JeanZ_RN

Sounds like you may have a stricture in your esophagus - particularly because of the way you describe your reaction to water/food: "I eat stuff and then it just hurts bad then I just open my mouth and it comes out. I don't even have spasms or straining or noise like when I used to vomit before surgery . And I feel totally fine afterwards. Drinking hurts still too and I can do maybe 20oz a day because I sip then burp for 10 min." Please call and talk to your surgeon or at least the office staff about that specific possibility. If that is the case the doc can dilate it and that might just fix you right up. Best wishes!

I think it's safe to say we all have cravings from time to time. Just keep reminding yourself - giving in to those cravings is how we got in this position in the first place. It's ok to have the impulse, just not ok to surrender to it as a regular thing. Something I heard or read someplace early on was that if we can make good choices 90% of the time, we'll be ok.

My viewpoint is different from most of the others on this thread. I'm a nurse, working in an administrative job in a small hospital. Another nurse was hired for a similar position in our hospital, and in the course of conversation he soon volunteered the information that he had the sleeve surgery. I had not heard of it, so I asked some questions, did my research and decided to start the journey. When I scheduled the time off for the surgery it just seemed natural to tell my peers on the management team the purpose of that leave. They have ALL been supportive, which has helped me tremendously. My only family - 2 sisters and 1 brother - all live hours away, and while we do keep in touch by phone and email, it's great to have supportive people whom I see every work day. Now I get to hear several times a week congratulations on how great I look and other positive stuff. I'll TAKE it! I have no idea what if anything they say behind my back, but I'm not going to worry about it. I'm not getting any vibes to indicate they are anything other than supportive, so I have no reason to think there's any nastiness going on.

Excellent info, thanks.

For the itching, you could try applying an ice pack to the area. If you're out and about or don't have the option of ice, try slapping the area lightly (or moderately) instead of scratching. Those things have worked for me in the past.

It took me three times, but I finally did quit. I used several strategies; here are the ones I remember from back then: The timing coincided with my buying a new car, so I decided I would not smoke in that car, ever. You could do the same type of thing by having your present car detailed and airing it out well. Along the same lines, you could set aside locations where you will no longer smoke - like inside your home. When trying to quit I decided that when I had the urge to smoke I would wait 10 minutes, and then if I still wanted a cig I would have it. If I didn't think of it again for 20 minutes, that didn't count - I made myself start over, waiting another 10 minutes. When I actually did quit I kept the last half pack of cigs and after a while they got stale. Then, when I gave in and had a smoke, it was a stale cig and tasted terrible. Negative reinforcement! Best wishes on your journey!

I am thinking about getting a FitBit but I know very little about them. Does one have to have a smart phone to use a FitBit? (I prefer my old-style just-a-cell-phone.)

Each day I eat 4 meals - 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm. I always have a Quest bar for breakfast, so the only planning needed for that is to keep the flavors I like in stock, and choose one on my way out the door for work. M-F I eat lunch out, and I usually don't decide which restaurant until I get in the car. No matter where I go, I order dense Protein - usually salmon, steak, hamburger or chicken, once in a while tuna salad - and I order the dinner portion so I'll have plenty to take home. I order whatever side item they have that I like - carrots or coleslaw are favs, or once in a while a baked potato - and I can only eat a few bites of it anyway. The leftovers I eat for weekend lunches, and if the side is a starch I usually throw away most of it.. I almost always have a Quest bar for my 4 PM "feeding," so I just make sure I have a good selection of them at work. My 8 PM meal is sometimes a Quest bar, sometimes leftovers from lunches. I don't have to decide until it's time to eat. You might want to see a thread Alex (BP founder) started very recently - How do you plan your meals.

LOL!! This is going to get a lot of views!

Congratulations, you look fanTAStic!

