SerendipityHappens

At five and a half weeks out, I find that my farts are finally starting to weaken a bit.. but they were SO powerful and LOUD after surgery. I was shocked! I always had little sneaky quiet ones before. Holy heck, now they seriously sound like I'm sitting on a whoopi cushion. I was staying with my sister for two weeks post op, and my five year old nephew even felt the need to inquire... "Auntie, How come you fart so much now?"

I was expecting this, but even when I've forgotten myself, I get no "negative reinforcement" ... I sometimes think this thing is made of cast iron...

Yeah, I HATE chewing my food. I used to only take one or two chews and then swallow.. Seriously.. even things like steak would get only one or two chews... I am five weeks out and I admit that I don't always chew my food as much as I'm supposed to.. and I don't know that I will ever chew it as much as I'm supposed to.. but I do get around 20 chews per bite which is a HUGE improvement for me.

45 minutes for me... I had a lot of room inside my abdomen with a normal liver and very little visceral fat for someone of my size so the doctor could get in and out pretty quickly. Also the team that took care of me has been working with each other for a few years and have done a few thousand procedures together so they've got a pretty good rhythm going!

Thinking rational people realize that this only happens if you eat Pop-Rocks prior to drinking the soda.. just ask Mikey.

Losing less than 40 pounds a month makes you a "slow loser" You can never have coffee.. ever again. You can never have soda.. ever again. If you do the bubbles will stretch out your stomach. You have to take special chewable vitamins and supplements that cost tons of money. You have to take protein drinks for the rest of your life. If you are stalled it is likely because you are eating too many calories, too few calories, too little protein, too many carbs, too few carbs, too little water, too much fat, not enough fat, not enough gummy bears or whatever.

I TOTALLY get what you're saying.. I WISH we didn't feel the need not to tell people... but I do understand why people choose not to tell. I'll tell people after the fact, but I don't need anyone breathing down my neck saying I am losing too much.. not losing fast enough.. look sickly, etc.... I'll tell them after they've already admitted to me how fabulous and healthy I look!

Hi Kelli we spoke on the phone I think once when I was looking for Christy. You're both absolutely delightful to work with... you should put that you're with MBC in your signature.. that way everyone will know up front that you are working for them. Sometimes coordinators and companies come on here and masquerade as patients so it would be a good idea to put your details are in your signature so that everyone will know that you have an interest in MBC.

My plan says I could have deli meats at 3 weeks.. so I got some roast beef and have been loving it.. Then I could have ground meats at 4 weeks.. I'm not supposed to have beef until 6 weeks. but... ground was ok, and deli meat was ok, they just didn't want me eating like a steak until 6 weeks. Which leads me to believe that it's not so much the meat as it is the texture?

I'm wheat-free since the end of November and I've seen tremendous improvements in my health because of it even before I lost any weight. I took the approach that I wanted to remove wheat completely and greatly reduce all other Cereal grains... I don't do "substitutes" of potato starch, rice flour, etc because they are so processed and refined ... I just don't eat breads pastas or crackers. I've had a few corn tortilla chips post op, just because my diet advanced to that stage of being able to eat this texture and I wanted to see how they would be on my sleeve, but I just don't want to make it a habit. Going wheat free is not the same as going gluten free.. although they are 95% similar. But Gluten free people can still eat items that contain parts of the wheat as long as it does not contain a trace of the gluten... an item can be marked "gluten free" and still have some wheat in it without having the gluten! On the other hand, wheat free people can eat gluten from other sources such as barley.

