makemyownluck

Gas-X strips! worked for me, anyway.
I'm 32 y/o female, sleeved 5/2. Down 27lbs since surgery.
Doing great - have had zero nausea, vomiting, dizziness since day one! Getting about 1000 cals a day and 90g Protein. Can drink normally - haven't felt hungry since pre-op!

I don't know what to call "the 300s". There's the cute names TWOterville and ONEderland, but no similarly cutesy name for the 300s. Some people DO want to Celebrate that!! LIKE ME!
This morning, my scale said 397. That's a total of 62lbs lost since November 2012 high weight, and 20lbs lost since surgery 11 days ago.
This feels so good. I'm succeeding! Hooray!

May 2 down 36.

Considering she's telling you that you need to see a doctor for these questions, I don't know why she thinks SHE'S qualified to tell you what you should and shouldn't do, when it sounds like you didn't really give her any details.
It is hard, though, to convinice an MD you've never seen before that you think surgery is the best option - they don't have first hand knowledge of what you've weighed, or how long you've been overweight or what you've tried, etc, so they look at this as a "first attempt" going straight to surgery when it should be more of a last resort.
While that nurse may have given you some attitude, she did raise some important points. You do need to find someone (a doctor) who will provide you post-op care in the States. You need to ask what the Mexican clinic/hospital you are going to would do in case of emergency. I think it definitely could've been done in a more professional manner, but ultimately, you get what you pay for!
Definitely do all your research and preparation beforehand so you don't have to deal with it when you're post op. Good luck!

You are doing great and I might borrow yor Soup recipe! I found if I put Special K Protein Water powder in my water I sip all day (to get in my 64 ounces) it adds very few calories (30) but 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of Fiber, so you get 10 gms of protein from your water intake. Also, early on when I was having trouble with my protein goals, I would sip on New Whey, a Liquid Protein supplement that has zero sugar, zero fat and 42 gms of protein in 3.8 ounces. I would do half over crushed ice, let it get real cold and a little watered down, as sip over 30 to 45 minutes in the evening. Actually, I still do that on days I have been running around and not able to eat.
Keep up the good work, and any time you want to post recipes, I'd love to see them!

Glad to see you doing so well.

Considering she's telling you that you need to see a doctor for these questions, I don't know why she thinks SHE'S qualified to tell you what you should and shouldn't do, when it sounds like you didn't really give her any details.
It is hard, though, to convinice an MD you've never seen before that you think surgery is the best option - they don't have first hand knowledge of what you've weighed, or how long you've been overweight or what you've tried, etc, so they look at this as a "first attempt" going straight to surgery when it should be more of a last resort.
While that nurse may have given you some attitude, she did raise some important points. You do need to find someone (a doctor) who will provide you post-op care in the States. You need to ask what the Mexican clinic/hospital you are going to would do in case of emergency. I think it definitely could've been done in a more professional manner, but ultimately, you get what you pay for!
Definitely do all your research and preparation beforehand so you don't have to deal with it when you're post op. Good luck!

What does one do when they have no insurance or the funds for the follow up care, meds, and supplements after they come home from Mexico? And if one does not have insurance how do they handle securing medical care once back in the states if in fact they do end up having complications?
I understand that some here believe that Mexico is "better" than the states and have "less" complications... Whether or not that is true is debatable.
I guess what I'm saying is, this surgery will cost money afterwards too..
And wouldn't it be a good idea to have finances and insurance in place back in the states before getting a surgery in Mexico or anywhere for that matter??

Hi all, just wanted to update you so far. I walked earlier, and have had nothing but Water and a little Jello since. I've not taken all of my vitamins/supplements only because my stomach is already quite angry. I think the hot dog has passed from my upper stomach/esophagus (spelling lol) to full on stomach mode. I say that becasue I'm no longer nauseous or feeling chest pain but am having the worst stomach cramps of my life (which I rightfully deserve). I will continue to walk around my house and take in liquids as I can. I've checked so far and no fever either. As this progresses I'll update you all. Please feel free to chime in with other things I can do and look out for until i can reach my surgeon's office Monday. I'm on high alert for any sharp pains or shortness of breath that could indicate a leak. Anything else? Thank you for your throughtfullness. You've been stern and patient with me and most of all informative and kind. Your concern is not lost on me, and I am truly thankful! Please keep me in your prayers!!! xoxox

Hi Make-Luck, thanks so much for your thoughtful and thought provoking reply. IN truth, i know without a doubt there is no excuse for the choice I made. Doesn't matter how good I'd been, it was a stupid choice. I totally agree with evertyhing you've said, especaily that we didn't make this choice to be on a diet forever! Well said, girl!! But indeed, we did make this choice because we accepted the responsibiity of our different sleeve lifestyle. Yes, there is a transition period, but still doesn't mean I get to make such possibly fatal errors (from what I understand, a leak could be fatal). I walked earlier, and I'll continue to do so as you and others suggested, thanks so much! I'll post an update shortly as to how I feel. Most of all, I want to thank you for your well wishes and for relating to me. Means a whole lot, especially when I've dones something that easily makes other sleevers alienate themselves from me like I'm a terrible person because I've made a really poor choice. I really appreciate you and your very thoughtful and kind reply. You rock, my dear!!!

