DoOver

I sure hope she gets better fast. Do they have any idea why this happened? I am also happy I was sleeved but since it's been 2 years for her, it also worries me that there could be future complications down the road.

I don't think the long term liquid should have anything to do with having a drain. My protocol post-surgery was the same as everyone else's. You know it's funny....at the time it was a big deal but now it's actually hard for me to remember but I think I was on full liquid 4 weeks. That wasn't bad. But 4 weeks on clear liquid would have been awful for me. Even w/ full it was hard to get in 300 calories and I was very weak on that little. I hope it's not too difficult for her to get that long out on so little. Frankly, it would have been for me. Pretty sure I was only 1 week clear, 4 weeks full liquid, 4 weeks mushies, 4 weeks soft, then slowly to full food. And that seemed a lifetime!

Why did your sister need a port? A port is typically needed for people who need a med administered to them over a long window of time. I don't think too many people have this issue for this surgery but I could be wrong. Hopefully her recovery continues well. I did have a drain called a penrose. I had my gall bladder removed at the same time requiring the drain. It was a bit more than I expected and did leave a considerable scar. Ironically my scar from that drain is actually somewhat elevated. Since I'm older I am not that worried about it, but it's pretty significant compared to the little lapro scars that are already barely visible. The place where the drain was (and that's an area that's actually left open to heal shut very slowly after the drain is removed) is about 2 inches long and very thick. Icky looking thing. Oh well....just a supplement to my stretch marks.

Everyone is different but I didn't have an issue with stairs. The only issue I had for about 3 to 4 days was getting out of bed in the morning. That sort of roll and pull up movement was ouchy. Other than than, anything else was mild. I should add I live in a two story house. There are about 16 stairs to get to my bedroom. I did take it slow and careful. Hopefully you'll have supplies so that after you are home, you won't have to go out for that first 3 or 4 days while you are getting past the first days when you would be most tender.

Best thing I took was a snap up the front duster. I don't know if it was because they allow for the largest of people but their hospital gown was almost dangerous for me. After almost tripping a second time I changed to my duster and was very glad I had bought it. Ditto with the baby wipes. They had a pack of similar things to wash with but they were not flushable and I wanted *my* flushable brand. In the US hospital I was in they discouraged anything on your feet but the gripper socks they supply. They only allowed slippers or shoes on you if you needed some sort of orthothic. Again, it was a safety thing. I took very little and was glad as with flowers and a stuffed animal delivered, things multiplied anyway. I was glad I didn't have to haul a lot out when I left. The time flew by and I didn't even have time to watch TV let alone read or write. Although it might have been funny later to have read some of what I wrote while the heavy meds were in full effect!

I smoked from 16 to 30. I tried to quit many times It finally worked when I started thinking of myself as a non-smoker before I quit. I wrote out a card and used it as sort of a mantra I'd start each day and instead of thinking that I was giving it up or quitting, I thought about how I wasn't a smoker, how good it felt to not stink, how much easier it was to breath. I did this while I was smoking with the idea that I would quit on a specific date in the future. I think I had the date set for 2 months out. Anyway, I never got to that date. Somewhere along the lines I just quit smoking. I have no idea exactly when except it was in the fall. (My goal was to be a non-smoker by the first of the next year.) That experience taught me how amazing the human brain can be if you are feeding it the right messages. So I know you might not have enough time, but for others who are facing this issue it's a suggestion. Apply it to our weight loss journey too. Sometimes the positive, assuming success, can do you a lot more good than lamenting your past. I love that I quit smoking and you will too. With this weight loss journey, start banking all that extra $$ you will not be using to kill yourself with cigarettes. Because in a year's time you are going to need a whole new wardrobe and maybe a nice fun away from home weekend. And you'll be able to do it without it costiing you a cent....just the money you would have wasted anyway!!

To some of these points, I'd really suggest honoring the no water with a meal. I got used to it and no longer give it thought. Unlke many of the things people believe stretch the sleeve, I actually think that might. Pushes food though faster too. When do you take your acid reflux meds? Can you take a dose an hour or so before bed? You could get an OTC acid reducer and take a low strenth one before bed if it helps while you are in these early day. Yes, in our program any uncafeine liquid was counted toward your todal fluid for the day. And yes, you are in the rough spell. It all gets better. Good luck.

