clk

I suppose it's time for me to move to this thread now that I'm sleeved! Today is day 5 for me.

I had a headache yesterday but then again, I had zero Protein yesterday. Today I had a little Isopure (yuck) and three packets of unjury, getting in my 70 grams of Protein. I think it made all the difference, because today I had no headache, wasn't tired and sluggish and managed the entire day without needing a pain pill. Well, until my two year old accidentally headbutted me in the belly - that hurt!

I'm feeling really good except for a bit of soreness around my incisions and some achiness in my abdominal muscles (like a hard workout or being pregnant).

I have ZERO hunger. I'm thrilled. Tonight we went out to eat and I was going to order chicken Soup and ask for mostly broth so I could eat with my family. However, they only had shrimp gumbo, which is something I do not eat. I was amazed that I was able to sit at the table and sip Water while my twins and husband ate their meals. I wasn't hungry in the slightest, though I admit there was a twinge of head hunger when I got a good whiff of their meals. It was a little odd - almost like I was stuffed to the gills and couldn't eat, but still I felt that ingrained desire to eat food because it's there. It was very interesting. Having no hunger made it incredibly easy to just ignore their food and chat the entire time.

I really feel for folks that don't lose hunger with the surgery, because it would be much harder that way. I'm hoping mine never comes back in the force it was prior to surgery. I was hungry every second of the day before and would eat myself sick to have a full feeling.

I'm going to hold off on a weigh-in until one week post op (Thursday) because I'm still feeling a bit bloated.

LaSa: I'm fine, thanks! I just hadn't moved to the post op board yet. How are you doing?

Take care everyone!

~Cheri

Sorry to hear you went through this! To avoid this issue, I went to vitalady's site and bought a slew of samples - that way I could decide if I liked something enough to buy the giant tub.

Try working with the shakes - mixing with SF pudding or greek yogurt (w/splenda), freezing them to see if they're more palatable very cold, making them with 1/2 scoops instead of a full scoop. Try mixing the vanilla with fresh berries and vanilla soy milk for a smoothie, or mixing it with a cup of chai flavored tea instead of Water.

I hope there's a variation out there that makes the shakes palatable. If not, maybe someone on the boards will buy them off of you if you ship them? Everyone's tastes are different, so someone out there probably doesn't mind the powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury vanilla. I've only had their unflavored and chicken Soup Proteins as I'm on clears, but I have no issues with either one. Like I said, everyone is different!

Good luck,

~Cheri

La: I'm glad you're back and feeling great! I'm feeling pretty good, too, especially since I got about nine hours of sleep last night. How are you doing with your 64 ounces? I had a heck of a time getting anything in yesterday, probably due to nearly 13 hours in the air. Today I'm doing great and I feel a lot better now that I've incorporated clear Protein (Unjury chicken broth is a godsend). I've decided to wait until Thursday (one week) to weigh, since I'm definitely bloated from the IVs followed by a day full of flights. How are you doing on that front?

jls: Glad to hear you're feeling so great. Enjoy that transition to soft foods. I'd say I'm jealous but since I have no appetite I'm okay with my ten days of clears followed by a week of full liquids. :001_tt2:

RAINY: Glad to hear you're feeling better, too. Everything from day three out has been fairly easy and it keeps getting better.

I second those rave reviews of Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos. Wow, what a great experience! I never had any worries and I felt that between his talk to prepare us and my own research there were no surprises. I already plan to bring my mother down to Mexicali when she's ready for her sleeve.

Good luck to everyone sleeving this week. I think there were several folks for the 19th, so hopefully they'll be up to posting soon.

Take care everyone!

~Cheri

Just a quick update! I'm doing great. It's day two and I've been doing lots of walking and sipping. I had the dye test not too long ago and now I'm able to sip my hot chamomile tea and some apple juice. I've only had to take one pain pill today - the soreness around my drain was getting to me. Between the Gas-X strips and heating pad the gas is pretty well under control. I have some minor pain in my left shoulder, but I slept on the heating pad all night and burped up most of what was trapped in my chest, I think.

