Savedbygrace22

Unhappy Sleever, You can add protein powder to your food. For example you make chicken soup, add a scoop of protein powder which is about 24 gms of protein. Also you can make double milk. Skim milk plus a scoop of FF dried powdered milk adds about another 24 gms to your milk, depending on the labels. I hope you will be happy soon. We are here for you and for each other.

Maddie86 Are you still eating mushy stage foods? You want to eat very slowly, putting your fork down between bites. Chew Very well for what seems like an over exaggeration. Swallow, rest, then take another tiny bite. Concentrate between bites on how your stomach feels. When you feel food in your stomach moving around and you have had several tiny bites with rest between them; and these tiny bites would equal to about 3 normal pre sleeve bites; then you have probably had enough. When you start to feel saity, but could still eat more if you choose, but you really are not hungry anymore; it's time to stop eating. We need to eat very slowly because when we do not, before our stomach has time to get the message to the brain that we are full; we have already over eaten and food will back up the throat. It takes 20 min for the stomach to get the message to the brain that the stomach is full. Some people start to burp and hiccough when they are too full. I like to stop before that happens, and it only takes one bite too many to get that unpleasant process started. :-) So we must eat slowly and get to know our new tool. I just started puréed foods yesterday. I think I can make it now. You will do well, you just have to get to know your new tool slowly. You will feel more compression when your stomach completely heals and when you are on regular, or at least more dense foods. Remember always to eat your protein first.When we get all the rules down it will be easier to get through our meals. Hang in there. We got this.

I have felt that since I was a preteen as the Dr "dieted"me since elementary ; incorrectly, of coarse. We know now that children shouldn't be told to skip meals, but rather be encouraged to play , eat healthier choices and grow into their bodies. Then in 8th grade he gave me Ionamin, anyone remember that yellow capsule? I feel that since I have dieted and lost 20's, 40, 57, and 3 yrs ago 78lbs on my own, that this has to be my answer. Goodness knows that I can do without. So I prayed and I hope that since I will follow diet instructions ( of my diet manual & Surgeon) to a "T" I can do this this time because of the restriction of my tool which will help me to prevent eating mindlessly large portions. And also on the last diet I gave up sugar, bread, and starches. It was one of the most difficult things I have voluntarily done. So I have not had a problem on the liquid diet because I have already overcome my sugar addiction. I have always LOVED healthy foods ( in addition to unhealthy ones) so that fact will help tremendously. I am so thankful for my new tool. This has to work for us! I signed a contract in my Surgeon's office that I will follow his instructions, take my vitamins and supplements, and follow this eating plan. I just feel differently about this life plan- more optimistic than ever before. We can do this, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day; then weeks, months, and years will pass and we will still be successful. Why? Because of our determination, our direction and support from our medical team, and last but not least, all the wonderful people who daily lift us up, advise and care for us on this website. You and i can do this just as our friends, mentors, and buddies have.

Linn, thank you for your prayers for my surgery. I felt prayers of many; I was calm and had so much peace and absolutely no jitters or second thoughts. I was actually ready to do this thing. Strict dieting, even 6 wks of Optifast , is no stranger to me so I didn't have a problem just drinking. Post surgery as he only required low fat pre op diet. I am 2 wks out and still drinking full liquids, but will transition to puréed foods on Monday. So far I have lost 34 lbs. my Dr is very pleased. He wants 50lbs off @ 3 months and told me I am way ahead if the game. From what I've read, I believe I can do that. I wish you well on finding a group in your area. God Bless You.

My Dr. told me to only walk for 6 wks. You have to give your surgery time to heal. All strenuous exercises that could cause problems should be avoided. The time will pass quickly.

Is it possible that your sister does not understand the importance of your decision? You made a life changing decision . You will have better health and be able to better enjoy your life as you age. I was recently on a cruise whose population was mostly mid 40's and up. There were so many 70 and 80 + year olds; I just sat and observed. They were on the dance floor, tearing it up. They were active, dressed up in formals for dinner hand in hand, it was amazing. You might think that the ship was overrun with walkers and wheelchairs. Not so. They were mobile. I remember one little lady in a wheelchair being pushed by her husband , and one gent on a cane. I realize that I didn't survey the entire population, but the people I did see we're mostly mobile. The food for thought is that none of these seniors were obese. I was the one in the wheelchair ! They were walking, shopping, partying, drinking; having fun. [ I had fallen and my sports doctor found that the cartilage in my knee (from an old injury) is almost gone. I was determined to not have knee surgery just yet. I am 2 wks out today and down 34 lbs since surgery, and am not having those knee problems at the moment. ] There are many ways to live a happy life, one of them is to age gracefully by exercise, eating a healthy diet and keeping the body weight down. Those seniors in my opinion; were able to have such fun because they were mobile and did not have excess weight pulling them down. Each time I passed my reflection and saw myself in that wheelchair, I thought " dear Lord, please let my surgery be successful. " If your sister won't speak to you, I can understand that you may have some regrets. But you deserve to have good health. You have done something wonderful for you that can help you maintain wellness for the rest of your life. Please use your tool without regrets that you did something good for yourself. Only regret that your sister doesn't understand and try to educate her on all of the pitfalls you can avoid like heart attack, stroke, edema, and diabetes which is often cured by this surgery. Sisters share such a special relationship and life is so short. Try to explain that this surgery could be life saving for you. Ask your sister If there was a person who collapsed and someone did life saving CPR; did the victim cheat by continuing to live? Of coarse not. We all deserve to live a healthy life. I wish you well on your journey. God Bless you.

