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i never noticed a problem with reflux when I chew gum.. coffee is the only thing that gives me heartburn. I mostly drink tea but take Rolaids for those days I can't resist a cup of java.

Yes every day. It's one of the distractions I use to keep from snacking.

Does Amazon ship to Canada? That's where I get mine.

I never planned on giving up the foods I loved so I never had food funerals or a "last meal". And although I restricted certain foods while I was losing, I now again eat everything and anything....in moderation, of course.

If cooking means collecting various ingredients, following a recipe and puttting something in the oven, stove or crockpot, then I MIGHT cook 1-2 times/month. Otherwise I'm all about local deli takeout, (they homemake everything on-site every morning), Sam's Club prepared meals, quick 1-2 ingredient meals and heating frozen veggies and Entrees in the microwave. On those rare occasions that I do cook I make a lot, separate into individual servings, vacuum seal and freeze. BTW I'm happily single!

I contacted my surgeon's office 10 days postop in order to request my bloodwork, EKG and OR report. I received them via email within a week. Other than that I've really just consulted with my surgeon or followup doctor about medications I've had to take for non-WLS related medical issues. He's advised me of protective measures to help protect my sleeve. I contacted the anesthesiologist about 10 months postop to request a copy of the exact protocol he used on me. It was the first time I had ever woken up from surgery not nauseous and I had no postop pain. I just wanted to know what he used for future reference. For that first year they had also sent me followup questionnaires via email every week, and eventually monthly to keep tabs on my progress. They also have a dietician on staff, but I never felt the need to consult with her. Despite having surgery in Mexico, it was great to have such easy, direct contact with my surgeon and his staff. They always returned calls or emails within 24 hours. The surgeon removing my gallbladder next week is just 30 miles away and I'd probably have to give up my first born to actually talk directly to him.

Hey, thanks. It's really no big deal. The timing was my idea. I was lucky to find a good surgeon willing to do an elective surgery the day before a holiday. I also scheduled my VSG five days before Christmas (2013) and spent Christmas and New Years sipping on Protein shakes. I don't get PTO/sick leave, so I gotta take advantage of the holidays for time off when I can.

And here's some personal bad experiences.....I have two married friends that had WLS 8 years ago. They have never taken the recommended supplements. They had no problems for the first 4 years, other than one of them tended to get dehydrated a couple times/year. She has been hospitalized more than once in the last 3 years due to anemia (low iron), weakness and heart arrhythmia (low potassium) and fatigue and anemia from low B12. He almost bled to death after passing out on the bathroom floor because he had a severe Vitamin K deficiency and his blood wouldn't clot. After that he finally decided to get "with the program" and is doing well but she refuses to comply and continues to feel like crap and has numerous symptoms related to various deficiencies. She's thin but is more unhealthy than she ever was when she was fat.

When I was researching VSG I looked into long term effects of gastrectomy patients who had part or all of their stomachs removed due to cancer or ulcers because VSG just hasn't been around long enough to have good studies showing long term effects. 90% of gastrectomy patients developed nutritional deficiencies within 10 years. Vitamin D, B12, Iron, Calcium, zinc and folate were the biggest culprits. Vitamin B12 deficiency can result in PERMANANT neuropathic so, leaving you crippled for life. The illnesses and symptoms of other deficiencies are really too long to list. These deficiencies Are not going to pop up overnight. They are a result of chronic malnourishment and very easily prevented by simply taking your supplements. Annual bloodwork is also extremely important in order to monitor and adjust your vitamin regimen. You went through the trouble of surgery.....taking Vitamins and eating Protein is SO easy!

OK, @@Recycled , how about this one?.... "Did anyone else ever have to take a dump in a kitty litter box at work because they didn't have enough time to get to the bathroom?"...... I've searched and searched and can't find anyone else who shares this experience. I feel so alone

Good luck with the surgery my dear. Been there, done that. You will feel so much better once you are done with the post op discomfort. Gall bladder attacks are horrible, aren't they?Yep, worst pain ever (and I've broken my back and had my neck fused!)I've had 4 attacks, but kept postponing surgery because they are 3-4 months apart with no symptoms in between. But Thanksgiving or Chritmas are the only "convenient" times for me to have surgery due to my work schedule, so I'm taking advantage of my window before the next attack. Besides, the stone count in my gallbladder keeps growing . Guess it's time. Thanks!

I keep the chocolate mint ones in my freezer....they taste just like Girl Scout Thin Mints. I do the same with the peanut butter fudge. Not quite the Reese's Peanut Butter cup taste I was hoping for, but still pretty good.

....and the farther out you get the more and more it is about you and less and less about the sleeve. So now is the time to work on all your food demons and figure out a way to deal with life without turning to your old ways. Success takes commitment forever.

I'm having my gallbladder out the day before so I probably won't be eating anything. But my family is under orders to pack up the leftovers so I will be eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie in a week or so. My post-VSG diet consists of moderation, not deprivation.

