Madam Reverie

Honey is the most natural thing on the planet. Have at it, I'd say! You're so soon out of surgery, a bit of natural sugar is not going to de-rail your weight loss at all. In fact, it has many other additional properties which would be excellent for you. Have you tried camomile tea? Very soothing on the throat and the tummy. I'm a huge fan of that and green tea - which has a bucket load of anti-oxidants in it. Enjoy

This sounds a bit like dumping syndrome. Happened to me when I ate anything with sugar in it early out from surgery. Mouth to toilet in, ooh, under 10 minutes. Doesn't happen to me now, thankfully, but its usually a response to things which as of yet, the body can't cope with all that well. If you're drinking Protein shakes with artificial sweetener in it, I'd put my money on it being that. I also got it with salad when I first tried it.. Don't panic too much about it. Again, its your body calibrating. The only things you have to be mindful of is when you're losing so much Fluid that you could become dehydrated. Ergo, you have to focus on getting your fluids in to compensate. If you want to 'test' it. Eat something you suspect could have caused it. Nothing else. Wait 40 minutes. If it happens within that time frame, or immediately after eating the next thing, you know its dumping syndrome. If you just continue to go to the loo all day every day, you may need to get it explored because of the risks associated with the dehydration and potential bugs in the system. Nothing to panic about at this stage though. Keep smiling

You, Lady, have serious courage! Wonderful to read. Thank you I wish you all the best for now and the future

Oh, you'll know when you hit full. Its where one, more, mouthful and it feels like you have a bus parked in your chest! There'll be no mistaking it when it happens!

Yep, totally normal. It'll have eased considerably by day 11-14 onwards... The sharp pain may well be where your tethering stitch is.. That ones a nag until it dissolves... Drinking is always a tough thing to get used to. Sadly there's no way to rush it.. just step by step, day by day it gets a little better. If you start feeling ill, get a temperature or anything feels really bad.. Get yourself to your doctor as a precaution. Wishing you a speedy recovery

Its everyones choice.. But not telling your husband? I don't think that's entirely fair to him. He's your life partner. What will he be left to think if he loses you on the operating table? That the last thing between you was a huge whopper of a lie? Sorry, not for me...

Sadly, no. They have improved - don't get me wrong - but they've not gone. I was actively trying to reduce the amount of PPI I was taking (as the NHS in the UK does not like to continually dole out the PPI because of the expense and what the drug can mask), but as of this morning, I ate some porridge, had a small glass of orange juice and BAM, I was in agony. Because the reflux had already started, trying to stop it was a whole day process. Quite a miserable side effect, I have to say. I'm just holding out for the moment when my sleeve slackens a bit and the reflux is less.. dynamic... In the meantime, a good PPI is invaluable.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/266848-gerd-indigestion-reflux-lumps-in-throatchest-exposition-of-symptoms-and-treatment/?hl=gerd%20sleeve Voila!

Its acid reflux. If you search the forums for GERD, acid, there are a million posts on it. I started a thread myself on the very matter. Happy reading and if you have any questions, just shout

Nothing silly about this question at all Basically, its because your sleeve is soooo new and delicate.. Its still trying to calibrate - particularly so early out. The sleeve is still raw and wounded. As such, you have to not try to overload it with things which are going to make it work harder. If you're eating rich/fatty/acidic/spicy/sugary food, your stomach is going to have to receive more bile to process it. This could upset things. Don't fear, this eases off in two months or so.. But you still have to be a little careful (well, I did). Its also a scientific fact that bariatric surgery changes an individuals' taste. This can make people feel repulsed by things that they formerly loved (fatty/acidic/rich/spicy/sugary food), I personally think this is because your body instinctively knows post surgery that these things are not good for your little sleeve. When you're in the first 2 months, its a bit of trial and error. But, however, its pretty much a given that the blander the food, the easier you digest it... So if you don't want to upset things, try to keep it plain, light and simple for a while. Its all good

I've told no one... The only person that knows is my finance.. No ones business but my own

you wait.. you think you're disproportionate and then the next day BOOM! You've dropped inches on the bit you thought was bigger than the rest. I've found the whole process (and I am far from completing it), most amusing! Enjoy! You're looking great

I shall definitely be exploring the cortisone with my doctor... I'm starting to get really really thin around my temples and hairline. Could you tell us the brand of the shampoo, topical spray and vitamins that you're using, too? Would be much appreciated

lol as long as the 'toxic' isn't relevant, Gman

I was eating salad AND mushrooms, at about 5-6 weeks afterwards. Found the raw onions a bit much for my sensitive sleeve (gave me acid reflux). Everything else was all good in the hood. Just made sure I chewed the heck out of it and didn't shovel it down, as I pre-sleeve had a want to do (primarily salad I'm on about). Mushrooms and salad are two of my favourite things. I'd say try it, see how you feel and if it's cool -yay! If not, try again in a weeks time. As a word of caution.. Be careful with the butter you cook the mushrooms in.. The butter could make the mushrooms too greasy. Early sleeves don't like a lot of fat. Same with salad dressings. Try to go without it. Best of luck!

