SamKing

Hi there! This is the first blog I am writing about me- Ive posted some responses to others, but would like some feedback. I am about 4 weeks out of the sleeve. I just started my mushy foods phase a week ago and have finally seen 8 pounds of weight loss. I am trying to get my energy back and am excited to finally feel more like me! I wanted to know, for those of you who had the sleeve, how much weight did you guys lose in the first month, second, and third, what kind of meals were you making? I have been mushing fish and avacado together, taking about 2 small bites. Ive had cream of wheat, applesauce, sugar free pudding and jello.. soup(low sodium), cottage cheese, mini wheats cereal (2 squares) soaked in skim milk.. any other options out there? I was feeling a little depressed because a lot of people who call to see how I am doing cant help but ask how much weight Ive lost. When I say 8 pounds, and its been 4 weeks, they are like.. oooh.. well how much are you going to lose? It is a little annoying and got me down at first, but Im trying to stay positive. Has anyone else had this feeling of wanting to tell people to be a bit more sensitive?!

I wanted to tell you about when I woke up from surgery.. I thought I was going to die for about 24 hours. I had a nausea patch behind my ear. I touched it and touched my eyes (do not recall when. how or why) but this caused my pupils to dilate for about 4 days. I couldnt read close up and everything was a tad blurry. I was VERY nauseous and needed my pain medicine, just in the hospital, as soon as I was allowed to have it.. every 4 hours I think. Because the IV was wide open, I had to PEE literally every hour. My doc wanted me moving as soon as possible, so I did not have a catheter . . so every hour... on the dot.. even through out the night, I had to yell for my husband to unhook my legs from the massager thing, my IV from the wall, and help me to the toilet. THANK GOD for the On-Q pain pump! (ASK FOR THIS at your last pre op appointment with your doctor.. you will need it). The on-q pain pump is kind of like a small hose with holes in it (very small) that goes under your skin during surgery and releases a little bit of numbing medicine for about 3-5 days (mine lasted 5). This is the only way I made it to the bathroom or was even able to move. Once it was time for it to come out, I was really sore and could only imagine what pain i would have been in if I didnt have that thing. The nurse had me swallow some pill that was ground into powder with a little bit of water. . 2 minutes later my friend stopped by to visit me.. i was gagging to throw up as I was talking to her, so do yourself a favor and save visits for family who are ok seeing you look like death and won't bother you. you really just need to concentrate on walking, breathing normal, swallowing water, and resting! I was really glad after that my mom had my friends wait a couple of days. By day 3 I took a shower, got my nappy hair into a pony tail, and had a splash of make up on. I got really annoyed with people asking me how much weight I had lost... I mean.. come on.. this started day 2.. I was not up to stepping on a scale because I knew I was pumped full of fluids and swollen and it was pointless. . dont weigh yourself until your first doctors visit. I think that is everything I wish I knew or had heard to kind of prepare myself! Good luck!

Hey there. My nutritionist wasn't too concerned with hair loss for the sleeve, mainly the bypass procedure. My regret is I wish I would have tried more protein drinks and been more familiar with how much liquid I need to drink. I passed out from only drinking a small amount of fluid after day 3 because I felt full when I took a sip. I didn't know that the water and drink would flow right through and that I should be drinking all day long. In terms of trying protein drinks, I just bought one kind of powder and didnt care for it after surgery. it seemed way too sweet. I have since tried several different powders and Isopure drink flavors and have been able to mix up my "protein meals". I am very glad I had the sleeve, but this feeling of appreciation is new. I am about 4.5 weeks out from surgery and within the past week (after getting off of the liquid phase) I am finally losing weight (8 pounds in about 10 days). Do not be too hard on yourself when in the first 3 weeks you arent losing anything. Once you start incorporating the mushy foods and regular meals, you will see a difference! Good luck!

I didn't pay attention to my liquids for the first couple of days because I didn't realize drinking liquids was supposed to be continuous. I passed out and it was horrible. Definitely drink your protein drinks and water! Youll notice the protein gets expensive, but these are your meals, so get what flavors you really like- see if you can have samples! I found a large bag of chocolate protein mix at Costco (which is like Sam's Club or BJs) for about 45 dollars. it is 6 pounds. I can handle it.. it tastes like brownie mix which is why I like it. dont limit yourself though.. get different kinds and drink up! Good luck!