4LgrLife_53

I had my gastric sleeve on 11/4/2014. I'm feeling great and have had absolutely NO nausea since my surgery. I was so happy when they removed the drain tube and catheter early the morning after surgery. My surgery was at 1130 and I went home from the hospital yesterday (11/5) about 9:30 am. The doctor and nurses said I was doing GREAT! Tummy is still swollen, but I walked a lot in the hospital hallway and since I came home, and think the majority of the gas is gone. I forced myself to burp a lot. Once I was able to drink fluids (early 11/5), I got a vegetable broth cup at the hospital and it tasted great. Little sips!! and it helped move the lower gas out. Not having to use much pain medication, and the doctor gave me some omeprazole to help the stomach heal (cuts down on stomach acid). I forgot to ask if I could take the capsule whole, so I checked the PDR and uncapped the capsule and sprinkled the contents into a teaspoon of baby pureed apples. It went down fine and no pain or nausea. It was about a 35-40 minute drive home with my son and even that did not trigger any pain, so I feel so blessed.

My surgery is tomorrow, November 4th at 11:30 am. Excited about it, but worries still exist---commonplace I know. Wish me luck! and good luck to all you waiting the process and who have already undergone surgery.

My pre-op diet has been rough and hard to stick to, but surgery is right around the corner (Nov 4). What hurt the most was being unable to eat the sugar-free Jello and popsicles because they contain aspartame. The ones that were no sugar added had fruit in them and my guidance was to avoid those. So it's been just Clear liquids with the 3-4 Protein shakes I'm allowed. There WERE a couple of days I slipped up and ate 3 unsalted nabisco plain crackers in the beginning, but felt the need because my stomach was so upset with the allergies and felt extremely nauseous. I don't imagine those (six total) crackers messing up my clean-out/liver shrink. Other than that, I've been compliant on my pre-op diet. I have lactose intolerance on top of the aspartame allergy. Just waiting for my surgery day now--3 days and a wake-up!

I'm right behind you on November 4th. Good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PKDVM WITH BEST WISHES FOR MANY HAPPY YEARS AHEAD!! Terry

Anyone experience weird round spots and soreness on their tongue while on the liquid diet and Protein shakes. I read on WebMD that it can be a Vitamin deficiency. Not having rashes, swelling, or anything that would signal normal allergies but wondering if the artificial sweeteners are doing it. Thanks!

Discovered the cause--not only lactose intolerance but allergy/reaction to Aspartame in the artificially sweetened stuff. Just as well, as discovered there are some links shown that Aspartame is a carcinogen. I spent a good 20 minutes on the phone with Kraft Foods (makers of Jello, Koolaid, etc.) and asked if they could look into changing their artificial sweetener in their products to something more customer-friendly (as far as health). I know my best friend suffers severe migraine headaches if she has anything with aspartame in it and know we can't be the only one with problems with Aspartame. Yoplait Light Yogurt already switched and put "NO ASPARTAME" on their label (the Weight Watchers endorsed kind). Kraft representative said she was forwarding my comments to their marketing/research folks, so hope they do something. The pre-op diet has been hard with no JELL-O. In the meantime, they emailed me a bunch of coupons for their low-fat cheese, etc.

As far as nausea after anesthesia, just ask the doctor to put some of the anti-nausea medication in your IV. I told them about how I got sick one time after surgery (different situation than WLS) and the surgeon made sure the anesthesiologist put the anti-nausea meds into the IV drip. Solved all problems there. I'm on my 5th (of 14) pre-op diet day. The first four days were a bear and a half. I was starving!! All I'm allowed is up to four Protein shakes and Clear liquids (broth, sugar free popsicles, etc.) and I couldn't stop eating popsicles, sugar-free Jello, etc. and it wasn't calming things down. Thankfully day 5 has been so much better!! I went through days of battling my own mental battles about having WLS even after getting myself ready for it all. I found I wasn't prepared for the drastic reduction in intake. But it has gotten better and now I know I can do this!! November 4th is my main focus---the day of surgery!! and start of a new frontier.

