WL WARRIOR

Sshree, Thanks for the nice words! We will just agree to disagree. I hope you success on your journey as well. Happy Halloween!

The amount of food that is suggested (8 tablespoons-1/2 cup or less during meals) for weeks 3-8 is in the bariatric handbook from my clinic. The suggestion is not identical for everyone, but similar from what I've heard from others who have gotten the sleeve. It is a suggestion given if you want to be successful and prevent discomfort. I've read posts from people who decide to eat the wrong foods or eat more than the guideline. I get it, it's their body and then they will decide what is appropriate for them. However, I see many of them complain of slow weight loss or other complications many weeks or months later. Deciding what is best for my body is one of the reasons I got so fat in the first place. I think the medical pros have the suggestions we should follow. Don't all of our stomachs look similar after the vertical sleeve surgery? Wouldn't the surgeon and bariatric doctor have a better idea of how much we should be eating post op in order to avoid discomfort and be successful losing weight? I have hypothyroidism and know that sometimes it interferes with weight loss. I am going to follow exactly the diet I've been told to follow so that I am doing everything I can do to make my post surgery weight loss a success. If that means eating less than 8 tablespoons or 1/2 of cup of food, then so be it.

You really shouldn't be eating more than 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup at a time. If you frequently eat to the point of discomfort, aren't you worried of stretching your stomach? If you want to be more successful, then I would suggest being more meticulous about how you are eating. Write down everything you put in your mouth, count calories, eat with a baby spoon, no snacking, eat three meals a day at least three hours apart, make sure your meals last 30 minutes, etc.

I had an edema problem that left my face so bloated and unrecognizable. I've noticed that just three weeks after surgery that my face is starting to look like it did before the edema. I'm no longer bloated and swollen as well. It's such a change and I'm starting to think that I've released some toxins from my body. I had hyperthyroidism in my 20's when I was active and thin. After a baby, I gained quite a bit of weight and developed hypothyroidism. I do think your thyroid changes with weight loss and gain. You may have to adjust your thyroid meds as you lose weight.

Did you use to have a large belly? If you lost weight quickly, then the stomach will get smaller and skin rolls may appear. Your rolls just are taking more time to shrink with the rest of your stomach. Just be patient, it will happen. I have a similar problem. I didn't have hardly any rolls at my heaviest because my tummy was ballooned out. As I lost weight, some rolls are appearing on my lower sides. I might wear a shaper to help my clothes look better as I lose moreweight. Good luck on your weight loss journey!

My nutritionist said absolutely no gum. Like someone just mentioned, you do swallow air while chewing. I've thought about sugar free candy, but am not sure if that is okay.

I thought that you couldn't drink while eating because it is too much for your stomach to handle. I am only three weeks out, but I get sick if I drink more than 1 Fluid ounce at one time. I was really thirsty yesterday afternoon and took two big swallows of Water. Within one minute I was terribly nauseous and felt like I was going to throw up. You are suppose to wait 30 min. before and after you eat before drinking any liquids. If you forget this rule and go ahead and do it, then your body will let you know by giving you some discomfort. Snacking at this stage seems impossible to get in through all the drinking and Protein requirements. The only time that it would be possible for me to get a snack in would be late at night. I don't want to start doing that because it's part of what got me fat in the first place.

I actually love Isopure. I know I may be in the minority because most people don't care for the taste. I just bought three more 3 lb. jugs of it because it has helped me be successful so far. It has 50 grams of Protein in every 12 ounce serving. I mix mine with Water and don't mind the taste. Does it taste terrific? Not really. It's not something I would sip on for enjoyment. I drink it because it is doing great things for my body. It is the only Protein Drink I have found to also include Vitamins and minerals your body needs. I was drinking a chocolate whey protein powder mixed with milk before surgery. After surgery, it was too thick and rich. I don't think I'll ever return to drinking it again. Isopure is pricey, but you can get it for 55% off at puritan.com. I like the strawberry, vanilla, and mango so far. Also, isopure has zero carbs and sugar with 210 calories per 12 ounces. Be sure to check the carbs, sugars, and calories on Protein Bars. I wouldn't buy too much food before surgery because you may find that you don't need it or want it. Good luck!