Just stick with it. Don't let the stalls get you down...definitely read Inner Surfer Girl's post about stalls. I GAINED 3 pounds between 6-7 weeks and then sat there for a month. But I never gave up. Protein, veggies, water and vitamins until I reached goal. Remember this is a commitment to a lifetime of healthy choices, so don't let the numbers derail you. Good luck!

So what are you eating? If it's anything besides Protein and veggies then YOU are failing your sleeve, not the other way around. If you sit down to a plate of grilled chicken and broccoli, how much can you eat? If it's a cup or less, then your sleeve is doing exactly what it's supposed to. If it's more like 2 cups, then yes, your restriction is not what I would expect for 4 months postop and you may want to discuss this with your surgeon. And remember, you will not feel full on liquids or softer foods or definitely not slider foods. Are you measuring and tracking everything you eat? If so, what are your numbers looking like? If you aren't, maybe that's what you need to do to stay on plan and figure out why you aren't losing. Unless you have other medical issues like hypothyroid or PCOS, or you are taking certain medications that can cause weight gain, you WILL lose weight if you stick with the program. If you are honestly following the plan and still not losing then you should probably chat with your surgeon or PCP to see if there's something else going on.

Just remember they are only doing and saying these things to make themselves feel better. They only way they aren't failures is if you are just lucky. I don't think they can be delusional enough to not know they gained because of their choices and that you succeed because of yours. But they can try and minimize their own failings by cutting you down. Go ahead and feel sorry for them and use them as your motivation, but certainly don't let them take away from your feelings of accomplishment. You earned it!

Mine did not leak around the incision either. I emptied the bulb 2 times/day but didn't have to change the dressing. Drain was pulled day 3, they closed the hole with steri-strips and it oozed for about a day after that but then remained dry until the strips fell off about a week later.

2013 It was 1 months before my surgery. I ate a normal Thanksgiving dinner...stuffed myself silly like I've always done. Started my preop diet one week later. 2014 I was 11 months postop and 10 pounds below goal. I ate a normal Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie) but with much smaller portions. Took home a bunch of leftovers, vacuum sealed and froze them and had "Thanksgiving dinner" several times over the next couple months. This year I am having my gallbladder removed the day before Thanksgiving so I will likely be crashed on the couch sipping on some sort of liquid. But my family is under orders to save some of everything so I can eat it later.

Yes, it will change drastically. I could barely eat more than 1-2 tablespoons at a time for the first 3 months. At 6 months I was eating was resembled a teeny tiny meal. By 12 months I could eat twice as much as 6 months. Now almost 2 years I can eat about 50% more than I could at 1 year. Would be nice to go back to that 6 month mark. As long as you are getting in all your Protein and fluids you are doing great! The volume will come in time. Be careful what you wish for

During liquid stage I Puréed and strained soups. During pureed Stage I pureed them but didn't strain. Soft food stage I just ate the soup as it came. I added unflavored Protein powder to every soup at every stage. Lobster bisque, broccoli cheese, split pea, wonton, hot and sour, clam chowder, beef barley, potato leek, French onion, Thai coconut, cream of asparagus, Mexican tortilla, black bean and kale, southwestern vegetable, bean with ham, etc. Amy's, Pacific, Imagine and Progresso are my favorite brands.

You lost me at carbonated...... I have a sleeve of steel and can eat anything but the one thing I can't do is carbonation. Bubbles=pain for me. But some people can tolerate it, so you won't know till you try. it's still not a beverage I would recommend until you reach goal and/or figure out how you react to carbs. Most Artificial sweeteners play havoc with your insulin levels and trigger carb cravings just like real sugar. Not to mention 1 month out is awful early to be falling back into bad habits. But it's your life and your choices, so go ahead and give it a shot.... you're the one that has to live with the consequences

This time of year my favorite meal is ALWAYS elk tenderloin. Just got an elk last weekend, carved out the loin as soon as we got her out and took the rest to the butcher. Seared in a cast Iron pan with butter, salt and pepper, cooked rare and served with sautéed mushroom and roasted red potatoes. mmmmmm.

@@Dub like you, my tastes never changed. I still love the things I always loved and still hate the things I always hated. I did have a temporary change in the very beginning where everything tasted too sweet. I switched to capsule Vitamins because the chewables were too sweet. I had to dilute Protein shakes and juice with milk or Water. But that all went away around 4-6 months. My tastes are the same now and my sleeve tolerates anything except carbonation and coffee (too acidic....causes heartburn). So I just found different teas I like instead of whine and complain about having to give up my beloved coffee. I was also super excited to get started and just wanted the weight OFF. In fact I started my liquid preop early. No food funerals, just jumped in with both feet. I had no doubts I was doing the right thing. Diet restrictions, stalls, diarrhea, constipation, food intolerances (couldn't do water, artificial sweeteners or lactose for the first 4 months), etc never phased me because I knew it was all just part of the process. Hell, I was prepared to happily shave my head if I experienced hair loss. But I never did....maybe because I never stressed over it. A good attitude and positive approach goes a long ways in making all of this easier. Negativity just turns the little things into monumental obstacles.

Yep, gained 3 pounds at six weeks out and took a month to lose. No worries. Just stick with the program and your overall weight will be downwards.....I promise.