Barry W

Well, no one can make you have the surgery, so you can still ditch it until the last day if it came down to it. The sooner you get his figured out the better though, and I think there might be some financial penalties if you *were* to dtich this at the last minute. I have gone ahead and done it. It's not a small or easy thing though. However, if you have red flags of health problems looming in your future, then the risks of not having the sleeve gastrectomy can be greater than the risks of having it - that was my own personal conclusion for me.

Two weeks of pre-op diet. Two Meal Replacement shakes, plus a little fruit, unlimited veggies and one modest balanced meal daily - about 1200 calories daily for men. Oh yeah, and taper off caffeine.

The concern seems to be around breathing and the heavy sedation that is used for the surgery. Now, during the surgery, I was on a ventilator, but I think there are still concerns, perhaps for the recovery period when they have removed you from the ventilator but you're still pretty whacked? In any case, I would say best thing for your own safety is to be open with your surgical team as to your condition and to ask them questions.

According to the material my surgery team gave "once you are home from the hospital start with one chewable mutlivitamin per day". Centrum makes a pretty complete chewable with Iron. I am actually using the PatchMD Vitamin Patches bought at the online store on this site, but I don't think that is necessary. http://www.centrum.com/centrum-chewables

Try your best to avoid vomiting - if consuming a whole container of pudding or Protein shake (or whatever) makes you vomit, then try a half or just a third. Don't try to force your body to accept what the guidelines say. I think each person responds differently. Hang in there!

I second this - if you have a wide-mouth bottle or pitcher, thin slice a lemon or a lime or an orange (lemon is a good one to try first!) and mix it up with bulk spring water and let steep in the fridge for at least a few hours. You get not only the flavor from the juice of the fruit flesh, but also the more subtle flavors coming from the citrus zest - e.g. lemon oils.

Nice! All your work is paying off :-)

For what it's worth, I am falling short of the guidelines on both Water and Protein. I am trying to drink extra fluids and also to get in 2 Meal Replacement shakes per day (40g protein there). I am not trying to force things though, as I really don't care to be vomiting, so while I try to meet goals, I am also listening to my body.

Sounds like I have been slacking compared to some of you guys ...will try to step up my walks! Fortunately early spring is here and the snow and ice are off the walkways, plus there is that feeling of spring renewal in the air that coincides well my own personal feelings of renewal as I shed extra pounds :-)

Awesome - congratulations! :-)

I would avoid these during the soft foods period, as nuts are very hard. Also, they are quite fatty. Of course those are healthy fats, but while your stomach is still healing I wouldn't indulge in fats. Another choice that avoids both issues are legumes - black, kidney, navy and garbanzo Beans (chickpeas). These are fairly soft once cooked well, and a healthy source of protein and soluble fiber!

I agree with 4me4them that keeping a food journal (ideally including calorie counting) is very helpful as a tool to keep you aware of what you are eating. The second major thing I have found is to try not to buy anything that is too tempting for you to eat, just don't have stuff like that in the house at all if possible - much easier to have willpower in the store than in the kitchen. Of course the workability of that may be affected by other family members living with you. Finally, try to find healthy, reasonably light things that you *can* enjoy, and keep those there for you to snack on or enjoy with meals.

From what I understand, liquids don't sit in the stomach very long if taken alone... so given your modest rate of drinking - 2oz per 10-15 minutes, it may be that your stomach is emptying that liquid as fast as you are filling it.

Nice! Keep up the good work :-)

I agree with ohsosweet - I think scrambled eggs, cooked on the softer side would be okay. But the sausage is firmer and greasier, so I'd avoid that for a good long while. Anything fatty, I'd avoid entirely for now. Fat irritates the bowel.

I'll second that - water content of stool is what the difference *is* between diarrhea at one extreme and constipation at the other extreme. If you are dehydrated, I imagine your intestine is inhibited from secreting water into the waste. With a small stomach you can't chug water, but the idea is just to keep sipping water or unsweetened tea all day long.

I was sleeved Feb 29, and began to use Miralax prophylactically when I got home, since I'd heard so much about constipation, taking it once a day. Wed was just some gas but then Thursday was my first poop. Stopped using it when I began to have some diarrhea.

I have gotten past the surgery this past Monday without any undue complications, which was a relief. Good to be back home again now. Still have a fair amount of pain around my belly and especially don't like getting in and out of bed - you use your abs a lot to do that, I have discovered. Not wanting to take the oxycodone they sent me home with a script for though, so just trying to tough it out and look for this to improve. Gingerly approaching "food" and Water intake. Keeping the portions very small and plan to gradually increase. Have had the first bowel movement so I have passed that bar - took Miralax powder dissolved in some lite cranberry juice daily to get things moving. I see that I am prone to gas now, that's part of why I am conservatively approaching my intake. All in all I guess, not bad, Just looking forward to moving around more normally again, free of pain. I will be catching up on my TV *lol*. Not a big TV watcher normally but it sure does help to pass the time when convalescing.

One thing that I'll say about any kind of food/drink aversions is that if you have gotten nauseous and vomited after consuming something, your brain can at a primitive level associate the bad reaction to the smells and tastes, and the mere smell or taste can make you fee ill later - it's an evolutionary defense mechanism. I would try overcoming it by just drinking very small amounts, a few sips of Water, and then very gradually increasing that over weeks of time.

Stay away from carbs - no sweets, no bread, Pasta, potatoes or rice (in any form). That will help to cut your cravings. Stick with lean meat - chicken and fish, veggies and salads, legumes, fresh fruit and nonfat dairy.

Thanks to all for the positive wishes :-) Just some last details to arrange today and then tomorrow is go-time.

Monday is the big day for me as well - best of luck - hope all goes smoothly for you. We will be comparing notes here next week I am sure...

Not sure if this will help you, but I too have had some thoughts of eating something "fun" while I still can. But you know what? I've already been having that experience for 15 years now - that's why I weighed 295. A few more weeks of "fun" won't add anything new, and at some point, I need to say that enough is enough. That was my internal dialogue anyway, and it worked for me. I started on my pre-op diet early and have lost 25lb with my surgery coming on Monday, so the surgery won't be cancelled, and I will have a good start on things. This isn't purely physical, part of this is mental and you have to be ready to make a commitment.

Ouch, not sure why they are so strict - the thing is, many people may then face compliance issues, and I'd think a less restrictive plan that patients follow would be better than a very restrictive plan that that some don't. Sounds like your willpower held though - well done!