Jewelgirl04

Hey, everyone! I'm officially one month out from being sleeved and while I'm doing well, I seem to struggle with the size of my sips of Water and tea. I try to take small ones, but it doesn't seem small enough. However, I found a water bottle that forces me to take the perfect sized sips! It's called the Rubbermaid Chug Bottle (which is VERY misleading) and comes in 30 and 20 oz sizes. I used to use the camelbacks, but in addition to getting just plain gross, they also involve straws which are a no-no. I treat the opening of the Rubbermaid bottle like a straw in a way, sipping from the spout. I get very little in my mouth this way, but it's really perfect. I've stopped getting nauseated from my big sips! The large size bottle was around $8 at my local grocery store and cleans easily in my sink or dishwasher, so I'm not really worried about the gunk like what formed in my old CamelBack. Anyway, just thought I'd pass this along. You can see it online at the link below! Hope this helps some of you with the same problem! My stomach has been thanking me all day. http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP092024 Side note: I'm a law student. I have no affiliation with this product. I just know it saves me from being REALLY uncomfortable during 2 hr lectures!

I have run the Vitamin gamut the past four weeks. I started out on Opurity and by Day 4, was throwing it up. Got switched to Flintstones chewables, only to find out I was allergic because I kept breaking out in hives randomly throughout the day. Was told by the doctor not to switch to a new vitamin until this one worked its way out of my system. Then I started the Celebrate chewables and those just never sat right with me either and I hated the taste of the Centrum ones. My doctor allowed me to start back on my birth control again for my PCOS this week and I have heard from numerous people on here that they were taking regular pills again by Week 2. I've started taking the Alive multivitamin for women that was recommended to me prior to surgery. The pill isn't too big. I've also found Iron and B12 that are the size of a tic tac, so I've been taking those as well without an issue. The chewables just aren't okay for me and I suspect, you're the same. I totally get it and sympathize with you!

I'm 4 weeks post-op and came down with the flu last week. The doctor told me to take liquid Children's Tylenol. It did help A LOT.

Premier Protein is my go-to. BUT only the chocolate. The vanilla has a weird after taste and the strawberry is WAY too sweet for me.

Been recovering from some sort of illness that includes a sore throat, cough (which is just great for the stomach of course), stuffy nose, headache, and body aches. Unfortunately, that meant I couldn't tolerate much, so it was mainly liquids. I tried to get at least one Protein shake in for 30g of protein and then two string cheeses at 10g combined. I'd have a piece of soft cheese here and there, a little cottage cheese and yogurt as well to get me up to 60g. Sometimes, I could get down two shakes and wouldn't have to worry about the protein intake for the day. The worst is that I can't really take anything, save for children's Tylenol. That's what the doctor told me I can have. It helps a little, but it's not great. Luckily, I seem to be coming down from it now. Just a bit phlegmy, but not as out of it and exhausted as I was. Maybe the sickness is affecting me, but I'm finding it hard to stomach anything other than liquids now. The cheese is tolerable at best. Ugh. I've been craving so many things lately, like hibachi ANYTHING. Ugh.

I'm in the unfortunate boat now where my grandmother and sister both came down with an illness that I've now contracted. Nausea on and off, but a sore throat ALL the time. And I can't really take anything for it, so it's just a lot of suffering through it. The good news is that I'm drinking a lot of tea and miso soup to help with it, but it's killing my ability to get in my Protein. *sighs heavily* I used to like the strawberry Protein shakes before the surgery, but now I find them just too damn sweet and of course, I ran out of the chocolate. It's been so snowy and icy that I can't get to the store to get more chocolate, so I'm trying to make do. If you're having trouble with the protein shakes, my nutritionist told me that I could blend into mine some powdered Peanut Butter like PB2 to help spice up the taste and make it more enjoyable.

I just got the Celebrate chewables and while they're not great, they're tolerable and don't make me sick. So that's a major plus, obviously. I think maybe it was the dye in the Flintstones Vitamins since small children seem to experience something similar. That all being said, my sister came home from school with a head cold that my grandmother caught and despite my mother being adamant that they was their hands and use one delegated bathroom, my grandmother apparently does not care to cover her mouth and continued to use my bathroom. So needless to say, I was infected. I'm sneezing a lot which is hurting my stomach, but the runny nose has subsided. What's worse is that I'm obviously not taking anything for this because I can't take pills. So just my vitamins and my normal fluids, it is. I tried some wonton Soup (sans wontons), but it made me sick. I think it was the high oil content. I don't know. Rough few days and the scale stopped moving. *sighs*

I've been getting down one Protein shake a day, so I've been trying to use cottage cheese and yogurt to get in the rest of my protein. I'm hitting 50-60 (with 60-80 being my target), but I'm not terribly concerned. Once I can eat a little more variety, I know I'll be able to eat more protein-dense food. I really need to up my liquid intake, too. I think part of the problem is the slow sipping. If I take too large of sips, I get nauseated. *Sighs* But at least I don't feel too sore anymore. The only problem I've really encountered is with my Vitamins. The Opurity ones were making me sick to the point where I eventually threw up. Then I tried the Flintstones chewable and had an allergic reaction to them that caused me to break out in hives for the last three days as it's been leaving my system. I'm going to switch to Celebrate chewable as soon as they come in the mail tomorrow.