Nate74, User error is evident as your recipe is under my name. Twice I have tried to comment, but the page freezes and I had to cancel. Then my comment is gone. Wanted to thank you for this recipe. Will enjoy it when I'm able to eat. Thanks for sharing with us!

Hello all. I saw my surgeon today. Surgery was April 30, 2014 and I'm down 34 lbs. I really can't see 34 lbs. I see a new face in the mirror today. My Dr. Is very pleased. He wants 50lbs gone in three months and told me that I am way ahead of the game. I'm so grateful. I now have another wk of full liquids, then it will be purée for 3 wks. I am just concentrating on walking and protein and liquids, and Meds. I am feeling pretty good. I have had the blues, I contribute half to hormones and the other half to missing Mom. She went to be with the Lord November 2012, but told me to stop and take care of myself. I promised her that I would. I wish at every stage of this journey that I could share it with her. I also had a difficult time on Mother's day simply from not being able to be with family as my Dr. Would not let me travel home. I am really so humbled when I read of those who have had complications and I pray that they get well soon. I cannot complain. We are working on a healthy lifestyle which will help us to age well and gracefully. God bless you all.

Ladies, Don't Dispair - spray bottle, white vinegar or cottonball, white vinegar Shower with antibacterial soap if possible. If not, your usual. After shower, spritz with vinegar underarms, under breasts, or places odor is noticed, air dry. Cover vinegar area with your favorite light body spray to erase the vinegar smell. You can also soak a cotton ball in vinegar and wipe underarms then air dry. I travel with a small spray bottle of vinegar inside a plastic zip bag in my suitcase. No more worries! :-)

My decision that lead to 100% - all of my life I had had wt issues. In third grade I weighed 136 lbs. I knew it was bad because my brothers and the kids at school even relatives at the family reunion teased and taunted me constantly even back then. If I could have had this procedure in childhood I would not have hesitated. But of coarse it was not available. I made a point to diet. I tried to run like the others , but when I started my chest would Burn and I heard this noise and then running became impossible to continue. (undiagnosed childhood asthma) I grew up exercising , dieting , still gaining a few pounds yearly. When I stopped the exercise in college, on my job in my new career, wt slipped back. I dieted again and again; each time my wt returned with an extra 5-10 lbs. I lost 20, 40, 57, then 78 lbs except for 20 lbs at wt watchers, I did all of my wt loss on my own. By this time the orthopedic injuries had started. Sprained ankle, fractured both feet . During those times I was restricted my my dr from gym activities. My legs would swell along with my feet, Especially when I travel. My wt had gotten out of hand control. Now had to deal with arth problems. I was at the cardiologist. He told my that all of my numbers are good, and my heart is fine - for- now. He said that the only thing he worried about is - my- weight.........then he told my about the sleeve and asked me to talk to the surgeon about it and to at least consider it. I agreed, saw the surgeon, etc. went on my cruise with hubby, and when I returned from my trip, surgery was scheduled for 2 wks later. The rest is history. For me having the sleeve was like this: my dr. Knows I love to enjoy life, and that I want the best quality of life possible, and that I care about good health. So he recommended this for me; I just followed the doctor's orders. Start wt 342, present wt. 329- surg on 4/30/14. It only takes a small reason to miss out on something good we can let doubt and fear get the best of us. But Are not given the spirit of fear. I suggest you talk to God about it, get your peace with whatever decision you come up with and go from there. I only wish I could have done mine decades sooner. Let us know your decision. I wish you well. God bless you and be your guide in wherever He leads you.

My decision that lead to 100% - all of my life I had had wt issues. In third grade I weighed 136 lbs. I knew it was bad because my brothers and the kids at school even relatives at the family reunion teased and taunted me constantly even back then. If I could have had this procedure in childhood I would not have hesitated. But of coarse it was not available. I made a point to diet. I tried to run like the others , but when I started my chest would Burn and I heard this noise and then running became impossible to continue. (undiagnosed childhood asthma) I grew up exercising , dieting , still gaining a few pounds yearly. When I stopped the exercise in college, on my job in my new career, wt slipped back. I dieted again and again; each time my wt returned with an extra 5-10 lbs. I lost 20, 40, 57, then 78 lbs except for 20 lbs at wt watchers, I did all of my wt loss on my own. By this time the orthopedic injuries had started. Sprained ankle, fractured both feet . During those times I was restricted my my dr from gym activities. My legs would swell along with my feet, Especially when I travel. My wt had gotten out of hand control. Now had to deal with arth problems. I was at the cardiologist. He told my that all of my numbers are good, and my heart is fine - for- now. He said that the only thing he worried about is - my- weight.........then he told my about the sleeve and asked me to talk to the surgeon about it and to at least consider it. I agreed, saw the surgeon, etc. went on my cruise with hubby, and when I returned from my trip, surgery was scheduled for 2 wks later. The rest is history. For me having the sleeve was like this: my dr. Knows I love to enjoy life, and that I want the best quality of life possible, and that I care about good health. So he recommended this for me; I just followed the doctor's orders.

