Miss Mac

I had an uncomplicated recovery from my sleeve, but still had to push through the first month until I got on regular cooked foods. I am retired and could not imagine going back to the job I had (supervising housekeepers at a seven building facility - walked all day). I had no energy for the first month and woke up with nausea quite a bit, but did not vomit until I got the flu at six months out. My largest incision was sore for that first month, but nothing I could not handle. The only pain meds I took at home was hydrocone for a couple of days. In the hospital I gained twelve pounds in two days from the IV fluids, so I had to lose that first because I could even think of progress. By the time I did, I hit that dreaded third week stall for over a week. By the time I started losing weight again, I was at the end of my first month. I did not exercise beyond walking for about six weeks. Yesterday I hit my two year surgery anniversary and had just had a follow-up exam. The bariatrician said that I am exactly where I need to be. It took me longer than other folks, but I am healthier and happier than I have been in decades in spite of orthopedic issues. Please don't compare yourself to others. That is a crazy-maker. Because I was able to get a reality check from this forum, I knew that my experience was not going to copy any else's. My progress came in waves with long stalls in-between. The longest was six months. IMHO, you should only expect that by the time you do get to your goal, you will have totally re-invented yourself and be much healthier as a reward. Hugs from Chicago. I wish you good luck and good health.

I am at two years today and only had loose stools only until I got on soft foods. Prior to my sleeve I fought diverticulitis for years, which caused frequent bouts of diarrhea. You definitely should mention this to your doctor, as it may be totally unrelated to you revision. Even if you have a colonoscopy, you will live to tell about it. They give you a drowsy nap while they are working on you, then you wake up and have someone drive you home

Been there, done that, got the shirt. I had my knee replacements done in 2007 and 2011 before my sleeve, but I gained fifty pounds in the process. If I were in your shoes, I would get exercise videos from David Stamps, or follow his Youtube videos. He has several kinds of exercise for people who have mobility issues. I have Chair Boxing, Chair Salsa, Chair Tai Chi, and Bedfast. Even though your knee will prevent you from everything you want to do, you will still be exercising the parts that you can move. Plus, he's easy to look at. There are other chair exercise videos on Youtube from other people. You will feel a lot better after you get your staples out.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to post something in the Update section. I wanted to mention that today 12/23/2015 is my second anniversary for my sleeve. It's been a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get where I am, but I tell you what.......I am healthier than I have even been in as an adult. This is not just about losing weight, it's about improving your quality of life.

Congratulations. All of these agonizingly slow days will collectively pass by in no time. All you have to do is set a dental appointment or a colonoscopy for the day before surgery, and you will see how fast time flies!

I went in for prep at 6am, had surgery, and recovery, and was in my room by 9am. So, three hours for everything start to finish. The thing I appreciated the most about my surgeon was that he extracts as much CO2 as possible before closing up. I was terrified of getting that horrid shoulder gas, but it never happened. It also help to allay my fears knowing that he teaches bariatric and robotic surgery at Loyola University. Over all, I had a much better experience than I was expecting.

Please call your doctor. You really won't have time to take off work if you let a fixable issue become a serious complication. You are worth the trouble.

@@MissFeB Where do you find them? Try the meat department at the grocery store!

I use a card that gives me 5% back on my purchases annually. I do not spend more than I can pay off in a month, but I put as many purchases (that I was going to make anyway) on that card so that I can get that benefit. As often as I can, I buy what is on clearance or a great sale. Most of my online clothing was purchased from places that give away a free item with any purchase over a certain amount. I did my Christmas shopping for the adults this year with free merchandise.

It did not take me long to figure out that it was not the food I missed, but the grease and the salt. I read one of those food expose's a while back that McDonald's adds sugar to its ground beef mix. Now I don't look at it in terms of what I miss, but in terms of everyone else committing slow suicide. I just went to a lot of inconvenience to get healthy, so I really don't miss eating at McPoison's, Poison King or Poison Bell. If this were my Grandma, she would have got out her Iron skillet and cold-conked Grandpa upside the head!

It sounds like a stalling tactic to me. My packet was sent to BCBS Federal Employee on Thursday 11/21/2013 and was approved by noon on 11/25/2013 on; two business days. I had my surgery on 12/23/2013 just before the end of the year.

I took way too much. Mostly I slept and watched TV. I used my teddy bear, house slippers, Chapstick, pen and paper, my glasses and a watch. I wore the loosest clothes I had, knowing that I would go home with a tender belly.

I don't know why this site separated my sentences like that. I did not type it that way.

