MariaH1978

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in May of 2013 weighing 321 lbs. I already have diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, so being diagnosed with sleep apnea was the final straw. I went to see my primary care doctor and got a referral. My first visit with my bariatric surgeon, Dr. Amin, was in August. Dr. Amin said that I was a good candidate for the gastric sleeve. He told me that I would have to get some tests done, get a psych eval and have to take a class. I had done Weight Watchers for 2 years prior and because of this, I was put on the fast track to have surgery. That was fine with me. I had to take the class for 6 straight weeks. Other people had to do it for 6 months, once a month. After completing my class, all my documents were sent to my insurance company and the waiting game began. At the end of October I got the call that my surgery was approved and my date for surgery was November 12, 2013. Needless to say, I was thrilled. Two weeks before surgery, I did a liquid diet. The first couple of days were hard. After the third day, I was good. The sugar free popsicles were my best friend during this time. On the day of surgery I weighed 310 lbs. My surgery was scheduled for 8:30am. I've never been more excited to have surgery and I've had several. Surgery went well. I was up and walking around the hospital that evening. I was sent home the very next day. Things were ok when I got home. I had lots of help and I made sure I walked everyday. I came home on liquids for the first few days then I transitioned to soft foods. I had a hard time drinking Protein drinks. They really didn't sit well with me. After a about a week, I was able to tolerate them a little better. Three weeks into my recovery I started having severe stomach pains. I went back to Dr. Amin and was told that I was having muscle spasms from being cut through my stomach muscles. I haven't quite reached a month yet, but overall things are going well.

I'm 3 weeks post surgery. I went to my doctor for my 2 week post-op visit and my doctor told me that I didn't need to drink Protein shakes anymore. He said that I need to get my nutrition from food. He doesn't want me to get my calories from drinks. I hear a lot of surgery patients talking about still drinking Protein Shakes so I'm just wondering. Are protein shakes necessary for recovery?

I'm new to this site, but wanted to share my journey. After being diagnosed with chronic sleep apnea in May of this year, I knew that I had to do something about my weight. I already had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and the sleep apnea diagnosis sent me over the edge. After talking to my primary care doctor and getting a referral, I made an appointment to see Dr. Amin.