royalsecret

Let me start with this; no matter how much knowledge you accumulate before this surgery, you can’t be fully prepared as to what will happen after surgery. I went through and read so many posting of people struggling with food, cheating, wondering why they hadn’t lost weight. I couldn't understand how someone could go through this surgery and do that to themselves. I knew I would NEVER jeopardize my health or my new little sleeve after surgery by cheating or going off the Dr.’s plan...
 
Surgery went great, I lived through it and recovered quickly with the most pain being the first few hours after getting out. Within days I was able to take normal drinks of liquids and stayed on a liquid diet with no hunger until Monday morning (4 days out).
 
Tuesday I ended up eating five saltines and boy did I beat myself up for it. I called my Dr. and begged for them to change my one week appointment to Wednesday instead of Friday because I physically felt like I could NOT wait all week to start full fluids and protein shakes. Appointment got changed. Wednesday morning I went and saw the PA and she said I was OK-ed for full liquids and soft foods. I was 16.8 lbs down at the first week visit. So that day I had two eggs and several bites of my husband’s country fried steak for breakfast. Two hours later I felt famished and had some more of his country fried steak. I continued eating eggs with cheese, slivers of crockpot roast, pan fried chicken w skin, lunch meat, cheese, turkey jerky bites, salami w cream cheese rolled with a pepperchini topped with green olives ( I ate around 25 of these over a five hour period, felt like I couldn’t stop eating them). My sleeve tolerated it with no problems. I realized the insane cravings for copious amounts of food came from me being on my period. Btw, weighed Monday morning and I GAINED 5lbs, not surprised in the least.
 
Sunday Day 10 comes and it was a HUGE turning point. Went to my Grandpa's to celebrate a family birthday and He made tri tip, a whole ham, all the sides. So I put a slice of ham and tri tip w green beans on my plate. I start with the ham and green beans, I get an ounce of ham down and get a terrible fullness and gas in my stomach. Strange, I never had that before. I literally could not eat anymore and I felt sick. So I go home and my husband’s friends are over and they make chicken and mushrooms for a late dinner. I eat a small piece of slightly greasy chicken and 10 mins after I am in the bathroom puking.
 
FINALLY!!!! I feel like my sleeve is working. I get totally full off 1-2oz instead of the 4-6oz I was consuming. I am shocked. The hunger is minimal and comes up around the 3 to 4 hrs after last meal. Insane! The last few days it’s been hard to get to 400 calories, are you kidding me?? I didn’t think it was possible judging from the four day binge I went on. I also switched back to softer food. I know I was justifying food as soft that was not in the soft category. Now I'm eating tuna salmon, baby shrimp and eggs. I lost 2 1/2 of the lbs I gained.
 
I honestly do not know why there was such a delay in me feeling the effects of the sleeve. It took a long time for me to be able to pass gas, almost 6 days because my bowls were having problems "waking up" after surgery. Maybe my stomach did too? This is my husband's theory and it is the only one that makes sense as to how I was fitting so much food in and never feeling satisfied until Day 10.
 
I did NOT plan on sharing this with anyone. It is embarrassing and shameful. I jeopardized my health because I didn’t get control over my hunger. But I decided to share because maybe someone else out there is new out of surgery with a ravenous appetite and might possibly be able to relate or learn from my mistakes. More importantly I would hate for anyone to feel as hopeless as I did, thinking that this surgery was a total mistake. During those few days I would not have trusted anyone had they told me things would get better and eventually my hunger would subside -- but it DID! Every person's body is so unique and will be different through this process. For some of us it takes longer to reap the benefits of this surgery. And trying to distinguish between real hunger and head hunger is no joke, I think this will take years for me to deal with. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So keep jugging along...
I think can! I think I can!

Excellent article on Emotional hunger Vs. Physical hunger
http://www.livestrong.com/article/14885-emotional-vs-physical-hunger/
 
 
Am I hungry? important questions to ask-
http://amihungry.com/whatisamihungry.shtml
 
Recognizing hunger signals - http://www.myfooddiary.com/resources/ask_the_expert/hunger_signals.asp
 
Head Hunger-
http://myfoodmaps.com/head-hunger/
 
3 steps to take to become aware of head hunger
http://www.livestrong.com/article/512246-how-to-tell-the-difference-between-real-hunger-emotional-hunger/?utm_source=popslideshow&utm_medium=a1
 
head hunger -
http://www.palmyrasurgical.com/adjustable-gastric-band-guide/living-with-your-gastric-band/dealing-with-hunger-after-surgery
 
 

I had surgery early Monday morning. I stepped on the scale, 5 days later on Friday, also early in the morning. I went from 271 to 255.5 pounds in 5 days. That's almost 16 pounds... in 5 days. Seems like a lot, almost abnormally so.
My grandmother seems very excited for me, however, I keep telling her it's probably just my liver shrinking and all the waste leaving my body. Is it bad that I'm being pessimistic?
 
I've had no issues with constipation. Still gassy, but it's making it's way out pretty fast down below and I have no shoulder, side, or chest pains. Walking a few hours after surgery and walking blocks around the surgery ward every 2 hours really did help me, I think. A lot of the nurses were amazed. I didn't see many other bariatric patients walking around until late at night I saw one man walking a little bit from his room until he turned around and went back.
 
I remember the next day after surgery when I did the x-ray test and had to drink that nasty liquid, I ran into a young woman named Monica waiting for it, too. She looked at me and asked "What did you get?" I mentally laughed and then said the vertical sleeve, and she said she had the same. I asked her what he goal weight was and she said 140. I'm going for 150-155. We talked about gas pain, but I told her I was up and walking a few hours after surgery. I know I mentioned the VST forum and asked if she was on it, and she asked me my name, but I thought she meant my username.... obviously the drugs got to me and I gave her my username (Castiel is a name of a character from a TV show) and yeah.... so she didn't know my name until a nurse called it. probably thought I was crazy haha. I didn't see her walking around the floor at all during my stay nor could I find her room til the very very end right before she was leaving :[ I wanted to wish her good luck!
 
Right now, I'm seriously hungry. I'm only on clear liquids, no protein. I can't stand the taste of isopure. It's revolting! I thought it was okay before surgery, but that weird filmy after taste and the smell? no thanks. I know it's bad, but I had a half of a teaspoon of peanut butter over the course of a half hour with water swished in my mouth. I was prepared to get sick, but so far I'm okay. I feel drained of energy, and I just need some good tasting protein shakes (not until monday). These next two weeks of liquids and full liquids can't go fast enough! I'm ready for some mashed potatoes and pureed beans... maybe even with a little sour cream, and a glass of milk!
 
I think the hardest part is getting through this month until I can finally get to soft foods. Head hunger is killing me and I can't wait to have smaller portions of healthy good tasting stuff! I'm also paranoid I have leak already, but I guess I'll find out when I have a fever and more intense pains. I seem to be straining my stitches a lot :[