kulita

Both of you will do fine. Yeah the first couple of days seems horrible, but whenever you do feel hungry drink some water, crystal lite, SF popscicles or eat sugar free jello.

I respect your candidness, in that you are really asking questions that are not any different from skeptics who many of us keep our surgery a secret from. I take responsibility for EVERYTHING I do. It is because of MY poor choices that I became unhealthy. It is also because of MY poor choices that I was not able to successfully achieve weight loss needed for me to be a healthier person. So for ME, the risk of the operation was minimal (beneficial) compared to the health risks of not having the surgery. I urge you to look at this link http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/gastric-surgery-you-should-be-getting I am a HUGE foodie. Both my husband and I are. I am not talking about going to Outback or cheesecake factory. I am talking about waaay more upscale than this. Most of the time we make our own food followed out of Bon Apetit or Gourmet magazine and most is organic. He runs 10 miles a day for fun while I would rather stay home (yup... I said it). I can STILL enjoy food with him but some things have changed since the surgery. I now eat very slowly (cannot before) instead of inhaling my food in 10 minutes. My meals take about 30-45 minutes. This lets me savor and truly enjoy my food. I also must thoroughly chew my food so that I can digest the nutrients properly (did not do this before. I will get full much sooner much like when I was a child. Also, and like ANY diet I must exercise if I want to keep the excess weight off and shape my muscles. If I EVER try to take 1 more bite of anything I will most likely vomit it back up. I will have to make a very conscious decision about what I need to eat first followed by what I want to eat, if I have room for it. Please keep in mind not everyone eats to capacity because it is very uncomfortable. Please be considerate at the fact that Rick may not be are strong willed as you are and is adjusting to his new lifestyle. If he has plateaus/stalls comfort him and assure him that it will come off. If he does lose weight praise him with sincere compliments. Step aside and let him own this part of his life.

Hi... I am having the same discomfort pain but it doesn't hurt so much when I sit up. Just more when I lie down. I think mine is related to being tender. I mean both my pancreas and spleen do not have a giant stomach to hide behind and be cushioned with. Now, they have a very tiny one. As for your Protein you need to find some with good quality. I get Syntrax's nectar (vitacost.com or vitaminshoppe) and unjury. Both taste AWESOME and are so smooth and not very thick. For Breakfast I poured 6 oz of milk in my shaker and 1 scoop of chocolate truffle. That is 32 gms of protein right there! For lunch I will have Nectar vanilla bean Torte (1 scoop) and mix it with 2 oz blueberry Kefir (99% lactose free) and 4 oz milk for a blueberry cheesecake flavor shake. This one can be mixed to make strawberry cheesecake too with the different kefir flavors. For dinner I will have either Unjury's chicken Soup (OMG AMAZING!) for 21 grams of protein or Unjury's cheese sauce with thinned mashed potatoes for a cheddar potato soup at 25gm of protein. There are ways to mix things up so you can still get your protein in. If you do not sustain your body nutritionally with adequate sources of protein then it will begin to starve and hold onto EVERY nutrient you put into your mouth. Then you may experience more hair loss than normal, skin issues, and a withered appearance. Since you are still early out, try not to focus on eating food as much as are. Focus more on getting your protein in (shakes) and supplement with mushy or pureed food. As your body heals you should begin to eat more food and supplement with shakes. Try not to eat tough food just yet. Baby steps! Think of your tummy as a new baby....they go through the same stages too. I hope things do get better for you soon. PM me if you need protein idea tips.

I am in a very similar position. I know some people in this group or at the meetings have mentioned the ups and downs of hormones during this process, but I would like to add that I am completely irritated and angered by the littlest, trivial things. Most of the time I know I am getting angered over something stupid and I feel my temperature rising, and I can quickly stop myself. Today, however, my tone of voice towards my husband was not the best. I quickly apologized but I still feel guilty. I hope my mind and body catch up to one another soon. I don't like being irrationally nasty. I never had any issues with depression, so I am not so sure that is what it is for me. I also had to see a psychiatrist (protocol) before I could get approved for surgery and he didn't find any underlying issues in the 10 times I went.

Just to let you know the other lap incisions really are not that big and they do fade away. I am happy that you are getting what you want though, you may want to wait until after surgery before getting your crown fixed too. sometimes during anesthesia crowns can be knocked loose....at least that is what was written down on the disclosure I signed.

