Bufflehead

I know mine did and still does, though slightly reduced! I used the search box in the upper left and searched the forums for stomach noise and got this result: Your search for the term stomach noise returned 451 results So I would say we are not alone

My dietician's plan is no soup (after full liquids) and no cereal, because yes, it is the same thing as drinking with your meal.

@@SportCub I'm going to disagree a little bit with your advice or maybe clarify a touch . . . I think it is great to sample stuff before surgery, but most people will want to sample again after surgery to make sure they still like something or at least can tolerate it before committing to a big tub of anything. Many people find their tastes and tolerances change dramatically with surgery, so what they loved beforehand they may be rejecting or even vomiting back up after. I would say if you are going to do samples before surgery, make sure you get at least two samples of everything so that you can sample it again after. The taste changes don't happen for everyone, but they do for a lot of people. I think it's a good idea to have a small tub of unflavored protein on hand for immediate post-op plus lots of sample sizes of flavored stuff.

I'm lazy so I'm just going to link to the last post I did on this subject: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/304669-can-someone-please-suggest-a-good-protien-drink/?p=3441119

My doctor recommended that I stay under 1450 calories per day and get at least 30 minutes of exercise 4 days per week. I had to log everything on myfitnesspal. That was the most important thing -- logging everything, every day. She didn't care about carbs, protein, or fat percentages and told me she expected I would have some days where I would fall off the wagon -- but I had to log everything honestly and not take any breaks from that, ever. I did as she requested. I did end up falling off the wagon, more than I anticipated. But getting in the habit of logging was crucial for me. And I know you didn't ask for this advice so feel free to disregard it -- I think it's important to follow your doctor's advice/instructions, and not shop around on the internet for something you think will be better. And by "better" I mean either easier OR more likely to lead to faster weight loss etc. Trying to research our way to our own plan is a big part of what got most of us in a situation of needing surgery in the first place. Part of the bargain I made with myself at the outset is that I would take the advice of medical professionals involved in my care and not try to second-guess them. Good luck to you!

A bypass may not be your first choice, but tons of people get bypass and do fantastic. Don't rule it out. There are bypass people in my support group and they don't seem to have any more complications or problems than sleevers do. My niece had bypass and she lost 175+ pounds and has kept it off for over four years. It's an individual thing -- but I know I would not have hesitated to have a bypass if a sleeve had not been available to me. Good luck in your decision.

Scar creams are pretty worthless. The important thing is to keep it moist (vaseline, aquaphor) and cover it with a silicon strip such as Scar Away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR0VM3mnsgM (sadly, I know there is a way to embed videos here but I can't figure it out!)

I live alone and had no problems after surgery. I made sure to stock up on everything I needed. I did have my housekeeper come by for an extra visit to take care of things like vacuuming and mopping, because I didn't think I would have the energy for that. Also had her change the kitty litter boxes since lifting anything that heavy was restricted for me for four weeks. Other than that, no issues whatsoever. I was glad not to have anyone around -- I was able to focus on getting my fluids and protein in, and to nap as much as I wanted, without anyone bothering me. If I had lived with anyone I probably would have sent them away!

1. Your health and medical choices are your business, not your co-workers. Tell them as much or as little as you want. But be prepared, they will probably, sooner or later, guess at your having had weight loss surgery. You need to be prepared about what to tell them -- either that you are going to lie (I don't advise it, not for anyone but specifically not for you since they may well hear about it via work and it will make you look like a bad, untrustworthy person), tell them you don't want to discuss it, or be open about it if/when they ask. Whatever you choose, don't let the reactions of people around you determine whether you are going forward with surgery or not. This is YOUR life and choice, and other people can go pound sand. 2. You will be able to eat and drink at your son's wedding. You may not want to have more than a couple bites of cake or sips of wine, but it will be up to you. Hopefully you will come to a place where your enjoyment of celebrations is measured by the fun you have with people and activities rather than by how much food you can eat. And believe me, I am not judging, I have definitely walked many miles in your shoes! Imagine yourself thinner, happier, with more energy at his wedding, dancing and receiving compliments from friends and family. Doesn't that sound better than eating three slices of cake and slugging back glasses of wine? Imagine shopping for your Mother of the Groom outfit in a brand new size and all the options you will have to pick from! 3. See above. It's a big change but a positive one. You can still enjoy football and spending time with friends without over-eating, I promise. None of these things are as important as your physical and emotional health -- and for most of us, things improve drastically on both fronts via this surgery. I worried too about missing out on things like big family dinners -- but trust me, I look back at my worries and have to laugh at myself a little bit. My life is so, so much better now, in a multitude of ways. Good luck in your decision.

@@Elizabeth Gonzalez @@brittany11389 best wishes to both of you! Remember to walk and sip as much as you can! Check back in when you are feeling up to it.