I have suffered with plantar fascitis for years. I underwent surgery to release the PF (as well as grind off a heel spur) in 2012. It was absolute HELL. I was in a wheelchair for almost 2 months afterwards, and it took almost 7 months before I felt relief from the pain. It was like trying to walk with a huge bruise on the heel of my foot, plus I had ongoing PF in my other foot. That said, I found the biggest relief was NOT from the surgery, but from buying quality athletic shoes (I wear New Balance 4E width, and buy 1/2 size bigger to allow for foot swelling during walks). I was never a big runner-type----I have extremely flat feet. The other thing that helped my PF was Water WALKING/AEROBICS. Water makes you buoyant so to speak, and takes the weight off your joints. It has helped immensely with the pain and inflammation of PF as well as other arthritis-related issues.

Possible cause may be lactose intolerance. Ugh!

Before I went for a heart cath last year, I was on metropolol (spelling?)--a beta blocker. Turned out all my heart problems were related to that medicine. It lowered my pulse rate between 32-35 beats a minute, I had chest pains and episodes of nearly passing out. My cardiologist thought I had a blockage. It was due to that medicine. As soon as they took me off of that prescription drug, my heart rate returned to normal and I felt so much better and the chest pains ceased. My heart cath (angiogram) showed no blockages. If you are not taking any of those heart medicines, recommend you see a doctor ASAP. Or if you're taking any of the medicines, see the doctor anyway---you may need to downsize your dosage or there may be some other underlying problem. A lot of those heart medications including the beta blockers have to be weaned off of to prevent other problems, so please see a doctor before you do anything like stopping your medications.

That's what I'm thinking too since I drink a lot of artificial sweetened juice and crystal light lemonade/fruit punch with the Clear liquids. Before, I liked regular lemonade and lemon in my Water, but if I got too much acid I would get like a little canker sore inside my lip from the acid which went away after stopping the lemon for a while. I have no other symptoms that would signal an allergy, so I'm thinking it's the acidity or a Vitamin deficiency since my surgery instructions told me to go off all Vitamins (and certain meds) 10 days before my surgery on the 4th of November. The WebMD site said it can also be caused by stress or even rubbing of the tongue against teeth or dentures. Egads! But just wondered if anyone else is having to endure this discomfort pre-surgery on top of the stomach growls. Trying to stay strong thru this pre-surgery diet, which is a real test of endurance.

On day 3 of my pre-op diet. Allowed up to 4 Protein shakes a day and recommended 64 oz of Clear liquids per day minimum, including broth and sugar-free popsicles. On the pre-op diet until 4 November surgery (gastric sleeve). Had my final pre-op visit with my surgeon yesterday along with the lab work. The fasting the minimum 6-hrs before hand, after being on Protein Shakes and liquids was even harder. Excited about the upcoming surgery, and so happy I chose the KC Bariatric Center as my surgeons/clinic. They are so nice and so supportive. Finally, for a good chuckle, I took a good friend of mine with me to my appointment yesterday. The nurse called me back for my appointment, and of course the pre-appt weigh-in and blood pressure check. I knew I had lost weight, but when I stepped on the scale, it was showing I had GAINED over 25 lbs at first, and it almost sent me into tears before the scale settled back in to 235 (showing 11 lbs lost!). Come to find out my friend was pressing her toes onto my scale, and the nurse was playing along for a little bit. WE all got a good laugh after the nurse found out that I didn't know my friend had stepped on the scale behind me. Surprisingly, my blood pressure which is usually high, was very good (and within normal limits) despite the initial shock on the scale.

I agree with the others that your long-time friend has some issues. Extra children (you said she had two more since WLS) put extra demands on you mentally and physically, as well as financial problems that come with extra costs related to additional family members in the household. Sometimes people aren't in tune with the extra costs that come with having a big family. My daughter has five children, and it wasn't until recently it hit her and her husband that rising costs of rent, insurance, daycare, clothing, and school enrollment fees were going to be as high cost as they are. School pictures alone cost her over $200 (my grandchildren range in age from 13-2). Just saying so you might want to take a step back and offer some friendly advice or a shoulder to your friend. She is probably dealing with guilt or shame with having packed some of her weight back on, but has personal issues to deal with too. I don't know where your friend had her WLS or what type, but I've heard with some types there are revisional surgeries (like the gastric band to the gastric sleeve, etc.), and she might want to visit with her old nutritionist or psychologist to help her get her weight back down to where she wants it. Try to be supportive of her, as you would hope she would be supportive of you, and maybe things will turn around. It's worth a try as a co-worker and a long-term friend.

