cindymg

I went shopping with my sister 3 days post op. I sat and watched her a lot, but I was okay. She was here to "take care of me" after surgery, but yet I still felt like I had to entertain her. I drove her to airport at day 5. Then went home and back to bed for about a week. Seriously, though, I had no complications from the surgery, no vomiting, no nausea, no pain. I was just really tired which lasted until I got to soft foods. That said, I'm not sure I could have handled mass transit -- especially the trains in NYC. Too many people moving too fast, too much jostling, too many stairs. Suggest you taxi to and from the theater. Have fun!

Unjury Strawberry Sorbet can be mixed with sugar-free jello so you can eat, instead of drink your protein. Order the individual packets to see if you like them. They make a unflavored version as well that can be mixed with s/f jello and pudding.

Do you still have your gall bladder? I still have mine and at about 3 months post op I started with mild nausea, especially after eating anything with fat like cheese. Doctor did a gall bladder ultrasound -- no gallstones. So he sent me in for a HIDA scan which showed a gallbladder full of "sludge" that was pretty much non-functional. Rapid weight loss, combined with a family history of gallbladder issues can cause this. Gallbladder comes out on Wednesday. Hooray! By the way, salt can ease the nausea. Try some low fat, salted broth.

My surgeon does sleeve plication, but says it's not covered by insurance yet.

Have you started walking alot? My hips and knees hurt when I need new running shoes. Give that a try. Also, I get bursitis in my hip joints. After my sleeve surgery and increasing my walking my bursitis started up again. Cortisone shot helped tremendously.

I'm sorry, but I feel like I am reading a thread from the 1970s. Who doesn't know that shaming, embarrassing and judging overweight people really just has the opposite effect -- usually makes them eat more. We're all adults, we know what to eat to be healthy. I dare say most of us long-term dieters have been to enough NUTs, dietitians, WW meetings and read enough diet books to be NUTs ourselves! My NUT is there for help and support. She is a skinny triathlete, very young but totally professional. Probably never had a weight problem herself, but doesn't pass judgement. She went over the pre and post op diet phases, made suggestions and is there at every post op support group --to be supportive. If I have a question about a food or vitamin, I can call or email and she is very responsive. If I choose not to follow the recommendations, well then that's on me.

I had a real problem with constipation after surgery. I used 1/2 dose of Miralax a couple of times then I started adding powdered fiber to my yogurt, pudding and cottage cheese. It is tasteless. I get mine from Whole Foods. I also take one stool softener and probiotic a day. Now things are moving well.

Go to the drugstore NOW and get (and take) some Miralax and stool softeners. Fecal impaction is a real worry -- I know, it happened to me. And it wasn't pretty. That could be the reason you can't eat much and your stomach makes such noises. At 6 months my stomach still makes noises. GasX strips can help. I also added Probiotics and that has helped.

I used Bariatric Advantage and unjury for Protein shakes. Mixed with skim milk and used flavorings like butterscotch and piña colada with the vanilla shakes. Mixed with ice in my Magic Bullet smoothie maker and they were like a milkshake. Unjury also makes protein soups. And you can mix their unflavored or strawberry sorbet flavors with sugar-free Jello. Order the individual packs so you can try them out before getting the large tubs. Also, add some broth WITH SALT. It counts as Water and the salt will give you energy. Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

I was on the pre-op liquids for 2.5 weeks and I think I lost 16 lbs. How much you lose really depends on how much you have to lose to start with. I started out needing to lose 80 lbs, and after 6 months, I have lost 60. The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver, and to get you ready for the post-op liquid diet. My surgeon said my liver was really small, "perfect", he said. And I had NO complications following surgery. No real pain, no vomiting, no nausea, no heartburn. If I didn't have 5 funny little scars on my tummy and the inability to eat very much food, I might think the whole thing never happened. Best decision I ever made and I feel fantastic! Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

I would add some broth for a change of taste. Broth is just flavored Water. Get broth with salt -- you need the salt and it will give you energy. During my preop I would go to restaurants and get chicken noodle, French onion or veggie soup and ask for just the broth. Everyone was very accommodating. Panera Bread is really good for broth-based Soups.

Peein' out the pounds! Should be a song title.