Most people experience a weight loss slow down or even a complete halt somewhere between weeks 2 and 4. This is completely normal. Your body is adjusting and healing still -- just keep following your program and eventually the weight will start to come off again. Also, you may want to step away from the scale for at least the next couple of weeks or you may drive yourself nuts. Good luck!

lol, if I had lost 50 lbs in 2 months I would have been doing cartwheels. I lost 30 lbs in the first two months and my surgeon's team was thrilled and told me I was doing great. Your doctor sounds like a jackdonkey who needs to keep himself in the operating theater and away from assessing weight loss progress once he puts the surgical tools down (I am sure he is a great surgeon, no offense).

@@NMJG I love the sweet leaf liquid drops! I put just a couple of drops of the raspberry flavor in my protein hot chocolate for raspberry hot chocolate and it is soooo good.

I love the Jay Robb protein powders, especially the chocolate and dreamsicle flavors. They are all natural and the milk for the whey comes from grass fed, non-rGBH cows. They are all non GMO ingredients. They are sweetened with stevia, but if you haven't tried them, you might give them a shot. I also tried About Time and Tera's Whey protein powders but didn't care for them. GNC has a natural line in their Pro Performance series. It is sweetened with both stevia and sugar, so maybe less stevia would work for you? I know it seems like the numbers (calories, carbs) wouldn't work with sugar sweetening but the numbers are fine. I haven't tried it but it gets good reviews.

I'm kidding myself if I think I looked better at 339 lbs with no excess skin -- because it was all stuffed with fat -- than I do now. I'll take the skin!

As everyone is saying, take it easy, don't rush yourself, and don't expect too much so early out. It may all be in your perspective -- I was on full liquids for four weeks per my surgeon's plan, then properly pureed foods for another four weeks. So I wasn't even close to trying something like tuna salad or eggs and therefore wasn't frustrated with not being able to eat them. Make sure you are drinking a lot, focus on your protein drinks, and take as much rest as you need. Things will get better but sadly, we can't dictate the timetables for our bodies. Take care of yourself, don't push it, and the rest will follow. Good luck!

I have a nice big mug of black coffee every morning, no problems. I did avoid it for three months after surgery since coffee is acidic and can be hard on a healing stomach.

Any chance you can buy or borrow either a full body pillow or a pregnancy pillow? I have heard people find it a lot easier to sleep with something to prop/brace themselves with. I wish I had had something like that! I struggled with sleeping for the first week-10 days as well. It does get better but it's hard to get through those first several nights.

@@mon_jam74 my surgeon said there is no set time table and people vary dramatically in how quickly their stomachs heal, but around 8-12 weeks is most common.

when you are eating super soft pureed type foods, they won't engage your restriction like denser protein will. Also, as your stomach nerves heal from surgery, your restriction will kick in more and more. Make sure you are eating slowly and very small amounts.

@@bollheam here is the order page for unjury, they only sell online: http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/order-area.html If you want to try their other Protein powders, check out the starter kit. It has a bunch of samples of different flavors plus they include a Blender Bottle and a food thermometer. If you don't have a food thermometer, you need one for their chicken soup protein. As the poster above mentioned, if your Water is too hot, the protein clumps and is disgusting! I'm a big fan of their chocolate splendor flavor, it is my standard chocolate protein powder that I use, and you get to try that plus vanilla, strawberry, and unflavored with the starter kit. If you don't want all that, just order a couple sample packets of the chicken soup. Don't order a full tub of anything until you have tried it and liked it!

I have heard that it is pretty common for lactose intolerance to increase after sleeve surgery. It seems like it returns to normal, pre-sleeve levels for most people at maybe 6 months to a year out, but for some it remains at post-sleeve level. So I would say definitely do your best to stay away from lactose for the next several months and then try again? It looks like lots of lactose-intolerant people do okay with yogurt though. Good luck!

If you need more protein and did well with the chicken broth, you might try Unjury's chicken soup protein powder. I had a half serving every day in the first four weeks after surgery and it really helped me meet my protein goals. It was so nice to have something warm and savory with protein instead of cold and sweet.

This may not sound like a whole lot of fun but I use my weekends to do a lot more exercising. And I do find that it picks up my mood, distracts me, keeps me busy, etc. I also make sure I spend extra time working in the yard, taking the dog for longer walks (I also count that as exercise) and tidying/cleaning the house. All of these things keep me busy and active, and they leave me feeling satisfied just by knowing that my house looks nice, I've made my dog happy, and so on. I know what you mean about weekends -- I never realized, before surgery, how much my weekends revolved around food and how much time I spent planning what I would eat, shopping, preparing food, eating -- and I have to find other ways to fill the time. I find that if I keep the time filled with active chores, the "head hunger" and cravings take care of themselves.