DoOver

I didn't know until a few months ago that an acid reducer and a PPI were two different meds. A PPI is a proton pump inhibitor which acts by blocking a vital step in the chemical formation of hydrochloric acid. An acid reducer, an H-2 receptor blocker, acts by blocking the histamine-2 (H2) receptors, so histamine cannot bind to the sites that stimulate the acid production. H2-blockers also reduce gastric juice volume. From everything I've read the acid reducers are the safer med. I didn't kow this when I started taking a PPI. I'd bought OTC acid reducers and was managing with those. But the PPI did a much better job so I switched. Now I wish I had stayed on the acid reducer as I do think there might be a rebound issue that's harsher with the PPI. Just wanted to put this out there that they are different meds in how they work. The chemical acid reducers that are now OTC have been around much longer than the PPI's. I wish I'd have discussed this issue more with my surgeon but, as I said, I didn't know there was a significant difference in how they worked.

Please, please keep us posted on how it goes. I am having my right knee done either late this year or early next. It's just too far gone to be saved. My sleeve/gall bladder surgery was a breeze. Both orthos I've talked to said TKR's are as hard as surgery recovery gets but that they've not had a single patient who regretted having it does. Sound familiar? :purplebananna: That's you a few months from now. Good luck and give updates!

Amazing. I was not to full foods for 9 weeks. And frankly at that point it was a struggle. I know I couldn't have done it at 4 weeks. I stuck to the plan as perfectly as a I could and I"m not sure I'd have even really wanted to have cheated as it was uncomfortable to be adding solid food even when I did. I agree....follow your plan. But I also find it amazing that the surgeons have such a wide range of programs.

I never took any from them removing the IV and I had an open drain since I had my gallbladder out too. I must have been very lucky. I'm 9 months out and I kept my "stash" of 30 for headaches since tylenol does nothing for them. I think I still have 10 to 12. Just want folks to know some of use don't have too difficult of a time with pain.

Hi - Interesting thread. About a month ago I re-read some of my old journals. I was amazed at how food-centric they were. I no longer think about food as much or the same way. Here's the thing. I think he may be right. There's nothing wrong with considering that it might be something that changes as you change and it will turn out that a year from now you are not nearly as consumed by thoughts of food as you are now. Just possible. Sometimes we don't see ourselves as others see us. I, for instance, did not really truly see how fat I was. I knew I was fat, but I didn't see how fat. But here's the other thing. It's an evolution. It won't happen overnight. But try not too be hard on him. If I were you I'd just tell him that you trust he wants the best for you and will consider his advice. Because in a year, you may see exactly what he means. Just a thought.

Sadly I looked 20 years young a year ago. Fat fills out the wrinkles. I wouldn't trade, but it's one of the reasons I tell people to make their decision early (younger) because the older you are, the less you bounce back. I've officially started my nip tuck savings account. To the original question, I have several kinds I'm trying. There used to be a product called Neutrogena Copper Firming Lotion that was fantastic...so they stopped making it. I am looking around for another product that has active copper as that seemed to be the key for me.

Thanks. Can you check the spelling on the med? I can't find anything under Clodine. I'd like to look into any alternatives. I'm not dead set on HRT if anything else can manage my symptoms, but I need help of some kind and it was what is finally working well. The best news is that even with eating as I am, I am gaining nothing. So basically, if this is as "bad" as it gets, I will be able to stay where I am. I can live with that. And I'm still thrilled with my results. 200 trumps 364 any day of the week and in any life time! And my highest was 364, many years ago in a land far away that I never want to go back to!

Background: I'm in my 50's, sleeved tail end of April 2011. I love this way of life. I read threads about "what did you name your sleeve" and I think "stomach". Because (and I'm not knocking those kinds of thread, just explaining) to me this is how I should have been all along. All this surgery did was give me the small stomach I should have been born with. I can eat almost anything I want. This surgery gave ME control. Now, on to the subject of this post... About 4 months ago the menopause misery sent me to the world of hormone replacement therapy. I'd tried everything holistic and OTC I could find with no relief. Within days on prim-pro I had relief from waking 10 times a night in a hot flash. I was lucky in that I did not sweat, but I would wake up feeling like I was on fire. But now I've noticed that along with all of the good (no hot flashes, being able to concentrate better, return of some sex drive), all of the "bad" of the monthly cycle is gradually returning. Last week I was starving for about 4 days. Within an hour of eating I was starving again. And it wasn't "head hunger" because it would wake me at 4 or 5 a.m. It truely never occurred to me that the full impact of my normal cycle was back, but that was exactly what it was. I found myself back in that part of the store buying "monthly supplies". I knew periods might come back but I wasn't prepared, as silly as that seems, for the full impact -- hunger, headache, cramps -- to hit me. This is the first real concern I've had in terms of slowing down my sleeve success. I've been a very slow loser compared to others here but very consistent. Right now I'm at about 3/4 of a pound a week. Since I'm only 20 or 30 pounds from goal, I'm fine with that. My thinking was that I'll be there by the end of this year. But now I'm thinking that if one or two weeks a month it becomes a major fight again (coping with the hunger) I might be stuck where I am. I can live with that. But I'm wondering if anyone has any experience or thoughts with dealing with this sort of hormonal drive. I'm on the lowest dose of this stuff they make. I'm going to talk to my doctor in a couple of weeks. But until then, what do you all think? Anyone else in this boat?

