cinward2001

If you do take the B complex with the sublingual B12, it's ok. B12 is a Water soluble Vitamin so what doesn't get used, gets flushed by your body. So in a way, it's better to take too much than too little...unlike with the fat soluble Vitamins. It sounds like you're really, really busy and you've lost a LOT of weight in a short time. If I were in your place, I'd try to up my calories for a while, not only in Protein, but carbs AND fat.

Ok, I'm feeling a bit like an oddball here. I keep reading about everyone having trouble getting all their liquids in, having problems with fullness, nausea and even dizziness with drinking...and I'm just the opposite! I didn't get to drink until late in the day AFTER surgery, but even that first bottle of Water went down just fine. I'm telling myself it's because I'm already used to sipping (had issues with the LapBand leading up to the revision), but even now, 5th day post-op, I drank a Protein shake with no issues. Again, I'm NOT guzzling...I know better. But at the most, I sometimes feel a bit of "movement" in my lower abdomen when I drink. Other than that, I feel like I could drink (maybe even EAT) anything. I'm NOT going to test that...I'm pretty good at following dr orders and being cautious, especially while healing. But even though I know it's a GOOD thing that I'm not having trouble with liquids, it's also frustrating because I'm already dealing with wanting more... So has anyone else been this way in the beginning. I know I should start feeling fullness when I start on soft foods, but for me, that's still 3+ weeks away...

I am happy! Well, about that, I am. I still have one more full day in MX and I'm so bored, so impatient to be home! I could have easily left yesterday or the day before. I have my post-op check up tomorrow at 3 pm, then fly home at noon on Tuesday...can't wait!

LOL, sip-less sleevers! I guess I just worry a bit that the restriction won't be there when I start actually eating food. But even if it's not, I won't regret getting my band removed! Sleeping is HEAVEN these days.

No jewelry either. Leave your earrings, rings, watch, etc at home. And yes, doctors and nurses have seen it all. I worked in a hospital for almost 20 yrs and it really is "no big deal."

Aly, remember that hospitals deal with bodily fluids ALL THE TIME. Menstrual flow isn't going to freak them out. During surgery, you're usually on an absorbent pad anyway and soon after surgery, they'll want you up and walking anyway...so just put a pad in your underwear and you're good to go! In fact, it'll be extra incentive for you to get out of bed. And that's a good thing, too, because the more you move, the sooner you'll feel better.

I have a desk job, too. Had surgery on May 14th. IF I were at home (in MX right now), I could easily go back to work tomorrow. No soreness or pain when moving around, walk/sit/stand easily with no discomfort. But...I'm a workaholic and it's harder for me to NOT be working. It's driving me crazy right now do be here with nothing to do...I need to get home! LOL

Someone who posts something intentionally inflammatory and usually not true. A poster whose primary purpose is to create drama and stir things up.

I had surgery on May 14th, too, and today I get to start FULL LIQUIDS. Not even soft or mushy foods...hell, I still have my drain in! I can't imagine trying to eat a hot dog and even though you're feeling horrible and say you won't do it again, I AM going to give you a bit of a verbal kick. What makes you think a HOT DOG is a decent Protein or food PERIOD? Even if you were desperate for something solid, there are many, MANY choices better than a hot dog. You could have tried some cottage cheese, or other soft cheese, yogurt, canned chicken, etc. That said, do what others have suggested. Call your doctor to get their advice, and then go back to liquids for a couple of days. The more irritated/inflamed your stomach is, the more trouble you're going to have. So even WHEN this discomfort passes, if you try to eat a soft food, you're more likely to have MORE discomfort....it becomes a wicked cycle. Give your stomach time to recover and heal with more liquids.

