Pennie

There is a woman in my support group who no longer needs to wear glasses. At first she thought something was wrong with her eyes because her vision seemed worse with the glasses, unless she realized she didn't need them anymore! What a cool NSV!

I just saw the previews on the TLC website. It looks like a really cool show... but, really? Do surgeons really cart out the fat and skin they remove for the patients to see after the surgery? That seems like a "made-for-TV" moment that wouldn't happen under normal circumstances. Does anyone know if this show is available on demand anywhere?

Wow - you have an amazingly physical job. That would be extremely tough for anyone in the BEST of shape. Congratulations on your huge NSV with work!! I've heard other people say they lost shoe sizes. I only lost width, not length. You might be right that there is something about the arch. If your arch is higher now (due to less weight pressing it down) it would make sense that it would draw the foot up and in a bit, which would result in less length. Very interesting! Congrats on the foot front too!

You may not like my answer, but I couldn't eat a salad without getting a stomach ache until I was past the 6 month mark! That's great that you are craving healthy stuff, but you just have to be careful with your tender new sleeve. Everyone is different, but I would just recommend that you (a) find out when your surgeon clears you for raw veggies and ( proceed with caution.

There can be a lot of causes. Two common ones that pop into mind are low blood sugar and low blood pressure - both are pretty common problems as a newish sleever. Oh, and a third issue... dehydration. It can cause a lot of unfun things. So make sure you are hitting your Water goals every day. I agree that this would be something good to bring up with your doctor. Sorry he has a bad bedside manner... you could also ask your regular doctor instead of your surgeon.

Ug, that sucks. Yes, one can technically develop lactose intolerance at any time, sleeved or not. But there are alot of causes of diarrhea, some more likely than others. I wouldn't just assume it is lactose intolerance. It could be a stomach bug. Be sure to stay hydrated. You may want to see your doctor, too, if it isn't getting better. I don't mean to poke fun when you are in a fragile state, but you have to get some bonus points for the most creative spelling of diarrhea EVAH! I hope you feel better soon. Now, seriously, go drink a lot of water!!

I love it! Yeah, a four-year-old will simply call it as he sees it! You are offically skinny! LOL!

If you want a ready-to-drink kind, EAS was my favorite. It's also the cheapest RTD kind I've ever found - you can get them at wal-mart. Everything gets cheaper once you can rely on real food for your Protein sources (eggs and cheese are low cost good sources of protein). Good luck with your upcoming surgery!! And congrats!

I know it's frustrating to not lose as fast as you had hoped. I'm not sure what your expectations are, but everyone loses at a different rate for a lot of reasons. Different metabolism, different starting BMIs, etc. But, honestly, you've averaged over 3 pounds a week. That's really great! My surgeon says he likes to see sleeve patients lose 10 pounds a month, and you are losing more than that! Just keep up the great work, and try really hard to not compare yourself to others. (I don't know if you are doing this, but I know it can cause a lot of us to get disheartened!)

Fever and pain are commonly cited signs of a leak. They should check you for a leak before you leave the hospital (usually, they do this before they allow you to ingest anything). They will discharge with instructions on "when to call" but a fever, severe nausea, and severe pain are often associated with leaks. Some people have different signs of a leak, though, so it's always smart to err on the side of caution... if something just doesn't seem right, call the surgeon or hospital. Better safe than sorry, especially while you are in the early healing stages.

I slept in the recliner for almost two weeks after surgery... but, I should note that I often slept in the recliner pre-surgery due to back issues. I know a lot of people do OK with propping pillows. But if you have a recliner, that might be nice to have set up for when you get home from surgery. That way, if you want to use it, it will be ready!

Your pre-op diet plan sounds very similar to mine. Basically shakes and a short list of veggies. The first 3 days were the hardest for me. After that, it got much easier. Also, I know I say this often but I think it's worth repeating... the pre-op diet was probably the hardest part of my journey! If you can get through these two weeks (which you will!) and stay true to your plan, you will be golden! One thing I did to help mix things up a bit... I froze some of my shakes. It gave them a different texture, and I ate them with a spoon like ice cream. (Um, it didn't taste like ice cream, though!) It helped me because it took me longer to eat the shake this way, and also it made me feeling like I was actually "eating" and not just drinking. It was probably more psychological than anything, but it did help me. Good luck!! You are almost there!

I'm not familiar with him, but wanted to suggest that you also try a search for his name over on the obesity help website. Maybe someone there is familiar...

Stalls are so maddening. My most disheartening stall happened just 6 weeks out from surgery, and lasted 3 weeks. There are all kinds of "tricks" you can try to break the stall. Anything to change up what you are doing might be enough (increase calories, decrease calories, increase exercise, decrease exercise). But I honestly think trying to break a stall is almost more frustrating than the stall itself. In my experience, it's best to just keep your nose to the grindstone. It sounds like you have a well balanced diet, you exercise, and you eat about 800 calories a day - correct? Keep it up. The stall will break. Eventually. Just keep up the healthy lifestyle and trust the process. I know it is so maddening. I hope your scale budges soon. In the meantime, congrats on the inches lost! That's great!

Well said, PDXman! OP...FWIW, I was on liquids for 3 weeks (clear and then full) and then mushies... so I was about a month out of surgery before I was eating what you've already eaten.

