JerseyGirl68

Did your doctor give you reasons why he wants you to do 3 weeks? I think you might be setting yourself up a little here, if you get folks telling you they cheated or did poorly throughout the pre-op and are losing well, then is that ok? No one here, outside of a medical professional that is aware of your history, is fit to judge what is best for you. You have to trust in your surgeron. Its not a punishment, it is to get you in the best possible condition - mentally and physically - for your surgery and recovery. Check out this thread http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/78443-the-pre-op-diet-is-not-a-punishment-its-an-opportunity/ It is a very good read. I worry when I read folks looking for it to be ok not to follow your surgeons advise. Lots of times things are ok, but do you, or anyone for that matter ,want to be the one that isn't? Things can happen in the best of circumstances. I think it's the surgeon's job to do their very best, and our job to follow their instructions both before and after surgery. Best of luck to you.. You are stronger than you think and you can get through the pre-op.

Critical.. no way. Congratualtion on doing something for YOU. I'm sorry you are not getting a ton of support from your family, but we are here to listen and be sounding boards. You seem to already know the best advise... follow your plan or there could be consequences. Don't be too hard on yourself. We ALL wish we could have done this on our own, but making such a positive choice for you is amazing!. We all walk the same path here. Welcome, and best of luck to you!!

Congratulatons Sabrina!!

I was out the next day, Super smooth recovery, thankfully. Everyone is different. I was off pain meds the day I came home, tylenol (generic) worked fine. A heating pad helped with some of the discomfort, but I never felt any real pain. I slept in a recliner the first few nights, it was easier for me to get up and down (also holding a pillow against me helped there too) I had everything stocked (protein powder, Unjury soup, sugar free pudding) and reachable so I could be as self sufficient as possible. I had a little gas discomfort, but it passed with walking and heat. No nausea at all. I sipped on peppermint tea alot, the warm liquid felt really good the first week. I had surgery on Tuesday, home Wednesday afternoon and back to work that Monday. My recovery may not be typical, I count myself very lucky.

Very cool, Wolf. You may not know exactly what she is going through, but you're making the effort to understand. Well done!!

My NUT also cautioned me that stomach acid could micic "hunger" pains and I was on Prilosec for 4 weeks.

Congratulations!!! Good luck!

Are you on clear or full liquids?

Thanks, I lost a nice amount before surgery, but by far this has been the greatest thing I've ever done. @HumorMe, I'm so glad you vented. I think if we don't we are bound to go bonkers! That 's what we are here for, support, an ear.. whatever necessary. It is hard when your diet is limited and you can't have what you are craving. To keep me sane, I started collecting recipes I wanted to try as my diet advanced. One fantastic recipe was "Shelly's Ricotta Bake" Tastes like lasagna. It is either on emilybites.com or theworldaccordingtoeggface.com Both sites have a ton of great recipes for all stages of your plan. Vent when you need to, we are all in the same boat. It will get better.

The first few weeks after surgery I lived on unjury chicken Soup (you can get it on their website Unjury.com) High Protein to boot! Best of luck to you.

I'm with Lily, you want to start with the good habits now. You wont' get any real nutritional value from mashed potatos. Maybe it's a sign! I hope you find something that will satisfy you, it will get easier. Feel better. Good luck!

I would check with the coordinator at your surgeon's office, or call your insurance directly to be sure, all insurance companies have different rules. But your coordinator should be well versed in what your requirements are. Best of luck!

Tracking, especially when I started purees and solids, was essential for me. Even though listening to your sleeve is good, I know that I still don't feel hunger so if I waited for "signs" I wouldn't be getting in my calories or Protein. Tracking also helped my nutritionist when I went for followups, she was able to pull up my account and show me what I was doing right and where I could improve. Tracking also keeps me accountable. Everyone has their process, you'll find what works best for you in conjunction with what your Nutritionist/surgeon recommend.

I agree with what's been said. I don't have kids to cook for so what I save on some things for me, I spend on others. I have started purchasing some items in single serve sizes. For me that just works better, but does cost a little more. On the other hand, I tend to cook on the weekends for the week and portion my meals into 1/2 cup containers. I don't waste, and can freeze some for later use and use some for the week. Meals out are a little less expensive, I'll either order off the appetizer menu or just take most of my dinner home and have it at another meal. Thankfully, I don't mind leftovers! The clothing on the other hand has cost. I started buying "in between clothing" on ebay, new but much less expensive than at the stores. Also I scoured the "clearance" sales to stock up on undergarments that I knew would need replacing (4 times so far) I didnt' much care what god awful patterns I purchased for the few weeks I would use any one size. There is a clothing exchange forum on this site and if you want to, you can also sell used clothing on ebay and recoup some of your spendings.

I'm going to echo what SleeveNZ and unbesleevable wrote. It depends on the person. I have no visible scars at 9 months out.

I was told nothing over 10# for 6 weeks.

Perfect mindset going into your pre-op. I was where you are a little over a year ago. Best decision I ever made for myself. Best of luck!!

If you invest in a little insulated lunch bag with room for a freezer pack you can probably widen your options. I big go-to for me early on was a few ounces of lean deli turkey and a piece of cheese. I would have it cold most times, or even heat it for a few seconds to melt the cheese. Or even roll up a piece of turkey with some cheese. Grilled chicken/chicken salad are also on my list. Low fat Cheese sticks were and still are a staple for Snacks for me. Greek yogurt is also a staple. Now that I'm further out, I get pre-portioned nuts from Trader Joes and keep them handy for a snack. Good Protein bars (I use Pure Protein) are also good to boost your protein. My nut doesn't want me to have more than one a day, though. Good luck!

You'll read a lot of opinions/experiences on the topic of food funerals both pro and con. As you head into your pre-op here is a great read on a positive way to look at your time leading up to surgery. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/78443-the-pre-op-diet-is-not-a-punishment-its-an-opportunity/ Best of luck on your pre-op, surgery and recovery!!

Always a help, thanks for posting! Congrats on all your success!!

LOL I feel your pain. I found the "perfect" jeans and quickly found them to be too big (poor me. lol ) I searched on ebay and found the exact same jeans, in smaller sizes, new - for a fraction of the cost. Then proceeded to sell my bigger ones as gently used.

Awesome! Congratulations!

Many surgeons prescribe meds to start taking after surgery to ward off gallstones. Ask your PCP or surgeon if they recommend it. I had gallstones (and attacks) prior to getting sleeved and scheduled to have them both done at the same time.

Especially since you are self-pay, I don't see why not. There will be a few tests your surgeon will require, but not too bad. My guess is it will mostly depend on your surgeon's schedule. My first surgical consult was Aug. 1 and surgery was scheduled for Nov. 6 and I went through insurance. Good luck!!

Congratulations! Best of luck to you!