Ajeeprider, the first day back I swear I lived off of the Chicken soup from Unjury. For the Strawberry sorbet I mixed it with yogurt and milk. I know a lady who mixes it with lemonade, but I thought that taste was a little gross.

Well, I guess I wont be trying that. Besides, I think I can do waay better with the real stuff and make my own sauce. I do agree with you on the unjury powders though!

Ok... Sooo It seems like you both are sort of like me then. I am a HUUUUUUGE Foodie. If it is gross, I wont eat it no matter what. I tired about 6 different Protein drinks and all were yucky, wretched, evil, versions of protein. That costco & Sam's club one was waay to sweet and thickenly gross. Take a trip into Vitamin Shoppe and buy a $1.99 sample packet of Syntrax nectar in Either chocolate truffle (so delicious), strawberry mousse, or vanilla Bean Torte. They have Fruit flavors but I can ALWAYS taste the protein in them. I want to try the Double stuff cookie (Oreo & milk) flavor soon. unjury chicken Soup and Strawberry sorbet is REALLY good too and VERY smooth. Not one person could identify the protein taste in those. You can get samples of Unjury online but mine took about 2 weeks to arrive. From what I have found, The Syntrax Nectar flavors and Unjury seem to be the best. My kids even drink this stuff! Plus they are so versatile that you can add them into real food! Unjury also has cheese sauce that others have said they loved.... I missed out on trying it. Both brands are not too expensive and go a very long way. I get my Nectar from vitacost.com and Unjury from Unjury.com

I wish I could have done this. To be honest I was constantly checked on by the Team (which is great) and was forced to walk and sip sip sip. Topping that off was a room mate witch who was having mental issues on why I wouldn't talk to her. It is a good idea though.

You can! You can also switch it up with Kefir. Be careful though because some people have developed a lactose problem after their surgery so try 2 oz first and wait a few hours before moving onto more. If you do develop a lactose allergy then rest assured that Kefir is 99% lactose free and has just as much protein as milk.

Just to be clear, I did NOT have my surgery with any of these Dr's, however, I know of people who did seek out all 3 of these Dr's and proceeded on to a normal healthy life and had no complications. No, since that has not bee written, I would like to bring to the table that there is a handful of people who do end up with complications for various reasons. Some maybe due to preexisting conditions, while others maybe due to not following a Dr's protocol exactly, and some maybe due to downright bad luck. Remember, it is highly likely that there are MORE successful surgeries coming from these 3 Dr's than unsuccessful ones, and many of those very successful cases may not be advertising their success on these boards. Usually half of the people who will post have questions or complications and the other half are diligent members. We do NOT know the circumstance surrounding those who had infections, nor do we know if each of us fits that's person's medical profile to a "T", either.... we may never fully know. The bottom line is, Don't get too worked up on stuff like this. There are so many factors that contributed to those cases. If you do exactly what your Dr. says you will be fine.

Hmmm. Well Maybe I can help you. I am 1 week out. Have you all considered maybe changing up your Protein or adding things to it for an extra Oomph? This morning I am having Syntrax's nectar Protein powder in vanilla Bean Torte (1 scoop-23gm), 2 oz of blueberry kefir and 4 oz of milk (9gm protein). It will take me about 30 minutes to drink all 6 oz since it is thicker than Water. Do you all think the problem is taste? or capacity? If it is capacity and you all are far enough out try this test to see exactly how much you can handle. Don't worry it is considered a legitimate bariatric test...http://www.bsciresourcecenter.com/proddetail.php?prod=A4

Hi, I live in San Diego and I do know of a few patients who went to both dr's and Dr.Guillermo Alvarez (endobariatric). Many end up choosing Dr. Aceves or Alvarez for their own personal reasons and all have been completely satisfied with their surgery.

This is a very interesting topic. There are so many factors that come into play with excess skin. However, one thing to keep in mind is to tend to it all of the time not just after VSG. Now, anyone who knows me personally knows I do have excess skin under my arms from weight gain and I know that is quite possibly the first place that will sag. However, I like to think that I can reduce the amount of sagging with proactive measures. Lubricate, hydrate, and nutrition. With lubrication most swear by cocoa butter but a cheaper way is to use of egg white washes. Obviously the attractiveness of egg white is because it is made of collagen and amino acids that absorb rather quickly into the skin. Once the egg white dries, (30 minutes) it flakes off and you are good to go. This is good for burned skin too to lessen burn scars. Cocoa butter is nice in that it is a creamy consistency that can be rubbed into the skin. Whichever you use, being proactive may minimalize the amount of excess skin.

