BonitaChica

I second the heated mattress pad, prewarmed. I also only wear knee-high socks. Luckily they are fashionable right now, so I was able to stock up and find some really cute patterns. I also bought a tiny electric ceramic heater for under my desk at work. I make sure to plug it into a different plug than the computer or the IT people get mad.

Holli, I'm in the Dallas area (Wylie/Sachse) and would be interested in a meetup group.

I haven't been on blood thinners so maybe I need to have labs drawn. I'll be sure to bring it up at the next appointment.

Has anyone noticed that they now bruise really easily post-op? I hardly ever bruised pre-surgery (even when I was thin), even if I was bumped to the point that it brought tears, saw stars, etc. Now, however, I bruise really easily and they last forever. Should I be concerned or is this just a "benefit" of having less padding?:svengo:

Welcome! On this site you'll find many differing opinions. As you can guess, most of us are pro-sleeve and couldn't be happier with our decision. In fact, there are many here who started with the band and then were revised to a sleeve. I am a low bmi sleever who was fortunate that I never battled weight until the past two years. I do have a very long family history of morbid obesity and comorbidities though so I knew that if I didn't eat right and hit the gym everyday they would come for me too. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 18 or so months ago and as my pain worsened my will power lessened and my drive to stay ahead on my workouts and nutrition took a nose dive. I slowly gained weight the first year. The next 6 months the pain became almost unbearable and I was put on a mix of meds that all had weight gain as side effects. Combined with my lack of mobility and my lack of heartfelt focus on anything but getting through the pain (I used food as a coping mechanism) I gained about 50 pounds in 6 months. My doctor took a radical approach and suggested WLS as a tool to keep me healthy. If I could get the weight off my fibro pain would likely subside a great deal now that we have found a med mix that works for me. Even though I had a relatively low BMI I was still obese and headed for danger (high BP, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, etc). Together we decided wls was the right move for me. After discussing the options we also decided that RNY was too extreme for my situation. The band also presented its own issues in that a foreign object may cause me to flare repeatedly. I also didn't like the idea of chasing the sweet spot and potentially having a visible port bump. That left the sleeve, which all around sounded like the best option anyway. One incision, no malabsorption, no adjustments, etc. Once we decided on the sleeve I was on the hunt for a surgeon and feel that I selected the best in TX. I know everyone says that and I'm glad they do. It's of the utmost importance that you have a GREAT relationship with your surgeon. I am a month post-op, have lost about 20 pounds, and more importantly am feeling about 70% less pain. I still have bad days here and there, but I think I might be able to go back to work full time pretty soon! You have no idea what a blessing that is. Prior to WLS my Dr was encouraging me to look into disability because even my part time contract position was often too much to bear.

There is a prescription nasal spray for those who are low on b12. I cannot stand the sub-lingual tabs and am planning on asking about it at my next follow up appointment. I'm not sure if it's as good as the shots, but I'd be willing to bet it's better than the tabs. Nascobal (Cyanocobalamin) B12 Nasal Spray

I bought a large miso soup from a local restaurant and strained out the bits. I was able to get the flavor and was left with a relatively clear liquid. I also made a pot of Lipton french onion soup with a bit extra water to dilute. I strained out all the onions and had a pretty clear flavored broth left.

If your OK using egg white protein instead of whey isolate the Jay Robb egg white in chocolate in quite good. It's also available in whey, but I haven't tried that. It's available in Sprouts, Whole Foods, The Vitamin Shoppe, and larger GNCs.

Ankle weights = Brilliant!

Nope doesn't taste like egg. At least not to me anyway. I'm not sure what it taste like on its own as I'm not brave enough to try it with just water, but with milk or soy milk it's pretty yummy in my opinion.

I can't tolerate the whey and it gave me severe tummy troubles so my nutritionist recommended I try egg white protein. He said that in order of optimal preference post op it was whey isolate, egg white protein, and then soy. So far I've been using the Jay Robb egg white protein vanilla & chocolate and love it! For breakfast I make a smoothie which I can sip on over the course of an hour as I'm getting ready for work. It's really yummy and gives 30 grams of protein. It does have carbs though with the milk & banana so if you are watching those very strictly it may be a no-go. 1 cup Silk Light Soy Milk 1/2 Medium Banana 1 Scoop Jay Robb Egg White Protein Powder (Chocolate or Vanilla)

Sometimes when I am laying down on my right side I feel like my organs are being pressed under my ribs. I would assume this might be from a swollen stomach but this is just a wild guess as I've never felt anything like this before. It doesn't happen when I switch to the left side or am on my back.

