catwoman7

except for the first few weeks, I ate around 800 calories a day for most of my first year. After a year out I was pretty consistently in the 1000-1200 range. I didn't hit 1200-1400 until I was zeroing in on my goal. A lot of women eat that much in maintenance (luckily, I can eat more than that and maintain...). So eating that much at three months out seems like a lot. Of course, I don't know what her rationale is - maybe there's a reason for it.

for me, after that first week, it was really more discomfort than pain. That lasted quite awhile, as I recall. And as I said earlier, some of my sensation finally started coming back - about a year after surgery! So it can take awhile!

have someone take photos every month on your surgery date. There were times I couldn't see my progress, either, but when I compared photos from different months, yep - there it was. Clear as day!

I quit smoking 25 years ago. It was REALLY tough to do, but then, a lot of people have done it. Good luck to you!

I can't remember how long it was before I could sleep on my side - maybe two or three weeks? I never used a recliner - I just propped myself up with regular pillows and body pillows.

my favorite brands were Syntrax and Unjury - but everyone's tastes are different. I never found a ready to drink one that I liked, but a lot of people like Premier Protein. I never liked that one, but a lot of people love it.

some people have diarrhea post-surgery, but constipation is WAY more common. For a lot of us, it (constipation) is a chronic problem. Anyway, it's not unusual to go up to a week after surgery before having a BM.

I've read that they're not that accurate. They give you a ballpark figure, though. Methods such as water weighing, skinfold calipers, and DEXAscans tend to be more accurate.

22 lbs in two weeks is way more than I lost. It took me about six weeks to lose that much, and we started out at about the same weight. If you're comparing yourself to the people on "My 600 lb Life", don't. Those people are starting at WAY higher BMI's than the average WLS patient. You are doing just fine!

actually, your arms looks pretty good, even in the before pictures!

yes. Pyloric valve is not bypassed with the sleeve. But most surgeons have the 30-minute rule regardless of surgery.

these surgeries are very safe and complications aren't all that common. When people do have them, they're usually minor. Working in ER, she just sees the people with problems. There are a ton of people out there who have never had issues. with a BMI of 47, you will definitely qualify. If you're able to lose the weight on your own and keep it off, then great - but just know that only about 5% of obese people are able to do that. I tried and tried and tried my entire life, but the weight kept coming back. This was my only chance of losing it for good. yes - there are risks, as there are with any surgery, but in my case, the risks of staying obese FAR outweighed the risks of surgery. good luck with your decision! As so many others have said, my only regret is that I didn't do it years ago.

I never had issues with fluids. I could drink more-or-less normally. I was freaked out about it, but the PA at my clinic wasn't concerned. you'll start to feel restriction (with food) about the time you move to solid foods.

with these kinds of soups, I usually try to eat as much of the liquid as I can first, then I'll eat the solids.

nope. That rule never ends - it's lifelong. Drinking too soon after eating washes the food out of your pouch (your pyloric valve has been bypassed, so there's nothing to hold the food in your stomach if you start drinking)

if it was a tomato-based pasta sauce, that could be it. Tomatoes have a lot of acid.

sounds like you're doing great! from everything I've heard & read, if hair loss is gonna happen, it's gonna happen. There's not much you can do about it. Some people claim things like Biotin helps, but others say it did pretty much nothing for them. Just know that you're the only one who's likely to notice and that it WILL grow back.

I've used Flat Out products a lot. They're a lower carb flatbread you can use as a wrap. some people on an other bariatric site I'm on use wraps that are made of cheese. I've seen them in the store but have never tried them.

I've had several procedures. I don't remember the arm lift being too bad after the first few days. The biggest pain was trying to minimize my arm use (like not reaching) - UGH!

a lot of us are/were put on a PPI (like omeprazole) for the first few months after surgery. I'm a little surprised you weren't. I'd run it by my surgeon - he/she may prescribe something for it. Acid reflux can cause damage if it's left untreated.

yes. They're made of titantium. I've had four MRI's since surgery (three were for research studies I was in)

Aleve is an NSAID. We're not supposed to take those.

yep. Started at 373. Lost 57 lbs through the insurance-required six-month supervised diet and two-week pre-surgery liquid diet. Weighed 316 the morning of surgery. At 2.5 months out (where you are), I weighed 282. So in the first 2.5 months post-op, I'd lost 34 lbs. I'd lost 100% of my excess weight by 20 months out. Still at a normal BMI. You know what to do and what not to do. Do follow your surgeon's plan to a T. Do not compare yourself to others.

oh yea - that's a truckload of weight and there was a lot of hard work behind that. You definitely don't want to gain that back!!! Losing 15 lbs is totally do-able. Way easier than losing 50 or 100 lbs. You should be able to turn this around using the above suggestions. You can do this!!

are you still on painkillers? I get horrible headaches from those.