joatsaint

Congrats on your NSV! I bought my 1st new shirts this month - 15 months post-op. I was so surprised that I'm able to buy stuff that isn't "big and tall". :-) I used to buy all black stuff - pants, shirts. Now I can't stay away from bright colors - reds, blues, greens, and the brighter the better!

Glad to hear you're doing well. Now don't get too frisky and try doing one of those "Insanity" workouts!

Well, you didn't say anything about your diet or exercise, but here's what I do when I think I'm stalled. I vary my diet by increasing the amount of Protein to carbs (from vegetables and beans) and try to stay completely away (I know, wishful thinking :-P) from sugar and salt. I change up my exercise (walking) by increasing the intensity. I wear a weighted vest, go up and down hilly trails and at work I try to best my time for climbing 5 floors of stairs. I try to keep my body from getting acclimated to a certain level of effort and use my muscles in a different way. But mostly, I think it's a waiting game. If my eating program was working before the stall, I know it will continue to work. I just have to wait it out. Sometimes the body just needs to take a time out and adjust to the new way of doing things. Once it realizes that you're not starving yourself, it quits hanging onto everything you eat. My longest stall lasted a month. I started adjusting my eating and exercise after 2 weeks of waiting. But there's nothing I can really point at and say, "Yep, that's what started my weight loss again."

This is a really exciting/stressful time - I remember it clearly. If you have good pain meds, you shouldn't really experience extreme pain. I remember feeling lots of pressure in my chest and some aches in my shoulder - all from the gas. But nothing painful from my new stomach or the stitches. If I hadn't gotten the hiccups the day after surgery and stretched my new sleeve, I don't think I would have been more than a little uncomfortable.

Eggs were one of the toughest things to digest after surgery. I was allowed anything soft/mushy/pureed starting day 8. But something about eggs made my stomach seize up with just the smallest bite. If you are going to try scrambled eggs, don't over cook them or it will be even tougher to digest. I did try some creamy peanut butter as well, it was much easier to digest.

I can't remember how much I lost in the 1st few weeks, but I do remember not eating more than 1/2 can of Soup per day for weeks and weeks. I was slowly able to eat more as the days went past. It'll be the same for you. I took the list of recommended daily Protein and carb intake as goals to shoot for once I was well past the surgery, not something I should be taking in starting the 1st day post-op. I was supposed to be eating at least 600 calories a day, but I know I was eating less than 200/day for the 1st 2 weeks.

I was able to eat anything (except Taco Bell taco sauce) at 6 months post-op. It was just a matter of how much grumbling I was willing to put up with from Frankensleeve. At 9 months, everything was easy to eat (except Taco Bell taco sauce!). Although I have to add, on occasion, fibrous stuff like whole wheat bread and pineapple still cause stomach grumbling.

During my puree stage, I primarily ate Cream of Mushroom soup, creamy peanut butter and soft scrambled eggs. My diet was very varied. :-)

Whoo Hoo! Way to go!

I wasn't able to stomach the liquid meds they sent home with me, so I was in a lot of pain those 1st 5 to 7 days post-op, but all I remember was the hurt, not if it was a ripping sensation or what. I was just strong enough to make it from my chair to the bed or bathroom, so you're not alone in this. By day 8, the pain was pretty much gone and all I felt was the weakness. By day 10, I was back at work and the pain was a memory - I never hurt after that. But it did take a few weeks before I felt comfortable laying on either side in bed. I kept feeling a pulling sensation - especially when laying on the right side. I was hoping to have one of those easy recoveries I'd read so much about, but it wasn't in the cards for me. At least there weren't any complications.

When I was walking in the park today, I saw some guys playing disk golf. Except for the guy who had to climb into the water trap (see drainage ditch :-P) it looked like it wasn't too strenuous. If they gave you an elastic stomach support, I'd wear that just in case.