I was a scarfer.. I LOVED to take huge bites and chew two or three times and swallow my food practically whole.. I found it more enjoyable that way. It was perversely satisfying for me to eat like this as opposed to small bites chewed 20 times... My first week once I was allowed to eat food post op was pretty miserable taking those teeny tiny bites and chewing until nothing.. Now I'm 5 weeks out and I have reached a compromise. I take a whole spoon full (though now I eat from a teaspoon rather than from a big Soup spoon) and chew chew chew and swallow just a small portion of it at a time. So one tea spoon gives me three swallows of food. It satisfies my desire to have that "mouth full of food" sensation, without overwhelming my sleeve. As for actual foods that I miss.. I miss citrus, vegetable juices and chia seeds! Can't have them for another week and these are the three items that I used to have EVERY DAY preop, and they're the LAST items that my diet allows to be added back in!

Quite right Amanda.. I had no comorbidities or health issues other than being big and fat. I think you were really smart to take your cardiac condition into account when selecting a doctor/facility.

Yup, It's doable and you have your youth on your side! I had that same OSM when I realized exactly how much weight I had to lose.... I realized my goal weight was 210 less than my highest weight.. I somehow had some illusion that I had to lose "around a hundred pounds"... I've since made peace with reality and am taking it one pound at a time! Best wishes on your journey!

$4,500 plus $80.00 for an extra night at the hotel plus $400.00 round trip boston-sandiego-boston. Plus about $50.00 for tipping expenses (driver, housekeeping etc) The $4,500 included ground transportation to and from the airport-hospital-hotel, all surgery costs and hotel. I chose to pay for an extra night at the hotel, but I felt so great it really wasn't necessary after all. Prices have gone up since then... I think they're currently $4,700?

I chose Mexicobariatriccenter to coordinate for me. I had Dr's Valenzuela and Cabrerra. I stayed in the hospital for two nights post surgery and then at the Marriott hotel for three nights. My package only included a two night hotel stay but I purchased an extra night just in case I wasn't feeling up to travel. MiDoctor is where I went. It is a hospital. They have an ICU if needed. Patients have private rooms where they recover for two nights post surgery. It is not a clinic. It is not a FULL SERVICE hospital. Right now they pretty much cater to elective treatments.. If you are say, a cardiac patient, they're not going to do a heart transplant there.. you're not going to go there to be treated for an infectious disease.. It's a hospital, but they treat bariatric patients. There are four floors and two (soon to be 3 operating rooms) Go on Youtube and input Mi Doctor hospital and you can find videos where you can see that it is an actual small hospital and see what the rooms look like. I can say that I had a fantastic experience. The surgeons were excellent and Christy with Mexico Bariatric Center has really been there for me. I actually just got an email from her checking in on me. I will give one word of warning though.. If you are meek or not inclined to advocate for yourself and what you want, then you maybe should consider going with doctor where you'll have a bit more hand holding. I received great care at MiDoctor, BUT I was on top of everything.. I asked for my spirometer and started my breathing exercises on my own. I made sure I got my walking in.. I went to the nurse's station hourly and got drinks.. They are not proactive about bringing these things to you but they are happy to get you whatever you need.

I like Jay Robb protein powder in addition to the isopure. They're both good and come in a lot of fruity flavors. You can mix with stuff like crystal light, vitamin water zero, or diet iced tea. You can even mix with water.

Looks delish.. I've been loving a slice of great quality chicken or turkey lunch meat (usually boars head oven roast gold) half a slice of muenster, 1/5 of an avocado and rolling the avocado up in the meat and cheese.. Can't wait until I can eat tomatoes and I can add a nice slice of a tomato on it.. This has ALWAYS been one of my favorite meals/snacks, but it was so expensive and calorie dense because I'd wind up eating half a pound of meat, four ounces of cheese and the whole avocado.. It's AWESOME to me that I can now enjoy a nice small portion of good quality nutritious food! Dear God, I love my sleeve!