It's interesting how this surgery affects people so differently. Yes, a hot dog probably wasn't the best choice, but honestly, you could have had this reaction to anything you ate. I was on Clear Liquids ONLY for the first week, and when I had my first Protein Shake WOAH - it gave me serious gas, weird indigestion gurgling sounds and mild pain in my stomach. And that was something that was liquid! I'd say part of what you're going through is just your stomach saying "WHAT IS THIS!??!?" because it's been on the liquids for so long and is getting used to digesting what it's had so far. Then you over eat this dense food and your tummy is just letting you know it's not ready for all that!
What helped me were gas-x strips - really helps with the gas, and fast! Also, walking around helps too. Drinking too much Water on top if the full tummy sounds good in theory, but it doesn't always work like that. With how small your stomach is, the water could really 'over fill' your tummy and make it more painful. Try to get moving if you can! I hope it works itself out soon.
I'm 17 days post op and I'm eating lots of stuff. I don't know if I have one of those sleeves of steel, but I haven't been sick once. No nausea, vomiting or pains - aside from the Protein Shakes, which still give me some gas, but not pain like the first time - and I'm having deli meats, low carb flat bread, yogurt, cheeses, cottage cheese... lots of stuff. I plan to try some fish this week, and canned chicken, then in a few weeks I'll try some veggies (coincidentally, my local farmers market will be open then, yay!)
I certainly didn't have this surgery to be on a diet for the rest of my life. I like hot dogs every once in a while and plan to have them when I'm ready for it... so I'm not shaming you there. But considering we only get so little in us in the beginning, I'm trying to make it as good as possible. Deli meat isn't something I would normally have that often because of the salt and nitrates, but because it's something that I can tolerate now, I'm having it. While I am able to eat all these things, I can't eat much of it, and that's the key for me. So what if I had deli meat, it was ONE SLICE! I never thought I'd be completely full on just 1 banana for Breakfast. The shakes are saving me with Protein intake, because I really don't eat much. But when I DO eat, I can handle everything I've tried so far... I guess that's just lucky on my part.
I definitely hope this passes for you soon!

I have heard that drinking a little apple juice every day gets it moving - or prune juice if you can handle it.
My MD gave me Colace and said I should take it if I go 2 days without a BM. Take 2x day until I have a BM (usually happens the same day). I haven't had an impaction, but I have had a couple rounds of Constipation, where you feel like you have to go and nothing is happening... or it won't come completely out - so uncomfortable!! In those cases, Milk of Magnesia works well for me.
I think everyone should keep a BM diary after surgery until they feel regular again. When you're on a high protein/low carb diet for a long time, constipation is a very common side effect. Aside from impaction, you could also develop hemorrhoids or a fissure. Even if you're having loose stool, that's not normal either - and you should discuss what's going on with your MD so that medication can be used if needed!
I hope you're feeling better soon!!

makemyownluck/deedadumble very true!!!!
congrats on being taken off BP meds - i know the feeling - it is great!!!!
yes, since you've lost 50 lbs - it will effect your medication dosage
I'm sure you meant you were going to have the doc reduce your cymbalta gradually, right????
don't do it on your own!!!!
you/me/us should never experiment with a change of dosage
doc needs to direct you on how much to take, what to change
"little" hijack ok???
i checked with all my docs prior to WLS concerning my meds etc
everyone was a go ahead
but.............
at 4 months PO i had a knee replacement
i had lost 60 lbs
i have epilepsy (controlled) but since i lost the weight, and combination with my anesthesia - i had a couple of seizures
all do to the fact that i was taking too much meds for my smaller body (labs were taken)
took a couple of days for proper meds adjustment ...but...........
back to my "normal"? crazy self now
56 lbs gone, oh no, where did it go LOL
keep up the great job/work
kathy
congrats

I'm feeling really, really good. I've been able to move around pretty comfortably for several days - I've tackled cleaning the house, I went shopping yesterday, today I spent the day cooking... It's been a really smooth road for me. I'm on soft foods and everything is going down well. I get a little gassy with my Protein shakes, but everything else has been great. No nausea, no vomiting, no bad reactions to anything I've tried. People on this forum say your taste changes, but I find that everything tastes as it did before.
Slight snag this evening. My incisions are all glued instead of stitched. Once of the glue chunks came off and the incision is open underneath. I called the doc and he got back to me 5 minutes later (at 945 on a Saturday night) and said to cover it with clean gauze and it will close up on its own. Scary, but was good to know he is reliable to got back to me asap!

good luck with your rheumatology visit. I would say that losing that much could cause those symptoms. Your body doesn't need as much of the medication now that you've lost the weight.
I lost a little over 50 during pre-op, and 1 wk before my surgery started having lightheaded feelings, I almost felt like I was going to pass out one day. I went to see my PCP and my bp was really low... I was still 200lbs overweight, but that 50lb loss was enough to take me off my bp meds. And my bp has been great ever since!
So, I hope your MD has good new for you and that as you lose more weight, you can get off your meds completely. I'm okay with taking Vitamins for the rest of my life -- because being off bp meds is a great feeling! Good luck to you!!

