joatsaint

Happy NSV!!!!!!

Congrats! You look Sleeve-a-licious.

Congrats!

I didn't take any time off from work during my pre-op liquid diet. And I was back at work on Day 11 post-op. I too have a desk job and as long as you don't have to lift anything heavier than a ream of paper, you shouldn't have any problems. But if I had to get up and out of my chair more than a dozen times a day, it might have been a bit rougher.

Welcome to the forum. Browse around and feel free to ask questions. Or be like me and troll the board for months.

Hang in there, it does get easier. Remember, you're learning a whole new way of eating and living, so it's not going to be automatic and there is going to be a period of trial and error. As you learn what works for you, it will become a habit. It took me a few months, but I didn't need to track my food intake to know when I had eaten too many calories for the day or if I had had enough to drink. I do weigh every day, morning and evening, and that habit is direct feed back on my caloric intake. My 1st few months, I never worried about getting enough calories. I focused on getting enough Water and I ate what I could, followed my dietary guidelines and everything worked out well for me. Too soon, you'll start noticing that you're new tummy will hold just a little more than it could the day before. These 1st 6 months post-op are critical for getting into the right eating habits.

My taste buds changed too. But I wonder if it was from the surgery or if the change came because I cut sugar out of my diet for over a month?

I've gotten below my goal weight. The one thing I always wanted was to NOT be the fattest person at work. The other goal I haven't had a chance to try out is flying - I've never flown and been able to put the tray table all the way down. Looking forward to that.

When I was on full liquids, I never felt full. Liquids just don't fill me up. It wasn't until the 3rd week when I started eating purees that I felt a tightness in my stomach and I could feel a poking sensation at the bottom of my throat when I had topped off. The other way I know when I'm getting close to being full is, I start feeling gas bubbles moving around the food in my stomach. One bite past that "pokey" feeling and I'd be in pain. So be careful and eat slowly.

He's cute, you name him yet? But I am biased, I like my Frankensleeve better.

There are many on here that have gone to Mexico for their surgeries and had to fly back to the US just a few days after. You might read this thread to get some pointers. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/216019-how-soon-after-surgery-can-you-fly-in-a-plane/

Lapband - had a friend that had it about 3 years ago. It worked a first but he learned how to eat around it and gained all the weight back. Then he had some complications with the band rubbing and scarring his stomach, so they deflated it. Now he's having more problems with his stomach and they are looking at removing it. Bypass - the whole cutting out part of my intestines creeped me out. But I know 3 ladies at work that are very happy with their bypass surgeries. So that left me with the Sleeve. It seemed like the best of both worlds. It helped me control my hunger and I didn't have to lose part of my intestinal tract or worry about malnutrition or dumping.

The hernia repair was done during my Sleeve surgery, so they both healed at the same time. My surgeon said it would take about a month to completely heal.

You could say you're having a hiatal hernia repaired. I had that done at the same time as my WLS and it's pretty common for obese people. "Hiatal hernia is a condition in which part of the stomach sticks upward into the chest, through an opening in the diaphragm. " http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002122/ Or you can use my personal favorite - a fecal transplant. Don't give me that face... it's a real procedure!!!!!! OMG! I googled it to find the medical proof and found this DIY page. http://thepowerofpoop.com/epatients/fecal-transplant-instructions/ I don't think I'd make a smoothie with the same blender I used for the poop transplant afterwards.

Those are great NSV's to look forward to. I'm still amazed when I get up and down from the floor under my own power! Pre-suregery, I always had to have a chair or desk nearby to pull myself up. Next NSV... putting the tray table all the way down in the airplane!

Pre-surgery: EAS carb control chocolate. Post-surgery: Premier Protein chocolate.

Thanks for sharing your story. So many people get the impression that WLS is a walk in the park and are blindsided when it turns out different. I want to officially call "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!" on my doctor who said I should only expect to feel "mild discomfort" after my surgery.

I posted a lot of youtube videos of myself answering frequently asked questions, but I just realized that I haven't watched any of the WLS people I was following pre-surgery 18 months ago. I only watch VSGKirk and 7bites since surgery.

I had similar thoughts about tough meat vs tender meat. I cook a lot of pork loin and if not cooked long enough, it is very chewy and tough. I've tried it both ways - eating it tender and eating it still tough. I have not noticed a difference in how long I stay full.

You "A" type personalities are so competitive at everything! You just have to ruin the curve for the rest of us. P.S. As a penalty, you don't get to count the weight of that lost hair as part of your official weight loss!

GREAT! I can just see a whole line of Celebrity Fecal Transplants in the future. "Wanna be thin like Brittany? New from Ronco - Brittany Spears Fecal Transplants. Shove this up your butt in the comfort of your own home."

Sorry to hear you having such a rough time. I went through something similar, my 1st month, Frankensleeve wanted nothing to do with food or Water. I was only able to tolerate cream of mushroom Soup and Crystal Light lemonade. I wasn't up to walking during my 1st week post-op. Having surgery in December and it being nasty, cold and wet outside gave me a good excuse not to get out and walk. :-) Hang in there, it gets better day by day.

Would you do it again knowing all you know and what you have experienced? I would go through it again in a second if I had to. It was a big hassle getting all the approvals and it was painful that 1st week post-op, but I have no regrets. I know first few weeks liquids and protien shakes but can you eat real food again? I was eating real solid food at 30 days post-op. Just not much, which I was very very happy about. I was eating about 1/4 cup of real food per meal. Mainly turkey hamburger and chicken and refried Beans - my diet is pretty simple. Vegetables and fruits took much longer to get re-accustomed to - around month 6 I was able to add them back into my diet. By month 9, I could eat anything I wanted with little to no grumbling from Frankensleeve. :-) What are biggest highs and what are worse things? The biggest highs for me were being in control of how much I could eat and seeing the weigh fall off so quickly (about 15 lbs a month). The worst thing was that 1st week post-op, getting all that gas out of my body was painful and having to sleep propped up (I am a side sleeper and couldn't lay flat for about 10 days). Can you drink alcohol again once recovered and havre been on this new journey for awhile? I tried a beer at 6 months, sipped it slowly and had no problems. I'm not much of a drinker anyway, but I occasionally have tequila mixed with my Crystal Light lemonade. I'm a cheap drunk now! 2 shots of tequila and I'm done! :-P

You are definitely not alone. I'm right there with ya! The trouble with losing all this weight is, I'm still me on the inside. But I've decided I'd rather be slim with loose skin than fat with tight skin and no wrinkles. I've just been conditioned for too long to not be happy with who I am. But I've noticed that no one is ever satisfied with how they look, to the delight of diet/beauty product/clothing marketers everywhere!

Congrats! I would count that as an NSV! Frankensleeve didn't like any vegetables till around the 6 month mark. Lettuce was just too tough for him. :-)