You would think so...

My doctor and nutritionist said not to worry about calorie intake for the first year. They said, and I have found to be true, that there's no way I can ingest enough calories in a day to gain. If you don't get enough calories, however, your body could go into starvation mode, and you could stall out.

Surgery 9/4. SW 335 Today 259 Down 76 I've been stalled since a week before Christmas. It's getting frustrating. I saw someone else comment that their stalls happen at points at which they've been at a low previously. The last time I was able to lose a bunch of weight and keep it off was at about 260, so this is making sense to me. The volume I can eat seems to have gone up as well. Expected a bit, but kind of scary. I started tracking things on myfitnesspal.com last week. Yesterday, for the very first time, I managed to get in ALL my liquids and ALL my protein for the day. Usually I don't make it anywhere near.

I was sleeved on the 4th. Not doing too badly at this point. Had horrible nausea the first couple days. My biggest issues at this point are acid reflux and swallowing air. The acid reflux should resolve as I'm able to eat more, but I feel like I have a swollen throat, so I think I'm psychologically afraid of drinking LOL! The swallowing air thing - I just don't know. I'm workin on it is all I can say. I have been off pain meds since... Friday - the day after I came home from the hospital. Get an occasional twinge. I'll be excited to do more working out than just walk. I've been working on a catering job I have coming up - the stuff that's freezable. Get a little worn out, but I'll definitely be ok to go back to work on Monday. I lost 13 pounds the first week after surgery, with 3 inches off my waist and 3 inches off my hips. Woo hoo! I'm sleeping better since surgery. Double woohoo!

I think I have this same problem. I'm not so worried about the gut rumblings, but I hiccup ALOT. At my first pre-op visit, the NP said to not drink things at extremes of temperatures for a while. So everything I drink now is more or less room temp, and things got better. Last night I had a freezie pop, and I was able to have several within a half hour or so without any trouble at all. And that's something you have to suck on. So I'm trying a straw just for shoots and giggles. If that doesn't work, I'm seriously considering requesting a referral to an occupational therapist, to teach me how to swallow again. Keep us up to date! Good Luck!

Had my first follow up appointment yesterday. I was sleeved on 9/4, lost 13 pounds since then. NP was suprised, said most people don't start losing for a couple weeks becuase of all the IV fluids. Which makes sense. I wasn't doing very well with fluids until yesterday. The NP said that often times people with this surgery can't tolerate extremes of cold - all that moving around and gas might be from the ice in my beverages. So I stopped icing. I learned I don't like my fluids warm, but they go down alot better at room temp. Other than that, I've been off pain meds since Saturday, off anti-nausea since saturday. If only I could control the gas... Still get tired easily but feeeling better!

Hi all! I was sleeved on 9/4. I have had horrible nausea and dry heaves ever since. Mostly after trying to "eat" something or being up on my feet - like after a walk. I am on meds for it. All the docs said its normal. But its painful and kind of scary. Can't I pull stitches if I heave too much? Anyone else have this? How long did it take to go away? Any words of wisdom or encouragement are appreciated! Shelley

I'm on the 4th too. Our stories are similar! I'm also in school - getting a Master's. This semester is my last semester of internship and then I will be done. No more working for free for me - lol! I was thinking of putting off surgery until after internship was done, but decided to bite the bullet and just take a couple weeks off. I'm hoping I'll get a job offer from the company I'm working for, and I don't want to take the time off then. Maybe we should start a group or a topic for those of us having surgery on 9/4. We should have a fun name! Star Wars comes to mind...

I've seen some other on the forums suggest drinking things out of a cup with a lid, so that you don't get as much smell. That seems to work for me. Testing for a leak sounds like a great idea if they haven't already. My surgeon described the symptoms of a leak just as you are. It would be worth getting checked out. I'm still pre-op so I don't have much advice to offer. I wanted to offer you some (((((Melissa))))) and let you know I'll be thinking of and praying for you. Keep us updated!

Day 4 of liquid diet. I have a call in to Dr's nurse to ask her the following question too. Just wondering though - for those of you who have acid reflux, are you finding that its worse on the liquid diet? I want to eat something solid, just to see if it gets better. I found out today that one of the ladies where I work had a RNY 2 weeks ago. It's kind of comforting to know that I'll have daily face to face contact with someone who is going through a similar journey. One week to go!

