JayhawkJess33

I researched the sleeve extensively before I had my surgery and also followed many of the experiences on the boards/YouTube. I was interested in how quickly the weight actually comes off and how soon changes in measurements happen after surgery. Well I now have my firsthand answer to those questions - at least for the beginning of the journey I am 5'10". My highest weight was 287 - I lost a few pounds before my preop liquid diet and then lost 11 lbs. on my one-week liquid diet. I lost 14 lbs. the first week after surgery. My total loss from my highest weight is now 32 lbs. I got curious about my measurements this morning and decided to just see how much they had changed in 32 lbs. In basically 2 1/2 weeks (I took measurements the day before my liquid diet started) I have lost 22 1/4 inches. That includes 3 inches off my waist, 3 inches off my hips and 2 inches off each thigh. I haven't gone down a full size in my clothes yet but the size I started in (20, with a couple of 22's) is getting very loose and everything feels different. The best part is that these 32 lbs. (which btw is just 2 lbs. shy of my tall 3 year old!) will never be on my body to carry around and despise ever again and this is just the very beginning of all the lbs to be lost. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!!!

Emily, 105 lbs!?!?!?! Amazing! Congrats to YOU TOO! Its funny to me because I don't really "feel" lighter yet but when I think of it in terms of my daughter's entire body weight, it reminds me that big changes are happening! It's a little hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I am now on the other side of surgery because I spent so long planning to lose weight and never getting anywhere. Now I am ACTUALLY getting there! Here's to our sleeves!

Oh, that is a great NSV!!! Congrats!! I am so ready to start having these moments!

I can only comment on the vitamin part as I don't take any medications other than that and Calcium chews. I use Centrum Chewable multivitamin - its big but since it is chewable, it doesn't matter. I just kind of nibble it and make sure it is chewed up really well and it is an orange flavor. My surgeon ok'd this vitamin and said it was just fine. Calcium chews are the same way but I take half in the morning and half in the evening as my nut told me my body would absorb it better in small amounts more often. The nut also suggested if I needed to take anything else to find out if it was ok if it was crushed and put it in a little applesauce to take it. You might try that if your pills are crushable.

I also find your comments very helpful! I'm sorry you have encountered negativity on the boards but I really hope it doesn't stop you from posting - you are a voice of experience and I value your opinion!

Thanks so much Lissa! I would have loved to get together with you but had promised my kids they could go with me and then we would have a picnic out by the water (they are on spring break this week) and then we had to rush back to Orlando for an appt. The checkup went great - got my drain out (it was somewhat painful!) and I am so glad it is gone. My incisions are all healing well and he removed all the steri strips. He cleared me for cardio and light weights in one more week and I am totally fine with that. I am just going to walk until then. I go back in 4 weeks to see him again. He was very pleased with my fluid intake and how I am losing so far, as am I!! Maybe when I go for my checkup next time we can meet up!

Hi all! Hope all the new sleevers are doing well and the soon-to-be-sleeved are ready for this awesome journey! I lost 11 lbs. on my liquid diet and I am 5 days postop today and when I weighed myself this morning, I was down 10 lbs. from surgery! 24 lbs. from my highest weight of 287. I've been doing well - no nausea or vomiting at any point postop, stopped pain meds on postop day 2, gas pain was bad the first three days but since then, not a problem. Incisions are healing well and starting to itch I do have a drain in (routine for my surgeon) and will have it removed tomorrow morning at my first postop checkup (and I can't wait! It's driving me nuts and is uncomfortable!) I will also have my second leak test at my appt tomorrow. Not really looking forward to that but I am freaked out about the possibility of a leak so it is definitely important to me to have it checked and be sure everything is closed up tight! I have been focusing mostly on fluids to make absolutely sure I am not in danger of getting dehydrated - today was my best day and I got in 56 oz. of fluids. I was on clear liquids the first two days postop and now full liquids until Weds. I am supposed to move to purees on Weds. but will see how I am doing. I have gotten down half a protein shake in about 45 minutes 3 days in a row and have used the Unjury chicken soup flavored protein powder and a tiny bit of Greek yogurt but the highest I have gone on protein so far is 36g and that was only yesterday. Today I was back down on protein numbers again so must work on that. I have tried cream of chicken soup twice and my sleeve apparently doesn't like it - it gave me an uncomfortable indigestion-type feeling for hours after I tried it both times. I was not sent home on an acid reducer and I have no idea if that might help but I'm not trying that one again for a while I have been walking a little each day and trying to increase it a little more each day. Today I even took a shower AND went to the grocery store! ha!! Look at me! My stamina is getting better and my biggest question to my surgeon tomorrow is, "When am I cleared for cardio?" I am ready to hit it as soon as he gives me the go ahead! How is everybody else doing?