Hello, I have to say I was totally caught off guard with how little pain I had from the procedure itself. I have fibro so was expecting gobs of pain. I had to be at the hospital at 6am day of surgery and was scheduled for surgery at 7:30. My veins never cooperate so getting an IV started was really difficult. It took 7 pokes. This was one of my more painful memories of the experience. They took me back to surgery and I am told I was in the OR for about 90 minutes. I don't do well with anesthesia so it made me really nauseous post-op. They gave me lots of phenergin (sp?) but that only helps mildly. I was in recovery for about an hour until they moved me to my room. I have a morphine sensitivity (itching & hallucinations) so I'm not sure what they gave me for pain. I didn't have much anyway besides the gas pain and was fortunate to only have one small incision site above my belly button. About 3pm the nurses came in and made me walk laps around our ward. I was exhausted afterward and slept most of the rest of the day. I was on a vitals check every 4 hours which was very annoying. I spent 1 night in the hospital and was released at noon the next day feeling great with no pain. I was to be on a clear liquid diet for two weeks. The day I came home from the hospital I sipped my Isopure and Water like a champ and got in all 60 grams Protein and 64 ounces of water. My stomach started to feel a bit weird though, not pain just strange. This was a Friday. I also walked a bit. Saturday was the same but I started to have a bit of pain on the right side under my ribs. I thought it was gas pain b/c I hadn't been passing much gas and I was told that I would be. Sunday I had extreme pain in my right side, a fever of 101, and a pulse of 165. My bp was normal. I was really freaked out that I had a leak so I went to the ER. I also had really frequent diarrhea. Well it turns out that I had caught a CDIFF infection and all of this had nothing to do with the sleeve or my fibro. Had it not been for that I would have been able to return to work on the Monday following my Thursday procedure. I spent 3 days in the hospital for the CDIFF getting IV fluids and antibiotics. I continued my original two weeks on clear liquids and then transitions to pureed foods. After this I get to enjoy soft foods for two weeks. During the process I learned that I do not do well with whey and it gives me stomach cramps. I can do dairy fine, just not whey. The nutritionist with my surgeon's office recommended I switch to a egg white protein in the place of whey. I was sleeved on March 4, 2010 and have lost 17 pounds so far. I couldn't be happier with my decision!

Where are the ?Biggest Losers? now? - 'Biggest Loser' on TODAY I found this article that shows the current weights of contestants that have appeared on The Biggest Loser. You'll note that almost all of them are on their way back to their original weight. A few have managed to keep if off, but almost all have regained since leaving the show. Take from that what you will, but in my mind it means that unless you can devote a majority of your life to diet and exercise like on the show your weight will be a constant battle. I'd rather have the sleeve, not have dieting rule my life, and exercise 30-45 minutes a day as opposed to 4-5 hours. Let's face it most of us need to work and I don't want my free time completely consumed with thoughts of exercise of food.

Hang in there! It'll be oh-so worth it!

I really like the Isopure low carb Mango Peach, the Muscle Milk Light in Mocha Latte, and the Special K Protein in pink lemonade (for my water).

I was told to use two types of BC for the first year. I'm not sure if that's because the oral BC becomes less effective or because they strongly suggest you wait at least two years before becoming pg.

:thumbup:Way to go!!!

I've found that I really like the Special K protein mix better than the crystal light. It seems to help with the gurgles over plain water and has the added benefit of 5 grams of whey isolate protein. Every little bit helps at this stage!

Hi All, I've been lurking for awhile and just wanted to say hello. I'll officially join the ranks of sleevers tomorrow. As a sufferer of fibro my surgeon thinks that the sleeve and weight loss could help alleviate a lot of the pain I have on a daily basis and prevent my weight from climbing which it has done steadily since my diagnosis. I am super excited and can't wait.

Home from the hospital after a two day stay and a hearty dose of antibiotics. I'm feeling much better; thank you for all of your warm wishes! The funny thing is that the pain was all infection and if it weren't for that, the vgs would have been a pretty smooth ordeal. For those lurkers out there (I'm of the former ranks) it really is true what they say! You very well could have your procedure on a Thursday and be back to work on a Monday. Truly amazing.

Istarted running a fever and my pulse spiked at 165 so I decided I better get checked out by the doc. Turns out that I have an intestinal c dif infection and am being admitted to the hospital for fluids and antibiotics. The sleeve site is in good shape but it is scary having an infection so close!