A co-worker and myself had WLS within months of each other. She had the RNY and I had the Sleeve. We're both very happy with the weight we've lost. But the funny thing is that she stopped losing weight while I continue to creep down. I think it boils down to how committed you are to eating right and exercising after surgery. From what I understand, she has an advantage over me. Being that the absorption of food in the intestine is reduced after RNY. But if you go back to eating too much junk, you're still taking in excess calories. Neither RNY nor the Sleeve will prevent you from eating sugar, only limit it to some extent. And with RNY there's the possibility of having dumping syndrome (where the food moves too quickly from stomach to intestines), since the valve at the bottom of your stomach is no longer there to moderate the movement of food. So, both surgeries work well, it's all in how you stick to the recommended diet and exercise post-op that will determine your success. Here's a video a guy posted showing his experience with dumping syndrome.

Everyday will get a little better. I went through the, "What the Hell did I do to myself?" phase for about 8 days post-op. By day 9 things were sooooo much better! Hang in there.

I didn't go to Mexico, but my doc's office is a 2 hour drive from my home. He was the closest that my ins. would approve. I would go back at least once or twice just to be sure there aren't any complications and things are going well. I quit going to my doc after my 3rd follow-up. I got tired of him being late for every appointment.

How does Mrs.RRn change a light bulb? She just holds it in the air and the world revolves around her!

I would error on the side of caution and avoid fruits. In my case, I know that fruit triggers sugar cravings and I don't lose weight easily if I have it in my diet.

I too have a desk job that requires no heavy lifting. I was back at work on day 10, could have gone back on day 7 or 8 but I was using my vacation time. You can plan to be back to work that soon, but just have a fall back plan if there are complications. I had read posts where they went back to work after 3 or 4 days and I was hoping to be up and moving just as fast. But I wasn't in any shape to go back to work on day 4, I was hurting too much.

Way to go! I believe exercise is a key component in successful weight loss. Not just because it burns calories, but it also helps prevent muscle loss as your body loses weight. I know that my weight loss wouldn't have been as good if I hadn't been exercising on a regular basis. I had to find ways to continue burning calories at the same rate as I was right after surgery. Since I wasn't carrying around the extra weight, my body didn't have to work as hard to get around. I've only done walking as my primary exercise, but I do vary it up by going to walking tracks and park trails. I like a variety of hills and obsticals to keep things from getting boring. Back in October, I started wearing a backpack with a few books in it for added weight then got a weighted vest in November. The vest had the added benefit of working my core and leg muscles in a new way. It's hard to make a sharp turn with a 20 lb vest. :-P

Unfortunately weight loss is not a steady thing. I wish we had the exact formula for continuous weight loss. The only thing that works for me is just keep doing what worked in the past. Stick with my diet and exercise. I know from experience that eventually my body will give in and start losing again.

I'm right there with ya. I go through the same thing about once a month or 6 weeks. I'll just bounce up and down 1 or 2 lbs for about 10 days before the weight starts creeping down again. I just stick with my exercise and diet. It worked before the stall and if I stick with it, it will work again.

I can only speak about the treadmill, are you the type of person that is self-motivated to workout at home? I have a $350 clothes hanger that is shaped like a recumbent bike in my living room, plus a treadmill that has committed suicide from feeling useless. I need a workout buddy that expects me to show up. I have to do some fancy explaining everytime I skip a walking session! :-P

Congratulations, you're looking even more beautiful.

I would check with my doc. But you might examine how much you are trying to drink. Even at day 8, I wasn't able to eat more than 1/2 of a sugar free popsicle a day. I could drink all the Crystal Light I wanted, but anything thicker would cause my stomach to seize up.

I agree, at 6 months, I couldn't tolerate anything that was fibrous. A few months later, I could eat salad, tomatoes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower. It just takes time. Elfnow, you are still healing. Your tolerance for things will change considerably. Try broccoli again in a month, you may be surprised.

The one thing Frankensleeve does not tolerate is Taco Bell taco sauce - the store bought version ( I haven't eaten at a real Taco Bell since surgery 16 months ago). It feels like he's twisted in knots when I eat the slightest bit. To a lesser extent, real whole grain or wheat bread causes him to grind and grumble, so I have to eat it very slowly. Occasionally he complains about pineapple, apple skin, and grape skins. He's very iffy on those and I guess it's just however he's feeling that morning.