SusinMichigan

I am almost 7 months out and down 106 pounds since surgery, 180 pounds from my highest weight. I still regret having the sleeve done. There are so many foods I can't eat, my stomach hates everything except a couple bites of steak (then I'm really full) or king crab leg. I can't eat ground beef, ground veal, chicken of any kind, eggs, Pasta, gosh I can't tell you what all it doesn't like, but I know within two bites. The things it hates it really hates and occasionally I can have something that I know is "off" but the next time it's fine. I would love to be able to eat a real meal. More than two bites of meat, one bite of a vegetable and then set my timer and wait for my half hour to pass so I can drink something or have a popsicle. I still can't eat anymore than somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of food at a sitting. When I was told I'd be able to eat 1/2 a sandwich ... I don't know when that will ever happen cause it sure isn't today. I still have to carry something to drink in the vehicle, and things to snack on. It's not as bad as early on, but just last night hubby and I went shopping and I had to stop at a gas station to get unsweetened tea and sweet and low to be able to drink something. That was poor planning on my part though. Hubby misses going out for dinner or lunch. I'm having lunch with my sister on Monday and I know it will be 5 spoons of some kind of Soup at a local restaurant and then I'll be taking the rest home. I hate taking +20 different OTC Vitamins and supplements as well as some regular prescription drugs. I hate the constant constipation. I have had a regular "poop" less than I have fingers on one hand. Everything else has been done with lots of blood in the toilet (hemorrhoids) and laxatives. The span can be anywhere from 5 days to 13 days and when the day comes that I have to go ... I can't leave the house, just wait for the laxative to take effect. That said, I love being in a size 18 jean and large top. I love the look on friends faces when they see the "new" me and know my voice but not the body. I'm even enjoying the exercise. I do hate the excess skin. I discovered today I won't be able to wear short sleeved clothing this spring/summer, it'll have to be elbow length blouses because all the skin fell and is hanging around my elbows, looking like elephant skin. The same this goes for my knees. I have a powder prescribed by my doctor for the lap that's hanging and suffocating my front bottom part, where the skin is infected all the time ... two showers a day. I had surgery to save my life (literally) the cardiologist said I would be dead in 7 years (5 years now) and I wanted to live longer and not leave my husband ... in that regard, it is working. Sorry this is so long, just pouring out my heart. Good luck and I hope you did this for the right reasons, it'll come back to you if you did and you'll be happy.

Get used to it ... I was sleeved 7/1/2014 and have only had 2 natural "poops" since then. I have gone as long as 13 days without a bowel movement and as late as yesterday still was taking Milk of Magnesia (it didn't help) and Dulcolax laxative for women. I'm not sure this is entirely normal, but it's my normal.

As a July 1st sleever, was just wondering how everyone was doing. Is your weight loss where you expected it would be? Are you feeling better/healthier? Any surprises? Any depression going on?

Hi jgj, I am down 46.5 pounds since surgery and 61 since my first appointment with the surgeon. I have yet to be able to get in enough Protein, fluids or calories. I "blue" so much of the time I'm actually on antidepressants and had the dosage raised in the last month. Don't understand why. Hit a stall that lasted 3 weeks at 3 weeks, so that was expected. There is very little I actually like to eat. It seems like more trouble than it's worth. Thanks for answering! Susan

Jan, I'm almost 7 weeks out and still often only get to 300 calories -- case in point, yesterday was 313. Patience are a virtue and you'll need all you can dig up right now. Try to get your liquids in, but even at that, I'm lucky if I get to 40 ounces. Am working with the nutritionist on these issues.

Okay, had the darndest thing happen today and wondering if I'm alone. I take a small cooler with me on errands now and it had a bottle of water, bottle of Crystal Light, Colby jack cheese and string cheese. Just a snack because I'm still eating every 2 1/2 - 3 hours. We went about an hour away to the nursery and spent probably another hour in the nursery. I had G2 and 4 pieces of bacon then 8 oz. of Crystal Light this morning before we left the house. After we left the nursery, (it had been 2 1/2 hours since I had anything) I grabbed a piece of Colby jack from the cooler because I was feeling a little funny. On the way home, I realized I couldn't read the signs at the side of the road, not only curve ahead signs, but also street signs, etc. More like I could see the first letter (sometimes) and the last two letters and everything in the middle was totally blurred. About 1/2 hour or so into our trip home, it started to get some better and it was better by the time we got home. Has anyone had this happen? I'm going for my 6 week check up on Friday but there hasn't been any blood work ordered. I'm going to call my primary care physician for a blood work order tomorrow but don't even know how to explain what's happening. Any ideas? Thank you.

Yes, I am on blood pressure meds.

Yes, I am 6 weeks out and regret it every day. Thinking I should have tried harder with Atkins since that's what life basically is now. I don't like the stalls, it almost kills me to go 12 days without losing a single pound all while trying to drink 64 oz. of Fluid a day that I just about never get in. I'm lucky if I can get 350 calories in a day. I don't enjoy eating anything it's a chore to do so. I eat by a timer, hell, I live by a timer these days. I have to take a cooler with me when I even run errands because there is something goofy going on that throws my entire body off whack. I'm always tired. While I have lost 36.5 pounds since surgery, and am grateful for that, I have yet to have a single happy day. My stomach hurts with just about every meal I eat. I can slowly sip on bouillon and as long as it's only 4 oz. I can do okay. I can eat about 1 tablespoon of food at a sitting without severe chest through my back pain. About 30 of the 36.5 pounds came off in a week. Then there were 12 days with nothing ... not one pound lost. After that I've been losing maybe 1/4 or 1/2 of a pound a day when I have a loss. I think I might have made the wrong decision ... maybe I should have had RNY instead. My brother and friends all went that route, but I didn't want my insides all rerouted. Think long and hard before you make this decision. It's not reversible and it's forever.

