BLERDgirl

Agree with @@kikicoates78, different programs have different protocols. I had a drain. But I was all liquids first 2 weeks, then purees, then soft foods & whatever I can tolerate at 6 weeks. I'm not one who weighs frequently. My last weight check was on 12/19 and I was down 48lbs.

I guess prepare for the worst, but hope for the best. I was absolutely fine from the moment I work up. Mouth was a little dry but sucking on ice chips was enough to take care of that. No pain, no gas, zero complications, no mood swings or crying jags. I felt great and each day gets better.

Not sure what type of motivation we can give you. You've identified your issues: you're socializing and making poor food & drink choices, and you're okay with how you look. I've not heard of any plans to cut back on the alcohol. Perhaps nursing a drink or doing without or any plans to change eating habits or exercise more. You know by now that this is just a tool, you have to put in the work. What's you plan to do that?

Agreed. In fact I bought single serving packs of Protein powders & drinks pre-op and sampled them to decide which ones I liked and could tolerate. I then only bought enough to last 2 weeks post-op as I was concerned because I had heard your taste buds can sometimes change. In addition to buying from GNC/Vitamin Shoppe you can also try CVS, Rite Aid, Whole Foods. There are a few places online that sell samples as well. On an economical side, CVS whey Protein powder is only $20 for a 2lb container. Before you buy antacids or stool softeners find out if your surgeon will prescribe them. My insurance covered the omeprazole and colace my doctor recommended. I stocked my house with enough food to get through the 2 week full liquid phase that my program requires. Veg broth, herbal tea, almond milk, greek yogurt The only other thing I did was clean my house and make sure I could feed and care for my cat.

I had a drain. They checked it regularly while I was in the hospital and pulled it when I was discharged. It didn't really hurt having it removed. I felt it running through my body but the feeling was no where near what I would describe as pain. It was almost like a weird tickle on the inside.

YAY! Happy to hear you're doing well!

@@Tauruslady5 - no it's doesn't hurt. You feel it kind of running through you but nothing that resembles pain. My surgeon is the chef of the department. I do find that my program tends to have a more cautious, conservative approach. I was fine with that since I has zero pain or complications.

I was more comfortable with having a drain. When I had my hysterectomy I didn't have a drain and developed a nasty abcess post op even though I was walking daily. My drain was pulled at discharged so I didn't have to worry about caring for it at home.

There really is no magic answer. What we know helps is getting adequate Protein and exercise including weight lifting. Those just aren't guarantees. There are other factors that come into play; age, race, genetics, how much weight you have to loose. I keep hearing about people suddenly using creams and moisturizers. I'm not sure how much stock I put in that. I'm Black and I have moisturized my entire body every day of my life as our skin shows it when it's dry. I've also heard that wearing light compression garments can help. I wear compression yoga pants and tops when I am working out. Partly because I want to fight against loose skin, but also because I am more comfortable working out when everything isn't jiggling. I also have always exfoliated regularly because I like my skin to look nice. Bottom line, you do the best you can do prevent excess skin but there is no magic formula.

Pretty sure everyone gets a drain during surgery if they have the procedure done laporascopically. It's how they drain off excess fluids while working. The only variable is when the drain is pulled. I never went through any depression or crying at any point in time.

The sleeve typically only holds 4oz. Most people make meals that are ½ or ¼ cup in size.

Depends on the program. I had to sign in when I attended mine. The surgeon wouldn't even schedule an appointment with me until after I attended the seminar.

Beans are good carbs because you also get Protein, Fiber and nutrients along with it. Entirely different than carbs that come from white refined flours that bring nothing else to the party. I'm vegetarian and have eaten loads of beans both pre and post op.

That reflux is not good and can cause ulcers. Please call your doc or buy prilosec/omeprazole or gas x strips over the counter. Figure out when the acid is the worse for you and take it 30 mins before eating. I also used tums chewables if it still occurred but my doctor increased my dosage from 20mgs to 40mgs and that seems to have taken care of it.