I had the sleeve, and I take Vitamins throughout the day. Here are the reasons why: My surgeon said to, and I'm following his plan until my lab work shows me it's not necessary. For instance, he wants his patients to take a chewable multi twice a day, and I did so for the first 3 months, and my labs have been great. Now I've cut that back to once a day (because I'm not wild about the taste), and I'll see what my labs look like next time. My B12 level was a bit above normal, so I cut that back from every week to every other week. I'm still taking the Vitamin D, magnesium, Calcium and Iron at the dosages he prescribed because my blood levels are good and I don't mind the taste of those. Another factor is that I don't like most veggies, so I'm betting I would be deficient if I didn't take them. Another reason is, as stated above, some cannot be taken together - eg iron and calcium. Those two compete for receptors. The final reason is that vitamins are enzymes, and they work best when taken with food. I use the monthly pill minder mentioned above, and I love it. Everything I take* fits in there except the calcium, and I put each day's calcium in a little 4x4" clear plastic baggie that I carry with me everywhere, just like I do the day's pillminder. I fill the pillminder once a month, and the calcium baggies once a week. * In addition to the vitamins and minerals noted above, I take Biotin timed release 1x/day, Colace 2x/day, krill oil 2x/day (to add oil and antioxidants to my diet) and a prescription antideprepssant 1x/day.

If you need more than Miss Mac can provide, message me and I'll send a couple of pairs.

I was told dense Protein first, then non-starchy veggies, and only if there's any room left do I get to eat fruit. Then I decided to limit my carbs to as few as humanly possible (ie Atkins diet) so I haven't eaten much fruit at all. That said, I've been in a stall and I'm trying the "shake things up" method of trying to break it, so I have been eating some carbs lately. And one of the things I've missed was an apple once in a while, so I had one this past weekend - it went down fine. I've never liked grapefruit, so I won't be trying that. I can't imagine it would hurt you, but as with most things you're trying for the first time since surgery - try a small amount at first, and go slow.

I don't think Premier Protein ready-made shakes have significant soy in them. I checked them carefully before I started my pre-op diet, because soy makes my body's thermostat crazy - I feel hot all the time when I consume it.

I live alone, so I only have to plan for me. Each day I eat 4 meals - 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm. I always have a Quest bar for Breakfast, so the only planning needed for that is to keep the flavors I like in stock, and choose one on my way out the door for work. M-F I eat lunch out, and I usually don't decide which restaurant until I get in the car. No matter where I go, I order dense Protein - usually salmon, steak or chicken, once in a while tuna salad - and I order the dinner portion so I'll have plenty to take home. I order whatever side item they have that I like - carrots or coleslaw are favs, or once in a while a baked potato - and I can only eat a few bites of it anyway. The leftovers I eat for weekend lunches, and if the side is a starch I usually throw away most of it.. I almost always have a Quest bar for my 4 PM "feeding," so I just make sure I have a good selection of them at work. My 8 PM meal is sometimes a Quest bar, sometimes leftovers from lunches. I don't have to decide until it's time to eat. So I don't plan specifically in detail what I'm going to eat, but I know what I need to keep in stock and I do plan ahead for that.

You didn't say if you are pre op or post op, and that makes a difference. Almost all surgeons require a period pre op when you are to be on a very restricted diet (3 days to several weeks) and during that time most docs want you to get the majority of your Protein from shakes. Not only that, but each surgeon restricts which shakes are acceptable. Once you're post op, you can get your protein from whatever source(s) you are allowed according to your surgeon's diet plan - at first it's usually clear liquids only, then full liquids, then pureed foods - each doc has his/her own diet regime. After you're cleared to eat whatever you can tolerate, THEN it's like Blondiee says - if you can get the recommended amount of protein from food, then you don't have to drink shakes.

Where in your back is the pain? High, middle or low? Right side, middle or left side? Always the same place, or various places? Is the pain sharp, dull, or other? How long does the pain last?

Clothes shopping! Date night with hubby. A massage, and/or mani/pedi. Congratulations!! And... sleeve on!

There's no right or wrong, just what's meaningful to you. Check my signature area for my history re weight.

As long as you are feeling well and are getting in your liquids and your Protein, there is probably nothing to be concerned about.

Quest Protein bars. www.questnutrition.com or I think they're available at GNC.

Well, more of the white is visible now, for whatever reason. I was thinking it's the fact that your cheeks are less full, but maybe it is as PdxMan says. As long as you don't FEEL "vacant" then just sleeve on!

18 lbs in a month AINT BAD!! Sleeve on, and it will happen.

I take the chewable Multivitamin from celebratevitamins.com. I started with the strawberry pineapple flavor, but didn't like them so changed to the grape flavor. I like those better.

I love Quest bars. Several of the flavors, that is. I like choc chip cookie dough, Cookies & cream, vanilla almond, and cashew coconut. Other flavors of theirs that I think are ok but not wonderful: cinnamon bun, white chocolate raspberry, and strawberry cheesecake. TexasMeg - I don't like the lemon either.