sharonintx

I like it. I say GO

I think it's reasonable to say that the do's and don'ts after WLS are not one size fits all. Not trying to cause an uproar, just saying that everyone is different. For example: Some of us may drink through a straw, smoke weed, drink some alcohol, and eat popcorn with no problems at all. Personally I have, and continue to, do all of these things and have taken this same approach since day 1. Ok ok it was probably 3 weeks before I ate popcorn and drank any alcohol but not once did any of these things cause a problem. You are not certain to regain weight, slip into problematic addictive behaviors, stretch or tear your sleeve, or become an out-of-control lunatic by following the rules that are reasonable for you personally. It could be that some people will experience some of these problems by not following the generally accepted rules of post op life. It also could be that some people are able to live a less restrictive lifestyle and still be successful. Just sayin.

I probably ate some pizza at 12 days out. I can't recall specifically but if it wasn't pizza then I was eating something else I wasn't supposed to. In retrospect probably not the best idea. I get it that you want something to eat. It's just that the horrible truth is you aren't healed up enough to know if you are too full. Go ahead and eat a few things here and there but try to stay within reason for your stage of recovery. I do remember buying some cheesecake, sucking little bits of it off the spoon, and loving every bite. I didn't eat the crust. I thought I knew best and did as I pleased as far as eating and it all turned out ok. Looking back I should have done things better. I wasn't prepared to see that I was wrong. It happens. But I should have and you should too. Not saying you have to conform lol. Just put more thought into this thing. That's all. You'll do great.

That's a good one. If all of us had the ability to conquer our eating issues then WLS would be a non-issue wouldn't it? I say dump the therapist

@@celibear I had the sleeve in March 2013

The answer is Yep. You most certainly will. Perhaps not in the quantity you are accustomed to but you will indeed enjoy your favorite foods again. Just today I have enjoyed some donut holes. half of a sangria margarita, and some delicious Mexican food. Not in the amounts I would have enjoyed in the past but the few bites of each that I did have were excellent. There will be a lot of advice coming to you about what should remain off limits, how you'll need to count calories, carbs, Protein, and blah blah blah. Just an example of the other side of that coin - since day 1 post op I have never counted a darn thing, I've eaten what I pleased, do not monitor Water intake, and I sure as heck do not have a 'plan' about what I should do or not do. And guess what all that has gotten me?? I've lost just about all the weight I wanted to, I am healthy and strong, I have not stretched my sleeve, and I do not have huge issues with gaining weight. Sure sometimes I gain a pound or 4 just like everyone else. At that point I pay a bit more attention to what I am putting in my mouth and the extra pounds go away in a couple days. Then i get more donut holes. No worries - you'll do just great

It sure is a big step isn't it? Thinking of the problems that could arise, knowing your best friend won't be there anymore, and realizing that the part of your stomach they remove is never coming back. Pretty scary really. But then there's this - one day you will have gotten past the pre op nervousness, your health will improve a lot, and when you see your reflection you will wonder if that is really you. It'll be hard to grasp that the person you see looking back at you was in there the whole time just waiting for you to let him out. It is a major deal you have going on. But it'll be ok. You're gonna do great and your kids will look forward to having you around for many more years. And your best friend? You will certainly miss it and at times wish you could go back to the way it was before. Fact is that what you've considered your friend was never very good for you anyway. When you let go of the friendships that have been no good for you, you will find that you never needed it anyway. Yes it seems like a far-fetched concept but it's true. Let it go. When you start noticing the stranger staring back at you in the mirror you won't miss it that much after all.

I eat the ice cream.

This made me giggle at Easter

I eat, and have eaten all along, bread, rice, Pasta, sugar, and anything else I wanted. Sure they may fill you up faster because they expand but this is what you do - you quit eating when you are full. If any of these things disagree with you then you simply don't eat them anymore. A sleeve is not a pouch. A sleeve loses it's ability to stretch very much because they remove the stretchy part. I'm getting up in years and have learned one thing - those who make the biggest deal out of what not to eat, the rules of sleeve life, and what not to do are generally the ones who need the most help in controlling themselves in regard to eating and in regard to most everything else. One who comes across as a know-it-all is usually the one who knows very little.

@@Mamapiller I have a huge lotus on my shoulder. I love it

Jess it's gonna get better. Understand that when you go to Mexico for surgery you are pretty much on your own post op. No support, no guidelines - nothing. It's a hard road to go down. I thought WLS would 'cure the problem'. Haha! The joke was on me. Obesity was a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself. Many people turn to drugs or alcohol post op because of this very thing. In doing so you simply trade one form of self destruction for another and if you had issues with drugs before I can only imagine how hard it is to just say no. But you have to, you will, and you will get through this. That's why we call it Going Through Hell - because you don't stay there. You come out on the other side. Otherwise we'd call it Gone To Hell and Not Coming Back. You have a good life ahead of you and this period of time is what's required to get there. You can't skip this part. You can do this girl.....