I've been overweight/obese my entire life. I was a big baby, went right from children's clothes to a misses size 14. Then up from there. I have only been normal sized a few times in my life and I knew it was only temporary because I knew I would fail and the weight would come right back. Is that what you are feeling? While I know the sleeve is permanent, every time I eat just a little too much and feel too full, I am convinced that I am on that diet yo yo track again. I know I am not, but it's a hard fear to break. Then I remember that those are old tapes playing my head. I don't have to think that way anymore. It's up to me to turn off those tapes and find a new way of thinking. Do you sometimes feel like you are "passing for normal" and somehow fate is going to pull the rug out from under you and you will wake up tomorrow at the weight you used to be? I do. When I start to think like that obese person again, I look at the pictures of me on my phone to remind myself how far I have come. Finally I am interviewing for a new job right now. I can't tell you how great it is to be normal when I first meet potential employers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not small. I'm 5'11" and built like a linebacker. But I hope I am remembered as the tall, statuesque woman, rather than the fat girl. Good luck on your journey. It's just amazing, isn't it?

There are many threads out there that cover this topic. Here is a link to one: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/284845-smooth-recovery-anyone/

Dr Lutfi was my surgeon. Love him. And his team. St Joseph hospital staff is great too. Very experienced, professional and nice. Good luck on your journey. Hope to see you in the post op group soon.

Congratulations on your success. And for having the courage to document your journey with photos. I don't have that kind of courage and avoid cameras. Good luck on the rest of your journey.

These are my fur babies. Frodo: Mookie:

I went shopping in my own closet. I have been saving a wonderful knit suit for about 15 years that I only wore a few times. I haven't been small enough to wear it in all these years. So I tried it on last week (after a 60 lb loss), and the suit is TOO BIG! I was going to wear it anyway. Until I discovered MOTH HOLES in the collar! Guess I should have wrapped it better. Good luck with your shopping.

I am 6 months out. I find that some foods are trigger foods for me. And trigger foods don't just cause cravings for that food. When I eat a trigger food like a refined carb I suddenly find myself wanting other refined carbs. So for me it's best to abstain. My life is much easier that way. So, some good news: I have found that my tastes have changed and yours probably will too. I no longer want things like bread, Pasta, crackers etc. I gave up sugars many years ago, and I no longer have a taste for sugar. With the sleeve, I can truly say I eat to live, not live to eat. It's a constant Quest to get in enough Protein to keep my body strong, enough Water to keep my body hydrated, enough Fiber to keep my digestive system working. There really isn't room for anything else and I don't crave it anymore. Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

You and me girlfriend! I'm top heavy too. Pants are a 12 and tops are still 16. But I am noticing that my stomach and back fat is SLOWLY going away. While I will always be an apple, maybe I can be less of one.

Any small, trendy boutique. Always so surprised that I can actually wear things in those places. I do have to get over the feeling that I am "just passing for normal." Yes, I do have the right to shop in cute, trendy boutiques (because I am good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it people like me).

I went to restaurants (Panera Bread is good) and ordered bowls of soup, just the broth, please. They were always very accommodating. I disagree about avoiding salt. The human body has to have salt to survive. Since most of the protein shakes are sweet, you're not getting any salt, so the broth -- with salt -- will give you an energy lift.

Thanks Alex for this post. I consider it my personal mission to remove the stigma around weight loss surgery. I think that the more people hear about our positive experiences, the more people we can save from obesity. I've long since stopped caring what people think about me, and if they have nothing better to do than gossip about me -- well, that's just sad. While I certainly don't lead with "I had weight loss surgery," if someone comments on my weight loss, then I will tell them. It's actually kind of funny to see the look in their faces!

For more than 20 years I avoided WLS thinking "I could do this myself." And I did -- losing and gaining the same 40-50 pounds over and over and over again. Several years ago my endocrinologist talked to me about lapband, but I wasn't interested in something left inside of me. Then last fall I read about the sleeve, went to an informational seminar within a week, and then talked to my internist. She referred me to a surgeon that she liked, and I had my surgery in May 2013. Best thing I ever did, but I am glad I waited until I found a surgery that worked for me.

I'm an in the middle boomer (1954) and would have joined sooner if I had seen this group. Sleeve surgery 6 months ago, down 59 lbs, co-morbidities resolved and I feel fantastic!