Anyway, the entire staff here is wonderful and Dr. Aceves has stopped in to see me both days I've been here, as has Dr. Campos.

I hope tomorrow goes well, too. I'm ready for to get this drain out and take a shower!

~Cheri

Get better!

You can have Isopure and Unjury makes a chicken broth Protein Powder and an unflavored Protein powder you can mix with crystal light. SF Jello is a clear, but doesn't have much protein. Some folks make the SF jello with IsoPure and eat that to boost the protein.

I was told (every doc is different) that the main thing in the first few days is to stay hydrated. Protein will come later, after you're tolerating your clears well and not dehydrated.

Best wishes to you, keep walking! It's helping me a lot.

~Cheri

Take it easy. I'm glad to hear you got through surgery and are doing better.

I hope you heal well and get back to normal soon. Thank goodness you have family helping you out while you recover.

Best of luck to you, and keep us posted when you feel better!

~Cheri

Best of luck, Kathy! I'm here in Mexicali waiting my turn (LaSa is next, I believe), and just as happy with my decision as you are.

Get sleeved, heal up and then head out there and conquer the world!

Take care, keep us posted.

~Cheri

KathyM: Prayers and positive thoughts! Good luck tomorrow. I know I'm excited as all get out, and I imagine you are, too.

Donna: Don't fret overmuch. Dr. Aceves lets his patients have a "last meal" that's pretty much whatever you want, so I'm sure your biscuit and wine send off won't hurt you. Good luck!

So, I'm here in Mexicali (with LaSa) and everything is GREAT. The hospital is clean and orderly, the staff is wonderful and I feel very comfortable with my choice to go with Dr. Aceves. We head to the hospital at seven, and by this time tomorrow we'll be sleeved. Yay!

So, I'm off to sleep. Those margaritas Dr. Aceves recommended sure hit the spot. :confused1:

I'll update sometime after surgery - maybe not until Friday if I'm feeling funky tomorrow.

~Cheri

Thanks Elllisa! I'm sure the layover won't be too bad, but I still hate sitting in airports with nothing to do.

At least it will take a while to pass through passport control and customs, and then I can probably sit down and eat at a restaurant to take up some more time. I'll have my books with me, too, so I'll be fine. I guess I'm just impatient to get my surgery!

Euphoric it sounds like you're doing well. Sorry that you can't do more with your daughter - I'm worried about the same thing when I get home to my almost three year old twins! I just click on my ticker in my signature for updates, by the way.

Crystal, I hope everything is going well for you today! Be sure to post your experience when you're up to it.

Welcome to tlkeuler, sunshine, sanct and chica! Time will fly by and you'll be getting ready for your surgeries before you know it.

chica, you might try Isopure (I warn you that some people hate it) or unjury. Unjury has unflavored Protein that mixes well into Crystal Light and they also have a chicken broth flavored Protein that I'll use post op. I can find Isopure at my local commissary and I know GNC sells it, but I had to buy Unjury from their website. Shipping was very fast, though. I had my order in four days and I'm at an APO adddress in Germany.

KathyM, I'm sorry to hear you're on clears now, but it's only three days and you'll be sleeved before you know it!

I hope everyone continues to do well. My flight leaves tomorrow morning and by tomorrow late evening I'll be in San Diego. I cannot believe how quickly time flew by for me!

Take care everyone, my thoughts and prayers for everyone healing and for those about to have surgery this week.

~Cheri

LaSa, thanks for the info on your diet. I trimmed the fat back and hopefully that will help a little bit. I keep losing, slowly but surely, and I'm hoping for another three pounds before surgery but we shall see.

KathyM, I hope you're still hanging in here. You leave soon, too, right? I had to laugh when I read your post on another thread about watching Red Robin commercials. I complain incessantly about our horrible television over here - we only get AFN (Armed Forces Network) and there are no commercials, just silly military propaganda shorts in between shows. Now I have a reason to be thankful for our crappy television...at least I'm not tempted by Taco Bell or pizza Hut commercials!

