NellieBean

I was told that saltines were okay because they pretty much melt in your mouth. Nabisco has a great wheat saltine. My nut warned against any other kind of cracker or bread, pasta or rice because they can expand in your stomach and cause major discomfort.

Good luck to the final July sleevers!

I am sure it is just nerves. They will give you something during surgery to help with that. Everyone is nervous going in. How can you not be? I spent a good part of the night pacing, packing and repacking my bag and just trying to sleep. Think positive thoughts and good luck on your journey.

It was either July 17th or wait until the end of August so now it is happening a couple weeks earlier then I had in my head, which is actually good. I am cleaning out cupboards and the fridge and making my lists. This is going to go quickly.

Have been using this for a week now. MFP ID is Nellie525. Please add me.

Susan's concerns were/are valid. Your husband may be the Mother Teresa of the vertical sleeve, in the end, this website is run by some guy named Alex who seems to genuinely care about the people who are looking for help on their journey. How horrible would he feel or anyone on these forums feel if something bad happened to someone who placed their trust in the wrong person they met on this site? The awesome thing about the internet is for ten bucks a month, you too can create a website where you can choose to moderate as you see fit. If you do not like the way this forum is maintained by the people who developed, moderate and pay for as a tool for people looking for information about wls, you can always create your own.

I have BCBSIL as well and yes, it depends what policy your employer has chosen on whether or not it is allowed. My former employer did not allow it, luckily my current one does.

First day trying actually pureed foods today. I picked up turkey chili without beans and pureed it. Drinking shakes was never an issue but even a quarter cup of pureed chili is taking close to an hour to eat. This is what I had been anticipating but still surprised at the heavy feeling a couple baby spoonfuls feels like. The taste is welcome though because I am so tired of sweet shakes.

Maybe you need to consider that this is just a forum to everyone who posts here and it is Alex's life work. I think that he might be protective of the community and is protecting himself (of course) and the people who come here to share their experiences. I have great respect for him reaching out to you personally to discuss. He could have just banned and blocked you. Instead of trying to make this into something nefarious and feeding the forum trolls, try to understand the actual reason he most likely contacted you.

Hello Elaine, Four days after my surgery, my body seemed to want to purge everything that had been put into me while in the hospital. It required me to remain very close to home. When it finally subsided, my stomach seemed to have shrunk from all the extra fluids and I felt so much better overall. Hang in there!

Wow! You look great! Congratulations and wishing you continued success!

How funny, Sleeved on the 17th, too and I have not yet gotten out of my pajamas today and took a nap. Wasn't sure if it was the rainy weather here or that I over did the walking yesterday but not feeling particularly energetic today.

I was cleared to increase my walking yesterday at a week out from surgery. I go back in three weeks and hope I get the all clear for the gym.

Not everyone is given any preop instructions for eating. I did not other than liquids the day before, so I wouldn't be too stressed there. They person setting up everything will give you the rundown and any special instructions from the doctor.

I was sleeved on the 17th and had my first follow-up yesterday. I have my release to go back to work Monday the 29th. I was itching to go back, I thought, this past Monday, but even my boss wanted me to take the week to heal and come back the 29th because he did not want to pick me off the floor if I rushed it. In the end, that was probably a good idea since even taking a 20 minute walk the first couple of days this week ended with a long nap. I am now on pureed foods and had the best Greek yogurt ever for dinner tonight. Tomorrow I might try some tuna and saltines. The pain was never horrible, I would say never more than a 2 or 3.

I am right in this with you, too! Just a few steps ahead, but here if you need a cheerleader. It is an intimidating milestone, to be sure. We will get there together though. Good luck on your journey!

I have a daughter and somehow, she did not end up with the same issues with food that her mother did. That said, if she did and was in the same situation as your daughter, I would want to provide her the best possible life. Maybe, you should talk to her pediatrician and find a therapist to help you make this decision. At least then you know you made the most informed choice with the help of professionals and not strangers on a forum. Obesity is a disease. We all know that. Saying that she should try other options first, it is so hard when each of us has ridden that rollercoaster so many times to end up here. I do not envy this decision but think your daughter is very lucky to have you as her mom.

You had major surgery. Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine you look fine, you feel pretty good, but your body is focused on healing. It is driving me crazy too and have to be reminded too. Its only been just over a week!

First meeting was May 23 and my surgery was July 17th. Approval was July 3rd.

My first inclination would be to tell them to F off. They don't live your life. Just like in real life, you learn who your support system is pretty quickly through this whole process. Let people be judgy, that is their issue not yours. You are doing what you need to do for you. Anyone who doesn't want to help you succeed you don't have time for.

Mushy. Liquid is liquid not ground up stuff. It should be able to go through a wire strainer, is how my NUT explained it to me.

Congratulations!

Just chew, chew, chew before you swallow them and you should be fine. I have been taking mine since three days postop per Dr's instructions.

I appreciate the patience that the more seasoned folks have since I imagine every question has been asked at least 100 times. The fact that any of you take the time to share your experiences and guide us through this journey is truly a gift. (I have only been on this board for a few weeks and if I read one more question about the 3 week stall....I want to have an auto response that tells people how to search) It seems like there are always people who come here want to get only the answer they want to hear. On the internet, you can keep asking and even if a million people give the same answer they just want to hear from the one person who validates their decision. The posts that disturb me are the ones where they are newly sleeved and want to know how to cheat the system just days or weeks after going through the surgery. What are they thinking? Don't they want to succeed? They spend all this time and energy working to getting the surgery and then want to know if it is OK to not follow the instructions of professionals? I am just bewildered by them. In the end, they may not hear what they want to hear but they are hearing what they need to from the folks on this board who are brutally honest. What they choose to do with that truth is just another factor in how successful they will be in the end.

It was weird to have it removed. It wasn't painful, the doctor warned it might sting, but that wasn't quite it. It was just a weird feeling. I didn't really feel it inside where it bothered me but getting it out I felt better.