Selina1000

Just went in for my 6 month follow up on March 10, 2014. I've lost 60lbs, and I feel 110% better than before! I'm finding that I can eat small amounts of anything I want, bread (Dave's Killer bread, thin sliced) is best toasted, and I've learned a sandwich with toasted bread, is really pretty good. I did start to lose my hair, but found that straight boiten (?) works the best for me, not the hair,skin,nail combo pill. I am getting better at letting my old clothes go, as I still think "what if this doesn't work"? then I laugh and put something else in the Goodwill bag. Now I just need to get the bag to Goodwill! LOL. I still don't own a scale, tossing around the idea of buying one, as my next appointment isn't until my 1 year date. Oh well, plenty of time to decide. I will say, it has been hard at times, but the BEST decision I have ever made, and would totally make the same choice again.

I had surgery Sept. 10, 2014, and at my 3 month weigh in I am down 50 pounds. It was a vary welcome surprise, as I don't own a scale. I was still feeling so tired and when I spoke with my doctors about it, they suggested to have blood work done again. Found out that I was low on Iron. After adding a iron supplement, I'm feeling better, less tired. I do feel that taking your Vitamins, B's, and other supplements is very important, you can really feel tired and sluggish if you miss one day of them.

I was wondering the same thing. I'm 4 1/4 months post sleeve surgery and have noticed that it seems my hair is falling out faster than normal. I'm taking Biotin, but am wondering if there is a really good brand that someone knows of?

A friend I work with was sleeved in the end of April 2014. She weighs herself every day. I was sleeved September 10th, and have decided to wait until my first follow up appointment (October 2nd) to find out what my weight is now. I feel as though I have enough on my "plate" with trying to get all my proteins, RX & liquids down, along with adding in walking. Am I crazy to not stress about checking the scale?

I had my first follow ups on October 2nd, and was suprised that I was down 30lbs from my highest weight! So glad I didn't stress with day in and day out by weighing! Never knew if I hit a plateu or not, it was a great feeling of BAM, see how much is gone! Now I'm going to try and wait until my 3 month follow ups (late in December) to see what happens then, it's been years of "weight on" and now it's "weight off"!!

I was able to take some of the 1 oz cups with me when I went home. I used them for the first couple of days. They really helped on drinking too much too fast.

Rovobay, What time was your surgery? Mine was supposed to be @ noon, but she ran late, ended up going in sometime after 1:50pm. That is the last time I remember looking at. There was a girl after me, she was already there in pre-op while I was still waiting. Have you gone in for your 1st follow ups yet? Mine are scheduled for Oct 2nd at 2:15, 2:45, and 3:15. I haven't checked my weight yet, want to wait until I can get on the scale @ the Dr. office. How are you doing with your eating? Have you tried anything solid?

I totally dislike almost all of the pre-made Protein drinks. They are WAY to thick for me. I do use the Premier brand, but add 1/2 cup of skim milk to thin it out (also adds protein), to the chocolate, I add a couple of Tbsp. of creamy Peanut Butter, helps a bunch (and more protein). to the vanilla, I add frozen real juice concentrate, a couple of Tbsp. My saving grace is the unjury protein, not only to they have the regular vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, but they have chicken and unflavored!! I have them both, in canister & packet form (so I can take it with me). The unflavored works in anything, V-8 juice, XXX Zero Water, crystal light, you can even use it to make sugar free instant pudding and Jello. The chicken flavor is just like having Soup broth, but you get 21 grams of protein!

I know what you mean, I'm on puree'd Soups, greek yogurt (which I don't care for), Protein shakes. I want to chew! I did cheat and make a soft scrambled egg with some low-fat cheese. Not the best of moves, I didn't throw them up, but they felt like they were stuck in the back of my throat for the rest of the day. Same with trying refried Beans, even though I thinned them down a bit. One thing that has helped on the protein side is the unjury brand has both a chicken flavored Protein powder, and a unflavored protein powder. Chicken one tastes like Soup, and with the unfavored I can add it to most anything, like V-8 juice, XXX zero Water, real juices, even coffee products. Check them out. I think everyone's surgeon follows slightly different rules on how long to be at which stage, make sure and check with them when wanting to move on. The main reason for the early stages, is to reduce the chance of "leaks" in your new tummy. Just think of what a downer that would be :0(. Don't forget you still get everything from the eariler stages, like sugar free pudding & Jello, etc.