SlimMissy, I'm glad to hear you bounced back so quickly. I'm hoping I'll do the same, since my husband is leaving for a trip the day after I get back from Mexico. It sounds like you're doing a great job so far, and I just know you're going to do a great job with your new sleeve. You've got just the right attitude!

Well, I hope everyone is doing well. I leave on Tuesday morning. I'll pack up most of my stuff tonight. I plan to take just a carry on to make life easier. I'm a bit bummed about the four hour layover in Houston, but I suppose I'll just pack a few books and I'll be fine.

I looked at the weather for San Diego and was thrilled - it's in the high sixties, low seventies. That's delightful, since we're suffering mid-to-high nineties without air conditioning here in Germany. Then I looked at Mexicali and HOLY SMOKES! Temps from 109-114 degrees during my stay. Yikes! I hope it's cool and comfortable in the hospital.

Well, time is passing more and more quickly. I can't believe surgery is on Thursday! I'm off to the commissary for a few more last minute things for my post op diet, and I need to cook some dinners and make up some salads for my hubby and the twins while I'm gone. If I don't, they'll live on Kraft dinner and pizza the entire week, I just know it.

~Cheri

Kelly,

Thank you so much for the detailed update on your surgery. It's so nice to know what to expect when I go for my surgery next week.

I'm glad to hear you're doing well, and I hope those 10 days of clears pass quickly for you. I hear they're the tough and I'm not looking forward to the challenge.

Take care, keep everyone posted on your progress!

~Cheri

Well, I finally lost that five pounds I packed on somewhere between March and June. Now everything I lose between today and surgery will be a bonus. My flight leaves in five days (I'm landing in San Diego a night early) and I need to start gathering things to pack. I'm trying to jam everything into a carry on sized suitcase, but I'm not sure I can do that with my pillow in the bag!

KathyM: How's the preop diet going? Hang in there!

LaSaJaTa: How are you doing? I know our preop is easier than most and I'm really grateful for that. Are you logging your food? I'm trying to keep low carb/low fat but it's actually kind of tough to do. I'm getting around 30 g carbs per day, but my fat has been between 40-50 g per day. I'm just curious what you're doing. The guide Nina sent only says to try and keep the fat as low as possible and acknowledges that it's not easy when you eat low carb.

Mellifrits: Thanks for the heads up! We'll be there soon. :001_unsure:

~Cheri

Oh...what memories. My grandmother was Ukrainian and we called this dish "holodets" and it's basically any meat cooked with the feet, ears and lips (oh yeah...really gross). You make almost a Soup out of it and boil it down, the bones make it gelatinous. You remove the bones and mince the meat, chill it and you have meat Jello, or holodets. She would force us to try a little taste each time she made it, and we were always unhappy and sick afterward.

I don't want to offend any Slavs present on the board but I think it's a foul concoction.

We were visiting L'viv one summer and visited a friend for dinner. I was about ten weeks pregnant with my twins and she made a special turkey holodets (it's much more common to see pork or beef) for her American guests. Our host insisted I have two large helpings because it would be good for the babies. Ugh. Of course, it's impossible to be anything but polite and I was in a position where I had to smile and thank her for the generous helpings, then eat every bite under her watchful eyes.

So, I'll just keep the memories I have and pass on this dish post op. I can't imagine most Americans having the palate for this dish these days. Unless, of course, they make a habit of eating pigs feet, which are somewhat similar.

Very interesting suggestion, though. I'd be curious to hear from anyone that tries it, that's for sure.

~Cheri

Yeah, it has something to do with the rights to distribute digital media outside the US. Here's the message I get when I go to the Watch Instantly tab on Netflix:

Watching Instantly is Not Available Outside the US

Our systems indicate that the computer you are using is not located within the 50 United States or District of Columbia. Due to studio licensing reasons, movies are available to watch instantly only on computers in those locations.