I would be looking for a regular primary physician who is supportive of bariatric procedures. The supplements I am required to take until forever are: Sub-lingual B-12 Vitamin D-3 Calcium Potent multi-vitamin On my own I take Biotin and magnesium. My diet plan went like this: Hospital - clear liquids (you can see through) No fruit juices. Water, broth, tea. Home: (Day three) Full liquids. Wet and sippable, like milk, Strained Soup (no noodles or bits) sugar-free Jello water, Sugar-free pudding Week Two: Day ten. Purees. Consistency of baby food. Will slide slowly off the spoon. Yogurt, thin mashed potatoes, chicken pureed in the blender with broth to make it soupy, stuff like that. Week three; Day seventeen: Soft foods. Thicker, mushy, no bits. Chew til your jaw hurts. I took things like beef stew and put it in the blender with some broth to make it moist enough to be smushy. I was allowed yogurt to make it moist, eggs, cheese, steamed veggies chewed well. Everything cooked....Nothing raw. At 4 1/2 weeks (one month) I started regular cooked foods in recognizable form. I could only hold 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of anything. My first food in this category was a small Wendy's chili on the way home from the doctor's office. It lasted me three days! Three Months: Tested tolerance for raw foods. Six months: Tested tolerance for salad greens. (at two years they still sit like slime - a waste of stomach real estate). At this point my capacity was near 3/4 cup or two ounces of meat and a couple spoons of veggies. Tested tolerance for nuts and foods with bits. One year: At this point I can tolerate one cup of dense food or 1 1/2 cups of soup sipped over about 15-20 minutes time. To get the most reliable medical info online, The Mayo Clinic, The Cleveland Clinic, and John Hopkins Hospital are good places to start. Anybody can say anything on Wikipedia. I wish you good luck and good health.

For celebrations around here, we usually make a sugar-free cheesecake topped with fresh berries. I just scoop the custard filling off of the graham cracker crust.

I had a lemon flavor and was able to drink it like lemonade. Designate a bathroom for yourself and keep everyone else away. When you gotta go, you gotta go.

Protein shots are small, concentrated liquid Protein, just enough for a couple of gulps. They come in tiny bottles like airplane liquor. Different flavors are available.

Diarrhea is inconvenient. Constipation is like passing a watermelon through a straw. The #1 thing that gives me the most grief with bowel function is sugar or sweeteners. Miss Tummy does not like them and certainly speaks up about it. I agree, look for changes in your food, your medications, and your routine.

In the soft foods phase, it is so easy to want to eat canned fruit, mashed potatoes, chicken noodle Soup with the noodles, Peanut Butter, pancakes, and chili with cheese, Beans, and sour cream. The calories and carbs can add up quickly. So long as you have a blender or food processor, you can take moist meats like chicken and roast beef and add some broth to make them even wetter. Your veggies need to be non-starchy, and fruit is a treat. I was allowed one serving of fruit a day. Watch out for processed foods because of the added sugar and salt. If you are doing your own food prep, learn to eat with minimal salt. I have found post-op that any time I have salt with my dinner, I will be up at least two pounds overnight. Some people can handle it; I cannot. It will take me a week to lose those two pounds. One other thing that causes me weight gain is medications. I had to go back on Lyrica in September and gained ten pounds in twelve days! That was enough for me, so I went back to the pain clinic to request different treatment. I gained twelve pounds during the two days I was in the hospital because of IV fluids. So, I had to lose that before even thinking about my post-op weight loss. One thing you will learn is how to listen to your body, and how to be a good detective. You will learn way more than you expect about health, anatomy, nutrition, and the psychology of person relationships. Just be mindful of following your program, and don't lose your momentum Hang in there.

My psych eval was a face-to-face interview for about 20 minutes. She was mostly concerned about eating disorders and family history of eating disorders and obesity. She asked about who would be supportive and who would discouraging and did I feel emotionally strong enough to stand my ground in the face of resistance. We talked about my willingness to follow my team's direction, and the pre-op and post-op diet process. She asked about why I wanted the surgery and what success or failures I had before deciding on surgery. All in all, it was painless and I was approved with any trouble. I just had a two-year follow-up interview last week, and she mostly was concerned about the same things: compliance and results to date. Again, about 20 minutes.

Same. I was at six months before I was allowed salads and raw veggies. Lettuce and greens just sit in my tummy like slime and do not provide satisfaction anymore.

Olive oil spray, seasonings, roast.

Anything too hot in my blender will cause the plastic cup to crack. I'd smush, then heat.

What stage are you in? You will have may more options once you get back to regular cooked food. For me that was 4 1/2 weeks. Before that, I used baby foods for purees. For soft foods, I just took what I wanted and put it in the blender with enough broth or Water to make it the right consistency. If you are already in the regular stage and lost about menus, go to: theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com She is one of us and understands what we are going through. She has many recipes and bariatric - friendly menu ideas and wonderful stories about world-wide travel while newly sleeved.

My options pre-op were: 1) 4 1/2 cans of "High protein" Slim Fast OR 5 1/2 packets of "No Sugar Added" Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink mixed with fat free or 1% milk OR 5 individual cartons of Atkins Advantage daily OR 4 1/2 bottles of "Glucose Controlled" Boost daily Post-op I had more liberty to choose what I could tolerate. I had to order the Boost on-line because I could not find it in a store anywhere. Since I had to do the liquids for ten days, I bought some of each kind for a variety.