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Hi all. Just wanted to weigh in (pun intended) to say to those who are struggling... ME TOO. I was sleeved on Aug. 22 and am down only 6 lbs. I'm tired and hungry. I have NO trouble getting liquids or food down. My problem is that I still feel hungry after eating 4oz of food (and I'm taking PPI twice a day). I'm also feeling really frustrated by the fact that so many on here seem to track everything they eat, drink, and do in a day on My Fitness Pal. Man! I just don't want to do that! That's why diets never worked for me - I just don't have it in me to keep track of all that, plus 2 busy kids, plus a full time job, etc. etc. I know I'm just venting and I'm hoping this too shall pass as this becomes more "normal." That said, today I am angry and frustrated (and really frickin' emotional - cry at the drop of a hat). Let's hang in there and keep supporting each other!

I would add the question of who tracks and who does not track their carbs/calories/protein? I just feel like part of the reason I had this surgery was so that I won't have to focus my whole life on food. Tracking all the time makes me feel like a slave to food and it is really hard to do with 2 busy kids, a full time job involving lots of travel, etc. Are there people on here who are able to just "know" what they can and cannot eat and in what portions? (I know about all the people on here who are vigilant about tracking everything on My Fitness Pal). I'm wondering who is successful doing it a different/easier way???

Wow! Great blog entry! And I think everything you're feeling is totally normal and I "get it." I'm starting to face the fact that I'm never going to stop wanting to eat "bad" stuff. And, you're right, we are surrounded by it. As far as the irritable...I TOTALLY get it! I had to apologize to my son, my daughter, and my ex-husband ALL today. I know I'm cranky and unreasonable and I just can't see to help it!! Great job! You go girl! And keep blogging when you can!!

I'm in the same boat too! Sleeved on Aug. 22 and I can drink as much as I want with no ill effects. I try to remember to just sip, but it's hard - old habits die hard. I'm in the same boat with food and I'm worried about it. I can eat a 5.5 oz yogurt with no real trouble and no ill effects. Just went to Panera and had their cup of tomato Soup and felt very satisfied, but not overly full afterwards. Is this normal?? Also, I see you guys are walking like crazy.... Man! I am still just exhausted! I could sleep all day if I let myself....! Thanks for all the posts!

WOW!!!! I just don't have any other words. It doesn't look like the same person! Congratulations!

Hi all. I was sleeved on Aug. 22. I had no complications and the first couple of days went well. Things started going downhill on Day 3 post-op and now on Day 4, I am really cranky and uncomfortable. I don't think I feel worse than I did at Day 1-2, it's just I thought I would be getting better by now. I am in quite a bit of pain at my incision sites. It hurts to get up and down and in and out of bed. I'm getting my fluids and Protein in but I still feel hungry. Although I'm sure some is head hunger, I swear that some of this is REAL hunger. And I'm soooo tired. I could sleep all day/night. I'd love to hear some of your experiences - specifically when did you start feeling better? When were you truly "pain free?" Thanks in advance!

Just wanted to weigh in and say I know how you feel! I'm Day 5 post op and today has been my crankiest day. I'm just OVER it. And yet there is no "over it." I'm stuck with it. I'm going back to bed myself....

I was sleeved on Aug. 22 (day 4 post op today). I gotta tell you guys - I'm pretty miserable. I keep seeing people say they have no pain, they didn't need pain meds after getting home, etc. That is not my story. Although I'm getting in my protein and fluids, I am SOOOOO sore. My incision sites hurt like crazy. Also, I feel hungry. Which is making me really cranky because my stomach won't tolerate anything. I hope this gets better. Today has been a rough day for me.

Aw man! You guys are doing great! I'm on Day 4 post-op and I'm exhausted and really, really sore. It feels like I did 100s of sit ups. Honestly, losing weight is the least of my worries - I just want to feel better.... (I had no complications at all...)

I'm in the same boat. Not sure exactly what you guys are approved for, but I'm allowed greek yogurt and unsweetened applesauce. That helped a little bit today. I also got a cookbook of smoothies so that I can mix it up a little bit. Looking forward to what others say.... Let's hang in there!

