GreenEyes604

I wish that someone would come up with an approved salty snack, and a sweet one. This too is definitely my nemisis.

If you feel that the sleeve is the best option for you, don't give up the fight. Speak with your insurance company directly. Find out why they aren't approving the sleeve. If your doctor agrees that the sleeve is what's best for you, have them write a letter of medical necessity, explaining why the sleeve is in your best medical interest. Don't become discouraged. Become a fighter! This is your life, and your body. Fight for what you believe is the right thing for you.

Sounds to me like you're doing fantastic! Keep up the good work.

Situations like this are the main reason why I didn't tell anyone (other than my daughter who lives with me), that I was having this surgery. I embarked on the journey for me and my health. I made the decision that I wanted to be thinner and healthier so that I could live a longer life FOR ME! I didn't need or want anyone else's approval of the decision that I had made, and I'm so happy that I did. I wish you only the very best, and you've learned a very valuable lesson very early... Be careful who you decide to tell about your life changing decision. Everyone is not going to be supportive, and some may even try to undermine your decision. Just remember that you're doing this for YOU, not for anyone else.

Best of luck to the both of you. Just think this time tomorrow you'll be on the Losers Bench

CALL YOUR SURGEON!!! These bariatric doctors have pretty much seen it all, heard it all, and worked through it all. Your surgeon will more than likely have answers for you that the normal doctors in an ER will not because bariatric patients are not someone that they deal with everyday. No need to put yourself through any uneccessary anguish when your doctor is only a telephone call away.

I totally agree it is more than likely nothing serious, but its always a good thing to give your surgeon a call if you are ever in doubt.

I too have been struggling with this problem ever since I had surgery on 12/12/14. I too use the Smooth Move Tea. I love the taste, and its very soothing to my stomach, not to mention it truly helps with the constipation. I had it really bad for a couple of weeks, and I used Miralax every other day which really helped.

I did chewables for the 6 months pre-op and for about a month and a half post-op. I did the Flintstone chewables, and one day I just couldn't stand the taste of them anymore. I found the One-A-Day Complete Gummies and they have all the vitamins and minerals that the Flintstone vitamins have, and they taste so much better. I don't ever want to have to chew any type of pill every again... LOL

That's awesome! I hit my halfway point a few weeks ago, and now I'm struggling with an ugly stall. I know it will pass, but it can be extremely frustrating wanting for it to pass.

I have to agree with @@BeagleLover ... It's not a figment of my imagination... I am hungry, and I refuse to try and go to sleep feeling that way. I will grab a string cheese, or a Baby Bell mozzarella in order to get rid of the feeling.

I just started using the Calcium Citrate. I took regular Calcium pre-op, but was told to start with the Citrate for easier absorption. I have never had a problem swallowing any of the larger pills. I used the Flintstones Chewables during my entire 6 month pre-op period, and once I had my surgery I could not stand the taste of those things, and I would much rather just swallow a pill and get it over with, than to ever have to chew another pastey tablet again. I do however use 1-A-Day gummy vitamins twice a day. They have all the exact amount of vitamins and minerals that Flintstones have, but they taste so much better.

The best advice is to call your physician. I too was sleeved on 12/12 and I managed to contract the flu. My doctor made it clear to me that she didn't want me taking a bunch of over the counter medicines. She prescribed medicines for me in liquid form, and tablets that melt in your mouth. Although I was able to swallow the big "horse pills" with no problem, she still didn't want me to do it. It's always the wisest thing to do... CALL YOUR SURGEON!

My biggest suggestion to you would be to put your scale away and don't weigh yourself until you go back for your next doctor visit. For a lot of people, the scale can be the devil in disguise. Your body has just been through a very tramatic procedure, and its trying to figure out what the hell happened. Stop putting yourself through the torture of living by what you see on the scale. You will certainly make yourself CRAZY! Most importantly is try your best to get in as much Protein per day as you possibly can, and be sure to sip, sip, sip all day so you can make sure you stay hydrated. You definitely don't want to get dehydrated and wind up back in the hospital. Worry not my dear, your body will figure everything out very quickly, and you'll begin to see hugh changes in your weight. Trust me, all of us have been down this road. It definitely gets better!

Great job! I can imagine the self confidence and pride that you have in yourself. I'm only 8 weeks post op, and I pray for the day that I reach my goal weight. You will continue to be an inspiration to so many others! God Bless You!

@@laurenella82 Congratulations and welcome to the losers bench! Take it easy and take one day at a time. There are all kinds of crazy things you're going to experience during the upcoming few months. Most importantly do everything you can to get your liquids in everyday. You don't want to allow yourself to get dehydrated or you'll wind up right back at the hospital. You can send me a private message if you like and I'll give you my telephone number if you ever need someone to just "vent" to.

