JerseyGirl68

Hey there, I had my surgery on a Tuesday and went back to my office job on Monday. I walked around as much as possible and didn't lift anything until cleared by my doctor. I was off pain meds a day after I got home, Tylenol was sufficient for me. (thankfully) Good luck!

Congratulations!! So happy all went well. Good luck for a smooth recovery!

AWESOME!!!

for my 3 month followup. All is going well. I feel great, yada, yada, yada. She let's me know that if I wanted the surgery today, I would not qualify. BMI too low and no co-morbidities. :-) What was once a huge fear, is now music to my ears. Hope everyone is having a great day!!

Best of luck to you today! I'm heading there in about an hour. My pre-op was 3 weeks and consisted of 2-3 Protein shakes a day and one low fat/low carb meal. Post op, went in stages, I left the hospital on full liquids - Protein Shakes, cream Soups, sugar free pudding, fat free yogurt and was on that for 2 weeks until my first follow up. Then moved on to pureed foods for 2 weeks, soft foods for 2 weeks then cleared for all.

How disappointing! I believe, for me, pre-op was by far harder. Every step closer you worry about getting to the next phase. Having an end in sight makes it a little easier, only to have it pulled out from underneath you. UGH, I'm sorry you have to go through that. Now you can dust yourself off and get back on the track you've chosen for yourself. Even if you don't have a date yet, you are still getting in the very best shape possible to have the best outcome you can. You're still in this for the same reasons. YOU deserve to start off in the best position you can. YOU GOT THIS!! Good luck!

I know it has been such a struggle for you, your positive attitude throughout has been inspiring! So happy things are turning around!

I would think an orange or lemonade flavor would be good. Let us know what you find out.

Congratulations! Glad you are feeling up to returning to work! I made sure I had my meals with me and just didn't make a big deal of it. I also tried to keep busy for lunch, running out to the store or taking a walk. I'm in a small office and the two women I work with did know what was going on, but others didn't. Best of luck to you!!

Interesting idea, but I was told no carbonated beverages. :-(

LOL Mine was just an office meeting and I got weighed (my official start weight that was submitted to insurance). We spoke about what to expect leading up to and after surgery. She put me on a vitamin regimen and let me know what was required as pre op diet and when to begin. We spoke about my habits and if I was fully aware of the big change to come. She gave me a bunch of reading materials and the first diet stages, some recipes etc. I didn't see her again until my first post op appointment. She was very supportive and welcomed questions, concerns etc.

I'm with you on putting the positive out there. I am extremely fortunate to have very positive, supportive people around me through this entire journey. And even happier to share some positive energy and thoughts with anyone that may be struggling. We're all in this together!

I think you have had a wonderful start. Keep reminding yourself you are not done yet. Surgery was a tool, not a magic wand (now, wouldn't THAT be great) None of us can control how fast we lose, but we can control how we stay on plan. And work with the new tool we have. Try focusing on getting in all of your Protein and Water. Experiment with recipes, check out some websites that would give you a good variety and great choices. You have not failed, your job is to do your best and stick with what your doctors laid out for you. No two people will be exactly the same. Focus on what a great loss you have had so far. 10% of your weight gone forever! When was the last time that happened in such a short period of time? Measuring is a great motivator too. I lose pounds about every other week, but I feel I'm always losing inches. Give your body a chance to catch up. You can do this, you should be proud of yourself for making this life changing decision and following through with it. In the meantime, draw strength from others going through this with you. Thank you for sharing, it is not always easy to do when we are struggling.

I did not have a drain at all.

It might just be too dense for you still. You are still healing and you need time to adjust. It does get much easier to eat as you get further along. Oatmeal is pretty heavy, how thick are you making it? Maybe thin it out a bit. My NUT didn't want me taking more than 20 minutes either, and told me not to stress as long as I was progressing on my stages, even if it was slowly. I eat every 3 to 4 hours, 3 meals two healthy snacks. I'm three months out and still never hungry, I'm enjoying that for every minute it lasts! Stay hydrated. Good luck!!