Netflix home page >

Same thing for a lot of YouTube videos. Networks that put the episodes of their popular shows online the day after airing don't let you view them outside the US, either. You don't think about it until you're out of the country I'm sure.

I'll be sure to let you know if it works since I'll be there on the 14th.

~Cheri

Jaffa, are you sure you can stream in Mexico? I'm just curious. I live in Germany and can't do Netflix online movies because I'm out of the US. Better make sure before you go!

Please update if you can, because I'm bringing my laptop and the ability to watch movies would mean I could pack less books.

~Cheri

I think it's normal for us to be a little bit nervous before surgery. I made the decision to do this with Dr. Aceves almost a year ago, and I think I worked a lot of my nervousness out in that time but I still have moments where I worry about something happening to me. I'm still not happy to be leaving my toddlers behind, but it can't be helped.

I've been doing well on my preop with the exception of one day, which wasn't so great but hasn't negatively affected me. I wasn't supposed to start preop until tomorrow anyway, so I feel good with my progress so far. I've lost four pounds, and for the most part it's been easy to stick to low carb, high Protein choices. I think a lot of the ease stems from the fact that I knew going in I only had to do it for a short period of time. If I were viewing this as a long term diet, I'd be losing my mind.

Momof3girls: I am so happy to hear all went well for you. I hope the discomfort passes quickly. Thanks for posting your experience for us. I was actually worried about the heat, so thanks for saying it's sometimes chilly to you. I'm in Germany with no air conditioning and was expecting something similar in Mexicali - hot, uncomfortable days and sticky nights.

Slimmissy: It sounds like you're doing exceptionally well. Congrats on the speedy recovery thus far; I hope you made it home safely.

Cknorte: See you there! It sounds like you're well prepared. I bought a bunch of the same things but keep wondering if I should run out for more things. Thanks for posting the packing list, since I wasn't really sure how much to bring. I still think I'm going to bring along one "granny" nightgown that covers me from neck to ankles, but I'm going to pare the rest of the clothes down to a pair of yoga pants and an outfit for the flight home.

Take care everyone. I can't believe how quickly time passes!

~Cheri

LaSaJaTa: Glad to know someone from the boards will be there. I actually gained a few pounds (five) since I turned in my paperwork...oops. So I decided to start my preop on the 1st, hopefully that will get me down below the weight I told them. I'm on day two of low carb, and doing fine and not experiencing any hunger. Just the headache that tells me my body is going into ketosis, which is what Nina told me they want. How are you doing?

Jennifer: How exciting! Keep us posted. I'm sure everything will go just fine. Can't wait to hear from you once you have that sleeve!

~Cheri

Theresa, I was initially all in for the band. My primary doc recommended the band to me after I was diagnosed with Type II in 2008. I did research on the band for more than a year. I read about VSG sometime in 2009 and my first thought was that it was way too invasive, too drastic. However, I continued to research both surgeries and sometime in the last eight months settled on the VSG. I just couldn't find enough band people without complications. There were only a handful of folks more than two years out and still happy and problem-free.

An additional factor for me is the fact that my husband is in the military and we often work remote assignments. If I'd had an issue with my band in another country without a lot of medical support, it would be a nightmare. Not to mention the fact that finding a doc for fills in Armenia would be next to impossible.

Once I decided on the VSG the band just seems crazy to me. The VSG means more recovery time up front, but less aggravation and trouble in the end.

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm pretty nervous - not about the surgery but because I have never been away from my 2.5 year old twins for more than a few hours, and I'll be gone six days.

~Cheri

Does anyone have an opinion on nectar whey Protein Isolate?QUOTE]

I've tried several of the flavors of Nectar. I also chose it because of the low carb counts. I think Unjury is more flexible (the unflavored option is really close to undectable in everything I've tried) and tastes better, but everyone is different. The Unjury has slightly less protein per serving and one carb. I'd order a few sample packets of the Unjury to see how you like it. Your tastes might change post op.

