BKLYNgal87

I agree with everyone. Standard anesthesia practice includes giving you a sedative/muscle relaxant before general anesthesia. This will help you relax and get sleepy. Midazolam is a miracle drug because it also wipes out short term memory after it's given. I didn't even remember them administering propofol (the general anesthetic that puts you to sleep). All I remember is talking to the anesthesia resident in the OR about Game of Thrones and lights out! The scopolamine patch is also a great idea. I had it myself and highly recommend it.

Welcome to the other side! Wish you a speedy recovery!

The best way to put your mind at ease about the anesthesia is to make sure you choose the anesthesiologist with the most years experience and lowest mortality/complications stats. You will get the opportunity to meet with him or her before the procedure and make sure he/she (and your surgeon) is aware of your medical history and your concerns. Good luck!

I'm gonna be a bit of a "Tough Love Tammy" here, if I may. It's my way of being supportive. What you give up for this surgery is not so bad when you really step back and think about the alternative: continuing to overeat and gain weight, which most likely will eventually lead to chronic, debilitating and deadly illness. To be frank, dying of heart disease, diabetes, or another obesity related disease is far more miserable than not being able to pig out at the occasional barbecue anymore, for you and your family. If I were you I'd repeat that, verbatim, to your husband. Consider this also: do you measure your food now? Are you eating the correct portions sizes in your usual diet? Most people (even thin people) overeat - consciously or subconsciously. If you were determined to lose weight without the surgery and keep it off you wouldn't be able to overeat anymore anyway. I can tell you that since my surgery I no longer get that "low blood sugar" hypoglycemia feeling, which I used to get every day. I get hungry sometimes, sure, but much prefer to drink fluids on these hot summer days. I can tell you also that, for me, the pre-op diet was much more difficult than post-op. My stomach was still the same size and still pumped out the same excess of hormones - of course it's hard! I didn't do very well on my 3 month supervised diet, so I worked out like crazy to make up for it. When I got to the 2 week pre-op liquid diet I was dead set on doing everything right because I believe my life is worth taking back from the grips of obesity, and the perilous future ahead of me if I stayed the course. I didn't have food funerals because I didn't want to look back at what I could no longer have or do, I was determined instead to embrace what I could do with my new life. So far it has been smooth sailing for me. Will there be bumps or roadblocks down the path? Sure. But I trust that I now have the tools (physical and mental) to push forward until I achieve my goals. Make the right choice for your health and your life. All the best to you.

Everyone is different. Based on the experiences of others I have read I'd say your experience is normal. I am 3 & 1/2 weeks post op and I can eat about 2 oz of soft food per meal. I get in around 550-600 cal a day. Honestly I wish I couldn't eat so much so maybe I could move past this slump (refuse to call it a stall] I have! As for Protein, can you get unflavored protein and add it to Soups? I started doing this. I also have my daily shake, some meat and greek yogurt. I try to hit 70 grams a day as a goal. All of this is based on my guidelines. The fluids are important too so you don't get dehydrated.

I spent 10 hours in the PACU. It was hell. That gurney destroyed my back. Narcotics normally make me very sick but they gave me an anti-nausea IV. Instead, the narcotics didn't help one bit, and I couldn't stop writhing in pain until they nearly knocked me out with dilaudid and versed. Lol I was bombed completely after that. I'm so sorry to hear about her experience, but I assure you it's a temporary one. Please tell her for me it gets better. I am 3 and a half weeks post op and I feel awesome!

Congratulations on all your success!!

May I suggest a Mindfulness Eating log? I started one up since my psych evaluation pre-op on the psychologist's suggestion. Keep a journal of what you eat and when during the day, but also track how you feel (hunger-wise, emotion-wise) before, during, and after eating. Stress and hormones definitely triggered my compulsive eating. I found this log to be so helpful in understanding the connection between how I feel and what I shove into my mouth. It has helped me make more conscious food choices. Hey, it's cheaper than therapy! It's not too late to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. You can do this! Also log your liquid intake and make sure you are getting enough - don't end up back in the ER for dehydration!!

Can you post an example of a whole day's worth of eating? That meal doesn't sound like it should have that much sodium in it, though it depends on the salsa brand and the meat. How much sodium were you eating previously in a day? Do you have a kidney condition? I think the AMA recommends getting around 1500-2300 mg a day. Most people eat more than that, including me. I didn't follow any sodium guidelines for my pre-op diet and everything went fine. But if you have a medical condition that requires you strictly limit your sodium intake I would tell your nutritionist you need a different meal plan.

Excellent work!!