Hey, I love popcorn, too! And since I'm in MX for 3 more days before I can go home, we've been to the theater TWICE. And oh my gosh, this is a fancy theater and they have some kind of delicious smelling caramel popcorn! I simply told myself "Not now, later" and it's not worth the TRUE health risk it poses right now. Still enjoyed the movies. Drank my protein drink while hubby ate his M&Ms. LOL

Lost your mind. Well, you DID ask! LOL I'm 4 days post-op, I tend to recover very quickly from surgeries, but even so...I don't think a week is long enough. You'll have been on Clear liquids followed by full liquids (depending on your doc's guidelines) and aside from the fact that you're recovering from surgery...your stamina and energy levels are likely to be low just from restricted eating. Plus, if I had to guess, even a chair massage is going to use some of those abdominal muscles. I think if you can reschedule, even by a few days, you should!

I was revised on Tuesday, too! Staci, I had my surgery early in the am and NOTHING by mouth until about 2 pm on Wed...after doing the xrays with contrast to check for leaks. I didn't experience any extreme pain, although I did have one bout of severe gas for about 1.5 hrs later that evening. That hurt like hell and the dr had left orders for morphine if I needed it...nurse didn't give it...only gave the "regular" stuff. I didn't find that out until the NEXT day, so instead, I walked, stood, rocked from foot to foot, etc...and it went away. Probably better in the long run that I dealt with it that way vs being doped and in bed. But t the time, I would definitely have preferred being doped! So try not to worry about the pain...sometimes the anticipation of it is worse than the reality. Right now, I'm VERY glad to have my band out. I think the band was causing some irritation and chest discomfort for much longer than I realized. And to be able to lie down without gurgling, sleeping through the night without coughing or reflux...even WITH the surgery incisions and drain is just HEAVEN!

LOL, I don't like Isopure either! But yesterday I bought a bottle of Icy Orange flavor, mixing it with some V8 tropical something or other and Water. It almost tastes like an orange creamsicle. Or maybe I'm just getting desperate. It still leaves a nasty film in my mouth though... My doc recommends 40-50 gr of Protein per day, so as long as I finish one/day, I'm good. But even then, I don't worry about. This early post-op, I drink as much as I can, stay as hydrated as I can, and choose to not stress over a few grams here or there.

A&AMom, it's normal and it WILL get better. Sometimes surgery will cause a low grade fever...it's NOT necessarily a sign that something is wrong. And anesthesia will often cause lethargy, mood swings, feeling weepy, etc. You WILL start feeling better soon, just give yourself some time. Let your husband pamper you. As for the pain when getting up and down...have someone put an arm out for you so you can pull yourself (and be pulled a bit) up. That way, you don't use your abdominal muscles so much. I know that first day or two in the hospital bed..OUCH! I'd make my husband come over and hold out his hand for me to brace against when getting up or down. And yes, keep taking those pain meds as needed. Especially at night so you can try to get good night's sleep. Rest, fluids, walking, and an occasional emotional meltdown are ALL steps in the right direction!

Gas! The rumbling and noise is NOT hunger. Well, you could be starting to feel hunger (I'm 4 days post-op, too, and I am), but it's not overwhelming. Please don't be offended by this, but it's one of my "pet peeves." Try to change the way you THINK right now. You're NOT starving. You have lots of calories in storage. You might be hungry, but you CAN and WILL survive that...starvation implies something way more serious, and, I think, when you think that way, it just makes how you feel even worse. It'll get better! Just remember...SMALL SIPS.

I would say, at this point, that you just need to continue to eat...errr...drink mindfully right now. Even if it's habit to drink quickly, make an effort to slow down. It's a habit (slowing down) that will be GOOD once you start on thicker liquids and move into solid foods. Many people eat WAY too fast. Try not to think of your protein shake as a meal (to be consumed all at once) but as something you sip on throughout the day. Same for other liquids and your water. Small frequent sips are the key....which is like when you start eating solids. Then, you'll be taking small bites, chewing slowly and well, then pausing until the next bite to "feel" how well it went down or how it makes you feel.

