DanaInNewOrleans

I've been on this site for 6 months and have read hundreds of post lamenting about not losing weight after surgery. I had surgery Friday 7am and have not really lost anything. I did not weigh when I got home because my husband hid the scale (!) because he was afraid I'd become obsessed with it, especially if I did not lose fast enough (uh, yep. Here I am posting about it). I begged him to bring it back and he relented. Well, what a letdown. Basically I am still the same as I was 5 days ago. I have not had real food/calories in 6 days (including 1.5 days clear liquid pre-op). I'm still in the clear liquid stage which is GETTING OLD VERY QUICK. I was able to tolerate Water, popsicles and crystal light just hours after surgery. Some docs don't even require a clear liquid phase or if they do it's very short. Anyhoo, back to the actual point of my post.... Has anyone NOT lost weight post-surgery while consuming almost zero calories on Clear liquids? So at this point I'm hungry, tired of freakin Jello and broth AND have not lost a pound! Sounds like a cruel joke to me! And of course, I am back to believing that See, I was right. I WILL be the only person on the planet that gastric sleeve did not work for! ~Dana

I have no doubt I will be one of those slow losers.... I know I just have to prepare myself for it so that I don't get too discouraged. And hey, 21 pounds is 21 POUNDS GONE. Congratulations! We should start a VST Page for Slow Losers.... we could whine and moan and then move to encouragement!

LOL!!! No no, I'm sorry! Thanks to all of you, and especially you... you know you're my favorite GeauxForIt! You look very pretty today!

OMG! That is a great idea! I don't know if you were serious but if I was 10 pounds away I'd strap those suckers on and no one would ever know the difference!!!

Are you having trouble with particular foods or is it you just don't have much interest in food?

It's sort of a vicious little circle....I'm sick sick sick of broth, tea, Jello, popsicles....which makes it very hard to get them down in the quantities I need to.

Thanks! That was my original question. To add a little to it.... does that fact that the liquid contains protein put it in the full liquid category? The reason I'm asking is that I was thinking I could make a shake with Syntrax nectar chocolate Truffle with Water instead of skim milk.

I guess I should have explained why I was asking.... I'm in the middle of my 7 day Post-Op clear liquid phase and I'm trying to vary things up as well as get some nutrients in. Is your "protein only during the 3 meals" common? That is the first time I've heard of that restriction...

What shake are you doing? I finally found one I love.... Syntrax nectar chocolate Truffle ... it really really is good.

Not sure what you mean?

Thanks for the encouragement Nancy!

Hi Butter! Haven't seen you in awhile..... Thanks for the encouragement!

No, no pre-op diet. Doc just said don't gain. I just kept doing the same diet I had been doing -- low carb 1200 calories or so a day. I did cheat a bit before surgery -- the food funeral thing. I did clear liquids for 1.5 days before surgery.

4 days Post-Op and I did not have a catheter. I was totally opposed to it and discussed it with him ahead of time. He said he never uses catheters for gastric sleeve patients ( unless necessary for medical history). I think not having the catheter actually helped me recover quicker because I was literally climbing out of the bed hauling the IV pole to the bathroom and hauling it back to the bed and climbing back up every 20-30 minutes ( I was on IV fluids).

What's PB2?

Hi, were you not able to tolerate protein powder after surgery or were you not allowed by your doc?

Syntrax Nectar Chocolate Truffle -- Awesome!!

Candice, Dr. Lavin does the leak test in the OR while you're knocked out.

Yeah I waited for 3 hours to see him too. I tried to call this morning to make my post-op appt but the office had already closed. What part of the city are you in?

Mine was 12/21 and no I didn't see him. I saw him in the office on 12/7 and I said so the next time I see you will be in the OR? Yep! He is going on vacation 12/26 so I will not get to see him on my first post-op visit. Please Please ask them if we can at least add Protein shakes. This is miserable.....

Congrats on the 10lbs!!

Yep, Dr. Lavin is mine too! This really does suck. I've tolerated everything well...maybe it should be a individual basis. I'm not trying to play doctor here but really I would just like to add a Protein shake in the mix. When did you have your surgery? ~Dana

And oh yeah, I haven't lost a pound. How is that possible??? 5 days of almost nothing and no weight loss?