Goal to lose 15 pounds in 1 week??

I had a bowl of tomato soup at Panera today. Doesn't concern me at all. But it was good.

I am physically restricted to where (6 months out), I have gotten to 1400 calories on a few days where I used 200 calorie Protein bars to hit the protein on days on the run. My average is about 1100-1150. And I am no where near my goal. My surgeon is fine with it. And I feel much, much better at 1100 a day than when I was 3 months out and eating 500-600 a day. I really could not have done that for the year I need to get to goal. And very glad I'm not in a program that requires it. My program actually does not give an caloric value. They are more interested in what you are eating that makes up those calories. You won't hear too much from them unless they suspect you are really eating junk.

If a miracle skin suck machine is developed so I can sleep in it at night and wake up taut and back in my 25 year old body, I'll look at the BMI chart. But as long as I am hauling around 10 pounds of excess skin I'll shoot for my own goal. Any brainiacs here? If so, get to work on that skin suck machine pronto.

I'm getting ready to start taking glucosmine. Does anyone here take it and, if so, how do you tolerate it? I read the directions and it said to take with meals and lots of Water. That's not going to happen. So wondering if others are taking it and how they take it. I took this before and found it really helped my knees so I want to get back on. Or at least try. I will say I'm getting a bit sick of all the pills I have to take. But I think it's work the try to add these 2 back onto the stack.

Notice any change to the results? I'm 6 months out so I can take it, I'm just wondering if it will be as well absorbed and used by my body now. It wasn't a perfect solution before as my knees are shot, but it did seem to make a difference to the better. I took one today. I wish I would wise up and stop buying Vitamins and supplements in a dark NOT see through bottle. These are the size of horse pills. But thankfully, it's only a 1 month supply. Tomorrow I'll shift up to the 2 a day dose.

Did anyone else see this show? It was about a woman who's something like 700 pounds and wants to become the fattest woman in the world. I found it heartbreaking. I'm so glad that I took a different path. But as I watched Dr. Oz and his offers to help her, I also wondered if he shouldn't just leave her be. I hate to say this but with her health issues and massive weight, even getting to a weight of 300 pounds would require massive surgeries. And while she is in complete denial about her health issues, I can't see her being able to survive any surgical option at all even if they were able to get her mentally ready to accept a complete change in her life. Every now and then people will ask about being too old or too young to accept surgical help. I would just encourage people who are not in denial to get the help sooner than later. It's so sad to see lives wasted to obesity.

Regarding the all inclusive part, that might be an area where you have to make a change. But there are a lot of great non-all inclusive spots. My hubby and I are planning a spring trip back to Europe. He loves traveling there, I'm pretty much just along for the ride. I am already planning to take 2 Protein Snacks each day to get me 30 grams. Then I will have a Breakfast with an egg or cheese and just nibble off his lunch and dinner, a few bites. It will actually be cheaper than our previous trips. There are a few spots we are familiar with where we will have dinner and I'll take the left over back to the hotel for an evening snack. It's really very managable, but I can see where you would not want to pay for drinks and meals up front for a regular person's consumption. Also wouldn't hurt to check to see if any of them offer bariatric packages. So many people are having this surgery, you never know. Maybe they're offering an all inclusive mini. It would be a smart move for them to market something like that where you have 3 small meals + maybe 3 drinks per day.

I've also been taking all of mine in pill form since day two. Minimum I'd check with an independent pharmasist and make sure it's safe for you to be crushing them. Some pills are not meant to be crushed. I've been reading here quite a while and you're the first person I can remember who said this was a 100% rule.