I am an insominac. Have been all my life. The insomnia got worse after being sleeved as others here have stated. The fact that I am such a poor sleeper and was averaging about 6 hours of sleep a night with being awakened as many as 10 times a night with hot flashes was the tipping point. If I didn't have a stressful, thought required job, I still might have toughed it out. But I was actually at risk of losing my job due to the lack of sleep. I tried everything else first. I finally bowed to HRT when I started experiencing severe symptoms of depression and my primary suggested HRT prior to an anti-depressant. He was pretty sure it was sleep deprivation that was driving the depression and he was right. I'm telling this part just in case anyone else is in this boat. Severe sleep deprivation can create depression. So treat the root of the depression when possible. (And a sleeping pill didn't do anything as the hot flashes drove right though it. Actually made it worse because I was still so tired in the morning.) It's been about 4 months now and I am still surprised when I wake up in the morning and realize I've slept through the night! I can't tell you how amazing it is to wake up naturally -- no alarm needed -- having slept 6 hours straight. So it's a hard thing to think about giving up.

I would love for this to pass but he wasn't at all surprised. I read the insert w/ the pills and it says this might happen. So I knew it was possible, I just didn't think it would be quite as "normal" as it has been. Each month has become a bit more like old times. I called their office and they said they'd only be concerned if the period became constant, otherwise it was pretty normal as a "side effect". I didn't ask if it could be a phase, so I'll check on that. Apart from the hunger, I can live with the rest. After a few months of relief, I really don't want to have to go back to the old days. I actually realized after I stopped having regular cycles that it was hormones that drove the "binge" type days I had. I don't know why I didn't connect the dots that the hunger cycles could come along with the rest of the hormone package. But then when you are waking 10 times a night ready to combust, you're not at the top of your game "smarts" wise. : )

Sugar soda versus diet soda. Zero question that you should avoid all liquid calories (within reason...say some skim milk) after surgery. I don't think everyone who says they drink soda automatically mean they are talking about diet.

I think they are also very concerned about substituting addictions in the early days. By 6 months I was fully at peace with my sleeve but it takes a while and they want folks to not run to other ways to cope.

I've gone down 1.5 in size on a lot of brands. But I don't think it's just my weight loss but an overall re-sizing of products. I was this same weight 10 or 11 years ago and the smallest size I could wear was an 18w. Now I'm in regular size 16. At this pace in 10 more years I'll be a size 6 w/out losing another inch.

Now this is an interesting thread for me and I'd love to hear more personal experience. I am not a drinker. Never been drunk. But I'm changing a LOT about my life and being more social in setting with "adult beverages" is one of the yeppers. So I'm over 6 months out (although we were not told to wait for non-fuzzy type drinks like wine, holding off on something like beer) and I've had a few experiences now and really noticed very little. I drank 2 beers rather fast one night as a test -- here at home all safe and sound, and felt basically nothing. Then I was at a neighbor's party and I had two glasses (normal wine sized glass but full) of wine in about an hour and again, felt basically nothing. Is this normal? It certainly doesn't sound like it is. And it's bothersome to me because I have nothing to compare it to. The most I ever drank before was maybe 1 or 2 beers over HOURS at a cookout where I'd also had a burger...or, you know, maybe 2. So I didn't expect to feel anything from that. I'm 5-7 and a bit over 200 pounds now for the frame of reference. I am going out next weekend to a bar (yea, baby!!! - remember I'm old and this is all like a new world for me : ) ) and was wanting to move into something of the mixed drink variety. I never drive and my friend who does knows my situation. She's a diet coke drinker who is tagging along for the pool table. So I'm ready for the night but I'd love to know if my experience so far is odd ball (like so much of my life) or if there are others who are not impacted as they expected they would be. Also, is the part about it passing fast true? Maybe my buzz comes and goes so fast I don't notice? As I said, I am getting older..... lol

Obviously those who are saying "soda", I would strongly suggest you stay away if you mean high test stuff. My program discourages ALL liquid calories, even Soups that are all liquid like tomato. It's a bang for the buck calorie thing. But if you are talking sugared sodas, they would smack it out of your hand. My surgeon, on the other hand, has changed his stance. He said he used to say no diet soda but has done a lot of research (he's had this program for 4 years now sleeving folks) and has decided that while he discourages due to the artificial sweetener, he discourages all diet drinks (like ice tea w/ artificial sweetner) as much as soda. As long as you follow the rules and do not drink after eating, he says he's now convinced the carbonation is not going to hurt a healed sleeve. I have 1 caf free diet coke from McD's each week. I love the freedom and I can't tell a bit of difference. The only caution is that I wait at least 1 hour after eating, not 30 minutes. If I drink it 30 minutes after food, I do again feel restriction so I wait and hour so my sleeve is empty.