@@rhayla There really is no need to kick your butt. You already know what you're doing wrong, and what you need to do to correct it. So go put your big girl panties on, suck it up, and go do it! Don't tell me what you CAN'T DO, tell me what you CAN DO!!!

Now the journey begins!

I'm not a "spicey" or "hot" fan, but I have always liked Frank's Hot Sauce. It's not really "hot" to me, but it gives a lot of foods a little extra flavor. I have been using it since I have been able to eat eggs at 3 weeks post op, and I haven't had any problems at all.

I have not and will not ever consider myself a failure for making the decision to have VSG surgery. It takes a true CHAMPION to be able to endure everything that each and every one of us who have already been sleeved have had to endure. Me a failure? Oh, HELL NO! I am a ROCK STAR!!!

This has happened to all of us at one time or another. Yes, it's a horrible feeling, but it will pass. I am shocked however that you are 5 days post op and allowed to have cream of wheat. I was on a clear liquid diet for the first 7 days post op, and regular liquids for 7 days after that. I wasn't allowed to move to the pureed stage until my 3rd week post op.

I too hope that you feel better very soon. I truly believe that most (not all) sleeved patients experience what you are going through. I am 8 weeks post op and I still feel those things on some days. A lot of it is probably dehydration, so its important if nothing else you get as much liquid in your system as you possibly can. Because I became so terribly dehydrated, I wound up on in-home IV infusion for 10 days which is not fun at all. So sip, sip, sip and you'll hopefully feel a lot better.

I learned just the other day to begin appreciating the "little" NSV that will happen and you won't even realize it until you do it. For the first time in I can't remember how long, I was actually able to bend over and tie my own shoes. I have worn shoes that slip on for as long as I can remember, but that day I put my sneakers on and tied them myself. I almost cried.

I would really suggest that you take this time to learn about all the different things that people experience both pre and post op. You really don't know what your experience will be like until you actually transition to the other side, but at least you will know some of things that others have experienced so if something along those lines happens to you, you won't totally freak out thinking something is wrong. You'll at least know that others have experienced the same thing and its not just you.

I have to completely agree with @@LipstickLady on this subject. Having VSG surgery is not some simple, fly-by-night procedure. This process is a very devastating and shocking change to your entire body, and unless you did absolutely no research on how and what this process was going to do to you physically, emotionally, psychologically, etc., you are totally setting yourself up for failure and complications by not following your doctor's and NUT's instructions. I too had a horrible time with getting Proteins in, and there were other avenues that I wanted to take because I felt so weak, tired, frustrated, and miserable. I talked to my surgeon about the things I was experiencing, and thank the good Lord that she told me the same thing, "SUCK IT UP". None of us truly know what to expect or what it will be like post op until we get there. You can research your heart out, but until you have actually transitioned to the other side, you have no clue what is going to happen to you. Now I do not sign "MD" behind my name, so I don't pretend to have all the medical answers. And to my knowledge neither do any of you. So why in the world would you not follow your health teams advice to the tee, and risk putting yourself in a situation where you are medically worse off than you would have been if you had done what your doctor told you to do. Yes, I know first hand how tough the first 3 months or so of post op life WILL BE! I am 8 weeks post op, and I still struggle every single day to get the amount of Protein and liquids in that I am supposed to. But the one thing I do know that I'm not going to struggle with is negotiating different foods, etc. with my NUT or my surgeon. I'm going to do exactly what they tell me to do. I know this will not last forever, and my body will recover and I will eventually be able to meet all my requirements. I will be able to eat quasi-normally again, and I will work this gift that I have been given to the best of my ability. I know so many people inside and outside of this bariatric world with medical problems who constantly are trying to negotiate with their doctors about something. You made the decision to chose whichever physician you did. If you made the mistake of not believing that the medical team you picked was not qualified to take care of you and have your best interest at heart, then you have no one to blame but yourself. I entrusted my doctors with my life, and whether or not you agree with me, I trust them to know what is best for me without question, or I would not have chosen them. So when I asked my surgeon 1 week prior to my surgery if I could have one last big send off meal, and her response to me was "NO! Bye Felicia!", you know what I did? I laughed my ass off at her for saying that to me, and what was more hilarious was that she even knew what she was saying, went home and drank my Protein shake, and thanked God that my surgeon cared enough to tell me NO and suck it up! So I say, put your big girl panties on, suck it up, and know that you are stronger than you think you are, and you will make it through! Don't tell me what you CAN'T DO, tell me what you CAN DO!