robinbks

I saw my dr. yesterday for my 4 week check and he went on and on about the importance of "protecting my sleeve." He said the sleeve can stretch back out quickly and then there is a need for my surgery and that can be high risk. He said I should eat no more than a 1/4 cup of food at a time for as long as possible (months) then up to 1/2 a cup for as long as possible (more months) to "protect my sleeve" from stretching. What do you all hear from your doctors? Do you think he was just trying to scare me? He did!

I think when he said "more surgery" - sorry I wrote MY when I ment MORE - he was talking about another weight loss surgery like the bypass to accomplish the weight loss. Basically he was saying that if I ate too much at one time my stomach could stretch way out and it then would not do all that this surgery was intended to do then I would end up with another surgery to accomplish what this one was supposed to. At least that's what I think he meant. I think he was telling me all this because, although I told him I only 1/4 cup of food at a time now - which was fine with him - when he asked me if it took me 20 - 30 minutes to eat it, I admitted that it didn't. He was reinforcing the "eating slowly and chewing, chewing, chewing" by warning me about all these scary pouch changes that could occur if I didn't.

My dr. said absolutely no diet coke. (I love it too.) He said I could have 1/2 cup of coffee per day and he said iced tea in general was o.k. with him. But none of my beloved diet coke. Too hard on the stomach he said.

You are not alone. The day after my surgery, while I was still in the hospital, my voice went raspy and I felt as though I had something small stuck in my throat. I thought it was either the tube they had put down my throat that caused some inflamation or that my throat was just really dry. Since then I have had a mild sore throat off and on, and my voice is weak and raspy. It does sound like I have a cold but I really don't. It's annoying and I wish it would go away. I do get all of my liquids in, all of my protein and take all of my vitamins. I don't know what else to do. I don't have an appointment with my dr. for another 9 days but I will definitely be asking him about it then if it hasn't gone away. I keep thinking every day will bring a change for the better, but by the end of the day, it is back to being the same especially if I have talked a lot. Maybe it's the lack of fat or oil in our diets? Including the pre-op diet.....

Just got home from the hospital and had a pretty good experience. I was sleeved at 10 am Monday morning. The surgery itself went well. I did not have a drain and was back in my room in about 3 hrs. Fortunately, I had no pain at all really. Unfortunately, I had a bad reaction to the anesthetic. I was really nauseated for the next 26 hrs. I even had dry heaves all night long basically every time I lifted my had from the bed. But, no pain at all! Once the nausea was under control and I could walk around, I started getting up more and then I really began to rebound. The walking is so great. I don't have any trouble getting the fluids in and I had my first Protein shake when I got home tonight. It took an hour or so to get down but I don't feel too full or uncomfortable. Don't have any gas issues either. Looking forward to the next couple of days to see how it goes. Hope eveyone else that is getting sleeved this week feels this good 60 hrs out.

I am day 6 also and I have no trouble with Water, clear broth (my favorite is Swanson's Vegetable in the can) and I can get in two Protein shakes. But I could only get one shake in on day 3 and 4 and did not get all my fluids up to 64 oz until today. You have to work up to the Fluid amount. I tried extra hard after feeling light headed on the morning of the 4th day. But I find now, at the end of the 6th day, I have so much more room than I did. I think there isn't much swelling inside anymore. I am not a fan of the shakes. Too sweet. I got one that is chocolate Peanut Butter flavored and I add 1/4 cup coffee and then fill the rest w/ water up to the top of Bullet blender cup and that makes it better somehow. Also I have a vanilla one that I put one spleda in and about 3/4 cup of frozen fruit - sometimes peaches, sometimes berries - and that tastes pretty good. The Bullet Blender blends it so thoroughly that there are no chunks at all. I get nauseated if I try to drink two of the flavors I bought - Pink Grapefruit & Cookies and Cream. Sounded good before surgery - sounds awful now. Just the smell of them disgusts me. I am sure that each day you will see a bit of improvement. I don't know if I would eat the other food until I could get the liquid volume up. I tried Jello (which you would think would be just like water anyway) on day 3 and it filled me up so much I couldn't drink much more at all. It just sat like a stone in my stomach. Just keep trying to get the water or broth in at least. Good luck to you - it will get better.

Thank you so much for all the help. I guess I need to look harder for the unflavored protein liquid. I'll look online. Thanks. Vitamin Shoppe here doesn't sell anything that is unflavored - in fact they looked at me like I was a nut for even asking - I guess the assumption is that you want something you can mix with water so it has to have a sweet flavor. My headaches are so much better. I think getting my liquids back up is the main thing. I am actually up to 64 oz now which I wasn't for the first 5 days after surgery. I feel considerably "less full" now. Thanks to everyone for the help.

Thanks for all your good advice. I started taking liquid Tylenol and it helped. They would come right back after it wore off but at least I could get back to sleep. I think it may be lack of caffeine and too much sugar free stuff too. At least the nausea is gone. Also I think I was a little dehydrated. More Water has helped. I am having an awful time with the Protein drinks though. They just gag me. They are so foamy and sweet. I really am not a sweetaholic. I got myself in this mess (weight) by eating carbs. Baked potatoes, Pasta, breads, chips, etc. All this sweet food is just too much. In my town, there doesn't seem to be anyone who sells Protein powder that is not sweetened. I look at these Protein Bars, puddings, jellos and mixes and think how much more of this can I endure? My ideal combination would be some kind of protein powder to mix in V8. I like vegetable juice so much more than chocolate, vanilla or fruit flavored drinks. But both places that I go to do not have any that is not flavorized already. I looked in a bariatric catalog last night and didn't find any plain protein powder in there either. Am I just missing something?

thank you. the only problem i am currently having is headaches, i"ve had one basically every night for the last three nights... any advice? they go away in the morning but they wake me up and i end up having to take pain meds for them.

Congratulations! I was sleeved the day before you. Just got home. Hope you are doing great today!

Mine too...at 8:30 also. I will think of you. Good luck.

Me too. I hadn't been at all nervous until last night. Then I began to have the usual second thoughts. I finally did get to sleep though. But I remember the night before I had my hysterectomy 5 years ago. I laid awake all night before the surgery thinking what if...this and what if....that. I am kind of afraid I won't sleep at all tonight. This seems like such a big irreversable thing to do...and by choice! At least the hysterectomy wasn't something that I chose to do! I know I should be being all positive right now, and I have been all along until yesterday. Well off to buy last minute items. Good luck to all sleevers having surgery tomorrow!