Hi there! I was sleeved on Aug. 22, home on Aug. 23. I am doing about like you. I am hungry for "real" food. I am getting my Protein and liquids in. I'm really sore (in fact, on Day 3, this is probably my most sore day). I am very mobile. I just showered, put on makeup and am getting ready for a birthday party. I'm sure I'll be exhausted afterwards. Yesterday, I slept all day. Literally ever four hours would get up and drink and then go right back to bed. I am not shorting myself on the pain meds. I figure they were prescribed and I'm going to take them. In terms of what else to eat, I just had some Greek yogurt and it was AMAZING. It was a little too sweet for me (which is hilarious because I love sweet stuff). I'm going to try the unflavored next. So far, no BM. I'm trying not to worry yet. I do belch quite a bit. thanks for the post - nice to have some comparisons! Best, Angela

Like you, I needed something pre-made to grab and go. Here is what I tried: Muscle milk light (Walmart) = DISGUSTING. Premier Protein (costco, but I bet you can get at Walmart and/or certainly online) = OK. Not disgusting. Lean shakes from GNC -- very tasty! 160 cal, 6 g of carbs, 25 g of protein. Right now, they are buy one, get one 50% off. I highly recommend. good luck!

OMG! That picture is like food porn! I laughed with you about 3 of you sharing an 8oz piece of halibut! That's good stuff! I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY SOME OF YOUR RECIPES!

Thoughts from this group on whether a stool softener is appropriate?? (I'm 2 days post op and in the same boat...no gas/no BM). Thanks!

Today has been pretty uneventful. I slept all day. Literally. I got up every 4 hours to walk a little and drink a little and do some deep breathing. Then...back to bed. I got in 32oz of fluids (and I'm sure I can get in another 10 or 15 oz). As far as I'm concerned, this is pretty amazing. I thought very seriously about going to my kids' soccer games this morning -- that's how ok I feel. I ended up staying home just because it is Africa hot here and I knew I could sleep. My tummy is still swollen - I look fatter than I was when I went in for surgery. That said, some of the fluid has started to drain off. I was 230 on DOS. I came home at 237. Today, I'm back to 230. So that is very encouraging. (I'm not concerned about the weight loss right now - but it is nice to have the swelling go down). I took a shower today - I highly recommend it. It made me feel more human. After the shower, I changed my dressings. I wasn't prepared for these big honkin' staples. They are sore and itchy. Burping remains an issue. But it is way easier to drink today as compared with yesterday. Tomorrow is my 8 yr old son's birthday. My BFF is hosting a party for him so all I have to do is show up with the little birthday boy. I'm confident I can do it. While napping today, I had a dream that I freaked out and went inside and ate all the icing off the red velvet cake. Total reminder of my "old" self. Eating in secrecy, feeling guilty, etc. Soooooo glad I don't have to do that anymore. Finally, I know it is too early to say, but I can't imagine that I won't be ready to go back to work at the end of week 1. If I absolutely had to, I think I could go back Monday (I have a desk job). Don't get me wrong....it wouldn't be easy, but it could be done. I say that just because I know there are lots of people out there wondering about work. My advice: take off as much time as you can but don't let a lack of time off prevent you from having this surgery. Okay...I'm about ready for bed again...hahaha! Tomorrow - FULL LIQUIDS HERE I COME!!! (Not a moment too soon!) Love to all, Angela

Just wanted to let you know that I was sleeved Thursday as well and I am miserably hungry! Not sure whether it goes away, but my misery loves your company. Let's keep the faith!

Okay...so.... don't sweat it. On Day 3 of my 7 day liquid diet, I had a total freak out. I ate 4 pastry crisps (those Special K hundred calorie things). Then I had a PB&J. I felt horrible about it. Then I got back on the wagon. I had surgery on Thursday and did great. Post-op is easier than pre-op IMO. Hang in there girl. You can do it!

OMG, yes like crazy! Don't know what it is and don't know when it goes away, but yes I have it!

Just wanted to send you a note to cheer you on. I just had surgery on Thursday and I felt ALL the things you mention -- wanting approval from others, nervous about whether my liver had shrunk, and mostly worried that I wasn't going to be able to cope with the new lifestyle. I promise you that if you can just get through the next couple of days, you'll be fine. The pre-op stuff was much harder than the post-op. Even though I feel kind of crappy right now, I am SO happy to have surgery behind me. All those nerves are finally gone!!! You can do this - keep us posted!!