So first you lament the fact that people on this forum post their experiences, then share your own? Try and think of it this way: How much time do you spend with your surgeon pre- and post-op? With your nutritionist? Do little issues or questions ever arise when you are going about your week and don't have an upcoming appointment? Maybe you don't but plenty of people do. There is no harm in giving and getting information or listening to other peoples' experiences, it's all about how you use that information. Some people come through surgery and recovery no problem. Others have varying degrees of difficulty. Primarily this is a support forum. If you are satisfied with the support you get from your surgeon's office and see no need to be supportive of others, why bother to come on this site? FYI - I have a science background, not a physician but I understand biology and physiology. I don't know who advised you that the only difference between pre- and post-op is your stomach is smaller. It's not that simple. Other than size the biggest difference is the level of hormones produced in your stomach. Decreased hormone production both leaves you less hungry but can also change tolerance of some foods. This is why bariatric patients can get dumping syndrome. My bottom line: Every patient is different. Everyone heals differently. Just because some people have bad experiences doesn't mean this surgery isn't important if you are unable to lose the weight on your own. Most sleeve complications pale in comparison to the slow, painful death of heart disease or diabetes.

How many grams of Protein do you consume in a day? I was told by my NUT to get at least 80 grams a day if I'm concerned about hair loss. It helps with re-growth. I take a regular chewable Multivitamin (I can't deal with horse pills) plus I take 2500 mg Biotin capsules every day twice a day. I am only 3 weeks post op so no telling if it'll help when the time comes but biotin can also help with hair re-growth. As far as I know the hair loss itself is pretty unavoidable. Don't be dismayed it will grow back!

I am 3 & 1-2 weeks post op. I drink fluids pretty much normally now. No problems. I'm still trying to figure out the whole satiety vs full feeling because you should be eating until you are satisfied (satiated), not full. But right now i am satiated at 3-4 bites of food, so not sure i'd get in all my Protein in if I didn't just wait a few minutes and eat the rest of my 2 oz meal. This is obviously not a permanent solution. Anyway when I get full I also let out a burp. Sometimes I can feel like my stomach pouch is heavy. Give it some time and you'll figure it out for yourself. It's trial and error as others have said.

I echo what others have said. Each surgery practice has their own guidelines and they have developed these guidelines over the years based on what works best for their patients, with variations depending on the individual. My particular nutritionist had a different plan for people with a BMI over 50. My plan was a week of liquids (full liquids started day after hospital discharge), 2 weeks of puréed foods. Soft foods, according to my NUT will go from week 3 to week 5. Certain foods like tough meat, rice, bread and Pasta shouldn't be eaten until 3 months post-op. I think most surgeon practices concur with that. Best wishes for surgery and recovery!

Awesome! Keep up the great work!

What a fussy little sleeve you have there! But you're making so much progress so I am envious . I too eat eggs with a little weight watchers mexican style cheese blend and some pureed salsa. Yum!

Insurance companies are in business to make money, not to provide health care. I feel your pain. But seems there are excellent surgeons in Mexico. Wishing you a smooth surgery and recovery!

You look amazing!! Truly awesome wishing you continued success!

If you aren't able to keep anything down I don't think they will release you. You can try discussing with your surgical team upping your anti-nausea meds or giving you a different type of pain med (narcotics make a lot of people very sick). They may say no but it doesn't hurt to be an assertive patient! I was given less narcotic and more toradol in the hospital so I could keep my fluids down. A scopolamine patch helped me a lot too. But this will pass and in a week I bet you'll feel like a whole new person!

Tell me something.. Is it really so hard to understand what my comparison was? I mean, come on people. I'm not trying to insult people's intelligence outright but this is just ridiculous. READ. All I was saying is that s1ut shaming and victim blaming can happen to anyone regardless of the circumstances and no one deserves that. And as an FYI, in doctor - patient sexual relationships consent is irrelevant. The doctor holds at the very least psychological power over the patient. This is why most medical establishments either fire or discipline physicians who are caught. Don't just take my word for it, take it from my time I worked in the hospital compliance office. You should know all about s1ut shaming being you were in the military. My brother, who is in the marines at first was disgusted every time he heard his fellow soldiers refer to a female marine as a walking mattress, but now he's so used to it, he doesn't bat an eye. For shame.

I think part of the problem is a lot of people have difficulty understanding the difference between bashing the doctor and supporting the girl who laid the complaint against him.

It's unfortunate how many people are incapable of critical thinking or reading skills on this forum. As I thought I made perfectly clear before, the only thing my story has in common with the girl in question's is that s1ut shaming can happen to anyone, regardless of how much proof is presented and it is always inappropriate and wrong. It has no place in any type of support group. You all are so sure of what you think happened but none of you seem to be aware your reactions/responses are conditioned. Thoughtfulness is a virtue, though it is quickly disappearing from our society, I'm afraid. I'm sure the doctor had his chance to explain himself. It certainly helped him that the girl retracted her statement. Even in the US doctors are afforded the opportunity because they are so hard to replace. You can be sure Mexico is no different, especially with prevailing machismo attitudes. I would agree about this beating a dead horse, but the next time a patient goes through a similar experience and they seek support, they should know there are thoughtful people out there who will listen and not judge. Such folks are outnumbered unfortunately.

I posted my story because I am sick of the s1ut shaming that I saw going on here on this forum, where it does NOT belong, not to be patronized. You need to grow up, lady.

My story is proof that innocent until proven guilty is alive and well in the US. So, unfortunately, is patriarchy. And thanks to patriarchy, proof (in my case, vaginal trauma and contusions) is ignored and maligned by cultural norms and expectations.