I'm five weeks out and I'm not "normal" yet because I can't yet have seeds citrus or my glorious fresh pressed vegetable juices... but other than that, Yeah, I'm eating all other foods normally, just in smaller portions. I can throw back nearly a cup of Water at a go if I want to. I don't do Cereal grains with the exception of oats. That's a personal choice based on my own food sensitivities unrelated to the sleeve. I know those are things that can give people problems even when they're further out but since those things are off the menu anyway it's maybe easier to feel normal. I have not slimed or had anything come back up or anything.. I did have a few times where I ate a bit too much and felt pressure in my tummy, but I just laid down and it passed. I pretty much think of my choices in terms of nutritional value rather than how it will set in my sleeve.. my sleeve pretty much loves everything so it doesn't dictate my choices!

Nickel allergies are very common. It's less common to have a reaction to surgical steel BUT there are several grades out there and often jewelry SAYS "surgical steel" but it is a lower grade. When I was a kid I couldn't wear anything with ANY nickel. I couldn't even wear 20K gold because I would react to the other 4K of whatever else was mixed in it. I could only use 24K gold over surgical steel. Even now I can't wear a cheap watch because it gives me a rash. I went to Mexico and I asked specifically what kind of staples. They use a triple line of titanium staples which is standard pretty much every where.

I went to walmart and bought three pairs of clearance sweats for three dollars a pop. DONE.. saving my money for non-walmart shopping spree AFTER I lose the weight. If you wouldn't be caught dead in sweats, then yeah, yoga pants would be good.. especially if you'll wear them for working out post op. They have the danskin ones at walmart that are pretty good.. they have a nice fold down top. no drawstring. Personally, I just wear the sweats when I'm exercising.... but we all have different standards and apparently mine are pretty low. Don't worry too much about how they fit around your belly or getting ones that are super loose.. the operation happens in the area from the belly button up.. The bottom part of my abdomen didn't feel any kind of pain or even discomfort. Also at the hospital, I just wore the hospital gown.. I figure, I'd rather ooze and bleed over that ugly gown instead of my super fancy $3.00 walmart sweats.

GREAT advice. I tried SO HARD to practice this presleeve but it was SO HARD. Post sleeve, it was a lot easier since you got some negative reinforcement if you didn't (though I have never had a problem with liquid thankfully-- at five weeks I can guzzle about 2/3 of a cup without stopping) With my food, I am getting a LOT better at chewing, but I struggle with waiting between bites, etc.. but I'm a work in progress.. It's hard to un-do 40+ years of bad habits!

STOP... BREATHE.. I am five weeks out.. In addition to my presurgery loss, I have lost 14 pounds since surgery... ALL in the first two weeks and since then NOTHING.. I even gained back four pounds for a while!!! It's OK! It's a stall. Stalls are NORMAL and they're EXPECTED... Even in the third week... Even a stall that lasts THREE FREAKING WEEKS. Remember you ALSO lost a boat load of weight right before surgery even if it is "just water" your body is replacing that Water so that can account for why you're not losing that fast. Eat the food. Measure it and account for it and then eat it. I'm eating at around 900 calories a day. I know in VSG world that seems a bit high for someone only 5 weeks post op, but it's still a huge deficit and I know I'll continue to lose once my stall is broken... Which I suspect will be very soon because I just had to make ANOTHER notch to tighten my belt AND my fancy scale tells me my body water % is 3.1% HIGHER than it was 3 weeks ago.. that's 8.5 POUNDS of extra water.. meaning that if I still weight exactly the same, that I have 8.5 pounds LESS of fat! I suspect your body is going through something similar but you don't have a super duper fancy scale to reassure you. Enjoy your new phase of food. I'm right with you on this journey and having a very similar experience (to the exact pound right?) and I KNOW that this is temporary and the scale will move in the right direction again. Stay strong!

Awwww, sorry to hear that. I went by myself and felt 100% safe and comfortable... I know you'd like to have him with you for support, but know that you won't really be alone when you're there... you'll have plenty of other patients with you and you'll all look out for each other.... REALLY sucks about the plane tickets though.. ESPECIALLY missing the window by ONE STINKING DAY!

Congratulations!

What about sublingual, transdermal or injectable delivery?