Elizabeth Klisiewicz

I am two months out and I started drinking decaf low acid coffee with no problems. Simpatico makes a terrific decaf low acid coffee! It tastes better than the Starbucks brand I used to have every morning.

Hello everyone, I had the sleeve done on 1/8 and am feeling fine at 22 pounds down. I eat all my meals and drink my fluids regularly. All that said, I am having almost no bowel movements. I do pass gas regularly but I do not have the feeling that I need to go. I don't feel constipated and I have no gas pain. Is any of this normal or am I doing something wrong? It just feels weird to me.

The surgery went well. It took only a half hour, I am told. No complications. Since December, I have lost 13.4 lbs and nearly 6 lbs this week. The nursing staff at my hospital was incredible, other than having to wait a long time at certain times of day. I was in for two nights because I had to learn how to give myself blood thinner injections due to increased risk of blood clots. Thank God, only for two weeks. I will say though, that the side effects of the opioids they had me on were decidedly unpleasant. I am on no pain meds other than Tylenol at the present and have very little pain from the surgery. It is mostly my grumpy knees complaining all the time. Also getting used to having my stomach clench when I swallow something and get a gurgle each time. It is weird. And eating such small amounts. Now when I look at portion sizes for other people, my eyes bug out. I also cannot drink and eat at the same time, so I frequently use a timer to make sure I follow the rules. They are very serious about making sure you retain the proper nutrients and not have water wash them away. I see my surgeon for a follow up on Friday the 18th, and while he may clear me to return to work the following week, I am not mentally ready. I am going to take another full week to recuperate. I need this. So, a quick question. Is it normal to feel your stomach clench at times when you swallow liquids or food? This happens often to me, and sometimes it feels like a cramp. I just wait and make sure everything is OK and I continue to ingest food or water slowly. Will this continue to occur all the time or does my new stomach eventually get used to things?

Thanks, Ed.

My nurse told me that it is common to have insomnia as our bodies are going through hormonal changes. She said it should be temporary, and that it was OK to take valerian, melatonin, or Tylenol PM to help.

I am NOT sleeping well and I have read that insomnia can be a problem for some post op. I lay awake for several hours last night and had to take valerian to finally get around 4 hours of sleep. I am still recovering so I will try to get in a nap earlier in the day to compensate. I plan on calling my surgeon's office to discuss this and see what changes I can make to aid in sleeping. Before surgery, I dropped off to sleep almost immediately most nights, even with my CPAP machine. It is definitely not sleep apnea interfering since the machine takes care of that. Kind of frustrating. Glad others are getting good sleep though.

As everyone said, soreness is expected. I am five days post op and just have a little tenderness around the incision points, especially the central one where most of the work happened. I notice it the most when I get in and out of bed or have to use my core muscles. But I am not on any pain meds at the moment, and that to me is a win. Take care and give yourself the time you need to heal.

Thank you for the reassurance. I looked at your stats and you are doing great. You started out around the same size as me, and even the same height. 32 pounds in less than a month. Congratulations! Thanks again.

On the second day of the pre-op diet. The first day went well and I wasn't hungry. Today is a different story. Even though I had lunch 90 minutes ago, I am already counting the minutes until I can have a snack. Is this a normal reaction when you are used to a larger volume of food? Also bummed that my fruit is limited to once a day. The lack of fiber is not helping matters is all I can say. Also finding I am so thirsty. Drank five cups of decaf green tea already and a ton of water. That is another thing, to always feel thirsty because I am not getting the hydration I am used to from fruit.

Greetings, I received my surgery date in mid December. It took about four weeks with the Thanksgiving holiday to get approval from my insurance company. My pre-op diet is not a full liquid diet thankfully. There is an emphasis on protein shakes, but I am also allowed to have hard boiled eggs, low fat yogurt, fruit, and frozen meals such as Lean Cuisine, etc. I will have to stop having decaf coffee as of the 31st as I drink it with milk, though I can have decaf tea with stevia. I haven't lost a ton of weight previous to this, but I have done a good job cutting out sugar and caffeine. The holidays were a little touch and go but they are over now. I know it will all be challenging, and I am a bit nervous about surgery (who wouldn't be), but for me with two bone on bone knees, I am out of options and the pros outweigh the cons. So I am ready. My surgery is at Newton-Wellesley Hospital with Dr. Chahal. Impressed with the program and care team so far.

I agree about the caffeine. Way harder than sugar for me. It took about a week before the withdrawal symptoms disappeared and now I have plenty of energy, but that first week was all about headaches and fatigue.

Will be saying goodbye to coffee on Tuesday for at least 6 months. I got used to decaf and so this will be a bit tough for me. Just one of those habits that becomes ingrained. They told me decaf tea is OK, so that is a good thing. I feel like these last few days before the pre-op diet kicks in are a kind of farewell. Looking forward and trying to shed old habits will be a big challenge. Glad to have this community.

Thanks for the kind welcome. When I get a chance, I will fill out the profile part about weight, etc. I don't know all the numbers right now. I am looking forward to less stress on my joints as I suffer from chronic back and knee pain. I thank God that I am not diabetic, though a high A1C earlier this year spurred me to cut back on carbs and sugar. Now the A1C is normal, and I hope to get it even lower. I have been a lifelong member of WW and I have eaten healthy for many years, but too much healthy food is obviously a problem for me! Only my WW leader knows I am getting this surgery, and she is very supportive. The meetings are the most important part of WW and I hope to attend more support groups at the hospital once I am cleared to drive and work again. My therapist is also on board to support me. So I feel very blessed.