JamieLogical

We all just need to whine and vent sometimes! No need to apologize. The pre-op diet is teh suck and we all know it. Hang in there! This is where the true test of your patience begins and you are going to need a LOT of that in the coming weeks/months!

Raw veggies are the only things my sleeve has outright rejected. It's a little sad, but with trying to get all my Protein in, I'm not sure I'd have much room for them anyway.

@@Rena's got this It's so nice that your surgeon is being supportive and helping you get back on track instead of giving you a hard time. Some of the surgeons people mention on here sound like real hard-asses who are very unsympathetic. It seems to me that it is much more constructive to give patients positive feedback and help them set personal goals, rather than expecting everyone to fit a single mold and then berating them when they can't.

I'm late to this party and I just want to add that you need to focus on what is best for YOU and your family. Don't let the noise of others deter you from the course of action that makes the most sense for you. I've always been pro-choice, but I had always believed that I would NEVER have an abortion if it were me. That was until I got pregnant while I was working only part time, had no insurance, and the father was still a full-time college student without a job. Then the choice was SHOCKINGLY easy for me. Like there wasn't even a single second when I seriously considered KEEPING the baby. It's very easy to have convictions in the abstract, but until you are in a situation YOURSELF, you really can never know what you might do in some hypothetical scenario, much less what someone ELSE should do. So I 100% believe you and the father need to make this decision for yourselves and drown out the rest of the noise. PS: I have never once regretting my decision, though I have MANY times looked back and been extremely thankful that I chose the way I did.

Yayayayayayayay! Huge congrats!

Is there a white coating on the back of your tongue or roof/sides of your mouth? I had oral thrush as a result of my liquid antibiotics immediately post-op, so it could be that.

Welcome back! I can certainly see where you would get off track with exercise after undergoing two knee replacements. It sounds like you are determined to get back to where you need to be now that you're recovered. Best of luck!

I live in Western NY.

Are you on a PPI? This gagging thing really makes me think you might be suffering from acid reflux.

Once you are on solids, there are a bunch of non-perishable snack options. Nuts, jerky, and "beef" sticks come to mind. I put "beef" in quotations there, because there are actually a variety of meat snack stick options available, including turkey and more exotic meats like ostrich, duck, alligator, buffalo, karibu..... They can be lower in fat than beef. Edit: Plus there is the Protein bar option, obviously.

@@crazyfroglady How far out from surgery are you?

Good luck! See you on the losers' bench!

I've only had the first situation you describe where I get "drunk" very quickly, on very little alcohol, then sober up just as quickly. I haven't pressed my luck, so to speak and drank enough to get any worse than that. I'm not a young person anymore (I'm 36), so my days of drinking more than a couple of drinks in one evening are well behind me now. I don't think I'd ever have any desire to drink more than a couple of drinks, especially when I start feeling drunk so quickly now.

I think people get hung up on what is "typical" and lose sight of the fact that we are all individuals. Every step of the way through WLS, people have different experiences both mentally and physically. Some people lose very quickly, so much more slowly. Some experience extreme nausea and vomiting, some never throw up once. Some develop intolerance to certain foods, some can eat anything. Some have ongoing, severe GERD, some have none at all. Some experience dumping with high-sugar foods, some can eat sugar without issue. We all have to work within the parameters of our own bodies. What works for one, or even most, doesn't necessarily work for all. Unfortunately, some people get a "raw deal" and WLS doesn't benefit them the way it does others. Those people have to work harder and struggle more and that really really sucks. We can all hope it doesn't end up that way for us, but we need to acknowledge that it does end up that way for some people and we need to be caring and supportive of those people, instead of accusatory and judgmental. And more importantly, for those that do have a harder time with loss and maintenance, they need to not be accusatory and judgmental of themselves! They need to not label themselves as failures, which I see all too often on these forums and it breaks my heart.

Are you serious?!?!? Was this a psychologist that was specifically recommended for bariatric patients?

Sorry you had such a poor experience with your care. I've never been to Hospital CER, so I can't speak for nurses there, but I can say that the nurses I had at both facilities where I've had surgery in TJ were incredibly attentive and caring. All the more reason to do your research on facilities, I suppose.

Check out the Self Pay & Mexico forums if you haven't already. http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/486-mexico-self-pay-gastric-sleeve-surgery/

Are you allowed soft foods now? Day 18 was my first day of cottage cheese and scrambled eggs. Once I was able to start getting more real foods in, I turned a corner with my energy levels. I think it was mostly because I was finally getting in more calories. If you are only getting 350 calories a day, of course you are going to be fatigued and exhausted! That's not enouhg for a human to function on for any period of time!

I agree with all the others who say to try to get a detailed plan from your surgeon/nutritionist. In my very early days post-op (within the first week) I was encouraged to get as much Water as possible, but I was also allowed to drink decaf tea, 50/50 fruit juice and water, Vitamin water, and G2. I was told to cut out the caloric beverages ASAP, but if I needed them to get in all my fluids in the first week, it was okay. I was allowed my Protein shakes two days post-op and drinkable yogurt at 4 days post-op.

@@connor0331 I wish you the best of luck with your new beginning. At least you've caught yourself early, before putting any weight back on. That's a huge accomplishment, just in and of itself. You have a chance to turn things back around and not deal with the frustration of having to re-lose weight you've already lost. Stay strong though these first couple of weeks and I bet you can get back into positive habits again pretty naturally.

I lost 90+ pounds "on my own" back in 2010/2011. My boobs were never large, but after the weight loss, they were completely pathetic. They were like two tiny little empty sacks hanging from my ribs. It was awful. I decided to have breast lift with augmentation along with a tummy tuck. Best decision ever! I love love love love love my boobs now. And my flat tummy. Even after regaining 80 pounds and now re-losing it post-sleeve, my breasts and tummy tuck are still amazing.

Um, tell him to read up. That is clearly untrue. There have been multiple studies concerning the loss of excess body weight from WLS and all of them are well above 10%. Studies have shown that VSG patients lose on average, over 65% of their *excess* weight within the first year. Obviously what percentage of your total body weight is excess weight is different for every person, but it's HIGHLY likely that for anyone undergoing WLS, 65% of their excess weight would account for much more than 10% of their total body weight.

I was in the same boat, but my drain hole was covered with steristrips and i was told to just leave them on until they fell off on their own, so I didn't need my own bandaids or gauze to cover it.

Oh yeah. I was in compression garments forever it seemed like. The first one I had was so tight, it took two people to get it on me! But no amount of compression was going to do anything about the severe soft-tissue swelling in my back. @@gowalking Despite my complication, I still think having my plastics was one of the best choices I ever made. I did eventually fully recover and now I have been just enjoying the results for the past 3 years and will be enjoying them for MANY years to come. Even while I was going through my extended recovery, I had no regrets. The results are just so amazing and my flat stomach is now probably my favorite part of my body. I NEVER get tired of feeling it and looking at it. It is amazing being able to put on any pants or dress and have them lie completely flat in front. I would say the one down-side is that it's hard to find pants that are tight enough in the waits for my tiny stomach, but wide enough in the hips/butt. It seems like if they fit my butt, they are too loose in the waist. Not the worst problem in the world to have though.

Wait. What are you having to put gauze and tape on? I didn't need any bandaids or gauze post-op.