I don't own a scale, I was shocked at how much I actually weighed at my "welcome meeting" in the beginning. I started keeping a food journal just to track what and when I was eating. I did this after meeting with my dietitian who pointed out that I was waiting too long between lunch & dinner to eat. She also told me to keep a snack or two (Protein kind) in my purse in case I was somewhere and needed to eat. After doing this, I started to loose some weight, and I stopped over eating at my dinner time. I will say that I was weighed at each of my pre-op appointments, along with being weighed on my surgery date. I went up 3 lbs in between 2 appointment dates, and was told, not to worry, it could be stress related (from the process) so I didn't. I was down 18 lbs on the morning I checked in for surgery. I'm waiting for my first follow up to weigh in at my Dr.'s to see how much I've lost. I'm still keeping the food journal, so I can get in put on what to tweak to make it work better for me. I might get a scale sometime in the future, but for now, it's one less thing to stress about, in a mountain of things that will cause you stress. good luck, and see you on the other side :0)

The Protein is to help with healing your "new stomach" was the way it was explained to me. Plus your stomach is swollen because of the surgery, and liquids are easier then the solid food to digest, plus not get stuck on the way in or out. My steps were as follows for being "sleeved': Needing to drink Water & protein after surgery, 1 oz every 15 minutes while you're awake. After going home, for the next week, Clear Liquids, Protein drinks (the amount of protein per day depends on your weight at the date of surgery). Then for weeks 2 & 3, I was able to add puree'd Soups to the list. As long as they were lump & chunk free. for this I have a stick blender (it blended canned Soup up great). I can also have yogurt. Then on week 4 I will be able to add in mushy meats, like tuna fish and canned chicken, mixed with low fat mayo, I just need to make sure everything is moist, and chewed VERY well into small pieces. After that, I can start to add other things back n, being very careful, as it might go down one day, and it's a "no go" on a different day. I have found that I had to slow way down on putting food in my mouth, and chew, chew, chew. Or else it will feel like it is stuck in your throat, or it comes back up. I will say, that in checking different web-sites, there are different time lines on how long you stay on what. check with your surgeon, they have their plans set up for a reason. But you can always ask questions. Good luck, and see you on the other side :0)

I was sleeved Sept 10, 2014, and I know (I kept track) I couldn't get all of my Protein in daily (I was to get about 86 grams) nor could I get all my liquids. I just wanted to sleep! If you think about, you have just put your body through a HUGE upheaval, So I decided to cut myself some slack. First I didn't take any walks for about the first week, I just shuffled around my apartment and after that, they were not very long, just to get the blood moving. I did start to take a small bottle with me (14oz), so I could drink something along the way (that helped a lot). I do have a pedometer, and I let it keep track of my steps. I still have days where I don't want to walk. With the pain, my left side (where they remove the excess stomach) hurt until just about 3-4 days ago. I sleep on my sides, so it really bugged me. I did find that if I used a bath towel (folded & bunched up) and stuffed it under my left side while laying on my back, it lessened the pain. I do still get a pain every now and then, mainly if I sit in a "soggy" chair or couch. I wanted to get off my pain meds as soon as I could, because I found they just made me sleepy. I'd take a pain pill, then take a nap! (and not be drinking or getting protein), so I worked on cutting down the daytime pain pill, and tried to only use them at night. I would take one when I wet to bed, and One in the middle of the night (if I woke up). It helped a lot during the day. I have the Premier brand of Protein shakes (pre-made ones), and I also have the unjury brand of protein. My 2 favorite flavors are the chicken & the unflavored. They have been life savers for me. I'm not a sweets person, I'm a savory person, so the basic vanilla, chocolate & strawberry, don't cut it for me. I have both the canisters & the individual packets. I use the unflavored in V-8 juice, XXXzero Water, real fruit juice, even coffee drinks. The chicken is like sipping chicken broth! Each scoop or packet is 21 grams of protein. The 2 things I have had problems with are: 1) chewable Vitamins..... Sorry, but on what planet can you call them "berry flavored"!! I found that if I missed my vitamins or my B-complex, I felt real tired all day. I finally found a liquid brand (Natures way), 1oz, in my little water bottle in the morning, and it is easy to sip! 2) I'm to the point of being able to add mushy foods (tuna fish & canned chicken) back into my diet. But after adding mayo to make them more mushy and softer, all I think about is wanting a sandwich! Does anyone have any recipes for what I can do to switch it up, and not get bored! It will get better, you just need to give yourself time to heal. We all move at different paces. I'm going back to work after 3 weeks, and my coworker (she was sleeved in May 2014) took 5 weeks off, and is floored I'm not taking more time off. I feel fine, and because I have a desk job, I will be fine. Just take care of you!

Oops, I forgot to add that unjury also carries a cheese sauce, it is seasonal and they start to sell it in October. I'm going to give it a try, just to be able to have cheese sauce on Pasta & broccoli (when the time comes :0)

Hi, I was sleeved Sept 10, 2014. One thing I have found to help with trying to get in enough Protein, is the unjury brand carries a chicken flavored Protein Powder, ad a unflavored protein powder. the other cool thing is that you can order them in canisters or in packets (so you can toss them in your purse or lunch bag). I mix the unflavored into V-8 juice, XXX Zero Water, regular real fruit juice, iced decaf coffee. It has been a life saver for me. I like the premade Premier brand, but they are too thick for me. I usually add some skim milk to mine. If I want to change the Vanilla flavor, I add frozen fruit juice, and to the chocolate, I add a couple of Tbsp. of creamy peanut and shake it up. It helps. My new problem is that I can start to add in mushy meat like tuna fish & canned chicken. When I add mayo to either, then want to make a sandwich! Does anyone have any other ideas of what to mix with with canned tuna or canned chicken?

