Kindle

You may just have to slow down. I didn't get to puree's until 3 weeks out . And even then I could only do 1 "meal" a day. It would take me all day to process it. In fact, I had to drink most of my fluids and not have anything puréed until later in the day because I couldn't drink much after eating. And the most I ate at a time was 1-2 tablespoons over 20 minutes. Gradually I could consume 2 "meals" and then more. The same happened when I got to soft foods. I just had to go super slow each time I transitioned to new, more solid stuff. It was 3 months before I could comfortably eat. And as for the burning, my surgeon had me on 40mg Omeprazole for 2 months, but I still had to take Maalox or Rolaids sometimes.

I didn't tell mine until I got back. We are actually good friends, and he was a little upset that I didn't tell him ahead of time. But he's should be used to it. I also found my own neurosurgeon and scheduled my own neck fusion surgery after he diagnosed me with bone spurs and stenosis in my neck. He admitted he would have disapproved (that's why I didn't tell him). But my successful weight loss and outstanding 6 month bloodwork has convinced him that my crazy Mexico surgery adventure wasn't such a bad idea. And I know he would have done whatever it took to make sure I was taken care of if I had had any surgical complications.

How are you doing on fluids? I made sure EVERYTHING I drank had Protein in it. It was actually easier to get 60g protein than 64oz. fluids. Typical day... 1 scoop Syntrax nectar in 16oz Water + 1 scoop unjury unflavored in 1 cup broth or cream Soup + 1/2 Premier Protein diluted with 8oz milk (these were always too sweet and thick for me so diluting them with milk helped them go down easier.). That is 67g protein and only 38oz fluids. The rest of the fluids I got from drinking herbal tea and diluted 100% fruit juices (plain water and artificial sweeteners in crystal light, etc really hurt my sleeve in the beginning)

Premier chocolate and strawberry ( didn't really like their vanilla)...diluted with skim milk because all RTD shakes are too sweet and thick for me. Muscle Milk Banana cream, cake batter and velvet cake. Syntrax Matrix vanilla. Syntrax. Nectar cherry, lemonade, apple and fuzzy navel. Garden of Life Raw Fit original and Raw Protein chocolate and vanilla (The protein source in these is sprouted seeds and I started drinking these when I developed a bit of lactose intolerance postop.) That resolved after about 4 months but I still drink them. There are so many other brands and flavors out there. These are just the ones I found that I liked. I use Torani SF syrups or Mio and Dasani water drops to mix up the flavors. I.e. Mio tangerine + Matrix vanilla = dreamsicle. I also add peaches, mangos, bananas and berries. I usually mix the chocolate and vanilla powders with milk (even more protein) and the fruit flavors and GOL with water. I added Unjury unflavored protein powder to every kind of broth and cream soup and bisque I could find for a savory alternative to the sweet shakes. I also use the protein powders to flavor plain Greek yogurt...really cuts down on the carbs instead of getting presweetened yogurt. Garden of Life vanilla mixed with yogurt and milk makes a great protein rich pudding. Good luck!

As I got closer to goal, I started adding fruit to my daily protein smoothie....peaches, mangos, blueberries, blackberries, apples, etc. My absolute all time favorite is premier chocolate, 12oz milk and a banana. Mmmmmmm. I did discover, though, that citrus and pineapple do not go well in milk-based smoothies. Gives it a sour milk taste. They are fine with with Syntrax Nectar powders mixed with water, though.

80's rock rules! I'm jealous

I know this isn't the scientific answer, but maybe it's your body's way of telling you to stop doing that. And it's not going to let you off the hook by giving you the "pleasure" of vomiting. I overate early on just one time. Like you, I didn't vomit and I felt horrible for hours. But lesson learned....I never did it again! I slowed down and took a LONG time between bites so I could tell when to stop before it was too late.

Ok, so here's my first pictures. The "before" was taken Dec 4, the day I started my preop diet. The "after" was taken 3 months later (2 1/2 months postop) and 50 pound down. Size 22 to 18.

Actually "most" overweight people do not have hiatal hernias. All stats I found when researching my surgery options indicated 40-50% of morbidly obese (BMI >40) patients have a hernia. Age was actually a much higher risk. (70%of people over 70). So unless you are over 70, you basically have a little less than a 50-50 chance of this insurance deal working out. I actually did not have a hernia when a I got my VSG, and neither did the other 4 people that had surgery the same day. But hey, if you do have a hernia, it's a great way to save some money!

Yep, carbonation is carbonation.

Just curious, but what's up with the not driving for a week? I was never told that with this surgery. I was told to not drive for 10 days after my neck fusion surgery, but that was beacuse I couldn't twist my head safely to look behind me.