@@Chubbyklink - It doesn't sound like you ate enough to feel any restriction. I have not had any foods I can't tolerate as of yet. I do feel restriction, but that only helps me not to overeat. It has nothing to do with making a bad food choice. That's up to you. You have to make better food choices. One slip up on a holiday won't hurt. It's about making good food choices 99% of the time. Even if you don't get sick from eating the wrong foods your body won't get the needed nutrients. That could lead to problem further down the line. So now you know you have to make good food choices. Start now planning how you can get enjoyable tastes out of foods that meet your dietary needs. If that gets to be too overwhelming you may need to seek counseling. You want to be able to use this tool to gain the most benefit.

What do your handouts say? I'm sure ice cream is not recommended. The general rule is protein first, then veg. watch you simple carbs and get your fluid & water in. Similar to @@Miss Mac I was full liquids for 2 weeks then purees then soft foods. From week 6 onward I could eat what I wanted as tolerated. Some great things to eat: soups yogurt, especially plain greek yogurt kefir eggs low fat cheeses cottage cheese beans lean meats & fish (you may need to grind these up during pureed stages) small amounts of nut butters lowfat milk small mounts of non fibrous green leafy veg small amounts of fruit, either fresh or packed in water if canned

It varies. Some programs are focused more on just meeting the Protein & Fluid goals, other have general calorie goal. Mine recommended 400-600 weeks 1 - 6 and 600 -800 weeks 7 -12. I'm noticing since I have increased my gym days it varies according to activity level. If it's a non gym day I can stay within 600 -800 and be completely satisfied but on my gym days I need to eat between 800 -1000 because I'm hungry! On a good gym day I can easily burn 800 calories or more. When I do I often need a snack or I am starving. That snack usually takes my calories up a little higher. I just make it a point to have a high protein snack.

I'm still in the honeymoon phase at 3½ mths out but right now food just serves a different role in my life. I'm okay with eating just enough to fuel me. As for your gas pains, have your doctor prescribe you something. I've been on generic prilosec since day 1 post-op. It took some trial and error but I have the timing as to when I need to take it down.pat now. I tend to get acid in the afternoon/early evening so I take 1 40mg pill around 2 -3pm and I'm usually fine.

@@Sassafrassa - I understand that. However age is but one factor in how your skin will bounce back. Race, the amount of weight you need to loose, even genetics will all play a part. I've already loss 48lbs and I can already tell my upper body is probably going to be fine but my thighs may not cooperate.I'm going everything I can to prevent that, but at the end of the day it's just something I'll have to deal with when I cross that bridge. I do know as sleevers we stand a better chance of not having loose skin than bypass patients because the weight loss is a little slower, but that's still not a guarantee.

I would try for the birth certificate and wait until the last possible second to cancel.

I'm well over 29, but honestly, does it matter? Will you not have the surgery if you skin does't bounce back? I've thought about it and I realized that it doesn't make sense to worry about it. I'll do the best I can to keep my skin tight and if it isn't I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I don't think I got in much. I did a lot of ice chips and 2 pouches of the prosource no carb. They are 1 ounce/15gms of protein. By the next day I was doing better. I sipped some water and did probably 2 pouches and a sip or 2 of veg broth. 3 ounces is not bad for the day of surgery.

Nope, it won't Everyone loses at different rates. Some are slow starters, some lose fast at first then slow down. There are just too many variables; age, metabolism, genetics, etc.... Just work your program. If you put in the work it will happen. There is no race to see who gets to the finish line first. A better way to know if you've been slacking is to be honest with yourself. Are you following your doctor's instructions? Do you get in at least 60gms of Protein and 64ounces of fluids each day? Are you exercising?

Philly and I and steri strips

Never had a c- section, but I did have a radical hysterectomy(ovaries, lymph nodes , Fallopian tubes, etc...) that was also done laparoscopically. I guess I have a high pain threshold or something because neither hurt that bad. You might be like me. I had zero pain, no nausea, no gas, no vomiting, no constipation, no complications whatsoever. I have tolerated every food I've tried so far. The worse things I've had happen was having to get a PICC line when they couldn't start an IV, getting a rash from the tape used to hold the PICC line in place and some mild indigestion.