I've often been tempted to write a caveat attached to the start of my posts in order to prevent the somewhat inevitable.. You know, the type of caveat that might start like this: N.B 1) This post is not applicable to people who are going to flay me for my opinion, which is solely my opinion and not the opinion of the site, its owners or affiliates. 2) This post is not for people who want to give me the third degree on the minutia of what they place in their mouths on a half hourly interval.... I am about as interested in this, as I am of freely electing to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon. Then I realised, the NB list would be about 3/4 of a screen long.. Consequently and if I identify that the inevitable might happen (because some people don't read things the same way others do - in fact, some people don't read -using the opening of a new thread to basically say something predominantly off-topic which vaguely adheres in the first sentence to the original subject matter) - I add a little and often sarcastic, in-text caveat. Does it work? Hell no! But sometimes, just sometimes, it prevents things from occurring which make me want to bash my head repeatedly on the screen whilst shouting 'FOR THE LOVE OF SWEET JESUS'. Yes, my name is Revs and I require anger management classes

You're most welcome - sincerely. I hate to admit it, but I'm a verbose SOB.. So typing war and peace takes very little time for me. Regular Tolstoy, I am... Just glad it made sense. I wish you and your family the best of luck. x

I am in the process of losing all of mine.. it's not funny... at all.. I have no suggestions on how to stop it.. Only as previous posters have mentioned - how to make it grow back more quickly - Protein and Biotin... It sucks - my sympathies

Ooh, I forgot that I consume cider, LL! Yep, that's another good one.. 70-100 proof? Yikes.. Well, I'm a bit like LL on the cocktails/hard liquor now. I normally limit it to three-four. Any more and I become a bit sloppy and a bit forgetful. I also stumble around a bit Your tolerance does go down at the start - considerably. It comes back, but not to full force. You get drunk quick, but also sober quick. Its a good thing for me.. I could drink 12 pints in 5 hours. Now it's 5 pints in 5 hours. Less calories, no hangover and still happy

(not much left after that either I guess!)

I'm a no-beer zone.. Too gassy. I drink Guinness, Wine, Cocktails.. Thats about it...

You just make it your mission in the early days to get as much Fluid down your neck as possible. Simples. You'll know when you're getting the dehydration warning. You mouth becomes dry, your lips get dry. And as we all know, if your mouth feels dry, you've already left it too long. In the early days, you have no other mission that to hit your Water and Protein targets. When you go back to work and start getting distracted, is when you can go and go and go and then BOOM.. You're down with dehydration. If you always have it in your mind, it won't happen to you, because you'll constantly be sipping your water. Simples!

lol you better get used to it.. Most of it comes from a good place.. But there are those, on the odd occasion, who lack, what do we call it?.... The ability to tailor their communication to the audience and ability to convey their message with tact and diplomacy... You can't censor people from having an opinion.. Because that's what makes life interesting! Plus and this is the best part about it, it can give a different perspective on things that you might not have considered.. However, this also comes with the caveat that some people just go for the contrarian view, just to get a rise out of people.. My rule of thumb - if they're directly attacking you, its one thing. I don't take kindly to that myself (it's also against the rules) If they're trying to be 'helpful', give them a chance. If it's loaded with 'holier than thou', you, too, have the choice to ignore or respond. Either way, it'll always happen! Ain't internet life grand?!