This is where, as a revision patient, I think I had a small advantage. I remember some of the emotional stuff from 7 years ago. Some is easier now, some not so much. We use food for so much! Celebration, comfort, social times, you name it, food is usually involved. But that's part of WHY this surgery is good and necessary. It's going to "force" you to start treating food as just food instead of an emotional "event". It's not going to be easy. You might even want to get professional help at some point. I think any WLS sort of MAKES people recognize their emotional dependency on food. Those who accept that and work to fix it are successful with their weight loss. Those who don't are the ones who regain OR substitute some other addiction for food. It WILL get better when you can start eating small amounts of normal food. Just tell yourself you're recovering from surgery...it's temporary!

Definitely what others said! If you're honest with your doctor, then you can do a lot before you ever get there. I had a lung abscess earlier this year, so when scheduling the sleeve, I told my surgeon. Told him about the follow-up to it, etc. so once I was here, it was a non-issue. Keep in mind that they DO want to do the surgery, so if there's something they can do to make that happen (such as an extra pre-op), they will.

Awesome!

Kristie, you ARE small! Take a good look at your arms and legs and just overall size...the excess skin is what's dictating your clothing size right now. You've done a phenomenal job!

I think you have to look at your history. Do you feel you're pretty much "doomed" to weigh more? Tried diets? Have a strong genetic tendency toward weight gain? If you're pretty sure that *without* this surgery, you'll one day have a BMI of 40 or more...then why wait? Youll just have more to lose, a potentially harder recovery, and maybe co-morbidities. I know it's not an easy decision. I'm a bander to sleeve, too. In some ways, deciding to get the band was easier. BMI of 40 and absolutely miserable. I kind of felt like I had no choice. My BMI is 32 or 33 now (got down to 26 BMI) and I KNOW, without something, I'll be back to a 40 BMI. So once I knew the band needed to come out, the decision was pretty much made. Still not easy though...putting myself through a surgery and everything while still feeling mostly normal...kind of hard. So look at where you think you'll be in 5 yrs. Is it worth confronting your weight now or later?

Julie, I think it's great that you and your husband will share this journey. My hubby is clueless...never had a problem with his weight so really just doesn't understand. And sometimes, watching him eat what he wants, when he wants, can be frustrating.

Danelle, I feel sort of the opposite. Except for soreness from the drain, I feel close to normal. Not a good thing when I can't go home still for 3 more days, plus, I'm already dealing with wanting more than Clear Liquids. Except for not having any "true" hunger right now, I feel like I could eat anything. Haven't tried, of course, but don't have any trouble drinking. Not trying to hijack your thread...I'm sorry you're feeling so tired! I know from previous surgeries that sometimes it takes days just to get all the general anesthesia out of your system..each day will get better!

Well, considering that I'm 2 days post-op from band to sleeve revision...yeah, I'd have WLS all over again. I was happy with the band for almost 7 yrs and expect to be happy with the sleeve. I've BEEN living my life eating smaller amounts, having to monitor what goes in the mouth, etc..but as the band stopped "helping," the weight was creeping up. Plus, I'd had a lot of scar tissue form and reflux, so it was time for the band to go. But you know...even WITH my prior experience with WLS...having to do a month of liquids, etc...it's not easy. I don't truly want to eat anything and KNOW that the weightloss is important, but there's still a bit of grieving. Accepting that I still needed help, that I simply can't eat whatever I want and still maintain the weight I want, etc...WLS will never be an easy "out" for anyone or any easy road. It just makes it doable.

Goodness, Curvy, I didn't mean to imply that you shouldn't express your feelings here! I'm sorry if I'v offended you. I was just trying to say that we have a choice in how we view things. Our feelings often FOLLOW our thoughts, so if I step on the scales and think "Damn, only lost 2 lbs this week" I'm going to feel worse about it than if I said "Whoo-hoo, I lost 2 lbs!" And really, I think ANY loss should be celebrated. I also didn't mean to imply that you (or anyone else here) aren't living life. But when we "mark" our days by our pounds lost, it makes our size/weight the focus of our lives...and isn't that why we choose WLS? So that our weight can become a "non-issue?" Yes, in the beginning, we have to focus on it so that we follow guidelines and stay healthy...but eventually, I think we ALL want to live our lives without having to think about every pound.