I found adorable (and cheap!) ramekins at Ikea! If you don't have one near you, check their website!

My postop diet is: clear liquids for the first two days postop, full liquids for the rest of week 1, purees for weeks 2, 3 and 4. Starting at the beginning of week 5 I can have soft regular food. I know I will be MORE than ready by the time that day comes!! I am only postop day 4 right now

Glad to hear you are doing well too! How much have you lost? I am quite surprised that I am down 7 lbs on day 4 postop. I know I must up my protein significantly to keep losing at a good rate. How are you getting all your protein in? I would love some ideas!

Thanks Lissa! I am doing pretty good. thanks to you and the boards, I haven't had any big surprises and have gone really slow with everything. I will say I can't wait to get this drain out on Monday! I focused intently on getting in enough fluids that I wouldn't get dehydrated when I first got home and didn't worry about Protein for the first day. Then yesterday I started trying to get in protein little by little. I wasn't terribly successful but it was a start and I felt like I did pretty good on fluids for 3 days postop. Just trying to improve a little each day and get to where I am supposed to be so I can fully rock my sleeve!!! I sometimes get a little freaked out that I am actually POST op! I have gone through WLS now and I am actively losing weight quickly. I feel like I have had a "when I lose the weight" mindset for most of my adult life and its truly HERE NOW! I am so excited to become the new me!

Hi Tattoodmom! I'm doing pretty good - how about you? I am trying to work hard on getting in more protein as I have been barely getting any in. I managed about 40 oz of fluids yesterday and felt pretty good about that as I hadn't come close to that prior to yesterday but my protein was seriously lacking. Today I am having a protein shake this morning (which is really the other half of one that I started yesterday) and we'll see what I can get in this afternoon. What are you taking in now? I've been off pain meds since postop day 2 and really don't have hardly any pain from my incisions - just some soreness mostly around the biggest one and my drain (have my drain in until Monday morning). I've even been able to sleep on my right side the last two nights. I've been walking up and down my block and around and upstairs in my house several times a day and feel like I might be ready to up that a little bit too. Hope to hear your update soon!!

Thanks for saving me a seat post-oppers!! Still in the hospital but should be released this afternoon as long as the surgeon is convinced I can keep everything down (so far have kept everything down) and that I can take in enough fluids to not get dehydrated (doing fine so far). Have had some gas pain and some regular pain but its kept under control with pain meds and walking for gas pains. Switched from IV pain meds to liquid meds by mouth this morning and, although it tastes terrible, got them down fine. All in all, doing about as I expected and hope it just gets better each day I even have a fellow VSTer in the room next door (mrjgetssleeved) and he is going good too! Will update again later.

Thanks for saving me a seat! Still in the hospital but should be released this afternoon as long as the surgeon is convinced I can keep everything down (so far have kept everything down) and that I can take in enough fluids to not get dehydrated (doing fine so far). Have had some gas pain and some regular pain but its kept under control with pain meds and walking for gas pains. Switched from IV pain meds to liquid meds by mouth this morning and, although it tastes terrible, got them down fine. All in all, doing about as I expected and hope it just gets better each day I even have a fellow VSTer in the room next door (mrjgetssleeved) and he is going good too! Will update again later.

