JessterNC

I am a little over 4 weeks post-op and as far as my surgery is concerned, things have been great. I have lost over 30 pounds, didn't really have any problems after surgery, am walking over 1.5 miles a day and was able to start the school year by attending all of the work days ( even though I was exhausted when I got home). The fact I was able to go back to school was HUGE since I missed most of the 2nd semester due to problems with my abdomen. Monday was our last work day and I really felt like things were off to a great start, I was ready for the students to arrive on Tuesday and get things off on the right foot. I ate dinner Monday night and had a snack of sugar free pudding and settled down to try and get some rest, then it started. I started to vomit, and I didn't stop for 2 hours, every 10-15 minutes. I thought maybe I had eaten too fast, maybe my sleeve didn't like the chocolate pudding that night, but at least it stopped and I was able to fall asleep around 1130. Not the way I wanted to night before the 1st day of school to be, but I felt I was going to be okay. Then around 130 AM it started again. I started vomiting again, but this time I was also in extreme pain. I felt like someone had my abdomen in a giant vice and was squeezing like crazy. I knew what it was, but I didn't want to believe it. I had been down this road before. My wife took me to the local ER, there was no way I could make it the 3 hours to the hospital where my sleeve was performed and they started pumping pain meds and stuff to stop the nausea and vomiting into me. The CAT scan confirmed it, I had another intestinal blockage. The ER doctor called my sleeve surgeon and he said to transfer me to Chapel Hill. So the first day of school, the day I had looked forward to all summer, found me not in my classroom meeting my students, I was in the back of an ambulance, being rushed to Chapel Hill facing the possibility of my 5th abdominal operation in 18 months. My wife is also a teacher and I told her to stay home, let me get there and find out what is going on and she could come down as soon as things were settled at home. Finally, as I was being put in the ambulance they were able to stop my vomiting, I had been sick like that for over 12 hours. We made the 3 hour trip in a little over 2 hours. As soon as I got in my room I was met by a team of doctors. They decided to see if the obstruction would clear on its own so I didn't have to go through another operation. So every 2 hours I was given shots of pain meds, every 3 hours shots to control my vomiting and nothing by mouth. On Wednesday, I had some former students who are now students at the university come by and see me. I slowly started to feel better and late Wednesday evening the blockage cleared. They let me try liquids Thursday morning, and soft foods for lunch. Everything went okay and they agreed to discharge me Thursday evening. I was put on a very restrictive diet, basically if it wont go through a large straw, I cant have it. I wont be using a straw, but I am on soft foods for the next few months. My wife and I got home around 930 Thursday evening. I asked the doctors if I could go to work on Friday and at first they told me no. But I kept asking, that is where I needed to be and they finally agreed to let me go. I made it through the day. I was so exhausted when we got home, I sat on the couch and fell asleep around 730. I woke up around 11 hurting pretty badly so I took my pain meds and was finally able to go back to sleep. Here I sit on Saturday morning, very sore, very tired, but happy to be home, happy to be still feeling like my life is going to be normal. We are still on track to have my hernias fixed in December, but this almost derailed all of it. Even though things are going well, I got my reality check and have to constantly remind myself this is a process and I still have a long way to go. I cant tell you how scared I was, how I felt that once again, something was going to happen to mess everything up. But thankfully that wasn't the case. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I guess what I hope I remember, is to stay positive, no matter what life throws at me, this is a journey and like all journeys there may be some detours or stops along the way, but I will get there in the end. Have a great day

I am dealing with the same situation. My wife is also over-weight and I have seen her struggle with it ever since we got married. I love her so much, and I feel awful that I was able to go down this path and she cant. I say she cant because she is too afraid of having the surgery period, she doesn't want anyone cutting on her. That may be my fault because of all I have been through, she has told me she is terrified about that. So I try to support, I try to encourage, I try to show her how much I love her, no matter what. But I don't want my encouraging to come across as anything other than supportive. We have talked quite a bit about this but I still worry I will say the wrong thing. Yesterday she decided to start following the eating habits that I am on. She is watching her calories, sugar, fats and Protein from my fitness pal. She is making really healthy choices with her food, she is eating similar things to me (she has the Soup but no Protein powder and eats a salad). She is also walking with me every other day. I just want to be there for her the way she has been for me through everything. For our anniversary I got her a drawing of 2 old people sitting in rocking chairs on a porch, told her that is what I want for us in 30 years, her to be by my side watching the sun go down, that is my dream.

