JerseyGirl68

Congratulations on your great start!! Any time you advance your diet, it is scary. Take small spoonfuls and rest between, give your body time to react to the new items. You may find things that just don't agree, but don't give it up, just try it a little further down the road and see if anything is different. YOu may feel & hear grumbling from your sleeve when you introduce new items but in my experience, that is normal. Every time I tried something new, it was like WHOA!! what's that -- not in a bad way, but I did have a reaction. Thankfully I had no issues with anything really, but I kept it mild and took it slow. I was only able to get in a few ounces of soft foods, that has increased to about 4 oz. which is what I expected (I'm 6 months out) Has it only been the last two days you have had trouble drinking? What , if anything has changed? Best of luck to you!!

Fantastic DeeDee!!!

Absolutely. It is major surgery you should have your concerns, nerves and questions. Keep reminding yourself why you are having surgery. You are off to a great start! Can't wait to follow along with your progress. Good luck!

Sometimes it just takes longer. Do you know for sure she was wheeled in at 1:30 or was she scheduled? I was supposed to go in at noon and didn't actually get to the OR til almost 3. The OR just got backed up. She's having a few things done and it could explain the additional time. You can probably call the OR, tell them you are her daughter and ask if she is out yet. She may also be in recovery but not in a room yet. Good luck!

It is hard the first few weeks, it is more in our heads than anything else, but you can do this. Just think, you won't have anyone else eating around you, no foods to smell that you can't enjoy. Get some really good movies, experiment with your shakes. Take care of yourself with no outside distractions. You can do this. It will get better and no kittens or husbands will have to be harmed.

I remember exactly how you feel! Congratulations and best of luck to you!!!

I can appreciate it being hard in social situations to follow a nutrition plan. There are a few issues here that I would think you might require some serious thinking. I see you had surgery in March, so you're not that far out. You have to remember you are not fully healed. Even though you may not be doing physical damage to your sleeve itself (simply I mean I haven't seen any data that shows that alcohol will deteriorate your sleeve), alcohol should never be a substitute for nutrition. Lack of proper nutrition can have serious overall health repercussions. You will always be able to ingest more liquid than solid food, you need to get your Protein in. You have to make good decisions for your well being. You made the decision to have surgery, I can only assume you did not make it lightly and you had serious reasons for doing so, one of which I would hope is your health. You didn't ask "if" you were doing damage, so I suspect you know that this isn't a good pattern to get into. You won't burn fat while there is alcohol in your system, your body will burn that first... Did you drink the same way before surgery as after? Not making a judgement, back in the day I was known to hold my liquor with the best of them, but my priorities are very different now. I don't want to ingest anything that isn't providing me with nutrition. I have a window of opportunity to lose as much as I can, I want to exploit that. It will slow and my restriction won't be as much. I am taking every bit of that time and using it to my advantage. If you find yourself drinking more now, you did the right thing by posting. On my psych eval the doctor made a very strong point of making sure I understood that many people have cross over addictions after surgery. Trading food for alcohol. I am not assuming this to be the case, I just wanted to mention it. You are an adult and can make your own decisions. I hope you take some time and evaluate what's going on with you. You are not alone in the weight loss struggle, we all have our demons. Stay committed to the nutritional plan your doctor laid out for you. Be well and good luck going forward.

Congratulations and best of luck to you Vanessa!

Hi Pat! Welcome. Read up and be as prepared as you can be. You'll find pretty much every topic covered here. Ask what you need, vent when you need and know you're not alone through any of it.

You got this! Congratulations on your success so far!

Water is harder for a lot of us initially, in addition to herbal tea, I drank Vitamin Water Zero. It went down much easier than water for me. Good luck!

While I can appreciate it being hard to stick to the liquids-- I went through it too, over Christmas no less. It is important to let your body heal and follow what your doctor has laid out for you. You are still swollen, numb and healing. There is an end in sight, keep reminding yourself that you knew what you were getting into when you decided on surgery. Give yourself the very best opportunity for success and a healthy recovery by doing what you are supposed to (what your doctor tells you, not someone else's). Commit to good choices now when you need to be strict so it will be easier when you have less food restrictions. We're all human, and no one is perfect. Take care of yourself, getting sleeved is only one part of this.. You have to make the right choices going forward. Good luck .

Fantastic!! I'm glad you are off to such a great start!

Congratulations, you are off to a great start! Good luck tomorrow!!

Tuna, chicken salad cut very small or mashed up. Meatloaf, chili. Unjury chicken soup is a good source of protein. Do you not like the protein shakes or having trouble swallowing them? Give your body time to adjust, I lost a chunk the first and second week and nothing for another two weeks. It will happen.

The time to start conditioning yourself to say no to things you shouldn't have is now. You trusted your doctor to slice you open and take out a perfectly good stomach (ok 85%) why, why, why would you NOT follow instructions now? You will hear others say that their doc allowed different things. Your doctor told you to wait 5 more days. Not judging or meaning to lecture, but like Laura said, you are numb and swollen. You even said you are not hungry. I wish I could remember which vet I'm quoting here, but you had surgery on your stomach, not your head. You need to get yourself to a place where you don't let your head win out over what is best for you. You can say no. You just have to commit to it. Don't be a test case here, follow what your doctor laid out. It will get easier, stay strong.

I did in the beginning and still do at home sometimes. I purchased off amazon http://www.amazon.com/Oneida-Paul-Revere-3-Piece-Child/dp/B000FMTOQO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1371664408&sr=8-4&keywords=small+forks It did help in the beginning, especially when I was still swollen. I ate much slower and took very small bites. Good luck!

I only stayed overnight. Which was standard for my surgeon if there were no complications. It was written in my instructions prior to surgery that someone had to pick me up. Good luck!

Hi, I'm Chris and I love my sleeve too!! One of my favorite things I have read about getting the sleeve is that is is "Not a Do Over, It's a Do Better!" Congratulations on your success so far!

I've lost and gained 25+ pounds more times than I can count. My reality is that I want long term success. I believe the sleeve with help me with this. The reason you are doing so well is you are following your doctors instructions to prepare yourself for surgery. If there was no end in sight for this "diet" it would (at least for me) become very hard to sustain. The sleeve is just a tool, to aid in your loss and ultimate success. It is very common for anyone who has not sustained long-term weight issues to question, but until they walk in your shoes you have to go with your instincts on this one. Do what is right for you. Good luck! I have not questioned my decision once since surgery.

I found the pre-made shakes to taste too sweet for me, and I didn't enjoy them. I used Pure Protein chocolate Frosty powder and often mixed with the above mentioned PB2. LOVED IT. You can also try the unjury chicken Soup. It will definitely aid in getting in your protein and savory instead of sweet. Good luck!!!

I went back to my office job on day 5 after surgery. I also sit most of the day, but made myself get up and walk every hour. If need be, explain to your supervisor that it is important for you after surgery to walk to ward off blood clots. Good luck! and Congratulations on your surgery!

Happy Birthday Laura!! Enjoy your day! If you decide not to give the card to your Father in Law, hold on to it and give it back to your mom on her B-Day. LOL Just saw Ms. AntiBand and I are on the same wavelength

The way I understand it, is after your 6 month requirement is complete (and any other requirements), they can submit to the insurance company. Depending on how quickly they turn it around you can approval as quick as a few days or few weeks. Then it is just a matter of setting the date with your surgeon. I have heard some folks putting a tentative date on the books pending insurance approval. Good luck!

AWESOME!!! What a welcome home!! A big congrats to you and a big thank you to him for his service. Have a great reunion!