Like everyone in here has said. Get your Protein in first and also focus on fluids. Start logging down everything you put into your mouth when problems erupt. You're probably very tired not only because you are losing weight but it is highly possible that you are not consuming 70-100g, of protein. Again logging this down would help you out and you will be ready to confront your dr with information that he can help you with. Also, do you cary a Water bottle with you EVERYWHERE you go? If not, you may want to consider doing this. I hop you get better hun! {{{hugs}}}

My Dr. also says that shakes, broth, Jello, ice pops, Water, and juice all count toward Fluid intake. Make sure you count those too! Anyone having problems with gas?

Hi everyone, I was a big soda drinker. I could care less about the taste of diet coke, but in some sense I must have if I would never drink other diet drinks. I was more of a coke drinker though. My dr and nut say that I can have soda again at 6 months so long as I shook or stirred the carbonation out of it, but to be warned I may not ever really want it. Now, when I take a step back to process this statement I think that both my Dr and Nut may be right when they said that. I have had flat soda before and I hated it. Good bye Soda's!

Susan.... I forgot you are in another country. In the U.S. Lemonade usually contains no carbonation; it is lemon juice Water and a sweetener. I am doing well. I was given a log by my Dr. so I could track down everything that enters my mouth. I will be honest, prior to surgery I was afraid that I would not get in enough water. When I looked at my records it shows that my Fluid intake it amazing! Yesterday I drank around 90 oz (about 2.5 liters). Are you both writing down what you are putting into your mouth? I have been able to start on creamed, strained soups. Although I am glad to start it I can only get in about 4 oz in 30 min and then I am full for like an hour. That seems to strange to me. It was difficult to eat soup while my family was enjoying some cod, broccoli, and potatoes au gratin. I too was finding it difficult to think of eating a normal meal again. I kept looking at this as " what have I done to myself?" or "I am regretting this surgery." but I soon realize that I am retraining my body on how to eat and enjoy food differently instead of inhaling my meals directly to my gut. I think of the stages of food introduction as I would for feeding a baby.

BTW you can eat this one warm! and it taste EXACTLY like how you would want homemade chicken soup to taste. When you can try these flavors too. If you like chocolate try Syntrax's nectar in Chocolate Truffle. With Water it tastes like a YooHoo, with milk it tastes like a Wendy's milkshake If you like fruit juices try Unjury's strawberry Sorbet. Mix it with water, lemonade, or milk and yogurt (strawberry cheesecake). I have made this one so many ways even into ice pops!

I was sleeved in San Diego at Balboa. They have a bariatric team that works there. As far as I know the DR's do have rotations to other locations but always come back to Balboa to continue in Bariatric.

You probably feel dizzy because You dont have any Protein in you. There is a clear liquid Protein broth from unjury called chicken Soup and it REALLY good. If you can try that so you can get filled. Remember each Dr. is different on their diet protocol. There is probably a very good reason why you are on clears. Stay strong.

How ling was it before anyone had a bowel movement after surgery? I am 4 days Post op and Have been on full liquids for 3 days. Shouldn't I have one by now?

I am still in the hospital. I went through a Navy Surgeon in San Diego. I have to drink 1 oz of liquid every 15 minutes... and THAT is very hard to do. The reason is so that I wont get dehydrated when I go home. After the first 24 hours after surgery they gave me the go ahead to drink any liquid so long as I get in at least 30 gm of Protein for the next 2 weeks. The goal is to get in 70 gm. What I find funny is that I had to do a 2 week liquid diet and then a 2 day clear diet prior to the surgery. No clear liquids first. What size bougie does everyone have? Mine is 36FR

Hi everyone, I am out and I am doing well. On the 29th after surgery I wasn't allowed to drink. But on the 30th I was able to drink shakes, Water, Jello and broth. I am doing good, but every once in awhile I get abdominal pain. I have been doing a lot of walking. I wont be released until I have a BM. I don't have any pain around my incisions. I looked and I think I have derma bond for stiches. I hope everyone else is doing good!

That sounds like a great idea Cindy.mcg. I go in at 5:15am at Balboa Hospital in San Diego. I am a little scared/nervous but I hope that goes away very soon.