Ignorance is ignorance. no matter the intentions, and it hurts at times... I started asking folks if they wanted to order lunch or go out-just to break the ice. I even had to remind my BF a few times, that I will always find something I can have, and I'll worry about that, just as I always have. I think some folks avoid asking us to participate because they don't want to exclude us, but that is what winds up happening. Granted the first 6 weeks or so we are very restricted, but after that time I have yet to find a place to go that I didn't find a healthy choice on the menu. During the weeks before I advanced my diet, I found things to do at lunch time, just to stay moving. Took a walk, ran to the store. I even walked around the building a few times. Asking you how much you've lost is rude regardless. Keep your spirit and don't let anyone get you down! Congratulations on a great start!!

Check out these websites: theworldaccordingtoeggface.com emilybites.com Both offer tons of ideas for every stage. Good luck!!

Best of luck to you!! Congratulations!

I'm going to jump in on this one too... As hard as it is, try not to get discouraged. One of my favorite posts from a vet that has stuck with me since I joined VST is http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/23246-gastric-sleeve-surgery-dos-and-donts/ The first line: Remove the word only from your vocabulary. I have to remind myself of this one more often than I would like. It is so easy for us to think this isn't going to work, since nothing else has. Trust it, let your body adjust to the new way you are living. Let it catch up. I'm borrowing a link from another trusted vet, an article about stalls... http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html When all else fails, call your NUT, I'm sure they will reiterate what I am sure you already know. Good luck, and you are off to a great start!!

Hi Jess: I only just saw this post this morning. I am a patient of Dr. Schrope and I had my surgery at Valley on December 11. I could not be happier with Dr. Schrope or Valley. I did a bunch of research prior to surgery and watched some video on You Tube to try and get a sense of the doctor prior to my initial seminar. I was immediately comfortable with Dr. Schrope. Her personality as well as professionalism only bolstered my feeling of comfort prior to surgery. The staff was another bonus for me. Very, very helpful, patient and knowledgeable for my particular case. It always seemed we were all on the same page and again, that was a comfort. I know some people were "assigned" a surgeon after the seminar, but I went into the seminar wanting Dr. Schrope. Meredith, the nutritionist is also a great resource. I feel they prepared me prior to surgery for what to expect, I never felt overwhelmed and have been feeling and doing very well since my surgery. I actually go for a followup on Wednesday afternoon 3/20, Valley hospital was also a great experience, Every aspect of my stay was as pleasant as I could have imagined. All surgical patients are given private rooms, which was very nice and enabled me to get some rest while I was there. I stayed one night and was home by late afternoon the next day. I had surgery on Tuesday and was back in my office on Monday. My job is pretty easy physically, and I felt my energy level was fine for the office. Everyone is different, I bounced back pretty quickly and haven't had a bad day at all. Please feel free to ask me any speficic questions you have and I would be happy to share my experience.

Good luck!!

12/11/12 - Feeling great! I join you in wishing everyone the same.

Ugh.. I know how frustrating that can be. I had to postpone by a month back in November. It went pretty quickly and I stayed with my pre-op just to be in the best place I could be when my time came. I'm so sorry you have to wait. I hope it goes by quickly for you. Stay strong. Good luck!

Congratulations on a great start!! I'm 3 months out from surgery, a total of 102#s down from my highest weight in June of last year. The biggest changes I saw in my clothes came during weeks I lost no weight at all. I'm losing differently than I ever have. I can imagine the frustration, just stay the course, all your hard work will show itself. Good luck!!

I agree with Mikeross, Check out the websites that will walk you through some very easy recipes. Oftentimes, these recipes will be a single bowl, single cooking vessel recipe and very easy to follow. If you don't want to cook all week, take a few hours on the weekend, prepare, portion and freeze meals for a quick reheat during the week. You'll get the benefit of not getting burned out on pre-packaged diet foods (always a issue for me pre-sleeve) and you can control what is going into your food. Good luck!!