I am guilty of using my body as a trash can. My problem with obesity started with the birth of my son 9 years ago. He has always been a very picky eater, which is quite the opposite of myself because I love almost all types of food. The rule in our home is that he has to take at least one bite when presented with new and different types of food. Only 20% of the time will he keep eating past that first bite. There would be times that I put the rest of it in the fridge for leftovers, however, sometimes it gave me an excuse to have a 2nd helping and overeat. I was raised to think that dumping perfectly good food in the trash was some kind of character flaw. Even though I grew up and realized it wasn't true, I still had a hard time doing it. Just this week, I gave my son a Cereal bar to eat and he didn't like it after taking one bite. I had my sleeve Oct. 6 and have stayed on track throughout my pre op and post op liquid diet. I've even lost 30 pounds already. When he handed back the uneaten cereal bar, I almost had a knee jerk reaction to start munching on it. I realized that I needed to throw it away immediately. I tossed it on top of the pile in the trash can and realized that I might as well push it further down the pile into the coffee grounds so that there would be no way of recovering it. It was then when my hands were deep down in the trash that I had a moment of deja vu. I actually did the same thing 13 years ago with prescription Vicodin that I had become addicted to after 14 months of use. It made me realize that I am now overcoming an addiction just like I did 13 years ago. I did it then and I an do it again. I just have to make my next addiction a healthy one.

I took phentermine in my early 20's when I was young and stupid. I wasn't very overweight and mainly wanted to use it to decrease my appetite. Like someone posted before, I had a love/hate relationship with the drug. It gave me energy while suppressing my appetite, but would keep me awake most of the night. After not sleeping for a few days, I got desperate and asked a friend for a sleeping pill. The sleeping pill was actually Trazadone and within one hour I started hallucinating. It was probably one of the scariest moments of my life and it even disturbs me now to reflect back on it. I was too embarrassed to go to the ER, so I tried to wait it out in hopes it would wear off. However, after 24 hours of continuing hallucination and panic, I had someone drive me to the ER. I am lucky to not have long term damage. Of course, I am much wiser now about the severity of complications that can arise from taking medications like Phentermine. It's just not worth it.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT I AM ABOUT TO ELABORATE MY POOPING EXPERIENCE SINCE SURGERY. I am sorry if this is too detailed. You may want to skip this post and read something else. I had my surgery 10/7 and have gone three times. The first time was four days after surgery and quite normal. The last two have worried me. They were runny, slightly painful, and rust colored. My doctor said that it could be internal blood from the surgery. I have not gone in the past six days even though I take Docusate Sodium (100 mg) twice a day. I am guilty of not eating enough soft foods. I've done great getting all my Water and Protein in but need to do better getting in more stage 3 food.

I am almost three weeks out and my weekly weight loss is somewhat similar so far: 2 week pre op.....-10 pounds 1st week post op.....-15 pounds 2nd week post op.....-5 pounds I consumed exactly the same amount of liquids (Isopure and water) the 2 weeks after surgery, but lost much more the first week.

My surgery seemed very rushed. They could not get an IV in me, and after three nurses and an anesthesiaologist poking me in seven numerous places, they ended up getting one to work good enough. I was lucky they didn't put it in my foot because that is what the majority wanted to do. By that time, it was three hours past my scheduled surgery time and I was moved to the last bariatric surgery on the list. They only do bariatric surgery every Tuesday and I wasn't about to wait another week. I overheard a nurse on the phone with the surgeon and it sounded like the surgeon was criticizing the nurses for not getting the ball rolling. After the phone call, they quickly rolled me down to surgery and put me out on the way. It was quite sneaky of them and I didn't even get a chance to be nervous. When I woke up, the surgeon was talking so fast that I couldn't understand what he was saying. Then, in a flash, he was gone. I was actually in shock with how painful it was coming right out of surgery. I read many posts on this forum (weeks before my surgery) from people who did rather well after surgery and didn't even need pain medicine. I wish someone would have told me, "it's going to be extremely painful right when you wake up, so brace yourself!" However, the pain did get better day by day. I wasn't able to walk until the second day due to dizziness. My stomach was one large purple bruise (even darker purple on the right side) the second day. Even now at 2 weeks post op, the bruise is still there but yellow now. I believe my surgeon may have used more force during the surgery and that may have contributed to the higher amount of pain. I'm only speculating and overall I'm satisfied with the job he did. I feel so much better know and things are looking up.

