Pam_2-06-2017

No problem. You might be surprised. After the first couple of weeks my frame of mind was mostly positive with a bit of down moments. When the weight starts to come off it is hard not to feel good. So worth it for both of you. Good luck

Very normal. I am 6 weeks post op and still get fatigued when I do a little more than normal. Even my walks are slower than pre surgery right now. I figured getting 600-800 calories a day requires some adjustments by the body. Remember how many calories we ate pre op? There were plenty to burn:-) Give yourself time. Energy will come. I also find that if I'm well hydrated my fatigue is way less. Take care

I'm sorry that you're concerned about this. I think that the best approach to this for a support system is to learn as much as you can about what she can eat and most especially some of the emotions she will go through. I experienced a lot of regret the first week after surgery and having everyone around me eating things that I could not was very frustrating. I was prepared for this and your wife should also anticipate these emotions. I talked them over with my family and apologized in advance if I get frustrated. They downplayed every meal and even made me something I could have when they ate. I came to the table and they had soup and salad. On the table was a small bowl of chicken broth from the soup. How can you get mad at that kind of support:-) My husband never acknowledged my moods. My teenage son, on the other hand, asked me if I was in the "regret" phase all the time...it made me laugh every time. In short, work hard to support your wife because the first few weeks really suck. Liquid diets and slurries are not too pleasant. As far as a word? IDK... it was just nice to hear my husband say he loved me. Good luck. She is blessed to have someone who cares so much to even talk about it. Take care

I did self pay. Same bmi. I paid $11,500 in Texas. I understand that some go to Mexico for much cheaper but I was a bit nervous about that.

I had my mind made up to have the sleeve. I had a low bmi and I am pretty active and love healthy eating. I just ate too darn much. My doctor agreed and the sleeve it is. I loved the idea of the sleeve for these reasons: 1. It did not biologically change how I process food. It is merely a restriction to eating too much. 2. I gets rid of the hunger hormone grelin. This hormone remains with the bypass as the part that produces grelin is just "bypassed" so grelin continues to be produced. 3. Malabsorption - bypass not only restricts but also diminishes the nutrients absorbed into the body. A lifetime of vitamins are critical. I was a vitamin taker prior to surgery so this is no big for me but many people have trouble remembering to take vitamins all the time. This does not mean sleeve patients should not take vitamins. B12, D, and multi is still recommended. 4. Although the sleeve is fairly new (2011) it is proving to be the procedure with fewer complications. 5. It is less common to experience dumping syndrome which I understand can be pretty miserable. 6. Cost - I was self pay. Bypass was about $6,000 more expensive. This was merely a bonus. I would have paid for bypass if my doctor recommended it.

You and I are identical for the first 5 weeks. I am 5 1/2 weeks out and have lost 29 pounds. I have not weighed myself for week 6 yet. I have been pretty excited about my loss because there is no way in hell I'd have done it without my tiny tummy:/). Still motivated and going strong...!! Hang in there!

I heard boyfriend. It is important to remember that at the "boyfriend" stage of a relationship you should be having fun. The relationship should be light and learning about each other and behaviors that you can and cannot live with are revealed. So important to think of it this way because it doesn't get easier when you are married. It gets much much harder. It is a reality that you are different. This new journey is for a lifetime and as you get healthier you will continue to change. He needs to expect that.

That was only a few weeks ago for me. I remember it well. I could only drink water room temperature. No cold things. I sipped premium protein shakes and only the vanilla and only room temperature. Sounds kinda yucky now. No need to rush. You are very swollen and raw right now. Most important is to stay hydrated. Sip water every 15 minutes. And sip protein. Unless your Dr said otherwise full liquids is best. Broth, shakes, etc. Take care

I would postpone it until after the celebration. Most people don't even notice that you are not eating so that's a non issue. My concern for you would be issues with recovery fatigue, hormones making you struggle emotionally, feelings of regret because you feel you can't participate fully. These feelings happen and it would be a good idea to not have to deal with them during such a momentous occasion. Being at home in your comfy place is the best place to experience your recovery. 101!!! That's amazing. Enjoy yourself. Take care

I am 5 weeks post op and have lost 30 pounds. I was 220 when I started this journey. I haven't cheated once. I am currently on purée/soft foods. And most importantly, I walk for a bit each day.

I'm 5 weeks post op and just this week I was able to get my protein in and even ate 600 calories one day. It's tough and there is no way I can fit in 64oz of water on top of it all. I do sip all day so I am hydrated. Just not 64 oz worth. I measure my food before eating but depending on what it is I may or may not be able to finish it. I feel bad if I take one bite too much. My tummy gets all gurgly and my chest hurts. I am still working on what the feeling is before that one bite too much. I feel like I'm still learning everyday. If I add a new food I know very quickly if it disagrees with me. Usually nausea or just a sick feeling in my tummy. I've read that 6 months out is a good time to evaluate what your new normal will be. Take care

I can very much relate to how you feel. I hope I can add some perspective. As a child I was sexually molested. Children are vulnerable and helpless. Many people struggle with their weight from the point of their trauma into adulthood. Gaining weight is a way to become invisible to unwanted sexual advances. My perspective now? I am no longer a vulnerable child. I am a strong, adult woman and nobody is going to make me do anything I don't want to do anymore. This realization has made finding a healthier me much easier. Empower yourself. Work towards building your confidence by taking actions that make you feel strong and capable. For me that was karate. I am a red belt and have two more tests to get my black belt. I did this surgery because I was not physically capable of completing the program with my extra weight and health issues. But one thing is for sure. I am strong, I am safe and I am capable. I don't fear future attention from men because I don't fear men. This new confidence has made me a better wife and mother to my son. Take care

Try different shakes. I used premier protein shakes during pre op and a bit of post op. They were horrible but I suffered through them as they were recommended by my nutritionist. I saw a post here that recommended Muscle Milk. I tried it and it was so much better. It is thinner and you can't taste as much of that distinct protein flavor. Others say they do better blending their own shakes. Experiment. There are lots of products on the market. Good luck

Wow! You look amazing! Congratulations!