I think we're all two weeks out now, at least. How are you all doing? I FINALLY dropped into ONE-derland this morning at 198.6! :-D

Good for you, @@Jenngf5! I I finally closed the bottom button on my peacoat today! I'd been able to do it for the past two months, but this time it didn't pull!

I was fortunate in that after my six months of supervised nutrition, my doctor was satisfied with my weight loss that he told me I only had to be on a pre-op liquid diet the day before surgery. So I spent the two weeks beforehand eating a treat item each day to satisfy anything I was craving in order to not be missing anything after surgery. Of course, I'm still craving a few things: pizza, BBQ burger, donuts, empanadas (which I haven't eaten in a decade, so... where the hell that came from I have no idea), and chicken nuggets. Also, this turkey meatloaf from Whole Foods that I'm obsessed with, but I'm going to buy it in the pureed foods stage and blend it up because it's insanely high in Protein.

Woot! One week out for all of us as of tomorrow. How are you guys feeling?

So glad to hear you're doing well, @@joshwah! My hunger has been minimal too... just a few cravings while watching TV. Stupid fast food commercials! I think I've lost close to 5 lbs so far! The Losers' bench is a wonderful place!

I am... omeprazole, I think. This is the first time I've felt it. It's almost feels like when I know I'm getting a sore throat. It's only when I swallow. Never thought it was reflux. Hmm.

@@Jenngf5 Good to hear from you and glad you're doing well! @@kathy0529 I'm not really a back sleeper either, more of a side and stomach. I found that when I put a pillow over the crease between the cushion and the arm of the chair and then two more on the arm of the chair for my head, I can sleep on my back or side. Maybe that or a similar position will help you? I'm struggling to get in my Protein intake because I'm being extra cautious about not overfilling my stomach. I got up to 35/40 g yesterday and I was proud of myself for that. It'll be much easier when I get to the soft foods stage in 2.5 weeks because those are far more protein dense per oz than the Isopure or any of the Soups I'm making with Protein powder. The Fluid intake has been easier for me because I'm sipping G2 in arctic glacier, which was a childhood favorite of mine that I never drank as an adult because it was so high in calorie. And I also love my peach tea crystal light! The few friends and family members I've told have been very supportive of me. I was fortunate to have met a lot of women who've had the sleeve during my PT job at Torrid (plus-sized clothing store) and their advice prepared me for what I was coming into as far as pain and exhaustion goes. I've had limited nausea still, so I feel fortunate. The only weird thing is that I have this weird feeling of like a lump in my throat last night and today. Could it be soreness from the tube from the surgery finally kicking in? Hmm.

Today has definitely been an improvement for me. I find that I'm thirsty and able to have 4 oz. portions of Soup or drinks at a time. I haven't needed my nausea meds since 7am this morning and I'm just a little sore still. The incision where they removed the portion of my stomach is the one that hurts, but I don't think it's enough to need pain meds for. I chopped up my Vitamin in quarters and didn't gag, so that was a major improvement. AND! I slept through the night! That was the biggest improvement of all! How are you all hanging in there?

Hi @@Fatdiva14 @@kathy0529 @@tailoredsleeve ! I hope you're all doing well! Can you believe my insurance approval went through on 1/20 at 3:30pm?!? Talk about going down to the wire! I got to the hospital at 12:15 and things moved very fast. I was in surgery within an hour. My nurses were amazing (one of whom got sleeved a few years ago and recently had a baby, the other is getting sleeved next month) and took great care of me. I woke up from surgery feeling like I got hit by a bus (to be honest), but the nurse in recovery started me on meds for nausea and pain right away. I didn't feel like that ever again. I was really groggy while in the hospital, kept dozing on and off. But that was because of the anesthesia and the pain meds I was requesting. Occasionally, I got nauseated, but nothing too terrible. I feel like a whole different person now that I'm home. Finding a position to sleep in is hard and the best situation I've found for sitting is with my legs over the edge of the bed, but I'm not in agony. That much I can say for sure. I have a little pain at the incision site (where the portion of the stomach was removed), but the only pain I really feel is the gas pain. I've got a lot of rumbling going on in my stomach, so I'm hoping I'll be through that part soon. It was hard to drink my liquids yesterday because i was still experiencing a little nausea, but I've been able to tolerate much more today... G2, Isopure (the mango peach I can HIGHLY recommend), a little Protein Jello (one cup of cold Isopure in place of the cold cup of Water in the SF jello recipe), and some chicken broth with unjury powder. The most difficult thing for me to take was the damn chewable vitamin! The thing is the size of an ice cube and chalky as HELL. Maybe tomorrow, I'll split it in half and eat one piece at a time. I find that getting up and walking around is oddly when I'm the most comfortable, so I've been trying to do that. Also, if you get on the scale and you're WAY up in weight, don't panic! I was getting pumped with 150 mL/hour in my IV and came home 10 pounds heavier than when I got in. I'm peeing CONSTANTLY (read: every 10-15 minutes after struggling to go for six hours in the hospital) and have dropped about 9 of those pounds. So DON'T panic. Anyway, I hope you're all doing okay. <3