I thought that is what we were told, but I couldn't find it, even in my notes. Thanks

I have looked all over my NUT info and I cant find anything about coffee. It says that I can have tea, unsweetened, or sweetened with artificial sweeteners. I would think if I can have tea, I could have decaf coffee. I would prefer hi-test, but I am trying to not get back on caffeine now that I have gotten off of it for my surgery I would like to have some decaf coffee in the morning, I only drink coffee black. When did everyone else get to have decaf? Thanks

I am on soft foods and I could have salmon. My wife made me some yesterday and it was delicious. But I realized very quickly that no matter how much I chewed it filled me up quite a bit faster than things like Soup or yogurt. I have been eating 4-5 ozs of food per meal, but with the salmon I could only have about 3 ozs. I think the density made me fill up quicker so if you can have it, my advice would be very careful and take your time with it.

I have to wonder about the OP. I was physically active until around 2000, at that time I broke my foot and even walking became a huge challenge. I tried to watch what I ate, but to suddenly come to a screeching halt in what I could do and being put in a wheelchair for the next 6 months sent my metabolism into reverse. But I wasn't able to shut down what was eating, in my mind, I still needed to eat the same amount. By the time my mind and stomach caught up with what my body could do, I weighed over 260 pounds. Ironically, my weight only went up about 20 pounds over the next 15 years, but as my ability to exercise decreased even more as the problems with my knee, hip and foot got worse I was unable to lose weight and not be hungry all of the time. I decided to do this operation because my abdomen is shot, I have three massive hernias and I have to lose at least 50 pounds to get my abdomen finally and permently fixed. I had my sleeve on July 23rd and have lost 28 pounds. I don't feel hungry and my energy is coming up. By just loosing this small amount I am able to walk about 1/2 a mile a day. This is HUGE for me. So if the OP is being honest, and his program works for him, more power to him, but don't tell me that his system will work for me when he doesn't know my situation. We have access to a wide variety of tools to reach our goals, how we use them is really up to each of us. Which we choose to use is up to each of us based on our own specific needs and situations. I think it is unfair to tell anyone that since their system worked for them then it must work for everyone else and conversely just because a tool doenst work for someone doesn't know it wont work for me. I am here to support people using the tools that will work for them. I am here to offer guidance to others based off of my experiences, will they match 100%, no, but I know what my experience has been and what works and doesn't. I think when the intent of a post is to demean, belittle or ridicule the efforts of others then the whole post needs to be questioned. True support requires people to cheer our successes, share the burdens of failures and encourage each other as we struggle, all without judging. No one wants to write everything about themselves and that is ok, we go from what is shared with us, and as my Dad used to say, if you are in a hole, stop digging. Some people, just need to read what they state and stop digging and just read, help where they can, praise when needed and remember that ignorance is bliss, that is why some people are happy. I don't know about y'all, but I am proud of what I have accomplished, I am proud of the changes I have made in my life, I am proud of the look I see in my wife's eyes. And I don't care what tools I had to use to get here, I HAVE DONE THIS!

Thank you both for your suggestions. I was on 2 different BP meds before surgery and I started on just one afterwards. That lasted abut 3 days before we realized it was dropping it to low. This morning it was 107/73 without any meds. I am very pleased about that. My wife is a teacher in the same school and we have been discussing some of the suggestions you have made about the Protein shakes. We are going o make one for me to have each day and different ways to make sure I keep my Water intake up. At this point, I am still not really getting hungry yet so I called my dr to ask him about it. He told me that I should probably still try to eat on a schedule until I start feeling hungry again. I think we are thinking of having some unsweetened applesauce or something like that around 815 then at 10 start the Protein shake and sip it during the first part of that class. Have my lunch and after school have another low sugar snack. Just found out that 2 of the first 3 days will be tied up with meetings so everyone will be very busy. I hate the meetings, but I am glad that it will keep everyone busy so I wont get asked 100s of questions. Thanks again for the suggestions