I'm feeling nervous and excited and ready to be on the loser's bench! You all are still saving my seat, right?!?! The liquid diet has been tough but I'm proud that I have done it and lost 11.5 lbs as of this morning Will be checking in as soon as I can manage it to let you all know how everything went!

Thanks SusieQs! Sorry to hear your shake made you nauseous! I have done just ok with shakes. They don't make me nauseous but I also don't really like them at all and right now I can't imagine being able to take in a whole shake or more post op when I know how tiny the sips have to be and how long it will take. I tend to drink mine down quickly while they are really cold but I won't be able to do that after today so we'll see how it goes! Good luck with your liquid diet. It was tougher than I expected but did go quite fast. Will update you all as I can! Jess

Very exciting! I will join you tomorrow! Best wishes for a smooth surgery and recovery!!

Hang in there - I'm right there with ya! My surgery is tomorrow so I am on my last day of my liquid diet and I have found it to be SUPER HARD! It hasn't helped that I have had to prepare all the food for my kids all week and have it right there in front of me when I am starving! I haven't managed more than 500 calories a day any day of the liquid diet so I am also quite tired. I know after surgery I am supposed to try and stay above 900 calories once I am healed and into the swing of regular food but I wasn't given a calorie range to stay in for the liquid diet. Only a guideline of things I could have. Good luck to you - you can do it!!

Thanks Lissa!!! I am excited myself! Can't believe it is really here and my life will be changed tomorrow. I know there will be some rough times but I will keep my eye on the prize - and that prize is me! I have to be at the hospital at 730 and Mr. J has to be there at 6 so I guess our surgeries will probably be maybe 8 and 10 or something like that. I don't know how long the prep/wait is but that is my guess. Will keep you updated!

I missed posting last night and don't know if you will get this at all - but GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!! Will be thinking about you and hoping everything goes great! See you on the loser's bench!

All great advice! I am right there with you - I only have to do a one-week liquid diet and it has been HARD!!! Like Strawberry Blue, the closest thing to solids I can have is cottage cheese and greek yogurt and I have been using them but it is still a struggle. I keep thinking about how worried I am about complications and I know that every time I resist something I want so bad, I am doing everything I can to ensure my safety during surgery. I have lost 9 lbs during my liquid diet and have two days to go so I am happy with that I also know the difficulty of having a house full of regular eaters - the hardest thing for me has been having to make my kids (3, 5 and 7) meals and be right there in front of food and not eat it. Hang in there, make sure you are well hydrated and come to the boards any time you need support! We all know what you are going through and are here to be your cheerleaders!

I can't comment from postop experience as I won't be sleeved until next Tuesday but my nut told me that I need to stay at LEAST over 900 cal/day in order for my body not to go into starvation mode and my weight loss stall. She said I need to factor in the amount of exercise I do as well to make sure I am ending up with 900 net calories and that might mean replacing calories I burn with exercise with more Protein calories. I would guess you might lose more if you up your calories a little bit. emlefe, how ARE you doing that!?? I did a Physicians Weight Loss program last year and I had to stay at 500 cals/day and I thought I would die.......it was ridiculously strict and definitely left me feeling deprived and "dieting". That seems super low, especially for 6 weeks out. Bless your heart!

oh, that is HUGE!! Congrats on such a great NSV! Can't wait to do this also! You have done amazing with your sleeve! Hope I can be this much of a success once I am sleeved - I started liquid diet today and will be sleeved a week from today!

You look amazing!! I will be sleeved in one week and hope I will have the success you have had! Congrats to the new you!

Voted! That is so so exciting! I am a subscriber to your YouTube channel - you are such an inspiration to all of us just getting started. Hope you win!!!