Lou, I gues we'll see you there! I think you should try a few samples of various shakes to see what you like. My favorites are Unjury and 100% Whey Gold Standard (I bought a sample pack and have loved every flavor I've tried). I bought a bunch of samples of Nectar and other Protein Shakes on Vitalady's site, which was nice - you get to try several different brands/flavors without shelling out for big containers of protein you may not like.

Anyone have opinions on the Isopure? We have three varieties for sale at our commissary (the blue raspberry, apple melon and alpine punch) and I've heard they're useful post op but I've read that a lot of people don't like them. I might pick some up just because it fits into the clears category and I did read that someone made them into Jello shots with success.

Hope everyone is doing well. I can't believe it's only three weeks until surgery!

Hey everyone! I'd say hi to everyone personally but I am so busy right now I don't have time for anything but a quick hello. Four of my stepkids are visiting us for the summer (we live in Germany) and it's been nonstop for me since they showed up a month ago. Unlike the other posters who have a hard time thinking about anything but the surgery, I've been running around so much I couldn't believe it when I saw the calendar today. Time is just flying by, and I feel totally unprepared!

If it's not too much to ask, can the 15 July folks going to Dr. Aceves PM me? We can connect and compare. My husband is not going to be able to accompany me, so I'll be alone on my trip.

I'm glad everyone is doing well and I can't wait to read about the experiences of the folks getting sleeved in the next two weeks.

Take care all - when things calm down around here I'll try to drop in and get to know everyone better. Life with six kids in the house is NUTS.

~Cheri

I noticed a few July folks posting on other threads and thought there might be enough of us to start our own thread (rather than hijacking whatever threads we find with a July surgery in them) - so I invite anyone with a July surgery to post their story here so we can support each other and share our experiences.

I'm C and my surgery is scheduled with Dr. Aceves on 15 July. I'm 29 and married to an Army man - we're currently stationed in Germany. We have two year old boy/girl twins. I'm choosing to self-pay because Tricare does not currently cover VSG and none of the overseas military facilities do the procedure at this time. To complicate matters, our next assignment is (as of right now) in Yerevan, Armenia. Getting this surgery in a remote location like Armenia isn't even a possibility. I'm not willing to wait more than two more years for this surgery.

I started my research in the summer of 2008 when my doctor diagnosed me with Type II (I developed gestational diabetes with my twin pregnancy and it stuck around afterward) and suggested the band. After much research I decided the sleeve best suits my needs.

I'm 5'1" (and some change), 240 pounds and I would be happy with any weight under 160 pounds. I haven't weighed less than that in more than ten years and I have been plus-sized since high school.

Please, hop in and share your own stories so I can share this journey with others instead of doing it alone! If I am successful my mom would like to have the surgery, too, but she's very nervous because she has never had surgery before.

~C

Tiffy, congrats! You certainly are a success and I know that you inspire a lot of people around here.

I read a post of yours a few months after you did your revision from band to sleeve and it was your band complications that led me to investigating the sleeve in the first place. Thank you for posting regular updates and being as helpful as possible when people have questions.

I'm excited to see what the next year will bring you, and hope you'll get to share baby news with us soon!

~C

Welcome Wheatthin!

I am also getting my sleeve in July (tentatively scheduled for the fifteenth but it's unlikely to move very far in either direction).

I also have boy/girl twins - mine are 2.5 this month. My doc was pushing the band and like you, I discovered this site while doing my research. I'm totally comfortable with my decision and feel grateful that I didn't just jump ahead and do the band right away.

Good luck in your journey, I hope to see you around the boards since we'll be having surgery a week apart.

~C

***Children/Pregnancy mentioned***

I'm not trying to conceive any longer (I think about it but realize it's pure insanity) but I really wanted to chime in for Ash and Tiffykins. I'm pre-WLS as Tricare isn't covering the sleeve right now and I'm saving up to pay cash so my opinions are purely based on size and pregnancy from my own experience as a short little chubby person trying to conceive (TTC).

