicine cups. i was instructed to have one medicine cup if ice chips every 15 min while awake. The first four "cups" did not even reach my new sleeve because my dehydrated, gummy, mouth absorbed all that moisture. MY catheter was also discontinued and finally a nurse was able to get my IV started. It was time for my pain pump to be discontinued and I sniffled and hit it one last time for good measure. This second day I felt "gassy" and would burp and hiccup a lot which helped move the gas along. I didn't really walk the halls as I was freezing but I did get up several times to sit in the chair in my room and I walked back and forth to the bathroom every hour. Ice chips all day and night and they went down with no problem. No matter how tired I was I had trouble getting comfy and only managed to have a three hour stretch where I slept. Other than that I was awake every hour.

Just wanted to let all you pre-op peeps know how my experience was so hopefully it may quell some anxieties. After all knowledge is power. My surgery was scheduled for 1 pm on 12/5/2012.The day before I had my preop appt with surgeon and also was on a full liquid diet. My surgeon did not require a 2 week liquid diet prior to surgery but did say no weight gain. I had first seen him in Sept so had packed on 10 lbs since then, i think not so much as a farewell to food but frankly I have dieted for 51 years after I decided to have the sleeve I gave myself a break. So when my date was set for 12/5 that meant I needed to get 10 lbs off fast. I started two weeks before really cutting back and the last 5 days was mostly liquids and arrived at pre op only 1 lb over. The doc didn't comment and I am sure it’s because only one pound could be due to a drink of water in the hallway. I also went to the hospital to preregister as arranged by my doctor’s office. That evening at 5 pm I had to drink a 10 ounce bottle of Mag citrate; if this is your demon, pour it over ice and get it down as quickly as possible. Although they say it works in 5-6 hours it can take 11 hours. If you have been on a liquid diet the results should be rather gentle. I also had to shower the night before and that am and clean myself with hibiclens (help reduce infection) I could shampoo but no conditioner, no hair products, deodorant, powders etc…(flammable in OR)The night before I also had a farewell to coffee party, I could drink liquids until midnight so I had 4 cups of coffee drinking the last one at 11:45 pm:P I arrived on 12/5 at 11:00 as instructed, they had called while I was en route to explain the doctor was ahead of schedule so hurry and get there so I could get under the knife;) again I took a babywipe bathe with antiseptics before getting in my gown, they started an IV and I was wheeled to surgery, after speaking to the anesthesiologist and my surgeon. I made them both very aware that fear of pain was not an issue for me but nausea was so they could have round the clock meds ordered to alleviate that. Thankfully, in my hospital they wait till you are under before inserting catheter. I recall laying on the table saying oh this pretty comfy and that is the last thing I recall till waking up in the recovery room. My surgery took an hour and I was in the recovery room for an hour and half still enjoying my sleepy time when my impatient daughter (who had been told recovery was only an hour and a half then she could see me) demanded to be let in. I heard her say, "How do we wake her up?" and opened my eyes. I was moved to my own room shortly there after and attached to a million pounds of things. Oxygen, I had to use it as every time I fell asleep (which was all the time those first hours) my O2 level dropped. This being the beginning of sleep apnea. Thankfully surgery should correct that. I had a pain pump, heart monitor, I had the intermittent pneumatic compression devices on my legs and IV. This meant an extreme effort was involved anytime I wanted or was forced to get out of bed. I used my pain pump every hour when I awoke that first evening (Wed, 12/5) My surgeon does not let gastric sleeve patients have anything, not even ice chips the first day/eve/night. As I had told them I was terrified of being nauseated I was given meds for that (zofran and reglan and prilosec) around the clock. My room was freezing, it said 68 degrees, which is how I usually like a room, but I must admit since surgery, i don't know if its blood loss or what I have been stoking my furnace and keeping it at 72 or 73. My pain was not bad, but I know you need to stay on top of pain and not let it get out of control, besides I had been heros during all my childbirths and c-sections and had already warned everyone at this stage in life I was gladly taking whatever drugs were available to me. Thus concludes the day of surgery.

as stated above, I came out of surgery freezing 5 days ago and have been cold since. I have had the furnace on, I am dressed in sweats, using a heating pad at night. Prior I loved it a nice 68 inside, always had a fan going for circulation and complaining it was warm.

get a pedometer. I have an omron it cost about 25 bucks it keeps track of my steps daily and stores for a week, it doesn't have to be held in a certain way, you can put it in your pocket or I clip it in my bra;)go to the mall do your thing and see how many steps (it does steps and miles) then the next day do 200 more...and so on I find the pedometer really encourages me!

its natural to be nervous, excited, anxious and all of above. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. can't wait till you all join us on this side!

Hmm I had a "screening" for sleep apnea which was basically wearing an o2 oximeter on my finger the readings were recorded on a disc all night and dropped off next day at docs. it showed that I had some apnea but since I was having the surgery we elected to not do further studies for a bit as we are pretty sure it will resolve. My sleep apnea was also confirmed after surgery when my o2 levels would fall every time I fell asleep.

Only you can make the decision and of course there are risks with everything. I think maybe you just are suffering from cold feet. The only thing I am sorry for is I did not do this years ago. You have the opportunity while you are still young and can really prevent obesity related illnesses.

I posted a blow by blow of surgery day 12/5 and will continue on my blog, just go to profile for anyone who likes that kind of detail. I know sometimes knowing what to expect is comforting. I didn't want to take up room on boards because of course the posts are long.

hi all, i was sleeved dec 5th good to hear from folks the same week. I am doing really well, of course I feel bloated and sore but no real pain. I am on full liquids and for my doc that includes cream soups and sugar free pudding as well as protein drinks. The only really thing that I feel a bit concerned about is no matter how slow I sip I burp..guess maybe its getting rid of all the gas still inside. feels great to be home and this evening for the first time I actually felt a tad hungry.

wow good for you!!!!

You look great! Makes me glad I took those horrific day before surgery photos which are now encrypted on my computer until they are just a faint memory;)