I would check with HR first. Legally, your employer has to accomodate you, as long as the accomodation doesn't affect your ability to do the job. I would then talk with your doctor's office, and ask for something in writing, stating how long you won't be able to fly. When I worked in HR, I wouldn't require details, but I did require something in writing from the surgeon - to protect the company. As an employee, I used that written documentation to protect myself.

Day one of "high protein liquid diet" down - 9 to go. I've been trying out shakes for a while, to find ones I like, and haven't had a problem with it. Today, all of the sudden, I have the worst gas on the planet. WTH??!!?? Do.not.want. Thinking of you all!

Last visit with the nutritionist yesterday. I start my 10 day liquid diet on Saturday. Somebody was talking about lasts a couple pages back. The only thing I really wanted for sure was steak, and I got that last weekend. Now I'm just trying to get all the food out of the house that I know I won't be able to eat for a long while, lol! Is anyone else know they are getting their gallbladder taken out at the same time as surgery? I've been wondering about the gallbladder, and whether taking it out would help with potential acid reflux after...

Some of the principles of 12 step programs came from the bible - not all, and no specific part. Some of the principles can also be found in other religious texts, some are found in philosohy, and there is also a belief in medicine. Read the Big Book of AA - where the 12 step, traditions and concepts originated, and which have informed all other 12 step groups. It specifically states that a belief in "God" is not necessary, only a belief in a "higher power". AA, Al-Anon, etc. have never required a belief in organized religion. My goal is not to have an argument about how 12 step groups were organized, it was to help someone who expressed a concern over organized religion hopefully feel more comfortable checking them out.

12 step programs are *not* based in organized religion. Part of the 12 steps is to figure out what *you're* higher power is, whatever that may be. For me personally, my higher power is the universe, as manifested by nature. I have many friends in 12 step programs that do not believe in organized religion (including myself). I am a long time member of Al-Anon (for family and friends of addicts - very similar to OA) and the program has been and is changing my life. Please don't be afraid of checking OA out. If nothing else, there's alot of information and stories available online.

I was able to do my sleep study at home. They sent me home with a little device to sleep hooked up to (which really just amounted to one of those things on your finger to measure your heart rate and nasal cannula). I just had to return it asap. If the test wasn't giving them the information they needed, then I would have had to do a sleep study at the clinic. I would ask the pulmonologist (or whoever is in charge of the sleep study) if they have the take home version. Or if there are other options. Good luck!

I'm not sure who you're asking littleperson?... so I'll just jum in lol! I'm not having an EGD. Or at least I haven't been scheduled for one. Is an EGD standard? I had an endoscopy a couple of months ago, just before I buckled down and got serious about VSG. My surgeon got a copy of that report and pictures from that fun event. How long have you all been workin on this? Getting through the approval process, I mean?

I would like to have a really good scale in the house before surgery. The one we have now has a lower max weight than I currently weigh. What brand/ model/ type (whatever) of scale do you have, and do you like it?

I was able to do my sleep study at home. They gave me a little machine, slightly bigger than a cell phone, that straps around your chest. It has one finger clippy thing (for measuring heart rate - forget what it's called at the moment), and a breathing tube thingy that wraps around your head and tucks into your nose (the thing they give you oxygen through in a hospital). Easy peasy. The worst thing about it was that I had to wear pajamas to bed that night LOL! I'm sorry, I can't remember what the unit was called. If you need to do it again, ask if they have the take home unit.

I had to have surgery last fall for kidney stones, and gave up caffeine in all forms at that point. I think I had a withdrawal headache for a couple days. For whatever reason, hot packs on the head seemed to help... weird, but true.

A lump in the back of the throat (actually, more at the base of the neck) is one of my reflux symptoms, but it doesn't happen every day, it tends to happen in waves.

I'm scheduled for September 4th. I feel like it's coming up really fast. I went to the information session for my surgeon's practice on June 21st (I had to look it up today) and they said with luck it might get squeezed in before the end of the year. And here I am, just three weeks from the day. There's a squirrel in the back of my head, yelling "hold on - slow down!" I won't, of course, but the thought is there.

September 4th for me.

I don't expect to have any tubes with this surgery. Last fall I had two kidney surgeries a week apart, and had a drain in my back during that week. Didn't really feel it for the most part, but I did have to be careful about how I slept and moved. The only time it bothered me was when they had to move it (I was still in the hospital) because it was placed too far in, and they didn't numb the area at all. IMHO, the catheter was much worse.