Ash, I say go for it now. Why wait for a few more pounds? If weight is going to stop you from getting pregnant than you'll just wind up trying for a few more months until your body is comfortable. TTC can be a long journey (I pray for you that it won't be), so you're not really hurting anything if you stop that birth control now and continue on the same healthy path you're already on re: weight loss. You are definitely not too old to conceive but there is no reason to wait if you are feeling ready to try. That's just my opinion. What's wrong with us when women think our ovaries are dried up and dying when we're in our early thirties? My great-grandmother popped out her last kid when she was fifty (she had fourteen altogether) and she was of a size with me.

Tiffykins, TTC is stressful enough. It's hard for you and my heart just goes out to you because I was there in your shoes just a few years ago (only as a fat girl - not a skinny cutie like you). Try your hardest to make it fun. Once you get stressed about TTC you make it even harder. My DH and I were TTC for three years before we finally got pregnant. I finally had to throw the basal body thermometer and charts out because sex really was scheduled - when we could have it and when we couldn't. How sad is that?! It's hard enought with a military man who is gone all the time, but to have a separation and then not enjoy each other sexually when he got home because it wasn't the right time was a bit over the top. It was so hard for me because my husband's (evil) ex-wife conceived twice while we were trying. I was miserable and because pregnancy was on the brain all I saw were pregnant women everywhere. I would hear women complain about unexpected pregnancies and it would make me so sad and angry. I completely understand. Just try to keep it fun, lady! Try not to get so stressed you stop enjoying your husband, and try not to spend all of your time watching baby shows and reading about pregnancy online. I did both of those things for most of the three years and by the end I was so depressed and moody that my husband was reconsidering children altogether.

And to anyone on this thread - sometimes a doctor will blame your infertility on weight without good reason. It's one thing when your weight stops ovulation or you have a related condition like PCOS. It's another thing entirely to have them neglect to run tests or take your issues seriously because of your size.

I was told for THREE (F'N) YEARS that DH and I weren't getting pg because of my weight. I went on diet after diet trying to frantically drop 80 pounds so that I could be a normal size (I'm 5'1" and was about 220 pounds). Each failure lead to more stress and more despondency.

It wasn't until the FOURTH doctor that they bothered to test my husband. Lo and behold...he's clinically sterile.

We did IVF w/ICSI and conceived twins on our first go-round. I had a perfectly healthy pregnancy and have two year old boy/girl twins.

So all of that to say that once you've lost a good portion of your weight it's probably okay to start trying. Not everyone is the same and certainly waiting a few more years won't kill anyone but why wait if you've already lost a significant amount of weight and feel ready to try? So long as you try to have a healthy pregnancy using your new sleeve tool and you keep exercising you should be fine!

Just my two cents. Sorry to barge in, carry on!

~Cheri

I haven't had my sleeve yet, but I've been researching WLS for almost two years now. I am sure plenty of people with more experience will chime in.

You need to weigh the pros and cons. It goes without question that a surgeon with more successful, leak-free surgeries is going to be a better option because of the experience. Leaks are very dangerous, and every surgery is risky. It's in your best interest to choose someone who can safely perform the surgery for you, provide a detailed plan and also post-operative support.

That said, if everyone avoids this particular surgeon because of lack of experience, he'll never gain that experience.

Are you self-pay? If so, you have even more options because your insurance won't limit you.

I can say that most likely the folks that had their sleeves done by military had a less experienced doctor, since the military isn't regularly covering sleeves yet, so maybe one or more of those folks will chime in with their experience.

In the end it's up to you. Go with your gut feeling. If you feel like you have no reason to doubt your surgeon's capabilities and/or experience, then go through with the surgery. If you have a single doubt, it's better to cancel and keep looking for someone else. It's up to you to decide if you feel safe in the hands of this surgeon and his staff. You shouldn't risk your life and well-being, and there are other choices out there.

~CLK