I was with my sister in Mexico for the first 3 days, but all she really did for me was keep me company (and make me walk to Starbucks with her twice a day) I flew back by myself day 3, went grocery shopping and drove myself home 5 hours day 4, and came home to a driveway covered in snow that I had to plow. I have two 50 pound dogs, 2 cats and 2 horses that I was able to take care of just fine by myself. Of course I had friends I could have called for help, but I never needed to.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/315787-new-and-improved-after/

Hmmmm....those seem like pretty low protein goals. I was getting 50-60g by 1 week postop. Kaiser isn't hitting that goal until 6 months out? I would be concerned with hairloss and muscle wasting with such low protein levels for so long. Not to mention not getting enough protein in the early weeks when it is most important for for healing. But, like someone said, there are a lot of different plans out there. This one just doesn't make sense to me.

Between pre and postop I was on liquids for 34 days. For 16 of those (preop) I was hungry every day. So what? It was only temporary and a very small price to pay for a HUGE reward. And the fact I did it without cheating was very empowering....it just made me stronger and more confident. Keep your eye on the end goal and know that following all directions is the best thing you can do to have a safe surgery and smooth recovery.

EVERYONE experiences this. Use the search function and type in "stall". Or go to the "don't sweat the still stuff" subforum on here. http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1102-dont-sweat-the-stall-stuff-new/

I decaffeinated myself before surgery. Afterwards, I only drank decaf herbal tea. Warm chamomile tea was very soothing on my tummy and now I have a cup of Sleepytime Tea every night....and I never drank tea before surgery. As for coffee, I tried it a couple times about 2 months out, but it was too harsh. Even decaf coffee is acidic. I tried again at 4 months and had no problems. I never bothered to go back to caffein. I have a big travel mug size of decaf every morning. Just remember, your sleeve is still healing. I basically treated my stomach as if I had an ulcer and didn't consume anything that would irritate it or impede healing, coffee included. The fear of a leak or complication kept me on the straight and narrow.

What does your surgeon/nut say about alcohol? That's who you should listen to.

I some cases, it may be a matter of ligitimate inability to comprehend directions provided. Maybe the patient has a learning disability. But I'd be willing to bet in most cases people are too lazy and have no interest in taking responsibility for themselves. They don't read the paperwork because it's just "so much". Or they aren't listening when the dr/nut is talking to them. I am a vet tech and believe me, even in veterinary care, client compliance is ridiculously low. I've even attend CE conferences with seminars designed to show us better ways to assure compliance.....all because these people are lazy (I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that it's not because they are that stupid) It doesn't matter how much time I and the doctor spend going over medication dosing or postop care instructions, people just DONT LISTEN. I feel it's a complete waste of my time and breath to even bother talking to them. So when they call with a problem, I go over it AGAIN And I explain that all of that is on the paperwork they got that they just "threw away" or "can't find". Or my favorite - "I know that's what you told me, but my friend said....." So let your expert friend take care of your pets and quit wasting your money and my time. I'm sure doctors and nurses experience the same frustration I do. And really, with all of the information available on the web, there's no reason not to be fully informed of every twist and turn of WLS. I went to Mexico, so didn't have any insurance hoops, but I researched for months and asked tons of questions both from online strangers and the surgeon's staff. In other words I took responsibility for my decision...I didn't expect anyone to hold my hand through it. And when it came to pre and postop medical instructions I followed my doctor's advice only. If I was unsure about something, I asked them, not you guys (no offense) Or sometimes these people know the "right" answer to their questions but want to try and find someone to help rationalize their bad behavior. Unfortunately I've been slammed for the "kick in the ass" replies that these people actually need. So I've learned to move on and let these guys continue to self sabotage and be miserable. Good post. Glad I'm not the only one.

Lisacaron, I tried that with beer when I was in college, but it never seemed to worked for very long . Drank nothing but beer all weekend...drank it till I puked...didn't want anymore beer come Monday, but by the next weekend there I was, chugging more beer! lol

I never counted calories and never plan to. Like Beaglelover, I had surgery so I wouldn't have to do all that diet stuff ever again. I just get in my Protein, Vitamins and Water and eat smart. But you need to find what works best for you in the long run....I'm just not a tracker/counter kind of gal.

Bloating, Pain, extreme discomfort, vomiting. Don't worry...you'll know! Fortunately I only got to the the first 3 before I learned my lesson.

OK! OK! I just placed a jockey order....size 5 modern micro boy shorts, microfiber French cut and even two bras. And all at 25% off!

It might be awkward for a little while, when you are going through all your postop food stages. And then you won't be able to eat much for a few months. During that time when I 'd go out, I wouldn't even order anything...just a couple nibbles off everyone else's plate was more than enough. Later I would just get Soup or an appetizer and I still couldn't finish it. Even now I either get an entree and take home the leftovers or I split an entree with a friend and they luck out by getting the larger portion. Potlucks and BBQ's are easy because I only take a tiny but of whatever I want. Since all my friends and family know about my surgery, my new restaurant / party eating protocol is no big deal. And going out to eat actually gives you a good opportunity to practice eating slow like we are supposed to. It's great when I can make my tiny portion last as long as someone else's big plateful of food. Just try and make your outings about socializing with friends, not how much food is going in your mouth.

Great to hear from you, Hoosiergirl! Glad to hear maintenance is going well. You were such an inspiration to me when making my decision to have surgery, just want yo say thanks again! I'm below goal and loving sleeve life!