Sounds like you are doing great!! I couldn't really handle anything they gave me in the hospital. The Jello wasn't sugar free, the broth was too salty, they gave me coffee and orange juice (2 big no-nos, IDK why they even gave me that!), and so all I had was Water, ice and some tea that I brought from home.
Anyway, you sound good - 2 days post op, I mostly just wanted to sleep! I'm 17 days out now and feeling great - so just know that any pain/discomfort you're having does go away quicker than you think!
Good luck! Congrats on coming over to 'the other side'!!

I don't know what to call "the 300s". There's the cute names TWOterville and ONEderland, but no similarly cutesy name for the 300s. Some people DO want to Celebrate that!! LIKE ME!
This morning, my scale said 397. That's a total of 62lbs lost since November 2012 high weight, and 20lbs lost since surgery 11 days ago.
This feels so good. I'm succeeding! Hooray!

It's interesting how this surgery affects people so differently. Yes, a hot dog probably wasn't the best choice, but honestly, you could have had this reaction to anything you ate. I was on Clear Liquids ONLY for the first week, and when I had my first Protein Shake WOAH - it gave me serious gas, weird indigestion gurgling sounds and mild pain in my stomach. And that was something that was liquid! I'd say part of what you're going through is just your stomach saying "WHAT IS THIS!??!?" because it's been on the liquids for so long and is getting used to digesting what it's had so far. Then you over eat this dense food and your tummy is just letting you know it's not ready for all that!
What helped me were gas-x strips - really helps with the gas, and fast! Also, walking around helps too. Drinking too much Water on top if the full tummy sounds good in theory, but it doesn't always work like that. With how small your stomach is, the water could really 'over fill' your tummy and make it more painful. Try to get moving if you can! I hope it works itself out soon.
I'm 17 days post op and I'm eating lots of stuff. I don't know if I have one of those sleeves of steel, but I haven't been sick once. No nausea, vomiting or pains - aside from the Protein Shakes, which still give me some gas, but not pain like the first time - and I'm having deli meats, low carb flat bread, yogurt, cheeses, cottage cheese... lots of stuff. I plan to try some fish this week, and canned chicken, then in a few weeks I'll try some veggies (coincidentally, my local farmers market will be open then, yay!)
I certainly didn't have this surgery to be on a diet for the rest of my life. I like hot dogs every once in a while and plan to have them when I'm ready for it... so I'm not shaming you there. But considering we only get so little in us in the beginning, I'm trying to make it as good as possible. Deli meat isn't something I would normally have that often because of the salt and nitrates, but because it's something that I can tolerate now, I'm having it. While I am able to eat all these things, I can't eat much of it, and that's the key for me. So what if I had deli meat, it was ONE SLICE! I never thought I'd be completely full on just 1 banana for Breakfast. The shakes are saving me with Protein intake, because I really don't eat much. But when I DO eat, I can handle everything I've tried so far... I guess that's just lucky on my part.
I definitely hope this passes for you soon!

I'm 9 days post op this morning.
Yesterday I was cleared for full liquids and soft foods at the same time.
I ate:
yogurt with fruit on the bottom
a scrambled egg with cheese
premier Protein shake in chocolate
a small piece of sharp cheddar cheese.
This was over the course of about 9-10 hours.
Right before bed, I started thinking I was such a pig. That I did too much, too fast. I didn't feel sick. It all went down fine. I feel fine this morning.
So I took a step back at the big picture.
What I ate was not bad. I did pretty good as far as choices, but I didn't meet my Protein goal. So technically, I didn't do great, either. It just strikes me how I'm feeling guilty about what I ate. I never really felt hungry. It was just like every few hours, it would pop into my head to eat something. So I ate a little bit of something and felt fine.
This morning I had a Jello cup when I woke up. I was doing that for the week I was on clears only, so now it felt like habit, lol. Now I've been up a couple hours, so I just made a scrambled egg, with parmesan cheese, a little basil, salt and pepper. I make it in a coffee mug in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds, stir. Heat another 5-15 seconds and it's done. prepare, cook and eat out of the same dish!
I'm going to start sipping a Protein Shake in a bit. If I can get 2 of these down a day, I'll be really close to meeting my requirement, so all my other meals should get me to goal.
I'm making some chicken Soup for late lunch. No actual chicken - but onion/carrot/celery sauteed in olive oil with garlic and rosemary - then add a tsp of better than bouillon, some Tomato paste, mix it together well and sautee some more, then add chicken broth and simmer until veggies are super tender with 1-2 bay leaves. I hope it's good without the chicken! I might try blending it together with some unflavored Protein powder and see how that tastes.
and dinner will probably be 2nds on the Soup, maybe some cottage cheese or yogurt later as well.
and another Protein Shake.
This seems like SO MUCH to me!! But I want to get my protein and fluids in...
It is nice to know that my love of cooking can survive post-op. Because I took pleasure in making my eggs delicious and I'm looking forward to making the soup later. I was worried that food would turn me off for a while post-op!

