MichiganChic

JMarshall - looking good! Great job!

Do you have a dietician you are working with, who gave you guidelines for what, when and how to eat? I've found that to be quite helpful, and I am very cautious in what I put in my mouth. I feel like we have a gift here, and right from the start we need to work to develop new eating habits. I'm not sure what you meant by "whatever you want" to eat, but at 11 days, that shouldn't be much of a selection. But, to answer your question - I think if you do the work, use the tool (sleeve) you've been given, the surgery will work for you. The sleeve won't exactly stop you from eating (though it will sure hold less), it's up to us to stop ourselves when the sleeve tell us we are full. Just take it a day at a time, do the best you can, and remember it's a learning process. You CAN do this!

I had the same issue early on. I tried several different brands, and they just made me sick. I was astonished that I couldn't force them down! One poster here said they just did what they had to do, and that's generally my approach too, but not with that! I finally settled on the Premier shakes at Costco. They are 30 gm protein and low carb, and I think they are pretty good.

You are beautiful! Congratulations on your suceess.

HI - great job on your weight loss! I'm in Monroe.

It's a very personal decision, one that only you can make. Listen to your gut. Statistically, the outcomes are good, it just boils downn to your risk tolerance. I wish you the best of luck, regardless of your decision.

Hospitals can charge whatever they want, based on their cost. They have agreements with insurance companies, and have to accept usual, customary and reasonable amounts. Having said that, individuals can also contact hospitals and negotiate lower rates as well if they are uninsured. Usually if you let them know you are self pay, they will work with you.

I have the fitbit ultra (last year's model) and I love it! It syncs wirelessly, but you have to be near the computer, and it has to be turned on. It does not sync directly to my phone, which is a draw back. Still, I love it. I am not so sure about the sleep module...it tracks "how many times you wake up" but really, I think it detects a lot of movement. You may or may not be awake. Having said that, it tracks how many hours you were in bed and how much of that time you were not moving, so probably sleeping. My daughter just got the fitbit one, and it will sync to her phone throughout the day - big bonus! I'm thinking about getting that one! In my opinion, worth the money.

She may be speaking statistically. I would think that you can continue to lose if you continue to consume less calories and excercise regularly. Only time will tell, but I wouldn't take that statistic and accept it just yet. Good luck!

Redness is a potential sign of infection. Is it warm to touch, or do you have a fever or chills? I had redness around one incision (near my naval) about 5 days post op. It was warm to touch, but fully closed and without drainage. I also noticed it was hard around it. I did not have a temperature. I called my surgeon, he met me in the ER on Christmas eve, and aspirated about 3 cc of pus. He then opened it up and it drained another 10 days or so, and it's fine now. No one wants a complication, but in the scheme of things, that wasn't too bad. If I were you, I would call the surgeon. If it is an infection, catching it sooner is a good thing. If it's not an infection, no harm done. I believe any good surgeon would rather get the call than not. Good luck, let us know how you do.

Holly, Great story, great video, great blog, great job! You are very inspirational. Thanks for sharing.

Don't be surprised if you are fatigued for the first few weeks. It's major surgery and you are consuming way less calories.

Same here. I was sleeved 12/19/12, and I've gained a pound since Monday. First no loss, then .2 or .4 gain each day. I really did love losing something everyday - it was so encouraging. I figure this, too, shall pass. We can't not lose weight eating 500-600 calories a day! I have been giving this some thought, and it makes me glad I had the sleeve. Before, I might have gotten similar results while dieting, but after a couple of weeks with no loss, I would revert to bad eating habits. Now I'm forced to stay with it for the long haul, and I am confident the weight will continue to come off.

I didn't have the six month waiting/supervised dieting that I see some people have. However, I did have a 2 week pre-op full liquid, 1000 calorie diet. My surgeon/hospital are a bariatric center of excellence, so I'm thinking that must be best practice. I was told they do this because it can shrink the liver by 15%, which decreases risk of injury. I did fine with the surgery, and still am....though I'm tired of liquids

Dumping syndrome is more common with RNY, but it can also happen with the sleeve. It can also happen to people who have never had surgery for a variety of reason. I'd wager that if a person has nausea, weakness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, it is in fact, dumping syndrome. It is caused from stomach contents entering the small intesting too fast. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dumping-syndrome/DS00715

I was also sleeved on 12/19, and I'm having similar issues. I'm thinking I might be lactose intolerant, but I don't know for sure. I sure hope this is temporary! We are only a little more than 3 weeks out, so there is a lot of healing we need to do. In the mean time, it sure does make it hard to work!

I see it. Great job! You look great!

Wow, that sounds like me! I always had cake, and I know it's like crack to me. I am also afraid to ever try it again...not sure how I would respond to that.

Oh, how I miss my coffee!! My doc says no coffee for 4 months. I can handle everything else, but that one is killing me. I really, really want a cup of coffee. *sigh* This is probably the hardest part for me.

I also have a big butt and thighs...something that was not considered attractive when I was a teenager and young adult. No matter how thin I was, I always had that "problem". I now find it funny that my 17 year old daughter worries that her behind isn't big enough....and she is built like me at that age! She says that's what is "hot". Moral of the story: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... and perception of beauty changes over time. Also, that was not very nice of your friend to say that. I'm always amazed at what people think they can say to others!

I also feel pretty weak and tired. I had my sleeve 12/19 and also feel uncomfortable when I eat. I do get my water, protein, and all my vitamins in every day. Some days I feel like I just can't put one foot in front of the other! I'm sure hoping this passes soon! I'm also interested if anyone else has had this experience?

Good luck!!

I don't smoke, but I have been a smoker (20 years ago), so I get it! I agree, trying to change two habits at once will be challenging, but it's probably worth it. Chantix might be a very good option, as someone else has suggested. My surgeon has taken a really hard line about smoking. He told me he tests people, and will not operate on smokers. He has had two leaks, and both of those patients never stopped smoking, and he attributes it to that, at least in part. Good luck to you

My dietician says it's volume, and instructed me to use a measuring cup.

I've been swallowing pills whole since before I was released from the hospital. They need to be pretty small, or broken in half. Of course, capsules have to be taken whole. I have to take them on an empty stomach, and about an hour apart. I use chewable vitamins, sublingual B12, and the rest I swallow whole.