I know this is going to be tough, because you have all this excitement and new found zest for life.. But in order to minimise the reactions.. which appear to be all negative... you're going to have to limit how much you squeal and bounce around with excitement. If you can stand in your husbands shoes: Is he overweight himself? Is he seeing these massive changes and wondering how he fits in to this any more? Is he being a bit childish and resentful, because nothing this exciting is happening to him? Is his ego taking a bit of a bashing? Is he fundamentally fearful he's going to lose you and resentful that YOU are the one who changed your family's dynamic? Your children's shoes: Are they just bored to tears of hearing about it? Are they, too, a bit miffed that they haven't got anything this exciting going on in their lives? Are they feeding off the negativity coming from your husband because they, too, might recognise that YOU are the one who changed what they knew and upset the applecart because of the change in family dynamic? You have every right to want to sing from the hill tops - but a little appreciation of how they are viewing things, might be useful. It might not change their opinions - but by talking to them gently, attempting to understand their position, you might be able to temper your enthusiasm for your new path (which might make them feel like you're leaving them behind) and try and find ways to integrate them and make things more inclusive. Humans don't like change. None of us do. When we choose to make a change in the form of this surgery, we're already 3/4 of the way to embracing all the good things that happen. Rarely we look at all the potential negatives. I would hazard a guess your husband is resentful. Your kids are bored and reacting to your husbands negativity. The friends are probably a little jealous of the excitement in your life, because they don't have the same in theirs. It would be interesting to hear if your friends are there to support you in your current difficulties with your husband.... But, and before you try broaching that subject with them... All of this boils down to people who are sitting their thinking 'what about me?'. I know this is crapadoodle, because everyone feels they have the right to be happy and the right to be supported and damnit, the right to be excited! Sadly, most people are a little bit selfish and whilst they're seeing you happier by the day, they're not feeling so happy. They probably feel that they need more of your attentions and sympathies for their circumstances.. Try talking to all of them. Don't mention your surgery at all. Ask them how THEY are doing. If they become animated and engaged, you know that was the problem. If they don't, then you might be looking for something else. With the husband? You might want to tread carefully with that one and not mention the surgery for a while... As awful as it sounds, do a bit of ego soothing for him and see if this garners a positive reaction. If it does.. Then you know what it was. Sad as it is, you might have to keep your excited Carlton Banks dancing in your smaller trousers in your room, just to yourself and for a little while. Just until the waters are calmed and their reserves of emotional generosity are topped up enough to give you what you are after and what you fundamentally deserve.

Something is playing on my mind so I thought I'd just 'throw it out there' to the great and good on this site for discussion... When I was big, I was repeatedly told in response to my insecure mutterings about my size; 'I never see your weight, Revs. You're just Revs. Always have been, always will be.' 'You have a big personality, Revs. That eclipses anything else. People see your character before they notice anything else.' This has come in many forms and in various machinations. When done with love and delivered gently - its been from friends and family. With moderate, clumsy indifference and accompanied with the obligatory 'you have such a nice/pretty/beautiful/attractive (delete as appropriate) face' and lets not forget the 'You always dress really well and have amazing make-up'... (Subtext - your body is like the back end of a bus), its been from random colleagues and acquaintances. So, when I was researching weight-loss options (this was over 10 years of dedicated YouTube, surgery website, academic journal perusing), I saw all these a-maz-ing transformations. People who had metamorphosed from looking like Sloth from the Goonies into Demi Moore (in her heyday) and every shade of beautiful in between. Consequently, when I had the surgery, I envisioned my kilo-losing metamorphosis. The egg, larva, pupa, to beautiful butterfly... So here I am, a truck load of weight down and well, I haven't changed into the metaphorical butterfly I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, this is not a pity-party or anything. I am elated with what I've achieved so far and before anyone bores me to tears with the 'but you've got a healthier you, that should be reward enough', line of tedium.....I wanted to look like Demi Moore GODDAMNNIT! <that's a joke btw and before anyone gets on a tip about 'loving who you are and not aspiring to look like someone else' in a yawn-fest, stating the obvious manner> Now, I know miracles can't happen. You have what you've been given. I am VERY grateful for what I've been given, don't get me wrong. What I'm actually getting at is that there has not been the 'woooaaaah, you've changed' moment for me, as there have been for others. I go to my bariatric meeting and some people have had the 'Whoaaa' transformation. The Sloth to Demi moment. I, have not. People of course recognise that I have shifted some weight and rarely acknowledge it - which is socially normal. But its like nothing has changed. Why?! As the title suggests - should I be disappointed by this, flattered or just indifferent to it? Of course, I wanted a 'transformation' of sorts and have achieved that - of sorts. But were the utterances of others about my personality and face actually true all along and in fact, the only person who appeared to be bothered by my weight, or even noticed it, was, well, just me?! By virtue of this, does it make the fact that I went through surgery ludicrous? Of course not, because (and I'm appealing to the health-freak tedious here), I have made myself more healthy. But really, all the long-held deep-seated and total misery about my weight - was it really only my problem all along?! Who knows... I am Revs. I have a personality. And everything else, despite this surgery, just appears to be, well, irrelevant! <Omitting, of course, that my backside is considerably smaller and I can now buy the hottest clothes and the highest heels> Anyone else had something similar? Anyone else after weight loss just been 'You' - but a 'lighter' version. 'You-Light', if you will! Have your expectations matched reality both in physical, social and psychological terms? Do, please tell! Looking forward to reading your thoughts... x N.B I am hoping this will not become a 'before and after' photo opportunity thread, btw...... <The grumpy OP>