good luck with your rheumatology visit. I would say that losing that much could cause those symptoms. Your body doesn't need as much of the medication now that you've lost the weight.
I lost a little over 50 during pre-op, and 1 wk before my surgery started having lightheaded feelings, I almost felt like I was going to pass out one day. I went to see my PCP and my bp was really low... I was still 200lbs overweight, but that 50lb loss was enough to take me off my bp meds. And my bp has been great ever since!
So, I hope your MD has good new for you and that as you lose more weight, you can get off your meds completely. I'm okay with taking Vitamins for the rest of my life -- because being off bp meds is a great feeling! Good luck to you!!

I mostly ate Soup that I pureed. I make my own Soups and then just blended them up. Veggie Soup, minestrone soup - whatever it is that you like.
I'll be honest and say I kinda skipped the puree stage. I mean, I had yogurt and cottage cheese, the blended soup, but after a few days, I started testing the waters on soft solids - I had a bit of overcooked peas, some deli meat - just made sure that I chewed it down a lot before swallowing. I haven't had any issues.
I'm DEFINITELY NOT advising you go against your NUT's plan, I'm just saying that puree stage was tough for me too, because I didn't really know what to eat. Pretty much anything you want, but pureed is what my NUT told me, but it just didn't seem practical. The pureed veggie soup was good, tho - just got pretty boring!
Good luck, I hope you get some good suggestions!

good luck with your rheumatology visit. I would say that losing that much could cause those symptoms. Your body doesn't need as much of the medication now that you've lost the weight.
I lost a little over 50 during pre-op, and 1 wk before my surgery started having lightheaded feelings, I almost felt like I was going to pass out one day. I went to see my PCP and my bp was really low... I was still 200lbs overweight, but that 50lb loss was enough to take me off my bp meds. And my bp has been great ever since!
So, I hope your MD has good new for you and that as you lose more weight, you can get off your meds completely. I'm okay with taking Vitamins for the rest of my life -- because being off bp meds is a great feeling! Good luck to you!!

I had surgery on May 14th, too, and today I get to start FULL LIQUIDS. Not even soft or mushy foods...hell, I still have my drain in! I can't imagine trying to eat a hot dog and even though you're feeling horrible and say you won't do it again, I AM going to give you a bit of a verbal kick. What makes you think a HOT DOG is a decent Protein or food PERIOD? Even if you were desperate for something solid, there are many, MANY choices better than a hot dog. You could have tried some cottage cheese, or other soft cheese, yogurt, canned chicken, etc.
That said, do what others have suggested. Call your doctor to get their advice, and then go back to liquids for a couple of days. The more irritated/inflamed your stomach is, the more trouble you're going to have. So even WHEN this discomfort passes, if you try to eat a soft food, you're more likely to have MORE discomfort....it becomes a wicked cycle. Give your stomach time to recover and heal with more liquids.

Hi Patti! There's definitely support here, and there's a place to post specifically for support for the amount of weight you have to lose. I see a lot of these "lightweights" around here and wonder if they could possibly understand where I'm coming from. We're all in the same boat, tho, and I've found a lot of support from people on all different parts of this journey!
My heaviest was 11/12 @ 459. I had surgery 5/2/13 @ 406. I finally made it to the 300s now and I'm looking forward to the scale moving lower and lower. I don't have a support group I go to, I just pop on here when I have a question or feel like being with 'my people'.
I would definitely tell your surgeon about the support you get online, and definitely let this be a resource. It's funny, I didn't know a family friend had surgery in the past until I started talking to my mom about wanting surgery. It seems people come out of the woodwork when they know someone else is considering surgery... even though she had a different surgery, she told me to not think twice about doing it. She said it's still the best decision she ever made and has never been happier.
I'm doing great post op, wish I was losing more and faster, but I realize it's not a race and that a loss is a loss, no matter how long it takes to get it. As long as the scale isn't moving up, I'm happy! :)
Good luck to you! You have support here when you need it!