I do volunteer work at our VFW's Bingo. We have a candy dish on the table with the bingo cards, and it's empty by the time our bingo patrons hit the table. Not a big draw for me except I always loved those little packages of milk chocolate "Whoppers" and had to resist the urge to grab one. I actually enjoy watching the bingo patrons get their sugar fix out of our candy bowl. Halloween is great in that you can get those big bags of candy more reasonable than any other time of the year--I just make sure when I get a bag for Bingo that I don't get one with the Whoppers . On a side note, I started my pre-op diet two days ago, and doing OK. Had my pre-op surgeon visit yesterday with the lab work and all went smooth. I've lost 11 lbs to date!

I don't understand insurance companies. From everything I've read, obesity in every form and fashion leads to more and more health problems or co-morbidities, as the clinic prefers to call them. Heart disease is a biggee and probably one of the most common, other than diabetes. How many insurance companies are paying for knee and hip replacements for people who are obese and their joints can't handle their weight anymore? Those are high dollar surgeries too. Pacemakers, a lifetime of diabetes testing and treatments (dialysis can't be cheap either). Insurance companies need to look at their practices and come out of the dark ages. Approving weight loss surgery is a way for them to SAVE money!

I like this topic because I can relate to it A LOT. I get a lot of responses from friends similar. "You don't look that big", "you can lose the weight without surgery", "take diet pills", blah blah blah..... Believe me, I've tried pills, shakes, powders, fancy meals, and expensive gym memberships. The results were only temporary and I packed more pounds on than I lost. I wish I had my insurance long ago and would have done this surgery about 10 years ago. There were a lot of contributing factors to gaining weight, and lack of self-esteem was a major one. It only got worse as I packed pounds on. I put on over 100 lbs after leaving military service. Anyone who is a veteran knows the weight limitations the military puts on you and how physically fit you have to be, so gaining the weight was a major change to my physical and mental well-being (and not for the better, I assure you). I'm looking forward to my gastric sleeve surgery in November. I have 3 adult children, and currently 5 grandchildren who are still very young. I'm hoping and praying that the surgery will be a success and I can successfully lose weight so I can live a longer and healthier life and hopefully see my grandchildren grow up and have babies of their own.

I just wanted to add to this posting and wish everyone huge successes with their weight loss goals and surgeries. Mine is scheduled for November 4th. I have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One thing imperative---whether you have mental illness or not, is to work with your psychologist (therapist) either at the clinic or whoever you see regularly and coordinate any medication changes with your psychiatrist or MD. They say as the weight comes off you will encounter issues with your self esteem, self doubts, anger, etc. as well as dealing with any friends/family who want to try to push you back to old habits. I found out from my psychiatrist and my MD that all the medications I take are crushable (to powder form), and I can mix the powdered medication in my food or drink. Remember that a lot of the medications you can't stop cold-turkey (have to wean off them). So make sure to consult your Doctor! Right now I'm struggling with a long-term friend who is trying to get me to cheat on my pre-op diet (later this month), saying I should go out to dinner and one day won't hurt. I think she's jealous, of all things. This decision came hard, and I still struggle with it at times, but it is a move toward a longer and healthier life for me. Staying strong and stable!

Clenzen and any others: Just want everyone to know that on the UNJURY website, there is a sample pack of each of the flavors of the protein powders you can get to try it out, and it even comes with a small shaker/mixer. You can try out the different kinds of powders before you order any of the big containers (17 servings in a regular container). I found that a neat concept, so you're not having to go thru the process of returning it. According to UNJURY's website, they accept return of products if you are dissatisfied. When I got my box, they also included some suggestions on how to use the unflavored protein powder in other drinks and foods. Some of the protein powders say to keep temperatures under 140 degrees F, and to think of it in terms of an egg white when it's cooked. Too hot and the protein clabbers up. Just so you know, I'm not affiliated with UNJURY other than just being a customer.