What is the difference between regular Medicaid and McLaren medicaid?

I used a lotion with caffeine after pregnancy and actually got great results. Caffeine does cause dehydration, but it is put to good use by drawing excess fluid from fat cells. I've also read that it can help reconstruct damaged skin cells. I need to research more about its effect on sagging skin, however.

I take Suboxone for depression, pain, and past addiction problems. It is very similar to Methadone. You may just be feeling strong side effects from the drug because you only recently started taking it. The drowsiness should lessen over time as your brain becomes more accustomed to it. However, it could be that the combination of the Methadone and another drug you are taking causes extreme drowsiness. You might have to investigate this yourself because doctors sometimes mistakingly prescribe medicines that counteract or strengthen negative side effect of your other meds. Be aware that a drug like Methadone may interrupt your pain relief after surgery. If you continue taking it before surgery, it may cause the stronger narcotics to not work as well or not work at all. I had this problem and my surgery was particularly painful and could not find much relief at all.

Doesn't pickle juice have vinegar? I would be wary of it, it is quite acidic.

James, I don't know where you are at in Missouri, but Dr. De La Torre is excellent and does both gastric bypass and sleeve in St. Louis and Columbia. He did my sleeve Oct. 7 at the University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. He has a great reputation for the large number of surgeries he has performed with little or no complications.

Most medications for major depression or bi-polar depression cause you to gain even more weight. It would be nice for my depression to disappear as I lose weight, but I am not getting my hopes up. I was skinny and depressed before I gained lots of weight and became obese and depressed. Overcoming depression is more complicated than simply losing weight.

Great list! I packed most of those things from your list for my hospital stay last week. My mom gave me a ride to the hospital and left after I came out of surgery. After she left, I looked around the room for my duffle bag and couldn't see it anywhere. I asked a nurse and we both assumed she must had taken it with her. My cell phone was in the bag and it was off. I spent three days in the hospital without any of my precious items that I spent time planning, making lists, and packing. In the end, it really wasn't that big of a deal. I was kind of "out of it" most of the time anyway. I probably wouldn't have used most of the things I packed anyway. The hospital had towlettes, toothpaste, toothbrush, slipper socks, etc. It's good to be prepared, but don't fret too much over it. Hospitals sometimes prefer you to where their gowns for easy access to certain areas of the body. They cover your back up with another gown when you walk down the hall. By the way, I asked my mom about my bag when she came to pick me up. She walked behind the hospital bed and pulled it out from hiding from behind the curtain. It had been with me all along. Oh well!

Bittersweet, The generic compression stockings (like the ones from Wal-Mart) are not the kind you are suppose to use. I don't know if you have ever worn them before, but there is a specific type that most hospitals use for preventing DVT. You actually have to be fitted for them before surgery. Not every hospital does this and every persons situation is different.

I had to wait 10 months because there were so many obstacles to overcome. I just had surgery 9 days ago and the long wait actually made me prepared, confident, and successful. However, there were times when it felt like I was waiting forever and that the surgery may not actually happen. Learn as much as you can about bariatric surgery and diet through research or from forums like this one. Losing weight and exercising before surgery will help you in the long run and help you reach your weight loss goal quicker after surgery. Good luck!

I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS GOING TO BE SO PAINFUL. I mentioned this to the nurses right after surgery and they said almost all bariatric patients say that.

How did you know that you had developed one? I had three days of injections in the hospital and went home last Thursday night. The nurses removed the leg massagers on the 2nd day and didn't send me home with compression socks like I hoped they would. I got up to walk every hour once I got home. I hope things get better for you.

I also got the patch behind my ear along with Zofran and had no vomiting. I get nausea very easily and vomited multiple times a day throughout my pregnancy. Hence, I was worried about the nausea after surgery. Although the patch and nausea medicine helped, I was terribly dizzy when they tried to stand me up two hours after surgery. The nausea subsided enough 5 hours after surgery that I was able to walk down the hall with assistance. My advice would be to let the nurses know about your fear of vomiting so you can get a nausea med or patch. Also, ask for a puke pail right after surgery just in case. I did not ask for an anxiety med before surgery, so I never got anything to help me relax. I guess they thought I was cool as a cucumber and didn't bother. It would have been helpful, however. My point is, just make sure your wants and needs are known. And it never hurts to tell more than one person.