I've been a very slow loser but a very consistent loser. I have honestly noticed that during the windows when I am not seeing the scales move my clothes become looser so I no longer pay much attention to any of it. I know I will get to goal. I know because I still have wonderful restriction so if I needed to I could actually still 'diet'. I'm just not opting for that because I'm so happy with the way things are going. I'm fine with slow. I've kept my hair and had decent strength after the first few weeks. So I'm a turtle. But a healthy turtle.

I'd "warn" him only because it would make me feel more comfortable. Odds are he isn't going to care. You can always dim the lights.

Ditto. I waited too long. My knees would have recovered 10 years ago, but not now. In one way I'm glad, only because I would have had to have had Gastric By-Pass and prefer the sleeve. Here's the thing: the first 3 months or so are very hard. I won't lie. There will be days when you will wonder if you did the right thing. But without this I can promise you things will never get better. While it's possible to have surgery issues, odds are things will go fine and after that 3 months, every day gets a little better. Can you imagine that being the case without the surgery? You have to look 10 years down the road on this one and decide if you want more of the same bumpy ride or smooth asphalt. Good luck.

[ My knees are shot so no heels will ever happen for me. And you might be disappointed. I've lost almost 100 pounds and dropped from a 9w or 9.5m to an 8 or 8.5m in shoe size. I have a massive Clarks collection that will be hitting eBay at some point. I can't even wear them with inserts to try and use some of the room. Ahhh, the price we pay for thin!!! : )

I'm starting month 9 out and I have no idea. And that's what I love about this surgery! I'm certain I get enough Protein because I major monitiored for the first 6 months so I just compute it automatically. But from about that point on I stopped paying attention to the whole "food" thing. And that's exactly what I was hoping for. When I look back over my old journals it's frightening how myopic my world was. How much did I eat that day, what was the calorie counts, what did the scales say that morning.....fighting tooth and nail to keep my weight under control was issue one in my life. Now it's not in the top 10. I eat as healthy as I can. Protein first, veggies second, anything else third. As stared in this thread, there's not a lot of room for third. I eat when I get hungry. I eat slowly. I eat healthy. And I let it be. I love this way of life with food. And from the date of my surgery I am down about 90 pounds now, about 144 from my highest point and about 106 from the day I joined my program for surgery. I'm about 20 away from my personal goal. My point is that when you get this far out, you may find you are thinking more about eating healthy with very little interest or concern with capacity. It may seem hard to believe but it's my truth. And I love it. I love that food finally means so little to me. I never thought it was possible.

I just started dating. One of my motivations to have this surgery was to be able to do more with my ex. He threw me a curve by breaking up with me a few months after the surgery, telling me he was waiting for the "right time". He was serious. Basically, I've only gone out with a couple of guys but neither of them cared. Frankly you will be amazed at how disinterested they are. It's not like you're telling them their fantasy NFL team was disbanded. : )

Good habit to break. I was not a night eater and I'm grateful because even months later eating solid food at night isn't possible. It fires my acid reflux. I usually go to bed at 10 and my last food is at 7. I don't get hungry during the night but I'm ready to eat in the morning. And that 3 hours is enough time that the reflux does not happen.

To me the most important part of your post is that you are only 7 weeks post op. 1) I agree, follow your doctor's rules first. 2) My personal experience, don't sweat the details if you are feeing great. My program prefers the higher end Vitamins, but if something like Flintstones works for you now, use them. Just check every 7 to 10 days to see if you can take the "better" ones. As your sleeve matures you will be able to handle more mature foods and supplements also. 3) As long as the liquid is caffeine free, don't worry about not being able to take plain Water. You will stay hydrated. I was lucky, I could tolerate water from the start but not everyone can. It's another thing you'll need to test occasionally because there will come a time when you can handle plain water again. Everyone has a point where their sleeve matures. I think I was a little late on that but since 5/6 months, I have been fine with everything except sugar. I have wicked dumping. Otherwise, the only concern I have in with certain meds. For instance, I am dealing with depression and started on an antidepressant. It is taking longer to kick in than for a "normal" and I'm pretty sure that's due to the stomach issue. Yet, if I take it with a bit of food and sip of water so it stays in my stomach longer, it comes right back up. So that's the only long term challenge I've had. Good luck. Glad you are feeling great.

I am an absolute coward but by that time I was also fearless. I knew it was something I had to do. I don't mean to minimize the horror of a cancer diagnosis, but I think it was very similar to the mode someone goes into when they hear those words. I knew it was "do this now, or else". I was out of chances. There was no way I was ever going to "diet" it off and keep it off. So I dug in my heels and went in fearless. And believe me, I am very grateful I did.

Good for you. I had hoped that I would gain for confidence in gettting rid of people who are holding me back but I think I need to find new people to share my life before I can muster the courage to rid myself of the negatives. So I'm working on that. I'm only months out so I'm trying to be kinder to myself now and realize moving forward in a healthy way is more important than doing it in a sprint and then realizing I made other mistakes as a result. I hope next year this time I can have posted your exact post.