JeffA70

Also my fave. I like anything Stubbs too. Their rub is good.

(Tips hat)

Interesting topic. My wife is having a much tougher tine with the surgery than I am. Afraid I'm doing it so I can leave her, doesn't want me to get 'too skinny,' etc. Do I get more attention from the opposite sex now? Doesn't feel that way to me, although I get the 'Wow, you've lost a lot of weight' a lot from both men and women. I've had a lot of good female friends for a long time, so I don't feel unusual that they have noticed or have commented. Some of them have been my most steadfast supporters since I started the whole process.

Mine is onelifetosleeve

My doc kind of winked-winked and said no vigorous movement for at least several weeks, and no serious exercise for six weeks. I can tell you that my incisions/abdomen were still pretty tender last week when, um, things were tried. Gentle, gentle!

Great idea. Good luck with everything!

Congrats!!!

I have a friend whose first meal out was a Red Lobster and tried a grilled lobster tail. Said it just sat in his stomach and was very uncomfortable. I'd say try to keep things as moist as possible.

Down 25 lbs., one month out. Broke that stall like a bad habit, but thank you!

Had surgery one week ago. Scale hasn't moved in four days. Really weird. Am now on the soft food Stage IV diet after yesterday. Got 70+ g of protein in yesterday, got 60+ oz of water in. Every day, I've been following the script to the letter. I read about stalls, and I know that people say not to worry, but it's weird. Anyone else encounter one already like this?

I woke up in the hospital the morning after my surgery deeply depressed and thinking the same thing you are. I'm never depressed, but this was real and difficult and unexpected. My wife hadn't arrived for the day yet, no friends were online, and I felt very alone, with just my depression to keep me company. As everyone has said, it passes. You have no doubt done the right thing, although it's so hard to see from where you are now. Press on... It gets better.

Went out to shovel snow from the blizzard (first time since surgery) and my fingertips hurt so bad after 20 minutes that I had to come in. Could barely clench to grab the shovel. Have never experienced that. Craziness.

I have a desk job. Had surgery on a Tuesday. Got home Thursday afternoon. Went back for my post-op visit on Monday with the intention of getting a note to return back part-time work-at-home that day. He said "No way." The doc and I compromised on Wednesday. I was frustrated by that, but on Wednesday AM, I had long-previously been scheduled to speak at an event. I did the presentation fine, but came home and crashed for two hours. Did work-at-home for the rest of the week, and went back full-time that next week. The surgery really took a lot out of me by the end of most days for the first few weeks...would go to bed by 9:30 or 10 at latest, found myself easily tired, etc. I'm a month out today and find I can stay up later, not be tired all afternoon, etc.

I was a 'go get the mail in January in a t-shirt' guy, and I am now very cold more or less all the time. Now, it's winter, so duh, I guess, but I really never was cold before.

My doc's office called to cancel my appointment scheduled for tomorrow because of the impending snow apocalypse. I asked them to keep it. I need to move to Stage 5 (normal food)!!!! Mushy is getting to me! I spoke to the doc and he said that if I haven't had problems, I could move to Stage 5 and see him in two weeks instead. He wants me to really stick to soft solid food at the beginning for now. The nurse said I could move up to 3oz at meals now too instead of 2oz. Yay! Made a 'big' 3oz batch of chunky chicken salad at dinner and chewed!!! He said that my incision pain sounds appropriate for a month out. It's definitely getting better each day. I got cleared for exercise too, but at whatever pace is comfortable for me and was told, 'not to push it.' Elliptical tomorrow for a few minutes, I think!

So, so, so love both flavors. I add them to my chocolate protein shakes, and also add to unflavored yogurt with some sf jelly for a PB&J taste. Lots of recipes on the official web site too. I actually find Netrition.com has better prices than Amazon, which surprises me.

So happy for you! That's great! Mine is on Friday if the blizzard doesn't wipe out New England.

Holla! (can I say that!?) You're doing great. Hopefully everyone else is too. Let's hear it! I go in for my one-month on Friday. I cannot tell you how much I want to chew food! Hopefully will be able to this weekend. Also, can't wait to start working out!!!! My stats are in my sig, but I'm down almost 24 since the surgery. Feeling fine (minor incision pain aside).

I have blogged for about a year leading up to the surgery, and since then have converted over to just video. Address, etc. in my signature. Good luck!

I'm so far from eating out at an Indian place that it's crazy, but the recent thread on sushi that gave me hope for the future made me think of another type of food I love, Indian! Any tips or suggestions for good, sleeve-friendly Indian dishes when I get to that point sometime?

So, I'm on Stage 4 mushy, and feeling / doing well in general. Tonight, was making dinner for the family and my teenager was happy and joking with me, etc. For those with teens, you know that's sometimes rare and to-be-enjoyed times. I was making chicken tikka masala from a jar and decided that I would add some chickpeas into the simmer, and mush up some chickpeas for me for dinner on the side. Mushed Beans are an approved food for me, although I haven't had chickpeas yet, post-surgery. Before long it was some for the pan and some for me out of the can as I was joking with my kid. Part of my brain said, 'You shouldn't be doing this,' although I was purposely chewing them really good. And then the nausea hit and I almost hurled right there in the kitchen. That's only happened once before... When I had some pudding right after dinner and both times it was the same mindlessness related to just eating for the sake of eating. Didn't hurl either time, but holy crap did I feel awful. So, hoping I didn't cause a leak but suspect not. Just my new plumbing telling me I was dumb and mindlessly eating.

Thank you all. I was so mad at myself after it happened, and so worried that I caused a leak. But I feel fine today, so assume all is OK. God, I need to get that mindlessness under control. It's only happened twice since January 8, but that's once every 2 weeks, which is too frequent.