@Fatdiva14 @kathy0529 Ah! Less than 48 hours to go! I stocked up on Isopure today, along with crystal light and sugar free Jello mix to use with my Isopure to make Protein jello! I should probably spend part of tomorrow making jello in dixie cups. *snorts* BARIATRIC JELLO SHOTS FOR ALL!

@@kathy0529 I'm thankful to only be staying one night and to have avoided the drain. I've gone through two ACL reconstruction surgeries, so I'm hoping that my pain tolerance is as high as I remember it being. I used to get yelled at by my doctor for walking without crutches after a week! I'm in my last semester of law school. Ideally, I would have had the surgery over my winter break, but my insurance company's requirement was a six month pre-op period and my first doctor's appointment was in early August. So... I missed by a little. Considering I'm taking the bar exam at the end of July, it was either now (two weeks into the semester) or wait until August. I was DONE waiting.

Wow! Great work... keep it up. You can totally do it!

I think my concerns are three-fold: the pain, potential hair loss, and loose skin. Hopefully, it goes as easily as many of the people I've spoken to. Fingers crossed for us all! I'm in law school and am taking off two weeks. At least, that's the plan. I generally just sit in class and take notes, so there isn't much strain. The only thing that might be difficult is the fact that I commute and the bus ride into NYC can be a bit... rough sometimes.

Hi all! I'm also scheduled for January 21st! I just went out and bought myself a robe for the hospital and will be bringing along my PJs just in case. Slippers with treads too for the walks around the floor. I've been on my nutrition plan for 6 months per my insurance and lost 20 lbs. My surgeon says that I only have to be on liquids the day before surgery (with a midnight stopping time for eating), so I'm lucky in that regard. Rather than spend the last week eating whatever I want, I've been mostly sticking with high Protein and a lunch with a craving for something not so good for me, just so I won't miss it once I have the surgery. I'm just eating til I'm full, but it's at least a taste. I've stocked up on Isopure, G2, and my Protein drinks (as per my doctor), so I'm ready to go. The doc told me at my pre-op that I'm scheduled to be his second surgery though that may change. If I stay at that time slot, I'll be in surgery by 11:30, out around 1pm. And I get to go home at around 5pm the next day so long as the dye test checks out, no drain necessary. I'm nervous and excited... but I'd like it to be this time Thursday already haha.

Hi everyone! This is my first post on this site and I'm both excited and terrified to start my journey. I'll be getting sleeved on January 21st. My insurance required a 6 mo pre-op nutrition program, during which I dropped from 230lbs to 210 lbs and will have my final appointment with the nutritionist and pre-op appointment with my surgeon this coming Friday afternoon. Prior to spending today on here, I had mainly monitored a message board of other women who had undergone the surgery and also had PCOS. I'd seen mostly positive experiences there and the people I have spoken to who are similar in age/weight/height/etc to me didn't have many issues post-surgery. However, after spending today on the site, I'm absolutely terrified. I'm seeing people are having a lot of problem with hair loss and major pain after the surgery, as well as very loose skin. I'm 24 years old, 5'4", and currently at 210 as mentioned before. I've been told by my doctor that if I fall into the average percentile of what people can expect to lose through the surgery and following proper nutrition, I can expect to lose 60lbs as a result of the sleeve. My hope is that I might be able to avoid major issues with shedding because that amount of weight over, say, six months after surgery wouldn't be incredibly drastic and well beyond the scope of what weight loss might be on a diet such as weight watchers, for example, where healthy weight loss can be considered up to 2-3 pounds a week. And consequently, the weight loss won't be as stressful on my body. Additionally, I'm hoping that having never had children at 24 and going to the gym 3-5 times a week (I'm still in law school, bleh) will combat a lot of the issues with loose skin. I did boot camp workouts for all of last year and gained a ton of muscle mass, but never seemed to drop on the scale and can still feel most of the muscle on my body, especially my arms and legs. I understand that everyone's experience varies, but I would love to hear your opinions on the above, especially if you or someone you know is similar in age/stature to myself. It's hard to compare experience to people who are drastically different in characteristics than I am. Thanks in advance! xoxo Danielle