I'm anxiously awaiting my surgery on November 4th. I took precautions and got my flu shot Oct 1st hoping to avoid the flu (which would postpone things). So far so good. In reference to the protein powders, I just bought some bottles of the UNJURY powders. I was a little worried on their website when it said the manufacturing includes products like Shellfish and other things, so I had to ask. So far I've had no reaction, so it must be a standard label to cover allergies. I'm allergic to Shrimp and Crab, so it was a worry. As long as I don't have a reaction, I'll use this brand. I ordered the chocolate splendor, the chicken soup, and the unflavored powder cannisters (17 servings each, with each serving having 21g Protein). I also ordered 10 individual packets of the Vanilla as a test since I love vanilla creamer in my coffee in the morning. After cooling down my coffee under the 140 degree temperature recommendation, I put a packet in my coffee. It was almost as good as the French Vanilla creamer "CoffeeMate" puts out, but the coffee does not take on the appearance of having cream in it. I'm testing different protein powders/shakes on the list my doctor provided, so I can get the most bang for my bucks and not have to suffer from drinking chalk-like drinks. Don't know which ones are chalky, because so far I've been lucky on that end. I start my pre-op diet on Oct 24th, so I'm pretty sure I'll be ready with all the supplies I've picked up.

I figured I'd ask this question in Post-Surgery's forum (although I am awaiting a 4 November surgery date). I have full dentures (top and bottom). Anyone out there that has lost weight post-surgery --- did you have a problem with your dentures after you lost weight? Was wondering if I will need to buy new dentures after I lose the excess weight. Do your jaw or gum-lines shrink with weight loss?

Hang in there vnessa. I'm still waiting on my surgery (Nov 4th), and my pre-op diet starts the 24th of this month. From all I've heard and read on the message boards, you will experience highs and lows throughout the weight loss journey, and some people hit weight loss stalls at different points in their journey. You can do this, and I'm rooting for you to succeed! The surgeon you had and the other staff (including dietitian and psychologist) wouldn't have approved/done the surgery if they didn't have faith in you. If you're supposed to be on Protein shakes and Clear liquids, try crunching on a sugar-free popsicle instead of semi-solids. You don't want to hurt yourself with complications, right? I haven't heard anyone say this was a smooth-sailing, easy road, so don't beat yourself up though, OK

I'm pre-surgery, and don't think I know it all -- that's for sure, but I agree with the last post by Shiloh0772 about the Oprah show. Alcohol use is highly discouraged by surgeons (from what I learned in the patient education class). Smokers are also advised or required to quit smoking prior to and after surgery to avoid complications. Besides, when you want to improve your appearance and health by having gastric surgery, why would you want to mess things up by getting addicted to alcohol or drugs. People who drank before (especially those with alcoholism, admitted or not to their surgeon) and people who trade their food addictions for alcohol because of depression (or any other reason) are just harming themselves and risking complications. That's why support groups here and thru the various surgery clinics, and even some support groups elsewhere are so important, but it's up to the individual gastric surgery patient to reach out for help. It's also a factor I'm sure in why the Surgery Centers make you go thru a psychological evaluation before surgery. I have a really nice psychologist at the Bariatric Center of Kansas City that I not only saw for the psych evaluation, but also for continuing care pre-operatively and plan to have sessions post-operatively as needed.

Hi and welcome aboard too! I'm pre-surgery---scheduled for November 4th Gastric Sleeve. I am 5'7" by my drivers license but I guess I shrunk an inch because of age and weight, so I'm 5'6" by my surgeon's records. I'm currently at 240 lbs, having lost 5 lbs since I went to my first seminar Aug 11th. I had my EGD on Sept. 12th. I start my pre-op diet on Oct 24th. Super excited and ready to lose more weight! Whereabouts are you from "hollisrn76"? I'm in Kansas and working with the Bariatric Center of Kansas City in Lenexa, KS. Good luck to all, and I'm rooting for all of you to have successful surgeries, speedy recoveries, and the weight loss you desire!

AuntieMel: Thanks. Would appreciate any feedback, and maybe I can pull a few teeth at the VA . Even though I am 100% service-connected disabled, I have a hard time getting referred to Specialists and basically have to take what I can get, not having traditional private dental insurance. I'm also on Medicare now after so many problems getting help with health issues at the VA. Medicare and my supplemental plan is taking care of my Gastric Sleeve surgery. I don't know if Medicare covers denture replacements or implants (I'm thinking not). As an added note, I heard the VA is going to start offering Gastric Bypass Surgery thru the Omaha, Nebraska VA Hospital. Good luck to anyone who goes there.