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It is perfectly normal. Surgery of any kind lends to a bit of anxiety or nervousness. You have done lots of prep work to get this far. This precursor to surgery is not just to shrink your liver but also prepare you for post op and beyond. You're committed and ready. Keep your eye on the prize so to speak. I stressed about the change. Not in my appearance but in my diet. There is lots of sacrifice but it gets easier with time. 1 week post op I was thinking what did I do?. Now at nearly 5 weeks post op I am thankful I did it. I feel amazing, accomplished and capable. Not to mention beautiful. You can do this and you will be fine. Take care

Same here Charlotte! I'm 49 and had surgery a little over a month ago. 27 pounds down and I swear it's all come from my face and neck:-) I don't remember these wrinkles the last time I successfully dieted about 6 years ago. Anyway, I've read that the rapid weight loss doesn't give your skin a chance to heal at our age. Wish I would have done this in my 20s. In time, with good hydration and a good moisturizer it should get better. I may find some laser treatments along the way. What type of treatment do you get?

Go for it as long as your comfortable. It was a couple of weeks before I could sleep anyhow but on my back. I'm a tummy sleeper so it was torture. Congrats on your surgery! Good Luck!

Hi February 2017 Sleevers, It's been one month and a few days since my surgery. Wow! I'm loving the weight loss! Down 27 pounds which is over the top exciting! I thought I'd share some of my thoughts now that I've been at this for a bit. You might be here too or have already passed through this part of the journey. Every body is different. Happy that many of my early issues have cleared up on their own. I no longer have stomach spasms. That was early on and they hurt. I no longer have acid reflux. Again, the first two weeks and it's gone. I had some dizzy spells early on as well but I attributed that to the VLCD and trying to get my water in. I still struggle with constipation. I don't expect to go every day as I am eating only 600-800 calories a day. I usually think about it once a week and take some Milk of Magnesia at bedtime. Problems solved after my morning coffee:-) I'm starting to notice my "full" feeling. It was hard at first because those nerves in my tummy were severed during surgery. I have been measuring my food and determined that I can eat about 4-5 ounces comfortably. I am still in the soft/mushy phase so I will have to re-evaluate when I move to the next phase, I'm sure. It is hard work to eat and drink everything I am supposed to. Those nasty Grelin hunger hormones are gone. Yay! Consequently, I feel absolutely no physical hunger. I did feel a few days of head hunger and regret that I could no longer eat whatever I want but that has passed too. Having no hunger sounds like a great thing until you get to 8pm and realize you've only eaten 300 calories all day. Sugar cravings are gone. I haven't had any sugar, processed food or processed flour since surgery. That was friggin' hard but I'm past the cravings now and it is awesome! My skin looks great now that the things I consume are truly nourishing. Another reason I have no hunger, I believe. I'd love to hear how everyone is doing! What types of issues are you dealing with? Successes? Failures? ta Pam

Hilarious story. One week post op we invited friends to dinner. I made pulled pork, slaw, beans...the works. 7 guests that I served and socialized with for hours. The whole time I never put a morsel in my mouth and sipped on water. Nobody even noticed or asked. Lesson to be learned. Most people don't notice except your closest friends. That was 4 weeks ago. Now I go to lunch with my friends, order soup and sip it slowly while we talk. Now that I have lost nearly 30 lbs, questions are coming. My response is that I'm making better choices and watching portions. That's its. No details. None needed. I never make a big deal of it and I am really enjoying it. As I lose weight I feel very normal. It's been a while since I've felt normal. I didn't want my surgery to become the topic of conversation every time someone who knew saw me. Good luck

I told my husband and teen son. After surgery I told my mom. I knew she would try and talk me out of it. I called her the day after surgery, told her and assured her I was ok. That's it. I have no intention of sharing with anyone else and I have 6 other brothers and sisters. I did this because I didn't want this to become the center of every family meal or family function. I use you guys for support[emoji173]️. When someone asks how I'm doing it I say I'm making better food choices and portion control. Totally true. Take care

I'm only 4 weeks post op, on soft/purée foods, and I have no hunger. I also have no full indicator until it's too late and I feel bubbling and gurgling in my throat like cic described. Because of this I rely on measuring most of the time. At home I have tiny bowls and I use them exclusively when I eat. My tummy can hold about 5 ounces most meals. This habit is training me for times I don't have my little bowls like eating out. I haven't eaten out yet but I'm preparing by learning the right portions visually. Take care

Almost 4weeks post op and I've tolerated most things I've tried. Lots of soups, cottage cheese, canned peaches, bananas, mashed sweet potato, yogurt, re fried beans, scrambled eggs, chicken and very lean ground beef. I add one or two new things every other day or so. Only thing I did not tolerate well was a soft crab cake I tried to make. Holding off on seafood for a little while.

Nervousness and anxiety are absolutely normal. I had so many fears, doubts and concerns before the big day. But I pushed though them and followed through. So thankful I did. I am 25 pounds lighter and moving towards a happier healthier me. Good luck and take care

Congratulations! You look amazing!