@ Kindle, Thanks for the support. I don't own a scale either, I like the fact of weighing in @ the follow up appointments, as that is where my starting number came from at my "welcome" meeting. The lady I work with, stresses every time she doesn't lose some weight in a week. Maybe I'll get a scale later, anyone have input on a good brand?

After I had all of my appointments, upper GI, sleep study etc, they had to submit the information to my insurance, and I was told it could take up to 2 weeks to hear back. It was 2 weeks on the nose! After that, They set my surgery date to the next opening for my surgeon, and that was about 10-12 days later. It was a long nerve racking 2 weeks! Hang in there, you can always give them a call, and they can fill you in on what'a going on.

I can't believe that there is only 1 hospital in your insurance's network that does this. Might want to give your insurance a call and ask them. If there is another that you can go to because of what happened. They may allow it. I'm not sure if you have some kind of 401-k or Roth IRA etc, but they usually have 3 reasons you can draw from them w/o getting a penalty. One is for medical reasons, you might be able to draw from it, I don't know if you would have to pay it back or not. They would have to advise you on this. I learned a long time ago, "everything happens for a reason" sometimes it just takes awhile to find out what the reason was. The fact that your surgeon and office staff left so quickly is kind of scary. You have come this far, and you will make it to the other side, sooner as opposed to later!

It's weird how some things work one day, and then "no-go" the next. Yesterday I had tuna mixed with mayo, went down fine, so I tried again today, and "no-go". I got about 2 bites, and it feels like it's sitting at the top of my throat. Anyone one else come across this?

@ Beni, I had the sleeve done, as I just couldn't think of my extra piece of stomach "floating" around in my tummy. I'm also not the best at taking my Vitamins, and found that there is a higher chance of becoming enemic with the bypass. I have found that it was easier to tell someone that I had the surgery done, after the actual surgery. I can't express how impressed I was with my "team" of people to help me. They left no question unanswered. I too was calm through the whole process, I started with a seminar in May and finally had surgery on Sept 10, 2014. I did get a bit nervous as my surgery time (noon) came and went, The procedure before mine took longer than scheduled. I saw 1:50 go by, and then nothing until I woke up in my room. As of right now, I was trying to eat some tuna fish mixed with mayo, got a couple of bites down, and for now, no more. Last night I had the same thing and went down fine. It's a "cr*p shoot" on what will work, and what won't. One thing I learned the hard way, even I you think you need to pass gas.... Go to the bathroom!! This I learned within the first 10 days.

@ Beni, I know what you mean about not telling anyone. At the time of my surgery, only 5 people knew, one was a women I work with who went through the surgery, and suggested I look into it. Another was a coworker who badgered me about it because she had spoken with my other coworker, and is now going through the process. I had to let them know a few times that I wanted to keep it private (tough to do at work, as I work with 3 relatives), My roommate knew, as she was to help take care of me. The person who drove me to my upper GI & surgery, and my chiropractor knew. I wanted to keep it that way, just in case I was not approved, because I didn't want to hear poor poor pity party speeches. After surgery, my relatives were/are a bit miffed, but I just said that It was my decision and I wanted to keep it personnel. Good Luck and see you on the other side.

@Forsyitha-- It was actually the 2nd time I had a fish stick. The first time, I was full, but felt OK, I kinda think I may have eaten too fast. Either way, today I went back to soups, thinned instant mashed potatoes, and liquids. My Doctor has my schedule at puree'd stuff & liquids for 2 weeks, and I pushed the envelope with the fish at a little over a week. @Jamielogical-- I know what you mean about trying to keep track of everything. I have decided that I'm human, and I will miss keeping track every now and then. I try to make sure I get the Protein I need, as that is most important to keep my body healing quickly, water/liquid comes next, and I take my vitamins/RX at night before bedtime as my Dr did not require me to take calcium in between every meal. I only have to take 2 chewable Vitamins, B-12, (my 2 normal RX) and I was able to stop my Pepcid if I didn't need it. I have had to use it off and on. I see you're about a week ahead of me, my surgery was on the 10th, and yours was on the 1st. I'm thinking I will have a tough time getting back into regular food again, how are you doing with introducing foods back in?

I must add, that I have found a couple of different types of drinks to add into my rotation. To the chocolate Protein powder, I make it with skim milk and then add 2-3 Tbsp. of creamy Peanut Butter, then blend it up! The other one I make is with the unflavored protein powder added into V-8 juice. I use room temp V-8, mix in powder, then shake and pour over ice. I did try a couple of fish sticks for dinner tonight, chewing them very very well. They went down fine, but now just seem to sit there. Any thoughts?

I don't mind the sip-sip part, as long as I flavor my Water with something. But now I'm in the 2nd week post op, and can add full liquids/creamed Soups. My hard part is that most every Protein drink is chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, so tired of them!! I have the unjury chicken flavor Protein powder, and this helps (tastes like chicken soup) a little, but getting bored with it too. Does anyone have any suggestions for different flavors, more savory than sweet? I can't use artificial sweeteners as they trigger my migraines. I do try to use the unflavored protein packets in soups, but would still like input. Also, any suggestions to get past the fact I want to chew, and not just sip all the time? I did do "thinned" down instant mashed potatoes, and they helped, but still have the need to chew.