Emarie07, I have had them too. Very vivid, bold and disgustingly frightening. I do hope these will go away soon. They are like the night terrors that the children have. Well wishes to all who suffer from this, hope they are gone for good this week.

Jcollins You will be fine. Remember to read and refer often to your bariatric manual and follow your physicians specific instructions. We have to study now while we can eat very little so we will have it all down pat when we can eat. We need to eat slowly over 30 min. Then we will feel the compression of the sleeve. Sip sip sip all day to get your fluids and protein in. They will help you feel good by keeping you hydrated, helping you heal, and prevent you from having a large though temporary hair loss.

Swimbikerun, LindaHayes and Auqafinaflo, I think that Nita, kpay10 and I will reach our goals because of the wonderful people that you are to give us such encouragement. Thanks for your kindness and willingness to share. We will all do this one day at a time.

April 2014 Sleevers (specifically April 30) It has been one wk today for me. Nurses need TLC too. So I encourage everyone to take it easy and do what is needed to heal, get plenty of sleep and manage your pain when / if there is any. An old college friend of mine called; when I heard her voice I started to cry. I wondered how would I explain that. Since we have always confided in each other I decided I would just continue tradition. She was so happy and proud of me and told me of a mutual friend who had the sleeve and is six years out. She is still successful. I was so happy to hear that news. She gave me such encouragement and told me how brave I am. It was just what I needed to spur me on. At 7 days post op I am able to drink more fluids each day; and am getting 40-60 gms of Protein in daily. It's not such a chore anymore. I take liquid PPI x2 day and have learned that tomato Soup even with double milk is not on my food list at least for now. I have been blessed to not have much nausea and all of the discomfort that I some of you have had to endure. Please be encouraged and hang in there, it will be worth it all very soon as we see wt loss. So for me its on to full liquids for 2 more wks, then if ready I will be able to start mushy foods. How are the other April 2014 Sleevers? Are you all ok?

Just hang in there and know that it will slowly get better. I had to stay over an extra night too. I feel better now; am still very sore but ok. I am so excited about this wonderful support group that we have. They all are so helpful and encouraging. I'm so thankful to be part of such a wonderful team!

I have been a registered nurse for decades (since college ) as nursing was my first love. I was sleeved on 4/30/2014! I can't believe I am able to write that my surgery is past. I'm taking it slowly as this whole process seams surreal. Did I really have surgery? Am I on the losers bench. I have to almost pinch myself. Surgery went well, although I had a hietal hernia repair, and I ended up staying in house an extra night. I had a temp of 100.00 somewhere along the way; and remember thinking oops, that will slow me down. For the most of the process, it went very well. I'm home and drinking protein drinks. I'm sorry for those of you who have bad gas. I had that in December with my hyst. I had only 3 holes then. I had so much pain in my shoulders. Nothing I did seemed to help. I have 5 incisions just as he said I would. I am so thankful that I can start a new life. I will continue to pray for all who are struggling with discomfort. It will be better soon. And welcome to the losers bench.

It's beautiful. I hope to have success similar to yours.

I AM SLEEVED Made to the other side- Thank God, it was by His grace! Surgery went off without a hitch . Just managing the pain, trying to prevent nausea. Pain is at a minimum, nausea too with Meds. All is well, can hardly talk for falling asleep. Will ck in again soon when I can stay awake . Bless you all.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE APRIL 30th SLEEVERS! You will do well as you enter into a healthier happier life! We can all do this together as we lift each other up on our way to a lifestyle that has changed for the better! My surgery is today April 30, 2014 @ 9:00am! God's blessings to all!

Mommamel, so glad to hear from you. Glad things went well. Hang in there with the pain and discomfort and don't hesitate to take your pain Meds. Studies have shown that healing is better when the pain is controlled. My sleeve surgery will be done today, April 30,2014 @ 9:00am. I can't wait to get it over and start living the rest of my life. I look forward to hear of your progress. Rest and take care of yourself. You have a lot of good quality living to do. :-)

4/30/2014- My surgery is at 9:00 am. This is the day! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! I am looking forward to the rest of our lives! Nita, Kpay10 and others whose day is today; God bless each of you and all others to come. We can do this, each one reach one. Let us keep on touch and lift each other up. I'm very optimistic about this. I know it won't all be roses, but I believe that it will ultimately be worth it all ! Hugs!

I'm in Houston area also. Dr Jason Balette is My surgeon. MY SURGERY IS TODAY! April 30, 2014! I'm totally at ease about it. I have had surgery before, I have lost large amounts of wt. before. I just pray for a smooth noneventful surgery and permanent wt loss. We all can do this together.