I am 17 days Post-Op and have lost 28 pounds. I feel good about how things are going. I have had some learning experiences along the way, what it means to be "full", what happens when I push those limits, and how to monitor, not just how much I eat, but also what I eat. But on Wednesday I go back to my high school. Due to other health issues I haven't been there since the end of April. I haven't seen any of my co-workers since then either so I am not sure what their reaction may be. I am nervous as to what they may say and do. I have worked there for 9 years so this is going to be a new experience for me. I am working hard trying to discover how to live as the "new me". I feel like at times I don't know this person I am now. I am wearing clothes I haven't worn in quite a few years. I am also struggling with how I will maintain my eating schedule. I will eat breakfast around 6-630. School starts at 830 and my classes are 90 minutes long. I wont have lunch until 130 and school ends at 330. I have been eating about every 2 1/2 hours and I know I cant continue to do that so I am really having a hard time figuring out how to do this. I talked to my dr and he said to do what I need to but just to make sure I keep my Protein up. I am also kind of worried with my energy level. I still get tired in the afternoon and I definitely wont be able to take a break in the middle of the afternoon. So I am really hoping that I can push through the day without running completely out of steam. I am excited about getting back to work, but I am also nervous about how it will all go. The students come in next Tuesday. I have 4 days to get things ready in my classroom. I know I will be able to, it is just kind of scary to go back into the world after being at home for this long. Good luck to everyone as we all continue down our journey of re-discovery and learning to live our new lives.

I am so glad I am not the only one feeling this way! No real problems for me, I keep waiting for something bad to happen. I seem to be able to hit my Water and Protein with no problems and I can tell pretty easily that I am full now. I have wondered more than once that maybe they didn't really do anything to me except punch holes in me and pump me full of gas. This morning I weighed 264, down over 20 pounds from my highest weight in the last 2 months and I had my surgery 2 weeks ago Thursday. I am ready for the dreaded stall and am sure that somewhere along the way I will encounter problems, but after the major problems I have had after operations in the last 18 months, this has been a great experience.

The hiccups are awful! I started getting them almost as soon as I woke up. I tried holding my breath, everything and they wouldn't stop. They finally stopped after I was able to at least eat a few ice chips. After I was able to sip Water they went away. I hope you can get rid of them soon. The Fluid week goes quickly, after you are through it, but when starting it, 7 days seems like forever. Good luck!!

Good luck!

Went to the dr today and got my stitches taken out. The 6 hour round trip was very tiring, thank goodness we don't start school until Aug 12th so I can recover tomorrow. My surgeon is very pleased with how I am doing. He told me I can start to move to solid food on Friday. I am very pleased with things. I feel good and cant help to think that I will get feeling even better. Thanks for all of the support as we all move through this!

I smoked for 22 years, at least 2 packs a day, most of the time 3-4. Right before I got remarried I asked my soon-to-be wife what she wanted as a gift and she asked me to stop. So June 20th, 2003 was when I "officially" quit. But many times I felt I had it under control, so I would have just 1/4 of a smoke, then 1/2, next thing you know it was the whole thing. I know the physical craving for nicotine can disappear in 7 days, but that did nothing for the mental craving. I needed something to keep my hands and mind busy...so I started to make latch hook rugs. Yea, a 40 yr old guy watching football, making latch hook rugs, it was funny to watch, but hey, it worked. All of my family got latch hook rugs for Christmas that year! I asked my Dad who quit smoking 20 years before I did if the desire ever goes away, and he said no, it will come back at the weirdest times, and it does. So I keep a rug in the closet and when the desire for a smoke comes along, I work on the rug. Keep your mind and hands busy, I would suggest trying something you have never done before, because if you are anything like me you would smoke while doing almost everything, so I needed something that I didn't have memories of doing while smoking. Good luck, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

If they are able to do it with a laser you probably wont need any. They will close them with glue. If they use stiches or staples you may need some small dressings, like 2x2. I actually have both types of incisions, but even the one that has stiches I don't change the dressing, it is covered with waterproof tape so I can take a shower. I go Monday to have the stiches removed. Good luck!

I probably should have put this on the Post-Op side, since I am 10 days post op. So at this point I am struggling to get even 800 calories in. This is the nutritional info I got from my fitness pal after I entered the recipe: Calories: 163 Carbs: 12 Fat: 3 Protein: 24 Sodium: 116 Sugar: 4