Day of surgery: I pop out of bed at 6:30 am because I am SO excited to get this over with. My sister drives me to the surgery center. I ask my surgeon again what are the chances that I'm going to die. My surgeon smiles and says he has done over 5,000 of these and he's never lost a patient. That helps some. I still beg for some "chill out" meds. They give me some and all seems okay. Then, the mask and that's all I remember until waking up in recovery. Recovery: I woke up feeling very sore where the biggest incision is. I had to move from the surgery bed to a wheel chair to get me down to the outpatient recovery center. That sucked. I remember thinking, "This is not do-able." But it passed. I was ready to walk pretty quickly. Nighttime: I got no sleep, but it wasn't bad. The nurse kept coming in to check my vital signs and I was vigilant about pressing my morphine button. I feel about morphine about the same way I felt about the epidural when my kids were born. They don't give out a medal for extra suffering...! Day one post-op: The soreness increases some but it is manageable. Also, I am drinking water and ice chips at a quicker rate than I should be. Nurse tells me to slow down. The dreaded pulling out of the drain turns out to be not that big of a deal. At this point, before leaving the hospital, I feel pretty darn good. Day one post-op once I get home. Things get a little dicey here. I find I can't hardly drink any water and I'm burping all the time. I vomit once. Then I crawl back in bed. Later, went to Target just to walk around some. Now, trying to get some more water in (I should say Crystal Light). Also, I'm on psych meds (Celexa and Lamictal). Doc says I can start taking them right away when I get home. I crush them and take them. I think it added some to my upset stomach, but for me it's totally worth it because I can't imagine having a full blown panic attack at this juncture! Also, I'll add this because I worried whether it was normal: My stomach is WAY swollen. I look like I am 6 mos pregnant. I haven't lost any weight since I got home. From what I hear, this is fairly normal so I'm not going to freak out about it. I mean, seriously, I just had 80% of my stomach removed - my body has to be in shock. Still... the bloating/swollen feeling is yucky (I'm way less concerned with the weight loss at this point - the weight will come off -- it has to given what I'm (not) eating! My biggest complaint: the burping, which makes me feel like I might vomit. Also, the soreness. The best way to describe it is like the pain you would get after doing a million sit ups. But, again, all-in-all, not too bad. IF I CAN DO THIS, YOU GUYS CAN DO THIS TOO!!!! I'll check in with Day 2 post-op tomorrow!

Great post! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. It is very inspiring to those of us who are behind you in the process. I had surgery on Thursday and am really looking forward to being one month out...!

Right on!!!! Thanks for posting!

I'm trying to get my fluids in but every time I drink something, even just a swallow, I get a feeling like i have to burp and it feels like I'm going to throw up. Is this normal? Does it go away? (I am trying to walk and I'm taking a PPI prescribed by my doctor - hoping that may help). Bottom line is that I'm obsessed with figuring out what is normal and what is a sign for concern. Thanks!

Thanks for posting your reality. Sometimes just getting it out there helps. I guarantee your feelings are normal. Check in with us tomorrow and let us know how you're doing. I bet you snap out of it!

After all the obsessing, the second-guessing, the tears, the food funerals, the binges "pre the pre-op," the failures on the pre-op, the successes on the pre-op, the hours reading on this site. And now.... the surgery is tomorrow! Some musings: --As I've posted, as surgery gets closer, I get calmer. Or at least that has been true up until today. I am going to post tonight to see if I start freaking out again, but right now I am solid and confident that this will all go well and I'll be very happy with the results. --As I look around my community at women and men who are as overweight or more overweight as I am, I feel such compassion. I know how that feels to be in this body and not believe I could ever get out. The feeling of a sugar binge, the out of control feeling, the horrible remorse and beating of self, then the starving myself to "make up for" the binge. And then the entire cycle starting again. So many people will remain stuck there because they don't know about the surgical option, cannot afford the surgical option, or are too scared to go with the surgical option. I feel so blessed today. Although I have no illusions about how tough this is going to be, at least I have hope of a real and lasting change. --I keep remembering my surgeon telling me that this is the only real cure for obesity. A CURE - not a bandaid this time! --The risks of this surgery are less than the risk of gallbladder surgery or hip replacement surgery. I have weighed the risks and benefits and I'm not going to start the mental mindf--ck of second guessing myself this late in the game. Now is not the time to start re-questioning my decision. I thought long and hard about this before I made my decision. Now is the time to trust. --I'm feeling grateful for this forum. It has been such a blessing to be able to read about your experiences, share my experiences, ask for help, ask for advice, and receive inspiration and support. You guys are like an online family. Only a lot more understanding about the weight stuff LOL! --Because I am so grateful for being able to learn about this process by reading your experiences, I am resolved to "give back" by blogging my own experience. I've blogged pre-op. I fully intend to blog as soon as I get home from surgery and for the time I am home from work so that others can get another perspective on "what it is really like." Okay...that's it for me this morning. I'll check in tonight. P.S. I stayed on my pre-op diet again yesterday - put together 3 days plus today (assuming I stick to it). Also, 2 week anniversary of quitting smoking. I rarely have cravings and I love not always wondering "where are my cigarettes?" "do I have enough cigarettes?" "how much longer til my kids go to bed so that I can sneak outside and have a cigarette." Etc. Love to all, Keep the faith, Angela