Yaya

I've been riding my horse since 3 weeks (abs definitely needed to sit the trot), but my doc said no crunches for a little longer than that. I think it was maybe 6 or 8 weeks? (I'm around 12 weeks now, and have been doing them for quite awhile.)

I ride horses, and I decided against the band because I was afraid of erosions from the band bouncing around while riding, as well as catching the port on dismounting. So I chose the sleeve, and was back on my horse 3 weeks after surgery. I also walk 2 miles every day, and work out with a trainer twice a week. I'm 3 months post surgery, and no problems at all!

It wasn't a goal, more like an accident: yesterday I pulled off my riding boots without unzipping them! (I forgot I was wearing the ones with zippers.) These are boots that used to be so tight the zippers kept splitting. Now they are way too big and I'm going to have to get them cut down! Another NSV - I wore white pants in public!

The shakes are not just at Sam's and Costco - I just found them in 4-packs at my local Winn-Dixie!

I had the On-Q pump, but took it out after 2 days (before it was empty) because it kept getting in the way. I had no incisional pain at all (never even filled my pain pill Rx), so I figured even if some pain started with it out (it didn't), I could probably handle it. Was much easier to dress, shower, and go to the bathroom without all those tubes!

Sorry, can't help. I'm 2 1/2 months out, and my appetite recently went the other way. I'm not starving, but I'm no longer "not hungry", and I seem to have lost some of my restriction, and don't get the slimes when I eat too fast. Kind of bummed about that. I need my sleeve to continue keeping a check on me!

I love the original Kashi Go Lean (not the Crunch). It has 13 grams Protein, 10 grams fiber, and only 1 gram fat in one cup. A little high in carbs (30), but it's only a portion of what I'm allowed, so I'm careful the rest of the day. I eat it with almond milk, and it's very satisfying.

I walk 2 miles a day 6 days a week with a friend. I have to walk with a friend, or I won't go. We start at 6 am now because it gets hot early. I also work out twice a week with a personal trainer who comes to my house. Again, I need the other person for motivation or I won't do it. I also ride my horse 6 days a week. I ride with a trainer every day right now, but will start riding on my own again in a couple weeks. I think riding is the only thing I will do without someone else there to push me! In fact, I'm looking forward to having him to myself again. I find that having someone else relying on me (either for the pay or just for the company) is the best motivator to get out and do something. Otherwise it's just too easy to stay on the couch! Find something you like to do, and someone to do it with!

I would bring it up with your anesthesiologist at your pre-op appointment so they will be prepared. Drugs are very different from 30 years ago, but there may be something they can use which is known to be safer in allergic patients.

The reason gas pain refers to the shoulder is that the diaphragm gets irritated, and it is that pain that refers. You may still feel the pain because your stomach is still swollen from surgery and is probably irritating the diaphragm. If you had a hiatal hernia closed at the same time as the VSG, that would do it too.

I would wait until your weight is stabilized so you know where you are starting from. You don't want to lift them, then lose more weight and have them change, then have to lift them again!

There are little baskets with lids you can buy to put small items in when washing them in the dishwasher. It would keep them from getting tossed around by the spray and caught on things. Maybe one of those would help? Like this: http://www.neatlysmart.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=11953&gclid=CJyEyeuVwLcCFelZ7AodH0oAWQ

Even though you are constantly sipping Water, you still may be dehydrated. Your body is healing, which takes a lot of energy, which requires a lot of water for the chemical processes. If you are only sipping, you may not be getting enough. My doctor has a fancy scale that measures body water. Their guidelines say women should be at 45-60% water. Even when drinking enough to be peeing seemingly constantly (not just sipping), and drinking more than the required 64 ounces a day, I still read at 32%, which means I'm still dehydrated! And that was a month after surgery! Shows how important it is to keep drinking!

It happens every time. During every diet there comes a time when I say "to hell with it, I want this!", and then I eat something I shouldn't. I do feel guilty briefly, but the only punishment is a rise in the number on the scale, which is easily ignored by not even stepping on the scale. Today I slipped into that same bad habit, and overate (waaay overate, so apparently it was a slider food!) something I shouldn't have. But this time, 5 weeks post-sleeve, I paid for it! Luckily no vomiting or sliming, but I spent a lot of time running to the bathroom, and boy were my innards making some noise! Not real comfortable, either. This lasted several hours, including after I had to leave the house. Really not fun in public! See, that's why I got the sleeve. i needed some sort of impartial check mechanism, because I can't trust myself not to overindulge ("but I want it! It tastes sooo good!"), and the penalty for that overindulgence was never severe enough. I think after today's discomfort, the memory of the aftereffects with this new stomach will make me think twice, three times, and four times about whether bad choices are really worth it!

Did it set up? I used unflavored unjury in Jello chocolate pudding (with skim milk) the other day and it never got firm, just stayed kind of runny.

I'm 4 weeks, and my Dr just told me I could start ab work. He did stress, though, not to hold your breath when engaging the abs so pressure doesn't strain the healing incision areas, which could lead to a hernia. He said to breathe through the movement. My trainer is coming tomorrow, so I'll do my first ab crunches then (but I have already been riding my horse and using my abs for sitting trot).

Wow, pulling electrodes off your head pulls hair from your chest? That must be some comb-over you're sporting! :-)

Anyone with experience preparing meats via the sous vide method to make them more tender and easier to digest? My father and brother love to cook this way, and I'm wondering if it will make the transition to eating meat easier.

Just looked at a post-op booklet online, and they say you can add wild game at the same stage as red meat like steak (for my program, that's at 4 months). I think the reason they add wild game so late is because it can be very tough/stringy or dry, since there is usually little fat in non-pen-raised animals. I would say to cook it in a method that keeps the meat the most moist, and chew like crazy! Anyone with experience in preparing meat via sous vide?

Geez, I hope not, every male in my family is a hunter! (My dad was turkey hunting yesterday.) Christmas wouldn't be the same without smoked goose!

I've got 2 coming up this week. One at a restaurant with the immediate family (sister's birthday), and one with more distant family at my uncle's house (his birthday). My entire immediate family and my uncle and his wife know I've had the surgery, but not the rest of the family (only because I don't see them often). Not sure how I'll handle the restaurant, because that dinner is on Monday and I can't eat the food they serve (seafood) until Wednesday. So, I either ask for something specially made, or jump to the next phase early (maybe their crab salad, or ask for baked fish). The party on Sunday, I'll just have to see what they offer, and do what I can. (I'm sure it will be catered, so can't just ask my uncle for special food.)

For unflavored, I have found both Unjury and the GNC brand unflavored whey powders work well. Seem to dissolve easily, and not gritty.

They have to glue electrodes to your scalp for the sleep study. The weave may prevent them from getting the electrodes right on the scalp as they need to be, and the glue might be hard to get out of braided hair. (sorry, not very familiar with how weaves are done.)

Yay! Glad to help.

I was the same way. Felt great even the morning after surgery, the only pain being in my neck and shoulder from referred gas pain. I also had the On-Q, but I pulled it out two days after surgery because wearing the carry case around my neck aggravated my neck pain more than it was worth it for stopping incisional pain, and it just kept getting in the way. I didn't have any incisional pain anyway, and never took pain meds for anything once the IV was unhooked. I was sleeved on a Tuesday, went shopping with my mom that Friday, drove myself an hour home on Saturday, and spent the rest of that day doing laundry and taking care of my horses. I'm a month out now, have been walking over a mile a day and doing light workouts for over two weeks, and even started riding my horse again at the beginning of this week. So you are not alone feeling GOOD after surgery!