Hi everybody, Sorry I haven't updated until now but I had a rough couple of days with nausea, which they finally got under control once they found the right drug combinations. I'm finally home and doing well. I'm sitting here sipping warm black coffee -- I have never liked black coffee but at this point I'll take it. So I'll recap my experiences so the newbies can get an idea of what to expect. Thursday 12/20... 1 day before S-Day). Only Clear liquids this day and let me tell you, I was starving by the time the evening came around. I just kept eating sugar free Jello cups. I had a lot of friends calling to wish me well and ask it I was nervous. Believe it or not, I was totally at peace. I can't explain it but I was not nervous at all. Once midnight came it was nothing by mouth. I stayed up all night cleaning the house - I wanted to come home to a really clean house so that I didn't have to worry about it for a while once I got home. Also we have friends coming to stay with us for Christmas and of course I want the house clean! It worked out well because it kept me occupied. I took a shower at about 4 am with Hibiclens, then it was time to get dressed, wake up the hubby and head to the hospital ...we have to be there at 6am. Friday 12/21.... S(sleeve)-Day!!! 615am We are at the hospital and waiting to be called back. There are a few people in the waiting who look like they are relatives of patients...about 7am they called to "come on back"! I kiss the hubby goodbye and they bring me to a room, hand me a big plastic back and tell me to take everything off and put the gown on. The gown is HUGE --- and can't get it to stay on my shoulders. The nurse then takes me to the pre-op room and I get in bed. They called Jay (hubby) so he can come sit with me until I go to surgery. The two anesthesiologists that I'd already met came in to talk to me and both were great. They told me they knew I was concerned about nausea and they would everything they could to minimize it. Then they tell Dr; Lavin is running ahead of schedule and I would be next and it would only be about 10 minutes before they start! WOW. That was quick!! From that point on everything moves fast. They put my IV in (easy easy) and next thing I know they are wheeling me to the OR I kissed the hubby goodbye and yelled down the hall that "if I die take care of our cats" , to which the hubby yelled back "we have DOGS dummy" LOL... SO, now I am in the OR. They switch me to the OR bed and get me situated-- they put a mask over my face and then it was lights out immediately. It is amazing how quick it works. My last conscious thought was them putting them on the mask and me thinking, it smelled sweet. LIGHTS OUT! The next thing I vaguely remember is being wheeled out and to my room -- I was extremely nauseous and had to pee very badly. I get to the room and all I can think about is PEEING, although I'm not fully awake. They want me to wait. I say I cannot wait -- the want me to use a bed pan, I say no way, just let me get up to pee. The nurse relents and they help me out of the bed. I was totally unstable and so hubby and 2 aggravated nurses guide me to the bathroom. My nausea is awful and I have pain in my chest and shoulders-- which I knew to expect because of VST! It's the gas they pump you up with --- it goes everywhere. I have no pain in my stomach or my incisions ( I have 5 incisions). I battle nausea for hours-- they give different meds abut nothing helps. They finally find the right combination of drugs.... Reglan, Levsin and Zofran. Thank God!! I slept for a little-- then it was time get up and pee. That scenario went on all night....because they were giving me fluids I had to get up to pee every half hour or so. And every time I had to climb out of the bed and maneuver the IV pole, pee, maneuver back to bed, then try to climb in bed without killing myself! I think I probably did that 20 times. They have me sucking on ice chips and trying to drink a little, which goes good. I am able to sip and suck on ice with no difficulty. . In the middle of night I got up and Jay ( he stayed the whole night with me) and I walked around the entire floor. Then they bring me more liquid Lortab which helps the soreness so much!! It's is great. Saturday 12/22....1 day post-S(sleeve) All my nurses were awesome. A couple of my nurses had actually had the Sleeve done by Dr. Lavin, which is cool because they were able to give lots of advice and perspective. I walk around a little but the IV pole drives me crazy. They want me to eat a Popsicle and Crystal Light, which again, goes down fine. I finished the entire Popsicle and was able to sip the Crystal Light. All I want now is to go home and sleep since I haven't actually sleep since Wednesday. The nurse tells me that I should be able to go home but they've got to wait until Dr. Lavin gives the ok. I'm still connected to the IV which means I am still peeing constantly. I am soooo ready to go home. Finally the nurse comes in and says Lavin gave the ok. Yea!!! It will take a little while though because the nurses have to get the discharge papers together. I get dressed (which feels great to be out of that gown ) About an hour later the nurse comes in and goes over instructions, medications....etc. I sign my discharge papers and it's jailbreak time!!! I hug my nurse, thank everybody and we're off for home to see our fur babies (3 little dogs) that we adore. We get home, play with our dogs a little and I make some chicken broth, which goes down well. I am not hungry but do wish I could eat something-- head hunger. It sucks.. I am extremely sore all over. It's the kind of soreness that feels like the day after you've exercised hard and you're out shape. Or like if you have the flu and you cough so much that everything hurts. I take some liquid Lortab , lay down and sleep, sleep, sleep with my 3 fur babies next to me. I wake up late in the evening, make some chicken broth, eat a Sugar Free Popsicle and a sugar free Fudgesicle. I walk around the house a little bit and go back to sleep. Sunday 12/22 2 Days Post-S I wake up and feel so much better today! It's a big difference and now I know what the sleeve veterans mean when they say every day gets better. It's true. I'm sitting here watching the Saints game ( we're season tickets holders and are crazy about our Saints) and sipping black coffee and taking my medication one pill at a time. I have had no problem with sipping warm or cold liquids, although plain Water does not go down as easy. I ate a cup of Jello and feel good. So that's it!! I'm officially on the "other side" and it feels good! Good luck to all of you pending Sleevers!! ~Dana