There may be a stigma attached to weight loss surgery, but I believe there is a worse stigma attached to morbid obesity. Neither stigma is fair or right. As for "the easy way out".... aside from the fact that weight loss surgery isn't especially "easy", I never understand why it is somehow a bad thing to take the easy way out. When I made hot chocolate, I used the microwave instead of boiling the Water on the stove. That was the easy way out. I use air conditioning to keep myself cool and comfortable in the summer rather than using handheld fans and blocks of ice. Again, easy way out. There are so many examples of how technology (including modern medicine) allow us to live easier and more efficent lives. How is this wrong? If someone is critical of you for choosing weight loss surgery because it is "the easy way out" -- ask them if they use a computer to send e-mails, or if they still hand deliver their letters and written correspondence. Do they drive a car? Do they take advil when they have a headache? The sleeve surgery is one of the best (if not THE best) that modern medicine has to offer in terms of fighting morbid obesity. Yes, you could diet and exercise (and no doubt, you have!) but 95% of morbidly obese people will regain weight lost this way. VSG is actually effective at weight loss AND maintenance, the statistics and science are on your side... it's the "smart way out"! OK... end rant. LOL!

I'm the same way! If I'm busy and having fun, I really have to work to remind myself to eat. I just never get hungry with the sleeve.... ever. But if I'm home or bored, I'm in danger of going into zombie mode. (I love that term, zombie snacker, by the way! LOL!)

Like Michelle said, it really depends on the doctor. (I wish everyone could get on the same page of what a pre-op and post-op diet should look like, and how the various stages are defined. But that's a rant for another time. LOL!) In my full liquids stage, I was allowed strained soup. What I was instructed to do was to put the soup in a blender, and then strain it. My personal favorite was to strain a cream of mushroom soup, and then mix in some unjury chicken broth Protein powder. It was kind of high in sodium, but it tasted SO GOOD, and it was nice change of pace from the usual sweet stuff like Protein shakes. I was also allowed sugar free pudding, but it didn't do much nutritionally so I didn't eat it very often. Oh, I was also allowed blenderized cottage cheese. I know, it sounds weird and it kind of is. But I thought it tasted great (again, I was sick of sweet stuff at this point). I'd sprinkle a little spike or other seasoning on it. It's summer now, this this may not sound so appealing, but my all time favorite bariatric treat (which you are allowed on full liquids!) is protein hot chocolate! I like the bariwise brand, and the cinnamon flavor is so so so yummy. You have to order it online, though, because I don't think they sell it in stores. I get mine through diets direct, but there are probably many other online retailers. Enjoy your full liquids!

I used to Celebrate every time I graduated to a new stage in foods! Haha! Enjoy the mushies! If you haven't seen it yet, google "the world according to eggface" because she has a ton of recipes on her blog. You might get some fun ideas.

Be cautious, because you probably still have a lot of numbness and you may not be able to tell just how full you are (or how much that food is pressing on your fresh staple line). You will NOT fail. This isn't going to be like any other diets in your past. This is a totally new way of life and a new way of eating. Your relationship with food is (and will) change radically. The sleeve will work... but you do need to follow all the rules laid out by your surgeon's team. If you want to maximize the effectiveness of your sleeve, you need to try to keep your rebel-side in check for a while! Also, liquid and mushy foods don't tend to fill you up like "real" foods do. You'll feel much more restriction once you are cleared for regular foods. But, no need to rush it! Right now, your primary goal should be healing and nothing else. Congrats on your new sleeve!!

My width changed, but not my numerical size. I actually gained TWO shoe sizes in my pregnancies - and I already had rather large feet. I went from a 9 to an 11W! Now that I'm actually well below my pregnancy weight, I'm still a size 11 - but my feet are regular (even bordering on narrow). I just try to embrace my big ol' Peggy Hill feet!

Wow - 500 versus 1500 calories is a huge range. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could agree on what sleevers should eat?? I think 800 is probably a good number for you to land on. I can be a challenge to eat that many calories early out, but it will get easier with time. My surgeon recommended 600-800 calories a day during the "losing" phase of things. I averaged around 650 calories and did well. Some people need more than that to feel good, though. So you have so listen to you body and gauge what is the right range for you. Stalls suck. Sorry you've hit one. I had a 3 weeks stall that happend about 6 weeks out from surgery. Nothing seemed to break it. Some people have luck when they tweak their calories, increase carbs, increase Protein, increase exercise, etc. etc.... but I have frankly found that the best strategy is to just keep following the "sleeve rules" (that is, your diet plan) and trust the stall will break. And, believe me, it will! Hang in there! You're off to an awesome start!!

Good deal - and great that you don't have to do a long pre-op diet requirement. I'm glad you like their staff - that is SO important, especially post-op! Good luck and congrats on getting a date so quickly!

How heartbreaking! I'm so sorry for the loss of your brother. Please be gentle with yourself and give yourself time to process this tragedy. The sleeve will be a wonderful tool for you when you are ready for it - no need to rush.

I was a slow healer and it really took 2 weeks for me to not feel pain. I used pain meds for 2 weeks, although not every day by the end of it. But any sudden pain that you are unsure of, always ask your surgeon. It's probaby fine, but better safe than sorry. They'd rather have several false alarms than to miss one complication that could have been fixed if it had been attended to.