I thought I'd just share for anyone new to the sleeve and needs info on how to keep themself in meds at a rate they can affort. Expecially for anyone who doesn't have prescription coverage on these meds, like me. I get my generic Prilosec at Target. The prescription is written for 2 20 mg. per day, The surgeon considered a standard dose to be 1 40 mg. but wrote it as 2 20's because that allows me to get it filled on their reduced cost plan. I've only had to fill it once and got 180 20 mg. tables for $30. As it turned out, I only need 1 pill a day so it's lasting me closer to 6 months than the expected 3 months. My insurance no longer covers this med since it went OTC. I've been very happy with the results of this generic. I am, at this point, only taking 1 every other day but there are days when different foods cause break through reflux. I'm pretty sure some of the other stores that have low cost plans have both acid reducers and PPI's as options. Just a thing to consider since so many of us need to use these meds at least for a window of time.

The one clip of her laying back on a couch, and just sort of flipping her leggs and crossing them floored me. She was very mobile, even for someone who was more like 350 pounds! I was sort of amazed when she went over and stood for about 4 or 5 minutes while Dr. Oz went over the danger chart with her. Didn't seem to be an issue for her to stand still. I guess I can see why and how she could sort of delude herself into thinking she has no real issues.

Wow. She had a baby at 500+ pounds? It's actually rather amazing what the human body can do.

I'm not a medical person and have never worked in a hospital. I'd tell you to keep a very close eye on your blood pressure. I had to be taken off of my beta blocker 10 days after surgery. I hadn't lost that much weight (not in relation to my overall body weight) but my BP had dropped to dangerously low levels. And my primary told me the same thing. It's not so much that they cause you to not lose weight, but they can sap your energy level which keeps you less active which can lead to less weight loss. Talk to your primary and keep monitoriing your BP. If you have never had high blood pressure, I'd think that would put you in a speical bucket where the drug could drive it down even faster than someone like me who once had sky high BP. Minimum, check it when you are in a drug store or grocery where they have a machine just to be on the safe side.

I not only researched to death I waited an extra year for my insurance to cover the sleeve. I wish I hadn't had to wait but I'm very glad I did. Luckily I used some of that time to drop from close to 330 to somewhere near 300 for the surgery. I'm one of those rare "doesn't happen" people who experiences dumping. I've had a sweet thing 3 times in 6 months and they darned near killed me. shakes, sweats, just overall ready to vomit feeling for about 2 hours. I can't imagine how bad it would have been with r-n-y. Thankfully, I don't have much of an issue with sweets so I can work around it. But once that happened the first time on a relatively small amount of sugar, I absolutely knew I'd have been a major dumper with bypass and having dropped from busting out of a size 26W last October, to surgery in early April to a loose size 18W today...yes, I am very happy with my choice!

Would two inexpensive outfits hurt your budget? I think there's something about dressing to fit as your lose. Personally I don't like looking sloppy in big stuff. That was fat me. I don't think you have to buy a whole new wardrobe but I think having a couple of outfits that show off your slimmer self is a boost.

We were given 10 boxes. I hated all of them except grape. There was one that I swear tasted very close to vomit to me. How's that for an opinion! Funny tho, we were told to not rely on it or really count is toward our Protein after you moved from full liquid to mushies. It's a back up, but at least in our program proti-diet's value is questionable. Just their opinion. They think of it as better than Water, but not all that great as your source of protein.

I agree. But I think people can get lost in obesity. It snowballs on you. As you eat and get fat, the fat eats away at your freedom in life. I think she was too boxed in to face reality. It's why I really encourage people to face their truth. If they need surgical help, now that it's so commonly available, don't just keep struggling on your own. You can give in to this and let it take your life in more ways than death. Everyone strugges early on after surgery. It gets better fast and you'll forget all about the hard days. And this is a better life.

Actually, for me, bread is a great example of how I've changed. I still eat some bread. When I do eat it, I eat only food for Life bread and 1/2 slice as toast with my morning egg. It's a very good bread. 1/2 slice is 40 calories, Fiber and 2 grams of Protein. It's what I'm trying to do with all of my food. I am picking better, regardless of cost. With eating so little I can buy what's best for me. Last week I was craving something "sweet". I don't really care for sweet sweets so, to me, something like pumpkin pie is "sweet". So I went tothe store and bought a small pie. I cut 1/4 of it out, took the rest to my neighbor who has 3 kids. Over two evenings I ate only the pumpkin part, no dough. It was wonderful. And that was it. I really like living this way.