I was told no pool, hot tub, river, lake, bath, etc. until after 6 weeks check up. Too many germs, etc.

I'm coming along pretty good. I have discovered I can no longer tolerate sugar free anything or milk products (except cheese). It only took 8 days of diarrhea to nail that one down! LOL. Your stats show the lap band, that's why I thought you had that one done. It's about 1 1/2 hours for me to go to Ypsilanti. It would have been about the same to go to Lansing. Jackson is about 40 minutes away but it's not like there are major specialists there. And to me, this is real specialized surgery. I'm still not able to eat very much, although I had one entire piece of string cheese this afternoon! Usually I can only do between 1 tablespoon and 2 tablespoons of food at a meal. As of today, I have lost 22 pounds since 7/1 surgery. And since getting my CPAP and Atkins diet of about 5-6 years ago, I hit 99 pounds lost as of this morning. I'm having a bit of a hard time grasping a couple pounds down a few days in a row now. It just doesn't seem possible. How are you dealing with that part of the journey?

Hi Kim! Doctor Poplawski did my surgery. I heard really great things about Dr. Taylor. It seemed like Dr. Taylor did a lot more surgeries than Dr. Pop did. I would say 61 pounds with the lap band in 3 months is wonderful! Can I ask why you decided on the lap band vs. gastric sleeve surgery?

Hey Kim, I was just sleeved at Barix in Ypsilanti on July 1. Everything is going well, thought the staff was great. They all seemed to have a heart. Who was your surgeon?

I'm new to this, just sleeved 7/1 and the thing that amazes me most is the tiny amount that I can eat. When I look at one tablespoon of pureed food in the center of a saucer and know that's my portion it blows my mind. Also the fact that I use timers to eat by and to sip by. It's a full time job!

I had a surgery date of 7/1 - at one week I weighed 8 pounds more than I did the date of surgery. It was all the fluids they pumped into me/us. And, I was down 2 pounds from the 10 I had gained two days after surgery. At my two week check up, I was down 8.9 pounds for the two weeks. Oh, btw, tomato soup was off limits on my program because of the high sugar content. Just hang in there, it'll get better or at least I hope it will!

It's not necessarily foods that I didn't like, although this is new to me and I have already had pureed turkey and I never ate turkey, I hated it! I really liked it though. Much of my taste buds are very different, it started in the hospital with "blue raspberry" popsicle ... it tasted like a sweet pickle! I'm finding a lot of those things since my 7/1 surgery.

My surgeon only required one day of Clear liquids (the day before). I was concerned about my own liver and health and voluntarily followed a liquid program with protein shakes for two weeks. Not only did I do this, but hubby did as well to show me his support. One very ironic thing though ... at my two week check up today, there were 4 of us all waiting for our appointments in the lobby. We were all operated on 7/1 and walked the halls together, none of them had done anyting except clear liquids the day before. All three of them had pain and had experienced some vomiting ... not me! Was it because of my diet? Who knows, I just know I feel much better than any of them do. Would I do it again? Absolutely!

Thanks Kate, I see a doctor (not my surgeon but someone he has seeing his patients) on Tuesday. I have not been feeling great and I am really trying to get in fluids. I measured my sip and it's 1/2 teaspoon ... it's just so hard at 1/2 a teaspoon at a time to get some fluids in me. Thank you for your concern. Sus

I'm able to eat 1 tablespoon ... when on full liquids, it was 1/4 cup. I still can't get in anywhere near 64 oz. of fluids (lucky with 20 oz.). Also can't get the 6 small meals though. Was sleeved 7/1, so this is very new to me.

My doctor said he'd let me know at my two week appointment if I could drive yet.

I'm one week out from surgery now. In my book, it says to get smooth, no sugar added yogurt. My husband has been at the grocery store for over an hour now trying to find such a thing. Any brand name? He's ready to lose his mind! Thank you!

Thank you so very much!

I have lost 3 pounds on my first week! I'm thinking you are probably going to out lose me, that said, I do have to say I am disappointed. I am a WLS virgin. Maybe when I start to eat solids, it'll get better. I sure hope so.

I'm a July 1 sleever. I am feeling like I am recovering well, although I'm alternating between sleeping on the recliner and in a guest room. Having a hard time with that. A little sore, especially in the belly button area (hernia repaired there). Gas is subsiding now. Had to take a laxative on Saturday (per instructions at leaving the hospital) and that worked easily. Today, I have been to the bathroom 5 times, hmmm. I can't drink Water yet, it just hurts! I'm supposed to go into pureed foods on Friday ... we'll see where that gets me. Had to speak with the surgeon on Saturday, he told me to take Lasix to try to bring down all the swelling in my legs and feet. By the time I left the hospital on the 3rd, I was up 10.2 pounds. As of today, I'm just .1 shy of losing 1 pound (since weighing in on 7/1 before surgery). Buyers remorse? Not sure, just feeling awfully skeptical about the entire process.

G2 or Powerade Zero or Isopure with 40 mg of Protein (GNC).

I had my surgery July 1. I gained 8 pounds July 2 and another 2 July 3 (all prior to being discharged from the hospital). I lost 4 pounds total since coming home and spoke with my surgeon yesterday. I have been instructed to take Lasix to try to get the fluids out of my legs and feet (they are three times their normal size). While I am not worrying about the numbers on the scale, I am concerned about the size of my legs and feet. I can look in the mirror and see the difference in my face. I wish I were one of the lucky ones who could avoid the scale totally, but I have to be able to tell any number of doctors (surgeon, cardiologist, pcp) my weight on any given day and how many Lasix I am taking. I am just confident that I'm doing the right thing, eating the right things in the right amounts and it'll work sooner or later.