Yes - you live with it, understand the emotional implications after WLS, and work your way through it. If there were some simple answer that would solve your problem I'm certain someone would tell you but it isn't simple. I know you want to scream, cry, hurt some MF-ers, all that stuff. My personal experience was this: I was mad all the time, it took me a solid year to begin to feel normal, and I failed to recognize one thing. All off us here on this forum have used food as a crutch, coping mechanism, or whatever you want to call it. Having WLS removes the biggest part of that. We can no longer use food in the same way and it throws you for a loop; That's where you are right now. In the loop. I wish I could tell you how to make it stop but it doesn't work that way. Look at it like this - you had WLS to control a problem. That problem was food. You did great in trying to eliminate that problem. Now you have a new problem - your emotions. You have been stripped completely bare and cannot cope the way you used to. Now you have to dig deep and try to resolve issues that caused you to use food as a crutch. You can do it, you will come out on the other side of this a happier person, and you will feel lighter emotionally as well as physically.

If you want science based answers then this probably isn't the best place for you too seek information. This is an internet support group. You continue to live like this because there is really no other choice. Your feelings and anger are very common and most everyone here has experienced it at some point.

I was mad as hell for nearly a year post op. I must have had way more issues than I thought. It'll pass eventually. Just see it for what it is and realize that this too will pass.

I got the first one as a statement of rebellion against my ex husband. He hated it. Then I got another one. Several years later I got one more. Then at some point I decided I liked them a lot and rather enjoyed the needles jabbing ink into my skin. Now I have one on my leg, one on my forearm, two on my chest, and my shoulders are nearly covered in them. I do not have pics of them but they are all colorful and fun. No death daggers or bleeding hearts. I do not regret getting them.

I eat bread every day. Never once has it caused a problem. What's the big deal about bread anyway. If you eat it - enjoy. If you are for some reason 'prohibited' from eating bread, then don't.

Ok I've been reading this thread for days. Round and round we go. This is my personal experience with carbonated beverages post sleeve. It is not to be construed as advice one way or another. Just one person's take on this subject. I drank a few sips of Dr Pepper about a week post op. Only 3 or 4 small sips because the carbonation made me feel like I'd explode. Nothing bad happened. I drank a little of it here and there, never could manage more than a few small drinks but I certainly had some any time I wanted it. Nothing bad happened. At 3 years out I will sometimes get a small Coke or whatever at 7-11 if I want one. I can drink the small size but it takes a while due to the carbonation making me feel like a big balloon. I prefer Slurpees. I can drink a small one in about 30 minutes and it satisfies any urge I have to drink Cokes. I have one or 2 each week ( ok maybe 3 sometimes) and they are delicious. Again, nothing bad happened. My sleeve works great, it sure as heck hasn't stretched, and I do not have a problem with gaining weight. If I gain a pound or 2 occasionally I just cut out the candy and slurpees for a few days and the pounds fall off. I eat what I want, drink what I want, and have done so since week 2 post op. I'm healthy, have a fully functioning sleeve, and am doing very well. No stretching of the sleeve, no uncontrollable weight gain, no adverse consequence.

You say this: I was able to eat a 20oz steak in it's entirety. I feel quite sure your Dr will have a response.

So the other night when I got the Subway sandwich I took the whole bottom of the bread off, ate nearly the entire bottom half of 6" of it, then the next day after work ate almost the whole remaining 6" Really out of both halves I ate 5" of each. It was a BMT, American cheese, pickles and olives, no mayo or other dressing. It was delicious. I wish I had another.

Seeing my BMI not be in the obese range The time my shorts fell off while I was walking down the hall Going into the plus size section and realizing that nothing would fit me The day I realized that I was not an emotional wreck anymore

I'm having Subway tonight. Been thinking about it since this morning when I first saw this thread.

I love Subway sandwiches. At 3 years out I can eat 2/3 of a 6" on white bread with the top half of the bread removed. I just get the meat, cheese, and some pickles and olives. About an hour later I can go back and eat the remaining 1/3 with no problem. Recently I ate the whole bottom half of this same sandwich. I was quite full but not to the point of being sick. It was the first thing I'd eaten that day so I was pretty hungry. The joke was on me because that night about 2 am I had an awful heartburn attack. Like no other. I had to get up out of bed just to breathe and it was very hard to catch my breath. Kind of scary really. I won't make that mistake again. Don't worry too much about replies that come across as rude. It happens frequently. For the most part they mean well. I eat anything I choose, do not restrict carbs, sugar, fat, or anything else. I have not gained weight back like they told me I would, did not stretch my sleeve after a year and need a revision like they said I would, and I am quite healthy. Not to mention that compared to the piggie I used to be - I look darn good. Just take the replies that you find helpful and discard the rest - you know - don't even bother getting mad or offended. It's not worth your time. Everyone here is really pretty nice even if at times the replies sound self-righteous and rude.

3 years out - It feels like the food gets caught in a bottleneck at the entrance of my stomach, it becomes quite uncomfortable if I try to keep eating; I may get a runny nose, burp 50 times, or feel a little dizzy; If it's too many sweets that I'm eating I know I've had too much if I start to think I may pass out and have to go lay down for a while until the impending sugar coma passes. For me it is not really a feeling of being full. It's either 1 of the above or simply feeling like one more bite would be disgusting. Not a traditional full feeling. It manifests itself in different ways depending on what I eat and when I'm eating it.

I did not tell my mother or brother until the day after surgery. They weren't that happy lol. As time went by and they started seeing the results it got much better. Hang in there. Your mom will probably jump on board down the road.